Chapter 59

Chapter 58: Puppet on Strings 6

In front of the grand Xiangyun Hall, Xuanyuan He’s body lay carelessly on the ground.

The expressions of the people surrounding the corpse varied.

After Shizong asked Zhu Shuangqiao, who was playing Xuanyuan Zhe, a few questions, he turned his gaze toward Zhongli Zhenhai.

He was standing unflinchingly beside Ji Rongrong, watching the others with a wary gaze.

Before Shizong could voice his doubts, Zhongli Zhenhai stepped forward to Xuanyuan Zhe, who was portrayed by Zhu Shuangqiao.

Though he was the elder, he made a formal bow to the younger Xuanyuan Zhe. “Young Master Xuanyuan, please accept my condolences. This incident happened at the Zhongli Manor, and I cannot shirk my responsibility. I will give you a satisfactory explanation. You are free to investigate anywhere within my manor; I will not stop you.

“However, Rongrong is feeling very unwell, and my old injuries have flared up. I must return to rest. Any matters, you may entrust to my son.”

At these words, Zhongli Zhenhai glanced at Zhongli Wen, portrayed by Zuo Sanqiu, his eyes complex, as if seeing through something.

He did not speak further and soon helped Ji Rongrong back to her room.

Zhongli Zhenhai and Ji Rongrong are both key figures in the main storyline, and it seems they will not participate in the investigation of the first-stage murder.

Additionally, the secret of the pearl is likely known only to Zhongli Zhenhai, and he certainly won’t reveal it willingly.

These two should be reliable NPCs.

Next, it would be necessary to observe the other characters.

After Zhongli Zhenhai left with Ji Rongrong, Zhu Shuangqiao approached Shizong and asked, “Where do you want to investigate first? Should we go to the crime scene?”

“Let’s split up. You go to the crime scene first. As for me—”

Shizong glanced at Xuanyuan Hua, Zuo Sanqiu’s character, standing beside Zhu Shuangqiao.

As Xuanyuan Zhe’s older brother, he stood motionless, like a puppet.

But who knows his true nature, and whether the consciousness inside is a player or NPC.

After all, Zhu Zhen is the same now.

Even during the investigation phase, he pretended to be controlled by Shizong.

Currently, the instance is only at the first stage.

Without knowing what will happen next, everyone should try to keep their own stories hidden unless necessary.

Soon, Shizong looked at Zuo Sanqiu. “Young Master Zhongli, do you know the origin of the pearl your father displayed at the banquet?”

Zuo Sanqiu shook his head. “I’m not sure. But I heard that father went to the Treasure Pavilion yesterday afternoon. Maybe the pearl came from there. Perhaps the Treasure Pavilion has some clues.”

“Then lead the way. Let’s go to the Treasure Pavilion together.” Shizong said.

He decided to figure out exactly what trick the pearl was playing.

Five minutes later, Shizong, Zhu Zhen, and Zuo Sanqiu entered the Treasure Pavilion together.

Using Zuo Sanqiu’s face recognition, the three passed smoothly without obstruction.

There were too many treasures here, and information about the pearl could not be found immediately, so they spent a fair amount of time searching.

On the way to the top floor of the Treasure Pavilion, Zuo Sanqiu suddenly said, “By the way, it’s weird not seeing Zhu Zhen. I’m not used to it.”

Shizong asked, “Not used to it?”

Glancing at Zhu Zhen, who followed Shizong like a wooden doll, disguised as Zhai Feng, Zuo Sanqiu said, “After the first instance, I felt like you two were always together.”

Shizong glanced at Zhu Zhen without expression, a faint smile on his lips. “Yes, sometimes he is clingy.”

“I feel like Zhu Zhen, later Zhang Qijun… and Wu Gou and the others, all are pretty clingy with you. It’s strange. You, obviously… cough, not my point, I mean, Zhu Zhen…”

Zuo Sanqiu continued, “At school, people said Zhu Zhen is aloof, rarely interacting with anyone. Yet he can get so close to you—it’s really unusual.

“You see, he even gave you his meticulously assembled keyboard. Not ordinary, not ordinary.”

