Xue Tielong said, "If that's the case, then finding the murderer will be much simpler!"
...
"Brother Xue is right, indeed!"
Qi Yu echoed his agreement upon hearing this, "As long as we identify those whose whereabouts were uncertain during the time when Brother Sima Guang was attacked..."
"And then confirm if their storage bags contain any top-tier magical artifacts capable of piercing armor, won't everything be revealed?"
...
"I'll go first!"
Zhang Heng stepped forward, speaking first, "I was with Qi Yu, Wu Tao, Sima Nan, and others just now..."
At this moment, Qi Yu, Zhang Heng, Wu Tao, and the others chimed in, "Yes! We can vouch for each other."
...
The Yang family disciples also confirmed to each other that they had not gone out alone.
Finally, only a handful of people were unable to provide evidence to prove their innocence.
However, before anyone could inspect their storage bags, another person died.
"Master Yuan Chen... Master Yuan Chen is also dead..."
The crowd erupted upon hearing this.
Yuan Chen's body was carried in.
...
Xue Tielong stepped forward and felt his pulse, discovering that he had long been dead, his body already bone-chillingly cold!
"Master Yuan Chen's spiritual sense was the highest among all of us, wasn't it? Who could have killed him so silently?"
Qi Yu asked incredulously.
...
"Master Yuan Chen is universally acknowledged as the most skilled at self-preservation among us. If he can be killed, then who among us can escape?"
An intangible terror spread among the crowd.
Many were so frightened they broke out in a cold sweat, their souls seemingly detached from their bodies.
"Master Yuan Chen was known as the Master of Hidden Weapons. In the past, he unleashed thirty-three sets of top-tier magical artifacts in one go, single-handedly annihilating three cultivators of the same level..."
"It was after this event that Master Yuan Chen was hailed as the Master of Hidden Weapons in Tianshui County and earned his esteemed title..."
Zhao Wenxuan explained, his voice unable to mask his inner shock. No matter who was ambushed, it shouldn't have been Master Yuan Chen!
Everyone began to speculate, feeling no sense of security whatsoever...
Some even showed clear signs of suspicion and wariness towards those around them.
Seeing many of them disoriented, utterly terrified, and having lost their will to fight, looking like stray dogs, Yang Ye's expression immediately turned to anger.
"Brother Xin Yang, Brother Qian Zheng, Brother Sima Guang, Master Yuan Chen, and the others' blood debts – every single one, I will settle with the Ten Branches Bandit Group."
Yang Ye declared.
After speaking, he did not forget to rally the others.
"Revenge!"
"Revenge!"
"Revenge!"
The Yang family disciples shouted in unison.
...
Xue Tielong, Zhao Wenxuan, Qi Yu, Sima Nan, Zhang Heng, and the others also shouted loudly.
Zhang Heng's eyes darted around, and he suddenly stepped forward, becoming involved in the matter.
As they say, those in the thick of it are blind, but an onlooker sees clearly. Zhang Heng was not a fool; after Wu Tao's reminder, he had figured out many things.
...
After a long period of preparation, due to his own identity, Zhang Heng decided to take the initiative to break the deadlock.
Zhang Heng cupped his hands and said to everyone.
"We've already calculated that only three people had the capability to kill Patriarch Sima Guang in a single strike and had no alibis."
Sun Bin, the owner of the Purple Azure Twin Swords; Master Zhong, the owner of the Golden Book and Silver Brush; and Zhong Dasheng, the owner of the Crystal Hands!"
"We previously analyzed that the killer must possess top-tier magical artifacts capable of piercing defenses. Given the nature of Patriarch Sima Guang's wounds, are there many top-tier magical artifacts with armor-piercing capabilities?"
...
Xue Tielong and Yang Ye immediately flanked Sun Bin, the owner of the Purple Azure Twin Swords, trapping him between them.
Sun Bin, the owner of the Purple Azure Twin Swords, looked furious, but facing the even angrier crowd, he was helpless.
Zhang Heng shook his head and said in a somewhat flustered tone, "Hold on, hold on..."
"I didn't say Sun Bin, the owner of the Purple Azure Twin Swords, was the killer, why are you in such a hurry?"
The crowd turned back in surprise, their eyes seeming to ask, 'Then what was the point of what you said earlier?'
Zhang Heng waved his hand and explained, "Imagine the might of Sun Bin, the owner of the Purple Azure Twin Swords. Everyone here knows about it..."
"Doesn't Patriarch Sima Guang know? Is Patriarch Sima Guang such a careless person? No, right?"
At this point, everyone understood.
Among the three suspects, besides Sun Bin, the other two, Master Zhong, the owner of the Golden Book and Silver Brush, and Zhong Dasheng, the owner of the Crystal Hands, the killer could be inferred just by their names.
