Clues... right! And those suspicious points!
Xiao Zi wanted to call out to Bai Ran, but before he could speak, a deep male voice came from the sachet hanging from Fu Zhu's waist.
"Zhu Er! Where are you!"
It was the Fu family patriarch's voice! Zhu Que was startled and raised her hand to cover Fu Zhu's mouth.
"The dilapidated courtyard at the southernmost end—!!!" Fu Zhu seized the opportunity and shouted for help before Zhu Que could stop her.
Not good! Jiang Ye's expression sharpened, turning extremely grim.
Jiang Ye strode forward, snatched the sachet from Fu Zhu's waist, and squeezed it hard. The communication jade pendant hidden inside was crushed into powder.
He looked at Bai Ran, his face ashen with a terrifying gloom. "The Fu family patriarch will arrive soon. We must leave here as quickly as possible."
Bai Ran nodded solemnly. She glanced at Fu Zhu and after a moment of thought, quickly made a decision.
She turned to Jing Feng. With just a glance, Jing Feng understood. He walked up to the terrified and struggling Fu Zhu and drew his long sword.
The long sword gleamed with a cold, chilling light, and was quickly pressed against Fu Zhu's delicate neck, instantly revealing a fresh red wound.
Feeling the pain, Fu Zhu began to struggle and beg, "Don't kill me! Please, don't kill me!"
"I! I can provide you with clues. I am the Divine Emperor's personal alchemist!"
Jing Feng frowned. In this critical moment, he had no time to waste with Fu Zhu. He raised his long sword high and brought it down with killing intent.
White knife in, red knife out. In the blink of an eye, Fu Zhu's body slumped to the ground, her blood dyeing the soil in the courtyard a deep crimson.
Seeing Fu Zhu dead, the group quickly left the courtyard and headed towards the central region of the Divine Realm.
An incense stick later, the Fu family patriarch arrived with his troops, his presence grand and his demeanor menacing. Unfortunately, it was too late.
Upon seeing the dismembered body of his beloved relative in the courtyard, the Fu family patriarch's eyes were bloodshot, and a furious, blood-red color appeared in his irises.
"Who—! Who killed my Zhu'er—!!!"
His immense spiritual energy surged into the sky, piercing the clouds and making the very air tremble.
However, the culprits were at this moment, mingling discreetly in the crowded streets.
"A pity, we only got a little out of her," Xiao Zi said lazily, following behind Bai Ran. The questions he wanted to ask were interrupted before he could.
Jing Feng leaned towards Bai Ran, a hint of confusion in his heart. "Miss Bai, why did you ask about the pills she brewed most often?"
"When an alchemist brews pills, it's a matter of deep understanding. Every alchemist has their specialties."
Bai Ran paused and continued, "Fu Zhu's most frequently brewed pill was the Qi Replenishing Pill. Think about it, why would she brew it? And for whom?"
Why would she brew it, and for whom... Jing Feng's eyes widened gradually. "Is it Mo Ze?!"
Qi Replenishing Pills are mostly used to restore spiritual energy and stamina, which implies Mo Ze often depleted his spiritual energy!
"And the most frequent person is also...?"
Bai Ran nodded. "The person she saw most often was Mo Ze, which means Mo Ze summoned her an incredibly frequent number of times."
The most frequent person was not a close relative but Mo Ze, which was rather perplexing.
Therefore, Bai Ran guessed that there was something wrong with his body, requiring him to frequently take pills to replenish his spiritual energy.
Truly cunning... The more Jing Feng listened, the more he marveled at Bai Ran's intelligence.
If they had asked Mo Ze directly, it would have certainly alerted Fu Zhu and resulted in a vague answer.
Whether she affirmed or denied, they wouldn't have known if she was telling the truth.
But like this, with a slight detour, making the question seem less sensitive, coupled with intimidation and threats, Fu Zhu would have been absolutely incapable of lying in a short period.
"Miss Bai, are you truly human..." Jing Feng shivered. Fortunately, he was on Miss Bai's side.
If one were to oppose someone like her, wouldn't they be too terrified to sleep soundly?
"Human? Don't you already know my identity?" Bai Ran smiled at Jing Feng.
Xiao Zi, following from afar, overheard their conversation. He lowered his gaze and chuckled, vigorously stroking the head of the little sable in his palm.
"Ling Ze and I were truly worried for nothing..."
Earlier, they worried that Mo Ze was too calculating and that no one could contend with him. But now, it seemed, let alone contend, it wouldn't even be a problem to uncover secrets he himself was unaware of.
"After being apart from the little devil for so long, I even forgot her terrifying abilities—" Xiao Zi was in a very good mood, and his hand movements became a bit heavier.
"Miss Bai, where are we going now?" Zhong Zi asked, lowering his voice and leaning closer to Bai Ran.
Bai Ran scanned her surroundings as she walked. The closer they got to the central Divine Capital, the more prosperous and lively it became.
If they were to hide, choosing a place with many people would suffice, but there was no guarantee that Mo Ze wouldn't think the same.
The more common folk there were, the more spies would be mixed in. Moreover, the locations of the Holy Halls were not far from the Divine Capital, and their reinforcement speed would be several times faster.
"Why don't we buy a house around here?" Jiang Ye suggested, looking at their surroundings.
Zhu Que pouted and looked at him speechlessly. "What are you thinking? Nesting amongst the enemy. If we're discovered, we won't be able to escape even with ten legs."
Bai Ran nodded. What Zhu Que said was indeed true. This place was located in the center of the five Holy Halls. Once discovered, they wouldn't be able to escape even if they had ten legs.
"The most important thing now is to find Bai Hu's whereabouts. If we can rescue him, that would be best."
Zhong Zi stroked his chin, pondering Bai Ran's words. "Master, you mean... to settle down around Bai Hu?"
"Mmm." Bai Ran nodded again. "There's only one place Bai Hu is likely to be."
"Shi Fang Temple—" everyone exclaimed in unison.
That Miao Yuan was the daughter of the abbot of Shi Fang Temple. Even if she wasn't at Shi Fang Temple, she wouldn't be too far away.
"We'll stay around Shi Fang Temple. Don't rush to contact Bai Hu. We'll gather enough intelligence before making a move."
Upon hearing Bai Ran's words, everyone nodded solemnly.
Zhu Que and the others had contacted Bai Hu and knew the specific location of Shi Fang Temple. Within two hours, they led the group to a place a few kilometers away from Shi Fang Temple.
"This... I didn't expect this..."
As soon as they arrived at their destination, everyone was shocked by the scene before them and stood frozen in place.
On every street and alley, there were portraits of Miao Yuan and Bai Hu plastered everywhere. In the portraits, the two were dressed in wedding attire, one smiling with crescent-shaped eyes, looking very joyful.
The other had a stiffly stretched mouth, forming a smile that was more like a grimace than a laugh.
"Look at how Bai Hu is smiling, so happy," Xiao Zi said, staring at the portrait and teasing.
Jiang Ye glanced at the smile that was more like a grimace than a laugh and sighed in exasperation. "How can you tell he's happy?"