Not ordinary?

How is that not ordinary?

Could a homophobic person like Zuo Sanqiu figure something out?

Shizong just thought this when he heard Zuo Sanqiu continue, “His friendship, brotherhood, or camaraderie toward you is not ordinary, not ordinary.”

Shizong: “…Oh.”

“Maybe it’s just because people don’t understand Zhu Zhen,” Zuo Sanqiu added.

“Is that so? What do people at your school say about him?” Shizong asked.

“Last week, everyone voted on the BBS for the school heartthrob. Zhu Zhen got many votes, but didn’t beat someone else, ending up second.” Zuo Sanqiu said.

“Oh? Why?” Shizong asked, seeming very interested.

“I actually think Zhu Zhen is much more handsome than the first place. But his score for approachability is too low. People think he’s aloof, cool, and fierce, hard to get along with.” Zuo Sanqiu said.

Shizong nodded thoughtfully. “Hmm, that’s true.”

Zuo Sanqiu looked puzzled. “Really? Fierce? He’s only cold around people he doesn’t know well. Actually, I think his personality should be better than yours—”

Shizong interrupted, tone serious. “He really is fierce. Sometimes when I casually chat with him, speaking normally, he suddenly uses a very harsh tone, accusing me of talking nonsense.”

“Ah? That happens?”

“Of course. Why would I lie?”

Zhu Zhen, pretending to be a wooden puppet beside Shizong, twitched his temple. “…………”

A moment later, Shizong reached the top floor of the Treasure Pavilion and finally found a box that probably held the pearl.

The box had a mechanism that required Zhongli family’s magic to open.

So the task of unlocking it was given to Zuo Sanqiu.

After successfully unlocking it, he opened the box and found a recess that seemed to fit the pearl perfectly.

The back of the lid had the following lines written:

[Mirage Pearl: Can create a mirage illusion; the illusion is hidden within the real world, constructing a scene that is both real and false. Those who enter will not perceive the deception; if anyone is injured or even dies inside the illusion, they will be restored when it ends.]

[Duration of illusion: three hours]

[After the mirage created by the pearl disappears, those trapped will awaken nine hours later; before waking, they will be summoned back to the pearl’s location and lose memory of the twelve hours since seeing the pearl.]

[Note: Due to individual differences, the exact time each person is summoned may vary.]

[Additionally, the creator of the illusion does not lose memory.]

After carefully reading the instructions, Shizong asked Zuo Sanqiu, “In your memory, what date is it today?”

Zuo Sanqiu said, “July 2nd.”

Shizong and Zhu Zhen had left Fengling Ferry on July 1st and attended the banquet at Xiangyun Hall that night.

After one night, logically today should be July 2nd.

But the instructions clearly suggested a different answer.

After leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Shizong drew his long sword and held it to the neck of a servant cleaning the yard.

“What date is it today? If you lie, I will immediately cut off your head.”

The servant trembled, instinctively glancing at Young Master Zhongli Wen.

Zuo Sanqiu, playing Zhongli Wen, quickly stiffened his face, putting on a very serious expression: “Tell the truth!”

“Y-yes… today… today is…”

When Shizong moved the sword an inch closer, he quickly said, “It’s July 3rd. Please… please don’t tell anyone I said it!”

Seeing that Shizong’s killing intent had eased, the servant glanced at Zuo Sanqiu and ran away as if his feet were on oil.

During the Treasure Pavilion search, Shizong had already heard Zuo Sanqiu’s story.

He had tried to kill Ji Rongrong but found he had killed a phantom.

So now Shizong asked, “Did your father know you had murderous intent toward Ji Rongrong?”

“I…” Zuo Sanqiu thought for a moment, “maybe he did.”

According to Zuo Sanqiu, his character Zhongli Wen had quarreled with Ji Rongrong three days ago.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a quarrel, as Ji Rongrong had only been insulted unilaterally.

The cause was Ji Rongrong wearing a hairpin inlaid with Lantian jade, which should have belonged to Zhongli Wen’s mother, Li Fu.

