"Then, has anyone else entered this house?"
"Yes," the two disciples replied. "After nearly an hour, Senior Brother Lu still hadn't come out, so Uncle Cai came looking for him, and then he discovered..."
"Alright." Xiao Zuo waved his hand. "You may leave."
Then he turned to Feng Chenxi and said, "Now, I'm afraid we can only trouble Miss Feng."
The first possibility has been ruled out, so it can only be the second one—poison.
Feng Chenxi is a disciple of Feng Qiansu, the number one poison master in the martial arts world. When it comes to using poison, no one present, including Xiao Zuo, is more skilled than her. Therefore, she is naturally the one who will find out how the murderer poisoned her.
Feng Chenxi nodded slightly to Xiao Zuo and said, "Chenxi will do her best."
After examining Lu Shuang's body, checking the leftover tea on the coffee table, and even scrutinizing the clothes Lu Shuang wore before her bath, Feng Chenxi found nothing.
Because it's underground, the room has no windows, and the door is completely sealed to prevent moisture, unlike typical doors which often have some openwork carvings. This means that even without two guards outside, the murderer could never have used bamboo tubes or similar objects to blow poison into the room from the outside… So how did the murderer poison the room?
Having considered a thousand possibilities, all of which she rejected, Feng Chenxi was at a loss. She slowly raised her eyes, and intentionally or unintentionally, met Xiao Zuo's slightly disappointed gaze. An indescribable, strange feeling welled up from the depths of her heart: No! There is absolutely no poison in the world that leaves no trace after being released. She will definitely find the killer's clues; she must!
But where are the clues?
Feng Chenxi's gaze wandered aimlessly throughout the room, from the walls to the floor, from the wardrobe to the coffee table... Wait! She'd missed something—the incense burner! The incense burner she'd seen from outside the door!
How could she have missed such a crucial thing! Feng Chenxi bit her lip secretly, then turned her gaze and was immediately stunned—when did Xiao Mo get standing there? No wonder she forgot to check the incense altar; it turned out he was blocking her way.
Xiao Mo was the tallest and most robust of the three Xiao brothers, and the incense altar, perhaps designed for kneeling and worship, was very low, barely reaching a person's knees, and occupied a very small space. When Xiao Mo stood in front of it, his long robe trailing to the ground, he practically blocked it completely!
This Xiao Mo almost ruined everything. It's just unknown whether his actions were unintentional or deliberate...
Feng Chenxi walked up to Xiao Mo and said, "Young Master Xiao, please make way for me."
Xiao Mo's lips moved silently a few times, but he ultimately said nothing and stepped back.
"Oh, there's an incense altar here too!" Uncle Cai exclaimed in surprise.
Xiao Zuo slightly raised his gaze, gently sweeping it across Xiao Mo's face, seemingly lost in thought.
Feng Chenxi squatted down, picked up a wisp of incense ash, stared at it for a long time, then brought it to her nose and sniffed it lightly. Then she stood up and turned her head to search around.
Xiao Nuo stayed beside her the whole time. When she squatted down, he squatted down too; when she stood up, he stood up as well; when she turned her head, he turned his head as well… After turning back and forth several times, he finally couldn’t help but touch his neck and ask, “Sister, what are you looking for?”
"A bowl or a plate, anything that can hold things will do."
Xiao Nuo said "Oh," her eyes darting around. She picked up the jade teacup from the coffee table, about to hand it over, but then withdrew her hand and cautiously looked at Xiao Zuo, saying, "Father, this... isn't considered evidence, is it? Can we use it?"
"You'll have to ask your sister Feng about that," Xiao Zuo said, glancing up at Feng Chenxi with a smile.
Feng Chenxi's heart skipped a beat, as if she felt a gentle spring breeze caress her cheek... Composing herself, she returned his smile and said, "The tea has already been tested, so there's no need to keep it any longer. It's just a pity about this jade cup..."
As he spoke, he took the teacup, poured out the remaining tea, wiped the inside clean with a silk handkerchief, took out a small bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the cap and poured in some clear liquid, then picked up a pinch of incense ash and sprinkled it in.
