Chapter 534: I'm The Murderer! |
Night had fallen again over the Great Dao Celestial Realm, cloaking the sky in an inky blackness that seemed to turn full circle in a mere 12 hours. To Yun Xiao, the day had passed in the blink of an eye.
A dark curtain swept over from beneath, engulfing Sangju City like a gaping maw of shadows.
Having just consolidated his cultivation in the True Immortal Realm, Yun Xiao caught a flying talisman that dropped into his hand. It was a small, platinum charm made of rune-etched paper, a lesser magic treasure used for celestial messaging—a convenient tool frequently used within the ranks of the Skyruler Immortal Manor's Arbiters.
The higher the quality of the talisman, the farther and more accurately it could fly, so it was said.
Sun Xiaoqi also received one. Gripping the talismans, they watched as the papers ignited, revealing a line of fiery script, "The murderer has been spotted at Splinter Mountain to the west. All Arbiters, convene immediately!"
"Lu Yao, the murderer has been found!" Sun Xiaoqi ran up to him, urgency written across her face.
"Found just as night falls?" Yun Xiao's lips curled into a slight smile before asking Sun Xiaoqi, "This murderer is so formidable, what use is our going there? Can we just... not?"
"That’s absolutely out of the question. It's an order via talisman; you dare defy it?" Sun Xiaoqi clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"Alright then." Yun Xiao rose, turning westward toward the city with Sun Xiaoqi shadowing him. They blended into the night, speeding off into the darkness.
As they hurried along, Sun Xiaoqi clung close to Yun Xiao, whispering weakly, "You were right. The three in the Essence Manifestation Realm might manage the capture, but we'll only add numbers, nothing more."
"And so?" Yun Xiao glanced at her.
"I helped you ascend to true immortality; your power is greater, you must protect me," Sun Xiaoqi pleaded anxiously.
Put simply, she was too frightened to disobey, but also terrified of the murderer to the core.
"Don't worry." Yun Xiao chuckled. "I'll teach you a trick that guarantees survival."
"Tell me," she urged eagerly.
"Just wait for the murderer to slay three, then show your face. What trouble could you find then?" Yun Xiao suggested.
"That makes sense. Let's both lay low together," Sun Xiaoqi laughed naively.
As they spoke, they moved through the deserted streets, where not even the light dared show its face anymore.
Ahead lay the mountains!
"This Splinter Mountain is a desolate area within the vicinity of Sangju City, seldom visited by anyone…"
The place was shrouded in eerie darkness, causing Sun Xiaoqi to cling closer to Yun Xiao out of growing anxiety. However, her nerves eased slightly when she spotted other Arbiters also heading toward Splinter Mountain.
"Everyone's been called here!" Sun Xiaoqi looked ahead, "A dozen Arbiters to capture just one murderer. I wonder who this person really is."
"I'm curious too," Yun Xiao said.
As they drew nearer, a deep valley appeared before them, flanked on the left by a high peak.
Atop this peak stood three figures, two noble-looking young men and a charming woman in a floral robe—Jiang Lanyue, Lu Changfeng, and Lu Qian.
Lu Qian held a green compass in her hand, its surface flickering with shadows and light, hinting at figures moving within.
"Twelve people have passed the outer circle formation and entered the valley—all Arbiters," Lu Qian said coolly, looking up at the two men.
"Is Lu Yao among them?" Lu Changfeng asked intently.
"He's with Sun Xiaoqi," Lu Qian confirmed.
"Is the maze activated?" Jiang Lanyue inquired.
"It's activated. Easy to enter, hard to leave." Lu Qian looked down at the valley and continued earnestly, "As soon as someone else enters the maze, I'll know right away and can inform you via talisman within ten breaths."
"Then, have your men test the intruder’s strength. If they can be captured, do it," Lu Changfeng confirmed with Jiang Lanyue.
"Agreed." Jiang Lanyue nodded, then instructed Lu Qian, "Remember, once someone else enters, notify us immediately, regardless of whether we know them or how strong they are."
"Definitely." Lu Qian nodded firmly. "I’ve controlled this formation for years, you can rely on me."
Now that all the Arbiters had arrived below, Jiang Lanyue, taking the lead with Lu Changfeng, descended into the valley.
Upon reaching the valley, Jiang Lanyue's expression turned icy. He spoke in a hushed tone, "Well, have we found the murderer?"
One by one, Arbiters gathered from the shadows.
"Not yet."
"We haven’t seen them either."
Hearing this, Jiang Lanyue grew visibly irate, "Impossible. Keep searching; they must still be nearby."
"Commander Lanyue, what does the murderer look like? Have you seen them?" one Arbiter asked.
"In Splinter Mountain, aside from Lu Qian, anyone without Arbiter armor is the murderer. Do we still need characteristics?" Jiang Lanyue said coldly.
"Yes."
The group dispersed again, searching in teams. They combed through Splinter Mountain so thoroughly it was as if they turned it upside down.
"There's really no one! Are you sure he's hiding here?" the Arbiters returned, dejected.
Jiang Lanyue and Lu Changfeng descended and scanned the crowd.
Lu Changfeng's face was grim. "He definitely came this way!"
"Why can't we find him?" Jiang Lanyue frowned.