“At that time, I was angry about my mother and said some

Shizong raised an eyebrow, then circled around Zuo Sanqiu and said, “The hem of your clothes is dirty, and so are your shoes—they’re covered in mud.

“But the area we’re staying in is kept very clean. The Zhongli estate is grand, the floors are all stone slabs, and in front of Xiangyun Hall, it’s marble.

“So, where did the mud on your shoes come from? Could it be… you went to the Nanshan Tombs as well?

“What kind of place is it exactly? A cluster of tombs? Are all your ancestors from the Zhongli family buried there?”

Hearing this, Zuo Sanqiu was speechless and choked up. When he looked at Shizong, his eyes unconsciously showed admiration.

But soon, these feelings turned into frustration.

He glared at Shizong and asked, “You guessed everything, yet acted ignorant to make me say those things to struggle… are you playing with me again?”

Shizong looked surprised. “Then why did you fall for it?”

Zuo Sanqiu was furious, gritting his teeth. “I think Zhu Zhen was right. You just spout nonsense all day! You fabricate things out of thin air!”

Shizong blinked, then turned to look at Zhu Zhen, who was playing the wooden puppet behind him.

Standing in front of Zhu Zhen, Zuo Sanqiu couldn’t see him.

Zhu Zhen glanced at Shizong and smiled faintly.

Seeing this, Shizong gave Zhu Zhen a meaningful look, then ignored him, turning back to Zuo Sanqiu. “Tell me your story in detail. After killing Ji Rongrong, you went to the Nanshan Tombs, right?

“You also brought Wu Yunxi. What did you plan to use from the Nanshan Tombs against your father?”

Behind Shizong, Zhu Zhen watched silently, sensing an unusual meaning in Shizong’s gaze.

He felt that Shizong ignoring him wasn’t just because he needed to play a controlled puppet, but also because… he truly didn’t want to acknowledge him.

So when Zuo Sanqiu said he was spouting nonsense, Zhu Zhen didn’t get angry and even paid attention to him.

But if Zuo Sanqiu kept it up, Shizong might start a cold war.

Thinking this, Zhu Zhen shook his head and smiled, then returned his focus to the case, watching Zuo Sanqiu without expression.

Shizong asked again, “Are there divine weapons buried in the Nanshan Tombs? Wait, you needed Wu Yunxi because…”

Zuo Sanqiu finished for him. “Because there are corpses there.”

Shizong immediately understood.

Zuo Sanqiu scratched his head and explained further, “Have you heard the stories of Nanshan? Do you know how the Zhongli family became prosperous?”

Shizong recalled seeing related records in Fengling Ferry’s study.

Nearly a thousand years ago, the cultivation world had a group of about a thousand divine soldiers called Xuanming Soldiers.

Every one of them was an unparalleled expert. They were invincible and had helped the Immortal Realm defeat demon legions multiple times.

Later, they retired to Nanshan and gradually disappeared. All the stories no longer mentioned them, and they were said to have died in Nanshan.

Since then, few dared to go to Nanshan, fearing to disturb the spirits of the thousand Xuanming Soldiers.

About three hundred years ago, an ancestor of the Zhongli family, originally a physician, ascended Nanshan despite taboos, seeking a rare and precious herb.

By chance, he found a manual left by the Xuanming Soldiers, studied supreme techniques, and founded the Zhongli school.

The Xuanming Soldiers had many techniques and left many manuals, but all were lost. The manual the Zhongli ancestor found was just an ordinary one.

Even so, he made the Zhongli family one of the Four Great Houses, which shows how powerful those soldiers were.

After thinking it through, Shizong asked Zuo Sanqiu, “You don’t mean you know where these thousand people are buried and plan to use Wu Yunxi’s resurrection techniques to bring them back under your control, right?

“You want to command a corps army of a thousand revived soldiers to fight your father and the others in the Zhongli family who obey him.”

Zuo Sanqiu rubbed his hands. “Cough, yes. Each of those thousand soldiers had practiced special techniques, which is why their corpses haven’t decayed and can be used.”

Shizong raised an eyebrow. “Ambitious, San San.”

