The Path Toward Heaven

Everybody knew that Jian Ruyun came here to confront Liu Shisui.

However, what was unexpected was Fang Jingtian not interrogating them himself, instead letting Shangde Peak handle the case.

Chi Yan took the file for the case from Fang Jingtian and skimmed it briefly. “Are you accusing Liu Shisui of having something to do with the death of Zuo Yi thirteen years ago?” he asked Jian Ruyun.

…

…

The disciples of the Green Mountain were waiting outside the hall for news.

When Xiao He learned that she couldn’t stay on the Green Mountain, her face turned pale, but she didn’t say anything.

Yuan Qü felt sympathetic, comforting her with some words.

Gazing at the tightly closed front gate of the hall, Gu Qing remained silent, waiting for the bad news.

The bad news came soon enough. The disciples had all learned of the inquiry raised by Elder Chi Yan. Some disciples were shocked into silence, and some felt bewildered.

Who was…Zuo Yi of Bihu Peak? The talking started under the green pines everywhere, and many of them asked this question. Reminded by some colleagues, the disciples remembered that event.

Thirteen years ago, Senior Master Zuo Yi of Bihu Peak, who was in the upper state of the Undefeated and on the verge of entering the Free Travel State, had suddenly died one night, his head separated from the body, which was then thrown into the bank of a stream carelessly.

The event had shocked the entire Green Mountain at the time; but as time went by, the disciples who were usually preoccupied with Cultivation had gradually forgotten about it, until it was mentioned again today.

How could Liu Shisui be connected with this event?

Most disciples of the Green Mountain thought this accusation was ridiculous, but some of them remembered that Liu Shisui had dared to kill Luo Huainan; regardless of the fact that event had some unknown secrets and that the Center Sect didn’t press charges…the person killed was Luo Huainan!

The disciples later learned that the accuser was Jian Ruyun, and they reflexively fixed their gazes on where the disciples of Liangwang Peak stood, after their initial shock receded a bit.

The look on Gu Han’s face was extremely gloomy. Ma Hua narrowed his eyes, and his usual smile was nowhere to be seen, revealing a profound aura.

Both the former’s gloomy expression and the latter’s stone face proved indirectly that Jian Ruyun’s accusation was not totally preposterous.

Seeing Ma Hua’s face, Yuan Qü remarked uneasily, “Maybe Big Brother Ma knew certain secrets?”

“He didn’t know a damn thing. He believes that because he can be cunning sometimes that he has the power of reading others’ minds and gaining the truth. How stupid.”

Gu Qing swore even though he didn’t do it often.

He didn’t like Ma Hua.

Back when he was the sword servant of Guo Nanshan on Liangwang Peak, he often saw Ma Hua smile with narrowed eyes and felt disgusted.

…

…

Inside the Grand Hall.

“I’m not sure of his specific connection with the death of Senior Master Zuo of Bihu Peak, but I’m quite certain that he wasn’t in his manor cave the night Senior Master Zuo died.”

Jian Ruyun continued emotionlessly, “Gu Han knew about it as well, and Senior Master Duan had interrogated him about this back then.”

Duan Liantian didn’t expect to be mentioned so soon. Thinking of the Sword Justice’s attitude, he felt fairly troubled. “That’s right. Junior Master Liu had admitted it at the time, but…this didn’t prove anything,” he told the group.

Jian Ruyun ignored the hint of clearing Liu Shisui of guilt in Duan Liantian’s statement, as he continued emotionlessly, “My younger brother Jian Rushan was investigating the death of Senior Master Zuo Yi the last few days, but he was killed by a devil man of the Underworld in Jianli City. I think he was killed to keep him quiet.”

Chi Yan said impassively, “Just tell us what your suspicion is.”

Jian Ruyun turned to Liu Shisui and asked, “You were not willing to answer the question of where you went that night back then, and we understood that you needed to be found guilty in order to join the Old Ones. But, what about now? Shouldn’t you be able to tell us now?”

