Chapter 624: Traitor

The eerie winds had dissipated, but the sky over the Black Marsh remained overcast. The ghost tide had just receded, leaving White Paper Immortal City no longer as pristine as it once was. The city walls were mottled, their stark white surfaces either covered in cracks or riddled with pockmarks.

Tie Gu Zheng struggled to hide his exhaustion, yet he grit his teeth, forcing his injured body to command his subordinates to first quickly repair the fortifications, then clear the battlefield.

Not only the city walls were damaged; many buildings near them were also ruined.

The massive assault brought by the ghost tide had already endangered the city's interior. The smell of burnt paper permeated the ruins.

The rusty scent of the cultivators' blood spilled on the spot mingled with the stench of death that hung heavy among the corpses.

Multiple infirmaries were set up in White Paper Immortal City.

Every one of them was overflowing with people.

Yet, being able to be admitted here was considered fortunate, as many cultivators had perished on the spot without even a chance for treatment.

Cultivators responsible for medical care moved busily through the infirmaries.

Usually, Qing Chi would also be active here.

Her Azure Flame was excellent at healing the injured, often producing miraculous and rapid results.

After each round of treatment, Qing Chi would gain significant prestige, her reputation steadily rising throughout the Immortal City.

However, at this moment, she was still with Yang Sanyan.

The one overseeing the situation here was the old Confucian scholar of the Ink Pool, Zheng Shoumo.

"Lord Zheng, quickly, someone here is dying!" A cultivator cried for help.

Zheng Shoumo rushed over and saw the wounded soldier on his last breath. There was barely an intact piece of armor on him, and his left shoulder was a gruesome sight. Both his scapula and collarbone were shattered, with sharp bone fragments piercing through his flesh.

The injury was exposed to the dim light.

In a gaping wound of flesh and bone, there were clumps of viscous, blackened blood and grayish-white bone fragments.

Every time the wounded soldier struggled to breathe, foul, bubbling blood would seep from the depths of the wound, flowing down his tattered clothes and soaking the stretcher beneath him.

His breath was as faint as a flickering candle in the wind.

Zheng Shoumo focused his gaze, and with a flick of his left hand, he produced a scroll of pale yellow jade, neither silk nor fine fabric, smooth and lustrous.

He held the jade scroll in his palm, infusing it with spiritual power to emit a pale yellow glow.

The glow illuminated the space above the wounded soldier, revealing a text on self-cultivation and mental discipline.

Countless characters, mixed with the warm yellow light, dissolved into the wounded soldier's body.

The soldier's body first tensed abruptly, then relaxed. His tightly furrowed brows slowly smoothed out, and his wounds healed at a visible rate.

A moment later, his closed eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes. Although his gaze was still unfocused, a flicker of life had returned.

As soon as the soldier's life was stabilized, Zheng Shoumo immediately stopped the treatment.

It wasn't that he was unwilling, but that he had to consciously conserve his energy. There were too many wounded soldiers, and patients were constantly on the brink of death, requiring urgent care.

He and some highly skilled medical cultivators were primarily responsible for intervening swiftly to pull the wounded back from the brink of death.

"Lord Zheng, Lord Wen is at the camp gate and requests a word with you." A cultivator came to inform him.

Zheng Shoumo's eyes narrowed slightly. With a calm expression, he nodded and said, "I'll be quick."

He left the group of wounded soldiers and went to the camp gate, where he saw Wen Ruanyu with his hands clasped behind his back.

Wen Ruanyu slowly turned around, and as he did so, two other cultivators revealed themselves.

They were Ning Zhuo and Yang Sanyan.

The three of them surrounded Zheng Shoumo, their imposing presence oppressive.

At the same time, the surrounding environment rapidly changed. After a few breaths, Zheng Shoumo found himself standing in a grassland.

The Grass Head Dojo!

Zheng Shoumo's expression showed a hint of surprise as he stared at the source of the Grass Head Dojo—Yang Sanyan. "This must be Lord Yang Sanyan of the Myriad Forms Sect," he said.

"May I ask your purpose, Lord?"

Yang Sanyan said, "Someone has exposed your identity as an infiltrator, Zheng Shoumo."

Yang Sanyan looked at Ning Zhuo.

Zheng Shoumo glanced at Ning Zhuo, then turned to Wen Ruanyu. "This is slander," he said. "Does Lord Wen also believe this?"

Wen Ruanyu's expression was complicated as he sighed, "Elder Zheng, it's merely suspicion for now. We need to confront it."

Zheng Shoumo then turned to Ning Zhuo. "Little friend Jiaoma," he said, "I didn't expect our next meeting to be like this. Please tell this old man, what have I done to cause such a huge misunderstanding?"

Ning Zhuo's expression was calm. "The mass poisoning of male concubines in the Vigour Pavilion shocked the entire city," he began. "I investigated the scene, and always had a strange feeling."

"It was only when I was alone that I realized where that strange feeling came from."

"It was about Yang Weida."

