...What a mess.

The Tang Saber swordsman's series of actions were intended to provoke conflict between the three sects from the very beginning.

The three sects of Jianchuan had been fighting in the shadows for many years. Now, an unexpected corpse appearing at the border of the three sects had turned the covert struggle into an open one.

Whether or not that disciple was killed by Zhu Mingchao, she wanted to implicate Feihua Sect. When Feihua Sect, which had a prior murder conviction, faced condemnation, she would then help Feihua Sect, thereby consolidating the alliance between the two sects to resist Qingshuang Sect.

Therefore, she turned the corpse to face Feihua Sect. Who would have thought that Feihua Sect disciples hated Qingshuang Sect so much that immediately after one of them discovered the corpse, they turned it to face Qingshuang Sect.

With this incident, the three sects immediately sealed off Jianchuan, but they could never figure out who the mastermind behind it all was.

The Tang Saber swordsman, or the Tang Saber swordsman's accomplice, added fuel to the fire when everyone was already tense.

A forged letter about "father being critically ill" lured the Qingshuang Sect disciple Su Ping out of Jianchuan.

The other two sects questioned Yan Wufu for privately letting the suspect go. Yan Wufu had a violent temper and refused to admit his mistake. Thus, the three sects confronted each other and the situation was critical.

Feng Rugu, because this case involved the Feihua Sect where his disciple Sang Luojiu was from, happened to arrive and temporarily resolved the conflict.

At this time, Su Ping had already rushed back to his home in Qingping Prefecture and discovered that his father was fine. Guessing that his sect might be in trouble because of this, he hurried back day and night.

The Tang Saber swordsman calculated the timing and handed that Tang saber to the stupidest of the three sect leaders - Hua Ruohong.

This was clearly that blade guest's usual overt scheme.

...I put the blade in your hand and let you go kill Su Ping. Moreover, what I handed you was a Tang saber, clearly hinting that you could kill in my name.

You may very well suspect my intentions in doing this, but if this matter is accomplished, it will also greatly benefit you.

So, will you do it or not?

...

In fact, his overt scheme worked wonders.

Although Zhu Mingchao insisted that she only adjusted the direction of the corpse, intending to point the blame at Feihua Sect, inciting hostility within Jianchuan against Feihua Sect, and then making a timely move to help Feihua Sect, thereby consolidating the already loosening alliance between the two sects, everything was based solely on her word.

She had no way to prove it.

It was well known that Zhu Mingchao was deep-minded. If it was said that she colluded with outsiders, coordinated inside and out, turned the direction of the corpse, framed and pulled in Feihua Sect, and sent the fake letter, it was not unbelievable.

No matter how resourceful Zhu Mingchao was, facing such a dead end, it was useless.

The soul contract agreement made by the three sects in the mourning hall stated clearly that whichever sect was involved in this matter would have to take responsibility for it.

Zhu Mingchao of Baisheng Sect and Hua Ruohong of Feihua Sect were both involved in this evil deed to varying degrees. Having violated the ancestral teachings, they would be expelled from Jianchuan in a few days, leaving behind their sword manuals, and would have to fend for themselves.

The three sects of Jianchuan fell apart because of a Tang saber murder case that made a name in the martial arts world.

In the next few days, there were many personnel changes within Jianchuan.

After all, it was Sang Luojiu's biological father who committed the murder. He had already been tied up and sent to Fengling to face the Daoist sect's public trial for his evil deeds. Luo Fuchun was afraid that his junior brother would be overcome with grief if he stayed here, so he requested permission from his master to leave. However, Feng Rugu said that they had been traveling for a long time and should stay in Jianchuan to rest for three or four days.

Naturally, Yan Wufu would not refuse Feng Rugu's request to stay and recuperate in Jianchuan. He allocated a quiet courtyard for them to reside in.

On the day when the two families reluctantly handed over their sword manuals to Qingshuang Sect, Feng Rugu went to see Yan Wufu.

When he arrived, Yan Wufu was smoking.

He leaned against the fire pit, smoking a water pipe. The gurgling sound of the pipe was faintly audible amidst the hazy smoke. His figure appeared even more withered and small, without any semblance of a Daoist's ethereal demeanor, instead resembling an expressionless paper man.

Upon seeing Feng Rugu, he didn't bother with any formalities and was even too lazy to stand up to greet him. "Lord Yunzhong, please make yourself at home," he said.

It was early summer, and the heat from the fire pit was overwhelming. However, in a place like Jianchuan, which was relatively humid, water pipes could be smoked all year round.

Feng Rugu sat down, took out his own bamboo pipe and tobacco leaves, and asked Yan Wufu if he wanted to try them.

Yan Wufu waved his hand to refuse.

After Feng Rugu was seated, Yan Wufu asked, "Lord Yunzhong, during your stay in Jianchuan these past few days, you must have witnessed the changes in people and events. Do you have any insights or thoughts?"

