In Search of Love

Great Swordsman Wei of Tiexiu Stronghold frowned upon hearing Jiang Weiying’s words. “But Stronghold Master Fang had passed away quite a while ago, so we are unlikely to discover any form of poison from his body. Besides, without proper proof, we cannot simply open up a dead man’s coffin, it’s a huge disrespect to the deceased.”

Jiang Weiying nodded. “You have a point, Great Swordsman Wei.”

Then, Great Swordsman Wei said, “Although Sect Leader Jiang is trying to help deduce the case by first assuming that Jiuling Taoist is innocent, I am afraid you may be complicating things and leading us to a dead end. Initially, we inferred that the Jiuling Taoist had snuck into the Qisha Stronghold and ambushed Stronghold Master Fang in his study. If we assume that Stronghold Master Fang was caught off guard, judging by Jiuling Taoist’s martial art skills, it is possible that Jiuling Taoist could have killed Stronghold Master Fang with just one blow. Moreover, upon hearing the sound of bells, supervisor Fang rushed in to check on what happened and inadvertently noticed the hem of the murderer’s Taoist robe before he could escape. We clearly have a witness, and the wound on the Stronghold Master’s body serves as physical evidence. Besides, Jiuling Taoist’s alibi is not completely irrefutable. Who can guarantee that once a person enters the Linglong Formation cannot leave midway?”

Fu Yan nodded in agreement, then glanced at Jiang Weiying.

Great Swordsman Wei of Tiexiu Stronghold continued, “We cannot change our minds just because Shensuan Sect claims he is innocent! We must judge this case by looking at the evidence, not baseless guesses and assumptions. Jiuling Taoist died in the Linglong Formation, brutally killed by the hidden traps in it. We all saw it with our own two eyes, an arrow had pierced through his chest. Although it was strange that the wound was very deep, for now, there seems to be no suspect. Yet, the Shensuan Sect claims that Qisha Stronghold was responsible for the death of the Jiuling Taoist. It is widely known that Jiuling Taoist’s martial art skills were extraordinary, so it is simply not possible for Great Swordsman Fu, Great Swordsman Fang, and their two disciples who were in the Linglong Array as well to defeat Jiuling Taoist that easily. Hence, there is no chance that Jiuling Taoist was assassinated by another without anyone else noticing… Come to think of it, this sounds rather similar to the case of the late Stronghold Master. Could it be that Jiuling Taoist was also poisoned as well?

A swordsman from Luoyi Sect spoke up, “You have a point. With one incident occurring after another, it seems oddly coincidental. But, if we do not have concrete evidence on our hands, we should not jump to conclusions and point fingers at anyone. Otherwise, we might be falling right into the Shensuan Sect’s trap by doing so as their motive behind claiming innocence is exactly that. If we cannot deal with this matter in a fair and just manner, how could we demand an explanation from them?”

Fu Yan nodded again. He was eager to add a few remarks to spice up the swordsman’s statement, but he held back.

Jiang Weiying peered at Xiao Qi, who nodded at him and leaned in to whisper by his ear, “It is done. Ran Feize had just signalled to me not long ago by the window.”

Jiang Weiying nodded back at Xiao Qi, then he turned towards the crowd in the hall. “Respected swordsmen, all of you have shared your wisdom on the matter. I, myself, had never thought of the possibility of the murderer poisoning his victims beforehand. Initially, all clues pointed to Jiuling Taoist as the killer and I had formed my own deductions based on the same clues. However, many doubts remain. I am sure many of you, respected swordsmen, share my concern. Otherwise, all of you would not have lent a hand to examine the wound on the body, nor would all of you have arduously traveled to the Linglong Formation to investigate. As we push forward on the investigation, more events unfold, forcing the murderer to derail from his plans, resulting in more slip-ups being exposed. All this while, the possibility of the late Stronghold Master being poisoned had never once crossed my mind until last night.”

“So, how did you find out about it?” Everyone looked at each other and asked eagerly. Out of all of the curious men, only Fu Yan’s expression darkened, his face tainted with dismay as he felt his heart slowly sinking into an abyss.

At the same time, Xiao Qi walked out and led two people back into the hall. The two men were Fang Ping and Ding Zi.

