Chapter 45: Going to Yong'an County Again

For a moment, Zhuo Qingfeng fell silent, unsure what to say. He had initially believed he was betrayed by Xiao Xuan and had planned to use Chu Yuan's influence to confront Xiao Xuan and clear his name. But Xiao Xuan was dead, instantly leaving him without direction.

"Do you have any other clues?" Chu Yuan asked.

Zhuo Qingfeng shook his head. "Right now, I'm afraid the only way to prove my innocence is to capture the Wood King's descendant. However, the descendant hasn't appeared yet, offering no lead whatsoever. The only clue we have is Silver Fox, but his movements are so elusive that we have no way to track him."

Chu Yuan's brows furrowed. His initial thoughts were similar to Zhuo Qingfeng's; Zhuo Qingfeng believed confronting Xiao Xuan would reveal the truth, while Chu Yuan thought everything would become clear once he met Zhuo Qingfeng. Yet, now that they had met, the situation had become even more perplexing.

Just then, Gu Mo suddenly spoke, "Actually, it's not entirely without direction."

Zhuo Qingfeng quickly asked, "Please, Master Gu, elaborate."

Gu Mo slowly began, "I've listened to both of your accounts of what happened. While it seems complex, when broken down, it comes to two key points: that day in Daleng Valley, there were two Zhuo Qingfengs, two Xiao Xuans, two Old Men Bai, two Scholars, and a Silver Fox whose strength seemed unusually inconsistent."

Chu Yuan slowly affirmed, "Precisely. If neither Xiao Xuan nor you, Qingfeng, are lying, then it means both of you were deceived. The Xiao Xuan you encountered was an impostor, and the 'you' Xiao Xuan saw was also a fake. You both failed to notice and were ambushed completely unprepared. Furthermore, there were two pairs of Old Man Bai and Scholar; one pair attacked you, and the other was killed in Daleng Valley."

Zhuo Qingfeng's mind reeled. "What does that even mean?" he asked.

Gu Mo replied, "It means you have an enemy who is a master of deception, capable of creating perfect fakes. So, let's make a bold assumption: there are also two Silver Foxes—one fake, one real."

At this point, Gu Mo paused, a sudden realization dawning on him. "I think I just figured something out," he said. "I've always felt there was something off about what happened at the Wang Family Manor, but I could never quite put my finger on it. Now, it's clear: Silver Fox is the anomaly! My sister often commented that we were lucky Silver Fox didn't go on a rampage when we cornered him at the Wang Family Manor that night. She believed that given his supposed strength, many more would have died. At the time, I sensed something was amiss with her words but couldn't pinpoint it. But now, I understand. Considering your encounter with Silver Fox in Daleng Valley, Commander Zhuo, where you actually gained the upper hand, it's highly probable that the Silver Fox we met at the Wang Family Manor didn't choose not to kill; he simply lacked the ability to do so and could only rely on his lightness skill to escape."

"That doesn't make sense either," Zhuo Qingfeng countered. "Everyone has witnessed Silver Fox's strength. Aren't the Tong brothers and the Hermit all top-tier masters? I know the capabilities of the dozen or so Six Doors constables better than anyone, and my two disciples are also first-rate experts. Even Wang Yuanbao, with whom I've sparred, possesses profound internal energy; despite his age, he's undeniably formidable in a life-or-death struggle. If Silver Fox isn't a super-class master, how could he have silently killed all those individuals with a single sword stroke?"

Gu Mo chuckled. "Commander Zhuo, you and Sir Chu are both highly capable. But if, at this very moment, I were to suddenly unleash a deadly attack, what percentage of certainty do you think I'd have in killing both of you before you could react?"

"This..." Zhuo Qingfeng froze.

Gu Mo continued, "Also, there's another anomaly. If Silver Fox truly possesses such immense strength, why would he resort to secretly killing the Tong brothers and the Hermit just to create an escape route within the encirclement? Silver Fox is known for issuing death notices before he kills, which suggests he's a very proud individual. Would someone like that take such precautionary measures if they were truly confident? Certainly not. The fact that he did indicates he wasn't confident he could fight his way out of our encirclement. This strongly suggests that Silver Fox is not as powerful as we imagined, at least, the one we encountered that day wasn't.

