Peerless ( Meng Xi Shi )

The third in charge Peng Xiang died in the firewood house of the Xing manor.

That is a place where people went in and out often, mostly to gather firewood to burn, so usually there was no need to lock it. Just now the first in charge was everywhere looking for him, in the midst of the chaos, someone accidentally push the firewood house's doors open, so in the end they saw that the third in charge has hanged himself.

It was never a proud thing to spread such matters that happened within one's house, but since this has turned into a big matter, Duan Qigu refuse to let it go, he suggested for someone to come and take a look at the third in charge's corpse. Xing Mao personally led a few people here.

Among these people, of course Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao were included.

Added with a few guests who came to watch the show, including Gao Yi, and the one who initially wanted to flirt with Feng Xiao but was scolded by Cui Buqu, Chen Ji.

It was obvious he had never seen a scene such as this before, on his face he carried a few hints of excitement and curiousity.

But if the third in charge knew about this on the Yellow Bridge, he would not have been so happy.

On his face was still the guarded, shocked expression of fear, perhaps before his death, he finally knew that he regretted, yet he was unable to free himself from the ropes, and at last he could only allow unwillingly submit to fate.

But Cui Buqu remembered that Feng Xiao once said that the third in charge knew martial arts, although his skills are only so-so, if he really did schemed to kill Duan Qigu with Yu Xiu, and feared of being exposed, he should have chosen to flee, not hang himself. Taking it to the bigger picture, even if he wanted to commit suicide, he would have used a knife and slit his own throat, because at the very least that was easier and simpler than hanging himself. This would be the choice a practitioner of the martial arts would make.

When everyone looked down at the corpse by their feet, Feng Xiao was also looking.

But he was looking at Cui Buqu.

When Cui Buqu's gaze was lowered and his eyebrows furrowed into an acute angle, there was a sort of gentleness that felt extraordinary.

The other seemed to notice Feng Xiao's gaze, so he turned his head around, looking like he was full of questions, like he wanted to ask Feng Xiao something.

Feng Xiao replied honestly, "Every time when you make that look, I know you are already mentally digging pits for someone."

These words were muttered and secretly sent to Cui Buqu's ears, people from the side would only see his lips moving, but they wouldn't have heard what he said.

Cui Buqu yielded a cold smile that showed his teeth, before lowering his head to examine the corpse again.

"There is something in his palm!" Someone called.

The first in charge ordered something to pry open the third in charge's palm, on top of it was a sentence written in blood.

Repay blood with blood.

Naturally, the others went to look at his other palm.

Similarly, there were also one sentence.

The laws of the world goes around in a circle.

"His arms are injured!"

The third in charge's arms were raised, his sleeve fell backwards, and a few cuts caused by knives was revealed.

The first in charge furrowed his eyebrows. He could only see that these cuts were shallow, and there were not poisoned.

Could it be that the third in charge did this himself before he died?

After ordering the maidservant to put poison into Duan Qigu's wine, and knowing that the endeavour failed, he committed suicide?

Duan Qigu laughed a cold laugh, "Master Xing you are indeed skilled! Since your attempted murder failed, you killed the witnesses so quickly. Since now there would be no witnesses, and I wouldn't be able to press any charges on you!"

Xing Mao said angrily, "If I really wanted to kill you, why should I go through such trouble? At this moment, with only one command from me, I guarantee that you wouldn't be able to walk out of here alive! Someone is sowing distrust among us, and wants to sit back waiting to become the ultimate victor!"

Gao Yi: ...

If Duan Qigu and Xing Mao broke war against each other, who would be the one with the most benefit?

Naturally, it would be Gao Yi.

With Duan Qigu and Xing Mao falling from the throne of power, Qiemo would be fully controlled by Gao Yi.

Does Gao Yi want to truly become magistrate of a county this time?

Of course he wanted to. But he was the weakest one among the three, it was impossible.

"If Master Xing does not oppose to it, I can send for someone to examine the corpse." Gao Yi said.

"There is no need." Cui Buqu rose to his feet, "He did not hang himself, he was strangled to death before being put up there. Those wounds on his arms are also made by the killer after he is dead."

Duan Qigu refused to believe that the nephew of the Kucha King even knew how to examine a corpse. At that moment, he could care less to ask the other for his real identity, however, he furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Why do you say so?"

