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Chapter 187 A sudden burst of blood scorches the Palace Master; a hidden pulse reveals the true culprit [Part Two]

"Ji Liang... is dead?"

Tang Hao and the others exchanged glances, all somewhat taken aback.

That day, Yan Yumin acted with great restraint and did not seriously harm the beast.

Shenma Jiliang has only lost a lot of blood. With proper nourishment and rest for ten days to half a month, he will recover most of his condition.

"How did he die?" Yan Yumin asked, her eyes narrowed slightly.

The disciple glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and then gritted his teeth and said, "I didn't see the specifics, but I heard people from Phoenix Palace shouting that they died from blood loss, but Ji Liang had no wounds on his body."

He bled to death, but had no wounds.

While such methods are not uncommon, given what happened that day, they undoubtedly pointed directly at Yan Yumin.

"Is someone trying to incite conflict between the two factions?" Chi Xuanzong immediately analyzed the situation from a broader perspective.

Mei Zhen shook her head slightly, offering a different perspective: "I think someone coveted the divine horse, and perhaps they didn't handle it well and killed it."

Both scenarios are possible, and it might even be a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy.

This thought flashed through their minds simultaneously, without prior agreement.

Just then, a flying boat carrying two figures landed in front of the Hunyuan Hall.

"Seniors and fellow Daoists of the Qinghua Sect, you must have already heard about the incident at the Fengming Palace."

The two who arrived were Fang Moyang and Yan Yunsheng. It was the former who spoke, while the latter kept his head slightly lowered and remained silent.

During the exchange meeting, the two of them were responsible for all communication and coordination matters with the Qinghua Sect.

Of course, Fang Moyang was the main figure, which was also the reason why Yan Yunsheng was initially certain that his senior brother could help him deal with Tang Hao.

As the sect leader, Chi Xuanzong naturally took over the conversation.

He spoke with a grave expression: "Indeed, I just received a report from my disciple. What? Does your sect suspect that my sect was behind this?"

"I wouldn't dare!" Fang Moyang quickly shook his head.

He carefully chose his words and said, "This matter is quite strange. The sect leader ordered us to come and invite you. You are all knowledgeable people, and perhaps you can discover something to help our sect find the real culprit."

No matter how nicely they say it, the purpose remains the same.

Even if the Free and Unfettered Sword Sect maintains complete neutrality in this matter, they still have to make a gesture, both morally and logically, since this incident happened on their own territory.

As for the Qinghua Sect, which had just had a conflict with the Fengming Palace and is highly suspected, they are also a prime suspect.

They absolutely need to send someone to the site.

Whether it's proving one's innocence or a confrontation between the two sides, there has to be a result eventually.

Without making a sound, Chi Xuanzong exchanged a glance with the others and nodded slightly.

"Very well, this old Taoist also wants to see which audacious fellow dares to smear my sect!"

Of course, I must go, but I also need to show my attitude.

We're there to assess the situation and act as referees, not to be questioned.

Fang Moyang could only force a smile and invite everyone to go to Fengyi Palace to examine the crime scene.

The distance between the two sides was not far, and there was no need to take a flying boat. The incident site was reached in just a short while.

Upon arriving at Fengyi Palace, Tang Hao was astonished by the sheer number of onlookers.

There were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, of those floating in mid-air or standing on the rooftops of palaces.

'It seems that no matter where you go, watching the excitement is an incurable human trait!' Tang Hao couldn't help but sigh to himself.

Immediately afterwards, he sensed that a considerable number of connections were mixed in with the crowd.

Before he could identify who they were, Yan Yumin led him to the front of the Phoenix Palace.

The Free and Unfettered Sword Sect built this Sword Valley not only to provide a venue for the exchange meeting, but also to house the participating forces.

The layout of the palace was not fancy; whether it was the main hall, side hall, or any other type, it was all in the style of sleeping quarters.

As Shi Yuechan's personal disciple, Wei Qingtan naturally lived with her in the Fengyi Palace.

At this time, many forces had already arrived at the Phoenix Palace.

The residences of the five major immortal sects were not far apart, and the representatives of the other four sects were already standing in their respective places.

It was rare to recognize all the leaders of the five major powers at once. Tang Hao glanced at them and matched them up.

I've already dealt with the old hag Shi Yuechan a couple of days ago, so I'll skip the details.

The Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley, dressed in a light yellow brocade robe, appears to be a kind and gentle old lady based solely on her appearance and demeanor.

The burly, red-faced old man next to her bore a striking resemblance to Elder Zeng Junhao of the Weapon Peak. He was clearly a master of weapon crafting and was undoubtedly the master of the Qiyun Cave.

Finally, there is the leader of the [Free and Unfettered Sword Sect], dressed as a swordsman but looking more like a middle-aged scholar.

