Chapter 56: The suspect is the murderer... It's you! Gu Congxing! ...
"Jiang Zhou, dead?!"
Gu Congxing opened his eyes wide in surprise when he heard their exclamations.
At this moment, the system flashed again, and new characters appeared:
[Ding! Main quest released!]
[Ding! Host, please complete the task: remove the Shenmu Wangqing vine pattern! ]
What? !
Gu Congxing frowned as he looked at the stone slab flashing in the air, and then his gaze turned to Shen Mu who was talking with the two elders.
Remove the Forgetfulness Vine Pattern - if Jiang Zhou was still alive, perhaps he could resolve it.
But now that Jiang Zhou is dead, how can we get rid of him?
"Cong Xing! You've already arrived!"
Gu Congxing was concentrating on thinking when he heard a familiar call.
They are Yao Qi and Xiao Wangyou.
Behind them was Jiang Li, who came with Jiang's disciples.
"Gu Daoyou!" She smiled and came to his side. "Have you found any news?"
Gu Congxing looked into her eyes and was unable to speak for a moment.
At this moment, the Jiang Clan elders had also seen Jiang Li. Their expressions were gloomy, and they said in sorrow, "Jiang Li... Jiang Zhou, the life lamp has gone out!"
"What did you say?!"
Jiang Li's eyes suddenly widened, and she cried out in disbelief: "Xiao Zhou, how is it possible...?!"
She took a few steps forward, stared at the elder, and asked, "Great Elder, who said the boat's light was out?!"
The Great Elder closed his eyes and said, "It's the clan leader."
"How could this be..."
Jiang Li took a few steps back in despair and sat down on the ground in grief.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang." Gu Congxing walked to her side and said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time to stop here. We still haven't found out who murdered Jiang Zhou."
"That's right." The Second Elder also stepped forward. She reached out and stroked Jiang Li's head, her eyes darkening slightly. "Ah Li, this isn't over yet."
At this time, Yao Qi and Xiao Wangyou had already searched around the formation. They released their spiritual energy and looked solemn.
The two exchanged glances, and Yao Qi said to the two Jiang Clan elders, "There is indeed some demonic energy lingering here. The demon that abducted Jiang Zhou has already been here."
Xiao Wangyou continued, "And this formation has been activated for some time. Jiang Li, can you determine the exact time?"
Jiang Li stood up upon hearing this. Her eyes were red, but she still accurately released her spiritual power onto the spiritual formation and sensed it carefully.
"It was... two hours ago!"
Everyone present frowned when they heard this.
Two hours ago, they hadn't even entered the Hundred Immortals Valley. How could this demon clan move so quickly?
Just as everyone was wondering, a cold force emerged and the surrounding ground was covered with a layer of frost.
"Zhuoguang Sword Master?"
The Jiang elder looked at Chen Mu in surprise, but he heard him calmly raise his eyes and look at a corner beside the formation and said, "There is something different about the spiritual power there."
They looked carefully and found that the traces of ice and snow there had formed a depression, revealing traces of a formation!
"It's a concealing formation! Could it be left by Xiaozhou?"
Jiang Li immediately stepped forward. As her spiritual power surged, she dissolved the concealing formation, revealing a single word hastily written within it.
"Gu".
The whole place fell into dead silence.
Gu Congxing looked at the word and felt a bone-chilling chill run through his body.
At the same time, several cold and sharp gazes pierced like blades, and Gu Congxing felt that he was almost pierced through.
The Great Elder stared at Gu Congxing gravely, stroking his beard as he spoke, "Gu Congxing... To be honest, I find it strange that you're so concerned about the disappearance of one of my Jiang Clan disciples."
The Second Elder's eyes were sharp. "Speaking of which, we have already checked the cultivators who attended the Qianqiong Banquet and found nothing unusual. But you left early with A'li and Jiang Luo..."
Gu Congxing's face was frosty, and he immediately responded in a cold voice.
"I helped Jiang Zhou out of my sincere heart, but now you two are doubting me?"
"Hmph! Then why don't you tell me what the word 'Gu' that Xiaozhou left behind means!" The Great Elder's voice suddenly rose. "Also, when you and A'li left, what were you doing two hours ago? Is there anyone around you who can prove it?"