“He discovered the truth from me.” Fang Ping said calmly. As soon as Ding Zi entered the hall, his shaking body dropped to the floor in a kneeling position.

Fu Yan widened his eyes at Fang Ping’s words. As he saw Fang Ping entering the hall, he quickly lowered his head and squeezed his hand hard. Physical pain took over his senses momentarily and he was able to instantly put on a mask of calmness. Then, he slowly lifted his head to stare at Fang Ping in silence.

Everyone else was also surprised and confused to see Fang Ping in the hall. They were told that members of Shensuan Sect had injured him greatly, but now, he had sauntered into the hall seemingly as fit as a fiddle, as if nothing had happened.

Fang Ping bowed deeply to Jiang Weiying. “Thank you for saving my life, Sect Leader Jiang.”

“Great Swordsman Fang, what exactly is going on here?” Luo Hua from Riyue Stronghold asked, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer.

Fang Ping glanced at Fu Yan, attempting to observe the expression on his face, but there was none. Disappointment sank in. He looked around the hall and expounded earlier events where Jiang Weiying had brought Su Xiaopei to visit Qisha Stronghold and helped him recall the details of what happened on the day of the murder.

“It was not long ago that I finally recalled, I did not hear any sounds of ringing bells, nor did I glance upon the hem of the murderer’s robe. These were all a figment of my own imagination. I had thought…” Fang Ping squinted his eyes shut in shame. “It is difficult for me to admit, but it is true that I had wrongly accused Jiuling Taoist. I am responsible for all the unpleasant events that occurred thereafter.

Wei Shan from Tiexiu Stronghold hollered, “You remembered wrongly? How could you remember something like this wrongly? Whether you actually heard or seen anything, you are the person who should know best, isn’t it? How could you change your mind now and assert that you had actually remembered it wrongly?”

Fang Ping tightened his lips. He expected such rebuke from others and still, he was at a loss as to how to defend himself. In truth, he felt that not even he could forgive himself for the mistake he had made. Who could he blame? He was the one who conjured false memories without realising, after a certain someone planted suggestions in his mind. It would be embarrassing if he admitted that his words were untruthful merely because he was influenced by the words of others.

“In short, everything is my fault.” Fang Ping said through gritted teeth, and continued, “Miss Su enlightened me on the reason behind my mistake of recollection. So, I wanted to speak to her last night, intending to request her further assistance in identifying the murderer of the late Stronghold Master. Who knew? Halfway to her lodging, I was ambushed. Fortunately, I survived as Sect Leader Jiang had sent someone to help.”

“Miss Su is quite the remarkable character.” Luo Hua had witnessed Su Xiaopei’s skillful deduction back at Mountain LingLong and was curious about her ways of thinking. “What was the reason that she gave you?”

Other swordsmen also asked simultaneously. “Do you know who the real murderer is now?”

“Is it true that Shensuan Sect was responsible for the attack?”

“What happened afterward?”

Jiang Weiying spoke up, “Miss Su explained that Fang Ping’s mistake was a result of someone purposefully planting such suggestions within his mind. The person who could do so must be one of Great Swordsman Fang’s close aides whom he trusted greatly. Now, as the culprit believes that we were about to discover the truth behind the murder, he decided to take action by killing Great Swordsman Fang. It is common sense that if he commits a murder in his own home, it would be too obvious that it was done by someone within the stronghold. So, he chose to execute his plans outside, disguising the attack as being done by another sect with a grudge to settle. To minimise the risks of the plan backfiring, the culprit had decided to attack Great Swordsman Fang in the middle of the night, while he was out on the streets. Yesterday, Miss Su had deliberately set a trap before she left. She said that it would be better to ponder over the case while lying down at night. If the culprit heard those words, he would try to persuade Great Swordsman Fang that Miss Su is hinting that he should go see her at night, to discuss the case further.”

“Hence, I went out at night, bringing along two disciples with me.” Fang Ping said while looking straight at Fu Yan.

Fu Yan sighed. “That was what I believed Miss Su’s words to mean. Uncle Fang, we both agreed on this yesterday. I understand that you were almost killed last night, but do you really believe I was the one who tricked you into leaving the stronghold at night?”

