Wei Lingtao cast a long, searching look at Wei Yunqing before he finally spoke.
"I've already examined Ancestor Nan Feng with the elders. There were no external wounds, and no trace of forced entry at his place of secluded cultivation. We've sent someone into the city to summon a medical cultivator to determine the exact cause of death."
Wei Yunqing hadn't expected the family head to have already made arrangements, but this suited her just fine. She gestured toward the male cultivator at her side.
"This is Senior Brother Li Qingtong from Haoran Sect's Dan Peak. He specializes in medical cultivation and should be able to assist you, Patriarch.
In addition, I borrowed the sect's Hui Su Mirror. Once activated, it can replay the events from the three days leading up to Ancestor's death. Any suspicious individuals he came into contact with will be visible. If someone acted in secret, we'll surely uncover them.
However, my cultivation isn't strong enough to activate the mirror. I'll need the Patriarch to do it personally."
As she spoke, her gaze flicked subtly toward the spot where Yun Xi was seated.
Yun Xi remained impassive. She could tell that Wei Yunqing had grown more cautious, clearly arriving prepared. Her knowledge of the clan's affairs hinted that someone had tipped her off in advance. And aside from Du Ruolan or Wei Lingyue, there could be no one else.
Wei Lingtao merely furrowed his brow before replying.
"Since you suspect foul play in the Ancestor's passing, we'll investigate as you suggested. It'll put the family at ease."
Just as he finished speaking, a Wei clan member arrived, having fetched another medical cultivator from within Haoran City.
This newcomer possessed a cultivation at the late Golden Core stage, even surpassing Li Qingtong. Upon meeting, the two immediately recognized each other as fellow healers.
Wei Lingtao offered the newcomer a respectful clasp of his hands.
"Chen Zhēnrén, thank you for coming on short notice. We'd like you to determine the cause of Ancestor's passing. My niece arrived before realizing we'd already invited a healer, and brought her senior brother along. I hope you won't take offense."
Chen Zhēnrén wore a simple blue-grey robe, a medicine pouch hanging at his waist. His hairpin was a piece of dark brown wood, understated and modest. His demeanor matched his appearance—humble and composed. He smiled and waved it off.
"It's no trouble. As fellow medical cultivators, we can compare findings."
Li Qingtong also offered a polite clasp of his hands to Chen Zhēnrén. He hadn't known the Wei clan had already invited someone. If he had, he likely wouldn't have accompanied Junior Sister Yunqing.
But based on what she'd said earlier, it was clear she suspected foul play—most likely from within the Wei clan. That was probably why she hadn't trusted whoever the clan invited and brought him instead.
What's more, Yunqing had gone so far as to rent the Hui Su Mirror from the mission hall using spirit stones, a clear sign of how seriously she was taking this.
Having pieced all of this together, Li Qingtong followed behind Chen Zhēnrén as the two of them, along with the clan head and elders, made their way to the late ancestor's secluded cultivation grounds.
As the Ancestor of the Wei clan, Wei Nanfeng cultivated in the area with the densest spiritual energy, located at the deepest part of the clan's territory. Currently, the area was sealed off by a barrier formation—clearly put in place after the incident.
Wei Lingtao stepped forward and formed a seal with his fingers, undoing the formation. Only then did he gesture for Chen Zhēnrén to enter. Li Qingtong followed, along with Yun Xi, Wei Yunqing, and Wei Lingyue. The rest of the Wei clan elders came in last.
The courtyard was lush with spiritual plants, all well-maintained. The air was noticeably thicker with spiritual energy than the front areas. Once inside the cultivation chamber, they saw Wei Nan Feng seated in meditation.
Though lifeless, his body still radiated vitality from being nourished by ambient spiritual energy. He looked less like someone deceased and more like someone asleep.
As the head of the clan, Wei Lingtao's voice caught slightly as he turned to the healers.
"I'll trouble you both."
Chen Zhēnrén stepped forward without hesitation. Forming a seal, he released a pale green aura that enveloped Wei Nanfeng's body. After a moment, the aura faded. Chen Zhēnrén then felt the pulse before stepping aside to let Li Qingtong examine the body.
Li Qingtong understood why Chen Zhēnrén had withheld his conclusion. He took a step forward and extended threads of blue spiritual energy, sending them into Wei Nan Feng's brow to explore his meridians. After circling his body, the threads withdrew. Then he cast a detection spell on the dantian.
A few moments later, he returned to his original spot and clasped his hands respectfully.
"Chen Zhēnrén, based on my examination, the Ancestor died from reaching the end of his lifespan."
Chen Zhēnrén nodded.
"My findings match yours. Wei Nanfeng passed from old age. His youthful appearance was maintained by longevity-preserving medicines."
Hearing this, Wei Lingtao finally let out the breath he'd been holding. But Wei Yunqing clearly wasn't satisfied. Still, she couldn't refute the diagnoses—especially since one of the healers was the very one she'd brought herself.
She pressed her lips together and spoke through reddened eyes.
"Patriarch, would it be possible to use the Hui Su Mirror to see what the Ancestor experienced in his final days? I'd like to know if he passed peacefully."
A flicker of impatience passed through Wei Lingtao's eyes, but he nodded solemnly. The truth had to be established. Otherwise, rumors might blame him for the Ancestor's death—especially since it had occurred so soon after his own advancement to Golden Core. The timing was too convenient.
With elders of the Wei clan present, disciples from Haoran Sect, and an unrelated party like Chen Zhēnrén, now was the best time to settle the matter once and for all.
Wei Lingtao accepted the Hui Su Mirror from Wei Yunqing with reverence and tossed it into the air. A soft radiance spread from the mirror, enveloping Wei Nanfeng's courtyard.
He continued channeling spiritual energy into the mirror. One by one, fragmented scenes began to unfold within it—playing in reverse chronological order.
The first showed the Sixth Elder visiting the Ancestor. Upon sensing something was wrong, he immediately sent a transmission talisman to summon the family head and elders. Once Wei Nan Feng's death was confirmed, everyone left the courtyard, and the family head sealed it off. No one entered after that.
The Sixth Elder confirmed the scene.
"That's exactly how it happened."
More scenes flashed by—Wei Nanfeng meditating, sending two transmission talismans during his practice. Who he contacted remained unknown.
With continued infusion of spiritual energy, the mirror rewound to the second day before his death. On that day, the Ancestor didn't cultivate. He even brewed a pot of tea and, come dusk, received a guest.
The guest wore a dark robe. Their face was obscured, but they were tall and imposing. From their interaction, it seemed the visitor was an old acquaintance. They shared a cup of spiritual tea, and Wei Nan Feng personally saw him off afterward.
Wei Lingyue frowned.
"We've never seen this person before. Must've been one of the Ancestor's old friends."
Wei Lingtao inhaled deeply and continued feeding energy into the mirror. The images fast-forwarded again to the third day prior.
First, the Grand Elder arrived to report good news. Then Wei Lingtao himself appeared, receiving words of encouragement and even a magic treasure from the Ancestor.
And then Yun Xi appeared in the vision.
Wei Yunqing's eyes lit up the moment she saw Yun Xi. Her gaze locked onto the image in the mirror, refusing to look away, as if trying to find the breakthrough she'd been waiting for.