"When the other male concubines died, their expressions were twisted, full of agony. But Yang Weida was different; his face was peaceful, as if he hadn't perceived any suffering from his fading life."

"Why was that?"

Zheng Shoumo said, "Perhaps the killer acted too quickly, causing Yang Weida no suffering, and he died too swiftly."

Ning Zhuo shook his head. "There's a crucial point here—how exactly did the male concubines die? The true cause of death for Yang Weida and the others was eventually attributed to poisoned spirit food."

"This also led an innocent old man to confess."

"We all know he wasn't the killer. So, who was the killer, and how did they manage to poison so many male concubines?"

Zheng Shoumo's face was devoid of expression. "Little friend Jiaoma, if you haven't even figured out that question, isn't it a bit premature to confront me?"

Ning Zhuo showed a bitter smile. "Indeed, I'm not as good as some people; I'm not very skilled at solving cases."

"I suspect the killer has always hidden their assassination method."

"Whether it's this recent mass killing of male concubines, or the previous deaths of Shen Bing and Chen Sui, their causes of death were all hidden beneath the surface."

"At first, I thought the killer fabricated false causes of death to frame others, sow discord, and disrupt order within the city."

"Perhaps that was indeed a goal, but not the primary one."

"The killer's main purpose was to create a disguise, to conceal their true method of assassination. This method would be very distinctive, and once discovered, it would very likely expose the killer!"

"If the means of assassination originated from a Confucian cultivator, then it would be very difficult for us to identify. Confucian cultivators are few here, overly rare. And in the entire city, only you two, Wen Ruanyu and Lord Zheng, are Confucian cultivators."

Zheng Shoumo said, "There is some logic to that, however, this is just speculation. How do you prove I am the killer?"

"And according to little friend Jiaoma, this confrontation isn't just for me, but also for Lord Wen Ruanyu?"

Wen Ruanyu's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained silent.

Ning Zhuo stared sharply at Zheng Shoumo. "Yang Weida's death is a flaw."

"If he and the other cultivators were all poisoned, their expressions would undoubtedly be painful and twisted."

"But he wasn't!"

"The killer's assassination method was ineffective on him, forcing the killer to find another way to kill him. Or perhaps the assassination method's effect on Yang Weida wasn't as strong."

"This made me wonder what the difference was between Yang Weida and the other male concubines."

"Clearly, the most obvious difference was that he was an outsider!"

Zheng Shoumo remained expressionless.

Ning Zhuo continued. "So, what significant difference is there between outsiders and the local inhabitants of White Paper Immortal City?"

"There is one."

"That is the Ink Pool!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shoumo finally raised an eyebrow.

Ning Zhuo added, "It was only after listening to Senior Wen's guidance that I learned of the Ink Pool's educational influence on the entire White Paper Immortal City!"

"The Ink Pool is a Confucian Cultivation Treasure, born from the inkstone, one of the Four Treasures of the Study: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. The water of the Ink Pool can enlighten people, wash away barbarian martial aggression, and lead them to the path of literary cultivation."

"Since its construction, the Ink Pool has been the primary source of drinking water for the entire White Paper Immortal City, and even for the surrounding villages and towns."

"And the Ink Pool is guarded by you, Elder Zheng. To maintain its daily operation, you have also been observing public sentiment everywhere, holding various Immortal City positions, visiting alleyways, and participating in much of everyday life."

"You are a Confucian cultivator; tampering with the ink water would be all too easy for you."

"The Immortal City's drinking water is all Ink Pool water, and even when preparing spirit food, using water is unavoidable. This is akin to placing a hex; the entire city, from top to bottom, has been manipulated by you."

"You used the Ink Pool water as a medium, employing some kind of Confucian cultivation method to precisely assassinate targets—"

Zheng Shoumo scoffed. "Enough, Jiaoma. This is all your conjecture. If you have concrete evidence, present it directly. I bear heavy responsibilities and have no time to listen to your rambling. Do you know that by delaying me for so long, it's very likely that wounded soldiers could die without treatment!"

Both Yang Sanyan and Wen Ruanyu cast their gazes towards Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo spread his hands. "I have no evidence."

Yang Sanyan and Wen Ruanyu simultaneously glared at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo held his head high and chest out, showing no sign of fear. "I already said, I'm no divine detective."

Yang Sanyan snorted. "Boy, I'm not here to play games with you."

Wen Ruanyu then said, "Perhaps we could ask the City Lord to intervene and use the *Suwen Heart-Splitting Scroll*."

Ning Zhuo shook his head. "It's useless."

"I imagine that when investigating the infiltrator before, the City Lord must have used the *Suwen Heart-Splitting Scroll* on all high-ranking officials."

"The infiltrator was never found. This can only mean two possibilities: either the infiltrator is not among the high-ranking officials, or the *Suwen Heart-Splitting Scroll* is ineffective."

"The *Suwen Heart-Splitting Scroll* is a Confucian technique, and Elder Zheng might have used this very fact to safely pass every inspection."

