Chapter 112: The Mysterious Stranger

Zhang He’s gaze sharpened once more. “There is only one reasonable explanation: Third Miss must have sensed something was off, but she couldn’t be certain whether there was a traitor inside the manor. I know that within a sect, if you suspect your own people without solid proof, it breaks the trust among brothers and sisters. That’s why she kept silent.”

Yanjio and Fourth Miss’s faces darkened. They had believed their plan was flawless, but in truth, what in this world is ever truly perfect?

Zhang He nodded. “Her unusual behavior would surely have aroused Leader Jin’s suspicion.”

Fourth Miss couldn’t help but ask, “What makes you so sure?”

Zhang He’s voice turned sharp. “You should know this better than I do. If Leader Jin allowed you to keep such a secret from him for so long, then he doesn’t deserve to be the leader. He should have been kicked out long ago—better off being a guardian or a hall master.”

Suddenly, Yanjio and Fourth Miss felt a chill run through their limbs. Zhang He’s words struck at the heart of the matter. If Leader Jin had also discovered there was a traitor within, the problem was far more serious than they had imagined.

It was like a towering, sturdy tree. Fierce winds, rainstorms, and thunder might not topple it, but if the roots were rotten from within, the tree would quickly decay, not only falling but turning to ashes.

Whether a noble sect or a self-established one, every sect leader understood the grave danger of internal betrayal.

Zhang He said calmly, “Actually, you, Steward Yanjio, were involved in the plan to assassinate the bride. I have enough evidence to prove it. The biggest reason I was able to sneak into the carriage to carry out the attack was because of you. Those six men who were supposed to be life-or-death guards were just a ruse. When you shouted 'stop,' the entire team halted. And only you could arrange for the carriage to stop precisely on the stone slab above the secret passage. Even I thought of this—how could Leader Jin not?”

Cold sweat finally broke out on Fourth Miss’s forehead, and Yanjio fell silent, lost in deep thought.

Zhang He continued, “If I’m right, Leader Jin must have realized that Third Miss’s strange death couldn’t have been done by one person alone, nor could it have succeeded relying only on outsiders. There had to be an insider. Otherwise, how could the real culprit know the wedding procession’s route and every move so thoroughly? I believe Leader Jin now suspects you two, but as the sect leader, without concrete evidence, he won’t act rashly. He would return to the manor and dispatch key members separately to search for clues, detaining suspects. Once he has enough proof, he’ll expel you both from the sect.”

Fourth Miss’s face turned deathly pale—only she and Yanjio fully understood that Zhang He’s words were not mere speculation, but undeniable truth.

She recalled clearly that after the wedding was called off, on the way back to Mingjian Manor, Jin Mailang had said, “So, he (Zhang He) can’t still be in Happy Forest.”

Fourth Miss had asked, “Why not?”

That single question immediately made Jin Mailang suspicious of her, because as an insider, she was most desperate to know Zhang He’s whereabouts. She feared that if Zhang He uncovered the problem and traced it, he would eventually discover her role. Once the secret was exposed and rumors spread, all her efforts would be in vain.

What she truly hoped for was that Zhang He would remain lost in confusion forever, never discovering the truth, and would return to Cangjian Manor to report good news, thus permanently leaving this place of turmoil. That way, the trail would be completely severed.

Only then did Fourth Miss realize that the most urgent issue was how Mingjian Manor would respond to Cangjian Manor’s brazen provocation. This was the top priority.

From a wider perspective, Zhang He was actually insignificant. So when Zhang He rushed into the Cloud Guest Inn, Jin Mailang didn’t even bother to look at him because his mind was still clear, able to distinguish what was important and what was not.

Unfortunately, on the return journey, many ignored Zhang He’s movements. It was she who, untimely and unwisely, asked about it. Naturally, Jin Mailang glanced at her, and that look chilled her to the bone, nearly shattering her soul.

In fact, at that moment, Jin Mailang was already suspicious of her.

Fourth Miss also recalled another terrifying thing: the words Jin Mailang left before leaving, “Find the one who conquers all by force—kill him on sight!”

Ximen Jian was killed by Zhang He. He was the one most eager and qualified to seek revenge. So why did Jin Mailang not send Ximen Jian to kill Zhang He, but instead sent Fourth Miss to find him? Could her martial skills be better than Ximen Jian’s?

That was simply ridiculous!

Clearly, there was a deeper meaning: to make the traitor herself seek out the investigator of the traitor, to expose her own disloyalty.

