Chapter 363: The Devilishly Clever Li Haiqin

Chapter 363: Chapter 363: The Devilishly Clever Li Haiqin

This was unexpected. Utterly unexpected.

Chu Fan hadn’t expected to accidentally overhear Yilode’s thoughts tonight, but what was even more unexpected was that Yilode would hide the Profound Iron Order inside the Phoenix Crown that Li Haiqin was to wear for her wedding.

Chu Fan recalled that night Yilode had gone to a secret chamber to retrieve some gemstones and unknown metals.

’Those must have been the materials for forging the Phoenix Crown.’

His beloved granddaughter was getting married. As her grandfather and the Clan Leader, it was only natural for him to personally craft a Phoenix Crown for her. No one could say a thing about it.

And no one would ever think that the Profound Iron Order would be placed inside the Phoenix Crown.

Moreover, once Li Haiqin was married and gone, no matter how capable those people from the Southern Domain were, they could dig three feet deep across the entire Moon Sea and still never find the Profound Iron Order.

Originally, Chu Fan had been thinking that if he really couldn’t figure out where Yilode had hidden the Profound Iron Order, he would just have to cause a commotion to force Yilode to reveal it himself.

’Looks like that won’t be necessary now.’

All that was left was to wait for the twenty-eighth of the eighth month.

Returning to his courtyard, Chu Fan focused on his Cultivation.

His Spiritual Power was already at Level 38. With just two more levels, he could undo the seal on the Juntian Mirror’s Fourth Floor. Chu Fan felt a thrill of excitement.

While his side was peaceful, the same could not be said for the first branch of the Lindi Clan.

Yi Qing was dead. The heart-wrenching wails of his mother, grieving for her lost son, went without saying.

After the First Young Master reported the matter to Yilode, he felt that something was increasingly off on his way back.

’Li Dang had no motive to kill Yi Qing!’

If Yi Qing were a future contender for the position of Patriarch, then it might have been understandable for Li Dang to kill him.

But Yi Qing was the son of a concubine, and his relationship with Li Dang was actually quite good. The two of them had been hanging out together for the past few days.

Furthermore, Yi Qing was getting married in two days, and Li Dang was the one arranging everything for it.

Upon returning home, the First Young Master went straight to Li Dang’s room.

The Guards were still dutifully keeping a tight watch on the room.

Reaching the door, the First Young Master ordered all the Guards to withdraw to the outer courtyard.

"Speak. Why did you kill Yi Qing?"

After closing the door, the First Young Master fixed his sharp gaze on the devastated Li Dang.

Li Dang didn’t dare to meet his father’s eyes and immediately burst into tears. "Father, it really wasn’t me who killed him! Among all my brothers, Yi Qing listened to me the most. How could I possibly kill him?"

"Then what about the blood on your face? Your Guards all said that no one else entered the room. After they heard the shout, no one came out, either. From start to finish, there were only the two of you in that room. How do you explain that?"

"I really don’t know! I just stood up and patted him on the shoulder. Who knew that his neck would suddenly spurt blood? It sprayed all over my head and face. I was scared stupid at that moment."

"Then what were you doing at Yi Qing’s place tonight?" the First Young Master demanded sharply.

Li Dang began to stammer and hedge.

The First Young Master barked, his voice filled with anger, "Tell the truth!"

Li Dang didn’t dare hide anything any longer and confessed his and Yi Qing’s plan. As the First Young Master listened, the veins on his neck bulged.

He then slapped Li Dang across the face.

"Have you two wasted all these years of your lives? Did you really need to go to such lengths to deal with a mere Guard?"

Despite his anger, the First Young Master was also deeply puzzled. He couldn’t figure out how Yi Qing had actually died either.

’Could it be that ghosts really exist in this world?’

"Since this matter cannot be explained, and you cannot exonerate yourself, the blame can only fall on you. Considering there are too many suspicious points, your death penalty may be spared, but your living punishment is unavoidable."

"Father..."

"Silence!" the First Young Master snapped again. "What more do you want? You say you didn’t kill him, but the facts are right there for all to see. Who do you think will believe you? Even though I believe you didn’t do it, how am I supposed to explain this for you?"