Jiang Li watched the three of them talking and wanted to speak, but when she remembered that she had already separated from Gu Congxing, she fell silent again.
Two hours ago, he was in Jiang Zhou's cave.
When Gu Congxing thought of this, his brows suddenly frowned.
Damn, I was still studying Jiang Zhou's manuscript at that time and spent a lot of time alone in that cave.
Moreover, during this period of time, no one could prove it.
"Two hours ago, all of us could confirm each other's identity, except you, Gu Congxing. No one knows what you were doing."
The second elder's voice pierced like an arrow, and Gu Congxing's heart sank.
"At that time, I followed the spiritual power formation created by Jiang Li and found Jiang Zhou's cave. It took me a long time to search for clues in it."
"Ridiculous! How could you stay in such a small cave for so long searching for clues?!"
The second elder's eyes were sharp. She took a step forward and her hands were already activating the faint spiritual power.
"It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. As long as I use the Soul Search Technique, everything will become clear."
Soul-searching technique?!
This technique directly penetrates into the cultivator's soul to search for memories. Although it can prove his innocence, if the spiritual power is not used properly, it will cause irreversible damage to the cultivator!
In mild cases, your cultivation will regress, and in severe cases, your spirit and soul will be damaged, and you will become like a person with dementia!
Gu Congxing frowned and took a step back, the Whale Slaying Sword humming loudly.
"stop."
A clear voice sounded, clearly reflected in everyone's ears.
"Zhuoguang Sword Master?!"
The first and second elders looked back in surprise, only to see that Shen Mu's spiritual energy was surging all over his body, and his already cold face now looked even more like it was covered with frost and snow.
"Soul-searching techniques must not be used without authorization."
The second elder withdrew the spiritual power in his hands, but his expression was still unfriendly.
Gu Congxing looked at Chen Mu, and felt endless confidence surge in his heart.
"Yes, if there is any mistake in soul-searching, the consequences will be disastrous. How could I allow you to use this trick on me?"
The Great Elder stroked his beard, his eyes moved between Gu Congxing and Shen Mu, and he cleared his throat.
"Well, Zhuoguang Sword Master, you are a member of the Jiang clan after all. This is a matter concerning the Jiang clan's descendants, so I'm sure you won't be confused about good and evil."
Shen Mu raised his eyes when he heard this, his eyes were cold.
The elder continued, "You heard the confrontation. Gu Congxing had no way of proving his innocence. But the concealment array Jiang Zhou had set up was clear."
"Gu Congxing, since you don't trust my soul-searching abilities, shouldn't you trust your master?"
"Zhuoguang Sword Master, I'll ask you to perform the soul search."
Chen Mu said nothing when he heard this. He blinked and walked straight towards Gu Congxing.
"Master?!"
Gu Congxing raised his head and stared at Chen Mu who was approaching. His expression was still calm, and his pair of ice-blue pupils seemed like ice that had not melted for thousands of years.
Master...are you going to attack me for the Jiang family?
He knew that his argument was weak, but even his master didn't believe him?
Gu Congxing subconsciously wanted to step back, but a sudden force arose in his heart, making him unwilling to take a single step back. He just stared at Shen Mu with a clenched jaw.
Shen Mu came in front of him and raised his hand——
Standing in front of him.
“Master!”
"Zhuoguang Sword Master?!"
Suddenly, exclamations rang out. Amidst the voices of different emotions, Shen Mu glanced around, and the surrounding people quieted down.
"Cong Xing is definitely not the murderer. I am willing to guarantee it with my life."
Although his tone was still calm, the firmness and determination in it shocked everyone who heard it.
At this time, dark clouds scattered in the sky and moonlight poured down.
Gu Congxing looked at the tall figure in front of him, and saw his long silver hair shrouded in a bright halo, which lit up the deep darkness.
"Master..." He called softly, and the light in his glassy eyes gradually brightened.
"Chen Mu!" The elder's eyes widened in anger, and he didn't even bother to hide his address. "As a member of the Jiang clan, how can you be so partial?!"
Chen Mu's expression remained calm. He exchanged glances with the Great Elder and said:
"Three days."
"Within three days, I will investigate the truth, comfort Jiang Zhou's spirit, and prove Cong Xing's innocence."
His tone was always calm, but now it was filled with more emotion.
"Humph, three days? How can I know if you and your apprentice will disappear without a trace?"