Feng Rugu laughed and said, "Of course I do. I can see that this incident has had a huge impact on Feihua Sect. Many disciples have become disillusioned and withdrawn from the sect. Feihua Sect has lost half of its members, and the remaining disciples are living in constant fear... In contrast, although Baisheng Sect has also lost some disciples, most of them have been retained. After all, there is only suspicion of Zhu Mingchao's involvement, without any concrete evidence, while Hua Ruohong has undoubtedly killed someone."

He exhaled a thin wisp of smoke, and the fragrant bamboo smoke gradually merged with the water pipe smoke. "As far as I know, Zhu Mingchao is exceptionally intelligent and can memorize the Baisheng Sword Manual. After Feihua Sect was driven out of Jianchuan, despite having Madam Zhu in charge, their structure has become scattered. If they can't find support, I'm afraid they will soon fall apart. Fortunately, Zhu Mingchao doesn't hold a grudge against her sister for publicly exposing her. She intends to merge Feihua Sect with Baisheng Sect into one sect called 'Baihua'..."

At this point, Feng Rugu laughed. "Zhu Mingchao has benefited greatly from this incident. Apart from losing Jianchuan as a natural barrier and a place for self-cultivation, as well as a little bit of reputation, she has suffered no other losses. There are many prefectures and counties in the world. As long as she is determined, she can find a place to settle down anywhere. As for the issue of reputation, given time, people will eventually forget."

"Aside from these small losses, she possesses the Baisheng Sword Manual, and Feihua Sect has no choice but to rely on her, which is a thousand times better than staying in Jianchuan. There are very few people who come to Jianchuan to learn from masters and seek the Dao. Even if they admire the power of the Baisheng Sword Technique, it is difficult to master. Most disciples fail to achieve results and end up turning to Qingshuang Sect or Feihua Sect instead. If she stays here, she will always have to compete with Old Yan's Qingshuang Sect. It's better for her to establish her own sect and venture out into the world on her own."

Yan Wufu turned his head and looked at Feng Rugu, picking up where he left off. "She may have long wanted to leave, but the tradition of the three families practicing in Jianchuan has deep roots. With her strength alone as a young girl, she couldn't change it. This incident has instead become her opportunity."

Feng Rugu looked at Yan Wufu through the thin veil-like mist. "That Tang Saber swordsman brought a murderous Tang sword to Feihua Sect and brought hope of freedom to Baisheng Sect... What about you?"

Feng Rugu gazed at Yan Wufu on the other side of the smoke. "Old Yan, have you obtained what you wanted?"

Yan Wufu's words were not as sharp as usual. Judging from his expression, shrouded in smoke, there was even a hint of an eerily amiable demeanor. "What do you mean by that, Lord Yunzhong?"

"I've been thinking," Feng Rugu said, "who exactly brought that Xiafei Sect disciple into Jianchuan? And who killed him?"

Yan Wufu smiled at Feng Rugu. "Wasn't it that Tang Saber swordsman?"

"At first, I thought so too," Feng Rugu said, "until I saw the bloodstains in the valley. Then I knew I was wrong."

Yan Wufu straightened his back slightly, showing interest. "Oh? Where did you go wrong?"

This time, Feng Rugu didn't try to trick Yan Wufu and calmly stated the facts. "I also have disciples from Fengling who were killed. I have seen the corpses of those who were killed. When the Tang Saber swordsman kills, he wields his sword with the force of cold water, always slitting the throat with a single, clean stroke. The skin is unbroken, and the throat is shattered."

...It would never be like the scene in the valley, with blood splattered everywhere.

When killing his fiancée, Lady Wen, the Tang Saber swordsman used more force, but that was the end of his bloody calligraphy with the character "seal". Her head was destined to be lost, so there was no need to be too cautious.

Moreover, she died in the hot spring, and the bloodstains were washed away by the regularly changed spring water, leaving the scene clean and tidy.

This was the Tang Saber swordsman's style of killing, unlike the Xiafei Sect disciple in the valley, who was left in a pool of blood, a gruesome sight.

"The Xiafei Sect disciple was not killed by the Tang Saber swordsman at all. So, from the beginning, he never infiltrated Jianchuan, but someone within Jianchuan killed him."

Feng Rugu tapped the ashes out of his bamboo pipe and said, "I remember hearing the Feihua Sect leader say that the day before the body was discovered, it was the birthday of Qingshuang Sect's Leader Yan. Several Daoist friends sent him some gifts. This was the largest-scale interaction between Jianchuan and the outside world during those few days."

Although Hua Ruohong was a person who made one blunder after another, his guess about this matter was infinitely close to the truth.

—"Who knows if the corpse of that disciple was hidden in those gift boxes?"

Feng Rugu said softly, "What was sent might not have been the corpse of that disciple, but perhaps a living person and a black gold Tang sword."

Author's Note:

The MVP of this round of house-fighting: Old Man Yan.