Chapter 252

Two bodies lie inside a ring the caravan has formed around Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing, and many in the crowd do not dare meet their cold gaze. With Ou Yang Gong and Ou Fei dead, the caravan still counts eleven rank three, twenty-seven rank two and thirty-eight rank one Gu Masters, far more strength than the pair who killed them. But the clans distrust each other and share no leader, so none of the caravan leaders will move first. Shang Xin Ci breaks the standoff. She steps out and names the two Lord Hei Tu and Lord Bai Yun, her Zhang Clan’s hidden elders, sent out on a secret mission that happened to cross the caravan’s path. Nobody believes her outright, but nobody can prove otherwise, and two rank three peak stage Gu Masters leave little room to argue. Jia Long speaks first, framing the killings as rightful punishment for an unreasonable father and son, and the other leaders follow with praise of their own. Over twenty people bow to the two lords, and the camp settles back into its work. ^{ch. 252}

Asked for her opinion, Shang Xin Ci says only that she is tired and the leaders should decide among themselves; Fang Yuan adds that Zhang Clan’s goods are already donated and they will not interfere, then the two leave together. Alone, the leaders drop their smiles. Jia Long only asks what to make of the pair’s sudden appearance, and it is the vice leaders who answer first, calling them lawless killers of suspicious origin, likely demonic Gu Masters who threatened Shang Xin Ci into vouching for them; Jia Long agrees the same thought had already crossed his mind. Gong Sun proposes a way to bind them regardless: give Hei Tu and Bai Yun a share of the goods, so they will step forward to protect their own stake when trouble comes. Jia Long approves, and adds that the cost need not worry them, since Ou Clan’s dead leave goods enough to spare. ^{ch. 252}

Chen Xin has been waiting for this moment. He tells his uncle Chen Shuang Jin that the bone spears Hei Tu and Bai Yun used today match the ones that killed Zhang Zhu, and he wants the two exposed and killed before they can do worse. Chen Shuang Jin refuses. Witness testimony without material evidence proves nothing, he says, and even proof would not matter against two Gu Masters that strong: in this world, strength decides everything, not evidence. He tells his nephew that Hei Tu and Bai Yun likely already know what he saw and have simply judged him too weak to bother with. Chen Xin has no answer. ^{ch. 252}