Arriving at the annex Xuan Yu ntioned, they sought out several senior disciples before they learned about the mysterious zither music.
"The zither music started around midnight. If I rember correctly, it was probably around Four more days. However, the zither music was very faint. After I heard it, I grew groggy and then drifted off to sleep."
The senior disciple answered Ling Chen and Xuan Yu’s questions honestly. Although he didn’t recognize Ling Chen, he knew Xuan Yu. The latter was a Direct disciple of the Villa owner, so he naturally dared not hide anything.
"Then did you hear any other unusual movents?" Ling Chen asked, after confirming the zither music indeed existed.
"No." The senior disciple shook his head, but then his eyes lit up as if he had rembered sothing. "Right, in my drowsiness, I seem to recall hearing other disciples going out. When I woke up the next day, I heard a disciple had died on the back mountain. This zither music might be strange."
"Hmm, I see." Ling Chen nodded, a trace of brilliance flashing in his eyes. This questioning turned out to be quite fruitful. Now, by following this lead to investigate, there’s bound to be a discovery.
After letting the senior disciple go, Ling Chen looked over at Xuan Yu beside him and said casually, "You know what to do next."
Xuan Yu nodded. "Understood. I will arrange for our people to be stationed around this area, keeping it under close surveillance, and lie in wait for the zitherist to appear."
She was already a bit impressed with Ling Chen. They had set a three-day deadline with him, but not even a full day had passed, and he had already found so leads. This capability and speed were slowly eroding her prejudice against him.
"No," Ling Chen shook his head. "The exact opposite. Maintain things as they are; do not do anything that might alert them. I’ll call one more person. Tonight, just the three of us will hide around this annex and observe, waiting to see what happens. Don’t call anyone else."
Hearing this, Xuan Yu was stunned. However, she wasn’t slow-witted and instantly understood Ling Chen’s intention. Indeed, if these acts were committed by insiders, any move she made would alert the perpetrator, who then likely wouldn’t show up tonight.
But what if just the three of them was too risky? What if the perpetrator was an Expert? Could she and Ling Chen handle it?
Although Ling Chen had previously broken their Plum Blossom Sword Formation, proving he was stronger than them, she had no idea to what extent his strength reached.
However, seeing Ling Chen’s calm deanor, her heart settled sowhat. Since this outsider wasn’t afraid, she, a Core disciple of Hani Villa, shouldn’t back down either.
Tonight, she would see for herself who the culprit truly was, be they human or ghost.
「...」
「Night fell, around the third watch.」
Ling Chen and Xuan Yu lay in ambush in the small woods next to the annex, having concealed their auras. They stood motionless on the branch of a large tree. From this position, they could just about survey the entire annex and detect any movents within.
After observing the annex for a while, Xuan Yu couldn’t help but look at a petite figure not far from her. This petite figure belonged to a charming young girl—Ling Yin.
"Ling Chen, what trick are you playing? Is this your specially summoned reinforcent?"
Xuan Yu found it hard to understand. Ling Chen had told her not to leak any information to anyone to avoid alerting the enemy, yet he himself had called this little girl over. She couldn’t understand what this little girl could possibly do.
"Yes, whether we can catch the killer tonight depends on her," Ling Chen replied with a faint smile.
"Her?" Xuan Yu glanced at Ling Yin again and then shook her head. She found it hard to believe Ling Yin could be of any help, let alone play a crucial role.
"Xiao Yin, if there’s any movent later, pinpoint their location first. Do not act rashly," Ling Chen paid no mind to Xuan Yu’s opinion and instead turned to Ling Yin, instructing her softly.
"Rest assured, Brother Ling Chen, I’ve got this." Ling Yin’s eyes, like gems, seed to emit a faint glow in the night. Ling Chen rarely asked her for help. Now that he had specifically requested her participation, there was no way she would ss it up.
Ling Chen said no more. Ling Yin’s eyes were extraordinary; not only could they see through any Illusion Technique, but in the darkness of night, her vision was almost as clear as in daylight. Ling Chen had witnessed this three years prior.
Under their patient and silent waiting, Four more days soon arrived.
Ling Chen, Ling Yin, and Xuan Yu were all on high alert, their attention focused to the extre.
However, even after more than an hour had passed, there was still no movent.
The so-called zither music did not appear. The three of them only heard the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind rustling the leaves.
"Why hasn’t it appeared yet? Could it be that this zither sound is just their hallucination? That, in fact, there’s no such thing as zither music at all?" Growing impatient from the wait, Xuan Yu couldn’t help but complain. They had spent the entire day investigating this zither music, yet the anticipated event had not occurred, leaving her very disappointed.
"Wait a bit longer." Ling Chen, however, was not impatient. Even if the so-called zither music didn’t appear today, he wouldn’t give up so easily. He would return tomorrow night; after all, this was their only lead. If this lead were lost, it would be very difficult to trace anything further.
Good things often face setbacks, it seems. Looks like today won’t be so smooth.
Just as Ling Chen began to believe he might leave empty-handed today, suddenly, a lodious zither sound echoed in his ears.
"It’s here!" Ling Chen’s eyes suddenly lit up, like a cheetah that had spotted its prey.
The zither’s lody was exceptionally strange. As it reached his ears, Ling Chen instantly felt his senses go numb, and his mind grew hazy.
However, Ling Chen’s willpower was exceptionally firm. Protected by his Sword Intent, the zither music had barely begun to affect his mind when the Sword Intent dispelled it, and he instantly regained clarity.
Ling Chen was secretly alard. This zither music is indeed unusual. Even he had almost fallen for it. The power of the zither music was unimaginable. If it had been anyone else, even a Top Sky Apex Strong, they would have been trapped and at its rcy.
"Brother Ling Chen, the person playing the zither is on that rooftop!" Just as Ling Chen was secretly surprised, Ling Yin suddenly stretched out her hand, pointing to a rooftop about a kiloter away.
It was completely dark there, a moonless and windy night, making it impossible to see anything. If Ling Yin hadn’t pointed it out, Ling Chen would never have noticed anyone there.
"Let’s go! Soone’s here!" Ling Chen slapped Xuan Yu awake beside him and then shot forward, darting towards the rooftop.
"What? The culprit has appeared?" Startled awake by Ling Chen’s slap, Xuan Yu broke out in a cold sweat. She had actually been entranced by the zither music! But when she heard Ling Chen say soone had co, her beautiful eyes lit up. The culprit who had thrown their Hani Villa into such a state of alarm was finally showing themselves?
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