Xuan Yuanjue couldn't help but frown at the desolate scene. He picked up a piece of charcoal and brought it close to his nose.
"Not all the villagers must have been massacred. This fire should have broken out last night. It's impossible to kill everyone in one night without any reaction or sign."
Shen Li picked up her dagger and squatted beside Ruping. She held the dagger close to Ruping's snow - white neck. "I'll give you a chance. Are all these people dead?"
There was obvious disbelief in Ruping's eyes. She only remembered that the master had told her these people would be sent away. How could there be a fire?
Shen Li frowned at her reaction. "You didn't know about this fire here? According to our investigation, all the things in the village are gone."
Ruping shook her head, tears streaming down uncontrollably. "Impossible! Impossible! I don't believe it... How could they be dead? It's my fault... No!"
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Ruping's true qi suddenly burst out. She broke the ropes with all her strength. She struck out with all her might at Shen Li. Shen Li was caught off guard and knocked to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Xuan Yuanjue and Jiaoyue immediately flew over. Jiaoyue picked up Shen Li. "What happened? Hanyue should have been protecting you in the dark all the time. Who hurt you?"
At this moment, Ruping was sitting on the ground again, pretending to be tied up. She was taking a gamble. If Shen Li died, no one would know it was her who had caused it.
Jiaoyue was extremely scared. It was the first time she was so afraid of Shen Li leaving her because Shen Li showed no reaction at all. Even after she fed Shen Li the pills for healing injuries that she usually used, there was still no reaction.
Xuan Yuanjue was also shocked. He quickly fed Shen Li several life - saving pills in a row, but Shen Li still didn't respond. However, when he felt for Shen Li's breath, he found that she was still alive.
He angrily grabbed Ruping by the collar. "I'm warning you! If anything happens to Shen Li, I'll kill you!"
Ruping could only pretend to be innocent, shaking her head continuously and crying loudly. "It wasn't me! Really not me! I was tied up by you. How could I harm anyone? I never wanted to harm you!"
Xuan Yuanjue had already noticed the signs of struggle on the ropes. He looked coldly at Ruping's act, as if looking at a dead person. He stabbed his dagger fiercely into the ground. "I'm warning you. If you make any more moves, I'll kill you directly! Don't think you can deceive me!"
As for the black - clothed man, he thought he had escaped, but then he found a little tail following him, and it was Hanyue.
No matter how he tried to shake Hanyue off, he couldn't. The black - clothed man had no choice but to stop and shout. "Stop chasing me. I never wanted to harm your master. I just tried to stop her investigation."
However, Hanyue seemed not to hear him. She struck at his face with her palm and knocked off his mask. The black - clothed man didn't have time to pick it up. Hanyue's sword was already approaching the tip of his nose. He dodged, but his beard was scraped off.
At this moment, Hanyue's face changed. If she couldn't recognize this face and this voice, she would really be blind.
Putting down her sword, Hanyue asked uncertainly. "Are you... Helian Yun?"
Helian Yun's body trembled. Since he had been recognized, there was no need for him to hide anymore. He tore off the fake scar on his face and his beard in one go. Finally, the clean - shaven face was that of Helian Yun.
His voice trembling, he looked at Hanyue eagerly. "It's me... Hanyue, I'm Helian Yun. I didn't expect we would meet again in such a way."
There was obviously a flash of hesitation in Hanyue's eyes, but she still struck at Helian Yun with her sword. Helian Yun dodged while asking. "Hanyue, aren't you curious about how I've been these years? I rushed back to the Western Yue State a year ago, but it was too late. My father had already passed away."
"He passed the throne to my half - brother. Then my good brother has been hunting me down. I had to disguise myself and keep hiding. I tried to stop your young lady from investigating for your own good!"
Hanyue only knew that her young lady's order was to capture the black - clothed man alive. She snorted. "Helian Yun, what's the use of telling me this now? Sorry, I can only complete my task whole - heartedly."
The next second, a cold light flashed. Hanyue aimed directly at Helian Yun's vital point. Even though she knew Helian Yun's identity, Hanyue still attacked fiercely, aiming at his vital points with every move.
Even Hanyue herself didn't know why she was a little angry. Maybe it was because she was angry that Helian Yun had left her without a word back then.
Helian Yun had a hard time dodging. He could only pick up his sword to fight back, but he had no intention of hurting Hanyue at all. The two were wrestling, and it was hard to tell who would win. But the next second, the situation changed drastically. Suddenly, a lot of sand was stirred up around them. Hanyue and Helian Yun could hardly see each other. The wind was getting stronger and stronger. Helian Yun looked at the strange change in the distance and shouted. "It's a sandstorm! Hanyue, run!"
But Helian Yun's voice was drowned in the sea of sand. The next second, both of them were swallowed by the sandstorm.
At this time, Shen Li had just woken up. She took out the heart - protecting mirror from her bosom and found it was in pieces. She threw it away regretfully and sighed. "This was prepared by Hanyue for me before. I didn't expect it would come in handy."
Xuan Yuanjue was watching Ruping and couldn't come over immediately. He could only give her a concerned look and ask. "Are you okay? I thought you had really fallen into that Ruping's trap just now when you showed no reaction."
Shen Li smiled. She even stood up and turned around. "Don't worry. I'm fine. Let's see what Miss Ruping has to say first."
Suddenly, Shen Li's eyes became as fierce as a viper's, staring at Ruping. Ruping felt extremely uncomfortable, all because she had been too impulsive just now.
Xuan Yuanjue's dagger inched closer to Ruping's skin. "Tell me, who sent you here? And where are the people here? Did you kill them?"
Ruping shook her head frantically, her eyes blood - red. "I didn't kill them. I grew up here. How could it be me? It was her! She set the fire. Because of her, all these people are dead."
Ruping pointed at Shen Li's face, wishing she could tear Shen Li apart. Her hair was disheveled because of the fight, and she looked crazy. Before Xuan Yuanjue and Shen Li could ask her anything, she walked crazy - like towards the edge of the cliff. In the end, no one could stop her, and she jumped off the cliff by herself.
Everything happened so suddenly that it was really unexpected. Xuan Yuanjue punched a stone angrily. "It's all my fault for not watching her well. She seriously injured you. And now she's jumped off the cliff. We can't get any information."
Shen Li felt a surge of qi and blood in her chest. She must have suffered quite a serious internal injury, but she didn't want others to worry.