Chapter 60: Who Else?

Sinosan refused his proposal. Well, Xuan Yuan Temple had always found himself helpless before her, so he could only agree to let her go. The reason he didn’t want her to go was simply to shield her from the bloody scene that awaited them. That was why he tried so hard to stop her. But now, it didn’t matter.

He knew her resilience was far steadier than his own. With the group escorting them, they arrived at the western edge of Liang City.

It was an inn, and inside lay more than a dozen corpses. A quick glance revealed about fifteen people. Upon inspecting their wounds, it was clear each had been killed with a single sword strike.

The killer was a martial arts master, skilled with a blade.

Sinosan carefully examined the wounds and the circumstances of the bodies. Judging from the blood loss, they had been killed in an instant, almost all struck at lethal points.

“How is it?” Xuan Yuan Temple looked at Sinosan and asked.

“This is a case of random killings.”

“Random?”

“Yes—no grudges, no hatred, nothing to do with money or power. Random murder, meant to draw your attention.” Sinosan had a feeling this matter was directed at them.

“So you mean the killer is targeting me?” Xuan Yuan Temple was surprised. He hadn’t been here long, and already enemies had appeared?

“Yes, it’s aimed at you. Seems you’re quite clever.” Sinosan replied.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“No need to thank me.” There was an ease in their conversation that felt comfortable.

Sinosan didn’t know how long she could hope for this. One month—she kept thinking about that single month.

Her heart began to sink into this. Sometimes, the greater the happiness, the deeper the pain. If she had known then, perhaps things would have turned out differently.

“These people are from all directions—some aren’t even from Liang City. Judging by their attire, perhaps nomads.”

“Yes,” Xuan Yuan Temple noticed this as well.

“But is it possible the killer murdered so many to disguise his true target?”

Xuan Yuan Temple’s mind shifted quickly, and he considered this possibility.

“It’s possible. For now, we can only investigate those around, see if any among them have been hated enough to warrant being killed.”

Sinosan agreed with his view. Xuan Yuan Temple’s thinking was indeed meticulous, coming up with this approach so swiftly.

This idea, however, wasn’t very realistic. This wasn’t the modern era; to kill so many, especially for someone so skilled in martial arts, there was no need to mislead investigators.

Fifteen lives, all taken in an inn—it seemed far more random.

It was simply to provoke Xuan Yuan Temple. With this in mind, Sinosan leaned toward the randomness of the case. Typically, if the crime targeted someone else, the killer would surely watch nearby. Outside the inn, layers of curious residents pressed in.

They spoke in a cacophony of voices—around a hundred people gathered. Finding one person among them was a complicated task.

But in a quick sweep, Sinosan seemed to spot a familiar face. Yet, when she looked again, the feeling had vanished.

“Who was it?” Sinosan murmured to herself.

“What are you saying?” Xuan Yuan Temple watched her.

“I think I sensed someone familiar.”

“Sensed?” He looked at her, wondering if she was ill. Was that possible?

“Oh.” But Xuan Yuan Temple said nothing further—perhaps some people simply had a different sense.

Sinosan had brought him many surprises; surely more would follow.

In truth, she must have glimpsed someone in her scan, but before she could recall, it faded into a feeling. She couldn’t explain it clearly, and any explanation would be weak.

“Temple, if this is a random case, then the killer must be nearby, watching you. It’s likely aimed at you.”

“Then we must investigate thoroughly.” He signaled Yuan Qianlu to come over.

Yuan Qianlu walked to her, and Xuan Yuan Temple whispered a few words in his ear. Yuan Qianlu took several men into the crowd.

They arrested several suspicious, furtive individuals.

“Xuan Yuan Temple, you can’t just arrest people like this.”

Sinosan watched him. Among those taken, some surely weren’t the killer. But if they were taken away, everyone would suspect them. If the truth was never found, these people would be forever affected. That would be terrible. One must not ruin another’s life.

“If we don’t act, we’ll never find clues. These people died in vain. Besides, we must find the murderer. Their shadow will only last for a while.”

He understood what she meant.

“You know that, yet you still do this. Don’t you know that suspicion alone doesn’t make someone guilty?”

“I don’t know.”

He answered with righteous conviction, as if he truly didn’t.

“Hmph, spare me.”

“I really don’t know. Why don’t you explain?”

“The literal meaning: if it’s only suspicion, then they are innocent. Do you understand?”

“I understand, but for now, we have to do it my way.”

Once again, Xuan Yuan Temple asserted himself, leaving Sinosan so frustrated she stopped speaking to him and went off to examine things alone.

She must have truly seen someone familiar just now, which was why the feeling had been so strong. She thought perhaps it was someone they knew, someone who had arrived in Liang City. But who could it be?

It wouldn’t be Night Xuan. Even if Night Xuan was in Liang City, he wouldn’t use such extreme methods.

But who could it be—someone both of them knew, who was targeting Xuan Yuan Temple?

She couldn’t figure it out.

Two hours later, all the bodies had been sent to the mortuary for examination.

Sinosan didn’t go, because with current methods, there would be no fingerprint or DNA comparison.

Yuan Qianlu had just returned, looking as if he had important news.

“What is it?” Sinosan intercepted him, stopping him from reporting to Xuan Yuan Temple.

“I have news to report to the lord.”

“Report to me instead!” That Xuan Yuan Temple, arresting suspects so recklessly—such excess, even locking them in the prison. She could not tolerate it at all.