How sinister, how vicious! This cunning strategy of using one’s own hand to kill oneself was brilliant. The key was that Fourth Miss never found this “investigator”—instead, the investigator found her.

At this thought, not only did Fourth Miss break out in cold sweat, but even Yanjio’s forehead beads of sweat fell steadily. Nowadays, nothing withstands “seriousness.” Once you take things seriously, you lose quickly.

Jin Mailang was like this, and Zhang He even more so.

Chenguang Xi, who had been mostly silent, finally sighed, “I still say, if they want to kill my wife, do they need to make it so complicated? Why not just kill her outright? You guys are a bunch of perverts…”

Zhang He chuckled, “They’re not perverts. There must be a reason they made this conspiracy so complicated.”

“What reason could there be?” Chenguang Xi complained.

Zhang He smiled. “Elder, think carefully. Why would they choose to be traitors? You should know that once a traitor is expelled from the sect, there’s no reward money, no martial arts training, and many reputation points, chivalry, and charm values will be deducted. So why do they still choose to betray? Because the price of betrayal is worth it.”

Chenguang Xi hesitated, “Brother, you mean someone gave them lots of good equipment and money to betray Mingjian Manor?”

Zhang He shook his head with a smile. “I’m afraid it’s more than that. If it were that simple, Steward Yanjio wouldn’t have done it.”

Chenguang Xi nodded. “That’s true. Yanjio, you’re fourth rank, steward of Mingjian Manor, with over a thousand people under your command. You have money, men, and martial arts. Why would you abandon all that to become a damn traitor? I just can’t understand.”

Zhang He looked leisurely at Yanjio and Fourth Miss. “Then Elder, you should ask Steward Yanjio why he wanted to kill your precious Cuixia. You know Cuixia is no longer Third Miss of Mingjian Manor; she is the wife of the ninth bag elder of the Beggar’s Sect’s Yuezhou headquarters. They knew this perfectly well, yet they still wanted to kill her and even cut off her head. Elder, what do you think should be done?”

“You bastards—” Chenguang Xi, clearly a pure-hearted man, couldn’t stand these scheming tricks.

But faced with Chenguang Xi’s outburst, Yanjio and Fourth Miss were speechless.

Fourth Miss suddenly realized Zhang He wasn’t a good person either; he was just as sinister. He was shifting the blame onto the Beggar’s Sect, so that even if she and Yanjio protested, no one would believe them. Not only would they be forced out of Mingjian Manor, but the Beggar’s Sect would become their enemy.

Offending Shaolin or Wudang might be bearable, but offending the Beggar’s Sect—hmm—in the empire, you just wouldn’t survive.

Don’t underestimate these beggars; by numbers alone, they are the largest sect in the world, with disciples everywhere. If you fall on their blacklist, no matter how vast the Central Plains are, you’ll have no place left to stand.

Staring into the dark forest, Yanjio sighed deeply. “Actually, Third Miss did not die by our hands.”

Zhang He stared at him sharply. “Then what happened? You must know hiding this won’t stop the truth from coming out. You’ll suffer great losses in the end. Tell me—who is that mysterious person?”

“Mysterious person?” Yanjio was taken aback but quickly recovered. “Yes, he is truly mysterious. Calling him ‘the mysterious person’ fits perfectly.”

Zhang He’s eyes flickered. “You don’t know who he is either?”

Yanjio shook his head and sighed deeply. “Honestly, I’ve tried to find him over the past month, but I just can’t…”

Zhang He sneered. “I knew it. This assassination plan was plotted long ago, not something done in a day or two.”

He paused, then said solemnly, “Then, you can tell me what you know about him. Maybe I can help.”

Fourth Miss snorted coldly. “Who do you think you are? The Martial Alliance Leader or the Demon Sect Chief?”

Zhang He sighed. “You can believe me or not. Is there really any other choice?”

Fourth Miss immediately turned to Yanjio. He stared at Zhang He for a long moment before saying, “I can tell you.”

Fourth Miss cried out, “Brother Jiu, could it be…”

Yanjio nodded grimly.

Fourth Miss exclaimed, “Brother Jiu, you…”

Yanjio quickly interrupted, “I don’t trust him. I just think we can’t keep hoping for luck. We’re already trapped. Killing him won’t help. Why not take a risk? Maybe he really can help us.”

Fourth Miss was silent for a long time and finally didn’t oppose any further.