At the entrance of the Peaceful Joy Pavilion, the crowd had completely blocked the road, and more and more people were gathering.
Those who came all seemed intent on getting closer to the corpse, eager to see who the deceased was.
It's clear these people were no strangers to death, indicating it wasn't their first time seeing such a scene.
No one knew if anyone recognized the deceased, but certainly, no one spoke up about their identity.
Perhaps those who knew chose to remain silent.
The rain had not stopped completely; light drizzle continued.
Under the eaves and streetlights, the blood on the ground slowly seeped into the gutter, and the scent of blood lingered in the air.
The shopkeeper, who had disappeared earlier, returned amidst inquiries from the surrounding neighbors.
He claimed ignorance of the circumstances, stating they had to wait for the city guards to investigate.
Feng Chi had also returned along with the shopkeeper but kept her distance upon seeing the scruffy old man within the crowd.
She stood atop a rooftop beside a thin man in blue robes, cloaked, with her face covered.
On the rooftops along the street, there were other figures as well.
Suddenly, all eyes on the rooftops turned toward the end of the street, where a group of people dressed in brown uniforms approached upon hearing the news.
Those familiar knew these were disciples of Wukang Mountain, stationed in the city to maintain order.
Behind this group were two carriages.
“Make way!”
Calls to clear the way rang out, and the crowd swiftly parted to let them pass.
The disciples of Wukang Mountain charged directly to the entrance of Peaceful Joy Pavilion, quickly clearing the scene and forcing the scruffy old man to stand against the wall.
One of the disciples squatted next to the body to get a clear look at the deceased's face.
Some exchanged worried glances; others felt a chill down their spine, and someone promptly signaled to control the scene.
A man emerged from beside the halted carriage and quickly got on.
Sitting inside were Bian Weiying and her reliable assistant, Wei Bian, the man who had gone to report after the failed use of the Immobilization Talisman.
Wei Bian immediately asked the newcomer in a low voice, "How is it? Are they still inside?"
The man replied quietly, "We've kept a close watch around and haven't seen anyone slip out yet."
Wei Bian turned to look at Bian Weiying.
With her hair down, Bian Weiying nodded slightly.
Wei Bian tapped the carriage window, signaling the carriage to move forward.
A short distance later, the carriage stopped beside the crime scene.
Two men exited first, followed by Wei Bian, who lifted the curtain to welcome Bian Weiying out.
Bian Weiying stood high on the carriage shaft, scanning the surroundings with a frosty gaze, even casting a cold glance at the people on the rooftops.
Her slightly fluttering hair was gradually getting wet by the drizzle.
Regardless of being a woman, her mere glance sent Wukang Mountain disciples scrambling to chase down people from the rooftops on either side.
The taste of power was evident here.
Feng Chi and the gaunt man in blue robes remained on the roof.
They weren't in close proximity, so they weren't bothered by the Wukang Mountain people, who didn't chase those farther away.
Merchants along the street recognized Bian Weiying, and so did many among the crowd watching.
Shi Chun, peeping through the eaves, saw her too.
Wu Jinliang noticed as well but didn't recognize her.
He muttered softly, "Who's that woman? Acting all high and mighty, but she looks quite attractive."
Shi Chun whispered back, "Bian Weiying."
Wu Jinliang understood.
Shi Chun had mentioned her before, saying she was quite nice.
But looking at her lofty demeanor now, he figured Shi Chun might have been benefiting from Bian Weikang's influence.
Seeing Bian Weiying leading Wukang Mountain people here, the two relaxed a bit, thinking that any assassins would not dare make further moves.
Moreover, since Bian Weiying had accompanied Shi Chun on a stroll before, and considering Bian Weikang's influence, they believed they wouldn’t be wrongly accused of killing someone in the street.
However, they remained wary, instinctively observing from the shadows due to their life-and-death experiences in the Exile Lands, not rushing out amid the current situation.
Amid countless eyes on her, Bian Weiying descended from the carriage shaft and walked toward the entrance of the Peaceful Joy Pavilion.
The shopkeeper hurried over to greet her, "City Lord, what a fuss this turned into, troubling you to come personally."
Bian Weiying's gaze swept over the bench, wine jar, scattered leftovers, two pairs of shoes, a knife sheath, and two discarded talismans by the entrance before slowly asking, “Is the culprit still inside the inn?”
The shopkeeper quickly explained, “Our humble establishment can vouch; those two are not the culprits. They acted in self-defense when attacked.”
Shi Chun's guess was right; this place was indeed a spot set up by the demonic path to act against Wukang Mountain.
Given such a background, the shopkeeper naturally had to speak in favor of Shi Chun and his companion; they couldn't let anyone be falsely accused as the "culprit."
Wei Bian sternly said, "The City Lord asked if the culprit is still in the inn. Why are you babbling so much?"
