Chapter 811: Expulsion

"Vanished?" Bi Linglong was surprised to hear the word. "What do you mean, vanished?"

"They just vanished," Piao Duandiao replied. "They went out a long time ago and haven't returned. We can't reach them, and we can't find their bodies either."

Bi Linglong and Zu An exchanged a look, both seeing the solemnity in the other's eyes.

A group of people went out to investigate, but unfortunately, they couldn't find any useful clues.

Since finding the Quantian Biyue Jiao was urgent, this matter had to be temporarily put aside, but a shadow was cast over everyone's hearts.

Bi Linglong ordered that from then on, everyone should travel with a companion to avoid being ambushed by dangers lurking in the dark.

However, over the next few days, scouts continued to disappear daily, sometimes in twos, sometimes in threes.

The young masters from various families were filled with dread. By the third day, everyone finally couldn't bear it anymore and gathered to discuss the matter.

"We don't even know who the enemy is!" Liu Xian felt like he was going crazy. Wasn't it better to have pretty maids serve him daily in the capital, and often visit brothels to enjoy the singing and playing of courtesans? He must have been out of his mind to listen to his family elders and come here to 'gain experience.'

Was this really gaining experience?

Now, he even had to call his cousin to accompany him when he needed to relieve himself. After all, Bi Chang, who had been impaled, and many of the scouts who had gone missing recently, had cultivations superior to his.

So, his nerves were constantly on edge, always feeling that he would be next.

"Could it be a fierce beast?" Gao Ying analyzed. "What's been happening these days is different from what happened to Bi Chang last time. The scouts have all disappeared. Could they have been captured by some kind of beast skilled at stealth, and then eaten as food, which is why we can't find them?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian felt an even greater chill down his spine: "The thought of being eaten by a beast and digested into a pile of waste gives me shivers all over."

The remaining scouts nearby glared at him, for as the saying goes, "the fox mourns the death of the hare," their comrades were likely dead or in great danger, yet this person used such words to describe the situation.

Gao Ying was also speechless. His cousin was truly outrageous—an empty-headed fool who loved to babble.

However, constrained by his status, the Liu family nephew found it difficult to say anything.

"It can't be a fierce beast," Gu Heng analyzed. "If it were a fierce beast, there would at least be bloodstains, or even leftover bones. It's impossible for there to be absolutely nothing left."

At this moment, Pei You said coldly, "So the culprit must be human, and they must be among us! It's easy to deduce this, given that we are the only people in the entire mystic realm right now. Although no one has said it, I'm sure everyone has had similar thoughts. I was worried it would affect morale before, but now I have to speak up."

Bi Linglong narrowed her eyes slightly: "So, who is the culprit, Young Master Pei? Do you have any clues?"

"Actually, it's quite simple to determine who the culprit is." Pei You deliberately paused here, then scanned the entire area.

Hearing him say this, everyone pricked up their ears, waiting for what he would say next.

Zhao Xi said impatiently, "If you're going to say something, say it quickly. When did you start dragging things out like Meng Pan when he's taking a dump?"

Meng Pan was furious: "Zhao, what do you mean by that!"

Zhao Xi snorted and simply turned his head away, ignoring him.

Pei You also felt a wave of disgust. After a long moment, he recovered, glared at Zhao Xi, and then said, "It's very simple. Ever since Bi Chang's incident, the Crown Princess required all of us to travel in pairs. Her intention was for us to look out for and protect each other, but it had an unexpected effect: all of us now have alibis. It's impossible for any of us to secretly ditch our companions to kill someone."

"And the only person in the entire group who travels alone, besides the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, is Sir Zu."

He didn't need to say more; everyone understood the implication.

Naturally, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess couldn't be the culprits, leaving only Zu An.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Zu An chuckled lightly, "Are you suspecting me?"

Pei You said calmly, "I'm merely making a reasonable deduction."

Bi Linglong's expression changed several times, and her gaze at Zu An was filled with various emotions: worry, doubt, fear, and more.

The others tacitly distanced themselves from Zu An, with only a few like Piao Duandiao and Jiao Sigun remaining by his side.

Zu An shrugged: "Any action requires a motive. As the Crown Prince's trusted aide and a person the Crown Princess trusts, why would I do such a thing?"

Meng Pan chuckled, "That's simple. You're from the Chu family, and it's well-known that the Chu family has close ties with the Qin family. Before entering the mystic realm, the Chu family's heir even sent you so many things, and Miss Murong also gave you a spatial storage bag. Are such precious items something given in ordinary relationships? I don't need to explain the relationship between the Qin family, the Murong family, and Prince Qi, do I?"

