Intercepted!

Xu Qi’an’s eyes sharpened, his mind instantly tensing. This brief sentence sparked a strong sense of crisis and urgency within him.

Why were Jing Xin and Jing Yuan able to capture Chai Xian so quickly? This didn’t make sense.

After the massacre in the small village, Chai Xian had become even more cautious. Even with his dragon qi radar, Xu Qi’an couldn’t find Chai Xian’s hiding place.

How could Jing Xin and Jing Yuan possibly see through a dragon qi host in the vast sea of people?

“I must have overlooked something, or Jing Xin and Jing Yuan know some secrets that I don’t…”

Calming himself, Xu Qi’an said coolly, “I understand.”

Li Lingsu immediately replied, “I’ll go keep an eye on Xing’er’s side first. What are your plans, Senior?”

“Protect yourself.”

…Li Lingsu’s mouth twitched slightly. He nodded and disappeared through the cellar door…

As soon as the Holy Son left, Xu Qi’an immediately grimaced, feeling the thorny situation.

“Jing Xin and Jing Yuan are at the peak of the fourth rank, a combination of a Chan master and a warrior monk. They can suppress any system at the same level. I’m afraid only a fourth-rank Confucian could counter the Buddhist precepts with words.”

“The Pagoda Spirit old monk doesn’t allow me to use the pagoda to suppress or kill Buddhist disciples. I can use it for self-protection, but now that I’m going against Buddhist monks, I can’t rely on the Futu Pagoda.”

“Chai Xian is one of the nine dragon qi hosts. He absolutely cannot fall into the hands of the Buddhist sect. Fortunately, the enemy is in the open, and I’m in the shadows. They don’t know of my existence…”

Xu Qi’an made a quick decision, cutting off half of the snakes, insects, rats, and ants, manipulating the remaining half to continue exploring the Chai family ancestral hall.

He used the freed-up primordial spirit to control the orange cat.

Outside the cellar, the lazily sleeping orange cat opened its amber eyes, its vertical pupils gleaming. It raised its proud little tail and shot out like an arrow.

…

In the night, Chai Xing’er didn’t bring any attendants, nor did she notify the Chai family members.

She hurried alone through the corridor, the cold wind howling. The lanterns hanging from the eaves on both sides swayed, their red glow illuminating her delicate face and reflecting in her pupils, bright as jewels.

After a moment, the inner hall came into view, bright candlelight shining through the doors and windows.

Outside the inner hall stood more than a dozen Western Region monks, seemingly having cordoned off the surrounding area.

Chai Xing’er approached and pushed open the main door of the inner hall. She saw the brothers Jing Xin and Jing Yuan sitting in chairs, and a person standing in the hall, bound by dark golden ropes.

“Chai Xian!”

Chai Xing’er’s beautiful eyes widened, her fair face contorting with anger. She took two quick steps forward and, without a word, struck out at Chai Xian with her palm.

“Forbid killing!”

Jing Xin timely applied the precept, dispelling Chai Xing’er’s aggressive thoughts.

“Benefactor Chai Xing’er, please calm yourself.”

Jing Xin stood up, clasped his hands, and spoke in a measured tone:

“I have already questioned Chai Xian using the Buddhist precepts. He is not the true culprit who killed Chai Jianyuan, nor is he the one who has been causing trouble in Xiangzhou recently. The real mastermind behind the scenes is someone else.”

Chai Xing’er’s eyes flickered as she noticed all three men staring at her.

“What does Master Jing Xin mean by this?” Chai Xing’er frowned slightly. “Could it be that you suspect I’m falsely accusing him, that the entire Chai family is falsely accusing him, that the heroes of Xiangzhou are falsely accusing him?”

The warrior monk Jing Yuan also stood up, approaching with an imposing manner, and said calmly, “We returned here precisely because of this matter. Buddhism does not punish the innocent, nor does it let any sinful person go unpunished.”

“It seems that in the eyes of the two masters, my Xing’er is the sinful one,” Li Lingsu said as he pushed open the door of the inner hall, stepping over the threshold in his black robe, looking incomparably handsome.

Li Lingsu… Jing Xin and Jing Yuan exchanged a glance, well aware of his true identity, but deliberately ignored his presence.

Such arrogance, if this Holy Son were at full strength, dealing with you two would be a piece of cake… Li Lingsu felt himself being ignored and grumbled inwardly.

He glanced at Chai Xian not far away and smiled, “Brother Chai Xian, long time no see.”

Back when he first got together with Chai Xing’er, he had met this Chai Xian a few times.

Compared to before, Chai Xian seemed to have aged considerably.

