"I was stunned."
He You Tian's words were resounding and came from the bottom of his heart.
"There are care, concern, worry in his words. There is anger and a desire for revenge against those who hurt me!"
"Big Brother, I…"
I opened my mouth, but my words were cut off abruptly. For a moment, I didn't know how to respond.
"Why didn't you say? Are you afraid that Big Brother won't be able to beat him?" He You Tian's white eyebrows trembled, and he looked at Si Yan.
"Silent Yan, you tell us." He You Tian's voice was deep and firm.
"I... Elder An, it seems only my brother can make things clear with you." Si Yan's gaze turned to me, filled with a plea.
"This matter is long and complicated. Big Brother, we need to choose a safe place with no eavesdropping."
In my reply, the emotions within me were still tumultuous.
He You Tian furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before saying, "The ancestral hall is not suitable for your request. Instead, there are several disciples who are close to Zheng Rin and we can go to the Thunder God Cliff."
"Silent Yan, you can return to the Mystical Essence Pavilion first. Qixueister is very worried about your safety." He You Tian looked towards Si Yan again.
"I will go to the Thunder God Cliff with Elder He and Big Brother. After he has finished everything, I will go to report to the master." Si Yan replied softly.
He You Tian combed his white beard, smiled faintly on his face, and said, "It's also acceptable."
When he said those two words, it wasn't just a smile, but also a deep satisfaction.
As we entered the mountain gate and walked past various grand halls, the eyes of many disciples fell upon me and Si Yan. They just observed, without approaching.
Halfway through the mountain, just as we were approaching the fork in the path leading to Thunder God Cliff, suddenly, a figure appeared before us. It was Sun Zhuo!
His hair was shaved off, which made the patchy hair on his head slightly more appealing. However, the scar on his head looked somewhat like a monk's burn mark.
"Met the Elder, the Celestial Sign relative, and Silent Yan sister." Sun Zhuo bowed slightly, his expression calm and pleasant.
I maintained my composure, as I had interacted with Sun Zhuo more and more often, my emotions became increasingly calm and composed.
He was completely unaware that he was already within my reach.
Death is just a matter of method and timing.
"Why are you here? Ah? Your master, he has left the mountain?" He You Tian's tone was cold.
There were obvious differences here.
When I first arrived at Si Gui Mountain, He You Tian would still address Ming Jing Zhen Ren directly, as it was the rule of Si Gui Mountain. Only in private would he address Zheng Ren directly to me.
As a result, he doesn't even bother to address him anymore, simply calling him "Your master".
The hidden problems were becoming more apparent, that Zheng Rin was deliberately avoiding He You Tian.
"Master, he hasn't left the mountain yet, but he is about to. I have been entrusted by him to bring a gift to your celestial sign relative, Sun Zhuo." Sun Zhuo's face was extremely respectful, his hands held together in front of him, and he had a jade box in his hands. He continued: "Master used his own blood to draw these three lightning spells, combined with the Heavenly Thunder Charm, which can activate the Heavenly Thunder to strike down evil spirits."
I pondered within, was Zheng Rin showing goodwill?
But He You Tian remained expressionless, like water under a calm surface, and said, "What a fine idea, to strike down evil with heavenly thunder. Without the right timing and conditions, this spell seems rather easy. But it uses lifespan—your master's good intentions are too much for my junior to bear. Take it back."
He You Tian's mood was already not good. Zheng Rin's friendly gestures and Sun Zhuo's smiling reception were like slapping his face with a cold egg.
"Huh?" Sun Zhuo looked extremely awkward, and sighed with a bitter smile, "I'll put it back in the Spirit Official Pavilion for now. If the celestial sign relative changes his mind, he can come and take it. Oh, by the way, my master said that during his seclusion this time, he had some enlightenment about symbols and was willing to impart knowledge to me when guiding you. You can prepare for these two days. Then come to the Spirit Official Pavilion to listen to the teachings."
With that said, Sun Zhuo hurried in the direction he had come from.
Only after Sun Zhuo had walked far away did He You Tian coldly huff.
"To show goodwill." Si Yan spoke softly.
"Showing goodwill would only work if the dead were to rise again, or if the master himself said that it was not his doing, or forgave him." He You Tian said coldly.
His voice wasn't loud, so the disciples at a distance couldn't hear it.
In fact, this was equivalent to the Ou Renn team and the He You Tian team exposing their cards, but some things hadn't been completely torn off face.
Indeed, it was exactly as Si Yan had analyzed: He You Tian, constrained by the rules of Si Gui Mountain, would not directly tear Zheng Rin apart. He was still waiting for an "opportunity"!
Perhaps, it could be a one-on-one opportunity?
But Zheng Rin has been "secluded" and not seen by He You Tian.
By the time we reached the Thunder God Cliff, the sunlight was even more blinding, and the sunken cave in the summit was as hot as iron.
He You Tian was sitting on the bed, while I and Si Yan stood by his side.
Si Yan was slightly tense, as I hadn't carefully deliberated on how to say it, only having partially communicated with her.
Taking a deep breath, I took out an item.
The copper face fit perfectly with the wood, the round mirror frame combined with the tree grains and symbols meticulously, and the back had several frames similar to the design of Si Gui Mountain's gate.
The frames also had no signs of connection.
"Huh…"
He You Tian's face turned pale!
"Si Gui Bright Mirror!?"
He You Tian's voice also changed.
"When did you enter the Spirit Official Pavilion? No, you didn't return. The last time... no, that's not right..."
He You Tian was bewildered.
"Zheng Rin actually lost the Si Gui Bright Mirror... does he know that himself?"
The confusion turned into seriousness. He You Tian shook his head again and said, "This object must be returned to the Spirit Official Pavilion, junior brother, you still do not know the current situation of Si Gui Mountain, Zheng Rin is afraid of me and avoiding me. He is very nervous. If the Si Gui Bright Mirror is stolen again and found on you, it would be equivalent to giving him another opportunity to strike back."
"The Si Gui Bright Mirror can be authenticated. The wood material of the frame should be treated as a whole, with the mirror inlaid into it. Counterfeits will loosen after multiple uses."
"Master, the Si Gui Bright Mirror in Zheng Rin's hands is a counterfeit."
After I finished speaking, He You Tian's pupils constricted even further, and his face turned an angry red.
Then, he closed his eyes, his hands clenching into fists, trembling slightly.
"Ah, so, the master was poisoned and killed by him, it's impossible for him to get the real Si Gui Bright Mirror. The real mirror has been in your hands all along. He had the fake one because he wanted to find the real mirror and frame you on that day in the Spirit Official Pavilion? That way, he could get two benefits at once?"
He You Tian's words were hoarse and laced with intense fear.
My heart skipped a beat. Indeed, He You Tian, who narrowly missed the position of the true master, is not an ordinary man.
I didn't even mention the previous events, and yet he had already deduced it, and said it was about right.
"Master, your insight is as sharp as a torch."
I nodded before saying, "However, on that day, Zheng Rin was destined to draw water with a bamboo basket and come up empty. Moreover, he was very scared because he couldn't find the real Si Gui Bright Mirror, and he also lost the weapon."
He You Tian nodded in agreement and said, "That's right. You had indeed hidden all the things that day, and it did indeed deceive everyone else. It seems like you had already suspected that Zheng Rin was the killer."