Fang Ping did not respond. In fact, when he heard Fu Yan’s words, disappointment swelled in his heart.

Jiang Weiying disregarded Fu Yan’s words, and continued with his story. “Those men who ambushed Great Swordsmen Fang, wore night garments over Shensuan Sect’s robes on purpose. By saying certain words, and allowing their robes to be revealed underneath the black outer garments, they deliberately misled Great Swordsman Fang to believe that they were from the Shensuan Sect. I had instructed my disciples to keep an eye on Great Swordsman Fang, and they noticed there was something unusual about him while he was on his way to Miss Su’s lodging. When the attackers lunged at him, he reacted much slower than usual. So, after we rescued him, we investigated. We all suspected he was poisoned, but the poison is not fatal. It would merely cause one to have slower reflexes. Under such circumstances, if he was killed with eye witnesses present, no one would suspect a thing.” Jiang Weiying paused, then continued. “From this point, we could deduce that the murderer also used poison to murder the late Stronghold Master. After preparing the right weapon, poisoning the victim, striking him, and then planting certain suggestions in the eyewitness’ mind to mislead everyone and create the perfect alibi for the actual killer.

Fu Yan nodded, and said, “In this case, Uncle Fang is also a suspect. You were close to Master, hence it is not difficult for you to poison him. You were the first to find his body, and it was you who said there were sounds of bells ringing and saw the hem of the killer’s robe. It is exactly because of your testimony that we dared to demand an explanation from the Shensuan Sect for this matter. Now, you are still trying to deceive Sect Leader Jiang. Why are you doing this? Could it be that you were vying for the title of the Stronghold Master?”

“Bullshit.” Fang Ping trembled with anger. “You are the one who sent assassins disguised as Shensuan Sect members to ambush me! In the end, I survived and you thought I was badly injured, so you instructed Ding Zi to poison me. Unfortunately, he had already admitted all of this to me. Great Swordsman Ran also found a vial of poison in your residence, the same poison you  gave to Ding Zi.”

“Ding Zi is your personal servant, not mine. He would say whatever you ask him to say.” Fu Yan had no intention of admitting to even one accusation. “Ran FeiZe found the poison in my house?” He sneered, “Prior to fussing over whether it was truly found in my residence or planted there on purpose, I could simply punish him as he trespassed the stronghold grounds with malicious intentions. After all, Ran Feize is not known to be a righteous man, his reputation across the jianghu is terrible. Uncle Fang, that does not seem to be a very credible helper you got there.”

Fang Ping froze for a moment. He never expected that Fu Yan could be so shamelessly unreasonable. He was so furious until a hopeless smile appeared on his lips, and angry tears streaked down his face, “Fu Yan, do you really think all the loyal servants in this house are dead?

Fu Yan avoided his question and asked, “Uncle Fang, why are you keeping this up? I wrote to the major sects overnight to ask for help for your sake. It hurts me to see you acting like this.”

Fang Ping laughed, “For me? Fu Yan, after all these years, watching you grow up, I would like to ask the same question as well. Why are you acting like this? Although there are many in this stronghold that obey you, most disciples and servants have a good heart. I already found out, whoever, among your men, is disloyal to the late Stronghold Master. You really believe everyone here is on your side? Sect Leader Wei, Sect Leader Ding, our fellow friends across the jianghu and various sects that are present here.” Fang Ping cupped his fist in his other hand and saluted the crowd. “Are they here to help you or me? No! They are all here today for the sake of the late Stronghold Master and the Qisha Stronghold. With the former master killed and the entire stronghold at risk of being oppressed by another, they would come to the stronghold’s aid without a doubt, not for you. You are just an inexperienced young man. Without the late Stronghold Master’s efforts in training you, do you think you would be able to get where you are right now, on your own? Did you really think you were born deserving respect in the Qisha Stronghold just because everyone calls you ‘Sir’? Bullshit! You ingrate! No matter how you shamelessly deny all the accusations, I will not let you go that easily today.”

