Chapter 55: The Truth Behind the Murder
"Reporting to the Immortal Sovereign, Immortal Master Shentu has returned to Mirror Cloud Residence with his two disciples."
"Send Qingyuan to bring them here," SiTu Fanzhi instructed, waving his hand. After the celestial soldier left, he took the letter in his hand and burned it in the candle flame.
At Mirror Cloud Residence, in Yun Qingyi's room, Li Luoning was infusing the Night Lotus Flower with spiritual energy, which then transferred into Yun Qingyi's meridians.
As the petals of the Night Lotus Flower gradually fell, Yun Qingyi's face began to regain some color.
"Master, when will Qingyi wake up?" Mi Xingzhe asked worriedly.
"The Night Lotus Flower is protecting his core now. He should wake up in a few days," Li Luoning said, watching the Night Lotus Flower slowly merge into Yun Qingyi's body. He finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Then I will stay here until Qingyi wakes up."
"You have other tasks to attend to," Li Luoning said, glancing at Mi Xingzhe.
Mi Xingzhe then remembered Yun Qingyi mentioning this matter to him earlier, "Master, I did not harm the Medicine King."
"I believe you..." Li Luoning began, but before he could finish, Qingyuan entered with a group of celestial soldiers.
"Immortal Master Shentu, the Immortal Sovereign has commanded that you and your disciples accompany me," Qingyuan said, bowing.
"Thank you, War God Qingyuan, but my disciple Qingyi was injured earlier and is still unconscious. He cannot come with us," Li Luoning explained.
"Qingyi is injured?" Yue Ruling, who had come along, exclaimed.
"Ruling, stand down," Qingyuan reprimanded her in a low voice. Though he knew she was close to the disciples of Mirror Cloud Residence, he was on official business.
Yue Ruling reluctantly stepped back, glancing at Mi Xingzhe to inquire. Mi Xingzhe signaled with his eyes that Yun Qingyi was fine.
In the Immortal Sovereign's grand hall,
"Yun Wan Nian, you claim you did not harm the Medicine King, but can you prove it?" SiTu Fanzhi asked.
"I was abducted that day; how could I have evidence? You accuse me without evidence," Mi Xingzhe retorted.
"Xingzhe, mind your manners," Li Luoning reminded him.
"When the Medicine King was attacked, he was holding half a petal of the Kong Gu Orchid, which matches the flower found in your room. How do you explain that?" SiTu Fanzhi demanded, slamming the table.
"Immortal Sovereign, relying on a single petal is too hasty. I heard that the War God Qingyuan has a magical artifact called the Mirror of Memory, which can project memories as images. Why not use it to find the truth?" Li Luoning suggested calmly.
"With the Medicine King reduced to a remnant soul, how can we retrieve his memories?" SiTu Fanzhi questioned.
"Immortal Sovereign, if someone is willing to give up ninety percent of their cultivation to act as a vessel, the Medicine King's remnant soul can be temporarily infused into their body to retrieve the memory. However, this process is excruciating, as if a thousand insects are gnawing at the brain," War God Qingyuan explained.
"Immortal Sovereign, I am willing to bear the remnant soul for my foster father and uncover the truth," O Shinan volunteered, bowing.
"Since O Shinan is willing, have someone fetch the Mirror of Memory," SiTu Fanzhi ordered.
"Uh... O Shinan's filial piety is touching, but..." War God Qingyuan hesitated.
"But what?" O Shinan asked.
"But as a flower in true form, you cannot serve as a vessel for the remnant soul," War God Qingyuan shook his head.
"I will do it!" Mi Xingzhe suddenly spoke up.
"Immortal Sovereign, I am willing to serve as the vessel to prove my disciple's innocence," Li Luoning stepped forward, his voice firm.
"Master~" Mi Xingzhe tried to stop him, but Li Luoning shook his head.
"Very well, if you are so adamant that your disciple is innocent, you may take on this task," SiTu Fanzhi agreed, signaling the celestial servant to give the Mirror of Memory to War God Qingyuan.
In the grand hall, Li Luoning waved his hands, summoning nine streams of golden-red energy.
War God Qingyuan first took the vessel containing the Medicine King's remnant soul, a brown light slowly infused into the back of Li Luoning's head. Then, he chanted, summoning a golden tendril from the Mirror of Memory, which swiftly pierced the back of Li Luoning's head.
Li Luoning felt a surge of scorching energy entering his body, followed by an excruciating pain in his head. He tried to suppress his cries, clenching his eyes shut and furrowing his brows.
