Chapter 78: Stirring the Grass to Startle the Snake

The group descended to Willow Heart Study, and tempers flared immediately—red with anger and eyes blazing, they launched into action. Su He moved with swift agility, restraining the leader. “Come with me to a place; the rest can be discussed later.”

The man was startled by Su He’s deft move, his tongue tripping over itself in nervousness. “You… what do you want? I warn you, don’t try anything reckless. Otherwise, you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”

“I mean no harm. Master Lin is a gracious host; I simply wish to invite you all on a tour, nothing more.”

“Really?”

“I do not lie. Master Lin can vouch for me. You must know he too is a victim in this affair. If you don’t trust me, surely you can trust him?”

At this, the man fell silent, exchanging glances with the others. He ground his teeth and finally said, “Fine, you have a point. But I wonder, Master Lin, where do you wish to take us?”

Lin Mao smiled serenely. “That depends on where our executioner wishes to go.”

Su He showed no anger. “Naturally, to where we ought to go. Isn’t that right, Master Lin?”

“Indeed, quite right. If you want to see, I’ll let you see. But if you can’t give us a satisfactory explanation afterward, don’t blame us for showing no mercy.”

With that, he turned and led the group through a moon gate and into a shadowy corridor.

Much as when Su He first arrived, several of the party missed their footing and perished, leaving not a trace behind. Those quick enough to react managed to save themselves at the last moment.

The leader silently thanked his luck for falling into Su He’s grasp; otherwise, in this deadly place, they’d have died without knowing how—far too treacherous and difficult to navigate.

Lin Mao understood Su He’s intentions, but he too couldn’t afford to sit and wait for death. If you wish to see, then see. If you don’t come, so be it, but if you do, I’ll make you speechless and unable to escape.

As Su He entered, he noticed Lin Mao’s composure and felt a sense of foreboding. Clearly, something had changed, and he would have to act according to circumstance. This approach, though seemingly reckless, was in fact the most effective and direct under the circumstances.

Both men kept their thoughts to themselves, walking in silence. The journey was uneventful.

When they reached the entrance to the cave, Lin Mao stopped, his tone cool and distant. “Beyond here lies the place you seek. Are you sure you’re ready?”

With no other choice, Su He braced himself. “Thank you for your concern, Master Lin. Please lead the way.”

“Hmph. Don’t regret it,” Lin Mao snorted, and strode on ahead.

Upon entering the Hall of the Divine Maiden, Su He was stunned. As expected, changes had been made—no wonder Lin Mao was so unperturbed. He had prepared in advance.

The hall, once mysterious and haunting, was draped in red gauze as before. Yet all items related to the Divine Maiden were gone. Though the place had once been ravaged by fire, and even the fiercest blaze leaves some ashes behind, the newly restored chamber now appeared as a woman’s private boudoir.

At once, someone protested, “Baili Su He, you brought us here just to see a woman’s quarters?”

“Exactly. If I believed your earlier pleas of innocence even a little, now I see you deserve everything coming to you. If you weren’t the murderer, why would you know this place so well?”

“Scum! You even invade a maiden’s chamber. Disgraceful…”

Lin Mao turned, gesturing at the red gauze filling the hall. “Well? Have you finally found a shred of remorse for my dead daughter?”

Su He replied, “Shouldn’t it be you who feels remorse?”

No sooner had he spoken than a chill wind swept through the hall, making everyone shiver. A bolt of red gauze struck Lin Mao’s left cheek with a sharp crack—loud enough for all to hear.

The blow was fierce, drawing blood. It was as if someone had slapped him hard across the face. Even Lin Mao’s thick skin could barely withstand the humiliation. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gave a sinister smile. “It seems my daughter blames me for not avenging her.”

He tore down the red gauze, and with a flick of his wrist, unsheathed his sword. A flurry of sword blossoms whirled toward Su He, but were intercepted by another. “Wait! Let him explain before you kill him.”

Lin Mao drew back, sword at the ready, putting distance between himself and the others. “Don’t forget—who killed your loved ones?”

“We haven’t forgotten. Even the worst villain deserves a chance to speak before they die. Why are you so quick to attack, Master Lin? Are you trying to silence him?”

“Enough! I, Lin, have lost both wife and daughter—my pain surpasses yours a hundredfold. Out of sympathy for fellow sufferers, I risked my life to lure the villain here. And this is how you repay me? Is this your sense of justice, your righteous path?”

Su He released his hold on the man and stepped forward. “If you have nothing to hide, Master Lin, why fear the truth?”

“Yes, what are you afraid of?”

“Let him speak. Otherwise, who’s unreasonable?”

“You…” Lin Mao’s rage was palpable; his glare could have pierced Su He.

A man in blue cloth shouted, “Out with it! Stop dawdling and speak!”

Whoever the culprit, they all deserved to die to spare the world further harm.

Su He turned, bowed formally, then pointed at Lin Mao. “You see before you a woman’s chamber, but this was once a place of strange and sinister happenings. I stumbled in by mistake and nearly became a sacrifice. And all of it, Master Lin, was thanks to you.”

“Baili Su He, don’t you dare slander me!”

“Oh? Then tell me, you claim I killed your wife and daughter—do you know how I did it? Did they struggle before dying? Did they die together, or one after the other? Was it by knife or by sword?” Su He’s barrage of questions left Lin Mao visibly shaken.

