Over the years, Li Yan had also tried to formulate some antidotes for the Fragmented Poison Body. In the end, he only managed to create three and had refined a few pills of each. However, pill refinement was not his forte. Alchemy and artifact crafting were both among the hundred arts of cultivation, and as a cultivator, one was expected to learn a bit of everything. But Li Yan's success rate in pill refinement was too low, and the appearance of the finished pills was far too unsightly. Fortunately, he had no intention of selling these three types of pills; he merely kept them on hand just in case. If one day he were to accidentally injure someone close to him, he would at least have a remedy.
What Li Yan regretted was that, to date, he had only managed to concoct three antidotes. The poison used today, "Triumphant March," was not among them. Therefore, after getting the answers he wanted, in order to save Qin Chengyi's life, he had Daoist Gong directly sever his feet to prevent the potent poison from spreading further upward.
"When did you figure out I had this puppet? You couldn't possibly have seen it from the courtyard window. This is a second-tier puppet; its aura integration and control are extremely refined. In terms of Divine Sense control, it should be almost indistinguishable from me." Qin Chengyi directed these strange words at Li Yan, though the puppet beside him showed no signs of what he described.
"Actually, I didn't see through it. On the contrary, just as you said before, your execution was brilliant. One link interlocking with the next, a mix of truth and falsehood, making it impossible to grasp. It was only after the third murder that I began to suspect you again. Once I connected it back to the first murder case, I finally discovered the suspicious points," Li Yan said, a serious look in his eyes.
Hearing this, a childlike hint of pride, his pride, flickered in Qin Chengyi's eyes.
Li Yan glanced at the somewhat dazed Daoist Gong beside him and smiled. "Although we might now know the second suspicious point—how the Spirit Stone was placed—this involves the second murder. Let's first talk about Fellow Daoist Song's death."
"Yesterday evening, when Fellow Daoist Gong had you arrange lodging for us, the next step of your murder plot was already forming in your mind. You seemed to casually find an empty courtyard for the five of us, but in reality, you had already begun to scheme and plan."
"First, this courtyard was right next to the deceased Fellow Daoist Song's, which was also your deliberate arrangement. This action of yours undoubtedly made the few of us the primary suspects after Fellow Daoist Song's death. Coupled with Fellow Daoist Liu's death in the morning, the suspicion on us was invisibly magnified. This also takes advantage of habitual human thinking. It's like if the fruit from the tree in your courtyard was picked; regardless of your nature, your first thought would be whether your neighbor took it. Only then would you further assess the neighbor's character, their usual behavior, how mischievous their children are, whether they often climb things, and so on. We would be suspected in the same way, giving you more time to carry out the rest of your plan."
"Second, your other purpose for arranging this courtyard was that it was situated diagonally across from your rear window."
"After you arranged our accommodations, you returned to your own courtyard. Then, you had this puppet of yours transform into your likeness and put on your clothes. Besides their sharp attacks, another characteristic of a second-tier puppet is that when the controller places a wisp of their Divine Sense upon it, both the aura it emits and its deliberately manifested appearance are more natural. Unless someone gets very close and observes carefully, it's difficult to spot any difference."
"Next, you controlled the puppet with your Divine Sense to grab a bottle of wine, open the rear window, and pretend to be troubled by Senior Brother Liu's death, drinking sullenly. In reality, your true intention was for people to see you, which would serve as your alibi, proving you had no time to commit the crime."
"And among these people, I happened to be one of them. I imagine that even you didn't know which of the five of us would open our window, yet it just had to be me. That's why, until your third murder, I no longer suspected you."
"This was the third objective you wanted to achieve. After all, when you killed Senior Brother Liu in the morning, you had to be at the scene in person to get the Storage Pouch. This invisibly increased your risk of exposure. At that time, no matter how you and Fellow Daoist Luo explained yourselves, you were still the biggest suspects. But through this scheme, you could greatly dispel others' suspicion of you."
As he spoke, Li Yan glanced at Daoist Gong.
Daoist Gong's expression was grim, but he nodded. What Li Yan said was indeed what he had been thinking at the time. When the second murder occurred, among the people he and Hall Master Ji suspected, Luo Sanpang and Qin Chengyi were the most suspicious, followed by Kong Nantai.
Qin Chengyi, for his part, tilted his head back. Although the muscles in his face still twitched with pain from time to time, his gaze towards Li Yan was filled with delight, as if he had met a kindred spirit.
Li Yan nodded back at Qin Chengyi and continued, "Once you had arranged the matter with the puppet, you controlled it entirely through a wisp of your Divine Sense. What the puppet saw and heard, your Divine Sense could also see and hear. Then, your real body moved stealthily through the night. With your familiarity with the Xuanqing Temple, you easily avoided everyone's sight and arrived next door to where we were staying—Fellow Daoist Song's residence. After tricking Fellow Daoist Song into opening the door with a voice transmission, you entered the courtyard. What you said to Fellow Daoist Song is unnecessary to know, but one thing is certain: you couldn't stay there too long, lest unforeseen complications arose in your plan. As Fellow Daoist Song was seeing you out, you were simultaneously controlling the puppet with your Divine Sense, searching for a direct witness through the rear window. At that moment, you chose me. After all, I am an outside cultivator. When it comes to bearing witness, sometimes a stranger is more believable than an acquaintance."
"The rest was easy to control. All you had to do was, at the instant Fellow Daoist Song deactivated the courtyard's restrictions to let you out, you struck him from behind. You must have used that black inkstone you brandished earlier, right? That should be a very powerful Magical Treasure, capable of killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator in a single blow when they are completely unguarded." At this point, Li Yan's eyes narrowed, as if he had encountered a problem.
