"Stop! I have a clue!"
You Su shouted loudly, halting everyone's actions.
"I met Mr. He."
Wu Cheng's eyes flashed with a trace of surprise as he carefully scrutinized You Su's expression and asked, "When did you meet him?"
"On August 12th."
Upon hearing this, Wu Cheng crossed his arms and began to think.
Today is August 17th.
Since Mr. He often stayed alone, it was normal not to see him occasionally, so the exact time of his disappearance couldn't be determined. However, it could be roughly estimated to be between the 10th and the 13th because he was last seen on the 9th by someone. Could You Su, speaking off the cuff, accurately mention this time frame? Could it be that he really had a clue?
Contrary to You Su's guess, although the Shouxi Sect usually let Mr. He go about his own way, this disappearance received significant attention from the Sect Leader, Wu Cheng's master, resulting in a substantial investigation effort. After several fruitless days of investigation, Wu Cheng and his team initially intended to disgust You Su under the guise of an official visit, but unexpectedly made a real gain.
"I warn you, giving false testimony is a serious crime that can land you in the Immortal Prison." Wu Cheng glared, staring intently at You Su.
You Su ignored him and turned to Ji Lingruo, speaking softly, "Junior sister, you go back and rest. I have some words to share with them."
Ji Lingruo was about to refuse, but her jade hand was gently squeezed by You Su. His large, strong hand made her instinctively want to trust him. She could only bite her lip and cast a worried, reproachful look at You Su, then glared angrily at the crowd as she retreated to her room.
Wu Ping ogled the girl's exquisite figure as she walked away, drooling.
Once Ji Lingruo had closed the door, You Su began to speak, "On August 12th, during the Chen hour, I went out to buy breakfast and saw Mr. He when returning on West Willow Road."
"How could a blind man like you be sure it was Mr. He? Did you two converse?"
"No. But Mr. He has been foolish for years, unable to care for himself, reeking of urine and feces, with a scent of Awakening Grass. Such a peculiar smell, only he in all of Chuyun would have it."
"Were there any witnesses?"
"The people at the breakfast stalls can testify."
"I asked for witnesses to prove you saw Mr. He!" Wu Cheng's voice was loud, as if interrogating a prisoner.
You Su glanced at Wu Cheng and laughed in anger, "Wu Cheng, I think you should know better than anyone that besides me, those who walk that seldom-traveled road are your lot."
By 'your lot', he was naturally referring to those young cultivators who often blocked You Su on that rare-used path.
"What do you mean!" Wu Cheng roared, his hand already resting on the saber at his waist.
"I mean nothing. If you doubt what I'm saying, you're welcome to bring a Truth Examiner from the Divine Mountain to test me." You Su replied calmly.
Even if the Shouxi Sect could bring those esteemed Truth Examiners, You Su wasn't afraid in the slightest because all he said was the truth.
Wu Ping, on the other hand, jumped in and said, "You Su, I think you're bluffing! If you really saw that fool on the 12th, then why did no one see him on the 10th or the 11th? You are the only one who claims to have seen him in such a remote place before he disappeared. Combine that with the fact that you're the prime suspect!"
Wu Cheng gave his brother an approving look, and Wu Ping, noticing his brother's gaze, felt proud.
"Then Wu Ping, let me ask you, if even you know that admitting to seeing Mr. He would cast suspicion, why would I admit it?"
"How should I know?"
"Alright, then tell me, what is Mr. He's cultivation level?"
"Spirit Platform Realm, complete."
"I only recently broke through to the Spirit Platform Realm. Do you think I could defeat a complete Spirit Platform Realm Mr. He?"
"How is that possible? Even though Mr. He is foolish, it's not like a coward like you could defeat him." Wu Ping rolled his eyes.
"Indeed. So, let me ask again, is there anyone in the city who holds a grudge against Mr. He?"
"He's a fool, and with his cultivation, everyone avoids him. Who would hold a grudge against him?"
"So then, who would harm him?"
"Who would harm him? No one would harm him." Wu Ping was also puzzled, scratching his head and asking himself, "Then why did Mr. He die?"
"Since no one in the city had any reason to harm him, it means the culprit is someone else. Why don't you go investigate people coming in and out of the city lately, instead of searching here?"
"We came to disgust you, naturally!" Wu Ping answered bluntly, feeling quite accomplished that he could easily answer each of You Su's questions.
Watching his brother being led by the nose, Wu Cheng felt a sense of frustration and yelled harshly:
"Enough! You Su, if you really have a clear conscience, why do you repeatedly stop us from searching your home? No more words; once we search, we'll have answers!"
"Wu Cheng, do you really want to escalate to this point?" You Su's voice was as cold as the clear ring of a sword.
You Su truly didn't want to blow things out of proportion; his only thought was to quickly get rid of these persistent intruders, otherwise, with his personality, he would never have admitted to meeting Mr. He.
But the rooms of his junior sister and master were absolutely forbidden. Even if he had to fight to exhaustion with his ailing body, he wouldn't let them take a single step inside. He was not afraid of being an enemy to the world, only afraid he was not yet capable of handling it.
Wu Cheng sneered, ignoring the threat in You Su's tone. The thing he hated most was You Su's seemingly dismissive gaze at that moment.
He was the young genius of Chuyun City, the future hope set by the Sect, undoubtedly destined to leave his name on the Divine Mountain in the near future. Everyone should look at him with admiration and envy, even if you're blind!
"Search everything except that woman's room!"
At Wu Cheng's order, the group started moving again.
They overturned water tanks, clothes racks, and wooden tables, creating a chaotic clamor as they rummaged through everything at hand, like bandits intruding a village.
A fat cultivator reached the main hall entrance and lewdly smiled, "I hear this blind man has a master who never steps out. I've got to see what kind of flower-like beauty she is!"
Thinking of the mature women at Chunxiang Building, he impatiently stepped forward to push open the door.
The next moment, his two palms fell to the ground, easily like leaves blown off by the wind. He was instantly terrified to the core, trying to cover the gushing blood without having any palms available.
Wu Cheng was unfazed by his subordinate's miserable state, showing a satisfied smile instead.
Finally, finally, he forced this blind man to act!
He drew his gilded, bejeweled sword, licked his lips, and launched at You Su with astonishing speed.
Just then, the weather suddenly changed; a powerful aura descended from the sky, forcing Wu Ping and the outer sect cultivators to kneel painfully. Even You Su and Wu Cheng could only stand still, using their Qi to resist.
"Everyone, stop!"
An elderly man with white hair and a stooped stance entered slowly from the broken door, his face filled with anger.
You Su recognized the voice; it was Mr. Liou, who had managed Chuyun City for over sixty years, and known by his master as the old do-gooder.