Chai Xing’er put on an innocent and confused smile. “Senior Xu, what do you mean by that?”
“What do I mean?” Xu Qi’an asked back with a beaming smile. “Isn’t the mastermind behind all of this you?”
Li Lingsu’s expression changed slightly.
Jingxin and the other monks looked over in surprise, including Jingyuan, who had just woken up and whose face was still pale.
Chai Xing’er shook her head. “Senior, you have misunderstood me.”
It was just as one would expect from an actress, her gaze and tone were sincere and innocent, showing not the slightest hint of guilt.
You are putting on an act in front of the mighty Silver Gong Xu of the Great Feng… Xu Qi’an let out a snort.
“Don’t be in a rush to deny it, listen to what I have to say.
“During this period, I have done a fairly thorough investigation into the case of Chai Jianyuan. Let us comb through the case from the beginning. First of all, according to your account, Chai Jianyuan was killed by Chai Xian in the study at night. When you arrived, you saw both Chai Xian and Chai Jianyuan in the room.
“The latter was already dead, correct?”
Chai Xing’er nodded. “That is something everyone in the Chai residence witnessed. Does Senior believe I am lying?”
“You are certainly not lying, everything you saw was real, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the truth.”
Xu Qi’an said, “Chai Jianyuan and Chai Xian were both fifth rank Transforming Force, their Bronze Skin and Iron Bones afforded superb defence. Even if Chai Xian launched a surprise attack, killing Chai Jianyuan in a short time would have been impossible. Yet, when you arrived, Chai Jianyuan was already dead. Chai Manor is not that large.”
Li Lingsu’s eyes lit up slightly, recalling what Xu Qi’an had said before. “It was poison, Chai Jianyuan had been poisoned beforehand.”
Jingxin nodded marginally, agreeing with Li Lingsu’s explanation.
The other monks listened in silence.
Xu Qi’an continued, “With this in mind, I deliberately sneaked into the cellar and dissected Chai Jianyuan’s corpse, discovering clear signs that he had indeed been poisoned.”
As he spoke, he walked over to Chai Jianyuan and tore open his garments at the chest, revealing the stitched-up wound beneath.
Chai Xing’er’s expression turned complicated at once. “So it was you who sneaked into the cellar that night…”
She paused, then said in a deep voice, “It seems Chai Xian planned it in advance and secretly poisoned my elder brother.”
Everyone’s gaze immediately settled on Chai Xian, who was now doubting his very existence. He kept his head lowered, muttering to himself, and seemed entirely oblivious to everything around him.
He’s withdrawn…
“Amitabha.”
Jingxin shook his head and softly recited the Buddha’s name.
“No, it was not Chai Xian who administered the poison, but you, Chai Xing’er,” Xu Qi’an declared in a loud voice.
Everyone instantly turned their gaze to Chai Xing’er.
Li Lingsu’s eyes widened.
Chai Xian’s muttering paused for a moment.
A stiff expression flickered across Chai Xing’er’s pretty face. “Senior still doubts me?”
Xu Qi’an ignored her, and continued calmly:
“Do you all remember, why would Chai Jianyuan not tell Chai Xian about his parentage? Is it just out of fear that he would be upset? Anyone able to cultivate to the fifth rank Transforming Force, who among them is not of firm mind? What does such a blow count as?
“At first I did not understand either, but the moment I saw Chai Xian’s soul-separation affliction, I immediately realised why Chai Jianyuan would hide his origins. It would only aggravate his condition and might even lead to some dreadful outcome, just like the result we are witnessing now.”
Everyone fell into thoughtful silence.
Li Lingsu suddenly understood, and then frowned, asking, “But what has this got to do with Xing’er?”
Xu Qi’an glanced at the graceful married woman.
“Chai Xing’er’s former husband died because of Chai Jianyuan, and resentment grew in your heart. So, you seized the chance created by the quarrel between father and son over Chai Lan’s marriage, secretly let Chai Xian learn of his parentage, and deliberately aggravated his soul-separation.
“At the same time, you poisoned Chai Jianyuan, making his death at Chai Xian’s hand seem reasonable. Chai Xian has been extreme since childhood. His other self is even more violent and merciless. Having discovered that Chai Jianyuan was the one who caused his wretched childhood, and that it was Chai Jianyuan who intended to marry the woman he loved to someone else, how do you imagine he would react?”