Zheng Shoumo chuckled coldly. "This old man understands now. After all this talk, it's all just your speculation. Do you know that you are wrongly accusing an innocent person!"

Just as Ning Zhuo was about to speak, Wen Ruanyu suggested, "If Elder Zheng has tampered with the Ink Pool, perhaps I could go and investigate, using my Confucian cultivation methods to check for any suspicious traces."

Ning Zhuo waved his hand. "How could Elder Zheng not guard against that?"

"I still remember, Lord Wen, you once told me that the Ink Pool was repeatedly damaged for a long time."

"You told me that the ghost race, being inherently spectral, were unwilling to be changed by external Confucian forces, which is why they resorted to all sorts of methods to cause destruction."

"I understand that point, but what I don't understand is why their acts of destruction succeeded so many times?"

"The Ink Pool is so important to White Paper Immortal City; shouldn't it have been heavily guarded, according to common sense?"

Wen Ruanyu gave a wry smile. "It has long been heavily guarded. It's just that every time the ghost race caused damage, it was very tricky. Sometimes, internal members were subverted, while other times, they employed ingenious methods; you absolutely wouldn't believe how miraculous their destructive methods were."

As he spoke, a strange look crossed Wen Ruanyu's face, and he suddenly paused.

His pupils contracted slightly as he stared at Zheng Shoumo.

He hadn't thought about it before, but upon reflection now, he suddenly realized that an important facility like the Ink Pool being repeatedly damaged was truly strange.

And Zheng Shoumo, as the guardian of the Ink Pool, was either incompetent or deeply involved.

So, was Zheng Shoumo incompetent?

Wen Ruanyu shook his head without hesitation, dismissing the idea.

Zheng Shoumo surpassed him, a Golden Core cultivator, in many aspects. For example, in his understanding of the *Pacification Contract Compendium*. So much so that in the matter of recruiting ghost generals, Wen Ruanyu had voluntarily deferred to Zheng Shoumo, as Zheng Shoumo was more skilled than him.

This was a flourishing era of cultivation!

In such a flourishing era, various cultivation techniques bloomed like a hundred flowers and contended like a hundred schools of thought.

As Wen Ruanyu had introduced to Ning Zhuo earlier, Confucian cultivation was a school that rose to prominence later. The reason it could carve out its own domain was that it incorporated many cultivation techniques into its practice.

For example, the traditional Four Arts of the scholar—qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—or the Six Arts of the gentleman—rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics.

Cultivation level was only one aspect of a cultivator's strength.

Mastering profound techniques could often allow a cultivator with a lower cultivation level to defeat opponents with higher cultivation levels.

Confucian cultivators had deep knowledge of qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, and various literary works, and could also achieve things that Confucian cultivators of higher cultivation levels could not.

If Zheng Shoumo could surpass Wen Ruanyu in the *Pacification Contract Compendium*, why couldn't he surpass him in other areas?

This was very possible.

Realizing this, Wen Ruanyu's gaze towards Zheng Shoumo changed significantly.

Zheng Shoumo snorted coldly, questioning Ning Zhuo again. "Jiaoma, do you have any evidence? From beginning to end, you've been speculating out of thin air. If you have evidence, present it. If not, get lost! Stop delaying me from my important work."

Ning Zhuo's face was expressionless. "I already said, I have no evidence."

Zheng Shoumo's eyebrow twitched; he was about to retort sharply. But Ning Zhuo continued unperturbed, "And I'm no divine detective."

"But I am the Deputy City Lord!"

"When I act, I don't rely on evidence."

Zheng Shoumo's expression froze instantly.

Wen Ruanyu's brows furrowed tightly, his expression hesitant.

Instead, Yang Sanyan threw his head back and laughed heartily, clapping his hands. "Those words resonate deeply with me!" he exclaimed. "Zheng Shoumo, surrender obediently. Even without you, the city will just lose a few more cultivators. The vast White Paper Immortal City can bear such a loss. You think too highly of yourself; it won't matter without you!"

Zheng Shoumo's lips moved as he stared fixedly at Ning Zhuo, seemingly wanting to curse, but refraining from swearing aloud to maintain his composure.

Ning Zhuo's gaze seemed to pierce through people's hearts as he slowly said, "Elder Zheng, if you are innocent, you should tie your own hands and allow us to seal and detain you for a period. But I have a feeling, hehehe, you might not be too willing."

By the end, Ning Zhuo was smiling meaningfully.

"What do you mean by that?" Wen Ruanyu's brow furrowed in confusion.

The anger on Zheng Shoumo's face suddenly vanished, replaced by an expressionless calm. "Yes, I am unwilling," he stated.

Wen Ruanyu and Yang Sanyan looked askance at him for a moment, staring intently at Zheng Shoumo.

Zheng Shoumo's words were highly problematic, amounting to an indirect admission of Ning Zhuo's accusation against him.

However, the next moment, Zheng Shoumo stated directly, "Yes, I am the infiltrator you have been searching for."