Chapter 244 - 26: A Single Strike Stirs Great Waves

Chapter 244: Chapter 26: A Single Strike Stirs Great Waves

Besides, he was just a nobody from Yu Huo County whose Cultivation was only at the Unobstructed Realm. No one would ever suspect that the culprit who had killed a White Bone Mountain Elder with a single slash was such an unremarkable young man.

This was the best disguise.

What he needed to do now was the same as before: keep a low profile, make money, and increase his strength.

「Meanwhile, a desolate courtyard in the western part of the city had been completely sealed off.」

Xiao Zhanbai and Chief Wang had been busy here all night, practically turning the entire courtyard upside down, but they had found very few clues.

Other than confirming the deceased was from White Bone Mountain and that the killer was an expert swordsman who used a saber, they had made no other valuable discoveries.

"Chief Wang, have you brought the list of all registered swordsmen in the city at the Sea Condensation Realm or above?"

Xiao Zhanbai stood in the courtyard, her voice as cold as ever.

"It’s all here." Chief Wang handed over a thick register.

"There are one hundred and thirty-seven swordsmen who fit the criteria in total, including both permanent residents of Qingzhou Prefecture City and those who recently arrived for the trade fair. I’ve already sent people to investigate them one by one, but we haven’t found anything yet."

Xiao Zhanbai took the register and quickly flipped through it.

Her gaze quickly fell upon one of the names.

"The Mad Swordsman, Xue Shan?"

"Yes." Chief Wang nodded. "This Old Xue is the most famous Loose Cultivator swordsman in Qingzhou City. He’s at the Peak of the Sea Condensation Realm, and his Gale Saber Technique is superb."

"Moreover, he has a strange temperament, walking the line between good and evil. He is indeed a suspect. Our men have already contacted him, but he vehemently denies it, and we have no evidence."

Xiao Zhanbai closed the register and said coldly, "A lack of evidence doesn’t mean it wasn’t him. Keep an eye on him."

Just then, a disciple from Celestial Sword Manor hurried over and handed a Jade Scroll to Xiao Zhanbai.

"Senior Sister Xiao, an order from the Young Manor Master!"

Xiao Zhanbai took the Jade Scroll and extended her Divine Sense into it.

A moment later, the expression on her icy face became even more solemn.

The Jade Scroll was sent personally by the Young Manor Master, Jian Wuchen. Its content was simple, just a single sentence.

Find the killer within three days and make an example of them.

An invisible pressure instantly settled over Xiao Zhanbai.

She knew the Young Manor Master was truly angry.

After all, the prestige of Celestial Sword Manor could not be challenged, especially during the sensitive time of the trade fair. There was no room for error.

Therefore, if this matter wasn’t handled well, she, an elite disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall, would likely be held responsible.

"Relay my orders!" Xiao Zhanbai’s voice suddenly rose, filled with killing intent. "Intensify the investigation! Even if you have to dig three feet underground, find that killer for me!"

"Yes!"

The disciples present responded in unison.

...

Chen Ye, naturally, knew nothing of these events.

He was currently with Su Yuan and Yun Heqing, happily busy at their stall.

For him, last night’s incident was just a small interlude.

The top priority was still making money.

"Next, what’s the next treasure?"

Yun Heqing had just sold an ordinary piece of jade that Chen Ye had bought for fifty taels of silver. It had a bit of Spiritual Qi, but Yun Heqing hyped it up as a treasure capable of nourishing the Divine Spirit and prolonging life. He ultimately sold it for the high price of one hundred and twenty taels, and his face was glowing with excitement.

This feeling of making a fortune just by talking was simply wonderful.

Chen Ye didn’t say anything, simply taking another item out of his bundle.

It was a piece of wood that looked pitch-black and seemed to have been scorched.

"Brother Chen Ye, this... what the heck is this thing?" Yun Heqing stared at the charred wood, a little dumbfounded.

No matter how you looked at it, this thing looked like a fire poker pulled from some stove.

’He could sell this for money?’

Chen Ye explained calmly, "Thunderstruck Wood. It contains a faint trace of Thunder Power."

He had just bought it for fifteen taels of silver from a stall selling all sorts of strange and bizarre materials.

Under the Asura’s Eye, there were indeed purple arcs of electricity, thinner than a strand of hair, flickering inside the charred wood.

Although the Energy was very weak, it still had some value for Cultivators who practiced Thunder Techniques or needed Thunder Power to refine Magical Artifacts.

"Thunderstruck Wood?" Yun Heqing’s eyes lit up, and his mind immediately started whirring.

Then he cleared his throat, picked up the charred wood, and began a new round of his performance.

"Fellow cultivators, revered masters, come take a look, come and see! Forged by heavenly thunder, a divine wood descended from the skies! This is the heartwood of a thousand-year peach tree, infused with the divine lightning of the nine heavens on a stormy night! It contains the purest, most potent yang Thunder Power—the bane of all demons and ghouls!"

"Wear it on your body, and no evil will touch you! Use it to refine a Magical Treasure, and you can imbue it with a thunder attribute, multiplying its power! Step right up, don’t miss out!"

Just as expected, his shouting attracted another crowd of onlookers.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye took this opportunity to leave the stall, melting back into the crowd to begin a new round of procurement.

「Meanwhile, in Qingzhou Prefecture City, inside a tavern named Worry-Free.」

This was one of the favorite gathering places for the city’s Loose Cultivators, because the tavern’s owner was none other than the famous Mad Swordsman of the city, Xue Shan.

At this moment, Xue Shan was bare-chested, revealing knotted muscles and a web of crisscrossing scars. He sat imposingly behind a table, drinking.

Although he was an expert at the Peak of the Sea Condensation Realm, he was forthright and unceremonious, so he was quite popular among the Loose Cultivators.

The tavern’s business was booming. The patrons were playing drinking games, chatting about everything under the sun, and the atmosphere was incredibly lively.

Just then, the tavern’s door flap was pushed aside, and two uninvited guests walked in.

The one in the lead was none other than Xiao Zhanbai of Celestial Sword Manor, followed by Chief Wang, who wore a helpless expression.

The moment the two of them entered, the entire tavern instantly fell silent.

Everyone’s gaze fell on Xiao Zhanbai in unison.

It couldn’t be helped. This disciple from Celestial Sword Manor was simply too eye-catching. Her cold, unapproachable aura was completely at odds with the tavern’s bustling atmosphere.

"Well now, isn’t this the Xiao Fairy from Celestial Sword Manor? What wind blew you here?"

Xue Shan looked up, and after getting a clear look at the newcomer, he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

Then, while wiping the wine bowl in his hand, he said unhurriedly, "But my humble little tavern can’t afford to entertain a big shot like you."

His words carried an obvious tone of mockery and distance.

Clearly, Xue Shan didn’t have a very favorable impression of a prestigious sect like Celestial Sword Manor.

Xiao Zhanbai ignored his teasing and walked straight to his table. "Xue Shan," she said coldly, "where were you at midnight last night?"

The smile on Xue Shan’s face gradually faded. He then looked up, his gaze turning cold as he stared at Xiao Zhanbai.

"Little girl, are you interrogating me?"