Having formed a preliminary impression of the group, Tang Hao ignored the disciples behind them and glanced at the remaining few.

I had already overheard someone whispering that those people were quite experienced in tracking down murderers, so they were invited over by the Xiaoyao Sect Leader.

"Fellow Daoists from the Qinghua Sect have arrived. Let's go and see them together!" The Xiaoyao Sect Leader nodded slightly to Chi Xuanzong and Yan Yumin, then headed towards a bedroom.

A large group of people, with varying numbers of representatives from different sects, were present. Tang Hao roughly counted them and found there were more than thirty people.

He couldn't help but twitch his lips: 'It's only because the palace is big enough, otherwise, with all these people coming in, there wouldn't be enough room to even step.'

As they stepped into the bedroom, a sobbing sound immediately reached their ears.

Tang Hao looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the owner of the divine horse Jiliang, Wei Qingtan, the apprentice of the old woman Shi Yuechan, was lying on a piece of dead wood, crying his heart out.

Not seeing Ji Liang's body, he looked around in confusion before finally fixing his gaze on the withered tree beneath the girl.

They discovered that what they found was not a dead tree at all, but a Shenmajiliang whose blood and moisture had been completely drained, leaving only a dried-up corpse.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't see clearly just now. It turns out that this dead tree was you." Tang Hao silently apologized to Ji Liang.

He had no prejudice against the divine horse, although the conflict arose because it felt threatened.

But in reality, it's not entirely its fault.

Tang Hao's process of refining and purifying his bloodline is nearing completion. The closer he gets to completion, the more his blood resembles magma that is constantly boiling.

If one uses the [Mysterious Turtle Breath Concealment Technique] to suppress the aura of one's bloodline, it feels like sealing a ball of raging flame in a compressed container.

My blood vessels are throbbing painfully every moment.

He wasn't the type to put up with hardship; when he felt uncomfortable, he naturally released his bloodline energy.

Perhaps that's why Ji Liang felt a strong threat.

"Your death isn't the fault of either of us. It's just that you were unlucky to have met the right people. Your master couldn't protect you. It's truly a pity," Tang Hao sighed.

About thirty people came in and surrounded Ji Liang's mummified corpse.

Wei Qingtan also sensed something was wrong. She lifted her buried face and, upon seeing so many people enter, her sobbing abruptly stopped.

She searched around blankly, found her master, and stammered, "Master, what... what are you doing?"

"My dear disciple, don't be sad. These are representatives from the five major immortal sects, as well as several fellow practitioners skilled in tracking down criminals. I've brought them here, and I'm sure they can get justice for you and for Xiao Ji." As she spoke, Shi Yuechan glanced at Tang Hao and the others with a cold and sinister look.

After scanning the room, a sinister smile curled at the corner of her lips, and she was about to turn her head away.

But then an impatient voice rang in her ears: "What do you mean by saying those things to us? Are you making veiled accusations? And that laugh of yours, who are you threatening, you old hag!"

Shi Yuechan was stunned, completely taken aback by the rebuke.

"No, I just made a couple of pointed remarks and gave a knowing smile. Why aren't you playing by the rules?"

Unable to resist looking in the direction of the sound, she saw a boy's face full of disgust.

Her face immediately darkened, and she couldn't help but grimace, saying, "It's you again!"

Indeed, the person speaking was Tang Hao.

The others also looked over with strange expressions, clearly not expecting this turn of events.

Among them, Luo Kedi, Mei Zhen, and other acquaintances looked astonished.

Because, although this action did seem to relieve some of his anger, it didn't quite fit Tang Hao's usual style of doing things.

On the contrary, Yan Yumin, who was standing next to him, had a flash in her eyes, as if she had thought of something, and a smile appeared in her eyes.

Suddenly being watched by so many big shots, Tang Hao felt a lot of pressure for no apparent reason.

There were as many as seven or eight Nascent Soul cultivators present.

The rest, with the exception of a few, were all Core Formation Realm cultivators.

If it were an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would have already cowered and shrunk to the side in the face of such pressure.

But he didn't know why, but when he saw the old woman's appearance, a nameless anger rose in his heart.

To say it was somewhat inappropriate is an understatement. To be precise, the flame rose from his spine and then spread throughout his body, seeping into his bone marrow and blood.

Tang Hao glanced sideways at the Palace Master of Fengming Palace: "Yes, it's me. What are you going to do about it?"

"Your Qinghua Sect is already highly suspicious. What's wrong with me making a few pointed remarks and giving you a few glances? If you really didn't do anything, why would you be afraid of what others say?"

At this moment, Shi Yuechan had completely lost the demeanor of a Nascent Soul cultivator and the mistress of a palace. She was like a shrew at the entrance of a village, with one hand on her waist and the other pointing out in the distance.

