Chapter 686 - 685: Ah Yuan Is Missing
Zhuo Pengju and the other three widened their eyes in disbelief.
He gasped, "You’re saying..."
Xia Wenjin calmly said, "I currently lack evidence; it’s merely a guess. However, my second and third uncles haven’t offended anyone since arriving in the Capital City. Few have the capability, power, and motive to target them. Also, they were originally targeting my second and third uncles, but they managed to drag my father in as well. It’s clearly aimed at Haotian Village, which is quite obvious."
Zhuo Pengju remained silent.
Xia Wenjin sighed, "Now my second and third uncles are deeply grateful to Huangfu Yuxuan, complying with his every word. So, I have such suspicions, but it’s inconvenient to tell them. To avoid them thinking I’m sowing discord, or because I’m trying to break off the engagement, so I slander them. Uncles, just listen, if it’s not him, that’s good, if it is, there might be other actions to follow. Be more cautious while handling matters in the Capital City."
Zhuo Pengju and the other two nodded quickly.
Xia Wenjin chatted with them for a while longer, worrying they might feel uncomfortable living there. Fortunately, they were all carefree Jianghu people, unbothered by trivialities, and didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.
The three were going for breakfast, but Xia Wenjin had already eaten at the Prime Minister’s Mansion and didn’t accompany them, returning to her room.
When she came out again, more than an hour had passed.
Xia Wenjin asked Gu Heng to prepare a carriage; she needed to go out.
It was the same green cloth carriage, while the other spacious carriage at Xia Mansion was told to Zhuo Pengju and the others that they could use it if they wanted to go out.
As they left Xia Mansion, Gu Heng said in a low voice, "Miss, a message from Xue Niang, Ah Yuan is missing!"
Xia Wenjin calmly asked, "When?"
"The day before yesterday!"
"Did he send back any message before disappearing?"
"No!" Gu Heng said, "Should we send someone to investigate?"
Xia Wenjin shook her head, "No need!"
Ah Yuan has martial arts skills and works under Xue Niang; even if he encountered danger, at the very least, he would be able to send out some message.
Since there was none, it indicates that Ah Yuan left willingly with someone.
At this time, Ah Yuan should have been found by his family. Who knows if the next time they meet, Ah Yuan will still be the same.
Xia Wenjin added, "I know where he’s gone, tell Xue Niang there’s no need to attend to it!"
"Yes!"
Gu Heng asked, "Ling Xiao found a place as Feiyun Pavilion’s base in the Capital City, would you like to take a look?"
Xia Wenjin said, "Yes, let’s go take a look now!"
Gu Heng immediately guided the horse; the moving carriage turned a corner and headed down another street.
The carriage traveled for about half an hour before stopping at a place.
Gu Heng said, "Miss, we’ve arrived!"
It was a solemn-looking mansion gate, reportedly once an Uncle Mansion. The Lord had committed a crime, resulting in his title being revoked and his exile a thousand miles away, and the house confiscated and auctioned by the authorities.
Although the location wasn’t on the main street, it was quite spacious.
Xia Wenjin got off the carriage, and Gu Heng had already knocked on the door knocker. The large door opened, and a vigorous and spirited young man popped his head out. Seeing Gu Heng, he immediately said, "Brother Gu, it’s you!"
Gu Heng asked, "Where is Master Ling?"
"Inside!" The young man didn’t recognize Xia Wenjin but just glanced at her. Facing Xia Wenjin’s beauty, he didn’t show any curiosity or disrespect.
Xia Wenjin knew that Ling Xiao’s trained people wouldn’t be lacking.
Gu Heng said, "Please, Miss!"
Seeing Gu Heng’s respect towards Xia Wenjin, the young man had a thought but didn’t dare to ask more, and went in to report.
After a while, Ling Xiao personally came to welcome her. Seeing Xia Wenjin, he knelt down on one knee and greeted, "Pavilion Master!"
Xia Wenjin nodded, "No need for formalities. Is everything going smoothly?"
Ling Xiao smiled, "With Silver, everything went unbelievably smoothly."
Xia Wenjin deeply looked at Ling Xiao. In her past life, Ling Xiao had lost an arm, was somber and cold, never smiled and always had a paralyzed expression, with only occasional ruthlessness when killing.
But the current Ling Xiao was smiling.
Xia Wenjin already knew Ling Xiao’s story.
That time Xia Wenjin saved him, detoxifying him, after which he declined her care, healed quietly in a place of his own, then silently returned to Tianwu Sect.
His senior brother Pan Bai, after successfully framing him, indeed gained their master’s favor. Their master decided to marry his daughter to Pan Bai, and once the daughter and son-in-law were married, to hand over the Tianwu Sect to the son-in-law. From then on, he planned to live by his beloved wife’s grave, no longer concerning himself with Jianghu affairs.
Ling Xiao’s junior sister Susu, who had quietly admired the ambitious yet solitary youth, cried every day after their mother’s murder, believing her affections had been misgiven to a heartless dog. The grief from her mother’s death left her emaciated, spiritless.
So their master’s decision wasn’t refused by his junior sister Susu.
Pan Bai thought Ling Xiao, heavily injured and having ingested a deadly poison, must have died somewhere, his corpse consumed by wild dogs.
He felt secure, happily preparing for his marriage.
Ling Xiao arrived on the very day Pan Bai and Susu were to be married.
Just as they were about to bow to Heaven and Earth in the wedding hall, two bloodied figures were suddenly thrown inside—Pan Bai’s followers, with Ling Xiao appearing like a demon in the wedding hall.
The Tianwu Sect Leader saw Ling Xiao, his eyes almost overflowing with killing intent.
He had once valued Ling Xiao, appreciating his potential and effort, treating him like a son. His daughter liked him, and he hesitated—a longtime disciple or the orphan Ling Xiao.
His wife’s words persuaded him, so he tacitly approved.
But in the end, his wife died tragically, remaining as she was.
And now the culprit comes to disrupt his daughter’s wedding?
The Tianwu Sect Leader was about to act when the two bloodied men confessed their crimes, revealing how they helped Pan Bai drug, murder, stage the scene, and frame Ling Xiao. Their roles were detailed and precise.
The whole wedding hall was in an uproar.
The death of the Tianwu Sect Leader’s Wife was rumored to be a sudden illness, yet now it seemed to be murder? And the senior disciple framing the junior?
Pan Bai knew things were bad upon seeing Ling Xiao and insisted that Ling Xiao forcefully coerced those two, claiming it wasn’t true, and that the murder was Ling Xiao’s doing.
But the Tianwu Sect Leader wasn’t a fool. Some details in the confession had been investigated multiple times post his wife’s death, and Ling Xiao couldn’t have known them. It meant the confessions couldn’t be fabricated under duress by those two.
If what they said were true, then wasn’t he utterly embarrassed?
While everyone was stunned, Ling Xiao brought more evidence against Pan Bai.