Inside the palace of Shui Guo, still water ran upwards the walls instead of falling down. This wonderful sight brought delight to every one who first laid sight upon it. Wei Yue was led inside the conference chamber by her highness BeiYin to discuss about what MoXiao reported.
"What do you mean by that? Who was the one that MoXiao had seen on the basement?"
"I do not know your highness but, I'm pretty sure MoxXiao saw a grown man inside the room where SiShao's corpse is."
"I have a suspicion… It must be XiuCai."
"Who's XiuCai?"
"He was the one who my daughter married."
"I see. I have sent LanRong and MoXiao to retrieve the body and do a spirit reconnaissance on it."
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As LanRong and MoXiao reached at the entrance of the basement, a foul smell of rotting corpse filled thei sense of smell. LanRong and MoXiao covered their faces as they went inside the basement.
"Here it is. Ladies first."
"What? Woah. No. You're the one who should open it first."
"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dead LanRong? For someone as high and mighty as an immortal, you're afraid of even seeing a corpse?"
"Pft. Do shut up. Fine I'll open the door."
LanRong's hand was shaking as she was about to pull the door open but MoXiao stopped her and kissed her instead. LanRong blushed like a newly riped tomato.
"I'm just joking. I'll open the door."
MoXiao opened the door and there, a dead corpse of a woman hung naked and full of wounds revealed at them. LanRong could not help but cover her mouth and stood behind MoXiao.
"We'll perform the reconnaisance here. Can you do it, LanRong?"
"Yes. Just… Guard me while I do it."
"Hao. Be careful."
LanRong summoned her divine weapon and performed the spirit reconnaisance. Bluish-white flowers surrounded her as she descended inside SiShao's soul interior.
PIT.PAT.PIT.PAT. Droplets of a gentle rain fell over SiShao's head as she read the proclamation where KuangHui was going to marry BeiYin. Without a word, she let go of the letter and danced in the rain like she was the most happiest person in the world.
"Finally… YuenFeng and I… We're going to get married."
She felt her heart would almost flutter as she went inside her chamber and reread the letter over and over again without suspecting that someone was behind the curtain watching all of her actions.
The silhouette of the shadow approached faster with a brimming rope on it's hand. The hooded culprit raised the rope and strangled the unsuspecting victim like a spider that trapped a fly on it's sticky web.
"Ayí I am very sorry. I loved you so much I wouldn't want you to come to YuenFeng."
After SiShao released her last breath, the culprit dragged her corpse and wrapped it with a red linen cloth embroidered with golden strange marks. LanRong observed carefully as the strange cloth gradually took shape into a box. The culprit soon went outside taking the box in his hand. LanRong kept close and followed where the culprit was headed.
Meanwhile, outside the spiritual reconnaisance, MoXiao was bored of waiting and sat at a corner near LanRong. He was about to fall asleep when he heard strange noises outside. He kept guard slowly drawing darts from the side of his pocket. As the doors swung open, MoXiao threw the darts but the person changed into a black smoke.
"What a suprise. You are a Tangmen student after all."
"Yes. And does that concern you? Reveal yourself or I might not fight you fairly."
"Fight me fairly? Sure go ahead and take your best blow."
MoXiao facepalmed himself. He does not want to draw his divine weapon against a random stranger.
'This guy is getting in my nerves. Alright. He wants a fair fight? I'll give him a fair fight."
MoXiao slowly drew his divine weapon and turned into a poleaxe. The stranger's eye grew wide as MoXiao displayed his weapon.
"W—Why do you have such weapon?"
"You said that you wanted a fair fight so I showed you my lucky charm."
"You're a God?!"
"Afraid to fight now?"
"No… It's my honor to fight you."
The stranger took his original form and held a sword on his hand and rushed forth to attack MoXiao. The sword met MoXiao's divine weapon and together, both of them are locked in an inescapable battle. MoXiao put a barrier on LanRong for her to stay safe between the battle.
CLINK.CLANK.CLINK.CLANK.CLANK. The sword and poleaxe made a harmonious and flawless sound echoing at the basement. The battle lasted for almost fifteen minutes until…
"I've had enough of this."
MoXiao twisted his divine weapon and turned it into it's original form. He swished it against the stranger and it sent a wave of aura which knocked the stranger away.
"Y—You! I'll remember you!"
Turning into a shroud of smoke, the stranger fled outside the basement. Just as then, LanRong returned from inside the spiritual reconnaissance.
"How was it?"
"S—SiShao… She died horribly."
"Let's inform his highness Wei Yue."
"Wait… MoXiao… We're going to carry her body outside?"
"I'll handle it."
MoXiao took a linen cloth from his satchel and covered the dead body. The dead body soon took shape into a box for them to carry it outside without being suspected.
"MoXiao… Where did you learn that technique?"
"From Tangmen. Why?"
"The culprit… He… He used such technique. I do not know if you both attended the same school."
"We'll find out soon. Let's get her body out and give her a proper burial."
"Yes. Let's go."
Returning back at the palace, MoXiao and LanRong presented the dead body at a spare chamber deep within the palace to Wei Yue and BeiYin.
BeiYin confirmed that it was truly SiShao's body.
"It's Cao Sishao indeed. But how did the body get here?"
"The culprit was from someone inside the palace. As I peeked inside SiShao's soul, I learned that the culprit was called XiuCai."
"XiuCai! How dare he! Why would he murder his own aunt?"
"It's disturbing to say this your highness but… Cao XiuCai was inlove with her."
"Im—Impossible! That's forbidden."
"He killed her because he knew that your wedding with KuangHui will give the way between her and YuenFeng."
"XiuCai… How brutal you are! I'll make sure to give SiShao a proper burial but for now, let's just act up in front of Cao XiuCai and the others. Pretend that I and Wei Yue knew nothing of this."
"Yes your highness."
LanRong and MoXiao excused themselves after reporting and bringing in the corpse of SiShao leaving Wei Yue and BeiYin inside the chamber.
"Grandmother, I have a suspicion... Maybe XiuCai knew that Sishao was a potential candidate for the murder that would spark a war between the White Snake country and Water Country."
"I have always known about that reason but I was blinded by all of the peace talks and such."
"It is not about the peace talks Grandmother… Your country was never a free country until it undergoes war."
"I want to avoid war as a last resort Yue. Could we do something else?"
"Yes. But it could be risky."
"Go ahead and tell me."
"We'll reveal the truth."