Both Daoist Gong and Qin Chengyi watched him, not interrupting his train of thought. As for the inkstone Magical Treasure Li Yan had just mentioned, they both assumed it had been destroyed. After all, the memory of the potent poison within the Quicksand Art still filled them with lingering fear. Even if it wasn't destroyed, it was likely corroded beyond recognition. Qin Chengyi wouldn't bring it up, and Daoist Gong, especially given Li Yan's status, couldn't possibly press the matter, so they both automatically ignored it.
In truth, the several Spirit Treasures and Magical Treasures that had fallen into the sandpit had long been unceremoniously collected by Li Yan. The Quicksand Art was a technique he had cast, so controlling the poison within the pit to avoid these items was a matter of a single thought. He had seen that the black inkstone, in particular, was an extraordinary item. It was just that Qin Chengyi was only at the tenth-layer Great Circle of Qi Condensation. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator were to unleash its full power, its might would be at least ten times greater.
But Li Yan wasn't thinking about that. He had put in the effort, so the Magical Treasures were naturally his. He paused, as if clearing his thoughts, and continued, "When you ambushed and killed Fellow Daoist Song, it should have been a single, fatal blow. The scream was not uttered by him. I had my doubts about this before. After that scream, my Divine Sense also swept outwards almost simultaneously. I only saw a distant figure hurrying away; I couldn't even make out a general body shape. Fearing I might trigger your esteemed temple's formations, my Divine Sense didn't pursue. But this point was already unreasonable. Given Fellow Daoist Qin's cultivation level, no matter how fast he was, he couldn't outrun Divine Sense."
"There's another point. At that time, there should have been two other people several hundred zhang away—the two black-robed men. According to them, they immediately headed back the moment the scream sounded, but they didn't encounter anyone else."
"The only explanation here is that you killed Fellow Daoist Song with a single strike. He didn't make any sound at all. This can be seen from his face after death; there was no pain, only bewilderment. He likely died before he even had time to react."
"At that moment, you first extinguished his soul, which had just left his body, quickly took his Storage Pouch, and left the courtyard. I estimate you also spotted the two black-robed men as you were leaving, but relying on your familiarity with the Xuanqing Temple's paths and formations, you easily evaded them. Before leaving, you first had the puppet raise its cup to me in your Divine Sense, then you let out a scream to attract attention, and finally, you departed quietly. After returning to your own courtyard, you switched places with the puppet. I wonder, am I right?" Li Yan finished explaining the second murder in one breath, his gaze fixed intently on Qin Chengyi.
Qin Chengyi's eyes were also locked on Li Yan, unblinking. Then, he let out a light chuckle. "Fellow Daoist Li is truly extraordinary. You even deduced that I was the one who made that scream. It makes me suspect you were standing behind me the whole time. Hehehe."
Though Daoist Gong's face was ashen, a trace of admiration for these two had risen in his heart. It was as if they were dueling in the void, thunderclaps sounding in the silence. At this moment, even his hatred for Qin Chengyi had transformed into a sliver of respect. Such cunning, such an opponent.
Hearing Qin Chengyi's chuckle, Li Yan didn't dawdle. He continued, "Actually, at this point, I believe that not only me, but even Sect Master Gong had likely shifted his suspicion to Fellow Daoist Kong, who had been patrolling outside. Whether it was during Fellow Daoist Liu's death in the morning or Fellow Daoist Song's ambush at night, he had the time to commit the crime. Furthermore, at the time of Song's death, he appeared nearby so coincidentally. Especially since he and Fellow Daoist Song were martial brothers, their familiarity undoubtedly made him a better fit for the conditions of an ambush. All of this was suspicious. At that time, I thought so as well."
"Next, we all arrived at the main hall. By then, when I saw that Fellow Daoist Kong was also kept in the main hall and no longer sent out to patrol, I became even more certain that Sect Master Gong and I were thinking the same thing."
"When dawn broke, you fellow Daoists went to the main hall to offer incense. This is what you, Fellow Daoist Qin, just admitted yourself. Fearing your master would return early, you had to take the risk and strike a third time. Although this time also had a plan, it was ultimately too conspicuous. This forced you to be present at the scene of the murder. Out of three murders, you were at the scene for two of them, which undoubtedly increased the suspicion on you."
"You used the Grey Datura Water, applying it to the incense to kill Fellow Daoist Luo directly. At that time, both you and Fellow Daoist Kong were unharmed. No matter how one looked at it, the murderer had to be one of you two. The other disciples in the hall were also suspects, but to a much lesser degree."
"How did he ensure that it would be Junior Brother Luo who took those three incense sticks, and not Junior Brother Kong, or even himself?" Just as Li Yan was speaking, Daoist Gong's voice suddenly cut in.
This question had been swirling in Daoist Gong's mind for a long time, yet it remained unsolved. This was especially true now that he knew Qin Chengyi's third murder was aimed at Luo Sanpang, not Kong Nantai.
Hearing Daoist Gong's words, Qin Chengyi looked at him and simply smiled without speaking. By now, he had shed any underestimation of Li Yan. He might as well see how Li Yan would solve this puzzle.
Li Yan felt a sense of helplessness. He had wanted to gloss over this part and then end the conversation with a few more words. He had been entangled in this matter since yesterday, and although it was still early, long before noon, he wanted to finish up quickly. But seeing Qin Chengyi's expression, he knew the man wouldn't speak now. That meant he couldn't just turn and leave. He could only suppress the impulse to depart immediately.