He knew how his daughter died. He also knew what happened to his wife. The difference was, his wife had sent their daughter off herself. But as for his wife’s death—he had never seen her body.

Whenever he thought of it, he remembered the woman who walked out of Mount Yin Lake. She was beautiful, but beauty was not the point. What mattered were her expressive eyes—her figure haunted his dreams.

Fearing his thoughts would be exposed, he forced himself into a display of grief. “Baili, there is a saying—heaven sees all. Don’t think heaven is blind. My daughter was as lovely as a flower; you toyed with her, then suspended her from the rafters to bleed her dry. My poor wife discovered the crime, and you silenced her, burning her body to destroy the evidence. Such evil cannot stand. What more do you have to say?” His eyes were bloodshot, his molars grinding audibly—one might think he’d break his teeth from hatred.

“So, according to you, I killed both mother and daughter at the same time?”

“Exactly!”

“Ha… But I’ve heard your wife is not dead,” Su He said with a faint smile. He was only bluffing, but the others didn’t know.

Unexpectedly, Lin Mao was so startled his sword fell from his hand—only the others’ reminders brought him back to himself. He picked up his sword and pointed it at Su He. “What did you say? Say it again.” But quickly regaining composure, he sneered, “The dead should not be slandered. Are you taking advantage of my wife’s death to lie? Even such heartless words come easily to you.”

The man in blue frowned. Both accused the other of murder, but which was telling the truth? Lin Mao’s grief seemed genuine, but Su He spoke with such detail—he didn’t seem to be lying either.

Which of them was it? No matter, one of them must be lying.

He kept his calm, but the man restrained by Su He earlier could not. He shouted, “I don’t care who’s to blame. Since you both accuse each other, you both die. After all, Lin Mao, you’re no saint either.”

“You…” Lin Mao’s face turned dark as liver. This band of fools—more trouble than they’re worth. Infuriating…

“Attack!”

At the command, the vast chamber became crowded and chaotic. There were many of them—they could attack Su He or Lin Mao.

Su He fought defensively, aiming only to subdue, not to harm. But Lin Mao struck to kill, and the leader was first to lose his head. The man in blue turned pale. “Brother Rao?”

The severed head rolled across the floor, kicked by fleeing feet, its eyes frozen in shock, still unsure how death had arrived.

“What now? Brother Rao is dead—who will lead us to justice?”

“Yes—who will decide?”

Someone called to the man in blue. “Wen, why don’t you decide?”

Wen hesitated. He was not a man of words. Asking him to speak was like asking a chick to swim—impossible.

Su He, with a sweep of his sleeve, pushed back several attackers, drew his Minshu Sword, and called out, “Withdraw at once! Leave the rest to me.”

“Don’t act so righteous—you’re no better than the rest of us.”

“Who do you think you are? Are you looking down on us?”

…

Lin Mao laughed coldly. “Baili Su He, so? Your good intentions are wasted—they don’t appreciate them. Why not confess and pay with your life, as you should?”

His gaze toward Su He grew ever more vicious. If before, he wanted Su He dead because of the Demon’s Son, now it was simply because he deserved it. Regardless of truth or falsehood, Su He’s words had sown seeds of doubt in his heart. Mount Yin Lake, Xi Yuan—all would have to be investigated. One must see a corpse to be sure of death. Otherwise, suspicion would always remain.

Su He ignored him. With a spinning sword blossom, he parried Lin Mao’s lethal strike, the light of his blade surging toward Lin Mao’s heart.

He had no wish to interfere further, but if Lin Mao slaughtered them all, it would only make things worse for himself. Besides, though these people varied in intelligence and virtue, they didn’t deserve to die.

His gaze fell on Wen. Parrying an attack, he said, “Brother, please lead everyone out first. If you have anything to say, leave a name and place—I will find you.”

Wen saw his sincerity and realized that, with Lin Mao’s strength, they couldn’t hold out, and if Su He wanted to escape, they couldn’t stop him. So he decided to take a chance. “White Gourd Mountain—we’ll await your arrival.”

With that, he gave a sharp whistle. “Retreat!”

Seeing him withdraw so decisively, the others, after a brief hesitation, followed him out of the cave.

In a moment, only Lin Mao and Su He remained in the hall.

With no outsiders present, Lin Mao dropped the pretense.

Su He said, “Master Lin, you have repeatedly tried to frame me. Don’t you owe me an explanation?”

“Dead men need not know so much.”

“I know your cultivation has advanced rapidly, but I’m not who I once was. To speak of death now is premature.”

Lin Mao laughed harshly. “Boy, of all the arrogance I’ve seen, yours tops the list. Before, you had Huai Yin and Que Yunzi to help you—your boasts could be tolerated. Now, alone with one sword, do you think you can leave? Did you think I’d wait here to listen to your drivel?”

He moved, his sword splitting into five streams of red light—one at Su He’s head, two at his hands, and two at his feet.

Su He gathered his energy, Minshu Sword spinning to sever the red beams. The collision of forces resounded like thunder, sending both men reeling.

Before they could regain their footing, a chilling sensation struck the back of Su He’s neck.

His expression changed abruptly.

“Who’s there?”