With his hands shrouded under his sleeves, Fu Yan clenched his fists hard, and said in a low voice, “Uncle Fang is right. We must settle this matter today.  Uncle Fang, you have been in the stronghold for decades, is there anyone here that dares to disobey you? You are right, though, I am still young. So, would it make more sense to listen to your words, or mine? You have spoken rather eloquently today, Uncle Fang, while I have nothing more to say to you.”

Fury boiled within Fang Ping as he lifted a shaking finger at Fu Yan, “You, you monster…” He was at a loss for words as his anger clouded his mind, and he felt as if the room was almost spinning.

Suddenly, Jiang cleared his throat and said, “I might not have made it clear earlier, but the attackers pretending to be members of Shensuan Sect did not actually die. They were only injured from the fight. We hit their pressure points and made them swallow a particular medicine so that they can feign death. Without careful diagnosis and checking their pulse, no one would notice. I purposely said that I was going to send some men to transport the attackers’ bodies to Shensuan Sect, demanding an explanation for this matter. Upon hearing this, the mastermind of the ambush would want to stop this from happening. Hence, he would likely send more men to ambush my men and attempt to steal the bodies away. Come to think of it, it must be almost time, as the carriage should be out of Hulu Town by now. It may have already happened while we were speaking.”

Fu Yan’s calm countenance finally fell apart. He gritted his teeth, attempting to reign in his emotions, but his face still twitched uncontrollably.

Xiao Qi’s face also twitched but for different reasons. Why does Master sound like he is purposefully taunting Fu Yan? Did Ran Feize finally manage to influence him with his antics? Luckily, Ji Jiawen is not here. Otherwise, he might be slightly disappointed in Master.

Fang Ping continued to reproach Fu Yan as he kept silent. “You can stubbornly continue to deny all you want, but we have a witness. We have also found the poison in your room. There will be more evidence put forward, I assure you. You will not be able to deny all of this until the very end.”

Upon hearing his words, Xiao Qi’s head perked up, as if he had just recalled something. He then asked, “Where is Ran Feize?” That guy was just by the window not long ago, signalling to him that the job was done, but now he was gone.

Fang Ping responded, “Since the murder weapon is not yet found, Miss Su went straight to see Lady Lee, so Ran Feize must have gone to accompany her there.”

Fu Yan could not hold back any longer and jumped up from his seat. “Fang Ping! Don’t you dare lay a finger on her and the young child! They have nothing to do with this!”

“We will find out whether they are relevant to the case.”

Fu Yan gritted his teeth. “That malicious demoness misleads all of you with her lies.”

“Is that so? But I think Miss Su is really good at what she does,” Luo Hua, who had been silent all the time, interrupted. “Although she dressed and spoke strangely at times, her words do carry logic and reason. Her methodologies are ingenious and effective. I bear witness to her skills and am willing to guarantee it.”

Fu Yan glared at him. “Just do not mistreat them.” After speaking, he strode toward the entrance.

Before he could leave, Wei Shan from Tiexiu Stronghold blocked his way. “Now, I best suggest you, Great Swordsman Fu, calm your nerves and stay here. Great Swordsman Fang was right. We, swordsmen from Tiexiu Stronghold, are not here for either of you. We are here for the late Stronghold Master and for the sake of Qisha Stronghold. We will make our judgment on what is right and what is wrong. If there is any evidence, put it forward. If there are any doubts about the case, let us all look into it together. All of us here, including our fellow friends of the jianghu, are here to seek justice on behalf of the late Stronghold Master.”

The other swordsmen spoke up in agreement, demanding Fu Yan to sit down and not act rashly. Fu Yan looked at them with seething eyes, cold sweat had drenched his inner robes. He did not expect them to suspect Lady Lee as well.

At the same time, Su Xiaopei was indeed in Lady Lee’s house, sitting leisurely in a chair, face-to-face with Lady Lee. The latter had her head lowered and did not say a word, while Su Xiaopei stared at her in silence. The standstill went on for some time.

Initially, Lady Lee hollered and screamed at them for acting disrespectfully, barging in out of the blue. But, once she saw that they were accompanied by Fang Ping’s men, she stopped lashing out. Those men had announced that they were under Fang Ping’s orders to investigate the stronghold thoroughly, with no one to be exempted. When they began to escort her guards away, she instantly knew something was not right. But, she remembered Fu Yan’s previous reminder to her, so she glued her eyes to the floor and kept her mouth shut. While she attempted to maintain a calm countenance, the anxiousness in her heart grew. She felt a chill run down her spine as she felt the unwavering stare of that darned demoness who was currently seated right opposite her.

