Hua Qianqian menatap Mo Hua dengan ekspresi ragu, betapa gugupnya dia saat itu, sampai-sampai dia hampir keliru dan tidak tahu harus bicara apa. Untung saja Mo Huar yang berada di sisi mengalihkan pembicaraan, dan Shangguan Xuanjian juga tidak mau berurusan terlalu dalam dengan dirinya. Hua Qianqian akhirnya juga tidak jadi membicarakan hal itu.
Sesudah itu pun dia masih saja gelisah. Beberapa hari kemudian, ketika dia bertemu Mo Hua lagi, kali ini dia sudah tidak mau menahan lagi.
\"Saudara Muda Mo Hua, aku tadi sempat bertanya-tanya... bagaimana dia memperlakukanmu?\"
Mo Hua tersenyum dan berkata, \"Tidak buruk, dia agak ramah padaku.\"
\"Kalau begitu, apa dia pernah bilang ke kamu hal-hal yang berbau ... jahat?\" tanya Hua Qianqian hati-hati.
\"Hm?\" Mo Hua kaget. \"Kata jahat yang mana maksud kakak?\"
Hua Qianqian ragu-ragu sebentar, lalu menjawab dengan suara pelan: \"Aku dengar... dia punya hubungan dengan kelompok penjahat, dan baru-baru ini dia berselisih dengan seseorang dari kelompok itu...\"
Mo Hua tertegun sebentar, lalu berkata: \"Kakak, dari mana mendengarnya? Ini mungkin cuma desas-desus.\"
\"Aku juga berpikir begitu, tapi ini bukan cuma desas-desus ...\"
Hua Qianqian berkata serius, \"Ini dikatakan oleh perantara rahasia di dunia persilatan, dan dia bilang ... orang dari kelompok penjahat itu sudah datang ke Lembah Bunga Seratus, yang berarti Jin Er memang punya hubungan dengan mereka.\"
\"Kata jahat?\" Mo Hua masih tidak mengerti.
Hua Qianqian mengangguk, \"Kata jahat ... maksudnya, kelompok penjahat di dunia persilatan, orang-orang yang tidak taat pada hukum, seperti pencuri, perampok, dan sebagainya...\"
\"Apa Jin Er terlibat dengan mereka?\"
Hua Qianqian menggelengkan kepala: \"Aku tidak tahu pasti. Tapi kalau benar, dia adalah wanita yang baik hati... aku tidak mau percaya dia benar-benar melakukan hal jahat.\"
Mo Hua terdiam sebentar, lalu berkata: \"Kakak, aku akan mencarinya tahu.\"
\"Tapi ini melibatkan orang-orang jahat, kalau kamu jadi terlibat...\"
\"Tidak apa-apa.\" Mo Hua tersenyum, \"Aku juga kenal sedikit orang di dunia persilatan.\"
Hua Qianqian tercengang, \"Kamu kenal orang di dunia persilatan?\"
Mo Hua mengangguk: \"Dari pemeriksaan kasus di Pengadilan Tao, aku juga kenal beberapa orang baik di sana, ada juga yang jahat...\"
Kemudian Mo Hua memberi tahu Hua Qianqian arah penyelidikannya.
Hua Qianqian mendengarkan dengan heran, berpikir bahwa Saudara Muda Mo Hua ini benar-benar tidak biasa.
Dia bisa berbaur dengan orang-orang baik dan jahat, dan sepertinya tidak ada hal yang tidak bisa dia tangani.
Sesudah itu, dua orang itu berpisah: Hua Qianqian kembali ke Lembah Bunga Seratus sambil terus mencari tahu, sementara Mo Hua bergegas ke arah lain, menuju kabupaten tempat Xuanjian berada.
Dan saat itu, di Kediaman Xuanjian...
Xuanjian sedang berdiri di depan jendela dengan jubah putihnya, memandang ke kejauhan. Wajahnya tenang, tanpa ekspresi apa pun.
Di tengah malam yang hening, angin malam berhembus, meniup ujung jubahnya yang berkibar.
Mata Xuanjian tetap tenang.
Di belakang, beberapa orang yang tampak seperti bawahan berdiri dengan wajah penuh rasa takut, dan berkata: \"Komandan, kami sudah menyelidiki. Lembah Bunga Seratus benar-benar tidak ada hubungannya dengan kata jahat.\"
\"Hmm...\" Xuanjian tidak menanggapi, dan tetap diam.