"Look at his neck," Cui Buqu pointed to the third in charge's neck and said, "Usually, for people who hang themselves, their bodies would slump downwards, so the mark on the neck should be deep in the middle, and much more shallow on both its sides. The rope would have also left a bruise on the neck, yet the bruise on his neck right now looks flat and the colour is even, so obviously he was strangled to death first, then only he was hanged."

Everyone stared closely, and it was as Cui Buqu had said.

Everyone already believed him eighty to ninety percent, but with that came new questions.

If the third in charge was murdered, then who in the Xing manor wanted to kill him, and why?

When Xing Mao noticed that everyone's gazes were on him, he couldn't help saying angrily, "I also want to know who the killer is!"

Cui Buqu said plainly, "There is no need for Master Xing to be angry, I believe that you are innocent, because with your patience, there is no need for you to use such a huge detour to achieve something so inconsequential. It is very possible that the maidservant who tried to poison Brother Duan received ordered from the third in charge, but who could commit a murder within the Xing manor is still the key mystery!"

Xing Mao spoke, "The Xing manor is heavily guarded, and I know the backgrounds of all men, it is impossible for them to betray me!"

As his voice dissipated, he saw Duan Qigu gave a mocking laugh, then he knew that he had just said something stupid.

Hadn't the third in charge just betrayed them?

Didn't an insider appeared in his manor?

In fact, it was very possible that he wasn't the only one.

Xing Mao remembered that when the party had just begun, he had seen Peng Xiang once.

The other was among a group of people, not far off since two hours ago from the place that he was murdered.

Cui Buqu looked as if he knew what he was thinking and said, "The firewood house is not far from the kitchen. Since food needs to be prepared for the party, there are bound to be people who walked in and out of the firewood house. If the something alarming happened in the firewood house, someone would have noticed it, but the death of the third in charge was not discovered until now."

Feng Xiao, "This meant that the killer's martial arts skills are a lot higher than the third in charge."

Cui Buqu, "That is correct."

Xing Mao furrowed his brows. Those who had the ability to kill the third in charge could be no other than the first and second in charge, and a few highly skilled bodyguards. But when the incident took place, those bodyguards never left his side, and so did the first and second in charge, unless, the killer was an outsider.

Cui Buqu, "When I just came to Qiemo, I heard that although the Xing manor is huge, but they were very guarded, everyone who came in and out were required to laid bare their identity. Today, of those thirty guests that came, I believe Master Xing could recite their names and backgrounds."

Xing Mao nodded his head, "Although Peng Xiang was in charge of the party, he has no say over the security of the manor. The name list of the guests I have also seen it myself, he would not have the chance to change it without my approval."

As he spoke, he turned to the first in charge.

The first in charge immediately knelt, "Master please think clearly, I would not have plotted with Peng Xiang! That day the manor's security was heavily patrolled, Lu Jiu was also there, according to the rules, everything that happened needed both of our approvals!"

Lu Jiu is the second in charge.

Xing Mao also felt that it was impossible that all three in charge had also betrayed him.

He couldn't help but looked at Cui Buqu and wanted to obtain more news from his side.

At a glance, this young man whom he had just met was able to control the entire situation with just a few words, everyone's thoughts couldn't help but followed after his.

Cui Buqu, "Bring the name list of the guests. And, do not allow anyone to leave."

There was no need for him to give the orders, and the second in charge has already closed the gates. Even those guests who did not follow to watch the show could only sit quietly in the hall and wait for Xing Mao to lead them away.

As Xing Mao had said, there were only thirty guests in the hall. Other than Gao Yi, Duan Qigu, Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao, the others were old friends of Xing Mao, even Chen Ji, because his father shared a good relation with Xing Mao, after he received the invitation he purposely sent his son to wish the old Madam Xing well.

The first in charge used the name list and matched all the guest present, very quickly he realized something was wrong.

One of the guests were missing.

Or, to be more exact, that person entered the Xing manor, gave the gift, but disappeared afterwards.

"It's Zhong Haomiao!" the first in charge shouted.

Who is that? Cui Buqu looked at Xing Mao.

Xing Mao furrowed his brows, "He is a disciple from the Qiyue Temple, since my mother often went to the Qiyue Temple, she was quite familiar with the Master of that place. This time we sent an invitation to the Qiyue Temple, they said that the Master is in secluded mediation, so they will send their eldest disciple here for her birthday party."

The first in charge immediately sent someone to the Qiyue Temple to inquire about it.

