Chapter 7 (1/2)
Chapter 7
FRS: Chapter 7 – Unknown Murderer (7)
Translator: Momoe Pom
TLC: Puissansa
Editor: Isabelle
Quality Check: Kittsune
First Published on Ainus.h.i.+.
Fan JiJing said, “Cousin, this is the Jiuhua Sect’s business. You are one of the Hua family after all…”
“The Jiuhua Sect’s business?” Hua HuaiXiu humphed, “Everyone who is somewhat respected in the Jiuhua Sect is now a suspect. Who would you have investigate this?”
“I…” Fan JiJing opened his mouth. Just as he was going to volunteer himself, Hua HuaiXiu interrupted him: “Don’t forget, according to my inference last time, you are among the ones with the best motive.”
Fan JiJing said dumbly, “But Cousin just testified for me…”
Hua HuaiXiu squinted his eyes and asked, “So, now you are burning the bridge after crossing it? Or are you going to find that guy from the Yinshan Sect to testify for you?” He shut his mouth abruptly.
Fan JiJing gazed at him in surprise: “Cousin, you…”
Hua HuaiXiu’s embarra.s.sment turned into anger. “I don’t care what kind of relations.h.i.+p you and that Zhang Feng have at all!”
Fan JiJing explained, “We were just traveling together on the same road.”
Hua HuaiXiu stared at him, as if he was weighing the credibility of his words.
Fan JiJing had no choice but to stay still so Hua HuaiXiu could stare as he wished.
After staring for a while, Hua HuaiXiu was finally satisfied and changed the topic: “Anyway, the Jiuhua Sect wants to find the murderer who killed their zhangmen, and I want to leave Mount Jiuhua soon; therefore, I have to find out who murdered your master as soon as possible.”
Fan JiJing wanted to argue about it, but Hua HuaiXiu directly handed him a cup of boiling hot tea.
He took it, then cooled it down using the inner force through his palms.
Hua HuaiXiu raised his eyebrows, then said, “You are much more skilled in inner arts than in your martial arts moves.” The Hua Family was both wealthy and powerful. As a result, they were never short on martial arts manuals. What they lacked was talented people who were able to fully grasp these martial arts masterpieces. Therefore, even though people of the Hua family were not very proficient at martial arts themselves, they all had a good eye for talent.
Fan JiJing responded, “The Jiuhua Sect has only one set of inner arts.”
Hua HuaiXiu’s eyes lit up a bit as he said, “By the way, your master doesn’t seem like a good person.”
“Cousin!” Fan JiJing’s face darkened. “No matter what Master has done before, the departed shall be respected. You should not disturb his spirit.”
Hua HuaiXiu pressed his lips together, then said, “I’m just judging him from what I have observed. Only scoundrels harm a man of justice, and for a man that’s… not so much into justice, it’s highly possible that the people who harmed him are those that were unfairly treated.” Seeing Fan JiJing frowning at him, he gave a faint smile and said, “So to speak, you are once again to be suspected.”
Fan JiJing asked perplexedly, “When was I ever a victim of unfair treatment?”
“Bu LouLian has a total of five disciples. Besides his only female disciple, ShangGuan DingNing, and you, everyone knows how to use Xianlian Sword. Isn’t this unfair?”
Fan JiJing shook his head in re
ply: “Master is the zhangmen of the Jiuhua Sect. He has the authority to decide on the disciples who will carry on the Xianlian Sword.”
Every time he saw him talking silly with a serious expression, Hua HuaiXiu would miss the young but quick-witted Fan JiJing from the past greatly. He sighed, “You can think like this, but not everyone thinks like you.”
Fan JiJing looked at him doubtfully.
“Although ShangGuan DingNing is a woman, women have their ambitions as well. The Jiuhua Sect is not a sect that follows the rule of ‘Pa.s.s it onto the males, but not the females.’ Putting aside the fact that you were not on Mount Jiuhua at that time, she was clearly here, yet your master taught the sword arts to the others but not her. One cannot say for sure that she didn’t have some murderous intentions towards him.” said Hua HuaiXiu. “Moreover, s.h.i.+ JiZhong once said that your master had always been annoyed by her clumsiness when he was alive and used to boss her around. Any woman with pride would not easily let it go.”
Fan JiJing said, “But s.h.i.+mei, she…”
“Moreover, ShangGuan DingNing and Zhu LiaoDa were fond of each other, but your master willfully hindered them in every possible way. With new hatred piling on the old ones, evil grew abreast of their galls…” Hua HuaiXiu lifted the cup and swirled it a few times. A glint of coldness flashed across his eyes.
Fan JiJing was shocked by the coldness that glimmered under his eyes. After a long period of time, he said, “But…”
“But the two of them alone may not be enough to kill your master.”
Fan JiJing nodded.
“That’s why they are just suspects for now.” Hua HuaiXiu put down the teacup and said, “I have a strange feeling at this moment.”
“Strange feeling?”
“The reason that your s.h.i.+di and s.h.i.+shu were apathetic towards your master’s death might be…”
Fan JiJing persisted, “Might be what?”
Hua HuaiXiu answered slowly, “Whether they are the murderers or not, they all had motives to become one.”
Fan JiJing was dazed. After a period of time, he replied, “Are you saying that all of them wanted Master dead?”
“It’s possible.” Hua HuaiXiu said, “But this is what makes me curious. If it’s the murderer, he should make every attempt to cover up his motives and then pretend to be suffocated by grief. Why have none of them even bothered to conceal it?”
Fan JiJing said, “It’s not like they don’t feel sorrowful, they are just reserved in terms of emotions.”