The inner hall suddenly fell silent.
Chai Xing’er could feel that all gazes were now focused entirely on her.
She gave Li Lingsu a single look and said,
“Senior Xu, all of this is merely your conjecture. There is no evidence. Furthermore, Xiao Lan is still missing. She and Chai Xian were very close. She might have already discovered Chai Xian’s true identity, perhaps she has long since seen his sixth toe. That is why she would never fall in love with him.”
“You can ask Chai Xian yourself whether he knows he has six toes on his left foot.”
Chai Xing’er went on, “She did not want to marry into the Huangfu family, so she poisoned my elder brother and secretly revealed Chai Xian’s true parentage before fleeing. To this day, her whereabouts are unknown. Senior, is my theory not more reasonable?”
Still not admitting it are you!
“Just because she did not wish to marry?”
A young monk could not help but question.
“Then Xing’er would not have killed her own elder brother just because Chai Jianyuan turned her late husband into an iron corpse.”
Li Lingsu said in a low voice, “Senior, Chai Jianyuan was left with no choice when he turned Xing’er’s former husband into an iron corpse. It was not deliberate. Even if Xing’er bore a grudge, it would be nothing more than resentment.”
Xu Qi’an ignored them and gave a little smile.
“I do not really understand your motive, that can come later. Chai Xing’er, do I need to say who is being kept in the secret cellar beneath the ancestral hall?”
Chai Xing’er’s face turned deathly pale.
Xu Qi’an looked about at the crowd, then fixed his eyes on Chai Xian. “Chai Lan is being held by Chai Xing’er in the secret room under the ancestral hall. I have already found her.”
Chai Xian jerked his head up, his lips trembling. “How… how is she…?”
“Li Lingsu, go and bring her here,” Xu Qi’an gestured towards the door with his chin.
“Me?” Li Lingsu pointed to himself.
“Or am I supposed to do it?” Xu Qi’an retorted.
But I do not even know where the secret room is… Li Lingsu instinctively wanted to refuse, afraid to face the truth, but he saw an orange cat standing at the door, who impatiently lifted a paw and slapped the threshold.
So, knowing that delaying would only anger that old bastard Xu Qian, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and go.
The inner hall fell silent; no one said a word.
The Buddhist monks were half expectant, half apprehensive. Expectant about the progress of the case, apprehensive because they did not know how Xu Qi’an would deal with them next.
The Zen masters still had some strength left, but if they asked themselves if they had any chance of prevailing against that unfathomable sabre, the answer obviously would be “none whatsoever”. And the other party still had a puppet to neutralise the Buddhist precepts.
As for Jingxin, he was the one who understood Xu Qi’an’s true identity and cultivation best.
The others might still entertain the thought of gambling on a slim chance, but Jingxin was not the least bit hopeful.
About ten minutes later, Li Lingsu carried in a dishevelled woman in his arms. The orange cat that had left with him earlier did not return with him.
Chai Xing’er turned even paler.
Chai Xian stared fixedly at the woman. Now closer, he could see her face through her tangled hair.
“Xiao Lan…”
He trembled, calling out in a voice on the verge of tears.
Chai Lan opened her mouth, but in her agitation, she was unable to speak and burst into tears.
“Xiao Lan, Xiao Lan…”
Chai Xian wriggled his body and moved to her, scrutinising her repeatedly, his emotions a mix of joy and sorrow. “Everything’s fine, everything’s fine…”
Xu Qi’an studied the beautiful widow. “Do you still have anything to quibble about?”
Chai Lan’s presence was ironclad evidence against Chai Xing’er. There was no point in trying to deny it, as Buddhist precepts awaited her.
Chai Xing’er understood this. She said nothing more, walked slowly to Li Lingsu, raised her hands, held the handsome Holy Son’s face, and said softly,
“Li Lang, I knew all along you were licentious. From the moment I met you, I knew what sort of man you were.”
She sighed: “Initially I wanted nothing to do with you, but you insisted on teasing me. Ever since you returned from Qianjue Gorge, I could no longer go against my heart, and fell for you. At the time, I thought: even if he’s a loafer, but a man who’s willing to risk his life for me—even if he’s a loafer—I’d still like him.”
