In the main hall, Li Longling was sitting at the desk, feeding her little phoenix pet with corn and listening to a female guard's report. Xiao Yunluo was also there, still helping her.
"Two nights ago, there was a break-in at the Jiang Mansion in Duchun City , and a fire broke out. The young master of the Jiang Mansion , Jiang Yu, and his wife, Pei Lianxue, both died in the fire."
Hearing this, the two girls sitting at the desk raised their heads in shock.
Li Longling remained calm, but Xiao Yunluo slapped the table and stood up, wanting to confirm again. "W- what? What did you say? How could... why didn't you report it yesterday?!!"
"Well..." The guard looked fearful and quickly answered. "We thought that Miss Li has been busy lately with important matters, so we planned to wait until we clarified everything before reporting."
Li Longling looked at Xiao Yunluo's pale face and patted her shoulder, signaling her to calm down.
Seeing her expression, Xiao Yunluo calmed down. She pinched her nose bridge -- yeah, how could that be possible? It must be Ye Anping and Lianxue's plan of making their exit.
How could they possibly die at the hands of thieves...
"Keep going." Li Longling waved. "Tell us the details?"
"Yes, we have already had the coroner examine the scene. Jiang Yu and Lady Pei were both stabbed with swords twenty-five times and died on the spot. They were thrown onto the bed in the bedroom, and then the thieves deliberately knocked over the candles in the room, causing the fire. All the servants in the mansion were asleep at the time, and by the time they reacted, the fire had already spread..."
"What about the thieves?"
"We found the corpses of the thieves in the mountains, five in total, with cultivation levels ranging from Qi Refining perfection to mid- Foundation Building . Usually, they gather in gangs for this kind of crime. Based on the traces at the scene, we deduced that it must be an internal struggle caused by the uneven distribution of the stolen goods. A small portion of the stolen money was recovered, but most of it was taken by the person who ultimately survived."
"Do we know this person's name?"
"He should be the one called 'Wang Hushan'. He belonged to a group of five bandits who used to raid the Jade Pot Mountain in the West Island . They engaged in robberies, and many rogue cultivators and disciples from various sects fell victim to them. They must have heard about the demonic cultivation incident in the Dragon House and specifically came from the neighboring West Island to find work."
Hearing this, Li Longling felt like laughing.
Young Master Ye's way of doing things was just like those street-smart guys who have been in the black market for years.
She couldn't imagine that Master Ye, who looked refined and upright, could actually think of such a "dirty" method.
But then again.
Not only did Master Ye use this trick to make his exit, but he also left her one last gift.
---The West Island .
West Island was right next to the Dragon House , and they were actually in a competitive relationship where neither would yield to the other.
But after this incident, she could take advantage of the West Island without mercy.
It just so happened that West Island sent a letter a few days ago congratulating her as the new leader in a weird way. Although the letter ostensibly expressed regret and sympathy for the invasion of demonic cultivators, blindness was alluded to at least thirty times, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Hmph...
After thinking for a while, Li Longling said, "Send Chief Zhou Wei with the guards to the West Island to demand an explanation. The bandits in the Jade Pot Mountain are entangled with the West Island inner circle. Young Master Jiang and his Dragon Slayers Society were the heroes who resolved this chaos caused by demonic cultivators. This matter cannot be left like this!"
"Yes, Miss!"
The guard saluted and left.
After she left, Xiao Yunluo frowned, still looking worried.
"Sister Li, it can't be Ye Anping, right? How could that be..."
Li Longling hid a smile and asked in return, "Sister Xiao, don't you have confidence in Master Ye?"
"It's not that I lack confidence, but..." Xiao Yunluo pouted, complaining, "He could have come and told us first! How could people who care about him not worry when they suddenly hear such news? Believe it or not, I wanted to tell Sister Feng to rush directly to the coroner... They always go on their own and don't tell anyone anything."
"Huh--"
Li Longling shrugged. Seeing Sister Xiao's tantrum, she felt that she was quite childish. In the past, just by listening to her voice, she thought Sister Xiao was like a reliable big sister. But now, seeing how she was half a head shorter than her, she felt that the reliable sister was actually her.
At this time, a maid walked in. "Miss, the Moon Shadow Sword Sect's Young Lady and her companion are requesting an audience."
"Eh?" Li Longling paused, then simply got up from her seat and walked out carrying her pet baby phoenix, saying, "I'll go out to meet them."
"Yes, Miss..."
Li Longling was no longer as timid as the last time and didn't need Xiao Yunluo's support anymore. She raised her head and strode out of the main hall, but deliberately closed her eyes as if she couldn't see.
When Yun Xi, who was waiting outside, saw her coming out, she cupped her hands according to the etiquette, then greeted her with a smile. "Miss Li, it's inconvenient with your eyes. Why did you come out? Wouldn't it be better for us to come inside?"
Li Longling was quite surprised when she saw Yun Xi's salute. She didn't seem to treat her as a blind person and didn't do it perfunctorily. Her manners were strictly by the book.
The same thing could not be said about her companion. Although he bowed, it was a bit perfunctory.
Li Longling hesitated before asking, "Miss Yun, what kind of accent is this..."
"Mandarin... I use it on formal occasions... What's wrong? Don't you understand?"
"I do, but it feels strange."
"In that case, I'll switch back." Yun Xi smiled and said, "This time, we came to ask if you've considered our proposal. Also, about my younger brother and sister, have you found out anything?"
Li Longling smiled and shook her head. "I appreciate Miss Yun's kindness, but forgive me for not being able to agree to your request. After all, Dragon House is the only thing my father left to me."
"I see." Yun Xi shrugged without surprise and took out a jewelry box from her storage bag. She said, "It seems that you already have a solution in mind. Maybe it's redundant, but if you encounter any difficulties, feel free to send me a letter anytime. This pair of jade bracelets from the Empty Mountain can be considered a token of friendship."
Li Longling hesitated for a moment, then reached out to take it.
Then, Yun Xi asked again, "What about my younger brother and sister? Have they been found?"
Li Longling paused before replying, "I found the two people you mentioned, but they have already left the Dragon House , and I don't know where they went."
Yun Xi frowned as she looked at Li Longling's expression. "Sister Li, this matter is really important. Are you sure?"
"Every word is true. They left without saying a word."
"Alright then. Since that's the case, we won't stay for long either. Moon Shadow Sword Sect sent word a few days ago asking me to return soon."
"Well, be careful on the way. By the way..." Li Longling turned to Yun Xi's companion and said with a smile, "Senior, I would suggest you not to be so perfunctory when paying respects on formal occasions."
Startled, the man widened his eyes. "What? This..."
Yun Xi looked at the young phoenix on her shoulder and suddenly understood. "I see..."
"Well, Sister Yun, your clothes are so stylish."
"Ah... alright then. If you have time to come to my place, I'll treat you to hot pot before leaving."
Yun Xi bowed again, then waved her hand and turned around, walking down the steps and leaving with her companion.
After they were gone, Li Longling sighed softly, looked to the west, and murmured to herself, "The Hundred Lotus Sect... I must go visit later."