As Qin Chengyi approached, his eyes widened at the scene in the courtyard. He couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. "Sect Master Senior Brother, Senior Brother Song was ambushed!"
Daoist Gong's face was grim as he nodded. Qin Chengyi quickly released his Divine Sense, and after sweeping the area, his mouth opened and closed, but finally, he asked, "Senior Brothers, are there any clues?"
"None. Just as you've determined, it was likely done by an acquaintance. Junior Brother Song showed no signs of resistance at all," Daoist Gong said grimly.
Qin Chengyi looked at Li Yan's group of three, then at Daoist Gong, as if he had something to say but found it inconvenient.
Seeing Qin Chengyi's expression, Daoist Gong understood. He said in a low voice, "The two outside cannot be ruled out as potential killers either. If they used some pretext to trick Junior Brother Song into opening his courtyard gate, with their cultivation, and by working together against a single early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, especially with some hidden techniques, it's still possible to kill Junior Brother Song with a single strike." He said this directly in front of Li Yan's group of three, without any attempt to conceal it, nor did he hide the murderous intent in his eyes.
A moment later, he withdrew his gaze from the courtyard gate and looked up at the moon. It was already close to midnight.
For a time, the courtyard fell silent. In the flickering lamplight, the slanted shadows of the few people on the ground wavered, like phantoms in the dark night. A corpse lay in a pool of dark blood on the ground under the moonlight. An occasional night breeze would stir the hair on the corpse's head, revealing half of a pale, bloodless face. Its lifeless eyes seemed to be staring at the crowd.
After a long while, Daoist Gong let out a deep breath and looked at Li Yan. "Since this little friend happened to be seen by Junior Brother Qin when the incident occurred, and since this little friend left the room a step before these two fellow Daoists, the killer, no matter how fast, couldn't have returned to the room in such a short time after the scream. Thus, you mutually prove that the three of you have nothing to do with Junior Brother Song's death. However, the matter of Junior Brother Liu is still unclear, so we will still need to wait for our humble temple's Ancestor to return and investigate."
Daoist Gong said this while looking at the three of them. Although he said this, he was still suspicious of the hunchbacked elder. After all, the hunchbacked elder's cultivation was profound. If he were to enter and exit silently, he reckoned that the Qi Condensation cultivator surnamed Li from the Bloodleaf Sect would not be able to detect it. However, under his investigation, the hunchbacked elder was at most on par with himself. Junior Brother Song was not familiar with him and would have been on his guard no matter what. To kill a cultivator of the same realm in an instant, even if Junior Brother Song was at the early Foundation Establishment stage, even he himself might not be able to do it if the other party was on guard. This made him negate his own suspicion by a few degrees.
He was furious in his heart. He had the strength, but the clues left by the killer were almost nonexistent. Even if there was a Golden Core cultivator here who knew soul-searching, they would have to weigh the options. If they searched the right person, it could be explained away afterwards. If they searched the wrong person, that person would become an idiot. Even if the other party was just a rogue cultivator or a cultivator from a small sect, once the word got out, the reputation of Xuanqing Temple would be ruined. Who would dare to come here for teleportation in the future? So he hoped in his heart that his Master would use other divine abilities to find out the truth.
After speaking to Li Yan's group of three, Daoist Gong once again looked at Hall Master Ji and Qin Chengyi. "Hall Master Ji, later on, all of the sect's protective formations will be fully activated. The number of patrols outside will be increased to four teams, led by you, Junior Sister Ye, Junior Brother Feng, and Junior Brother Zhou, patrolling in rotation. Everyone else, including the visiting fellow Daoists here, will move to the main hall in front.
As for the courtyards of Junior Brother Song and Junior Brother Liu, I will personally set up a set of defensive formations outside each courtyard later. And I will perform a blood oath for the formations. Even if someone gets slightly close, I will know immediately.
I have already sent a message to my Master. I imagine he will be anxious after receiving the message and will be back before dusk tomorrow."