“Xing’er, you, why go to such lengths…” Li Lingsu said sadly.
Just for a breath of resentment, was it really worth this? Was it simply because Chai Jianyuan had turned her late husband into an iron corpse?
Li Lingsu could not understand. He had just wanted to say something when Chai Xing’er, still holding his cheeks, suddenly reversed her palm and struck towards her own brow.
The change came too suddenly. Li Lingsu was caught off guard, and could only watch as a palm full of Qi struck towards Chai Xing’er’s forehead, his pupils contracting sharply.
Suddenly, a hand appeared in Li Lingsu’s line of sight, grabbing Chai Xing’er’s wrist.
“Trying to kill yourself? Did I allow you?”
Xu Qi’an sneered.
“Senior Xu…”
The Holy Son was instantly overjoyed, thinking, Senior, you are so reliable, you will always be my protector.
Then, as fear welled up in him, Li Lingsu gripped Chai Xing’er’s shoulders, both shocked, angry, and full of pity:
“Suicide? You keep saying you love me, and then you turn round and try to kill yourself? Why?”
Chai Xing’er ignored him, turning her head to look at Xu Qi’an. Bitterly, she said, “Senior, I have nothing more to say. I can only make amends through death, must you still interfere?”
“I haven’t finished questioning you. Trying to die now, isn’t that a bit hasty?”
Looking at Xu Qian’s half-smiling expression and meeting his burning gaze, Chai Xing’er suddenly felt as if she’d been stripped bare, with no way to hide her secrets.
What did he mean?
The mastermind had already confessed, the truth of the case seemed clear, what more was there to ask?
As everyone looked on in astonishment, Li Lingsu said, “Senior?”
“I have two doubts that I would like Aunt Chai to answer.”
Xu Qi’an glanced at everyone. “Doesn’t it strike everyone as odd that Chai Xing’er’s previous husband died nearly three years ago? Why did she remain inactive for three whole years and only act now?”
Jingxin and Li Lingsu both frowned at once.
They understood Xu Qian’s meaning. There must be a reason for her restraint, either opportunity or power building. But in the past three years, what had prevented Chai Xing’er’s revenge?
Chai Xing’er pressed her lips together and replied calmly, “I was waiting for an opportunity, a chance to worsen Chai Xian’s soul-separation disorder. The marriage alliance between the Chai and Huangfu families was the opportunity.”
“Heh, with Chai Xian’s illness, it didn’t appear overnight. Even without the marriage, he might still have acted against his father. Of course, if you must call it waiting for a chance, so be it.”
Xu Qi’an’s expression was steady, exuding a veteran detective’s calm and confidence.
“The second doubt: why did you imprison Chai Lan?
“If all your plans were for revenge, Chai Jianyuan was your enemy, Chai Xian was your tool, but Chai Lan was an outsider, why did you imprison her?”
Chai Xing’er was silent for a long time, resentment flashing in her eyes. “Do you know why, on that day, my husband and brother went out and were ambushed by ‘enemies’?”
She gave a cold chuckle, looked around at everyone, and sneered, “There was no so-called enemy at all, everything was a trap set up by my brother.”
“Nonsense.”
Chai Lan retorted loudly and tearfully. “Why would Father do such a thing? Auntie, you’ve harmed Father, must you further smear him?”
Chai Xing’er sneered,
“Of course, it was for his own bastard. My husband and I were both fifth rank. My husband married into the Chai family and took on the Chai name. But his two sons amounted to nothing, only Chai Xian had outstanding talent, but he suffered from the soul-separation disorder. My brother searched for a cure and, fearing that, if he failed, how would an adopted son inherit the family patriarch’s seat?”
“Would the clan support an outsider, or us, the couple? He was confident that while alive, he could suppress the two of us, but if he died, the Chai family would be ours.”
“So, while I was childless, he set out to remove my husband, thus preserving the balance. This way, even if Chai Xian’s illness could not be cured in the future, as an adopted son, he could assist the second or third son.
“So the position of patriarch would never fall to me.
“He caused my husband’s tragic death, so I simply retaliated in kind, by targeting his most beloved daughter. But Lan’er was still my niece after all, and in the end, I could not bear to kill her.”
“How could this be…” Li Lingsu never expected there was such hidden truth behind the case.
