The male supporting character was actually myself.

"That's right, this is the poison of the hundred-day-withered plant!" Jiang Chen said seriously after carefully opening the porcelain bottle to examine it. "This amount is enough to kill at least seven or eight people."

Luo Junfei felt a chill run down his spine, then turned and stormed towards the quiet room, shouting, "That vicious woman! I'll torture her to find out the whole story!"

The others hurriedly followed, making their way to the heavily guarded and secluded Jing Shi Villa. Jiang Chen suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Brother Luo, isn't it too quiet here?"

"Where are the Dragon Guards?" Reminded of this, Luo Junfei, in his rage, realized something was amiss and shouted loudly.

However, the courtyard was quiet, without even the sound of birds chirping.

"Be careful." Ling Xiao reached out to shield his man behind him, drew his greatsword from his back, and became fully alert.

Huo Changyun immediately protected Lin Wanyue;

Luo Junfei's expression was solemn. He called over his servants and guards, asked for a sword, and kicked open the courtyard gate.

A glaring bloodstain appeared before his eyes. Jiang Chen bent down and touched it with his finger, frowning slightly. "The blood has not yet congealed. The injured person may not be dead yet."

After a thorough search of the courtyard, the group finally found the three corpses of the Dragon Guards who had been secretly guarding the quiet room.

Deep inside the quiet room, several servants lay dead in disarray, but Shen Rumeng was nowhere to be found.

"Judging from the state of the servants' deaths, the murderer was someone they knew, which is why they were so unprepared." Ling Xiao's expression was solemn. "To be able to take someone away from here, they must be a highly skilled martial artist with exceptional agility."

Luo Junfei racked his brains for a long time but still couldn't figure out who it could be.

Everyone at Luo Family Manor was normal, and all the dowry brought by the Shen family died in the quiet room.

"Shen Rumeng has no martial arts skills, so could she have secretly brought a master with her and managed to hide among the Luo family members without being seen by anyone?"

"From the time he was imprisoned in the quiet room until we arrived, it was only an hour. How could he have noticed us and then taken him away? Could he have been secretly following us the whole time?"

"So...this person's martial arts skills are beyond our reach!"

The group was in an uproar, the atmosphere somewhat tense, especially Ling Xiao, who was confident in his martial arts skills far surpassing those of his peers and was filled with self-doubt. "Ah Chen, do you think I'm too incompetent? If there really was such a master and I didn't even notice? Then... wouldn't it be incredibly easy for them to kill us?"

Could such a powerful figure be the real culprit behind the sect-annihilating maniac?!

Jiang Chen was also somewhat puzzled.

Putting aside the fact that the original owner frequently came into contact with various big shots and had never seen such a powerful figure, just comparing it to the original script where Huo Changyun, after turning evil, was able to sweep away all sects and utterly defeat the Central Plains martial arts world, there shouldn't be such a mysterious figure.

Where is the problem?

What is the truth?

Could it be that Shen Rumeng really has a mysterious guardian, like a hidden monk, by her side?

The prestigious Luo Family Manor, the number one family in the martial arts world, suffered a complete defeat this time. Not only did they lose three highly skilled Dragon Martial Guards, but they also lost Shen Rumeng, who was the subject of all the mysteries.

Unfortunately, everything had to be done in secret. Without concrete evidence, Luo Junfei was unable to visit Shen Aolong to demand an explanation, and the investigation reached a stalemate.

"It is currently known that Shen Rumeng poisoned my father and denied being in Hundred Flowers Valley, refusing to testify in an attempt to allow the fact that Huo Changyun is a demon to be confirmed."

The story of the Three Heroes of Bluewater Fortress being framed is remarkably similar to the current experience of Hundred Flowers Valley.

Shen Rumeng has fled to escape punishment, but we cannot openly pursue her. Perhaps we should consider breaking the deadlock from another angle—keeping a close eye on the remaining Celestial Elephant Gang and Sky Sparrow Fortress. If we can seize the opportunity to capture the real culprit, everything will be resolved.

Luo Junfei took out a letter and said with a solemn expression, "This is a reply from Alliance Leader Shen, which I obtained by sending someone on horseback to Aolong Garden."

