As the magistrate had mentioned, if anyone found out that it was him who was using the military force of the Capital, he would face the risk of decapitation!
"Master, what do you think I should do?"
The man gently turned the cup in his palm and took a sip, then inadvertently said, "Since the Prince has already prepared all this while, why not take this opportunity to finish the task?"
Emperor Murong was stunned as he looked at the man, his eyes filled with incredulity, "Ma... Master, do you mean..."
"What I meant is not important, the key is to see how the Prince thinks." The man lowered his voice as a sinister breeze blew past their ears. "If the Third Prince was gone, the Prince and His Highness would be safe and sound. What do you think, Emperor?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Murong understood fully. Master was giving him permission to get rid of the Third Prince. This was his golden opportunity!
Emperor Murong shuddered, and the tea in his hands was almost spilled.
The man held his hands in a timely manner and grinned, "Prince, why are you panicking? There are several people who know of the matter regarding the Third Prince and the academy, but no one knows that it was you who sent in the troops. Even if they knew, you could always defend yourself by saying you did so to solve the case. As long as it is done neatly, not only can the Empress come out of the Cold Palace, the person who would inherit the throne would be the Fifth Prince..."
"Master has rightly said so!" Emperor Murong did not wait for the man to finish, he opened his mouth to speak, "To accomplish such a feat, one must strike first!"
If it was not for the Third Prince, his own blood brother would not have been caught, his sister would not have been thrown into the Cold Palace.
As long as the Third Prince lived another day, his nephew would never inherit the throne.
Now all that was left was to bring him down!
As long as he did it neatly, no one would find out about it!
However, no one was able to triumph over the Third Prince's martial art, so how he was going to bring this champion down, he had no clue.
The man drank the tea, determined to help him, "Every year the army will organize an army drill. If we held it at the foot of the mountain, no one would suspect why the Prince would choose to hold the event in Green Dragon Mountain. When the time comes, you would only have to cut off the White Academy's contact from the outside world, cooperate with the magistrate and have the army encircle and annihilate the White Academy. Is it not easy to kill the Third Prince?"
Right! No matter how powerful the Third Prince was, how could he win over tens of thousands of armored hors.e.m.e.n?
In addition, by instructing the magistrate to poison the water well, was this not a piece of cake?
When Emperor Murong thought about it, he finally made up his mind. If he wanted to carry out his plan, he must stick to it so that there was no way out for the Third Prince!
Chapter 397 - Is Your Highness In Danger?
The thunder rumbled.
It was noon, yet the sky was depressingly dark.
Helian Wei Wei did not stay any longer at Baili Jia Jue's.
She had other things to attend to.
According to Yuan Ming, the dead men mound was an accursed array that was constructed with dead bodies. As bodies were required to form the array, some people would have to die.
What she needed to do now was to assemble everyone and made sure no one was left alone as this would create a chance for the killer to execute his evil deed!
Therefore, the first thing Helian Wei Wei did after she left the Inferior Compound was to order Tu Sufeng to gather all the students.
The ladies of the Superior Compound from the wealthy families were the hardest to please. For them, the rainy weather was already unbearable, not to mention being cramped with the others in the humid and warm hall of the teahouse.
"What's wrong with the dean? Why is he adhering to the hideous woman's instruction?"
"Who knows? Sister Yun, do you think we should stay here with the others?"
As a result, the discontent around the hall grew more intense.
Helian Wei Wei threw a glimpse at the group who were ranting before she put on a devilish grin, "Sir has said that the killer is within the compound of the White Academy. From what I see from the current situation, the killer will target the person who is left alone. Everyone is assembled here simply because we want to avoid all the possible chances where the killer can commit his crime. However, you can leave this place if you're fearless enough."
Her words silenced the atmosphere and quietened the dissatisfied ladies. The girls exchanged gazes with each other as they coughed gently, yet never uttered another word again.
"Haha, humans. It's true that you're all cowards," Yuan Ming scoffed while he studied the timid faces in the hall.
Helian Wei Wei tapped her t.h.i.g.h while she mulled over the situation. That was her discreet habit when she dwelled in deep thought. "I only want to achieve my goal. I've narrowed down the search area, I believe that the culprit is most probably among this group of people."
In actual fact, that was Helian Wei Wei's true objective.
She did not want to alert the killer.
Hence, Helian Wei Wei publicly claimed that this assembly was simply to prevent the killer from killing anyone.
However, that was only one of the minor factors she called for this assembly.
"I've seen the bodies," Helian Wei Wei spoke as she walked toward the students, "There were black marks on both the bodies and they appeared rather strange to me."
Frowned, Yuan Ming asked, "What do you mean?"
Before Helian Wei Wei could answer to Yuan Ming's question, Heize was brought back by two guards. He appeared composed as he stood gracefully in the middle of the hall as though he had just returned from a casual stroll, not looking like a criminal at all.
Helian Wei Wei studied him from head to toe. After she made sure that he was not hurt, she spoke, "I've something to ask you."
"Hmm?" Heize raised his beautiful brows. He glanced at the guards who were walking away and asked in a muffled voice, "Is it about this case?"