“I know what you did.” Su Xiaopei spoke. Her observant eyes caught the slightest quivering of the corner of her lips and the movement in her throat as Lady Lee gulped.

She is scared now. Good, Su Xiaopei thought.

“It was you who poisoned the late Stronghold Master, right?”

Su Xiaopei watched as Lady Lee’s eyebrow twitched, almost imperceptibly, then continued to ask, “Poisoned his tea, perhaps?” Lady Lee immediately jerked her head upwards to look at Su Xiaopei with wide eyes. Her surprise and horror upon hearing Su Xiaopei’s words were clear as day.

Su Xiaopei continued to speak in a calm tone, “I’ve said before. I know what you did.”

Lady Lee shook her head, but the growing fear in her eyes was all too apparent.

“You cannot hide anything from me.” Su Xiaopei’s calm, steely voice greatly intimidated Lady Lee.

Once I break through her psychological defenses, I will get the answers I need. After all, it’s not difficult to analyse someone like her, Su Xiaopei thought.

Ran Feize roamed around Lady Lee’s residence but failed to find anything suspicious that might be the murder weapon. Lou Lidong leaned leisurely against one of the window frames and said, “I told you there is nothing here. I do not believe for a moment that you are better at finding things than me.”

Lou Lidong had kept an eye on the Qisha Stronghold since some time ago under Ran Feize’s personal request and had covertly visited the stronghold multiple times. But, he failed to notice or discover anything of interest. Out of the blue, Ran Feize left a secret message for him yesterday, asking for a pill that could make someone seem dead. After hearing the full plan from Ran Feize, he became excited, and said sarcastically to Ran Feize, “How righteous these prominent sects are to be involved in such dirty, dirty tricks. I guess we will be expecting the unification of the jianghu to happen…soon.”

Lou Lidong could not hold back his curiosity, so he snuck into Qisha Stronghold today, intending to watch as events unfold. But, he got caught by Ran Feize and was asked to do things for him. After they ransacked Fu Yan’s residence, successfully finding a vial of poison, Lou Lidong followed Ran Feize back to the hall, determined to settle the score once and for all to prove that he is better at this.

Ran Feize ignored Lou Lidong’s words, and said, “The weapon must be able to leave a mark, similarly indicative of the Jiuling Taoist’s weapon, so it would not be small. But, such a weapon is not easy to hide. Once someone discovers it, it would be difficult to explain their possession of it. Hence, it would likely be in an open space for all eyes to see. If it was placed inside a person’s residence without arousing anyone’s suspicions, it would likely be a grand piece of decor, adorned with lavish ornaments.”

Upon hearing his words, the calm mask that Lady Lee tried to maintain faltered.

Su Xiaopei responded, “Your guess is right, Warrior.”

Ran Feize nodded, his eyes glancing around Lady Lee’s residence. “The weapon must have been disguised as a table decor, an ornamental sword, with its sheath painted in gold and adorned with gemstones.”

With her gaze remaining on Lady Lee, Su Xiaopei said, “You are indeed rather smart, Warrior.” He got it all right.

“But it seems that it’s gone now.” Ran Feize strode over to Su Xiaopei’s side. “As it was something that looked extravagant, it would be a pity to discard it all of a sudden, not to mention suspicious as well. Burying it was not an option too since it might be discovered by someone sooner or later. My guess is that it would be best for it to be sent as a gift, to her natal family. No one would doubt such an act and the murder weapon would be successfully out of sight. This was the best, inconspicuous way to deal with it.”

Lady Lee felt as if her entire world was falling apart as she listened to Ran Feize.

Su Xiaopei said to Ran Feize, “Such a pity that you aren’t a constable, Warrior.”

“Their monthly salary is too little.” Ran Feize remarked, causing both Su Xiaopei and Bai Yulang to roll their eyes at him.

In the past, who was the one that only had nothing but a few coins on him? He couldn’t afford to feed me and I had to do jobs for the Magistrate’s Office to earn a living, Su Xiaopei thought.