The originally transparent liquid in the teacup instantly turned into a strange green color.
Feng Chenxi suddenly frowned, seemingly surprised and shocked. She quickly walked to Lu Shuang's body, squatted down, and gritted her teeth, saying, "I did not mean to disrespect the deceased, but I had to do this to seek justice for you. Please forgive me in heaven."
Xiao Nuo squatted down as well, asking curiously, "Sister, what are you doing? Why did you tell Brother Lu not to blame you?"
"Examine the body," Feng Chenxi said, and with a "whoosh," she pulled a gleaming dagger from her boot.
"Examine...the body?" Xiao Nuo's voice trembled, distorting into a strange, drawn-out tone.
Feng Chenxi glanced at him and said, "It's not like a coroner, just drawing some blood for a checkup."
"That's good, that's good." Xiao Nuo breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Is it like checking those incense ash?"
"Hmm." Feng Chenxi held out her hand. "Give me the teacup lid."
Xiao Nuo handed over the cup lid, and Feng Chenxi poured some clear liquid into the lid again, just like before, and then cut Lu Shuang's finger.
Once again, the facts proved her previous deduction to be correct; Lu Shuang had indeed died at least half an hour earlier.
Because, even though she cut his finger, no blood came out.
Feng Chenxi pinched the wound, squeezed out a string of blood into the cup lid with a slight force, and strangely, the transparent liquid did not turn red, but instead turned into...
"It's green!" Xiao Nuo exclaimed. "Just like before, it's turned green!"
Feng Chenxi slowly stood up, let out a long breath, looked at Xiao Zuo with a slight smile, and said, "I have fulfilled my mission."
Xiao Zuo's face showed no joy, and he asked in a deep voice, "What exactly is it?"
“It’s thunder fungus,” Feng Chenxi explained. “This toxin is extremely potent, but it comes on and goes quickly, just like lightning, hence the name.”
Uncle Cai said, "So I wasn't poisoned when I came in, was that right?"
“That’s right.” Feng Chenxi nodded. “When Uncle Cai entered this house, Lu Shuang had been dead for at least half an hour. The poison in the air had long since dissipated, so he was naturally fine.”
Gong Feicui pursed her lips and said, "Now that we know what kind of poison Lu Shuang was poisoned by, it will be easier to find the culprit... Miss Feng, with your knowledge of this poison, you must know its extraction method and who most often uses it, right?"
To extract a toxin, a certain method must be used, which will inevitably require special equipment and tools; there are many people in the martial arts world who use poison, but their schools are different—if these two points can be determined, the general outline of the murderer will emerge.
“Lei Jun doesn’t need to be refined,” Feng Chenxi said. “It’s a naturally occurring toxin that attaches to the root of a certain mushroom. Just cutting off a small amount, no matter how it’s used, can be fatal… As for who uses it most often, as far as I know, no one in the martial arts world is currently adept at using this poison, because…”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Xiao Mo, and said, "Because this kind of poisonous mushroom has a very low yield and a very small distribution area, and it is extremely difficult to find, 'Poisonous Gentleman' searched for it for ten years but failed to find it."
Gong Feicui frowned: "Then, where does it come from?"
Feng Chenxi fell silent. After a long while, she slowly raised her eyes, looked at someone, and slowly said a sentence.
“In Changbai Mountain,” she said, “only in Changbai Mountain.”
The person she was looking at was not Xiao Mo, but—Xiao Jian.
Willows dark and flowers unclear
"Changbai Mountain?" Xiao Nuo opened her big, dark eyes, looked at me in confusion, then at Xiao Jian, and murmured, "Isn't that where Second Brother is staying this year to escape the summer heat?"
At the same time, everyone present turned their gaze to Xiao Jian, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief. Xiao Jian, however, remained cold and arrogant, offering no defense whatsoever. While he disdained to explain himself, his elder brother, who was fiercely protective of his younger brother, could no longer remain silent and spoke first: "This is impossible! There is absolutely no way my second brother could have done this!"