Helian Wei Wei's eyes faintly sparkled, "How do you know?"
"Because I have, indeed, witnessed something that day." Heize's eyes squinted. "And I guess that's why the magistrate arrested me. Shall we both grab a seat before we commence our discussion?"
"Sure," Helian Wei Wei nodded. However, when she raised her head the next moment, she saw a silhouette in pure white standing still by the door. The man carried a devilish aura as though he was a forbidden p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. Yet, he showed absolutely no emotion as he stared at her expressionlessly with his cold and chilling gaze.
Little Seven was around too, but the carefree boy was gulping down the steamed buns one after another in the teahouse. For him, nothing made him happier than food. He was completely oblivious to the strange and awkward atmosphere between his Third Brother and Third Aunt.
Helian Wei Wei was rather stunned and frightened by Baili Jia Jue's cold gaze. However, she was quickly reminded about the Heize's presence, knowing that he might provide one of the most crucial clues. Therefore, she instantly disregarded her other worries and took a seat in front of Heize. Then, she asked in a lowered tone, "What did you see that day?"
"Someone within the White Academy is communicating with the magical beasts." Heize glanced through the students who were assembled on the first floor. "Although there was a distance between us and I couldn't get a clearer view, I definitely sensed the aura of the magical beasts beside the Green Dragon Lake back then. And, that's not it. I also think that the late Miss Bai was acting very weird."
Helian Wei Wei raised her brows, "Why did you say so?"
"She didn't notice me that night. But, I did see her," Heize furrowed his thick brows as he tried his utmost to recall the scene. "She was pacing up and down around the Green Dragon Lake while she chanted something repeatedly
. Sometimes, it seemed as though she was speaking to herself, but other times it appeared as if she was talking to someone or something else. However, there wasn't a second person present near the Green Dragon Lake at that moment."
Upon hearing his description, Helian Wei Wei's heart skipped a beat.
Then, she stared at Heize solemnly. "Now I know what happened!"
"What happened?" Heize was puzzled.
Helian Wei Wei dashed toward the first floor as she said, "The killers of these cases were none other than the deceased themselves! They were possessed by the spirits and that was how the deceased died in a locked room. In fact, the evil spirit consumed all their energy and discarded their physical bodies after their energy was completely depleted. We have to find out the spirit. Otherwise, we'll never solve the case thoroughly if it's still alive!"
"That's easier said than done," Heize scanned through the hundreds of students, "How are we going to find the spirit?"
Helian Wei Wei screened the room with her squinted eyes. All of a sudden, she exclaimed, "We shall look at the shadows! Whoever is possessed will carry one more shadow than a normal person!"
Heize grinned. How can my younger sister be this intelligent?
Indeed, Helian Wei Wei was right. Looking at the shadows was the most efficient way to find out the Demon-Transforming Beast!
They intended to begin the search.
Unfortunately, before they could start, a teacher said, "A student has fainted due to the humid and warm weather and is sent to a room on the second floor."
To rest alone at this crucial time?
Helian Wei Wei reckoned that no one was this bold to stay alone at this moment. Upon hearing the teacher's words, she furrowed her brows and sprinted toward the second floor.
When she arrived on the second floor, she heard a soft rustling.
Appearing concerned, Helian Wei Wei walked toward the origin of the sound.
The sound seemed to originate from the room. It was accompanied by the indistinctive sound of the rain as it resonated across the room in an irregular manner.
No one's here?
Then, her gaze landed on the opened window that faced right at the direction Baili Jia Jue headed to just a moment ago…
Chapter 398 - Sweet Moments Before The Reconciliation
A loud thud resonated across the atmosphere.
The deafening noise interrupted Shadow.
Sitting on the wooden chair, Baili Jia Jue threw an indifferent glimpse at the window before he ordered nonchalantly, "Continue."
Shadow lowered his gaze. "Everything else seems normal. The magistrate released him without any further question and demand."
From the side, Baili Jia Jue was wearing absolutely no emotion on his face as he listened to the tidings from Shadow. All of a sudden, his pupils dilated. "Where did the magistrate go afterward?"
Unexpected of this question from his master, Shadow was briefly stunned. After a short while, he replied, "Seemingly, he has gone to the Murong Residence."
"So, it was Emperor Murong who led the city guards and directed the entire drama?" Baili Jia Jue, who was going to take a sip of his tea, paused his action.
"Yes," replied Shadow.
Upon hearing that, Baili Jia Jue's eyes deepened. Not capable of reading his master's mind, Shadow continued to kneel on the ground and waited for his master's subsequent command.
After a while, Baili Jia Jue lifted his pen to write a letter with, in fact, only a few words. Then, he said to Shadow, "Send this to the military base."
Baili Jia Jue's unusually cold and chilling tone made Shadow realize the significance of this letter. Earnestly, before he jumped out of the window, he replied, "Yes." Unbeknownst to Shadow, the man outside the room was about to ambush the Third Prince.
Knock, knock, knock...
Someone was knocking on the door at an irregular tempo.
He opened the door; standing there was a student he could not recognize.
However, from the guy's outfit, Baili Jia Jue could deduce that he was a student of the White Academy.