On the other hand, Bai Yulang merely believed that constable is a noble profession and the money that comes with it is not important.

Ran Feize grinned as he took in their expressions. He waved his hand, gesturing for one of Fang Ping’s men to come over to him. He instructed him to inform Fang Ping to gather a few men and bring along Ji Jiawen to visit Lady Lee’s natal family home to investigate the murder weapon. He also mentioned to Ji Jiawen, “You are familiar with the blacksmiths at Hulu Village in Hulu Town. Once you all have found the murder weapon, find out which blacksmith in the village had forged it. The person who paid a hefty sum to have it done must have given precise instructions on the blade’s length and width. Investigate it and we will find out who is behind it.”

Ji Jiawen nodded understandingly at Ran Feize’s instructions. As he was about to leave, Bai Yulang insisted on joining the fun, so both of them left together.

Back in the main hall, when everyone heard the news, Fang Ping smirked coldly, “Oh my, Fu Yan. I wonder how you will continue to defend yourself.”

Fu Yan gritted his teeth and glared at Fang Ping without speaking a word. Other swordsmen in the hall began to chatter indiscreetly as they waited patiently for updates, eager to find out the truth of the case. No one wished to leave the hall for a single second, except for Fu Yan who was actually not allowed to leave. Soon, Fang Ping instructed the servants to serve lunches for the swordsmen. 

In Lady Lee’s residence, Su Xiaopei was still sitting across from Lady Lee, staring silently at her. The tense atmosphere caused cold sweat to break out on Lady Lee’s forehead, melting away the makeup on her face. Occasionally, Su Xiaopei would catch her off guard with questions, until her defenses crumbled into nothing. Then, Su Xiaopei lowered her voice to a gentle tone and said, “Now, let’s talk about your child, shall we?” Tears finally slipped from the corner of Lady Lee’s eyes down her cheek. 

They chatted about the child until the old nanny that was taking care of the child appeared and said that the boy was crying non-stop, asking to see his mother. 

Su Xiaopei peered at the woman and sighed. “You are ruthless and cruel. How do you even face your own child after what you have done?”

“He snatched me away from my beloved partner! Is that not cruel?” Lady Lee loathed the late Stronghold Master with all her might. When she was deeply in love with a young man that lived near her house, the late Stronghold Master, Fang Tong, forced her to marry him, merely because he liked her appearance. She was coerced to submit to his demands despite the overflowing reluctance and resentment in her heart. Later on, when she saw that her beloved had also married another and was living a content, married life, her resentment for Fang Tong grew. When he knew about it, he even ridiculed her for her naivety and mocked her for believing in precious, true love. He had told her that those fleeting emotions were of no value in real life—what really matters is marrying an affluent man and having a stable life. For Lady Lee, his words were worse than any form of humiliation. She had always felt that he looked down upon her and that being nice to her was merely for show—deep down she knew she was nothing but his little plaything.

Besides, Fang Tong was much older than her and he was far from good-looking. With the passing of each day, her disgust and hatred for Fang Tong grew even stronger. As she did not venture beyond the stronghold grounds ever since she was married, she could only befriend whoever was in the stronghold. Over time, she slowly grew fond of the young and capable Fu Yan. The latter also acted boldly by flirting with her. Once they both knew their feelings were being reciprocated, they began to have an affair.

After a few years, Lady Lee was worried that Fang Tong would find out about their affair. But, at the same time, she never stopped loathing him, and she could not bear another day of sleeping in the same bed with the likes of him. So, she pleaded with Fu Yan to kill Fang Tong. Fu Yan himself was ambitious. He desired power and respect, and was easily persuaded by Lady Lee. The two of them had planned Fang Tong’s murder for a long time, meticulously planning out every single move in order to ensure the truth would not be discovered. In the end, they decided it was Fu Yan who would deal the final blow, while Lady Lee maintained a facade to lower Fang Tong’s suspicions, poisoned his tea, and hid the murder weapon after the deed was done. Then, Lady Lee would use the method Fu Yan taught her, suggesting to Fang Ping that Jiuling Taoist was the murderer.

Fang Tong would never have seen this coming—poisoned by the one he slept with every night, while his beloved disciple killed him.