The Great Elder said this, but before Shen Mu could respond, he heard another solemn and cold voice.
"Everyone present has witnessed this. If Zhuoguang Jianzun and Gu Congxing flee, they will be admitting their guilt. Therefore, they will definitely not leave."
It was Xiao Wangyou holding a sword.
Gu Congxing glanced at him in surprise, then heard Yao Qi speak with a raised voice, "Great Elder, don't forget, this man is not only a member of your Jiang clan, but also the world-renowned Zhuoguang Sword Master. With his guarantee, you don't have to worry so much."
Seeing the Gan Yang Sect's chief disciple speak like this, the Great Elder's eyes flashed and he stopped talking for a while.
Jiang Li glanced at the hidden formation that showed the word "Gu", then retracted his gaze and closed his eyes again, falling into silence for a long time.
The beautiful face was already soaked with tears. When she opened her eyes again, there was a clear and bright light in them.
"Elder, we will investigate this case together with Zhuoguang Jianzun over the next three days."
The First and Second Elders turned to look at her and exclaimed in surprise, "Jiang Li?! How come even you..."
"Elder, we're not leaving everything to Sword Master. We're investigating together," she said resolutely. "To hastily identify the culprit like this is unsettling for Xiaozhou's soul!"
As she said this, tears fell from her eyes like pearls from a broken string.
The Second Elder looked at her for a moment and sighed as if admitting defeat.
"Tsk... In that case, then give Zhuoguang Sword Master three days." She turned her gaze to Gu Congxing again, "During this period, Gu Congxing should stay in my Jiang family."
Shen Mu's spiritual power moved slightly, and just as he was about to speak, he heard a fearless and bright voice.
"Well, I won't leave Jiang's in these three days."
Gu Congxing looked at the second elder with a calm expression.
Shen Mu turned around and looked at him, his figure reflected in his icy blue eyes.
"From the stars."
"Master, I believe you."
Gu Congxing actually smiled at him, with a bright light in his eyes.
Shen Mu looked at him and nodded slowly.
A crow flew out from the bushes here, flapping its wings, breaking the silence at the scene.
"Ga—"
"Ga—"
The old wooden door was opened, raising a cloud of dust.
Gu Congxing looked at the dark tunnel in front of him and paused.
"Why, do you want to regret it?"
The two disciples who were escorting him looked worried.
"Although I agreed to stay at Jiang's, I never promised to go to the dungeon."
Gu Congxing's expression was cold, and he shot sharp eyes at the disciple who spoke.
"Humph, this isn't a dungeon, this is our Jiang family's secret place! So you don't have to use any secret method to suddenly escape!"
The long-faced Jiang disciple looked at him, but for some reason he looked away, but his tone remained unfriendly.
"We're already giving you a lot of face by not tying you up with a spirit rope! Just stay in there!"
Gu Congxing was urged by the two men to a room at the end of the tunnel. As soon as he stepped in, he heard the sound of a door closing behind him.
Looking around, there was no light at all.
As soon as the door closed, it was plunged into deep darkness.
Gu Congxing frowned and released his spiritual power, which actually awakened a faint firefly in the corner.
Looking at the traces of light, it actually looks like a formation?
Even though the Jiang family has many formations, why do they need to set up a formation in the room at the end of this secret place?
"Hello--"
Gu Congxing was about to ask when he heard the footsteps of the two people walking away.
...walking pretty fast.
He looked at the darkness around him. In this closed environment, he suddenly remembered the scene when he was imprisoned in the Gu family's punishment tower when he was young.
The dim and lightless iron-walled prison and the narrow black tower that becomes increasingly cramped day by day.
Thinking of this, Gu Congxing felt his breathing become a little rapid and cold sweat appeared on his face.
"call……"
He adjusted his breathing and planned to summon a night-shining pearl from his storage ring.
"Buzz—"
The formation in the corner of the room started working again, making the darkness in front of Gu Congxing even thicker.
The night pearl has lost its luster.
How could this be?!
Gu Congxing used his spiritual power to analyze the spiritual array, but this time he couldn't even see the faint light of the spiritual array.
"Could it be... a mind-trapping formation?"
He recalled the pattern of the formation in his mind and compared it with the ancient books on formations he had read before.