"So, if the Silver Fox we encountered that day was real, or if the Silver Fox you fought in Daleng Valley was real, it implies that the silent deaths of so many masters at the Wang Family Manor were absolutely not Silver Fox's work alone. Someone within the Wang Family Manor must have been assisting him. If the Silver Fox we saw was fake, and the true Silver Fox is indeed that powerful, then why would he create a fake one? Where did the real one go? Was he still in the Wang Family Manor? What was the purpose of him hiding there? Was it to wait for Madam Wang to retrieve the treasure token? But Madam Wang handed it over publicly, and he didn't appear to seize it. Was he not confident enough to overpower us, even though we were largely unprepared at the time? That would, once again, imply his strength was insufficient to silently kill so many masters. Therefore, what happened that night at the Wang Family Manor is fundamentally illogical. Silver Fox's strength is a major inconsistency, and there's definitely something amiss within the Wang Family Manor!"

Gu Mo's explanation was somewhat convoluted, but both Zhuo Qingfeng and Chu Yuan understood his points.

In short, if Silver Fox's true power matched public speculation, there would be no need for him to create a fake. This suggests his actual strength isn't as formidable, which in turn implies someone within the Wang Family Manor was assisting him.

"So," Zhuo Qingfeng said, "should I investigate the Wang family now?"

Chu Yuan, having organized the suspicious points in his mind, then asked, "Qingfeng, one more question: can you confirm that the two individuals who led you into the forest in Daleng Valley to fight Silver Fox were indeed the real Old Man Bai and Scholar?"

"I was certain before, but now I'm not," Zhuo Qingfeng replied. "Regardless, it suggests there's something problematic about Old Man Bai and Scholar. If the ones who ambushed me were real, then their involvement is clear. But if they were impostors, where did the real ones go during the chaos, and why did they only reappear at the end? That also points to a problem."

"Then how do you explain their deaths?" Chu Yuan asked.

"Could they have faked their deaths for Xiao Xuan's benefit?" Zhuo Qingfeng suggested.

Chu Yuan said gravely, "You mean they knew Xiao Xuan wasn't dead, and in order to convince him that Zhuo Qingfeng betrayed the Six Doors, they 'died' in front of him."

"Where are the bodies now?"

"Their families took them away and had them cremated the same day." Chu Yuan shot to his feet. "This is... destroying evidence!"

"Did you verify the identities of Old Man Bai's and Scholar's families at the time?" Zhuo Qingfeng asked.

"No," Chu Yuan replied. "At the time, based on the crime scene, it was determined they died from the Seven-Star Changkong Sword Art. Combined with Xiao Xuan's confession, you were already identified as the killer. No one paid much attention to the bodies or doubted their authenticity."

Gu Chutong, who had been listening intently, finally spoke up, "So, Commander Zhuo, doesn't this mean you can't prove your innocence now? All you needed to do was prove those two bodies were fake to overturn Xiao Xuan's dying testimony."

Zhuo Qingfeng waved his hand dismissively. "It's not a big problem. We have clues now. The entire affair has been suspicious from the very beginning at the Wang family. Firstly, it's clear that Silver Fox's strength isn't as formidable as rumored. Someone within the Wang family was collaborating with Silver Fox during the massacre. Secondly, if only Old Man Bai and Scholar were colluding with Silver Fox, they couldn't have pulled off something of this scale. Therefore, others must be cooperating with Silver Fox, someone who is very familiar with the Wang family and holds significant power within it."

Chu Yuan nodded. "The general outline of the events is now largely clear. Someone within the Wang family, along with Old Man Bai and Scholar, were colluding with Silver Fox. Based on the strength Silver Fox displayed, he wouldn't have been able to silently infiltrate the tightly guarded Wang Family Manor. This means Silver Fox was likely hidden within the manor beforehand, a feat only possible with assistance from someone of authority inside the Wang family. Afterward, Old Man Bai and Scholar incited Lin Buqi to provoke Master Gu. Their objective must have been to personally assess Master Gu's strength. Upon comparison, they found that breaking through Master Gu was far more difficult than dealing with the Tong brothers. Therefore, they chose to collaborate in killing the Tong brothers, creating an opening for Silver Fox to escape."

Gu Chutong asked, puzzled, "That doesn't add up. If Silver Fox was already hidden in the Wang Family Manor beforehand, why didn't he simply remain concealed after killing Wang Yuanbao? Why risk creating an escape route and fleeing in plain sight?"

Chu Yuan explained, "Because by doing so, no one would suspect Silver Fox had been hidden in the Wang family beforehand, and consequently, no one would suspect an inside collaborator. Furthermore, they had a second phase to their plan. If it were known that Silver Fox was concealed within the Wang family with accomplices, would Madam Wang still dare to hand over the treasure token? Even if she did, everyone present inside the Wang family at that time would become suspects, including Old Man Bai and Scholar, and Qingfeng certainly wouldn't have trusted them to join the escort."