Zu An was taken aback: "You think I'm Prince Qi's man?"

Jiao Sigun said indignantly, "How is that possible? It's widely known that Sir Zu and Prince Qi are at odds. Since his arrival in the capital, Prince Qi's faction has suffered heavy losses, losing key positions like the Sili Xiaowei and Left Guard General because of him. How could he be Prince Qi's man!"

Gu Xing stepped forward and said, "That's simple. It's a 'bitter flesh' trick. Otherwise, everyone would suspect him."

Piao Duandiao snorted coldly, "Even Prince Qi's heir was defeated by him and his reputation ruined. If it's a bitter flesh trick, wouldn't the cost be too great?"

Gu Xing was momentarily speechless, but Gu Heng stepped forward and said, "To deceive ordinary people like us, dealing with Murong Tong and Cheng Xiong was indeed enough before. But to hide something from intelligent people like the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess, Murong Tong and Cheng Xiong alone are probably far from enough. So, they didn't hesitate to let Prince Qi's heir step forward to bolster his achievements, serving as his 'certificate of allegiance.'"

"Think about it, Prince Qi's heir is a genuine eighth-rank cultivator, and Han Fengqiu, a peak ninth-rank cultivator, was supporting him. How could he possibly lose to Zu An?"

"That's why it's called 'too much is as bad as not enough'; it actually exposed a flaw."

Those around them nodded in agreement, finding his analysis very reasonable. Previously, everyone believed Prince Qi's heir lost because a mysterious water-element expert appeared, but the intelligence networks of various families had searched thoroughly, like plowing the ground, yet couldn't find out who that mysterious expert was.

If it was just an act staged by Prince Qi's heir and Zu An, everything would make sense.

Consequently, everyone's gaze towards Zu An was filled with hostility.

Zu An scoffed, "What, not even the Emperor saw through it? Are you more capable than the Emperor?"

Gu Heng's breath hitched: "Of course, I wouldn't dare compare myself to His Majesty. Perhaps His Majesty has other plans for not exposing you, deliberately playing a long game to catch a big fish."

"I just didn't expect that in this mystic realm, you'd reveal your flaw prematurely!"

Zhao Xi, with the most explosive temper, roared, "Zu, you've slaughtered so many of us; it's time you paid with your life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the others around him drew their weapons and surrounded Zu An.

Piao Duandiao and Jiao Sigun stood beside Zu An, at a loss, both looking to Bi Linglong for her decision.

Zu An also looked at her: "Crown Princess, what do you say?"

Bi Linglong sighed: "You should leave!"

"What?" Zu An's face was filled with disbelief.

Bi Linglong said faintly, "Considering your contributions these past few days, I won't make things difficult for you. Go now, and your fate will be your own."

"Crown Princess!" the young masters from various families cried out urgently, "How can you let this murderer just leave like that!"

"My decision is final. Say no more." Bi Linglong's face was like frost as she flicked her sleeve and left, leaving only a solitary figure behind.

"I've put so much effort into helping the Crown Prince and you, and in the end, you trust others but not me?" Zu An shouted angrily.

Bi Linglong's steps faltered for a moment, but she didn't stop.

Gu Xing jumped out and blocked his way: "Zu, what are you yelling about? Aren't you going to scram? Otherwise, if the Crown Princess changes her mind later, you won't be able to leave even if you want to."

Zu An completely ignored his barking and said in a deep voice, "Bi Linglong, you will regret this very soon. From this moment on, all ties between us are broken!"

"How dare you! You call the Crown Princess by her name!" Gu Xing, seeing himself ignored, became extremely annoyed and seized the opportunity to make an issue of it.

Seeing this, the others also crowded around, and in an instant, the atmosphere in the arena became tense again.

"I said let him go," Bi Linglong's cold voice came.

The others had no choice but to clear a path. Zu An's face was ashen, and he simply flicked his sleeve and walked away.

"Brother Zu!" Piao Duandiao and Jiao Sigun gathered around him, looking at him with worried expressions.

Zu An shook his head, not speaking to them, and walked forlornly into the depths of the forest.

"Hmph, letting him just walk away like that is too easy on him," Meng Pan said through gritted teeth.

Zhao Xi chuckled, "If you're so indignant, why don't you quietly go after him and kill him? We promise not to report you to the Crown Princess."

Meng Pan snorted, "I'd be a fool to believe you." He then turned and returned to his tent.

The young masters from the other families had various expressions, each returning to their own areas thoughtfully.