The Shi Clan Citadel was not a prestigious family that had been passed down for many generations. To be precise, it was precisely because of Shi Tianqi, a martial arts tycoon, that they had slowly become what they were today. They did not have a strong foundation and their elders were not strong. When the Citadel Master was suddenly killed, everyone was terrified and helpless. It was noisy and chaotic. Ling Yue's appearance at this time was naturally seen as a life-saving straw.
"Does anyone in the Citadel know why your father went out?" Ling Yue had roamed the Jianghu for many years. After the initial shock and grief, he sorted out his thoughts and asked Shi Xiaodang and Shi Xiaoxiu the most important question.
Mengqi kept his saber and sword in the Space Ring. His hands hung naturally by his side and he stood there like a pine tree. He did not interrupt and listened quietly.
The Shi family was not related to him, so he did not need to spend too much effort on them. However, if he could find something wrong, he did not mind helping them. After all, everyone in the Jianghu knew that "Killing Blade" Su Meng had always been chivalrous!
Shi Xiaodang and Shi Xiaoxiu looked at each other and shook their heads sorrowfully. "After nightfall, we asked Housekeeper Zhou and the servants who served father. They only knew that father left the study in a hurry at dusk. He looked solemn and left the Citadel in the blink of an eye."
Housekeeper Zhou and the others nodded to support the two young masters.
Ling Yue sighed. "Actually, I had a life-and-death duel with your father tonight to reach the second step of the Celestial Ladder. Young Master Su was the witness. However, I waited for half a night and did not see your father, so I came looking for you."
Shi Xiaoxiu and Shi Xiaodang's faces turned pale when they heard the first half of the sentence. Could it be that father died under Uncle Ling's rod? They had a life-and-death duel and there were witnesses. They must have signed a corresponding contract. If that was the case, they could not even openly talk about revenge.
After listening to him, they quietly heaved a sigh of relief. Glancing at the handsome and calm Meng Qi, they hurriedly said, "Could it be that my father left in a hurry to attend the appointment with you, Uncle, and was assassinated on the way?"
They had seen Meng Qi's image in Changle, so they could confirm that the man in front of them was the real deal. Su Meng, the Killing Blade, was famous for his chivalry. Even though he had been slandered by the heterodoxy, Chu Yang Genuine Immortal had tried his best to clarify the matter. With him as a witness, there was no doubt that their father had not kept the appointment.
Ling Yue shook his head and said, "The Old Beggar and Young Hero Su met by chance and later asked him to be a witness. It's impossible for the person who tried to assassinate your father to know about this in advance. Why didn't he wait for your father and the Old Beggar to fight until both of them were badly injured?
The first function of a witness was to be a person of virtue and prestige. Their words would carry weight and people would believe them. The second function was to prevent people from using underhanded methods in a life-and-death battle, such as ambushing helpers. The third function was to prevent people from taking advantage of the situation and reaping the benefits.
"Moreover, your father is not someone who did not leave any instructions. It was a life-and-death duel and he would definitely leave you a few words before he left. He left in such a hurry because he had other important matters to attend to," Ling Yue deduced.
At this point, he said seriously, "I made a promise with your father that if I were to die in the battle of life and death, he would treat my disciple as his direct disciple. If he were to die, the matter of the Shi Clan Citadel would be my matter. I would go through water and tread on fire, I would not hesitate to die. Although the battle of life and death did not succeed, I would still bear the responsibility."
These words greatly stabilized the hearts of the people in the Shi Clan Citadel. Shi Xiaoxiu, who was holding on, immediately burst into tears. She cried miserably.
Mengqi, who was dressed in a green robe and had been teaching Tao Te Ching for many days, suddenly said, "Judging from the current situation, Fort Master Shi was not going to meet the life-and-death duel. If he had arranged it beforehand, he would not have set the date of the duel to be today. Would he be able to keep his body and mind in peak condition after finishing other matters? Obviously not. "
"That is to say, there was an emergency that required him to leave the citadel. Since it was an emergency, how did it reach him? We should be able to find some clues by following this train of thought. "
Ling Yue, Housekeeper Zhou, and the rest were not newbies who had just entered Jianghu. They should have thought of this earlier, but they kept wondering if Shi Tianqi had left a message or a note. Now that Mengqi had clearly explained it to them, they immediately came to a realization.
Housekeeper Zhou exclaimed, "After dinner, I seemed to have heard birds chirping from the study. I did not pay much attention to it at that time, but now that I think about it, it must have been a secret message!"
Shi Xiaodang and his sister were very excited. They turned around and ran to Shi Tianqi's study. Ling Yue looked solemn and followed closely behind them. Mengqi slowly caught up.
Shi Tianqi's study was very tidy. Brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and books were arranged neatly according to their categories, showing the meticulous and disliked clutter.
"This kind of person would not put things randomly. They must be where they should be …" Mengqi made this judgment after a glance.
Because of this, Shi Xiaoxiu had only looked at the place where Shi Tianqi had placed his note and did not look at other places. Now, she walked to a bookshelf and opened the secret door. She took out the secret report that had been placed in chronological order and pulled out the last one.
It could not be called a letter. It was only a small note the width of an index finger. On it was a drawing of an eagle, a golden tent, and a wolf with a broken tail. The three drawings overlapped each other in a strange way and were extremely difficult to imitate. It looked like a child's scribble. Other than that, there were only three words on the note: "Stream of Fallen Souls".
"Stream of Fallen Souls?" Shi Xiaodang suddenly turned around, his eyes red.
