Elder Tian paused for a moment, then replied, "There are quite a few cultivators in this cultivation world who can defeat others even if they are of a higher level."
"But the difference in their levels is too great. Besides, in other battles where the opponent is above their level, even if they win, the battles are always brutal. But there are no signs of a fierce struggle at the scene of the murder here. Why is that?"
"It could also be a sneak attack, or some other method was used," Elder Tian said, forcing himself to speak, even though he knew the possibility was extremely slim.
Shi Xuan nodded and continued, "Secondly, our Lianfeng Sword Sect are invited guests of the Luoyin Sect. Why were you allowed to enter our residence and search without prior notice? I'm not saying you can't search, but at least you should be accompanied by us so that everyone can witness it. Since no one is staying here, can I reasonably suspect that you staged the murder weapon and planted it there yourself?"
"How could that be!" Elder Tian exclaimed anxiously. "We didn't notify him so that Leng Rufeng wouldn't have time to prepare!"
Shi Xuan snorted coldly, then curled his lips in a noncommittal smile. "Then let me ask a third question. As a normal cultivator with no intellectual problems, why would Leng Rufeng take the murder weapon back to his residence after killing someone and allow it to be found so easily? Even an eight-year-old child probably couldn't do such a thing."
Elder Tian pondered for a moment, then replied somewhat uncertainly, "Perhaps, it's just that there isn't enough time..."
Shi Xuan: "But it's dark and windy, there are no witnesses, and no one is chasing him, so why is he in such a hurry?"
"You'd have to ask Leng Rufeng, how would I know?" Elder Tian said, somewhat embarrassed and angry.
"Elder Tian, are you convinced that Leng Rufeng was responsible for this? Then all my questions are pointless. If you've already decided on the outcome, why bother discussing the process? Elder Tian, as an elder of the Enforcement Hall, really doesn't use his brain at all," Shi Xuan raised an eyebrow and said with a half-smile, "Could it be that Elder Tian's brain is limited, and every bit he uses is one less?"
"Pfft," the disciples of the Lianfeng Sword Sect who were watching the show laughed without any sense of magnanimity. They had long disliked this kind-faced but wicked elder, and they were taking the opportunity to mock him.
Elder Tian was so angry that his beard was crooked. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, he would have had the urge to take action.
"How dare you be so insolent on the territory of my Luoyin Sect! You have no respect for my Luoyin Sect at all!"
Shi Xuan snorted coldly: "Have you ever taken my Lianfeng Sword Sect seriously? Pretending not to see so many suspicious points, you've done a great job solving this case!"
"Numerous suspicious points?" Elder Tian stroked his beard and said, "All the suspicious points point to Leng Rufeng, and there is not a single suspicion that it is anyone else! If we don't suspect him, who else should we suspect!"
"Heh," Shi Xuan sneered, "Guo Hao died from a sword piercing his heart. Blood gushed out before he died. Let me ask you, if it was Leng Rufeng who did it, how come there isn't a single bloodstain on his body? He was wearing this when he came here today, and many people here saw it."
Elder Tian: "Then, perhaps a cleansing spell was used to erase the evidence..."
"Oh my, so you only know how to use cleaning spells on clothes, but not on swords? You even brought him back to your room to search for him. In your eyes, Leng Rufeng is really that stupid!"
Elder Tian was speechless for a moment, but still showed no sign of backing down.
Some of the onlookers from the Luoyin Sect were swayed by Shi Xuan's series of questions and showed hesitant expressions, while others remained stubborn, after all, Leng Rufeng's image as a murderer was already deeply ingrained in their minds.
Shi Xuan turned to the Enforcement Hall disciple who had just retrieved the murder weapon and said, "I'll ask you one more time, did you really take this sword from Leng Rufeng's room?"
The disciple's gaze darted away, but he still managed to answer, "That's right!"
"Hehe, you may not know, but given the injustice Leng Rufeng suffered last time, I made special preparations to prevent a repeat of the same mistake when I brought him back to this place. Just before we left, I placed a recording stone above his room. We'll know what this murder weapon is all about once we get back!"
"Please!" Shi Xuan gestured for him to enter and led the way.
At this moment, the sect leaders of both sects are present, along with the peak masters and elders of each peak, as well as numerous Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation cultivators, making for a formidable force.
The law enforcement disciple carrying the weapon seemed somewhat impatient, rushing forward, but Shi Xuan grabbed him, saying, "Fellow Daoist, wait! To ensure you don't get there before me and destroy the recording stone, no one can go before me today!"
The disciple paused, turned his head to look behind him with an unhappy expression, and suddenly collapsed to the ground without warning. In an instant, his face turned black and he lost his breath.
No one expected it, and before anyone could react, he collapsed and died.
Several disciples from the Enforcement Hall stepped forward to check his aura, then shook their heads.
This scene happened too suddenly and too strangely. The masters of the two sects exchanged glances, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
Everyone knew perfectly well why the two sects had gathered here ahead of time. On the very first day of the Lianfeng Sword Sect's arrival, a murder case had already occurred. This murder case might just be a pretext; how could this not raise suspicions? Just how much more shady business was hidden behind it all?
Elder Tian's face turned ashen. The death of his disciple felt like a slap in the face. Just as he was at his most vulnerable, Shi Xuan happened to glance at him, his eyes filled with undisguised suspicion: You must be in cahoots with this disciple!
Provoked by that gaze, Elder Tian inexplicably explained, "It wasn't me who arranged for him to do such a thing!"
His explanation only made things worse, drawing everyone's attention to him. In an instant, he became the center of attention, with people from both his own sect and the Lianfeng Sword Sect staring at him. This made him feel even more embarrassed and inexplicably panicked.
There's a saying, "protesting too much," and Elder Tian felt like he'd been caught in that predicament. He regretted his impulsive explanation. But Shi Xuan had been asking him questions, all of which he'd refuted. Even without an explanation, these people would likely suspect him.
Elder Tian looked at Shi Xuan, who remained calm with her arms crossed, and said, "Do we need to look at this recording stone again?"
The facts are clear: the murder weapon must have nothing to do with Leng Rufeng. Therefore, everything before, including the jade safety buckle clutched in the deceased's hand, was probably a carefully planned scheme specifically targeting Leng Rufeng, or rather, this group of guests from the Lianfeng Sword Sect.
But why? They've never met before, the Six Sects Tournament is still a month away, and the Lianfeng Sword Sect has never been the strongest. Killing requires a motive, so what was their motive? Could it be that, as Tong Shixuan said, Leng Rufeng was wronged before?!
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