The Journey of Immortal Cultivation

Chapter 1067 - 583: Juan Niang

Whether it was Jin Manyi or Mr. Miluo, both had their reasons for their actions, and she deeply sympathized with Jin Wuhuan who lost his daughter in old age, but that was not enough for her to expose Mr. Miluo.

She also knew that Jin Wuhuan was a smart person, so not a word of her conversation with Jin Manyi could be leaked out, otherwise Jin Wuhuan could deduce the real culprit just from these few sentences.

So she sighed lightly and said, "Miss Jin came to me the day before yesterday for just two things. One was to purchase a Rejuvenation Pill, and the other was to invite me to attend her wedding with Mr. Miluo three months later."

Jin Wuhuan’s expression tightened, "Oh? I’d like to hear more."

Ning Xiaoxian said, "Sect Leader Jin should know that among the birthday gifts I sent to the Old Grand Dowager of Mirror Sea King Mansion, one was a Rejuvenation Pill?" She saw Jin Wuhuan nod his head before continuing, "Miss Jin just arrived in Central Capital the day before yesterday and came to find me, wanting to buy a Rejuvenation Pill at a price of two hundred thousand Spirit Stones. I was curious as to whom she wanted to give the pill, considering she’s so young and beautiful herself. Judging by her tone, it seemed like it was for gifting someone. However, the quantity of this elixir is too rare, so I politely declined."

"She also mentioned the wedding in three months and casually sent this." She reached into her bosom and took out a big red invitation with gold trimmings. This was the wedding invitation sent by Mr. Miluo’s people as soon as she reached Central Capital, now used to deceive.

The object remained unchanged but people differed. Upon seeing this wedding invitation, Jin Wuhuan had a moment of daze but soon returned to his senses and sternly said, "My daughter visited you for only these two matters?"

Ning Xiaoxian shrugged and said, "Didn’t the person who sent you this note mention the duration of our meeting? It was only about fifteen minutes, how much could we say?" She coughed lightly, "Moreover, you know that my relationship with your daughter is not amicable, she had no intention of staying long."

Jin Wuhuan gave her a glance. Both of his daughters disliked this Hidden Stream Elder, making complaints often which he, as a father, was aware of. However, the minor conflicts between women wouldn’t be enough for her to treat Jin Manyi harshly, unless...

He asked again, "Is there truly nothing else?"

Ning Xiaoxian replied decisively, "Nothing else!"

Jin Wuhuan stood up, gazed deeply at her, and said, "Alright, I trust Elder Ning, I won’t bother you any longer, farewell!" He then strode away.

Ning Xiaoxian sent him off to the inn’s entrance before turning around and slowly returning inside.

Qi Zai stood behind her and couldn’t help but say, "That old man came at you fiercely, could he have thought you killed Jin Manyi?"

"Not necessarily." She shook her head, "But in his heart, he must believe that I can’t be completely unrelated to Jin Manyi’s death, or at least I would know part of the inside story." She exhaled a long breath; Jin Wuhuan’s visit was too sudden, she hadn’t thought of a good excuse in haste. Of what she just said, a third was true, and the rest was false, because a lie must contain some truth to sound convincing. She didn’t reveal whom Jin Manyi intended to gift the Rejuvenation Pill to, leaving Jin Wuhuan to speculate on his own, because she knew that Jin Wuhuan’s wife’s cultivation wasn’t deep, appearing to be in her forties, and her vague hint delivered better results than speaking plainly would have.

Qi Zai said, "So, you’ve convinced him?"

Ning Xiaoxian lightly bit her lip, "No. Sect Leader Jin would never easily believe others’ words, even when I say it like this, he’d only believe a fraction. If it were me, I’d do the same. After all, this incident has no solid evidence."

"Then...?"

She stared gloomily at the plum blossom branches bent by white snow outside the window and said, "No matter, even if he suspects me, he’s unable to do anything to me due to lack of evidence. Juanniang truly has good means, even in death she wants to sicken me one last time."

She said softly, "Qi Zai, I’ve been quite restless these few days, always feeling that something important is about to happen, yet I have no clue what’s going on."

Qi Zai followed behind her, unsure how to respond, scratching his head awkwardly, "Well, once Lord Changtian returns, everything will be fine. Maybe you just miss him too much."

She lightly hummed in agreement, "Maybe, I hope so."

...

Having walked half a mile, Jin Wuhuan’s face remained pale. The group behind him kept silent as if fearing the cold. A close confidant of his couldn’t hold back and asked, "Master, did Elder Ning provide any useful clues?" Jishi Building is an Immortal Sect and a family, and those close to Jin Wuhuan refer to him as ’Master.’

Jin Wuhuan sneered, "Useful clues, I suspect her very much!"

The confidant was shocked, "You mean, she killed Miss?"