Gu Chutong suddenly grasped the situation. "I see," he murmured.

Chu Yuan continued, "With Old Man Bai and Scholar transmitting messages within the group, the Wood King's descendant behind the scenes would naturally be aware of Qingfeng and his companions' movements and their route at all times, allowing them to set up the ambush in Daleng Valley in advance."

Zhuo Qingfeng took over. "Now, if I want to prove my innocence, I must capture either the Wood King's descendant or Silver Fox, Old Man Bai, and the others. However, Old Man Bai and Scholar have faked their deaths and escaped. To find clues, I can only investigate the traitor within the Wang family."

"I'll go," Chu Yuan said. "It's not convenient for you to show your face now."

"If you go in a grand manner," Zhuo Qingfeng cautioned, "you might alert them."

"I won't bring too many people," Chu Yuan replied. "A routine inquiry about the Wood King's treasure is perfectly reasonable; no one will suspect. You can disguise yourself as one of my subordinates and enter the Wang family to investigate."

"Alright."

Gu Mo offered a reminder: "Commander Zhuo, while the general outline is clear, there are still lingering doubts. Although we've deduced there's a master of disguise capable of creating perfect fakes to gain trust and then ambush, the Tong brothers were only three people, and it's certainly plausible they were killed while unprepared. However, there were over a dozen Six Doors masters protecting Wang Yuanbao. It's highly improbable to silently kill so many people through mere trust and ambush. Moreover, the biggest anomaly is this: if their objective was the Wood King's treasure, then simply taking the token would have achieved their goal. Why go to such elaborate lengths to frame you?"

***

The next morning, at dawn.

Early that morning, Chu Yuan departed for Yong'an County with a few guards, Zhuo Qingfeng, in disguise, among his retinue. Meanwhile, Gu Mo and Gu Chutong also set out for Yong'an County by carriage. Their destinations differed, however: Zhuo Qingfeng and Chu Yuan were headed for the Wang family, while Gu Mo's objective was to find and kill the wicked master, Poison Spider, outside the county town.

However, Chu Yuan and Zhuo Qingfeng were in a hurry. They rode hard, barely resting at night, reaching Yong'an County in just over a day. Gu Mo and Gu Chutong, however, couldn't travel as quickly and were still on the road.

Chu Yuan and Zhuo Qingfeng reached Yong'an County that night. However, to avoid arousing suspicion, they did not immediately begin their investigation. Instead, they waited until the following morning to visit the Wang family.

Upon learning that Chu Yuan, the Inspector of the Six Doors, had arrived, Wang Yuanbao's five sons, their wives, and Madam Wang herself personally came out to greet him.

After a formal exchange of greetings, Chu Yuan then stated, "Everyone, my presence here is primarily due to this case, which, involving the former rebel Wood King, has alarmed the imperial court. I need to gather as much detail as possible, especially regarding the three protectors of the Wood King's manor and the events surrounding Master Wang's assassination. That night, the Six Doors suffered devastating losses. I must reconstruct the precise circumstances of that day. Originally, Zhuo Qingfeng was supposed to report back... Alas!"

Madam Wang quickly responded, "Sir Chu, I understand completely. You and your esteemed constables may investigate and inquire as you deem necessary. Our Wang family will cooperate fully. I will share everything I know about the Wood King's manor. As for the day my husband was assassinated, you are welcome to question anyone in the household freely, and we will do our best to help you reconstruct the events of that day."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Madam Wang."

"Please come in."

Madam Wang was a woman of great sense and propriety, and the Wang family's young masters were also impeccably well-behaved. They stood respectfully behind Madam Wang, quietly waiting for Chu Yuan and his retinue to enter the residence.

After entering the Wang Family Manor, Chu Yuan immediately began his investigation, while Zhuo Qingfeng, in disguise, subtly explored and probed the manor under the guise of conducting inquiries.

***

Meanwhile, in a mountain hollow outside the city.

Maple trees covered the hillsides. As the wind swept through, leaves fluttered and danced like green silk, twirling like butterflies. A carriage slowly approached, carrying none other than Gu Mo and Gu Chutong. This place was known as Red Maple Forest, named for the abundance of maple trees that, in late autumn, would turn the entire mountain ablaze with red leaves. Not far away, nestled within the dense woods, stood a tavern.

The carriage slowly came to a halt in front of the tavern, and a young attendant quickly hurried out to greet them. Gu Mo and Gu Chutong stepped into the tavern, finding three or five customers scattered inside.

A waiter approached them and asked, "Sirs, what can I get for you?"

"We're not eating; we're looking for someone."

"And who would that be, sirs?"

"Poison Spider!"