Liu Shisui replied calmly, “The death of Big Brother Jian Rushan had nothing to do with me.”

Jian Ruyun was not dissuaded by the answer, and said, “What I asked was where you went the night Senior Master Zuo Yi died.”

“I don’t want to answer this question,” said Liu Shisui.

Upon hearing this, there was an uproar in the hall.

After a moment of silence, Chi Yan said, “If that is something unsuitable to speak of in public, you can choose to come to the back room to tell me, or go to Shangde Peak to tell the Sword Justice. We can assure you that no third person will know about it.”

“No. I won’t answer the question anywhere, at all,” Liu Shisui insisted.

Chi Yan stared into his eyes and demanded, “Could you give me a reason?”

“I don’t want to lie anymore,” said Liu Shisui.

In the last ten some years, Liu Shisui had been living a life of lies and deceptions, regardless of whether he was on the Green Mountain or in the Old Ones.

He had finally gotten out of that kind of lifestyle, so he had no desire to go back to it again.

The atmosphere in the hall turned even weirder.

It meant something was fishy when Liu Shisui insisted on not answering the question, and it was even more so when he said that he didn’t want to lie.

Many gazes fell on Zhao Layue and Jing Jiu, especially the latter.

But, Liu Shisui didn’t look at Jing Jiu.

Zhao Layue’s eyelashes drooped slightly, waiting for Jing Jiu to say something.

In fact, all the people in the hall were waiting for Jing Jiu to speak.

One minute had passed, but Jing Jiu didn’t say anything.

Zhao Layue couldn’t help stealing a glance at him, and found his expression was as peaceful as ever, feeling surprised.

The crowd in the hall felt surprised as well.

Even though most people had already forgotten about the death of Zuo Yi of Bihu Peak, nobody forgot about what Jing Jiu had done at that year’s Sword Trial on Green Mountain.

Fang Jingtian looked at Jing Jiu silently, and pondered something at the same time.

The accusation of Liu Shisui was a trivial matter.

It was only a matter of one life for another, even if he was indeed responsible for killing Zuo Yi.

However, if Liu Shisui could indict Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue, the trivial matter could turn into a significant event.

It was because they were Shenmo Peak.

The young disciples of the Green Mountain were not jealous of them anymore, but it didn’t mean that the people of older generation were no longer resentful.

Their resentment could be summed up simply: How could they have Shenmo Peak?

For the peak master of Xingyun and others, if something went wrong with Shenmo Peak, would the properties left by Grandmaster Jing Yang be reassigned?

For the Immortal Guangyuan behind closed doors and those on Bihu Peak, would the Precious-Tree House and more resources come back to their peak again?

Time passed slowly. After a long while, Liu Shisui remained silent, as did Jing Jiu.

Someone sighed once, and someone else said nonchalantly, “This is it then.”

“If you don’t tell us where you went that night, I have no choice but to regard you as the suspect of the murder case even if I don’t have any evidence.”

Chi Yan said while looking at Liu Shisui, “I’ll take you back to the Sword Jail and lock you up there until the interrogation produces a result or you are willing to answer that question. Are you convinced?”

Duan Liantian glanced at Chi Yan in surprise, wondering why Chi Yan forcefully brought him back from Jianli City if the Sword Justice had this idea in the first place.

Liu Shisui replied, “I was locked up in the Sword Jail back then, and I didn’t tell you anything. I’ll do exactly the same now. You’re simply wasting your time with it.”

He didn’t respond to the question of whether he was convinced.

It meant he was not convinced.

Liu Shisui could become what he was now mostly because of this tenacity.

The news of Liu Shisui being sent to the Sword Jail spread to the outside of the grand hall.

People inside the hall could even hear the commotions outside.

Nan Wang raised her brows as she yelled, “What a mess! Tell them to leave here at once.”