Early the next morning, after agreeing on how they would rendezvous later, Fang Shaobai set off toward the east ahead of the others.
Wang Yu arranged for Zhao He to return to Longshan Prefecture with word that he would be delayed a few more days in Chuanxi Circuit. Then, taking Zhao Shan, Sun Wenzhu, and Leng Jiangzhu with him, he headed south toward Qushui Prefecture.
Qushui Prefecture was located in Chuannan Circuit, facing Ningyuan Prefecture across the Qushui River from south to north. The north bank was Chuanxi Circuit, while the south bank was Chuannan Circuit.
"It was in the prefectural city of Qushui that we spotted Shangguan Tusu," Sun Wenzhu said.
That day, Sun Wenzhu and Leng Jiangzhu had been returning from gathering medicinal herbs to the west when they happened to see a middle-aged man eating noodles at a roadside stall. The moment Sun Wenzhu caught sight of a slight habit in how the man swung his arm, it struck him like a bolt from the blue.
Without betraying any emotion, he led Leng Jiangzhu to the adjacent table and observed the man out of the corner of his eye.
The man was gaunt, with a half-beard along his jawline, high cheekbones, and a sallow complexion—the very picture of a malnourished middle-aged fellow.
Yet Sun Wenzhu had Shangguan Tusu's image burned into his mind. Studying the nuances around his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes, he instantly became certain that this was indeed Shangguan Tusu beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Before this, Sun Wenzhu had never known that Shangguan Tusu possessed the craft of disguise. While his skill was not as ingenious as a human-skin mask and the makeup was far from exquisite, unless someone knew him intimately, they truly would never have recognized him.
Sun Wenzhu immediately fixed his sights on Shangguan Tusu, tailing him from a distance until he watched him enter an inn.
Once they determined which room he had taken, Sun Wenzhu and Leng Jiangzhu booked an adjacent room in the inn next door, whereupon Sun Wenzhu hurried to concoct his poisons.
That night, a figure clad in black came looking for Shangguan Tusu, and the two departed together under the moonlight.
Naturally, Sun Wenzhu and Leng Jiangzhu dared not follow. Instead, they quickly wrote a letter, slipped it into Shangguan Tusu's room while he was away, and left the city for a mountain god temple where they had previously stayed to lay their trap.
The letter warned Shangguan Tusu that Sun Wenzhu had already uncovered evidence of him murdering the old valley master. If he did not obediently come to the rendezvous, Sun Wenzhu would expose the matter to the world and ruin his reputation!
And Shangguan Tusu came. Yet he came entirely alone, unaccompanied by anyone else.
Wang Yu asked, "He went?"
Sun Wenzhu replied, "He went!"
Wang Yu's eyes flickered with thought. "Go on."
Sun Wenzhu said, "That is all of it. What followed was that we poisoned each other, and then I fled. So we never found out who that black-clad figure was, nor did we learn whom he took Shangguan Tusu to see."
Leng Jiangzhu chimed in, "That black-clad person's martial arts were not high—not even Xiantian. He was definitely not the mastermind."
Shangguan Tusu was the Valley Master of Huichun Valley, a Xiantian Grandmaster. Anyone who could make him go out of his way to meet them in person was certainly no ordinary figure!
Wang Yu asked, "How do you know he came here to meet someone, rather than to carry out some clandestine deed?"
Sun Wenzhu replied, "Because no news of any disturbance broke in Qushui Prefecture afterward."
Wang Yu pondered in silence, murmuring under his breath, "You claimed to have found evidence of him murdering the old valley master, and so he went."
Sun Wenzhu nodded. "Indeed."
"It could be explained by curiosity, I suppose." Wang Yu gave it some thought. "Tell me in detail about what happened when you met him—especially his expressions and your conversation."
"Alright." Sun Wenzhu began to recall.
Early morning, at the mountain god temple.
Sun Wenzhu had been sitting beneath the cobweb-draped idol of the mountain god when he heard footsteps approaching from the entrance.
Shangguan Tusu had walked in, his strides hurried, brimming with intense killing intent.
Catching sight of Sun Wenzhu, his very first words were, "You know I killed Sun Baisu."
Sun Wenzhu opened his eyes, his gaze icy. "Indeed."