"I..."

"Your status as an heir is revoked. At the same time, you will no longer enjoy the privileges of a Lindi Clan Direct Lineage descendant. Move out of this courtyard tomorrow. Otherwise, I’ll have no way to answer to your Third Mother (Yi Qing’s mother), no way to answer to the mansion’s Guards. In the future, I will have your mother look after you from time to time."

After speaking, the First Young Master ignored Li Dang’s pleas and walked straight out.

The next day, the results of Li Dang’s punishment were reported to Yilode.

Li Dang’s status as heir was revoked. He was moved out of the Mansion and into a commoner’s residence in the east of Moon City. Although he had many wives and concubines, only the two who had borne him children accompanied him, bringing the children with them.

As for servants and maids, there were none.

Those in the know kept their mouths shut, while the uninformed were all incredibly curious as to why Li Dang had received such a severe punishment.

It wasn’t that the First Young Master hadn’t considered the possibility that Yi Qing’s death was related to Huo Er.

After all, the person Yi Qing was about to marry was Huo Er’s junior martial sister, the woman Huo Er supposedly liked. Moreover, Huo Er had met with his master and junior sister that very afternoon.

But even if Huo Er’s injuries were mostly healed, with his skills, it would have been impossible for him to silently enter the room under everyone’s watch, kill Yi Qing, and then leave without being discovered.

Even Li Dang hadn’t seen anyone make a move.

The whole affair was too bizarre.

Even if the First Young Master wanted to investigate, he had no idea where to start.

It wasn’t that he didn’t investigate Huo Er. However, the Guards at the Third Young Master’s mansion could all testify that after Chu Fan returned from the Kovot Family, he had stayed in his courtyard the entire time and never left.

"Yi Qing is dead. Did you do it?"

With such a major event, even if outsiders didn’t know the inside story, Li Haiqin, as a descendant of the Direct Lineage, still knew some of the details.

That was why she had come to Chu Fan’s courtyard first thing in the morning.

Of course, when she asked the question, she was only joking.

"Princess, you shouldn’t joke like that. After I returned yesterday afternoon, I stayed in this courtyard and never left, not even for a single step. Kemoqi and the others can prove it."

"Hee hee, I know it wasn’t you. But when I heard about it this morning, I just thought it was so bizarre. Do you know how Yi Qing died?"

Chu Fan, of course, shook his head.

"Li Dang went to discuss something with him. When Li Dang got excited, he stood up and patted Yi Qing’s shoulder twice, and blood just spurted from Yi Qing’s neck. But no one saw a third person enter the room. If everyone didn’t know that Li Dang and Yi Qing had a good relationship, they’d never believe that Li Dang wasn’t the one who killed him."

"Princess, why are you so happy that Yi Qing is dead?"

"Aren’t you happy? I heard Yi Qing was getting married in a few days, and to your junior martial sister, no less. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?"

"I knew. I saw my master and Dai Yelin yesterday afternoon."

"So, the person who killed Yi Qing... the biggest suspect should be you."

"Princess, please don’t say such things. I can’t bear that kind of responsibility," Chu Fan said, a little indignant.

Li Haiqin smiled again and said, "I heard you used to admire that junior martial sister of yours. How about this princess transfers Dai Yelin over to be my Maid? That way, you can have the advantage of proximity."

"I already made things clear with Dai Yelin yesterday. I, Huo Er, will only revere the Martial Dao in this life and will not marry. I even swore an oath to the White Wolf King in front of her. So, Princess, please don’t mention this matter again."

Li Haiqin calmly studied Chu Fan’s eyes.

"If you hadn’t rescued me so desperately on the Grassland, almost losing your own life and ending up covered in scars, I would really be starting to wonder if you’re still the same Huo Er from before."

Chu Fan’s heart tightened at her words. ’Have I been exposed after all?’

Chu Fan immediately laughed and said, "If the Princess doesn’t think I’m Huo Er, then who do you think I am?"

"I think you must be someone the White Wolf King sent to protect me."