As the challenge hung in the air, Gu Yue stepped from the manor’s threshold. Despite her delicate appearance, her presence was unyielding as she ascended to hover beside Qin Lu, meeting Kong Mengli’s gaze. Their locked stares seemed to freeze the very air between them, dropping the temperature of the street by several degrees.

Whoosh!

Kong Mengli waved her right hand, summoning a longsword wreathed in faint blue spiritual energy. She gripped the hilt tightly, leveling the blade at Gu Yue.

“If he killed Tao Xi,” she said, her voice like glacial ice, “he leaves his life here today.”

“Hah!”

Gu Yue sneered, taking a step forward. She raised her hand, and with a rush of wind, a six-foot crimson spear materialized from her Storage Bag. She grasped the shaft firmly, pointing the tip directly at Kong Mengli’s throat.

“Guilty or innocent, I will not permit you to touch him.”

Kong Mengli’s icy eyes narrowed. She paused for a heartbeat before asking, “You insist on interfering?”

“Correct,” Gu Yue replied, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Whoosh!

The moment the word left Gu Yue’s lips, Kong Mengli dove from the sky, her sword tip blazing with blinding white light. She wasted no further breath on words; the battle had begun.

Bang!

Gu Yue showed no fear. Her gaze sharpened as she surged upward to meet the charge, her crimson spear thrusting forward like a dragon.

Spear and sword collided in mid-air—one descending, one ascending.

Boom—!

The shockwave swept through the street, staggering the surrounding cultivators. Terror filled the eyes of the onlookers. A battle between Foundation Establishment experts was a calamity for mere Qi Refining practitioners; a stray blast of energy could easily obliterate them.

“Run!”

“They’re fighting! Move!”

The crowd scattered like frightened birds. Even the Tao Family guards retreated to a safe distance, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire.

Bang!

Gu Can stomped the ground, launching himself away from the epicenter of the Foundation Establishment duel. With a manic grin, he charged toward the retreating Tao guards, intent on venting his fury on targets he could actually hurt.

While the square emptied, one person remained at the edge of the storm, watching the duel with intense focus.

Qin Lu gripped the [Seven Star Sword], his mind racing. Events had spiraled completely out of his control. He had assumed the matter was settled, never expecting Kong Mengli to arrive so quickly, nor for the hot-tempered Gu Yue to instantly escalate the situation into a full-blown aerial duel.

It seems keeping a low profile is no longer an option…

Veins bulged on Qin Lu’s hands. Watching the two women locked in combat, he made a cold decision. If things went south, he would stop hiding.

Damn it. Whoever stands in my way, I’ll kill them first!

Just as Qin Lu prepared to unleash his true strength, an immense, suffocating pressure descended from the heavens. Sensing the overwhelming power, Qin Lu immediately aborted his attack, suppressing his spiritual energy back into his dantian.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, a black figure plummeted from the sky, landing precisely between the warring women. He extended his arms, his palms radiating a thick barrier of spiritual energy that instantly neutralized both the sword qi and the spear thrust.

With a single move, the battle was halted.

The newcomer was an elderly man in his seventies, dressed in the distinctive black robes of the Demon Slaying Sect. His face was gentle and benevolent, carrying the air of a harmless grandfather.

It was Jiang Ge, the Master of White Jade Market.

“You two, there is no need for such temper. Cool your fires,” Jiang Ge chuckled lightly.

He exerted a subtle force, pushing outward with his spiritual energy. Both Gu Yue and Kong Mengli were shoved back several zhang by the gentle but irresistible wave.

Realizing the fight was over, Gu Yue flicked her wrist, returning her crimson spear to her Storage Bag. She looked at Kong Mengli with a calm, indifferent expression.

Kong Mengli, however, did not sheath her sword. She glared at the old man. “Market Master Jiang, this man murdered my husband’s nephew. How can I let this stand?”