I smiled as I looked at his excited face and said calmly, "If Young Master Xiao is truly so certain, why would he block the incense altar?"
Xiao Mo was taken aback and said, "I..."
Before he could say anything, I turned around and scanned the crowd, saying, "As you all probably know, there are only two ways for a proud swordsman and the number one ranked knife-wielder to get along: mutual respect or irreconcilable enmity. And Young Master Xiao..."
I paused, then turned to look at Xiao Mo again and smiled, "You must have already noticed the problem with the incense, which is why you blocked the incense stand, so that I wouldn't be able to trace it back to Young Master Xiao, is that right?"
Xiao Mo fell silent for a long while, then suddenly raised his eyes and said, "Miss Feng, I was the one who blocked the incense altar. Of all the people here, I am the most suspicious. If you have any questions, just come at me..."
Before I could answer, Xiao Nuo interrupted, "Brother, don't speak out of anger. If you really put Lei Jun there, you wouldn't have blocked the incense altar. Such deliberate action would only reveal to the world that you are the murderer. Sister is so smart, she wouldn't be so ignorant as to not understand this principle."
I looked at Xiao Nuo and smiled, "You're right, your eldest brother isn't the murderer. He just wanted to protect your second brother... or rather, cover him up."
Xiao Mo's expression changed, and he said, "No! You're talking nonsense..." He was interrupted by Xiao Zuo before he could finish those two words: "Mo'er!"
Although his voice wasn't loud, it carried an imposing air, and Xiao Mo immediately lowered his head and fell silent.
Xiao Zuo stared intently at him and said, "You noticed the incense was strange early on, but instead of alerting everyone, you covered it up. I'm letting you off this time because of your brotherly bond and I'll assume you were just worried. But remember, this is a matter of life and death. Lu Shuang is a disciple of Baili City. Whoever killed him must be punished." He paused and added, "Even if the murderer really is your brother."
Xiao Mo said guiltily, "Yes, I know I was wrong. But... I still believe that my second brother could never be the murderer! Second brother, why don't you say something? Say something in your defense!"
Xiao Jian turned around, and the pleading look on Xiao Mo's face softened his stubbornness. He finally pursed his lips and whispered, "It wasn't me."
I looked him straight in the eye and asked, "How can you prove it?"
Xiao Jian looked at me coldly, without saying a word, but simply raised the sword in his hand.
"Excellent!" Xiao Mo said with great enthusiasm, "My second brother's swordsmanship is superb, almost on par with Father's back then. If he wants to kill someone, why would he need to use poison?"
After saying that, he glanced at me sideways, his brows furrowed with certainty.
Xiao Nuo sighed softly, walked to the side, and sat down in a daze.
I smiled slightly and said, "I have long heard of Young Master Xiao's divine swordsmanship. So, if he were to actually use his sword to kill someone, he might as well just leave his name on the corpse. Clearly, Young Master Xiao is not such a foolish person."
Upon hearing this, even Xiao Jian's expression changed, while Xiao Mo was unable to utter a single word.
Xiao Nuo had been sitting quietly to the side until now, when he finally spoke up: "Sister, you said that if my second brother kills someone with a sword, it's the same as leaving a name for himself. But what about Lei Jun? Isn't it the same principle?" He tilted his head and looked at me. "Everyone knows that he just came back from Changbai Mountain, right?"
“That’s right.” I smiled and said, “But although the mushroom is only produced in Changbai Mountain, there are other mushrooms on Changbai Mountain besides your second brother.”
Xiao Nuo smiled and said, "Sister, I knew you had thought of this long ago."
We chatted back and forth, while Xiao Mo and the others were completely confused. I couldn't help but shake my head. When it comes to keen observation and quick reaction, Xiao Nuo's two famous brothers are not as good as him.
I turned to Xiao Zuo and said, “Lord Xiao, even if the Second Young Master did bring back the Thunder Fungus from Changbai Mountain, if he can find it, others probably can too. So, we should first check who else among the people who came to Baili City to participate in the conference came from Changbai Mountain, or who bought tickets but did not attend. We will surely find something.”