Additionally, Li Lingsu keenly noticed that Jing Yuan’s position was perfectly placed to “support” Chai Xian as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Jing Xin kept his hands clasped, ready to apply the precepts at any moment.

Their defense is very tight. Even with Senior Xu’s hidden insect techniques, it would be difficult to snatch Chai Xian away in front of these two… Li Lingsu thought, maintaining his composure.

“It’s you!” Chai Xian recognized Li Lingsu and exclaimed in realization, “A few days ago, I thought Aunt had become dissolute, but it turns out it was you.”

Chai Xing’er glared fiercely at Chai Xian, but could only compromise in front of the two high monks. She took a deep breath and asked in return:

“What do you want to do?”

Jing Xin responded, “It’s simple. This humble monk will question you using the precepts. If you can withstand the test, you are innocent. If not…”

He didn’t continue, but his meaning was clear.

Now that they had captured the dragon qi host, there was no need to be considerate of the Chai family or Chai Xing’er. With their cultivation, they could easily overpower not just Xiangzhou, but even Zhangzhou.

The warrior monk Jing Yuan stared at Chai Xing’er, his aura intensifying.

As everyone was speaking, an orange cat stood beneath the window, pressed against the outer wall, ears pricked up, in an attitude of attentive listening.

“After capturing Chai Xian, the Buddhist sect no longer needs to consider anything. This arrogance is immediately apparent…” The orange cat twitched its ears, listening to discern positions.

It was noticed that Jing Xin and Jing Yuan were very close to Chai Xian.

“Even if my true body came to snatch the person using shadow jumping, I’d probably be discovered by the warrior monk Jing Yuan before I could even appear… Hiss, it seems tonight is not the right time to grab someone.”

The cat’s face showed a human-like expression of worry.

Inside the hall, Chai Xing’er nodded slightly, “Very well, Master, please ask.”

Upon hearing this, everyone present, as well as Xu Qi’an outside, almost simultaneously held their breath, waiting for the answer.

Jing Xin clasped his hands, “Thank you for your cooperation, benefactor.”

He immediately applied the precept and asked in a deep voice, “Did you kill Chai Jianyuan?”

As the words fell, an invisible but overwhelming force descended upon Chai Xing’er, making her feel that people should be born sincere, and those who lie are not fit to be human.

In this state, she couldn’t utter any lies and answered:

“I did not kill him.”

Chai Jianyuan wasn’t killed by her… This is different from what I thought. Could it be that she didn’t poison him, quickly kill Chai Jianyuan, and then lure Chai Xian over to frame him?

Jing Xin had already questioned Chai Xian using the precepts, and he had no reason to lie about this. But if it wasn’t Chai Xing’er who killed him, and it wasn’t Chai Xian either, then who could it be?

Xu Qi’an’s thoughts raced under the window, suddenly realizing that this case was even more complex than he had imagined.

Jing Xin and Jing Yuan exchanged a glance, both frowning.

It wasn’t Xing’er who killed him. I knew Xing’er wouldn’t do such a thing. Then who killed Chai Jianyuan? Li Lingsu was both delighted and puzzled, feeling that the case had become even more intricate.

Jing Xin asked sternly again, “Are you the one who has been killing people and refining corpses in various parts of Xiangzhou?”

Chai Xing’er shook her head, “It’s not me, it’s Chai Xian who did it.”

Under the influence of the “precept” spell, she could only speak the truth, not lies.

“Who else could it be if not you?”

Chai Xian exploded in anger, his emotions somewhat out of control, “You have an accomplice, you have an accomplice.”

Jing Xin’s eyes lit up, and taking advantage of the ongoing precept spell, he pressed on, “Who is your accomplice? Was it your accomplice who did it?”

Chai Xing’er answered frankly, “I have no accomplice. I didn’t kill my elder brother, nor did I commit the murders outside.”

She’s not lying, this… Jing Xin and Jing Yuan looked at each other, both seeing surprise and bewilderment in each other’s eyes.

At this point, it could be determined that Chai Xing’er was innocent, having neither killed nor had an accomplice, and couldn’t be the mastermind behind the scenes.

But the case had also reached a new impasse.

Chai Xian muttered, “This is impossible, this is impossible…”

He seemed unable to accept this outcome.

Under the window, Xu Qi’an pondered. If it wasn’t Chai Xing’er and not Chai Xian, then the possibility of Chai Lan being involved was extremely high… But the problem was, this young lady had never appeared from beginning to end, and there were too few clues to make a judgment.

Xu Qi’an felt like he was back in the capital, facing various cases, racking his brains until he was bald.

Li Lingsu suddenly said, “What about Chai Lan? Have you all forgotten about Chai Lan?”