\\"Tapi...\"
\"Tapi apa?\"
\"Tapi kami mendengar dari beberapa saksi di Lembah Bunga Seratus bahwa ada seorang murid wanita ... pada hari dia meninggal, dia pernah keluar dari lembah.\"
Xuanjian menoleh pelan.
Bawahan itu memberi hormat dan bertanya: \"Apakah kita perlu menyelidiki lebih lanjut?\"
Xuanjian tidak langsung menjawab. Setelah beberapa saat, dia berkata: \"Menurutmu, apa dia benar-benar bunuh diri?\"
Bawahan itu tertegun sejenak: \"Ini... umur memang panjang, dan tidak ada tanda-tanda akan bunuh diri, sepertinya tidak begitu mungkin...\"
\"Tapi kalau bukan bunuh diri... bagaimana dia mati?\"
Xuanjian berpikir sejenak, lalu berkata: \"Kalau bukan bunuh diri, berarti ada pembunuhan. Dan kalau ada pembunuhan, siapa yang membunuh?\"
Bawahan itu tidak tahu.
Xuanjian melanjutkan, \"... dan yang membunuh, kenapa harus menyamar sebagai bunuh diri?\"
Bawahan itu masih diam.
Xuanjian berkata pelan, \"Ini mungkin bukan sekadar pembunuhan, tapi juga ada motif lain.\"
\"Ada motif apa?\" tanya bawahannya.
Xuanjian tersenyum dingin dan berkata: \"Kata-kata terakhir Jin Er sebelum mati adalah, dia bilang ... dia ingin membalas?\"
Bawahan itu mengangguk: \"Memang... Tapi orangnya sudah mati, mau balas dendam ke siapa?\"
Xuanjian mengalihkan pandangan ke cakrawala yang jauh dan tidak berbicara lagi.
Dia tidak ingat berapa lama sudah, tapi mungkin memang sudah lamanya sejak terakhir kali dia merasakan sesuatu yang menarik di dunia persilatan ini.
"Senior Sister, why don’t you tell me what happened first? Maybe I can give you some advice."
"This..."
Hua Qianqian pondered for a moment, and eventually nodded.
She had a lively nature, and her thoughts were shallow, so she couldn’t hide things.
With this matter in her heart, she was restless and eager to confide in someone, but it was inconvenient for her to speak with fellow disciples of Hundred Flower Valley.
She thought of seeking Senior Sister Murong, but hesitated.
Mo Hua’s words brought her to this point where she couldn’t hold back anymore.
Moreover, she was fairly acquainted with Mo Hua and knew that despite his young age, he was always intelligent, unflappable in crises, quite resourceful, and at times more reliable than even herself as a senior sister.
Hua Qianqian sighed deeply and then asked, "Do you still remember... that Senior Sister Ye?"
"Senior Sister Ye?" Mo Hua pretended not to know, recalled for a bit, and nodded:
"Is it the one with the oval face, fair and pretty, with a refined temperament, Senior Sister Ye? I remember... What happened to Senior Sister Ye?"
Hua Qianqian’s expression reflected pain, "She..."
Her voice choked slightly, she bit her lips and finally said, "...died."
A faint sadness appeared in Mo Hua’s eyes.
"Senior Sister Ye... How did she die?" Mo Hua asked softly.
"She committed suicide..."
Mo Hua feigned surprise, "Why would she commit suicide out of the blue?"
Hua Qianqian’s heart was suffering.
Some words, if kept in the heart, would never be spoken.
But once spoken, they cannot be concealed.
Hua Qianqian said, "The elders all claim that Jin Er sister died by suicide, but I feel that’s not the case, at least not that simple..."
"Jin Er sister is... very introverted, not from a good background, but she’s very kind. Although she seems cold, she’s quite caring. She loves magnolia flowers, and occasionally, when she has free time, she bakes pastries to share with us."
"Everyone treats her well on a daily basis."
"How could someone like Jin Er sister commit suicide without reason?"
"I want to find out clearly how Jin Er sister really died..."
"But everyone is tight-lipped. The elders insist Jin Er committed suicide. I want to ask my fellow sisters for help with the investigation, but some are indifferent, others are perfunctory, and some even advise me not to get involved..."