Shangguan Tusu's ears twitched. Hearing no other stirrings, he said with equal coldness, "You claim to possess evidence that I murdered the old valley master?"
Having successfully lured Shangguan Tusu there, Sun Wenzhu had felt rather triumphant. "If I had not said so, would you have come?"
Then Sun Wenzhu noticed Shangguan Tusu's expression shift. At the time, he assumed Shangguan Tusu was merely enraged at realizing he had walked into a trap.
Shangguan Tusu stared intently at Sun Wenzhu. "In truth, you knew back then that I was the one who killed Sun Baisu. That night you met with me, you already knew it was me."
Killing intent also surfaced in Sun Wenzhu's eyes. "Indeed."
Shangguan Tusu's gaze flickered. "Back then, you feared I would kill you, so you falsely claimed that you had told others about the valley master's murder. But in truth, you told no one at all."
Sun Wenzhu took a deep breath. "Because at that time, I never imagined you were the killer."
Shangguan Tusu sneered coldly. "Just as this time, you falsely claimed to hold evidence, when in truth you have nothing."
Sun Wenzhu had sneered back, "I only needed you to come so that I could kill you."
Shangguan Tusu could not help but laugh. "You, kill me?"
Years ago, Shangguan Tusu had already attained the Xiantian realm and could have slain Sun Wenzhu at any moment, yet he had missed his chance after being bluffed by Sun Wenzhu's hollow threats.
Now he had ascended to become a Grandmaster, while Sun Wenzhu remained a mere Houtian expert. The disparity between them had only widened—how could Sun Wenzhu hope to kill him?
As for using poison—
Shangguan Tusu was equally confident, for he was a master of poisons himself!
And so they fought.
Shangguan Tusu had been too confident. He had no idea that Sun Wenzhu had been preparing for that moment for three whole years, having recently gathered the final ingredient—the Nine-Veined White Parasol—to concoct the Three-Phase Three-Extinction Powder, a toxin potent enough to bring down a Grandmaster.
Thus, misfortune struck Shangguan Tusu; he was very nearly poisoned to death right there on the spot!
Regrettably, Sun Wenzhu's cultivation was still too weak, and Shangguan Tusu's resistance to poison was formidable indeed. Falling one move short, Sun Wenzhu had to flee for his life.
Of course, Shangguan Tusu had hardly come away unscathed either.
Wang Yu sighed softly. "You missed a golden opportunity."
By now, Sun Wenzhu also recognized the mistake he had made. "I did not think through it back then."
Evidently, the person Shangguan Tusu had met that night was very likely connected to the poisoning of Old Valley Master Sun. Coinciding with Sun Wenzhu's letter, Shangguan Tusu had believed his secret had been exposed, which drove him to rush over to silence the witness.
He had not expected to be duped by Sun Wenzhu once again.
Yet at the same time, he had successfully bluffed Sun Wenzhu into revealing that he possessed no evidence whatsoever.
Thus, upon returning to Huichun Valley, Shangguan Tusu immediately pinned the crime of poisoning the old valley master onto Sun Wenzhu's head, crafting a thoroughly plausible explanation in the process.
Sun Wenzhu was cast as a villain who betrayed his master, repaid kindness with malice, and killed to silence witnesses, while Shangguan Tusu appeared as a magnanimous gentleman who repaid hatred with virtue and suffered tragic entanglement.
"Yet from this, we can also see that these two matters are in fact one and the same," Wang Yu said. "As long as we uncover whom Shangguan Tusu met that night, we will know why he murdered Old Valley Master Sun."
Though uncovering this seemed like a long shot, they at least had a clear direction.
At worst, they could await word from Fang Shaobai. Wang Yu did not believe Shangguan Tusu would never meet with that person again for the rest of his life.
Sun Wenzhu and Leng Jiangzhu looked at Wang Yu. "How do we investigate?"
Wang Yu asked, "Where does one usually go to inquire about the latest jianghu gossip?"
Sun Wenzhu answered at once, "A tavern, of course."
Wang Yu waved a hand. "Let's go!"
And so the group made their way to a tavern that, while not the largest in Qushui Prefecture, was the most bustling and frequented by the greatest number of martial artists.
