This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 132 Response

This night was destined to be a sleepless one for Yong'an, like the twinkling stars in the night sky, yet unable to illuminate the darkness in people's hearts.

With the autopsy results confirmed, the identity of the deceased Chen Haoran came to light, and Emperor Wu's anger erupted like a volcano.

Anyone who lives in the Great Qian Dynasty can never forget the humiliating history of being driven to the gates of Yong'an City. It was a dynasty called Dali, whose army pounced on the city like hungry wolves. By just a hair's breadth, the Great Qian Dynasty would have been plunged into an abyss of no return.

If it weren't for Xiao Jianxian stepping forward and turning the tide back then, Yong'an would probably have changed its name by now.

However, the Chen family member of Hanhai, who was responsible for guarding the only pass between Dali and Daqian, was skinned alive and hanged in the ancestral hall of the Chen family. This was undoubtedly a provocation against the Chen family.

Chen Haoran's family members have disappeared, and the Chen mansion has been thoroughly searched, but they still cannot find any trace of Madam Chen and Chen Miao.

Although the body has not been found, if the real person cannot be found, the Chen family will be tantamount to being wiped out.

How will Yong'an City explain itself to the Chen family of Hanhai?

Emperor Wu's anger burned even more fiercely. He ordered all the servants of the Chen family to be imprisoned and tortured like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey, constantly interrogating them about the whereabouts of the Chen family members.

The news of the disappearance of Chen Miao, Madam Chen, and the mute wife of the young sword immortal was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar in people's hearts.

After being subjected to severe torture, the news was released. When the Prefect of Yong'an confirmed it several times, he felt as if the sky was about to fall. The matters involved were so complex that they were far beyond the control of a small prefecture like Yong'an.

The fact that the young swordsman's mute wife was also at the Chen residence was completely unexpected, since Xiao Xingchen was found at the sealed-off crime scene, making him undoubtedly the prime suspect.

However, if his mute wife were in the Chen residence, sharing a room with the Chen family members, then the situation would become complicated and unpredictable.

A cloud of doubts spread like a fog overnight, and even as the sun rose again, there was still no definitive conclusion in the imperial court.

The only clue might be the mysterious character "祭" (sacrifice), and some have suggested that Chen Haoran's head mysteriously disappeared and was replaced by a beast head, which seems to be a bizarre ritual.

These remarks added a touch of mystery to Chen Haoran's tragic death. Some even speculated that it was the work of an evil spirit, because Chen Haoran's condition was exactly the same as the corpses in the Immortal Tower. The evil spirit sacrifice was originally intended to summon evil spirits, and now that the evil spirits had descended, they naturally wanted to bleed and kill.

Inside the Princess's residence,

At this moment, Mu Ye was recounting the results of his investigation overnight. The Fourth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and Zheng Youqian had all gathered here early on.

"This is all that happened last night. Based on these deductions, we might as well boldly speculate that Xiao Xingchen may have stumbled into Chen Haoran's murder trap by accident, or that the murder trap was originally aimed at him. However, I really can't understand what's so special about Xiao Xingchen that would make the mastermind go so far as to kill Chen Haoran to set up this scheme."

Makino spoke slowly, then turned his gaze to the eldest princess. However, before the eldest princess could speak,

The Sixth Prince spoke first, saying, "I understand Mu Ye's meaning. I am more inclined to believe that Xiao Xingchen entered by mistake. Although he has some abilities, compared to Chen Haoran, I think there is no doubt about who is more important. Besides, he has been crippled. How could a crippled young sword immortal be qualified to become someone else's target?"

"If he accidentally stumbled into the murder trap, why would he be there at that specific time?" the Fourth Prince asked.

“That’s right, that’s the key. Why would he go to the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall? Unless he has a relationship with Chen Haoran that we don’t know about.”

Mu Ye hit the nail on the head. He had already thought this through carefully. The ancestral hall was located in a secluded place. If it could be confirmed that Xiao Xingchen had entered by mistake, then there must be a reason why he went there.

"The reason for this is probably only known to Xiao Xingchen himself."

The princess frowned deeply, as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer, her head throbbing painfully, and she couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.

From the moment she stepped into Yong'an, troubles came one after another like a tide, leaving her overwhelmed and almost forgetting why she had come back to Yong'an in the first place.

Every incident seems to be inextricably linked to Xiao Xingchen.

After the incident last night, she was extremely anxious and rushed to the Cold Palace herself. She had assumed that her mother would be frantic with worry over Xiao Xingchen's misfortune.

However, upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager merely paused for a moment before continuing with her work as if nothing had happened, seemingly unconcerned about Xiao Xingchen's safety. Only after repeated questioning did the Empress Dowager casually reply, "Everyone has their own destiny; this is all fate and calamity."

"What should we do now? Brother Xingchen has been imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison. If the real culprit is not found in the end, he will definitely be made to take the blame. Is there any clue about the character 'Sacrifice'?"

Standing behind the Fourth Prince, Zheng Youqian asked anxiously.

Makino shook his head helplessly and replied with concern, "That word 'sacrifice' might represent some kind of ritual, but what kind of ritual it is is currently a matter of much debate, and we can hardly determine it. As for whether it is related to the Immortal Pavilion, you should know very well that it has been burned to ashes, and there is no way to trace it."

"What a coincidence! The Immortal Pavilion was burned to ashes, and Chen Haoran died during the sacrificial ceremony. The connection between the two is seamless. Could there be some kind of link?" The Fourth Prince's expression was solemn as he laid bare his doubts.

These words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, eliciting a moment of silence from everyone.

Everyone knew perfectly well that this guess had already surfaced in their minds, but no one dared to say it aloud.

After all, the matter of the Immortal Pavilion involved the royal family, so even if someone had doubts, they dared not ask questions rashly.

In the end, everyone's eyes turned to the eldest princess, hoping she could come up with a solution.

"Let's be patient for now. Chen Haoran's death has far-reaching implications and cannot be resolved in a short time. At the very least, we need to inform the Chen family of Hanhai. This is our opportunity. In the meantime, I will try my best to go to the Heavenly Prison. Only by finding out why Xiao Xingchen was there can we find any clues."

The eldest princess's words were met with nods of agreement from the others. Ultimately, the matter boiled down to why Xiao Xingchen had appeared at the Chen family ancestral hall.

This question was on the mind of not only the eldest princess, but also Ruoxue, who was racking her brains over the reason.

Within moments of the Chen family's misfortune, news from Huayulou arrived like birds flying by. Even the details of Xiao Xingchen's torture in the Heavenly Prison were relayed back. Furthermore, a note from Consort Xian arrived like a carrier pigeon, containing only two words: "Do not move."

This was undoubtedly a signal for Huayulou to remain inactive, leaving Ruoxue in a dilemma.

In the past, she would have obeyed the master's orders without hesitation.

This time, however, she witnessed Xiao Xingchen's departure with her own eyes. Little did she know that just an hour later, he would suffer such a terrible disaster.

As far as personal feelings are concerned, she could hardly remain a bystander. She had no way of knowing what Consort Xian meant, but she was determined to save Xiao Xingchen.

"Send this letter to the anthill,"

Ruoxue carefully wrapped up the letter she had already written and handed it to Xiaochun.

"Who is it for?" Xiao Chun asked, her face full of suspicion.

After careful consideration, Ruoxue slowly uttered a name. Upon hearing this name, Xiaochun's body trembled violently as if struck by lightning. Clearly, this person's name was nothing short of a taboo to them.

“Go. I was hoping to investigate the Demon Festival and the Earth Festival slowly and methodically using conventional means, but I never expected that this festival would come to us like an uninvited guest so quickly. I won’t feel at ease until I find this thing. This is not only for Xiao Xingchen, but also for ourselves.”

Seeing Xiao Chun's astonishment, Ruoxue had no choice but to explain that Xiao Xingchen had instructed her to investigate the two sacrifices before he left, and she had indeed given the order. However, now that a new sacrifice had appeared out of nowhere, she realized that she could no longer wait patiently and could only plead with that person.

"I understand. I will personally deliver it to him." Xiao Chun nodded, then slowly retreated like a ghost, disappearing into the vast crowd.

During this time, something incredibly bizarre happened.

At dawn, the Second Sage quietly descended upon the Chen Family Ancestral Hall.

Legend has it that he stared intently at the character "祭" (sacrifice) in the ancestral hall, as if trying to see through it.

However, many people ignored the appearance of the Second Saint, just as they were indifferent to the word "sacrifice".

The Confucian Temple has always been indifferent to worldly affairs. This tradition is like a towering mountain that inspires awe. They assumed that the Second Sage had come out of curiosity and did not associate this matter with the Second Sage.

But it was this unintentional oversight that, like a key to unlock a mysterious door, slowly drew back the curtain on the second ritual.