In his letter, he explained that his daughter had been staying at Aolong Garden since the summer to await her marriage. He even named several cloth shopkeepers, shoemakers, and goldsmiths to help Shen Rumeng prepare her dowry, thus proving that Shen Rumeng had never left Aolong Garden!

This shows that our martial arts alliance leader had already conspired to come up with a story, probably a last-minute remedy after the plan went wrong.

Ah, the poison of the hundred-day-withering plant is also related to him!

Jiang Chen smiled wryly, "According to their original plan, Huo Changyun shouldn't have appeared in Hundred Flowers Valley in August to perfectly frame him. But something went wrong, giving them a better reason to destroy Hundred Flowers Valley as well."

While passing Blue Water Lake, we encountered Senior Feng of the Jade Star Sect leading his followers towards Celestial Phenomenon Mountain, presumably intending to capture the true culprit. Zhang Qing of the Jade Star Sect's Heavenly Division was ordered to investigate the situation at Sky Sparrow Fortress. I thought perhaps we could try a different approach—consider how to easily annihilate an entire sect or clan, preventing them from even sending out a distress signal.

"Poison!" Huo Changyun said without hesitation. "I've considered many possibilities, but poison is the fastest and most effective."

"If the murderer's poison can render everyone incapable of resisting, the question is how to ensure that everyone will obediently drink the poisoned food or water at the same time without arousing suspicion?"

"That's right. If you're going to poison someone, everyone has to drink it at the same time. Otherwise, if someone drinks it first and gets poisoned, the others will definitely be alert."

"Could it be some kind of poisonous smoke? We can use it to fumigate them while they're asleep late at night before we make our move."

“Every sect and clan has guards on duty. Even if you can sneak in and release poison gas to kill someone who is sleeping, there is no guarantee that you won’t alert the guards…”

After a brief discussion, Jiang Chen offered his own deduction: "It now seems that the martial arts alliance leader is definitely involved, or at least he wants to fuel the flames. So is it possible that the powerful martial arts alliance leader secretly traveled to various sects and clans to find an opportunity to poison them, and then had someone disguised as Huo Changyun carry out the murders?"

As far as I know, Shen Aolong claimed that he had encountered a problem while practicing his martial arts and had been unwell for nearly a year, often missing events. He even used illness as an excuse not to attend his brother Luo's wedding.

I think I'll have plenty of time to act while I stay home due to illness;

Furthermore, he seemed to be deliberately avoiding meeting me. You see, the most important basic skills in traditional Chinese medicine are observation, listening, questioning, and palpation. I can tell whether someone is truly sick or injured just by looking at them.

However, since Alliance Leader Shen fell ill, he has never asked me to treat him. Even knowing that I was attending Brother Luo's wedding, he didn't say a word, preferring to miss his only daughter's wedding rather than see a doctor. Isn't that a bit illogical?

Luo Junfei raised an eyebrow as a flash of inspiration struck him. "We've always said that Blue Water Fortress and Hundred Flowers Valley have had extremely similar experiences. It would be entirely plausible if the perpetrators of the two framing incidents were the same group of people."

Back when the Battle of Blue Water Fortress took place, Shen Aolong was still young and not very famous, so he did not participate directly in it.

But only a few years after that tragedy, he began to show his talent. According to my father, Shen Aolong's martial arts skills were at most mediocre before, but after a battle, he became famous for his cunning and superior skills, making him difficult to resist.

Could it be that he was also involved and obtained the secret manual of the Three Heroes of Bluewater Fortress?

“It’s not difficult to verify this matter.” Jiang Chen’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Tianque Fortress is not far from Luo City. If we hurry there, we might be able to get some clues from the old man of Tianque.”

The group discussed until late at night. The next morning, Jiang Chen once again used acupuncture to force out the remaining toxins from Luo Pei's acupoints. Then, Luo Junxiang, Luo Junfei's younger brother who had been urgently recalled, took charge of the overall situation, and several elite teams set off in different directions.

Tianque Castle is situated atop a high mountain, and the road leading up the mountain is rugged and difficult, making it a typical example of a castle that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Lin Wanyue was left at the Luo Family Manor to await news, which made Jiang Chen the least presentable of the four. Ling Xiao took extra care of him, afraid that her beloved man might get hurt.