Hearing Li Lingsu’s words, Chai Xian broke free from his confused muttering and glared:

“Xiao Lan has been missing for a long time. You can slander her however you like.”

Chai Xing’er said:

“I don’t know why the precept doesn’t work on Chai Xian, but my elder brother was indeed killed by him, and the Xiangzhou murders were also his doing. This was witnessed by many in the Chai family, and there were quite a few outsiders who saw him committing the crimes. Why don’t you believe this, Master?”

Jing Xin said:

“Chai Xian couldn’t possibly resist this humble monk’s precept. He truly didn’t lie. Moreover, Benefactor Chai Xing’er, your earlier statements had many suspicious points. Chai Xian is not inherently evil. How could he kill his adoptive father, to whom he owed a great debt of gratitude, just for the sake of Chai Lan’s marriage? Wouldn’t eloping have been more sensible in comparison?”

Clever, this monk has come to the same conclusion as Xu Qi’an… Li Lingsu nodded slightly.

Chai Xing’er sighed and said:

“I did conceal something… Chai Xian, he… he is my elder brother’s illegitimate son.”

This statement was like a thunderbolt, resonating in everyone’s ears. Jing Xin and Jing Yuan were slightly moved, very shocked.

Xu Qi’an was right, Chai Xian is Chai Jianyuan’s illegitimate son… Xing’er indeed knew about this… Li Lingsu wasn’t surprised, as he had already known this secret.

As for Chai Xian, his pupils contracted violently as if hit by a strong light, his face becoming as rigid as a stone sculpture. From his dazed gaze and wooden expression, it was clear that his mind was in chaos, unable to think.

Chai Xing’er continued:

“He has had an extreme personality since childhood. My elder brother feared he wouldn’t be able to accept this fact, so he always kept it a secret, raising him as an adopted son. As he grew older, he gradually developed romantic feelings for his sister.

“My elder brother had no choice but to arrange a marriage alliance with the Huangfu family, to marry off Xiao Lan as soon as possible.

“Unexpectedly, Chai Xian harbored resentment because of this and even killed my elder brother, his personality so extreme…”

“You’re talking nonsense!”

A furious shout interrupted her. Chai Xian’s forehead veins bulged in anger, clearly enraged:

“Chai Xing’er, don’t spout lies! I lost both parents when I was young. My adoptive father saw that I was pitiful and had potential, so he took me in. It’s bad enough that you slander me, but you dare to slander him too. You vicious woman!”

The warrior monk Jing Yuan frowned deeply and questioned Chai Xing’er, “Do you have any evidence?”

Chai Xing’er turned her head towards the door and said, “The evidence is here.”

Immediately after, they heard the monks guarding outside the hall shouting, “Who goes there?”

Jing Yuan looked towards the main door and called out loudly, “What’s happening?”

The monks outside responded, “Senior Brother Jing Yuan, there’s a walking corpse approaching.”

Jing Yuan glanced at Chai Xing’er and said, “Let ‘him’ in.”

The door of the inner hall was pushed open, and a person in gray clothes walked in. His eyes were lifeless, his skin deathly pale and bloodless, like a walking corpse.

It was Chai Jianyuan, who had been dead for two weeks.

“Adoptive father…”

Chai Xian’s lips trembled.

Chai Xing’er manipulated the corpse to sit down and remove its shoes, revealing the left foot.

Everyone looked closely and saw that Chai Jianyuan had six toes, but what did this prove?

Chai Xing’er said, “Chai Xian also has six toes.”

Jing Xin, Jing Yuan, and Li Lingsu all turned to look at Chai Xian, only to see him staring blankly at Chai Jianyuan’s left foot, the color draining from his face.

The handsome Chan master asked, “Benefactor Chai Xian, do you have six toes?”

Chai Xian’s lips moved, his jaw twitching as if he had lost the ability to speak.

Jing Xin and Jing Yuan understood. The latter questioned Chai Xing’er, “Why didn’t you say this earlier?”

Chai Xing’er shook her head sorrowfully, “My elder brother died at the hands of his adopted son, which was already a blow to the Chai family’s reputation. If it were known he died at the hands of his illegitimate son, how could the Chai family maintain its standing in Zhangzhou with such a scandal? You two masters are ultimately outsiders. How could I tell you the truth? If things hadn’t come to this point, I would never have revealed it.”

That’s not right. Just because of his extreme personality, they didn’t tell him? The orange cat under the window frowned.

Jing Yuan nodded, seemingly accepting Chai Xing’er’s explanation, but still puzzled:

“But Chai Xian passed the test of the precepts. He’s not the killer…”

“No!” Jing Xin shook his head and said, “It is him.”