The Heart-Trapping Formation can identify the environment that the cultivator fears the most and create a space based on it.
Although it is similar to an illusion, it is not exactly the same as an illusion because its effect is directly attached to the five senses of the cultivator.
Huh... Should we say that the Jiang family, who are proficient in formations and talismans, are worthy of it? They even have this kind of extremely high-level ancient formation.
They really put a lot of effort into this suspect.
He pretended to be relaxed in his mind, but his heartbeat quickened little by little.
At the same time, his breathing became more rapid.
The memories of his childhood overlapped with the illusion before his eyes, and he felt that the darkness around him was like an iron wall, making him breathless.
The solid, all-destroying darkness pressed down upon him.
[Ding! Host!]
The sudden appearance of the system voice made him look up suddenly, and the increasingly strong feeling of suffocation also eased a lot.
"system……?"
He really couldn't see the glowing stone slab, but even if he could only hear the sound, it made him feel a lot more comfortable at the moment.
[Ding! Host! Regarding the main quest, although Jiang Zhou is dead, I can provide you with another good method so that you can successfully achieve your goal!]
"What method are you talking about?"
At this moment, Gu Congxing's voice when speaking to the system became unconsciously much gentler.
[Ding! Host, let Chen Mu fall in love with you completely! ]
"……What?"
[Host, the Forgetfulness Vine will automatically materialize as soon as it overflows with emotion. Once it shatters, it will disappear. As long as you let Chen Mu fall in love with you, the Forgetfulness Vine will naturally dissolve!]
Gu Congxing listened to the system's chattering. The voice should have been comforting to him, but at this moment it made his heart beat faster.
It was clearly a cold and lifeless figure, but at this moment it seemed to carry a fatal temptation.
Like the whispers of a demon.
[This is clearly killing two birds with one stone, host! Not only can you complete the mission, but you can also make Chen Mu fall head over heels in love with you!]
[Host, you are clearly not completely indifferent to Shen Mu, right? ]
Master.
Do I have such feelings towards my master...?
There was still bottomless darkness before his eyes, and all five senses of Gu Congxing were shrouded, except for the sound in his ears which became clearer and clearer.
I want to...seduce Master?
"Oh my, my, why does the top of our Immortal Sect Competition look so pitiful?"
The sudden sound was like a thunder, causing Gu Congxing's shoulders to tremble.
"Humph, putting you here really doesn't make this ancient formation a waste."
"……Who are you?!"
Gu Congxing's question received no response, and this time the voice actually sounded behind him.
"I just changed my voice, and you can't remember it? It really makes me sad."
As these words were spoken, a cold hand climbed up Gu Congxing's arm.
"Well... I was originally thinking of just killing you, achieving the perfect 'suicide out of fear of guilt' scenario, and letting this matter be resolved just like that."
"But, if that's the case, it's really a waste of your good looks."
The hand moved up little by little and touched his neck.
Gu Congxing felt a chill run through his body, and suddenly condensed a spiritual power to attack!
"Bang!"
There was a loud noise, and the man let go of his hand, but let out a happy laugh.
"Hahahaha! Not only can you no longer see, but even your perception has decreased? The Mind-Trapping Formation is truly a powerful tool."
Hearing his undisguised laughter, Gu Congxing realized the man's true voice.
"You are... Jiang Luo?!"
The other side fell into dead silence.
Gu Congxing suppressed his increasingly rapid breathing and said sternly, "You actually... cough?!"
A big hand had pinched his jaw, covering his mouth tightly!
"Hmph, you actually found out. In that case, I really can't let you go—!"
Swish——
Even though he couldn't see it, Gu Congxing could sense that an extremely powerful spell had condensed in the air!
Oops! There's no way to escape——
However, at this moment, he heard another loud bang!
The next moment, an icy spiritual power like the freezing winter swept over, and the darkness in front of Gu Congxing's eyes was suddenly broken!
"ah--!!"
A pig-slaughtering roar suddenly sounded, and a fishy liquid splashed onto the ground.
Gu Congxing blinked, and a stern figure appeared in his gradually recovering vision.
Although he was as bright as a god, at this moment he was filled with a cold murderous intent.
“…Master?”
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The author has something to say: I wanted to update earlier but now the tasks are coming one after another. I am very sorry for the late update! I am so sad!
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