The terrain of the Stream of Fallen Souls was steep and the scenery was beautiful. It was only two to three hundred miles away from the Shi Clan Citadel. He was very familiar with it!
"Wait." Ling Yue raised his hand to stop Shi Xiaodang and pointed at the strange drawing. "Is this a secret mark?"
Shi Xiaodang and Shi Xiaoxiu shook their heads blankly. Only Housekeeper Zhou gasped and said, "Lone Wolf!"
"Lone Wolf?" Mengqi thought of the grassland when he heard the name, not to mention the eagle and the golden tent.
Housekeeper Zhou gritted his teeth and said, "This is one of the secrets of the fort. Only the fort master and I know about it."
"The fort master is inextricably linked with the Gao family of Changle, Huamei Heights, and other aristocratic families. He has always helped them find out the secrets of the grassland when trading. Later, he secretly trained a grassland orphan and sent him to the golden tent. Because of our information, he made many contributions and won the trust of Gourdo. This wolf with a broken tail, the golden tent, and the eagle is his secret mark."
The trusted spy of the golden tent suddenly left the grassland and returned to the North Zhou Dynasty. The information he brought must be very important and urgent. It could not wait for the normal process … No wonder Shi Tianqi looked serious and left in a hurry without leaving a word! Mengqi thought thoughtfully.
Ling Yue was famous for fighting against the grassland. He dared not delay and flew to the Stream of Fallen Souls with Housekeeper Zhou.
Mengqi had received the kindness of Huamei Heights and the Pure Sun Sect many times. Brother Doubi was a member of the royal family of the North Zhou Dynasty. When he heard that it was related to the grassland, he rushed to the Stream of Fallen Souls with them.
The Shi siblings had only enlightened the Apertures. They had no choice but to ask an Elder of the Exterior to take them.
The Stream of the Fallen Souls was not far away. It did not take long for Meng Qi and the others to fly above. They saw a stream that split the mountain range, rushing like a waterfall, stirring up a mist that filled the air, making it look like a fairyland.
Mengqi opened his Third Eye and looked down. He found traces of it and immediately landed.
This was a forest beside the stream. Right now, with a certain point as the center, there were signs of a large area of withered trees, and at that point, there were two corpses lying.
"Castle Lord!" Housekeeper Zhou squinted his eyes and shouted sorrowfully.
Ling Yue's eyes were red and sorrowful. He walked to one of the corpses and threw himself on the ground. He was wearing a black robe made of a special material. It was obviously a Precious Weapon. There was a thin wound on the back of his head.
The corpse was turned over. The Shi siblings who had just arrived burst into tears. It was Shi Tianqi. There were no other wounds on his body except for the one on the back of his head.
Ling Yue was thinking when he saw Mengqi walk over. He squatted down to take a closer look and asked expectantly, "Did you find anything?"
"He killed with one stroke. The control of the Sword Qi was excellent. It destroyed the Vital Spirit and minced the brain, but it did not spread out. For the killer, this was the lowest consumption and left room to guard against any sudden changes." Mengqi said as he looked. "With the killer's strength, if the Sword Qi were to fully erupt, it would be enough to destroy the surrounding mountains, not to mention the corpses. But he did not do so. Fort Master Shi's robe, Precious Weapon, and Space Ring are all here. This means that the killer immediately fled after the attack and did not do anything else."
"This is the purest assassin, an assassin who can overcome his greed."
Ling Yue's expression changed. "The Green or Blue Stair Assassin from the Unrelenting Tower was here to silence him!"
The Green or Blue Stair Assassin from the Unrelenting Tower? Shi Xiaoxiu's body swayed and she almost fainted.
Revenge on the Unrelenting Tower? It seemed that no one had ever succeeded!
The corpse beside him had the distinct appearance of a grassland man. It should be the spy from the Golden Tribe. However, his body had been completely shredded by the Sword Qi. With a light touch, it turned into ashes, leaving no trace behind. If it was not for the fact that there was no wind, Meng Qi and the others would not have been able to see the corpse!
This was not because the assassin was unprofessional. It must have been the employer's request to destroy the corpse!
"The intelligence must be important to be able to hire the Green and Blue Stair Assassins from the Unrelenting Tower." Mengqi frowned slightly. It seemed that the clues had been cut off.
Shi Xiaodang and Shi Xiaoxiu opened their Space Rings but found nothing. They could only put away their father's Precious Weapon and carry his body. They said with a sorrowful expression, "I wonder who found the Unrelenting Tower …"
"It's most likely the Golden Tribe. This is even more dangerous than the Unrelenting Tower …" Mengqi sighed. He did not know what was brewing in the grassland.
Unfortunately, the clues had been cut off!
Just then, Mengqi had a premonition. He suddenly closed his eyes and felt that there was a shadow hidden in the depths of the mist. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the shadow. He was quietly watching them. Patient, focused, and terrifying!
"The Blue Stair Assassin from the Unrelenting Tower?" The thought flashed through Mengqi's mind. He did not even have time to take out his sword. He used his palm as a weapon and was on full alert.
The shadow seemed to have sensed Mengqi's perception. It retreated slightly and disappeared into the mountain stream.
"Young Master Su?" Ling Yue, Shi Xiaoxiu, and the others were stunned by Mengqi's reaction.
Mengqi exhaled and said in a low voice, "The Green and Blue Stair Assassins from the Unrelenting Tower are still nearby."
He paused and said solemnly,
"This means that there are still clues that have not been erased!"
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