After Fang Tong was killed, Lady Lee cleaned the murder weapon and later claimed that it was inauspicious to have such an ornament in her residence. Using that excuse, she sent the ornamental sword back to her family, along with some dowry. It was a success. No one had suspected, until now.

The truth was finally out.

Su Xiaopei and Ran Feize returned to the main hall and shared everything they discovered from Lady Lee. Fang Ping broke out in tears, sobbing about how unfortunate Fang Tong was. On the other side of the hall, Fu Yan remained silent, a bleak look of despair was etched on his face.

While everyone was gathered in the hall, no one knew that someone had snuck into Fu Yan’s room, searching for something behind his writing table. The man found the secret compartment he was looking for and took out the hidden papers inside. After briefly looking through its contents, he shoved the papers into his sleeves, then pushed the table back to its original spot.

It was already late evening. The group of men from Xuanqing Sect that pretended to transport the bodies of the dead attackers had returned. They brought back the remaining attackers who were captured alive last night, and a few of Fu Yan’s men who attempted to steal the bodies from them.

Not long after, Ji Jiawen and Bai Yulang also returned, confirming that the ornamental sword was found in Lady Lee’s natal family home, placed right upon the guest hall’s eight treasures cabinet.

T/N: Eight Treasures Cabinet is an open-style cabinet with several levels. A common traditional Chinese style display of various ornaments and decor in one’s home.

Ji Jiawen also found the blacksmith responsible for forging the weapon. The sword left quite an impression on the shopkeeper, so he still kept the draft outline that the client provided to him, detailing the specifications and style of the desired sword. After looking at the draft, Ji Jiawen and Bai Yulang confirmed it was clearly a weapon made to inflict a wound similar to the Jiuling Cleaver.

Now, there was a confession and physical proof of Fu Yan’s crimes. But, he was still able to smirk and say, “Did you all really think I had lost? No. I am not on the losing side. That old geezer is dead. No one can bring him back. I won!”

Silence filled the main hall. Every pair of eyes watched in horror as Fu Yan deliriously made his victory statement, while Fang Ping trembled in fury.

Su Xiaopei seemed calm as always, but she felt as if she had never despised Fu Yan as much as she did now.

“You think you’ve won? Let me tell you something. That child is not yours.” Su Xiaopei retorted.

Fu Yan froze.

“She lied to you.” Su Xiaopei sneered. She was not the type of person who would let him say all that nonsense and walk away thinking he had the upper hand. She was bent on knocking that despicable man off his high horse. “You might think that despite being punished for your crimes, there is someone of your blood still living and breathing freely out there, being treated respectfully and cared for as a young lord—the next Stronghold Master-to-be. You might think that even if you die someday, your ambitions will be carried on by your own son, and you would laugh from the depths of hell. But, sadly, you’re wrong. You built your fanciful ambitions upon someone else’s child, Fu Yan. You really are a stupid cunt.”

“Cunt?” whispered someone in the hall. Everyone was listening to her speech with full focus, but their attention derailed upon hearing this unknown word.

Su Xiaopei paused. Her eyes darted to Ran Feize for help, but Ran Feize shrugged helplessly. He did not know the meaning of the word either.

Su Xiaopei sighed inwardly. Initially, her tone was dignified and her speech imposing, commanding respect from everyone in the room. But, she had said the expletive without thinking and everyone is now merely focused on what does “cunt” mean.

Fortunately, Fu Yan was an exception. The shock of learning the truth about Lady Lee’s child was too much to bear. The only reason why he was able to commit such a cruel act was because he truly believed the child was his. It would not matter what else Lady Lee had said, nor would it matter if her reputation was ruined, along with his as well. All this time, all that mattered to him was protecting his child from the clutches of that old man. Who knew what would that old man do to the poor child if he had found out the child was not his? That darned Fang Tong must not harm his child! His child! He would not let him! Besides, he could not bear the thought of Fang Tong caressing Lady Lee in the most intimate ways, nor could he bear hearing him call his child as “his beloved son” for another day.

It was exactly for these reasons that he decided to kill him.