“Amitabha. Fame and profit are as fleeting as clouds. Chai Jianyuan, blinded by selfishness, made a grave error. Chai Xing’er, unable to let go of hatred, made the same grave mistake.”
Jingxin shook his head and sighed.
“I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it…”
Chai Lan shook her head desperately.
Chai Xing’er looked at Xu Qi’an. “Senior Xu, if you don’t believe me, you can use precepts and put me to trial.”
“I believe you,” Xu Qi’an nodded, smiling. “But you are still lying.”
At this point, everyone shifted their gazes from Chai Xing’er to Xu Qi’an.
Chai Xing’er’s face changed.
“What you said was true. Chai Jianyuan may indeed have caused your husband’s death. But that has nothing to do with your confining Chai Lan. If you couldn’t bear to kill her, then you could’ve just not. If you could bear it, you would have killed her. Spouting all this with such certainty, in reality, you are just trying to divert our attention.”
Trying to pull that trick to distract me, muddling the issue, heh, woman, you have no idea how to write the three characters of Silver Gong Xu… Xu Qi’an only regretted that he had no eyes to reflect sharply in the light.
“Furthermore, Chai Jianyuan had two sons. If you wished for revenge, shouldn’t you have targeted your two nephews, not the niece? If I’m not mistaken, your purpose in imprisoning Chai Lan was to keep Chai Xian in Xiangzhou.”
Thud, thud, thud… Chai Xing’er staggered backwards. Her expression was strange, as if she had seen a devil.
All her secrets had been laid bare.
“Who, who on earth are you!?” Chai Xing’er screamed.
Li Lingsu and Jingxin vaguely understood some of it, but as for the others, their minds could no longer keep up.
This included Chai Xian and Chai Lan.
“Who I am does not matter. Now, answer my final question: why did you keep Chai Xian in Xiangzhou?”
Chai Xing’er bit down hard, refusing to utter even half a word.
Xu Qi’an snapped his fingers.
Hengyin straightened, stamped his foot, and raised his hand in a salute. “Yes sir.”
Then, the Head Monk of Sanhua Temple put his palms together and said softly, “One shall not lie!”
An invisible but overwhelming force enveloped Chai Xing’er, placing her in a state where lying was impossible.
“Why did you imprison Chai Lan?” asked Xu Qi’an.
Everyone, including Li Lingsu, looked towards Chai Xing’er in unison.
Chai Xinger’s face twisted for a moment. In the end, she could not go against her conscience and answered truthfully, “To keep Chai Xian in Xiangzhou.”
So it really was like this!
Everyone present immediately understood that everything was just as Xu Qian had predicted.
“What is the reason?” Xu Qi’an asked the most critical question.
… Chai Xinger’s beautiful face was already completely contorted as she squeezed out each word, “He, he is a Dragon Qi host… before my superiors arrive, I cannot let him leave Xiangzhou.”
She knew about the Dragon Qi host?! Xu Qi’an and Jingxin’s expressions changed dramatically.
Dragon Qi host, and again, Dragon Qi? What is Dragon Qi? During the half a year I was confined by the Dongfang Sisters, what happened out there… Li Lingsu thought blankly.
Inside the Stupa tower, he knew that the golden dragon Xu Qian and the Buddhist monks had fought over was called Dragon Qi.
But he did not know any more, Xu Qian had not told him.
Xu Qi’an’s expression grew grave, he pondered for a moment and asked, “What is your identity?”
Chai Xing’er struggled for several seconds. “I am a hidden agent of Tianjigong1, gathering intelligence for the organisation on Zhangzhou and the Jianghu.”
“What kind of organisation is Tianjigong? What power does it belong to?”
“I, I do not know…”
“Tell me everything you know,” Xu Qi’an ordered in a low voice.
“Not long ago, the organisation sent intelligence ordering me to look out for anything unusual in Zhangzhou. This included some major incidents, Jianghu figures who suddenly made their name, or top experts whose cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
“The intelligence reported that the dragon ley of the Great Feng had collapsed, Dragon Qi scattered across the Central Plains, seeking hosts to reside within. Not long after, I found Chai Xian’s cultivation had advanced rapidly, he comprehended Transforming Force within a short time.