Jin Wuhuan slowly shook his head: "Not necessarily. However, everything she says is understated, and I’m afraid very few words are true from beginning to end! Heh, if she said my Manyi approached her to buy the Rejuvenation Pill, it would seem reasonable, her mother’s cultivation is far inferior to mine, now she does need this kind of Spirit Pill. But if Manyi had this intention, why didn’t she inquire about purchasing at the King Jinghai Mansion? Why delay until just before her death?"

He sighed deeply and said, "Anyway, Manyi is already, already gone, and no third person knows what happened at that meeting. However she adds oil to the story, no one can come forward to testify. Human mouths are but two pieces of skin, she can say whatever she likes."

Tears flickered in the eyes of his confidant: "Elder Ning was the last person Miss met before the incident, things must not be that simple."

Jin Wuhuan snorted coldly: "Hmm, if she didn’t kill Manyi, then she knows some insider information, covering up for someone, such actions, I’ve seen too many."

"Master, I just recalled something," the confidant whispered, "Isn’t Hidden Stream solely supplying the spirit tea to the Southern Continent? But spirit tea originally appeared in Rock City! I remember the first to be sent by Fengtian Prefecture to trace the spirit tea was Mr. Miluo! Could there be some connection between these two?"

Jin Wuhuan’s steps suddenly stopped.

With this reminder, thoughts in his mind turned swiftly like lightning, instantly connecting many clues tightly together.

Rock City first produced the spirit tea seeds, Miluo found no results tracing the spirit tea’s whereabouts, Hidden Stream started monopolizing the spirit tea’s sales about half a year ago, and Ning Xiaoxian is a Hidden Stream Elder... He knew a bit about his future son-in-law, knowing he was definitely not someone who would abandon midway, then what made him give up the investigation?

When he saw Ning Xiaoxian at the King Jinghai Mansion, he had already ordered an investigation into her background, but all the clues obtained were blurred, she seemed to have appeared out of nowhere from Hidden Stream. Normally, people leave traces while living in this world, and someone with intentions could find out, unless... unless someone cleaned up many things behind her.

And among the people he knew, there was one who could easily do this — Miluo!

The intelligence network of Fengtian Prefecture is incredibly powerful, capable of easily prying into others’ secrets. Conversely, wouldn’t it be just as easy to erase someone’s past?

In that split second, he finally grasped a clear thread from the complex and chaotic speculations: the relationship between Miluo and Ning Xiaoxian might have long been extraordinary. What if, what if the two have been in contact ever since Rock City?

He immediately thought of Miluo’s gentle yet courteous attitude toward Jin Manyi, and Jin Manyi’s dislike for Ning Xiaoxian, and suddenly a fire of anger burned fiercely in his heart: "Could it be, could it be that these two have long been secretly in cahoots, that’s why Manyi disliked her so? Seeing that Miluo’s marriage date is approaching, these two don’t want to cancel the marriage, risking the loss of Jishi Building’s support to Fengtian Prefecture, so they killed my daughter?!"

"If so, what a good scheme, what a good scheme!"

His chest heaved violently, a violent aura lingering. As the helm of Jishi Building, his rational mind clearly reminded him, this matter was like moonlight in water, merely a conjecture, a guess, with Jishi Building’s long dominance also makes countless enemies, perhaps it was someone else who assassinated his daughter.

He knew all this, understood it all, yet the thought sprouted in his heart grew wildly like a poisonous herb, making him unable to resist speculation, unable to restrain his anger!

His confidant only pointed this out, and seeing the shocking glint in his master’s eyes, hurriedly said: "Master, please calm your anger! This is but a nobody’s conjecture, it may not be true..."

Jin Wuhuan grimly said: "Your conjecture is good, very good!" He glanced at him and said, "Order a thorough investigation into the relationship between Ning Xiaoxian and Miluo, I must see how suspicious their actions really are!" After a pause, his tone turned sorrowful, "You stay, let Liu take our Miss back... back to her mother’s side." He choked, barely able to speak the words.

He was a deeply cultivated Great Cultivator, having two daughters in old age was already extremely difficult, so he always treated the two daughters as treasures. In his eyes, the two precious daughters being a bit spoiled was no big deal, isn’t a daughter meant to be cherished? The culprit is so vicious, hurting his precious daughter, it is touching his inverse scale, this revenge must be avenged!

The confidant bowed and responded: "Yes!" His lowered eyes, however, glimmered slightly.

#####

Late that night, the confidant returned quietly, sneaking into the Jishi Building’s rented inn in the Central City Inner City.

About half a moment later, two sealed reports were placed on Jin Wuhuan’s desk.

Jin Wuhuan picked them up and took a glance, his expression immediately changed.

The first report stated that recently the plague was rampant in the Southern Continent, it was thanks to Ning Xiaoxian’s development of a true antidote that saved countless lives. However, the dissemination of the antidote recipe to the eastern and southern parts of the entire continent was done by Fengtian Prefecture. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)