Before they arrived, they had already discussed their plan: Ling Xiao, who was the most skilled in martial arts, would sneak into the fortress as an inside agent, allowing the remaining three to enter without anyone noticing.

"Before Tianque Laoren castrated himself to practice martial arts, his wife had given birth to three sons and one daughter. Later, the eldest son died of an epidemic; a few years ago, the second son was competitive and got into a fight and was seriously injured. He was sent back to the fortress and died not long after; last year, the youngest daughter died in childbirth with her unborn child. Tianque Laoren was left with only his lazy and good-for-nothing youngest son, who is now spoiled rotten."

Luo Junfei, lurking among the roof tiles, whispered, "We must be extremely careful. First, we need to find out if Elder Tianque is inside the fortress..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ling Xiao's lips curled into a smile. "I understand. To get the old man to tell the truth, we have to use his youngest son as leverage! Heh, you should have said so earlier. I like to get straight to the point. Wait a moment while I go and bring his youngest son over!"

"Oh, Miss Ling..." Luo Junfei watched in astonishment as her petite figure, carrying a giant sword, gracefully disappeared from sight. He looked anxiously at Shangguan Jiangchen, "This..."

Jiang Chen quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Miss Ling is highly skilled in martial arts and can easily handle this small matter."

Moreover, he also has his own soul weapon secretly accompanying him. There aren't many people in Tianque Fortress, so even if he assists Ling Xiao in killing a few times, it will be enough.

Luo Junfei's face turned red with anxiety. "We are a righteous sect in the martial arts world. How can we arrest people and use them as threats? Such despicable behavior is truly inappropriate!"

"Young Master Luo, please calm down. It's just a matter of asking a few questions." Huo Changyun, who had been following along all the way, was already used to his elder brother and sister-in-law's style. He gently comforted them, "My sister-in-law is very sensible and will not harm the innocent. At present, there are various mysteries and entanglements that are hard to resolve. It is better to use unconventional methods to cut the Gordian knot."

With a score of three to one, Luo Junfei could only accept the defeat with a helpless expression.

A short while later, Ling Xiao hurriedly returned and waved to the roof, signaling, "Ah Chen, come quickly and save people!"

Seeing that her expression was off, Jiang Chen hurriedly used his soul weapon to pretend to use his lightness skill to fly down and grabbed his wife's wrist, asking, "What's wrong? Who are you saving?"

Seeing this, Ling Xiao was very surprised. "Ah Chen, you've been hiding your true abilities! I didn't know your lightness skill was so good?! Oh, hurry over to that other courtyard, Zhang Qing is dying!"

Luo Junfei and Huo Changyun also swiftly landed. Upon hearing that the kind young man who had separated from their group earlier was dying, they rushed over.

The situation inside Tianque Castle was very unusual. We saw very few people along the way, and when we did see one or two groups of guards, they were in a hurry as if they had something important to do.

"It's right here, come and take a look." Ling Xiao led them to a secluded courtyard, where they found Zhang Qing, who was on the verge of death, in a rock cave.

The young swordsman, who had been full of vigor when they parted three days ago, was now pale and covered in blood, and looked like he was about to die.

"Miss Yun'er?!" Zhang Qing forced a smile upon seeing the beauty he had longed for day and night. "I never thought I would see you one last time before I die..."

The fluffy little dumpling was so anxious it was jumping up and down. "Ugh, I hate guys who are about to die and still ramble on about nothing. They're going to die as soon as we get to the point. Host, please check if there's any hope for them?"

Jiang Chen stepped forward to take his pulse, his expression grave. He knew the man had suffered extremely deep internal injuries and would likely die if left untreated.

"Young Master Shangguan, how is he?"

"Fortunately, you arrived in time. I am Shangguan Jiangchen, who can bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded. If you wait a moment, Brother Luo, I will definitely be able to save his life." Without time to say more, Jiangchen hurriedly began to treat him with acupuncture.

About half an hour later, Zhang Qing's breathing gradually stabilized. He had finally drunk some water and taken a few pills and was no longer in danger of dying.