“You must understand, only last year did he just reach the sixth rank. For his talent, it should have taken at least five years to understand Transforming Force. I reported the intelligence to my superiors, waiting for news while keeping an eye on Chai Xian.
“I realised this was an opportunity, both to take revenge on my brother and to take control of the Chai family. So I planned all of this…”
Li Lingsu closed his eyes and sighed, “Xing’er, it was you who leaked my and Senior Xu’s information to Jingxin and the others, wasn’t it?”
Chai Xing’er nodded bitterly.
“I imprisoned Xiao Lan to keep Chai Xian here and wait for my superiors to arrive. Who could have known it would be you lot who turned up, and even the Buddhists. What was even more helpless was, you all became very interested in Chai Xian.
“In order to stop you from finding Chai Xian and ruining my plans, I leaked your and his news to the Buddhists, hoping you would focus on fighting each other and ignore Chai Xian. Unfortunately, Jingxin failed to find Senior Xu.”
With the Heaven Gu’s “Shifting Constellations” ability, of course he could not find me… Tianjigong, what a familiar name. If I am not mistaken, this spy network was created by that unfilial son.
Ordinary Jianghu forces could not possibly know of the Dragon Qi’s dispersal. As one of the culprits, how could he not be collecting Dragon Qi?
As a second rank Fortune Refiner preparing to rebel, his network and spies could not possibly be limited to Yunzhou. I did not expect to run into one here.
Perhaps I can follow the trail from Chai Xing’er and uproot that unfilial son’s network… erm, that would be too easy, knowing that unfilial bastard, he wouldn’t be so stupid… Xu Qi’an pinched his brow.
The Great Feng’s Dragon Qi has scattered? What are they talking about… Li Lingsu inexplicably felt disconnected from his own era.
He quickly looked at the others, and was shocked to find that, apart from Chai Xian and Chai Lan, everyone else showed not the slightest hint of surprise, as though they already knew.
Wait, Dragon Qi? Dragon ley?!
Li Lingsu suddenly remembered reading about dragon leys in ancient records of the Heaven Sect.
He then thought of the incident where the Great Feng Emperor was killed by that Silver Gong Xu.
Could the two be related?
At this moment, Jingxin suddenly said, “Benefactor Xu, how do you intend to deal with them, and how do you intend to deal with us?”
The power of life and death for everyone present rested entirely in Xu Qi’an’s hands.
He looked first at Chai Xian.
Extracting the Dragon Qi is a must. As for Chai Xian, he had committed countless murders, but he is mentally ill, he had not committed them intentionally. According to the law in my previous life, such a person should be locked in an asylum for life, never let out… But under the laws of the Great Feng, he would be executed by slow dismemberment… I really am only cut out for solving cases, not being a judge.
Xu Qi’an was deliberating.
At this moment, Chai Xian looked up and said, “Could you untie my ropes?”
His expression was utterly calm, his tone showed no emotion, as if he had already made up his mind.
Xu Qi’an drew the Taiping Sabre. With a flash of the blade, he easily cut the enchanted ropes.
Chai Xian inclined his head to him and said softly, “For the offences I have committed, I will repay with my life. He’s right, I have been too cowardly, and never dared to face myself.”
That “he” referred to his other personality.
“When I was eight, my mother died, and I started begging on the streets. I suffered all kinds of bullying. When I was driven mad with hunger, I even had to fight with dogs for food. In my darkest days, I wished I could die immediately, death would have been a release. I hated my father at every moment. Later, my adoptive father found me and brought me back to the Chai family…”
He turned his head to look at Chai Lan beside him, smiling gently. “I found a reason to go on living, pity it was all just an illusion.”
Chai Xian reached out, wanting to touch Chai Lan’s cheek, but his hand froze halfway in the air.
“If I could go back, I would never have entered the Chai family. I would rather have never met you in this life.”
His hand, frozen halfway, withdrew and slapped onto his own brow.
Bang!
Amidst the sound of bone cracking and Chai Lan’s screams, Chai Xian’s body suddenly went rigid. Blood welled from his eye sockets, and then he collapsed limply to the ground.
A thick surge of Dragon Qi burst from Chai Xian’s body, writhing fiercely as it shot towards the roof, wanting to escape.
Tianjigong: Lit. Palace of Heaven’s Secrets (Same Heaven’s secrets as third rank arcanist) ↩
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