The shopkeeper hurriedly replied, “They’re still inside. But our establishment can assure that those two guests really acted in self-defense. They were also frightened. Other merchants can testify to this.”
Wei Bian frowned, about to scold him when Bian Weiying raised her hand to stop him.
She smiled, “I understand. But since there was a killing in the city, the guards can’t ignore it. We need to take them for questioning. Rest assured, if it was self-defense with so many witnesses, they’ll be released after questioning. It won’t affect your guests much. Please cooperate, and everyone can go back to their business sooner.”
Her gentle, courteous demeanor was disarming.
A subtle, undetectable sneer crossed Wei Bian’s face.
When the City Lord previously spoke about arresting and executing the culprits openly, he had been a bit concerned, cautiously reminding her that for Skyward Gaze City to exist, the most important thing was the rules to keep people’s minds steady.
Wasn't such a blatant approach inappropriate and hard to justify to those on the mountain?
The City Lord had replied, "Where's the problem? Everyone saw the murder. After arrest, they admitted to it themselves. It's only reasonable to exact justice for murder."
Then he understood what she meant.
Once someone was dead, whether the killer admitted it or not was for them to decide.
Outsiders wouldn't know the inside story; they'd only hear that someone committed a crime openly and was then executed by the city's guards, and that would be all.
For just a couple of ruffians from the Exile Lands, who would care about their fates?
The shopkeeper was a bit hesitant because his perspective was always facing Feng Chi’s direction to observe.
Some matters were beyond his decision-making capacity.
The skinny man in blue beside Feng Chi whispered, “Do you need me to step in and fetch them?”
Feng Chi softly replied, “No need. You’re stationed here to guard against that old man. It’s best not to expose yourself unnecessarily. Making a move for this will backfire, drawing suspicion and possibly leading to a messy end. Let them take the people away for questioning. We’ve already sent word to Wukang Mountain; someone will intervene soon and have Bian Weiying’s side release them.”
With that, the skinny man in blue said no more.
Feng Chi gestured with her hand.
The shopkeeper noticed it.
Seeing his hesitation, Wei Bian grew impatient, sternly saying, “What? Does the City Lord have to coerce you every time we take suspects for questioning?”
The shopkeeper quickly waved his hands, “No, no.”
“Enough.” Bian Weiying again raised her hand to calm him, saying to the shopkeeper, “We won’t disturb your guests inside. You can call those two out and let them accompany us briefly to clarify matters.”
The shopkeeper quickly nodded, bowing and replying, “Yes, yes, immediately.” He turned to scold the attendant, “How long do you plan to make the City Lord wait? Hurry up!”
“Understood,” the attendant quickly responded and ran inside.
In the drizzle, Bian Weiying stood with her hands behind her back, her posture proud and unyielding under the streetlight.
She slightly raised her head to face the cold raindrops, showing no intention of avoiding them, her eyes revealing a hint of amusement.
Experts? She believed even the greatest experts wouldn’t have a reason to interfere now.
With things settled, Wei Bian redirected his focus, commanding the scene.
He pointed at the deceased and gestured, signaling twice toward the rear.
The Wukang Mountain disciples promptly hauled the corpse onto the carriage.
Under the roof tiles, having witnessed the scene, Wu Jinliang exhaled deeply and started crawling backward, whispering, “Alright, no more lurking here like cowards. Let’s go down and follow them.”
Shi Chun, still peering from his hiding spot, had a nagging sense of unease but couldn’t pinpoint it.
His eyes darted over the scene below, suddenly fixing on a crucial detail, causing his pupils to contract.
What caught his attention was Wei Bian’s gesturing hand, specifically the scar on his palm, resembling the scar on the hand that had brandished the Immobilization Talisman from the carriage during their earlier encounter.
Could it be just a coincidence?
He finally realized what was wrong.
It was Bian Weiying!
Looking at the imposing Bian Weiying, he found her personal handling of the matter troubling; what initially seemed like dedication now sent a cold shiver through him.
Why would she act this way, he wondered.
Perhaps it’s one of the reasons why everything felt off to him, particularly the unusual reactions of the Wukang Mountain members to the corpse.
Suddenly, things clicked for him.
Hearing Wu Jinliang’s voice, Shi Chun suddenly reached out, grabbing Wu Jinliang’s shoulder.
“What’s up?” Wu Jinliang asked, crawling back and looking down.
Shi Chun whispered, “Going down would be walking into a trap; it’s suicide. We must find a way to escape!”
Wu Jinliang replied, “What do you mean?”
Shi Chun said, "We've been so focused on who might have done this, we forgot this is Wukang Mountain, full of people who can use those talismans. Jinliang, we're in deep trouble; the assassins aren't sent by the Qi family. It's likely Bian Weiying."