Chapter 856: Chapter 292: Traitor! _2
“At first, I thought the killer forged the illusion of death to frame each other, sow discord, and disrupt the order within the city.”
“Perhaps that is indeed one of the purposes, but it is not the main one.”
“The killer’s main purpose is to disguise and cover up the true method of assassinating others. And this method is very distinctive; once discovered, it could easily implicate the killer!”
“If the method of assassinating others originated from Confucian Cultivation, then it would be very difficult for us to identify it. Confucian Cultivators are rare here, extremely rare. And within the entire city, only Wen Ruanyu and Lord Zheng are Confucian Cultivators.”
Zheng Shoumo: “There is some logic to it, but this is only a supposition. How do you prove I’m the killer?”
“And according to what young friend Jiao Ma said, this confrontation is not only directed at me but also at Lord Wen Ruanyu?”
Wen Ruanyu’s eyes slightly moved, but he remained silent.
Ning Zhuo stared sharply at Zheng Shoumo: “Yang Weida’s death is a flaw.”
“If he and the other cultivators were all poisoned, their expressions would surely be twisted in agony.”
“But he didn’t!”
“The killer’s assassination technique didn’t work on him, forcing the killer to find another method to kill. Or perhaps the assassination technique was less effective on Yang Weida.”
“This made me ponder what the difference is between Yang Weida and the other male concubines.”
“It’s obvious, the most distinct difference—he is an outsider!”
Zheng Shoumo remained expressionless.
Ning Zhuo continued: “So, is there any significant difference between outsiders and the locals of the White Paper Immortal City?”
“There is indeed one.”
“And that is the Ink Pond!”
Upon hearing this, Zheng Shoumo finally raised an eyebrow.
Ning Zhuo added: “I also learned from Senior Wen’s teachings that the Ink Pond has an educational function throughout the entire White Paper Immortal City!”
“The Ink Pond is a Confucian Cultivation treasure, derived from the inkstone among the Four Treasures of the Study. The water in the Ink Pond can educate people, wash away the violent tendencies of martial arts, and guide them back to the literary path.”
“Since its construction, the Ink Pond has been the primary source of drinking water for the entire White Paper Immortal City and even the surrounding villages and towns.”
“And the Ink Pond is under your guardianship, Elder Zheng. To maintain its daily operations, you have been tasked with various Immortal City duties, visiting neighborhoods, and participating in much of the city life.”
“As a Confucian Cultivator, it’s all too easy for you to tamper with the water in the Ink Pond.”
“The drinking water of the Immortal City is all ink water, even when preparing spirit food, water cannot be avoided. It’s akin to placing a curse; you’ve calculated against the entire city.”
“Using the ink water as a guide, you’ve employed some Confucian Cultivation method to carry out precise assassinations on your targets…”
Zheng Shoumo let out a cold snort: “Enough, Jiao Ma, this is all your speculation. If you have solid evidence, present it directly. I have important duties and no time to listen to your prattle. Do you realize, your delay could have led to the untimely death of injured individuals?”
Yang Sanyan and Wen Ruanyu both looked at Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo spread his hands: “I have no evidence.”
Yang Sanyan and Wen Ruanyu glared at Ning Zhuo in unison.
Ning Zhuo stood with his head held high, showing no fear: “I told you before, I’m no Divine Hunter.”
Yang Sanyan scoffed: “Kid, I’m not here to play games with you.”
Wen Ruanyu then said: “Perhaps we could request the City Lord to intervene, using the ‘Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll’.”
Ning Zhuo shook his head: “It’s no use.”
“I assume when investigating the internal traitor, the City Lord must have used the ‘Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll’ on all high-ranking officials.”
“The fact that the traitor has never been identified only indicates two possibilities: either the traitor is not among the high-ranking officials, or the ‘Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll’ is ineffective.”
“The ‘Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll’ is a method of Confucianism, and perhaps Elder Zheng is leveraging this fact to pass every scrutiny unscathed.”
Zheng Shoumo chuckled coldly: “Old man, I’ve heard enough. All this roundabout talk is still just your speculation. Do you realize you’re wrongfully accusing the innocent!”
As Ning Zhuo was about to speak, Wen Ruanyu suggested: “If Elder Zheng tampered with the Ink Pond, perhaps I could go examine it. With my Confucian Cultivation methods, I could check for any suspicious traces.”
