Tie Mingyuan pushed open the door and entered. When he saw Yan still lying unconscious on the bed, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
However, Qu Yuanhang and the two n from the Martial Soul Hall were rather surprised to see him return.
"Tie Mingyuan, did you kill Chu Qingyun?" Qu Yuanhang asked, his eyes narrowing.
Tie Mingyuan hesitated for a mont, but ultimately decided to do as Chu Qingyun had instructed.
He held up a torn, blood-stained piece of Chu Qingyun's clothing. "Sir, he was already severely wounded when I caught up to him. After a fierce fight, I killed him. His body fell into a ravine, and I didn't have ti to retrieve it."
"These were in his clothes." As he spoke, Tie Mingyuan placed the Great Xia Martial Order and the Mission Scroll on the table.
Qu Yuanhang, Mr. Zhu, and Mr. Hou examined the items. The three of them exchanged glances, and each could see the delight in the others' eyes.
The Great Xia Martial Order and the Mission Scroll were, without a doubt, two extrely important items. Possessing them was proof enough that Chu Qingyun was dead.
"Good, Tie Mingyuan. Very good. Congratulations..." Qu Yuanhang chuckled sinisterly. Even Chu Qingyun, who was hiding outside the door, could tell sothing was amiss.
However, Tie Mingyuan's mind was entirely focused on Yan, so he didn't notice the strange tone in Qu Yuanhang's voice at all.
"Sir, does this an you'll betroth Yan to ?" Tie Mingyuan asked, his voice filled with excitent.
"No, no, no. You can forget about Yan," Qu Yuanhang said, shaking his head smugly. "What I ant was, congratulations on killing a Great Xia Dragon Guard."
"What?!"
Tie Mingyuan's expression changed drastically. "Town Mayor... Y-you're saying Chu Qingyun... he really was an Examiner for the Great Xia Dragon Guards?! Why?"
"Yes, why indeed?" Qu Yuanhang said, gloating. "Chu Qingyun took the fall for being the Flower Thief, and now you've taken the fall for killing a Great Xia Dragon Guard. Once the Dragon Guards hunt you down and kill you, I'll be free. I won't be a wanted man anymore! Hahaha..."
By the end, Qu Yuanhang couldn't hold back and burst into wild, maniacal laughter.
Tie Mingyuan was utterly stunned. He couldn't understand how the town mayor he'd known for over a decade could have turned into this.
"Kid, I'll let you in on the secret before you die."
As Qu Yuanhang spoke, his body suddenly began to warp from head to toe. It looked as if the very space around him was twisting.
A mont later, Qu Yuanhang was gone. In his place stood a tall, thin, slightly stooped middle-aged man in a gray robe. This man had a long, horse-like face, nothing at all like Qu Yuanhang's fair, plump one!
Both Tie Mingyuan inside the room and Chu Qingyun outside were stunned. Not only had the man's appearance and clothes changed, but even his Qi signature had transford!
When he was Qu Yuanhang, he had naturally exuded the Qi of a Level 1 Martial Artist. But now, he was revealing the Qi of a Level 7 Martial Artist. A six-level gap! Chu Qingyun was certain this was no illusion!
'To change not only his appearance but also his Qi signature... what kind of power is this?!'
"Hehehe, Tie Mingyuan, allow to introduce myself. The na is Ma Zhiyong. I'm the Flower Thief you've been so desperately searching for. As for your useless town mayor... I slaughtered him over a month ago."
Ma Zhiyong let out a cold, sinister laugh. His voice had beco chilling and hoarse, grating on the ears.
At this, everything clicked into place for Chu Qingyun. He finally understood.
Over a month ago, Ma Zhiyong arrived in San Yang Town. He killed Town Mayor Qu Yuanhang and then, using so unknown thod, disguised himself as the mayor.
The dozen or so young won who disappeared afterward were clearly his work as well.
His plan was incredibly malicious: first, fra Chu Qingyun as the Flower Thief; then, use Tie Mingyuan to kill Chu Qingyun. After that, he could announce to the world that the Flower Thief, Ma Zhiyong, was dead. As for the body? Naturally, it would never be found.
Then, when Chu Qingyun's body was eventually discovered, it would be a simple matter for the Great Xia Dragon Guards to discover Tie Mingyuan was the killer. It would have nothing to do with him.
And just like that, he would no longer be a wanted man by the Great Xia Dragon Guards.
His only miscalculation, however, was Chu Qingyun. Because of his Devouring Martial Soul, Chu Qingyun knew in advance that people from the Martial Soul Hall were coming. He had been on high alert and hadn't drunk the wine, which had been laced with a potent aphrodisiac.
Otherwise, Chu Qingyun would have likely been hacked to death by a furious Tie Mingyuan in the middle of... things... with Yan.
As he pieced it all together, a chill ran down Chu Qingyun's spine. 'This guy's scheming is terrifyingly deep.'
'But the key to all this is how he managed to disguise himself as Qu Yuanhang and et with everyone so openly without arousing the slightest suspicion.'
'Disguise Skills... Chu Qingyun had seen them before. You Yun knew how. But he refused to believe that such a superficial technique could accomplish sothing like this.'
'A strange and incomprehensible power... it must be... the power of a Martial Soul!'
A fervent glint suddenly flashed in Chu Qingyun's eyes.
'Such a miraculous power can't be explained by common sense. There's only one possibility: a Martial Soul. Ma Zhiyong must possess a very unusual Martial Soul!'
Inside the room, Tie Mingyuan was completely dumbfounded.
He truly never imagined that the Flower Thief he'd spent over a month desperately searching for had been right under his nose the entire ti!
The Yan he'd nearly gone mad looking for had been in the Town Mayor's Mansion all along, a place he visited several tis a day!
"Heh heh, kid, you can run now. Go on and enjoy the feeling of being hunted by the Great Xia Dragon Guards. As for Yan, don't worry. We'll... take good care of her for you."
"Alas, her parents are dead, and her beloved is so useless—played for a fool and about to be hunted by the Great Xia Dragon Guards. Yan, oh Yan, what should I do with you? Hmm, how about this? After we've had our fun with you, we'll sell you to a brothel. At least you'll have a roof over your head, right?"
Ma Zhiyong stood by the bed, stroking Yan's face with a perverse expression.
"Get your filthy hands off her!"
Tie Mingyuan roared and slashed violently at Ma Zhiyong. He put everything into the attack, forgoing all defense like a cornered beast. This desperation actually added a bit more power to his Sword Montum.
Ma Zhiyong was taken aback. He hadn't expected Tie Mingyuan to be so insane as to brazenly attack a Level 7 Martial Artist in the presence of two Level 8 Martial Artists.
Caught off guard, he received a shallow cut on his shoulder, drawing a bit of blood.
However, Ma Zhiyong's counterattack—a single palm strike—sent Tie Mingyuan flying. He crumpled to the ground, spitting blood, unable to even crawl.
"You little bastard, you dare to hurt ? A piece of trash like you, a re Level 3 Martial Artist, actually dared to injure ?! Heh heh, do you know how I deflowered your precious Yan? I did it while wearing Qu Yuanhang's face! HAHAHA...!" Ma Zhiyong's face twisted as he broke into another fit of neurotic, wild laughter.
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