Zhong Dasheng coldly retorted, "This is all your one-sided statement..."
However, Zhang Heng, still somewhat uncertain, felt his heart finally at ease after hearing this stubborn retort.
...
His tone grew even more assertive.
"It's simple to verify if it's our one-sided statement. As long as Zhong Dasheng first produces the Golden Book and Silver Brush and verifies if they have armor-piercing capabilities, isn't that enough?"
"If my deductions are wrong, I am willing to kneel and apologize to you."
...
Zhong Dasheng replied with great unwillingness, "Even if I've concealed the armor-piercing capabilities, it doesn't prove anything..."
"Many people do this. How can there be absolute trust between people?"
"..."
"Yes, you are right, there is no absolute trust in interactions between people..."
"Therefore, whether you admit it or not is not important. What matters is whether everyone still believes your words at this moment!"
...
There was no one left around Zhong Dasheng.
Yang Ye, Xue Tielong, Qi Yu, Sima Nan, and others formed a pincer formation from all directions, trapping him in the center.
Zhong Dasheng sneered at the situation, patted his storage bag, and took out his famous top-tier magical artifact, the Golden Book and Silver Brush.
"Break!"
Zhong Dasheng roared, his silver brush held straight, its gleaming tip scattering countless cold glints.
The golden book, in conjunction with the silver brush, scattered a multitude of golden dust.
...
However, facing the encirclement of Yang Ye, Xue Tielong, Qi Yu, Sima Nan, and the others, he couldn't last even an hour before his head was severed.
After eliminating the spy from the Ten Branches Bandit Group hidden among them, there was no excessive joy on their faces, as Zhong Dasheng was not the only spy.
Xue Tielong broke the silence that had fallen over everyone.
Xue Tielong, without any warning, pointed his spear at Bai Shuangxue.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, Xue Tielong said, "Madam Bai Shuangxue, you are likely the other spy from the Ten Branches Bandit Group!"
Upon hearing Xue Tielong's words, all eyes turned to Bai Shuangxue.
The beautiful widow, who had maintained a smile until now, became expressionless.
"That's right. Yuan Chen, that lecherous scoundrel, was indeed killed by me. Not only that, but my husband, Song Jia, was also killed by me."
Facing Xue Tielong's accusation, Bai Shuangxue readily admitted to it without any dispute.
Facing the indignant accusations of the crowd, Bai Shuangxue laughed maniacally for a long time before slowly recounting an event from many years ago.
It turned out that Bai Shuangxue had not willingly married Song Jia.
Over twenty years ago, she was a young girl.
Her parents took her to Song Jia's home to visit, but unexpectedly, Song Jia was a beast with a human face and a beast's heart. While her parents were not paying attention, he defiled the young Bai Shuangxue.
To protect their daughter's reputation, her parents grudgingly married her off to Song Jia.
But what normal woman would like or fall in love with a man like a pig?
The final outcome was that Bai Shuangxue joined the Ten Branches Bandit Group for revenge, becoming a tool for killing.
As for why Yuan Chen was ambushed and killed by Bai Shuangxue.
It was because Yuan Chen was a pervert who liked married women. As a result of his own lust, he lost his life.
Knowing that she could not escape, Bai Shuangxue did not wait to be surrounded and attacked. She took her own life, her body turning into a ball of flame, eventually turning to ash.
This stubborn and tragic woman, even in death, refused to suffer any further humiliation.
...
Following this, with Wu Tao's covert guidance, Zhang Heng, as if descended from the heavens...
He directly identified the remaining members of the Ten Branches Bandit Group within Yangjiabao, one by one.
And these individuals were, without exception, all annihilated by the combined efforts of the crowd.
However, the Yang family, led by Yang Ye, did not appear particularly happy during this process...
In fact, for a period, Yang Ye's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
The next morning, before dawn, the Yang family disciples had decorated everywhere, shaking off the tragedy of the previous day.
Although many buildings within the fortress were still in ruins, and there were still colorful bloodstains in a few inconspicuous corners.
However, the heroism and sorrow of yesterday had gradually faded, replaced by the joy of victory.
As everyone in Yangjiabao began to hold a celebration banquet, the atmosphere inside was lively, and their vigilance seemed to have significantly lowered.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone suddenly found they could not muster the slightest bit of spiritual power throughout their bodies.
The Yang family disciples, who had not touched a single chopstick, all stood up simultaneously.
In their hands, they held their respective favored magical artifacts, their faces filled with fierce glares as they looked at the banquet guests.
"What do you Yang family members want? Are you trying to discard the tools after their use?"
"Bastards, if it weren't for us, you would have all died long ago."
Someone shouted mournfully.
...
Yang Ye, leading a group of people, had already arrived at the front of the banquet hall.