At this point, Hua Qianqian looked somewhat saddened.
"So, you wanted to approach Senior Sister Murong to help you investigate this matter?" Mo Hua asked.
Hua Qianqian nodded, "I wanted to ask Sister Murong for help, but..."
Hua Qianqian sighed, "...I’m afraid of disturbing her. Next year is the Dao conference, and Sister Murong is unlike me. She has great talent and is held in high expectations, expected to place in the Dao conference, and I don’t want my matter to distract her..."
Dao conference?
Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then recalled that Senior Sister Murong was a year ahead of him, and indeed, next year was the time for them to participate in the Dao conference.
Hua Qianqian appeared melancholic.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, "Senior Sister Qianqian, why don’t I help you investigate?"
Hua Qianqian was slightly taken aback, "How will you investigate?"
Mo Hua said, "Whatever clues you have, you can tell me. Whatever you want to investigate, you can tell me. To be honest..."
Mo Hua leaned close to Hua Qianqian and spoke in a lowered voice:
"...I have contacts in the Taoist Court. Whatever you want to know, as long as it doesn’t break the Taoist Law, I can mostly help you find out."
Hua Qianqian was shocked.
Contacts in the Taoist Court?
You’re just a mid-stage Foundation Establishment junior disciple, and you have contacts in the Taoist Court of the Fifth Grade Qianxue State Boundary?
"Really!"
Mo Hua worried she wouldn’t believe him, so he secretly took out his Taoist Court badge from Tongxian City to "blend in" and also showed the letter token given to him by Gu Changhuai, which was exclusive to the Taoist Court.
Hua Qianqian stared blankly and nodded.
But she still had some concerns, "This matter might involve some trouble, you..."
"It’s alright," Mo Hua said, "I have strong ’connections’. Elder Master Xun told me that as long as I conduct myself righteously and don’t do bad things, if anyone bullies me, he will back me up."
Besides, after the incident in the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons, he’s well acquainted with the likes of Xun Ziyou and Xun Zixian.
Some minor issues wouldn’t even need to bother Elder Master Xun.
Hua Qianqian had also heard Murong Caiyun mention Elder Master Xun of the Taixu Gate, and she felt a shock in her heart, her gaze towards Mo Hua changed.
He never realized that Junior Brother Mo, who seemed harmless, actually had such capabilities and a deep background.
With a solemn expression, Hua Qianqian nodded earnestly, "Alright, then I’ll be troubling Junior Brother Mo!"
"No need to be polite, it’s what I should do." Mo Hua waved his hand, and then he laid out the plan he had already thought of:
"Senior Sister, when you return to Hundred Flower Valley, conduct investigations quietly without exposing your intentions."
"Note down discreetly all matters related to Senior Sister Ye Jin, including whom she interacted with, where she went, and what she said."
"Whether there are any enmities, any grudges with others, and so on..."
"Also..."
Mo Hua spoke fluently, listing a slew of details.
Hua Qianqian appeared somewhat dazed.
Junior Brother Mo, how is he so adept at this...
But then she thought, given his connection with the Taoist Court, his knowledge in investigating cases seemed quite fitting?
Hua Qianqian nodded, "Alright, Junior Brother Mo, I remembered it."
Mo Hua then arranged, "If we discover anything, we’ll still meet here. If I find out anything, I’ll also inform you."
"Okay!" Hua Qianqian’s gaze was resolute.
She was determined to uncover the true cause of Jin Er’s death!
Afterward, Hua Qianqian returned to Hundred Flower Valley, and Mo Hua returned to Taixu Gate.
In Hundred Flower Valley, Mo Hua now had a "spy".
Days later, the two met as agreed at the foot of Taixu Gate’s mountain.
Hua Qianqian secretly conveyed the information she had gathered to Mo Hua:
"Just like other sisters, Jin Er sister usually interacted with the elders, instructors, or fellow disciples of the sect, and there wasn’t anything special."
"I haven’t heard of her bearing grudges against anyone either."
"Her words and deeds were as usual, except for one thing, which seemed strange..."
Hua Qianqian’s expression was puzzled, "According to one of my senior sisters, Jin Er previously asked her a very strange question."
"A strange question?"
"Yes," Hua Qianqian said slowly, "She asked... After a person dies, can they become a ghost?"
Mo Hua’s pupils involuntarily shrunk.
Ghost?!
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