"Braised cured pork, twice-stewed whitefish, steamed er si, and matsutake chicken soup."
Both Leng Jiangzhu and Sun Wenzhu hailed from Chuanxi Circuit and smoothly ordered several local specialties. The party found seats in a somewhat secluded corner, their ears perking up as they began listening to the rumors swirling around them.
"Good heavens, it is truly rare to see Huichun Valley this furious. The last time someone offended Huichun Valley and prompted them to issue a bounty was ten years ago, wasn't it?"
"It was twelve years ago. A Huichun Valley disciple treated someone whom Lord Qingye had deliberately maimed and tortured. That provoked Lord Qingye's wrath, and he subjected the disciple to lingchi—one thousand and ninety-eight cuts to death."
Another person chimed in, "Huichun Valley issued a bounty, and Lord Qingye did not survive even half a month."
"Back then, Lord Qingye was already at the peak of Xiantian, with hopes of becoming a Grandmaster. Hardly anyone in the jianghu dared cross him, which was why he acted with such brazen disregard and looked down on Huichun Valley."
"Pity for him, the one who set eyes on him was Liu Suifeng—Liu Suifeng the Sword Saint!"
"Huichun Valley's bounty couldn't possibly move someone like Liu Suifeng."
"The Bashan Sect and Huichun Valley have always enjoyed good relations. Word has it that Liu Suifeng was on good terms with Old Valley Master Sun as well, so it was likely just a favor done out of friendship."
"Tsk-tsk. Slaying a Xiantian expert just as a casual favor."
"I wonder if the Bashan Sect will take action this time, and whether Liu Suifeng will come out of seclusion?"
"Stop joking. Sun Wenzhu is an outcast disciple of Huichun Valley who isn't even at the Xiantian realm. How could he be worthy of the Sword Saint drawing his blade?"
"A target like him is a dish left for the likes of us, to see who can claim that White Jade Ginseng King Pill."
"Don't underestimate Sun Wenzhu; that man is a master of poisons!" someone whispered. "Danglu Jun and Linzhong Ke are already dead..."
"Hiss—" A collective gasp went through the crowd. "He managed to kill the Twin Wolves of the Mountains?"
"Not only that. According to tavern gossip, when Valley Master Shangguan returned to Huichun Valley, his complexion was pale with a sickly green tint, and his eyes were laced with dark red blood vessels. Discerning comrades say he might have been poisoned as well."
"Hiss—" Another collective gasp arose. This was even more terrifying than the deaths of the Twin Wolves of the Mountains—Shangguan Tusu was a Xiantian Grandmaster!
"There's more," the speaker added, reveling in the crowd's awe and expectant stares as he showed off his knowledge. "Word has it that Sun Wenzhu has a companion—a heroine from the Meishan Sect. So I reckon the Bashan Sect might not necessarily—"
"Cough, cough!" Several people coughed pointedly.
The speaker came to his senses and immediately held his tongue.
Rumors regarding the Bashan Sect and the Meishan Sect were not something to be tossed about lightly. Who didn't know that the heroines of the Meishan Sect were famously petty? If word spread, Huichun Valley would naturally have nothing to fear, but he himself would be in serious trouble.
Such gossip was meant for private jest among a few acquaintances; no one dared utter it openly in public.
And so they pivoted to another topic.
"Heard that a flower-plucking thief has been committing crimes across the prefecture recently?"
"Indeed. The young ladies of two minor prominent clans in Sanbao County and Shangxu County both had their virtue defiled."
"That was no ordinary flower-plucking thief. Word is that both young ladies suffered severe harm to their vitality; their primal yin might have been plundered."
"Plundering yin to nourish yang?" The listeners were startled. "Could it be a rogue from the Plundering Sect?"
"Not necessarily. It's said someone spotted a bald monk in Sanbao County."
Hearing that, the crowd grew even more frightened. "Could it be a foreign monk from the Snowy Regions Tantric Sect?"
At these words, Wang Yu's brows twitched upward. He exchanged a glance with Sun Wenzhu, a sharp gleam flashing in both their eyes.
A foreign monk from the Snowy Regions Tantric Sect matched their suspected target perfectly!
Chapter 140