Chapter 126: Identifying the Culprit
Amidst the flash of light and swirling dust, what drifted and danced in the air was a pale green veil.
Two figures, one male and one female, stood in the center of the arena platform.
Chen Yan only felt a slight coolness on his forehead.
Because Qin Qingyu's fair, slender index finger was pressed against the spot between his eyebrows.
He lowered his head slightly, and what met his eyes was a face of unparalleled beauty he had never seen before.
Chen Yan's lips moved slightly, and then he spoke:
"I have lost."
"You were gracious, Chief Disciple Chen."
And before the dust settled, she caught the veil floating down from the air and gently put it back on.
"The winner, Qin Qingyu!"
The voice of the Wind Ravine Valley manager disciple echoed through the Daoyan Arena.
For the surrounding cultivators watching, this was an expected result.
On the viewing stand where the Star Heaven Sect was located.
Hu Tianyuan looked at the returning Qin Qingyu and revealed a meaningful smile:
"How was it?"
Under her veil, Qin Qingyu's face showed a trace of unwillingness:
"This disciple failed to accomplish it."
"Nothing unexpected. You didn't lose to Chen Yan; you lost to that speck of his Clear Light."
Hu Tianyuan nodded with a smile:
"How much did you exert?"
"Mid Martial Spring Realm."
Qin Qingyu replied.
"That really is a hollow victory then, ahahahaha!"
Hu Tianyuan laughed out loud.
Qin Qingyu still stood there, head lowered, her extremely beautiful eyes filled with nothing but unwillingness.
...
"Cough, cough, cough!"
When the young man awoke, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment.
He first glanced at his left arm, wrapped in bandages, then his first reaction upon realizing his situation was to sit up and grasp the ring on his chest with his right hand.
Fortunately, it was still there.
Ye Xiu let out a sigh of relief.
Then, he tried to use his spiritual sense to communicate with Elder Mo in his mind.
"Senior?"
"I am here."
Elder Mo's voice came from within Ye Xiu's mind.
"Where are we now?"
Ye Xiu asked.
"Heavenly Summit Mountain, Water Mirror Pavilion."
Elder Mo replied.
Water Mirror Pavilion?
Ye Xiu was first startled, then his eyes widened.
He certainly knew what the Water Mirror Pavilion was; it was the territory and residence of the Mirage Palace on Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Why was he on the Mirage Palace's turf?
Ye Xiu inwardly voiced this question.
However, compared to that, there were more important things he wanted to know.
"Senior, who won in the end?"
Ye Xiu asked Elder Mo through his spiritual sense.
"Chen Yan."
Elder Mo said calmly:
"I misjudged Chen Yan's strength. You could not possibly be his match."
"......"
Ye Xiu did not speak immediately, only clenching his right fist, as if trying to digest this information.
"Why?"
He finally couldn't help but ask.
"Because if I hadn't helped you block that speck of Chen Yan's Clear Light, you would already be a corpse right now."
Elder Mo said.
If Elder Mo had wished, with his current Myriad Transformations Realm cultivation, completely blocking that speck of Clear Light and preventing it from causing such significant harm to Ye Xiu would have been an effortless matter.
But he did not do that.
The reason was that in the Daoyan Arena, there were Myriad Transformations Realm cultivators from the Five Great Sects overseeing things.
If Elder Mo's actions were too conspicuous, the slightest misstep could lead to discovery by others.
That might trigger even greater trouble.
It was precisely because of this that Elder Mo only helped Ye Xiu block the damage to the minimum extent necessary, preserving his life.
After all, Elder Mo's soul was now completely bound to Ye Xiu's life.
No matter what, Elder Mo had to save Ye Xiu.
Of course, if Xiao Bo'an hadn't intervened, Ye Xiu definitely wouldn't have died either.
Because Elder Mo would absolutely never allow something like Ye Xiu exploding and dying to happen.
"Alright, the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry has ended. Don't dwell on the past anymore."
Elder Mo said calmly.
"Yes, Senior."
Although Ye Xiu still harbored much unwillingness, what Elder Mo said indeed made sense.
If one became too fixated, it was easy to damage one's Dao Heart, which would be detrimental to future cultivation.
"But, Senior."
Ye Xiu continued to ask Elder Mo through his spiritual sense:
"Why am I on the Mirage Palace's turf?"
"Someone saved you."
Elder Mo replied.
"Who?"