Mi Xingzhe, tense with worry, felt guilty for causing his master such pain.
Yue Ruling, unable to bear seeing Li Luoning in such agony, turned away.
Meanwhile, O Shinan watched with a satisfied smile.
As the golden tendril pierced Li Luoning's head, the Mirror of Memory projected the Medicine King's final moments above the hall. The image showed the Medicine King making medicine when a black mist burst into the room, striking him down.
"That black mist... is it demonic energy?" War God Qingyuan recognized it immediately.
Hearing it was demonic energy, the hall erupted in murmurs.
War God Qingyuan withdrew the magical artifact, extracted the Medicine King's remnant soul, and re-sealed it. Li Luoning, exhausted, collapsed to the side, and Mi Xingzhe rushed to support him.
"Immortal Sovereign, if War God Qingyuan's observation is correct, that black mist was indeed demonic energy," War God Qingyuan stated.
"That's impossible! My foster father rarely left the Liao Yin Immortal Realm. How could he have provoked the demons?" O Shinan protested.
"O Shinan is correct. The Medicine King rarely ventured out. How could he have angered the demon realm? War God Qingyuan, could there be a mistake?" SiTu Fanzhi asked.
"Immortal Sovereign, the Mirror of Memory does not lie. What we saw was the Medicine King's final memory," War God Qingyuan confirmed.
"But it makes no sense. Why would demons from Wuming Demon Mountain travel so far to attack the Medicine King?" SiTu Fanzhi pondered.
As the hall was abuzz with speculation, a celestial soldier rushed in, "Reporting to the Immortal Sovereign, we found the Yanding Dragon King near Mirror Cloud Residence. Upon inspection, he... has passed away."
In the Demon Lord's palace on Wuming Demon Mountain,
"What? Passed away? When did this happen?" Li Minghan received the news of the Yanding Dragon King's death.
"Our soldiers saw the Dragon King leave a few days ago, saying he was going to Mirror Cloud Residence. Later, he was found dead in a nearby forest, his body gnawed by beasts. It was... gruesome," Hua Qiuyuan reported.
"Nonsense! My... uncle was a descendant of the dragon clan, incredibly powerful. How could he be killed by mere beasts? Are you sure?" Li Minghan's voice trembled as he sought confirmation.
"It's said that the dragon bones have been taken back to the dragon palace for burial," Hua Qiuyuan nodded.
"I see. Leave me," Li Minghan ordered.
Li Minghan wandered into his chambers, feeling as if his soul had left his body, his steps unsteady as he entered the dark room.
---
Seeing Li Minghan's state, Shentu Zhajia was truly puzzled.
Li Minghan looked desolate, his hair disheveled. Before entering the dark room, he had just thrown a huge tantrum in his sleeping quarters, smashing everything inside. His injured hands were dripping blood.
Li Minghan staggered to Shentu Zhajia and fell to his knees. His eyes were vacant and sorrowful as he spoke slowly, not looking at Shentu Zhajia.
"Foster Father... has passed away."
"What? Explain clearly. How did this happen to Uncle?" Shentu Zhajia was equally shocked, thinking he had misheard. He grabbed Li Minghan's shoulders, shaking him.
"Brother, Foster Father still loved me, right?" Li Minghan ignored the question, speaking to himself.
"Explain clearly!" Shentu Zhajia grabbed Li Minghan by the collar, lifting his limp body from the ground, his voice filled with anger.
"Do you think the Dragon Clan will let me mourn for Foster Father?" Li Minghan still didn't answer the question, his eyes dull, letting Shentu Zhajia shake him.
"You killed Uncle, didn't you?" Shentu Zhajia's voice was filled with disgust and anger.
"No, I didn't! He was found dead near Mirror Cloud Residence. Mirror Cloud Residence! That damned place! Li Luoning's territory!" Li Minghan, feeling wronged, finally pushed Shentu Zhajia away and retorted, tears streaming down his face like a lost child.
This answer also shocked Shentu Zhajia, who froze with his hands still in the air.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible," Shentu Zhajia muttered.
"How is it impossible? That Li Luoning took everything from me since birth—my life, my parents' love. He can have everything while I have nothing. It's all because of him!" Li Minghan cursed hysterically, tears streaming uncontrollably.
"Minghan, calm down. Until we get to the bottom of this, don't jump to conclusions and wrongly accuse someone, letting the true culprit go free," Shentu Zhajia tried to calm him, knowing it wasn't Li Luoning who did it.