All of a sudden, the student grinned as he put on an eerie and strange curve on his lips. "Why are you still here? Someone died at the Superior Compound again and the dean has ordered everyone to gather in the teahouse. Hurry up and follow me."
As the student spoke, he reached out, intending to grab Baili Jia Jue.
Nimbly, Baili Jia Jue avoided the student's hand.
The student was stunned, obviously not expecting to meet a callous person like Baili Jia Jue.
The entire courtyard was spookily silent due to the absence of the students who had already been assembled in the teahouse. The only sound that echoed across the atmosphere was the thudding footsteps and their rapid heartbeats.
Occasionally, the wind swooshed by.
However, neither of them spoke a word.
Eventually, the student lost his patience. Wearing a sinister grin, he raised his head in a slow-motion manner. "You're creating so much inconvenience. Since you are reluctant to follow me, I shall finish this here!"
"What are you going to finish? Are you going to get rid of yourself?" Baili Jia Jue glanced at the persistent rain, as though the rain was a greater concern to him compared to the student who was standing right before him.
Despite being a magical beast, he was dumbstruck by Baili Jia Jue's attitude. Appearing piqued, he removed his hat to unveil a completely pale face and his dark hair that was swaying albeit the absence of wind. With a ferocious expression, he spoke, "It has been a long time since I last met a foolish person like you. But, that's alright. Soon, you'll find out what you bring upon yourself with your foolish decision!"
"Really?" Baili Jia Jue spoke in an indifferent and unvarying tone. He appeared to be rather distracted as though he was not bothered by the student's presence at all.
The student maintained the eerie smile on his face, yet he was confused. For him, Baili Jia Jue was different from any other humans he met before.
Normally, people would be kneeling on the ground and plead for his mercy at this moment…
Forget it. This witless man here has not realized how terrifying I could be!
The student gritted his teeth as he emitted a pitch dark energy that slowly enveloped his body. Followed by that, his nose and his mouth disappeared, leaving a hollow on his face.
Baili Jia Jue gently rubbed his forehead as he smiled, yet his eyes were as cold as before. "Before you try to eat me, I have a question for you. Do you know there's something called as bait in this world? You actually have the audacity to play with a bait. Haha!"
When Baili Jia Jue lifted his gaze, the student stumbled backward. The magical beast stared at the man in disbelief, "Who… who are you?"
That's impossible. That can't be him.
If that's him, he would have exposed me a long time ago.
And the dead men mound… he would've dissolved it way earlier!
But, his eyes…
Baili Jia Jue looked on to the student from above in silence. With his teeth showing slightly on his handsome and pretty face, he approached the student at a relaxed pace.
His tall physique was covered in a white shirt, emitting a chilling and ruthless aura.
Upon seeing that, the student had the urge to run away immediately.
However, the student was stopped by the man single-handedly and the man extracted the magical beast from the student's physical body mercilessly.
The Demon-Transforming Beast was completely horrified. It used its most strenuous effort, trying to throw itself into the thick fog. At the very least, it had to inform its master about the possible return of that man!
The pain, which seemed to originate from the bottom of its veins, quickly swamped and consumed its whole body!
At this moment, Helian Wei Wei arrived and witnessed the gory scene.
The man's hands were stained in blood as his black curly hair swayed in the air. Due to his waist-long hair, he resembled
the God of darkness, so beautiful to the extent that he could easily attract all the gazes in the room. Beneath his eyes were an utter mockery. His savagery and ruthlessness were shown on his alluring lips that seemed to be able to enchant yet frighten all the magical beasts that were hiding deep within the academy.
Under the light, his face was close to perfection as it was masked under a natural yet cold expression.
However, Baili Jia Jue did not expect Helian Wei Wei to arrive at this instant. As though he was guilty of something, he quickly hid his hands behind his back.
Ha! That's absurd.
Baili Jia Jue, who was always supercilious, now feared to be judged.
Indeed, he did not want his prey to witness his coldheartedness...
"Are you alright?" He heard a familiar voice that was coated with a hint of anxiety as she ran hastily toward him.
Baili Jia Jue's gaze landed on Helian Wei Wei and, immediately, the fierceness in his eyes subsided as he wondered how much she had seen.
However, she approached him without any hesitation before she began to c.a.r.e.s.s him. Then, she raised her head and asked in a solemn tone, "Can we conduct a friendly match when you're free?"
She was being honest. Looking at His Highness' brutality as he vanquished the magical beast single-handedly, she was keen to find out the limit of his strength via a friendly match. She was dying to know how he did that.
Baili Jia Jue's put on an inconspicuous smile.
After witnessing his barbarity, a normal person would have deemed him as a monster.
She was the only exception. A girl who always wished to battle him.
"Sure," Baili Jia Jue said nonchalantly, "What's the bet?"
Helian Wei Wei answered, "Anything." She was very eager to fight with the prince.
Baili Jia Jue stared at her. Suddenly, an idea flashed across his mind. With a naughty gaze, he said, "The loser will have to… warm the bed."
Chapter 399 - Warming The ‘Bed’
Warming… the bed?
Instinctively, Helian Wei Wei knew that something was wrong with his sentence.
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