Cui Buqu and the rest were allowed to rest in the hall by Xing Mao. The third in charge's corpse was also moved here, so there was a group of people surrounding the corpse to take a look.

Gao Yi felt a little uncomfortable.

Feng Xiao said in a low voice next to him, "Officer Gao, are you feeling unwell?"

Gao Yi smiled bitterly and replied in a small voice, "Today before I left my house, I cast the fortune die, and it showed an ill omen! I shouldn't have come to the party, the fortunes really are accurate!"

Feng Xiao, "How is this your business?"

Gao Yi, "Naturally, it's not my business, but would they mistake me for being the culprit and wanted to interfere in their affairs?"

Feng Xiao: ...

How did the Imperial Court managed to make such a useless person an officer?

To look at superstitious fortunes before he leaves the house, and was as cowardly as a rat?

If Cui Buqu was the magistrate of Qiemo—there was no need for Feng Xiao to even think: Even if he was practically half-dead from illness, he could still overturn the whole Qiemo into a place of blizzard and storms, of never ending wails and restlessness. Whoever Xing Mao or Duan Qigu are, they would only be able to stand by the side lines. Even if it had been me myself who is extraordinarily clever and intelligent, he might also be able to overcome me.

Oh, but that isn't completely right, there was still Yu Xiu.

That is also an existence that was incredibly unnerving.

As Feng Xiao was thinking of Yu Xiu, the first in charge's men found the man they were looking for, and had already brought Zhong Haomiao here.

Zhong Haomiao's answer was also very surprising.

A day before the party, someone came to the Qiyue temple, the other person had once saved the Temple's Master, and was quite similar in age to Zhong Haomiao, they were also very kindly spirits. When that person heard of Xing Mao's mother's sixtieth birthday, he wanted to get to know Xing Mao whose name transcends Qiemo. Zhong Haomiao agreed to bring him to the party, but at that moment something happened in the temple regarding to their cultivation practice, so a few disciples were required to take care of that, Zhong Haomian then gave the gift to his junior disciple and allowed him to attend the party instead.

But according to the guards and the first in charge's memory, the one who came with the Qiyue Temple's invitation had come alone.

Zhong Haomian suddenly said, "After only did I know that because Second Disciple Brother wanted to play, so he left my friend alone and went off. But my friend is the disciple of a renowned sect, he would not have killed an innocent!"

Gao Yi, "Your friend is?"

Zhong Haomian, "He is the disciple of the number one sect in the Chen Southern Dynasty, the Linchuan Palace Academy, Yan Xuexing."

Everyone was wondering if they have ever heard of someone who was called Yan Xuexing, Feng Xiao alone among them all was the only one that was studying Cui Buqu's observation on everyone.

At that moment, Duan Qigu's face changed slightly.

Although it was just a spilt moment, and it returned to normal very quickly, they knew what they saw.

Feng Xiao poked at Cui Buqu's thigh, trying to say that something was suspicious about Duan Qigu.

Cui Buqu: "..."

He moved his leg away.

Who knew that Feng Xiao refused to back off, he reached out and poked him again.

Cui Buqu impatiently grabbed his hand and wanted to break that annoying finger, but Feng Xiao quickly flipped his wrists and caught Cui Buqu's hand in his instead so that the latter could not move at all.

"What are you both doing?" This was seen by Chen Ji. Since not long ago he was framed by Cui Buqu, he still felt a bit unhappy about it, so he quickly grabbed the chance to avenge himself. "The dead is present, yet you both are touching each other under broad daylight, are you not putting Master Xing in your eyes?!"

"I apologize, my husband was simply unable to restrain himself, it's my fault, as this wife, that my beauty is overly astonishing, surpassing even the beauties of countries and cities!" At that moment, Feng Xiao did not understand the meaning of 'thick-skinned'.

Everyone gave Cui Buqu a look that said, "he looked like someone with a degrading health and a sickly body, who could have known that every day he indulged himself in the sensual pleasures of beautiful women!", and Cui Buqu could not help but took back his hand from Feng Xiao's hand.

VERY GOOD, he said in his heart, the old debt wasn't repaid yet, and a new one is added.

Yellow Bridge: In the Afterlife for the Han, all the departed soul will travel across a place called the 'Yellow Bridge'.

Repay blood with blood: Same meaning as 'a life for a life'. Repay blood for blood are text directly translated from the raws.

Meaning that where there is a place in the world, there would be natural order—the law of the world—since Peng Xiang wanted to claim a life, he must also give a life back.