"You think that just because you say that, we'll be eager to prove ourselves, let you mock us, and even help you find clues and the murderer? Bah! You're dreaming!" Tang Hao mocked, directly exposing her thoughts.

The expressions on everyone's faces grew increasingly strange.

You're right, everyone knows it, but to say it out loud... that's not very classy!

Everyone present was a prominent figure, accustomed to keeping their emotions hidden. The sudden appearance of a contestant who acted in the opposite way was quite unsettling.

Little did he know, Tang Hao himself was quite helpless; these were his own thoughts, which he hadn't originally intended to voice.

But at this moment, under the influence of the strange flames coursing through his body, he seemed to have transformed into a ruthless internet troll hidden behind the screen, daring to say anything and having no scruples.

Shi Yuechan's face turned extremely ugly, and her finger pointing at him trembled slightly: "You, you..."

If it weren't for Yan Yumin and Chi Xuanzong being there, and that unknown expert hidden in the shadows...

She will definitely tear this rude brat to pieces right now!

"You, you, you, what do you mean 'you'? Without any evidence, just based on guesswork, you treat us as suspects and imaginary enemies." Tang Hao couldn't control his words at all.

He launched a vicious verbal attack on the other party: "With your level of ability, how did you become the Palace Master of Phoenix Palace? Did you bribe your superiors or poison your competitors?"

Wei Qingtan stared at him blankly, completely shocked by his unexpected performance.

They even briefly forgot the grief brought about by Ji Liang's sudden death.

However, deep down, she couldn't help but feel a slight sense of agreement with some of his words.

She hadn't been a disciple of Shi Yuechan for very long; it was only after she accidentally captured and tamed the divine horse Jiliang that she gained Shi Yuechan's favor.

Before that, Wei Qingtan had never even met this palace master.

After becoming disciples, the two spent very little time together. This exchange meeting, however, gave the master and disciple a good opportunity to get to know each other better.

It has to be said that Wei Qingtan was very disappointed. She had already had some complaints about her master's arrogant and domineering attitude towards some of the sect's higher-ups.

Unexpectedly, this time when they encountered the Qinghua Sect, they still had the same attitude.

She had previously thought that Xiao Ji's injury was entirely caused by Shi Yuechan.

If the Master had sensed a threat at the time, he would not have immediately provoked the other party aggressively, but instead, everyone would have calmly cleared up the misunderstanding.

How could we be verbally humiliated, and how could Xiao Ji have most of his blood drained?
Shi Yuechan's face turned bright red, and her eyes were bloodshot.

She angrily rebuked him: "Ignorant brat, how dare you humiliate me like this!"

As he spoke, his magical power surged uncontrollably, only to be easily neutralized by the surrounding Nascent Soul cultivators.

They're now just watching the show.

In fact, very few people present had a favorable impression of [Fengming Palace].

The reasons are quite complicated.

Some disapproved of the arrogance of his followers, some were unhappy that his subordinates, the Sparrow Tower, were using birds and beasts to spy on intelligence and privacy, and others secretly resented that he controlled too many exotic beast resources.

In short, he was disliked everywhere.

Therefore, they were happy to watch Tang Hao and Shi Yuechan's verbal battle, and had no intention of helping or stopping them.

Tang Hao didn't care about any of that; he just needed to vent his instincts and his urge to speak out.

"Ignorant? Ha, use your brain, which is smaller than a walnut. If we wanted to kill Ji Liang, would we have waited until now? We could have just killed him two days ago, okay? What good would this charade do us?"

Shi Yuechan was well aware of these things, but she wanted to verbally provoke the Qinghua Sect and others to vent her resentment.

Who would have thought she'd run into a lunatic like Tang Hao, who had absolutely no regard for manners?

She took a deep breath, about to say something more.

Tang Hao waved his hand, cutting her off before she could finish: "So, stop with those words, those laughs, those expressions to disgust us!"

"I find it truly disgusting! If you still don't understand after I've said all this, then there's no point in you continuing to live." He was stunned after saying this.

'How dare I threaten a Nascent Soul cultivator!'

The moment Tang Hao finished speaking, he felt the nameless flame within his body finally sweep over every single cell.

At the same time, a kind of innate, unrestrained pickiness and audacity, deeply buried in one's bones, was released to its limit in that instant.

Sensing the sudden surge of unrestrained and arrogant energy emanating from him, which surged to its peak and then subsided in an instant, Yan Yumin nodded almost imperceptibly, a thoughtful look flashing across his eyes.

Tang Hao was finally freed from that uncontrollable, instinctive state.

The next moment, he realized it.

A bloodline power with a similar aura, but clearly inferior to one's own, appeared not far away.

Furthermore, they perfectly overlapped with a certain connection he sensed.

"Caught you!"

(End of this chapter)