Lu Changfeng's gaze turned icy as he looked around. "It means we have a traitor among us, who warned the target, letting him slip away!"
"A traitor?"
At this, including Yun Xiao and Sun Xiaoqi, all 12 Arbiters were startled.
"After receiving the talisman, the three of us were together the whole time; we can vouch for each other," one female Arbiter spoke up.
"We were together too!"
"And us!"
The ten Arbiters under Jiang Lanyue's command quickly testified for themselves.
"I—I and Lu Yao were also inseparable. We couldn't possibly have tipped off the murderer," Sun Xiaoqi hastily raised her hand.
For a moment, there was silence.
Lu Changfeng's gaze grew even colder. Suddenly, he asked, "Who do you think could be the traitor among our Arbiter ranks? Speak freely, it's alright."
Hearing this, the female Arbiter immediately looked at Yun Xiao and said chillingly, "Last night, three Arbiters died, yet the weakest among them survived. And the one who arranged for Zhao Cheng to be alone was him! If there's a traitor, it must be this man!"
"Right!"
Instantly, all ten Arbiters turned their unfriendly gazes towards Yun Xiao.
"Even if Lu Yao isn't the traitor, he definitely manipulated the situation last night to kill by proxy!"
"He must be involved with the murderer, there's some kind of gain being exchanged."
As each spoke, they drifted apart, slowly encircling Yun Xiao.
"Not true…" Sun Xiaoqi hurriedly shook her head. "How could that be? Lu Yao is from Deputy Changfeng’s family, and he was indeed with me just now. Could it be that there's no traitor, and the murderer just sensed danger and fled early?"
"Silence!" Lu Changfeng barked, then turned a disappointed gaze towards Yun Xiao and said coldly, "Lu Yao, you belong to my Lu Immortal Manor, and I must hold you accountable for your actions. If you are the traitor, confess now. If you repent in time, Skyruler Immortal Manor might be lenient."
As he spoke, he clutched a bottle in his robe. Inside was a Heartburn Gu. He knew Yun Xiao would never confess, and next, he could justifiably use the Gu to torture him into confessing. This way, even if Yun Xiao revealed nothing, his actions would still seem justified.
After all, his true intent was to torture Yun Xiao, to force the real murderer to surface!
The term traitor was just a convenient excuse for sanctioned cruelty.
"Lu Yao! You are of a family of Arbiters and martyrs, do not ruin your family’s honor and reputation over a moment of folly!" the female Arbiter warned.
Everyone was pressing him!
Seeing this, Sun Xiaoqi, anxious and burning inside, dared not speak but only tugged at Yun Xiao, "You, you must prove your innocence."
Yun Xiao’s calm face suddenly cracked a smile.
"Everyone, I, Lu Yao, am not the traitor." After saying this, he turned to Lu Changfeng with a chilling tone, "I am the murderer."
Lu Changfeng, who was ready with the Heartburn Gu upon hearing his initial denial, froze at the declaration, "I'm the murderer," leaving everyone momentarily stupefied.
"What did you say?" Lu Changfeng raised an eyebrow, hardly believing his ears.
"I am powerful enough now to reveal the truth; I'm done pretending. I killed them all," Yun Xiao said with a cold laugh.
"What?" Sun Xiaoqi looked baffled, "Lu Yao, don't talk nonsense; speaking recklessly is also a grave sin…"
"Step aside!" Lu Changfeng glared fiercely at Sun Xiaoqi, then sneered at Yun Xiao.
He waved his hand to the ten Arbiters, "He has confessed, take him down!"
"Yes!" The ten Arbiters, faces covered with frost, had already surrounded Yun Xiao. Upon the command, eager for credit, they all attacked at once, moving to apprehend Yun Xiao.
"Ah!" Sun Xiaoqi exclaimed in panic.
"Lu Yao, your looks are wasted on you!" The female Arbiter, close at hand, struck like thunder and lightning, reaching for Yun Xiao’s face.
"Is that so?" Yun Xiao spoke, a flash of cold light darting through his eyes.
With a flick of his wrist, a streak of azure light blasted out, shooting across the dark night in a blur.
POP! POP! POP! In the night breeze, ten sounds burst forth in quick succession.
The azure light, like a quivering star, danced elegantly around, tracing a circular path around Yun Xiao!
In the next instant, the azure light returned to his palm.
It was smeared with some red and white matter, which was quickly absorbed.
The world seemed to fall silent for a moment.
The ten Arbiters around him stood as if frozen.
THUD! THUD! THUD! All ten collapsed simultaneously, stirring up the dirt with their armor.
"AHHH!" Sun Xiaoqi screamed as if struck by lightning.
She looked down! Each of the fallen Arbiters had their left eye popped open, and a bloody hole in the back of their heads. The twisted, horrified expressions on each face were like daggers piercing through Sun Xiaoqi’s gallbladder. She was petrified by the scene!
Trembling, she looked up to see the young man in white armor pinching a three-inch Sword Soul between his fingers, raising an eyebrow towards Lu Changfeng and Jiang Lanyue, and slowly said, "I told you, I am the murderer. You still didn't believe me in your hearts."
"Ah!" Lu Changfeng suddenly shouted, stepping back three paces, staring at Yun Xiao with eyes full of disbelief.
JustLivingJL's Thoughts