Jiang Ge stroked his white beard slowly. “I have heard a little of this matter. But as far as I know, there is no evidence proving young friend Qin is the culprit, is there?”

At these words, the disheveled Tao Meng rushed forward, shouting, “Market Master, please investigate! My Xi’er definitely offended this outsider, which led to his murder! Who else could it be?”

“Do you have proof?” Jiang Ge asked. “We cannot condemn a man based on suspicion alone.”

“The City Entry Light Curtain!” Tao Meng pointed frantically toward the gates. “Please, Market Master, review the logs. They will show this man leaving the city with his accomplices at the time of the murder. That is the evidence!”

Jiang Ge nodded slowly. “Since this matter involves two Foundation Establishment cultivators, it does warrant a thorough investigation…”

He turned his palm over, and a mirror radiating dense spiritual energy appeared. He paused before activating it, looking at Tao Meng with a faint smile.

“Reviewing the Formation’s historical records requires several hundred Spirit Stones. The Tao Family must bear this cost. Are you willing?”

“Naturally!” Tao Meng agreed without hesitation.

“Which day shall we check?”

“Xi’er died on the evening of the 16th. Please check the records around that time.”

“Very well.”

Jiang Ge infused spiritual energy into the mirror and closed his eyes to scan the data. The crowd held its breath, waiting.

The commotion had drawn a massive audience, forming a dense ring around the square. Qin Lu could even sense several other Foundation Establishment cultivators watching from the shadows, enjoying the drama.

“What do we do…?” Gu Yue drifted to Qin Lu’s side, her voice a tense whisper. She looked ready to carve a bloody path out of the city if necessary.

Qin Lu glanced at her and whispered back, calm and assured, “Don’t be agitated. It’s fine.”

He was perfectly at ease. When he had left the city to carry out the assassination, he had worn the face of “Li Kui.” His true face had never appeared on the exit logs. There was no way to trace him.

“Alright then,” Gu Yue breathed, relaxing slightly. “I believe you.”

A warm current flowed through Qin Lu’s heart. The Gu siblings had truly gone above and beyond for him today.

Moments later, Jiang Ge opened his eyes. The light in the mirror faded.

Tao Meng stepped forward eagerly. “Market Master, did you see the thief’s exit record?”

“No.” Jiang Ge shook his head slowly, his voice gentle but firm. “I have reviewed the images from that entire day. I did not see young friend Qin leave the city. Family Head Tao, are you perhaps mistaken?”

An uproar swept through the crowd. Tao Meng stood frozen, looking dumbfounded, as if his entire reality had shattered.

“However,” Jiang Ge added suddenly, “I did make a new discovery.”

The crowd quieted instantly, all eyes fixing on the Market Master.

“When your nephew left the city, four guards followed him. But not long after, one of them returned alone. After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, this guard left the market again, carrying a large travel bundle. His movements were highly suspicious. Family Head Tao, you might want to investigate him.”

“Thank you, Market Master!” Tao Meng stammered. “But… what did he look like?”

Jiang Ge described the man’s features.

A guard beside Tao Meng gasped. “Family Head! That sounds like Miao Third Son!”

“Hmph!”

Hearing this, Kong Mengli let out a cold snort. She flicked her sleeve and shot straight into the sky, disappearing in a streak of blue light without a backward glance. Since Qin Lu was not the killer, she had no interest in remaining.

Gu Can immediately pointed at the sky, cursing loudly at her retreating figure. “What kind of person is that?! You almost killed someone and you won’t even apologize?!”

The crowd exchanged awkward glances. With Jiang Ge’s mediation, the farce had come to an abrupt end, and the spectators began to disperse.

Standing amidst the dissipating crowd, Qin Lu finally realized where his plan had gone wrong.

The guard he had intentionally spared to report the “beast attack” hadn’t reported anything. Terrified of being held responsible for his master’s death, the man had simply packed his bags and fled the city!

Damn it, Qin Lu thought, shaking his head. Truly, a single oversight in a meticulous plan…