“A copycat crime?” Gu Baiying looked at Zanxing.
“Exactly. The events from back then caused a big stir, and everyone in Li’er Country knows about it. It’s possible that someone, or some demon, saw this and used the same method to kill people, framing the shark demon from back then. It’s not out of the question.”
Gu Baiying didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be carefully considering Zanxing’s words. After a moment, he asked, “Then who do you think would do something like this?”
“There could be many possibilities,” Zanxing answered without hesitation. “Twisted and psychopathic individuals, antisocial types, or perhaps the friends and relatives of the shark demon. It could even be a lover seeking revenge.”
“A lover?” Gu Baiying sneered. “You’ve been reading too many novels.”
“No,” Zanxing said, slapping the table. “Even if it’s a demon, it might have had a lover. Just imagine how heartbroken that lover would be knowing their beloved was destroyed by the demon-slaying formation. Perhaps they cultivated diligently all these years just to seek revenge. The revenge for the shark demon after forty years isn’t too late. ‘The palace destroyed my lover, so I’ll make the entire palace pay!’” Zanxing spread her hands. “See? It’s quite moving.”
“Shut up,” Gu Baiying said, frowning. “What’s moving about that? It’s disgusting.”
“Of course it’s moving. If someone I loved were killed, I would definitely hide my identity and seek revenge for them,” Zanxing said. “Martial Uncle, you really don’t understand romance. Wouldn’t you do the same?”
“Absolutely not,” Gu Baiying scoffed. “I would never let my loved one be in danger in the first place.”
Zanxing was stunned for a moment before speaking again, “Even so, Martial Uncle, do you think your Jie Xin Bell would actually ring? Would you ever truly fall for someone?”
“Have you said enough?” Gu Baiying snapped, unable to tolerate her any longer. “If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll kick you out.”
Zanxing smiled, “This is just casual talk, don’t be angry.”
Gu Baiying ignored her.
Zanxing flipped through a few more case files, finding nothing useful, and asked Gu Baiying, “Martial Uncle, these files are all the same. There’s nothing useful here. What should we do now?”
Gu Baiying tossed the case file he was holding back into the wooden box and pulled out a communication talisman from his robe. He held the talisman between his fingers, and with a slight movement, a small flame began to burn along the bottom of the paper.
“Seventh Martial Uncle,” Meng Ying’s voice came from the talisman.
“What’s your current location?” Gu Baiying asked. “Have you found the demon?”
“Not yet,” Meng Ying replied. “The demonic energy here fluctuates, and Tan Tianxin’s Thousand-Mile Demon Toad stops and starts along the way. We’re currently heading up the mountain. I’m not sure if we’ll find the demon’s lair before nightfall.”
“Understood,” Gu Baiying said. “Be vigilant and take care of Mu Cengxiao. If there’s any danger, remember to send a message to me.”
“Yes, Martial Uncle,�� Meng Ying said.
As the communication talisman turned to ashes in the air, someone handed a jug of water to Meng Ying. “Have some,” he said.
Meng Ying didn’t take it. She was particular about cleanliness and rarely used other people’s cups or jugs unless absolutely necessary. However, the sun was indeed intense, and Li’er Country was hot all year round. From Mount Gufeng to their current location, she was feeling a bit uncomfortable.
“I asked a palace maid for this jug and the water before we set out today. It’s spring water from the mountains, and I haven’t touched it,” Mu Cengxiao said, handing the jug to Meng Ying before sitting down on the other side.
Nie Xinghong walked over with two cups of ice syrup, handing one to Meng Ying. As he fanned her gracefully, he charmingly said, “It’s hot today, Miss Meng must be thirsty. I specially ordered some ice syrup, sweet and refreshing. Please, have a taste.”
Meng Ying coldly walked past him, removed the stopper from the jug, and took a sip without even looking at him.
Nie Xinghong awkwardly withdrew his hand, coughed lightly, and consoled himself, “It seems Miss Meng doesn’t like sweet things.”
Not far away, Tan Tianxin sat under a tree, watching a small green toad hopping on the ground. The toad, about the size of half a palm, bounced around without sensing any demonic energy in Li’er Country. Despite chasing after it for most of the day, the Thousand-Mile Demon Toad hadn’t found any trace of the demon.
As everyone rested, the green toad hopped onto a broad leaf, stayed still for a moment, and suddenly, as if it had discovered something, emitted sharp croaking sounds and swiftly leaped in a direction, startling everyone.
Meng Ying also looked in that direction.
Tan Tianxin stood up abruptly, excitedly saying, “The toad has found the demonic energy! The demon must be ahead. Hurry, let’s follow it!”
The scorching sun hung overhead, the sky clear and blue without a single cloud.
Tian Fangfang wiped the sweat from his forehead and exclaimed, “Li’er Country is just too hot!”
Gufeng Mountain, located up in the mountains, always had a bit more coolness than the foothills, but the sun in Li’er Country seemed intent on drying people out.
Indoors, the old man placed a bowl filled with well water on the table and stepped aside, saying cautiously, “Immortal, feel free to ask whatever you want to know. It’s been decades since my little sister’s incident, so I might not remember everything clearly.”
“It’s okay,” Tian Fangfang said reassuringly. “We’re just asking casually, you don’t need to be nervous.”
Men Dong hesitated as he looked at the dark earthy bowl on the table. Tian Fangfang didn’t mind and took a few sips of water from the bowl, saying, “Uncle, we’re just asking about the situation when your sister was attacked by the shark demon.”
“The shark demon…” The old man seemed to recall the horrifying scene from years ago, his lips trembling involuntarily. “That was a terrifying monster.”
Half an hour later, Men Dong and Tian Fangfang emerged from the house.
“We couldn’t find many relatives of the deceased from back then. Many have either passed away or left Li’er Country. We only found five households in total. We visited three, and their stories were similar,” Men Dong said, counting on his fingers. “They were all young women, drained of blood, all killed when they were alone. It’s the same as the recent victims. I think it’s the shark demon from forty years ago coming back for revenge. There’s not much else to say.”
“Even so,” Tian Fangfang shook his head, “I just feel like something is being overlooked. None of these people actually witnessed the shark demon attacking, yet their testimonies are so consistent. It’s strange.”
“What’s so strange about that?” Men Dong replied. “They’re all ordinary people, how could they see the true form of the shark demon? Even members of the royal family of Li’er Country only caught the shark demon because of the suppression formation. However, the formation master at the time was probably not very skilled, allowing the shark demon to find a chance to escape and return forty years later.”
Tian Fangfang looked into the distance. “Forget it, thinking about it won’t change anything. Brother, you’ve recorded all the information we just gathered, right? Let’s hurry to the next household.”
Men Dong glanced at the scorching sun above, sighed, and reluctantly followed along.