But…now…after everything…he is not my child? Fu Yan shrieked in horror at the sheer thought of it. He leaped up from his seat, wanting to demand an answer from his beloved Lady Lee, but a few swordsmen held him back.

Su Xiaopei said coldly, “There is no use in you asking her. From my observations, I can verify that it is the truth. Even if you ask a hundred times, that child would never be yours.”

Fu Yan cried out, turning his attention to the damned woman who ruined everything. When he was about to lunge at her, Ran Feize gave him a forceful kick.

Dare to bully my dear lady? Well, I’m not like these gentlemanly swordsmen. I would not hold myself back, Ran Feize thought.

As Fu Yan struggled to stand up, he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground and roared at Su Xiaopei, “You damned demoness!”

Su Xiaopei did not back down. “Stupid cunt!”

“Demoness!”

“Stupid cunt!” Foul language is bad, everyone please don’t try to learn this. Su Xiaopei thought, a fruitless attempt at reflecting on herself.  But, she could not hold herself back from retorting at Fu Yan. He is too despicable after all.

“You will die miserably, bitch!”

Su Xiaopei stopped retorting and turned to Ran Feize. “Hit him, Warrior.”

Ran Feize swiftly went up to Fu Yan and threw a few punches. Fu Yan tried to duck and retaliate with a few punches of his own, but after a few moments, Ran Feize beat him until he was sprawled on the ground, unable to move.

Su Xiaopei glowered at Fu Yan. “We’re not done yet. You still have something to explain to me.”

Every pair of eyes in the hall flitted to Su Xiaopei curiously. Su Xiaopei kept her gaze on Fu Yan and asked, “In Linglong Mountain, it was impossible for you to kill Jiuling Taoist on your own. So, who is your accomplice?”

Fu Yan spat another mouthful of blood, his now crimson-stained lips creaked into a devious smile and he cackled like a lunatic.

Su Xiaopei persisted and asked, “Why did you choose Jiuling Taoist? He was not the best person to pin the murder on. Why him?”

Fu Yan froze for a moment, his wide eyes stared at Su Xiaopei in surprise at her question.

“You clearly had better options to go for, people who would be easier to frame, like Great Swordsman Fang. You have tested him already and confirmed that he is easily influenced. Even if you did not manage to manipulate his memories in the end, you must have also arranged for a last-resort alternative. But, Jiuling Taoist is not someone you can easily influence. The Shensuan Sect is also a troublesome group to deal with. You are smart, but why make such a dumb choice?”

Fu Yan, who was a frantic mess a while ago, suddenly became eerily calm, his expression cold and void of emotions, as if he no longer cared about anything. “Damnable demoness. I have a question for you. Can you really…not stay dead?”

Su Xiaopei froze. There was something about the tone in Fu Yan’s voice that sent shivers down her spine.

“You came back from the dead, demoness, is that right? Do you really think you are oh, so powerful? Just wait and see.” Fu Yan growled with an increasingly ominous tone as he spoke, glaring at Su Xiaopei like a vengeful ghost intending to haunt her.

Ran Feize was furious. Not wanting him to get away with saying whatever he wants, Ran Feize took a step forward, eager to punch his lights out. Abruptly, Fu Yan lunged toward Liu Xiang, who stood closest to him. Liu Xiang widened his eyes but was unable to move backward in time, allowing Fu Yan to grab onto his arm and snatch his sword. Then, Fu Yan lifted the sword to his neck, the blade slicing through his skin in one swift motion.

CLANG!

Liu Xiang’s sword clattered onto the ground, along with Fu Yan’s lifeless body.

It was all too sudden and everyone was stunned. Ran Feize frowned and he immediately turned to Su Xiaopei, whose face had turned pale as she stared at Fu Yan’s body.

Ran Feize strode forward swiftly and hugged Su Xiaopei, pressing her head gently against his chest. “Do not look at him.”

Su Xiaopei began to shiver uncontrollably as Fu Yan’s last words were awfully disturbing.

He did not mean it to be a question, but a statement. He was certain about it as if he really did make sure she had died.

Su Xiaopei frantically wrapped her arms around Ran Feize, embracing him tightly.

“It’s alright, I’m here. I’m right here.” Ran Feize comforted her.

“I’m here.”