Saying this, amidst the confused expressions of everyone present, the fourth-rank Chan master stared at Chai Xian and said:

“There’s one thing I haven’t asked you, benefactor. You said you went to Sanshui Town to investigate the mastermind behind the scenes. So, how did you know the mastermind would attack Sanshui Town?”

Hearing this, Chai Xian seemed as if he’d been struck on the head. His pupils instantly dilated, and he lowered his head.

“How did I know, how did I know…”

He stood there blankly, head lowered, repeatedly mumbling to himself.

This process lasted for about ten seconds, then suddenly, a low laugh sounded, gradually growing louder, finally turning into maniacal laughter.

Chai Xian raised his head, his handsome face completely distorted, his eyes filled with frenzied malice, his laughter high-pitched and hoarse:

“How did I know? Because I’m the killer!”

In an instant, he seemed to become a different person.

“That’s right, I killed Chai Jianyuan, I committed the murders in Xiangzhou, I did it all.”

He laughed neurotically:

“I’ve never had a father since birth. My mother was depressed and died from overwork trying to raise me. I became a beggar from a young age, bullied and suffering. He deserved to die.

“Do you know how I lived through those years? I lived worse than a dog. But it didn’t matter, as long as Xiao Lan was with me, I could let go of past grievances. But he wanted to take even Xiao Lan away from me.

“Doesn’t such a person deserve to die? Doesn’t he deserve to die!”

The Chai Xian at this moment was completely different from the gentle and handsome image he had before.

Soul separation disorder? Li Lingsu suddenly realized, “So that’s it, he has soul separation disorder.”

Dissociative identity disorder?! Xu Qi’an, under the window, also had a sudden realization.

He finally understood why this case had been so confusing, with contradictions at every stage because there were two Chai Xians.

The normal Chai Xian naturally had no motive to kill Chai Jianyuan, but the other Chai Xian, who knew his true identity, had this motive. This was an extremely obsessive person.

The normal Chai Xian believed he was innocent, and that there was a mastermind framing him, so he stubbornly refused to leave Xiangzhou, trying to uncover the truth.

But in fact, that mastermind was himself, another personality.

This caused the contradictions in the case.

The massacre in the small village was also his doing… Xu Qi’an finally understood. Chai Xing’er had an alibi, and she had no reason to do it.

He had found it strange at the time. If Chai Xing’er had killed that family of three, why didn’t she ambush Chai Xian at the same time? Killing a few innocent villagers made no sense.

But for the other personality, it was necessary to prevent Chai Xian from attending the demon-slaying assembly, because he was the murderer. He had committed all the killings; he wasn’t innocent at all.

Going to the demon-slaying assembly would have been a dead end, just like now.

“Oh, there’s progress on the ancestral hall side…” The orange cat closed its eyes.

…

In the cellar on the other side, Xu Qi’an received feedback from a rat. The rat “told” him that there was a secret chamber under the ancestral hall, which it had reached through a tunnel.

All the snakes, insects, rats, and ants inside and outside the ancestral hall simultaneously lost control.

The rats began to catch nearby insects, while the snakes awakening from hibernation followed their feeding instincts and hunted the rats.

“The secret chamber under the ancestral hall, there is something…” Xu Qi’an gave up on them, focusing on controlling the orange cat and the rat that had discovered the secret chamber.

This immediately lightened his burden, and the feeling of headache disappeared.

In the slightly stuffy air of the secret chamber, several oil lamps were placed in recesses in the walls.

Deep in the secret chamber, a disheveled woman was chained by her limbs, sitting against a pile of straw that emitted a rotting smell.

Her mouth was gagged with a leather muzzle, her head hanging limply to one side. Her chest rose and fell slightly, her breathing fairly steady, as if she were asleep.

Was this the woman Chai Xing’er had come to see in the south courtyard the night before last?

Was it Chai Xing’er who had imprisoned her here?

The rat scurried through the dim light of the oil lamps, stopping in front of the woman, and spoke in human language:

“Wake up!”

The woman’s head moved slightly, slowly waking up. Seeing the rat in front of her, she was obviously stunned, not reacting for a long time.

The rat said, “Who are you?”

“Mmph mmph mmph…”

Under the woman’s messy hair, her eyes suddenly brightened, as if a person in despair had seen hope.

She began to struggle violently, extremely agitated, making the chains rattle loudly.

“Who are you?”

The rat asked again, looking down at its tiny front paws, and said, “You can write.”

The woman’s fingers, trembling, wrote two characters on the wall:

“Chai Lan!”