But in Li Minghan's eyes, Shentu Zhajia's words were just defending Li Luoning. "You're defending him too? You're my foster brother, the brother I admire. And yet you defend Li Luoning, a mere medicine immortal, an insignificant cultivator. You've never even met him, so how can you be so sure he didn't kill Foster Father?"
Li Minghan's eyes were bloodshot, filled with rage and hatred. His fists clenched, his body trembling as he shouted.
"I..." Shentu Zhajia was at a loss for words.
"Fine! If you all defend him, trust him, no one cares about me. Then I will not let him have peace. I will make all of you who defend him watch as I peel his skin and tear his tendons! I will take his life, make those who care about him die for him, and have him buried with Foster Father!" Li Minghan's face was ashen, his eyes red, speaking through clenched teeth. He got up, intending to find Li Luoning.
"Minghan, you can't go," Shentu Zhajia stepped forward, blocking Li Minghan's way.
"Move!" Li Minghan struck Shentu Zhajia's arm aside and delivered a powerful palm strike to his chest.
The strike sent Shentu Zhajia staggering backward. The blow activated the poison in both their bodies, causing them to simultaneously spit blood.
"You?" Shentu Zhajia, seeing himself injured and Li Minghan also spitting blood, was confused.
Ignoring Shentu Zhajia, Li Minghan flicked his cloak and slammed the door behind him, unaware that the seal on the door was cracked by his force.
Not far from the Demon Lord's sleeping quarters, Hua Qiuyuan noticed the door left ajar.
In The Liao Yin Immortal Realm, Li Minghan removed his mask and emerged from a corner...
"Immortal Master Shentu?"
Hearing a voice behind him, Li Minghan turned cautiously. The person approached him with a friendly demeanor, mistaking him for Li Luoning. Li Minghan, knowing he was mistaken for Li Luoning, nodded silently.
"How is Qingyi? I have some medicine from the Medicine King that works wonders on external injuries. You can use it on Qingyi to ease your burden," Yue Ruling, unaware that the person before her wasn't Li Luoning, spoke at length.
"Thank you." Li Minghan accepted the ointment and expressed his gratitude.
Seeing "Li Luoning's" reaction, Yue Ruling assumed he was mourning the Dragon King's death.
"I didn't expect that the last time I saw the Dragon King outside Mirror Cloud Residence would be the last time," Yue Ruling said, feeling sad.
"O Shinan?" Li Minghan asked.
"Yes, I saw him at Mirror Cloud Residence's gate. At the time, the Medicine King's matter was unresolved. I wanted to see why he was there. Later, the Dragon King arrived, saying he was there to fetch something," Yue Ruling recalled.
"And then?" Li Minghan seemed to catch a clue, asking eagerly.
"Then I left, leaving O Shinan and the Dragon King. I don't know what they talked about," Yue Ruling continued.
"You mean O Shinan?" Li Minghan asked.
"Yes, who else could it be? He was adamant that Xingzhe was the one who harmed the Medicine King. I argued with him and left," Yue Ruling said.
"O Shinan is known for his meticulous yet ruthless ways. If Foster Father discovered something, it's possible O Shinan killed him to keep it secret. And gnawed by beasts? Foster Father, with his powerful abilities, couldn't be killed by mere beasts. This seems more like O Shinan's work," Li Minghan thought, then asked,
"Have you seen O Shinan today?"
"Yes, I saw him in the alchemy room, probably making medicine," Yue Ruling pointed in the direction of the alchemy room.
"Thank you," Li Minghan said, heading towards the alchemy room.
"Why is Immortal Master Shentu acting so strangely today?" Yue Ruling wondered but didn't think much of it and continued her patrol.
In the Lan Zhan Pavilion, Qingyuan was meditating.
"It's demonic energy!" Qingyuan's eyes snapped open, and he rushed out.
As Yue Ruling continued her patrol, she soon ran into Li Luoning.
"Immortal Master Shentu, how come I'm seeing you again?" Yue Ruling looked behind herself and then at Li Luoning. She clearly remembered seeing Li Luoning head towards the alchemy room, and now he appeared here, in different clothes.
"Again? Did we meet today?" Li Luoning, catching the meaning in Yue Ruling's words, frowned and asked.
"Just a moment ago, you asked me about O Shinan and went to the alchemy room. How are you here so quickly, and with different clothes?" Yue Ruling pointed towards the alchemy room.
"The alchemy room?" Li Luoning pondered and then realized,
"This is bad!"
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