394: Chapter 6 Casual Conversation 394: Chapter 6 Casual Conversation Xining Street’s turmoil had completely dissipated, so the guards at the separate residence in the Imperial City North Suburb were naturally withdrawn.
The spiritual examination of the cultivators from the North Hunt had actually been completed long ago.
The reason this examination lasted for ten days was simply because Yuan Jimo wanted to use this opportunity to investigate the cause of Fang Hang and Xie Sheng’s deaths.
Now that both Taishang Pavilion and Prince Jiangning had chosen to settle the matter, the Imperial City Department naturally had no reason to continue the investigation.
Yuan Jimo informed a few Special Enforcement Officers that they could lower their guard and no longer needed to detain the involved parties.
“You are free to go.”
Inside the North Suburb Forbidden Room of the Imperial City Department, Yuan Jimo released the formation constraints and spoke to the girl sitting on the ground.
“Is it over?”
Yuan Yi raised her eyes, her pupils calm as a lake, “Let me guess, Xie Zhen has returned to the Imperial City, but you can’t do anything about him.
Now witness and evidence don’t matter anymore.
You can only release people.”
“…”
Yuan Jimo said coldly, “You seem to know him quite well.”
“I don’t know him, but I understand you.”
Yuan Yi shook her head and said, “You single-handedly created the misunderstanding between the Northern County families and Xie Zhen.
How could you easily miss this opportunity to add fuel to the fire?”
“If I remember correctly, we’ve only met once, Miss Yuan.
Your words truly please me,” Yuan Jimo said indifferently.
“However, you are mistaken about one thing.
It’s not just me who wants to deal with Xie Zhen.”
He pushed open the stone door of the Forbidden Room, and a gust of cold wind poured in.
Yuan Yi slowly stood up, dusting the weeds off her clothes, and asked in a light voice, “Is the one who leaked the information Senior Sister Lu Yuan?”
Yuan Jimo’s brow slightly furrowed.
“There’s no need to look at me with that kind of gaze.”
Yuan Yi sighed and muttered, “The examination room is isolated from transmitting divine souls.
Your interrogation of her was completely confidential; no one else knew about it, and there were no insiders.”
“Interesting, in that case, how did you know about it?”
Yuan Jimo even lazily refrained from denying it, asking with a smile.
Regarding the smear on Xie Zhen, if one were to trace its origin, it would go back to an unnamed North Hunt cultivator who revealed a lot of details to the Imperial City Department, providing key evidence of Xie Zhen killing Xie Sheng…
Of course, none of that mattered now.
For Yuan Jimo, previously concealing Lu Yuan’s identity was not only to protect the “witness’s” safety but also to keep a trump card for later.
Now, there was no point in keeping Lu Yuan’s identity confidential and it could simply be revealed.
“There’s no particular reason.”
Yuan Yi smoothed her hair and said, “Some things, I just happen to be able to guess.”
…
…
Yuan Yi returned to the separate residence and slightly stiffened when she pushed open the door.
The Special Enforcement Officers had already withdrawn, and the residence was now echoing with bursts of laughter, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
The disciples from Baihua Valley all were smiling and talking.
But Yuan Yi couldn’t quite bring herself to smile.
Everyone was gathered around Senior Sister Lu Yuan, the shadows of trees flickering in the courtyard, a stone table bearing hot tea, the steam reflecting Lu Yuan’s somewhat pale face.
Across the stone table, a dark, slender figure was seated.
A faint smile on his face.
Xie Xuanyi stood up and paid his respects, speaking gently, “Miss Yuan, are you well?
Did the Imperial City Department give you a hard time?”
Yuan Yi forced a smile, “Mr.
Xie, Yuan Yi is fine…
Did you come specifically to wait for me?”
This sentence was politely phrased.
Xie Xuanyi nodded and hummed softly.
Having received an affirmative answer, it should have been a very joyful occasion.
But Yuan Yi felt an unprecedented tension.
She wasn’t a fool.
This Divine Soul examination, Yuan Jimo detaining her, Yuan Yi knew the reason…
After the battle at the North Sea Mausoleum, her relationship with Xie Zhen had grown exceptionally close, for a simple reason, she admired the manner of this future master of Xuanshui Cave Heaven, so every time they met, she would always greet him and exchange a few words.
Anyone could see what she was thinking.
However, the gap between her and Xie Zhen was as vast as the difference between the clouds and the mud, insurmountable.
Yuan Yi was always clear about these truths in her heart.
She knew her place in Xie Zhen’s heart, wasn’t that high.
The previous rescue was but a fleeting encounter.
Was this time’s detention by the Imperial City Department truly worth him taking a special trip?
“…”
She couldn’t help but glance at Lu Yuan with the corner of her eye.
Battle at the North Sea Mausoleum.
She had seen Xie Zhen’s methods, and understood his character.
Yuan Yi feared that Xie Zhen’s visit this time wasn’t for her, but for Lu Yuan.
Senior Sister simply brewed tea in silence, without speaking.
“Actually, there’s another matter I’m here for.”
Xie Xuanyi casually inquired, making it sound unintentional, “I heard these days, the Imperial City Department conducted a spiritual examination on the North Hunt cultivators…
I wonder if the folks from Baihua Valley are aware of the insider information?”
As soon as these words were said.
The casual chatter turned oddly mysterious.
Lu Yuan’s hand that was pouring tea also slightly trembled.
“Insider information?”
A female sword cultivator from Baihua Valley curiously asked, “What insider information is Sword Immortal Xie asking about?”
“What else could the insider information be…”
Another woman quickly laughed and said, “Sword Immortal Xie comes in person, naturally, he wants to ferret out the informant.