“Yes!” Xiao Nuo immediately agreed. “The gates here open at Chenshi (7-9 AM), and the Sword Testing Tournament starts at Sishi (9-11 AM). It’s currently Sishi 2:45. My sister said that Brother Lu has been dead for at least half an hour. That means the murderer only had the opportunity to poison him during Chenshi. And during Chenshi, everyone should be outside watching the performances. Whoever didn’t attend the tournament is the most likely murderer.”
Xiao Zuo glanced at everyone for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Summon Jin Yidou."
A moment later, the portly Boss Jin came running up, sweating profusely, followed by a servant carrying a box. As he approached Xiao Zuo to bow, Xiao Zuo waved his hand and said, "Let's skip the formalities. Between Chen Shi (7-9 AM) and Si Shi (9-11 AM), who didn't attend the meeting? Who was late? Who left midway?"
Jin Yidou gestured to the servant, who immediately opened the box and brought out several thick booklets. As Jin Yidou flipped through the booklets, he said, “Reporting to the City Lord, the guests at this year's conference are divided into sixty-nine gangs, totaling two thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine people. Of these, two thousand purchased jade tokens, and the remaining eight hundred and ninety-nine left Baili Town last night to return home. Ticket checking began at 3:45 AM today, and by 7:00 AM, a total of one thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine people had entered. Thirty-seven people arrived gradually over the following period, but twenty-four have not yet arrived. Thirty-two people left midway, and ten of them never returned.”
The more I listened, the more alarmed I became. I never imagined that Baili Town, which seemed to be lax in its security and allowed free movement, was actually so well aware of every guest's every move! I fear that if Xiao Zuo asked him to report on my whereabouts over the past two days, he could probably tell me everything in detail.
Jin Yidou switched to another booklet and continued, “Lord, of the thirty-seven people who were late, the leader of the Youlong Gang and his trusted disciples were late because they were too drunk; Young Master Nie Xiangdong of Luocheng bumped into a passerby and dirtied his clothes, so he went back to change and was delayed; the Seven Swords of Liuyuan claimed they got lost; the remaining six people had their carriage break down on the way and had to walk…”
"Lost?" Gong Feicui frowned.
I interjected, "The seven young masters of Liuyuan are all directionally challenged; Nie Xiangdong is known for his mysophobia; and Shen Fengcheng, the leader of Youlong Gang, loves three things most in his life: drinking, fighting, and taking on apprentices."
Xiao Zuo glanced at me and nodded, saying, "It seems there's no suspicion. Let's continue."
I lowered my head slightly. The atmosphere in the room was already so tense, but his one glance made me feel relaxed from the bottom of my heart.
"The twenty-four people who didn't come are the Four Beauties of Huaiyang, members of the Butterfly Gang, and members of the Sand Dragon Gang." Jin Yidou said, glancing up at Gong Feicui. "The whereabouts of the Four Beauties of Huaiyang and the Butterfly Gang are unknown, while the Sand Dragon Gang was driven away by Madam's orders."
“Me?” Gong Feicui paused for a moment, then remembered and said, “Oh right, that’s right, because they got into a fight at the Fulai Inn.”
I frowned and said, "The Butterfly Gang has a terrible reputation in the martial arts world. They are a notorious gang of lecherous thieves. The Four Beauties of Huaiyang disappeared at the same time as them. I'm afraid they are in grave danger."
Xiao Zuo immediately said, "Send down the order to thoroughly investigate the whereabouts of the Four Beauties and the Butterfly Gang, and we must find them."
Cai Bo accepted the order and left.
Jin Yidou continued his report: "As for the thirty-two people who left the meeting midway, twenty-two went to the outhouse, while the ten who did not return belong to the same gang—Guandong Fortune Valley."
Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions.
Guandong Fortune Valley is a third-rate gang with a notorious reputation in the martial arts world. They make a living by extorting tolls from passersby and protection money from merchants. They get involved in every bad thing. Most importantly, they are located at the foot of Changbai Mountain!
After filtering through so many people, we've finally found a gang connected to Changbai Mountain! Using poison to harm people seems to be their style.