“Host, in this kind of situation, you shouldn’t ask who the murderer is. If you do, you’ll definitely die. Instead, ask him how he got here…” The little white cat was still rambling on when Zhang Qing paused and spoke first: “We have to leave Tianque Fortress immediately and head to Tianxiang Mountain. My uncle and fellow disciples are probably in danger!”

After a short pause, Zhang Qing began to recount his experiences in detail.

After parting ways that day, he quickly rode to Tianque Fortress, climbed the mountain, entered the fortress, and waited for a long time before finally meeting the hurried Tianque Elder. After explaining his purpose, he received a warm welcome. That evening, Zhang Qing was informed that guards had been specially arranged inside the fortress to prevent attacks from the sect-destroying demon, and he was asked to stay inside and not move around unnecessarily.

Zhang Qing remained quietly in the guest room, unsuspecting.

However, around midnight last night, he suddenly heard screams outside. Although they disappeared in an instant, the alert Zhang Qing noticed something was wrong and came out of the room to look around.

This sight terrified him so much he almost lost his soul!

In a courtyard room of Tianque Fortress, many severed limbs were scattered. Amidst the splattering blood, the old man Tianque, his face covered in blood, was tearing at the neck of a girl who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old and was still struggling, swallowing blood with gulps!

Caught in a dilemma, Zhang Qing heard hurried footsteps and quickly hid in the treetop to observe. A masked man in black entered and shouted a few angry words in a low voice, after which the two spoke quietly for a moment.

He vaguely heard phrases like "taking a desperate gamble only at the most crucial moment," "Tianxiang Mountain is the next target," "share equally," and "share together." Based on what he had witnessed, Zhang Qing deduced that the Old Man Tianque was a member of a heretical cult, and that he was highly likely to target Tianxiang Mountain!

Considering the image that Elder Tianque usually cultivated, it was highly likely that he could deceive everyone and catch his uncle and the others off guard. In his anxiety, Zhang Qing's breathing became slightly heavier, and he was discovered by the masked man in black.

Zhang Qing faced an extremely difficult situation, fighting one against two opponents.

Fortunately, the old man Tianque was probably weakened from just drinking blood, and the man in black did not go all out to prevent his identity from being revealed. Zhang Qing fought desperately and managed to escape from the courtyard with serious injuries, finding a quiet and secluded place to hide.

Tianque Fortress subsequently launched several raids, but Zhang Qing managed to escape.

Later, fewer and fewer people remained in the fortress, and the faint sounds of carriages and horses could be heard, as if they were hastily retreating. Although no one pursued him anymore, the severely wounded Zhang Qing was too weak to escape, and after wandering into the artificial rock cave, he had no strength left.

Fortunately, Jiang Chen and the others entered the fortress from a secluded spot. Ling Xiao's figure flashed by and was recognized by Zhang Qing, thus narrowly escaping death.

"Everyone, Tianque Castle is now empty. Don't worry about me, hurry to Tianxiang Mountain. My uncle and fellow disciples are all there, in case..." Zhang Qing looked at them anxiously and breathlessly, his voice hoarse, "Whether we can expose the true face of the cultists this time depends entirely on you all!"

Even Jiang Chen was somewhat surprised to learn that the Heavenly Sparrow Elder was a member of a heretical cult.

Could the masked man in black be Shen Aolong?

Why are they targeting their colleagues who were responsible for the siege of Lanshuibao back then?

Could it be that there was internal strife or that someone discovered something was amiss and started silencing them?

Huo Changyun was completely bewildered. "Since Senior Brother Zhang knew the inside story, why did they abandon him and let him run free? Aren't they afraid he'll escape and spread the news?"

“The Sky Sparrow Fortress has almost completely evacuated.” Jiang Chen said with a solemn expression as he sensed the images brought back by the Soul Artifact. “Perhaps… Elder Sky Sparrow wants to use the commotion caused by the Sect Destroyer to make a quick getaway.”

A great fire would then reduce the entire fortress to ruins. Once it was confirmed that the Zhang brothers hadn't escaped, they would inevitably burn to death inside. The outcome would be the same for them; time was of the essence, so there was no need to waste manpower searching further.