Hearing Daoist Gong's words, they knew this was to gather everyone in one place. This way, it would be extremely difficult for the killer to strike again. But when Hall Master Ji and Qin Chengyi heard the words "Blood Oath Formation," their bodies couldn't help but tremble. This type of formation tightly connected one's own blood and qi with the formation, allowing the person who shed their blood to preside over the formation at all times. Even if an ant crawled past within the formation, the person presiding over it would know clearly. And this type of formation was five to six times more powerful than before. However, this required the person presiding over the formation to have extremely high magical power, and the consumption on the person themselves was extremely great. Even now, at midnight, even with the Sect Master Senior Brother's Pseudo-Core Realm, it would be extremely strenuous to preside over the formation until dawn. After this, without a month of bitter cultivation, it would be impossible to recover. It seemed Daoist Gong was really willing to suffer a personal loss to wait for his Master's return.
"Junior Brother Qin, you will first take these three fellow Daoists to the main hall in front, and by the way, inform Senior Brother Kong and the others outside to invite the two black-robed guests in. Go!" After Daoist Gong finished speaking, he gave the order directly.
Qin Chengyi quickly agreed. He turned around and said to Li Yan's group of three, "Fellow Daoists, we can only trouble you for tonight. Please follow me!"
Li Yan's group of three had been quietly watching all of this from the side. Since things had come to this, as long as it was not to their disadvantage, they would let the host make the arrangements. The three of them then followed Qin Chengyi out of the courtyard.
After the group arrived outside the courtyard, Qin Chengyi quickly came to Kong Nantai's side and whispered a few sentences to him.
A moment later, Kong Nantai stared coldly at the two black-robed figures and said unceremoniously, "You two fellow Daoists, the Sect Master Senior Brother wants to see you. Please!"
The two black-robed figures looked at each other, said nothing, and directly lifted their legs to walk towards the courtyard. Kong Nantai and his three junior brothers and sister also followed closely behind.
Li Yan's group of three had been waiting at the side for Qin Chengyi. The purple-robed youth had his head down, as if thinking about something, but in fact, he was sighing in his heart. Seeing that Xuanqing Temple did not immediately apprehend the two black-robed figures, a look of disappointment couldn't help but show in his eyes. It was just that his head was down, so others couldn't see it.
Qin Chengyi saw that Kong Nantai's group had already left and said, "You three fellow Daoists, this way please!" As he spoke, he gestured forward with his right hand and took the lead. Li Yan walked at the very back. What others didn't notice was that he quietly turned his head back to look at Kong Nantai's back, then looked at Qin Chengyi's back in front of him, his eyes couldn't help but narrow. 16
...
In the courtyard, Daoist Gong frowned. The two black-robed figures were like tough meat on a chopping block, only saying they were feeling stifled and came out for a walk. They had just walked a short distance when something happened here, and they knew nothing else. If it weren't for the reputation of Xuanqing Sect outside, he really wanted to take these two black-robed figures and interrogate them. At the same time, regarding Junior Brother Song's death, he was basically certain it was done by an acquaintance. For a moment, it was really hard to make a choice. As the Sect Master, he had many scruples. He waved his hand at Kong Nantai, "Junior Brother Kong, please ask the two fellow Daoists to go to the main hall in front as well. It's not safe here."
Kong Nantai and the others all had looks of unwillingness, staring resentfully at the two black-robed figures, but since the Sect Master Senior Brother had spoken, they had to obey.
The two black-robed figures also breathed a sigh of relief. They had thought this matter would be impossible to explain and they would have to fight for their lives. Seeing Xuanqing Temple's attitude, and that they didn't propose to seal their cultivation, the two exchanged a glance and then agreed.
Hall Master Ji at the side was also arranging for the three junior brothers and sister to patrol, letting them go on patrol first. He knew that the Sect Master Senior Brother still had things to say.
Watching the crowd leave the courtyard, Daoist Gong looked down at the corpse on the ground again. Without looking up, he seemed to be talking to himself, but Hall Master Ji heard it clearly. "What did you find?"
Hall Master Ji, as if he had known this question would be asked, said with a grave expression, "Junior Brother Kong has been on patrol outside all day. His time is relatively free. The news I got is that he had time to leave alone. Junior Brother Luo later stayed on guard outside Junior Brother Liu's courtyard. This was proven by the disciples. He never left that place again. Even just now when Junior Brother Qin said he was stopped by Junior Brother Luo to ask about the situation here, it was also true, it's just that they didn't know I was nearby. After Junior Brother Qin arranged for the visiting cultivators, he returned to the courtyard. He seemed to be in a bad mood and had been drinking. This was also seen by a disciple through the window. And at the time of the incident, even that Bloodleaf Sect disciple also saw Junior Brother Qin. As for the other few junior brothers and sister, I led them to search for clues everywhere in the afternoon. They have been in my line of sight the whole time."