Ye Xiu continued to ask.
Before Elder Mo could answer Ye Xiu's question, the door to the room was suddenly pulled open from the outside.
A handsome young man dressed in a Mirage Palace Daoist robe, with red lips, white teeth, sword-like eyebrows, and starry eyes walked in, smiling in Ye Xiu's direction:
"You're awake. How do you feel?"
Ye Xiu wore a puzzled expression but nodded.
"Let me introduce myself first."
The young man continued:
"My name is Xiao Bo'an. I am the Chief Disciple of the Mirage Palace's Weaving Dreams Tower."
"So it's Chief Disciple Xiao."
Ye Xiu said respectfully, then tried to stand up to bow in greeting.
But the intense pain from his lower abdomen forced him to sit back down on the bed.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, rest well and don't move recklessly."
Xiao Bo'an showed a concerned expression and advised him thus.
"Thank you, Chief Disciple Xiao, for your life-saving grace."
Ye Xiu said.
The Beiyuan Sect was a fairly prestigious immortal cultivation sect on the Chenping Continent.
As the eldest senior brother of the Beiyuan Sect, Ye Xiu couldn't possibly be ignorant of etiquette.
To his life-saving benefactor, Xiao Bo'an, he naturally was willing to address him as Chief Disciple Xiao.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, there's no need for such formality. It was just a small effort."
Xiao Bo'an said:
"Oh, right, there's another person who very much wants to see you. He said he might have something to ask you."
"Who?"
Ye Xiu asked.
"Junior Brother Lin, please come in!"
Xiao Bo'an called out clearly.
Immediately after, a young man wearing a Kongshan Sect, Yuanhua Mountain Daoist robe entered the room.
He was somewhat thin in build, yet exuded an air of uprightness. However, for some reason, his brow carried a trace of worry.
"Fellow Daoist Ye."
The young man bowed in Ye Xiu's direction:
"I am Lin Xinyang, a disciple of Kongshan Sect's Yuanhua Mountain."
"Ye Xiu greets Fellow Daoist Lin."
He was still somewhat confused. He certainly recognized this Yuanhua Mountain disciple who had replaced Qin Yue as Kongshan Sect's Dao Inquirer.
"Might I ask what Fellow Daoist Lin seeks me for?"
Ye Xiu asked.
Lin Xinyang did not speak immediately.
Xiao Bo'an, standing to the side, naturally knew what this was about. He smiled and stood up:
"I, Xiao, still have some personal matters to attend to, so I shall not keep you company for now."
Then, he left the room, conveniently closing the door behind him.
"Fellow Daoist Ye."
Lin Xinyang's brow furrowed slightly, his expression full of worry:
"I won't waste words and will get straight to the point."
"Please speak, Fellow Daoist Lin."
Ye Xiu said.
"I have heard that you, Fellow Daoist Ye, witnessed the scene of Qin Yue's murder but, due to some pressure, were unable to speak the truth. Is that correct?"
Lin Xinyang said.
Ye Xiu was stunned; he simply didn't understand what Lin Xinyang was talking about.
"Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist Ye."
As he spoke, Lin Xinyang took out a token from his robe.
On the token were engraved only four characters: Yuanhua Weiyi.
This was He Furen's token.
"Yuanhua Mountain Dignity Elder He Furen, who is also my master, is acting under the orders of the Kongshan Sect's Supreme Imperial Law Elder to thoroughly investigate the case of Qin Yue. Whatever you know, Fellow Daoist Ye, please speak freely. I can guarantee your safety."
Lin Xinyang said.
But he really knew nothing.
"Say that you saw it."
Just as Ye Xiu was about to shake his head, Elder Mo's voice came from his mind.
Why?
"Next, say what I tell you to say."
Ye Xiu didn't understand, but he trusted Elder Mo.
So he decided to do as Elder Mo instructed.
"I saw it."
Ye Xiu said.
"Saw what?"
"The culprit who killed Qin Yue."
"Who was it?"
"I don't know who did it, because there was more than one person at the scene at the time."
"Who were they?"
Lin Xinyang asked.
"An elderly man with white hair wearing a Bagua Daoist robe, and a man who looked to be in his forties or fifties..."
As he spoke, Ye Xiu paused for a moment, his voice growing calmer and more certain:
"And one more person, whom I recognized."
"Who?"
Lin Xinyang pressed on.
"Kongshan Sect, Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain, Chen Yan."