Ning Zhuo waved his hand: “Wouldn’t Elder Zheng guard against that?”
“I remember, Lord Wen, you once told me. The Ink Pond has been repeatedly sabotaged over a long period of time.”
“You told me that the Ghost Clan’s nature is to resist outside Confucian influence, so they devise ways to destroy it.”
“I understand that part, but what I don’t understand is why their sabotage succeeded so many times?”
“Given the importance of the Ink Pond to the White Paper Immortal City, shouldn’t it be heavily guarded in theory?”
Wen Ruanyu chuckled bitterly: “It’s already heavily protected, but every time the Ghost Clan’s sabotage is very tricky, sometimes there are internal members being turned, or sometimes there are imaginative methods. You can never imagine how extraordinary their sabotage methods are…”
At this point, Wen Ruanyu’s expression turned curious as he paused.
He slightly narrowed his eyes, staring at Zheng Shoumo.
In the past, it didn’t seem noteworthy. But upon reflection, he suddenly realized: for such an important facility as the Ink Pond to be repeatedly sabotaged is indeed peculiar.
As the one defending the Ink Pond, Zheng Shoumo is either incompetent or involved.
So, is Zheng Shoumo incompetent?
For this question, Wen Ruanyu shook his head in denial without even thinking.
In many aspects, Zheng Shoumo even surpasses him, the Golden Core Cultivator. For instance, in understanding the ‘Surrender Contract.’ Thus, when it came to subduing the Ghost General, Wen Ruanyu voluntarily let Zheng Shoumo take the lead as he was more adept.
This is a golden age of cultivation!
In such a prosperous era, various cultivation techniques flourish like a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred schools contending.
Just like how Wen Ruanyu introduced to Ning Zhuo earlier, Confucian Cultivation is an emergent school of thought. It has occupied a significant position by integrating many cultivation techniques into the practice.
For example, the traditional four arts of scholars: zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and the Six Arts of the Gentleman: rites, music, archery, charioteering, writing, and mathematics.
Cultivation Level is only one aspect of measuring a cultivator’s strength.
Mastering profound techniques often allows a cultivator with lower cultivation level to surpass a higher-level opponent.
Confucian Cultivators have deep knowledge in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and various academic works, which can enable them to achieve what even high-level Confucian Cultivators cannot.
If Zheng Shoumo can surpass Wen Ruanyu in the ‘Surrender Contract,’ why can’t he surpass the latter in other aspects?
This is a very likely possibility.
Thinking of this, Wen Ruanyu’s gaze towards Zheng Shoumo changed dramatically.
Zheng Shoumo let out a cold snort and questioned Ning Zhuo again: “Jiao Ma, do you have any evidence at all? From start to finish, you’ve been making baseless assumptions. If you have evidence, present it. Otherwise, get out of my way and stop hindering my important work.”
Ning Zhuo remained expressionless: “I told you before, I have no evidence.”
Zheng Shoumo’s eyebrows raised, just about to scold, but Ning Zhuo continued on his own: “I’m not a Divine Hunter either.”
“But I am the Deputy City Lord!”
“I don’t rely on evidence to get things done.”
Zheng Shoumo was momentarily taken aback.
Wen Ruanyu furrowed his brows, appearing hesitant.
In contrast, Yang Sanyan tilted his head back, laughing heartily, clapping and saying: “These words truly resonate with me! Zheng Shoumo, surrender now. Without you, the city might only lose a few more cultivators. The large White Paper Immortal City can bear such losses. You think too highly of yourself. It wouldn’t matter if you’re gone!”
Zheng Shoumo’s lips quivered as he glared at Ning Zhuo, seemingly wanting to curse him, but refrained for the sake of decorum.
With a penetrating gaze, Ning Zhuo slowly said: “Elder Zheng, if you’re innocent, bind your own hands and let us seal you, detaining you for a period of time. But I think, hahaha, you might not be willing.”
“What do you mean by this?” Wen Ruanyu furrowed his brows, looking puzzled.
All of Zheng Shoumo’s anger suddenly vanished, leaving him expressionless: “You’re right, I’m not willing.”
Both Wen Ruanyu and Yang Sanyan stared intently at Zheng Shoumo.
Zheng Shoumo’s words were highly suspicious, as if indirectly admitting to Ning Zhuo’s accusations against him.
Then, Zheng Shoumo said flatly: “I admit it, I am indeed the internal traitor.”