Zuo Sanqiu rubbed his hands again. “My original plan was to kill Ji Rongrong around the third quarter of the Zi hour, then meet Wu Yunxi at the first quarter of Zi hour, thirty minutes later.

“The Nanshan Tombs have countless graves. I know where the thousand soldiers are buried, but to enter, we need to bypass many mechanisms.

“I only know how to bypass some of them. Wu Yunxi is well-traveled and knows a little of everything, so I planned to use him to get into the tombs—”

Shizong interrupted, “Wait, so you need Wu Yunxi’s help to enter the tomb. Is that correct?”

“Yes. Exactly.” Zuo Sanqiu said. “I know the tomb location and some mechanisms because I entered once with my father. I can bypass a few external traps, but the internal ones require Wu Yunxi’s help.

“As for Wu Yunxi, he is knowledgeable and excels at solving mechanisms. But he doesn’t know the exact burial locations of the Xuanming Soldiers; I have to lead the way.

“We arranged to meet at the eastern foot of Nanshan, the tomb cluster entrance.”

Shizong nodded. “Got it. Continue your timeline.”

Zuo Sanqiu said, “Wu Yunxi and I agreed to meet at the first quarter of Zi hour. But I didn’t manage to kill Ji Rongrong, so I searched for her, then went to my father’s Liuyun Pavilion, but the maids stopped me. She might have been there.

“These delays cost me time. By the time I reached the meeting point, I was about an hour late.

“Perhaps he left without waiting for me. I couldn’t find him, so I left the Nanshan Tombs and went back to sleep.”

“So you didn’t see Xuanyuan He’s body?” Shizong asked.

“No. The Nanshan Tombs are too large.”

Zuo Sanqiu shook his head and added, “At least in my memory today, I didn’t encounter him.

“By the way… that Mirage Pearl and our amnesia—what do you make of it?”

After reading the Mirage Pearl’s instructions and confirming the exact date with a servant, the timeline was clear from Shizong’s perspective:

On July 1st, he arrived at the Nanshan Zhongli Estate and attended the Xiangyun Hall banquet that evening.

At the second quarter of Hai hour (10:30 PM), Zhongli Zhenhai took out the Mirage Pearl.

From that moment, the illusory world, half-real, half-false, was created.

The banquet in the illusion proceeded as usual until the Zi hour of July 1st.

Before the banquet ended, Shizong arranged to meet Zhongli Zhenhai, and after leaving Xiangyun Hall, he went to the Guanhai Pavilion at the first quarter of Zi hour and met him.

At that moment, Shizong should have killed Zhongli Zhenhai.

But both he and Zhongli Zhenhai were trapped in the illusion. The killings and injuries in the illusion didn’t count.

When the illusion ended, Zhongli Zhenhai revived.

As for what happened after killing Zhongli Zhenhai, or to Zhu Zhen guarding Zhai Yunfei to frame him, no one knew yet.

The Mirage Pearl’s illusion lasts three hours, ending at the second quarter of Yin hour (4:30 AM) on July 2nd.

According to the instructions, Shizong would be summoned back to his original seat in Xiangyun Hall and remain there until the second quarter of Hai hour (10:30 PM) on July 2nd.

During this time, Zhongli Zhenhai would have servants serve hot food and wine, making the hall appear identical to the previous night.

After the Mirage Pearl’s powers dissipated, Shizong woke in Xiangyun Hall.

He lost 24 hours of memory, thinking he had never left.

Believing it was still July 1st, but actually living in July 2nd, he offered another toast to Zhongli Zhenhai and arranged to meet him again at Guanhai Pavilion.

Zhongli Zhenhai, as the user of the pearl, did not lose memory.

Since he had been “killed” once in the illusion at the first quarter of Zi hour, the real Zhongli Zhenhai didn’t appear at the pavilion, instead creating a phantom of himself.

After explaining the overall timeline to Zuo Sanqiu, Shizong summarized: “From the story we have, Zhongli Zhenhai initially used the Mirage Pearl because he sensed Zhongli Wen’s murderous intent toward Ji Rongrong.

“To protect Ji Rongrong, he needed to know how his son might kill his future wife in the real world. But he