The Murder Case in Koshancheng

The morning in Kaoshan City was still shrouded in gray mist. Chu Liang and Yun Chaoxian set out early, arriving at the outskirts of the city just before dawn, before the first rays of sunlight touched the horizon. They stood outside a vast compound.

The high walls of the estate were entwined with iron wire, resembling thorns; only a corner of the flying eaves was visible from outside. The surroundings were silent, the main gate tightly closed.

“The echo of the Heavenly Sound Wave is inside. Let’s rush in now and catch him off guard,” Yun Chaoxian urged impatiently.

“Wait,” Chu Liang grabbed the halberd strapped to Yun Chaoxian’s back, halting his advance.

“Hm?” Yun Chaoxian blinked in surprise. “Brother Chu, why are you holding my halberd?”

Chu Liang was momentarily speechless. He took a deep breath and explained, “It’s too quiet around here. Something feels off.”

“At this hour, isn’t it normal to be quiet?” Yun Chaoxian asked, puzzled.

Chu Liang shook his head. “I just used my spiritual sense to scan the entire front courtyard. It’s completely empty—too unusual.”

His spiritual sense could only reach the front courtyard, yet there wasn’t a single person. Not only was it devoid of people; even insects and birds were absent, making the place eerily strange.

“What should we do then?” Though confused, Yun Chaoxian took Chu Liang’s words to heart.

“Let’s observe for now.”

With that, Chu Liang led Yun Chaoxian to hide in a nearby alley, crouching low to watch the compound.

Only moments later, hurried footsteps echoed, accompanied by the sound of wind manipulation. Turning to look, they saw a squad of constables in black, armed with blades, rushing from the end of the street at a brisk pace.

The constables of Kaoshan City were generally at the second cultivation stage, their captain at the third—already considered an expert in the city. In this ordinary border town, such a configuration was expected.

The squad dashed forward; two kicked open the gate, several vaulted onto the walls, and others entered through various routes.

As soon as some stepped into the front courtyard, a ripple of demonic energy spread out.

With a hiss—

The plants in the front yard suddenly extended, transforming into long vines and ropes that entangled the entering officials, flinging them wildly through the air.

Several weaker cultivators were thrown into chaos, but thankfully more constables arrived to assist, swiftly cutting down the vines with their blades.

“As expected, there’s something amiss,” Chu Liang whispered, scanning the scene with his spiritual sense.

These plants were not monsters but had been enchanted with demonic arts—similar to a formation—that activated upon entry, creating trouble for intruders.

Immediately, the constables surged into the rear courtyard.

A wave of blood spread in an instant!

Corpses littered the ground—about a dozen, all slain in brutal fashion, blood flowing like a river.

“If we had rushed in earlier and been held up by the formation in the front yard, then entered the rear courtyard just as the officials arrived, we would have been caught red-handed,” Chu Liang finally understood the purpose behind this arrangement.

“At that moment, the demon could escape and frame us for the crime.”

Though the constables were unlikely to have the strength to detain the two of them, being discovered at the crime scene would still cause trouble.

If they stayed, they might have difficulty explaining themselves and be detained until the truth was uncovered. If they forced their way out, their sects would eventually be found, and the imperial authorities would pressure the Heavenly Firmament Sect and the Shu Mountain Sect. The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would never tolerate disciples defying the law.

No matter how things unfolded, by the time they cleared their names, the demon envoy would have already left the city.

“How cunning!” Yun Chaoxian exclaimed, seeing the situation clearly. “If it weren’t for your wisdom, Brother Chu, I’d have fallen right into the trap.”

“That’s why it’s always better to stay calm in face of danger,” Chu Liang replied with a gentle smile.

“But…” Yun Chaoxian wondered, “It seems like this setup was crafted especially for us?”

“It probably was,” Chu Liang said. “The demon envoy must have already received news about the events at Hidden Forest Mountain. Since you managed to track him there, it’s not surprising he realized you left some magical trace on him. With such a cunning foe, the same trick rarely works twice.”

“Ah?” Yun Chaoxian suddenly understood. “My Heavenly Sound Wave was countered? Damn, now I can’t catch him anymore.”

“No rush, let’s go back first,” Chu Liang said, turning away.

…

Not long after the two returned to the inn, the official announcement was released.

Last night, a heinous massacre took place in the city—a family of seventeen was wiped out, the murderer escaped.

The victims were a family of medicine merchants in Kaoshan City, and indeed, several precious medicines were stolen from their home. Among them, the most valuable was a Nethersea Golden Lotus.

Preliminary judgment suggested the murders were for profit. The authorities immediately sealed the city and offered a large reward for information about the perpetrator and the whereabouts of the Nethersea Golden Lotus.

Kaoshan City borders the Southern Domain Mountains, where adventurers regularly risk their lives as herbalists, collecting rare treasures to sell in town. Thus, the city had many medicine merchants like the victims, and the sudden tragedy left everyone on edge.

The authorities treated the matter with utmost seriousness.

“Nethersea Golden Lotus…”

Chu Liang murmured the name after reading the notice.

He vaguely recalled that the entity called “Sha” in the Soul Realm had mentioned it before. To cultivate the third layer of the Five Elements Stage, he needed treasures of the yin and water attributes. Nethersea demons were an ideal choice.

The Nethersea Golden Lotus was one such treasure.

It could help cultivators break through the fifth stage, proving its immense value.

Moreover, it originated south of the Southern Domain, growing in the Nethersea at the extreme south. It was exceedingly rare near the Southern Domain Mountains.

“I truly can’t sense his whereabouts anymore,” Yun Chaoxian tried several times, but the Heavenly Sound Wave yielded no response.

The earlier echo at the crime scene was just bait set by the demon envoy.

“It’s fine. Sometimes intelligence backfires on the clever,” Chu Liang analyzed. “He probably reported the crime himself, hoping to throw you into the spotlight, draw the authorities’ attention, and slip away amidst the chaos. But… since we didn’t fall for his trap, and the authorities failed to catch the suspect, they sealed the city immediately.”

“The gates were still closed when the crime occurred, so the demon envoy most likely is trapped inside.”

“If he tries to leave Kaoshan City by force, unless he has some secret route, he’ll certainly attract the authorities’ attention. As a demon in Yu Dynasty territory, he wouldn’t dare take such a risk. Until then, we still have a chance to catch him inside the city.”

Yun Chaoxian stared wide-eyed at Chu Liang’s calm analysis, feeling lost with every step, unable to fully grasp each sentence.

Yet, when Chu Liang finished, he nodded enthusiastically. “Brother Chu, you’re right… That’s just what I was thinking.”

After mulling it over for a while, he couldn’t help but ask, “So, where do we go to catch him?”

“Let me think; there must be a way,” Chu Liang replied serenely.

Once Yun Chaoxian left, Chu Liang didn’t rack his brains alone. Instead, he took out the Soul Arrest Token.

Whether the authorities or themselves, both counted as forces of the righteous path.

But perspective always has its limits.

To investigate matters like this, sometimes it was best to consult the brothers in the underworld.

He infused his spiritual sense into the Soul Arrest Token and sent out a message.