Hearing this, Daoist Gong said, "Junior Brother Kong... Senior Brother Kong... did he just happen to be patrolling here at night?" He seemed to be muttering to himself.
Then his gaze fixed on the ground. "The expression on Junior Brother Song's face..." With that, he flicked his sleeve, and Song Bo's corpse flipped over. Under the moonlight, it was a pale face full of shock and disbelief, without a trace of pain.
A cold glint appeared in Hall Master Ji's eyes, and then he also narrowed his eyes.
"Also, how's the investigation on those few visiting cultivators? Especially the three Foundation Establishment cultivators. Junior Brother Song was directly ambushed and killed. The scope of clues is much smaller than in Junior Brother Liu's death. The killer is still in the temple. It seems the killer was not among the group of cultivators we let go at noon. Our judgment was generally not wrong," Daoist Gong said coldly.
"Reporting to the Sect Master Senior Brother, I already sent out a thousand-li voice transmission talisman at noon, asking the disciples and secret agents within a several-thousand-li radius to investigate according to the information recorded when these visiting cultivators entered the mountain gate. I imagine we will have news back by tomorrow morning at the latest," Hall Master Ji said in a deep voice.
...
The main hall of Xuanqing Temple was very magnificent. Under the moonlit night, it was like something cast from copper and iron, reaching into the night sky. When Li Yan and the others arrived, the inside and outside of the main hall were already brightly lit. The square in front of the main hall was a dark mass of people, with as many as five or six hundred. They were all sitting cross-legged on the ground, meditating with their eyes closed, in an orderly manner. They should have received the message long ago.
Above the main hall hung three large, gilded characters, "Yù Qīng Diàn" (Jade Clarity Hall), shining brightly under the lamplight. Upon the arrival of Li Yan's group, many people on the square opened their eyes. They looked with indifference, curiosity, or ill will, a mix of expressions.
As Li Yan and the others crossed the crowd and stepped onto the highest steps leading to the main hall, they found that there was still some distance between the gate of the Jade Clarity Hall and the steps. This formed a wide platform, surrounded by a circle of white jade railings. The platform was divided into left, middle, and right areas. On the giant white marble floor, many prayer mats had already been placed. Li Yan and the others were led to the right area.
"Fellow Daoists, please meditate and rest here. We are all cultivators. A few hours is just the time it takes to close our eyes. It won't be too tiring," Qin Chengyi said to Li Yan's group of five.
Li Yan looked around. Sitting here, even from the square below the steps, they could be seen from many angles. This way, their every move was under the watchful eyes of others.
Not long after, Kong Nantai and several disciples also came over with the two black-robed figures. Then he, Qin Chengyi, and a few other disciples faintly surrounded Li Yan and the others. The two black-robed figures also gave a bitter smile, then found a prayer mat and sat down cross-legged. Although there were many prayer mats here, it seemed they couldn't just choose one at will.
Then, more cultivators arrived. It was Luo Sanpang leading a group of disciples to the square. Leaving the disciples on the square, Luo Sanpang went up to the platform alone and sat down not far from Li Yan and the others. But anyone could see that Luo Sanpang's eyes were bloodshot, and a murderous intent shot out from him without any concealment, directed at the two black-robed figures.
Before he came, he had also gone to Song Bo's residence. Song Bo's death made his eyes blaze with fury. If one were to say who he was closest to in Xuanqing Temple, it would naturally be Song Bo, who shared his tastes and his love for gambling. Seeing Song Bo die so tragically, and hearing that the two black-robed figures were at Song Bo's courtyard at the time, he had long regarded these two as the murderers. It was only because he had received the Sect Master Senior Brother's decree that he had restrained his impulse.
The two black-robed figures, however, completely ignored Luo Sanpang's murderous intent, as if they had already entered a state of meditation. This left Luo Sanpang with no choice but to also close his eyes.