Sword Immortal Xie, I must say, the Imperial City Department’s spiritual examination was extremely strict, each examinee had to follow the rules, confined alone in the Forbidden Room.
Under such circumstances, who could know what anyone said?”
“That’s true.”
Xie Xuanyi smiled and said, “Ladies, don’t worry.
I’m just curious, so I asked casually.
I heard the Imperial City Department gained quite a bit from this examination, getting a lot of concrete information from the informant, including the soul voice of Xie Sheng transmitted from the Dragon Array.”
The atmosphere in the courtyard grew even more subtle.
This was getting more interesting.
The investigation by the Imperial City Department was top secret; how had Xie Zhen managed to obtain this information?
Lu Yuan’s expression soured.
Back then, there were only a few who had heard Xie Sheng’s telepathic message.
Yuqing Pavilion, Baihua Valley…
This internal news had almost pinpointed the identity of the “leaker.”
“What does Sword Immortal Xie mean?”
A female disciple from Baihua Valley frowned and whispered softly, “Could it be that you think someone from Baihua Valley betrayed you?”
“That is not the case.”
Xie Xuanyi shook his head and said, “Baihua Valley has always had a deep connection with Da Sui Sword Palace.
Moreover, having faced life and death together with everyone in the North Sea Tombs…
I still trust everyone’s character.”
At this point,
Xie Zhen picked up his teacup, smiled, and said, “Ladies, fairies, do not overthink it.
The northern hunting storm has settled.
My visit today is merely to ensure that the Imperial City Department does not inconvenience you all.
As for the earlier inquiries about the leaker, consider them idle chatter and do not take them to heart.”
With those words, the tense atmosphere in the courtyard was somewhat relieved.
Lu Yuan also looked much more relaxed.
“By the way…”
Xie Xuanyi spoke again, he looked up at the thick wall next door, then turned to Lu Yuan and suddenly asked, “I heard that after disembarking from the Cloud Ship, everyone was detained here?”
“Yes.”
Lu Yuan’s voice trembled slightly, nearly imperceptible.
Yuan Jimo, in order to investigate the case and provide an explanation to everyone, had requested a Holy Decree.
Whether it was the Holy Land, noble families, or loose cultivators,
all had to cooperate with the Imperial City Special Enforcement Officer’s “Divine Soul Examination.”
“What’s next door?”
Xie Xuanyi casually asked again.
“Next door is…
the residence of the Taishang Pavilion.”
Lu Yuan paused; a flicker of comprehension mingled with fear and shock appeared in her eyes as she looked at Xie Zhen.
“It should be almost time.”
Xie Xuanyi looked up at the setting sun hanging in the sky.
At twilight, the sky of the Imperial City was somewhat gray.
For some reason, the rays falling into the courtyard carried a slight chill.
Xie Xuanyi twirled his teacup, smiled lightly, and gazed meaningfully at Lu Yuan, “At the hour of You…
sunset, if I remember correctly, once the Special Enforcement Officer withdraws, you all can choose to leave by yourselves.”
The reason Baihua Valley was waiting here
was that they were waiting for Yuan Yi.
Similarly,
Taishang Pavilion was waiting here for their second senior brother, Qi Yu.
After Fang Hang had died,
Qi Yu had undergone the examination by the Imperial City Department.
Each of these separate pavilions had barrier patterns that blocked everything, functioning almost like a small Grotto Heaven; all sounds, all Divine Thoughts, were kept out…
But at this moment,
the disciples of Baihua Valley seemed to hear some noise from the residence of Taishang Pavilion.
Noisy, chaotic, relaxed.
At this moment, the disciples of Taishang Pavilion, just like them, had reached the end of their examination.
“Today, at the hour of You, I, along with the fellow Daoists of Baihua Valley, share a drink of tea to celebrate the survivors of the northern hunt and the passing of the calamity.”
Xie Xuanyi smiled, raised his cup, and gestured to Lu Yuan.
The next moment,
a sharp wind sound rushed past the other courtyard, over the barrier patterns, sounding above the treetops; this wind was extremely piercing, making one’s scalp tingle.
Most of the disciples from Baihua Valley were still in a daze.
Lu Yuan’s pupils contracted, and she instinctively looked in the direction of Taishang Pavilion.
This wind sound,
sounded like a sword.
Abrupt, sharp, vicious!
The tea in the teacup shook, a burst of breeze cut through, and a small amount splashed out onto the ground.
The tea was scalding hot.
Separated by a wall, leaves rustled, the reddish light swayed, and the liquid that splattered on the ground was also scalding hot.
The laughter of the Taishang Pavilion disciples stopped abruptly at the moment the wind sounded.
At the hour of You, right on time.
At this very moment, the second senior brother of Taishang Pavilion, Qi Yu, who had just left the Imperial City Department’s Forbidden Room and returned to the separate residence, was still in the motion of pushing the door open.
A leaf fluttered down, briefly covering his forehead.
Once the wind sounded and the leaf fell to the ground,
a dark cavity appeared on his forehead.
“Senior Brother Qi?”
Someone called out in confusion.
“…”
Hearing this sound, Qi Yu shifted his head puzzledly; he felt a tickling sensation at his brow.
He reached up to touch it.
His hand was covered in blood.
Only at that moment did he belatedly feel the pain.
At the Imperial City North Suburb, sunset at the hour of You.
Amidst laughter, there were sounds of wind and rustling leaves, mixed with a faint whisper of Sword Qi.
With a “thud,”
the dull sound of a body falling resonated in Taishang Pavilion.