Chapter 390: Suspect List

Before Song Yeh could speak, Song Qian shook her head and said, "No, you better stay by my side; it's safer that way."

Many people in the city now knew that she always had a foreigner accompanying her. If, at this moment, her father, the foreigner, suddenly disappeared from her side, it might arouse suspicion.

Moreover, the situation might not be as bad as she imagined. Zhu Tenglong might not necessarily suspect that his brother's death was related to the foreigner present at the scene.

Therefore, it was not advisable to react too hastily before the situation became clear.

"Can you make that little spirit by your side disappear?"

Song Qian's gaze suddenly focused on the small spirit that always followed Song Yeh. If she could make it disappear, her father wouldn't be immediately recognized as a foreigner.

"I have no way to deal with it," Song Yeh said helplessly.

Song Yeh could only temporarily get rid of the little spirit when entering the Xuanwu Continent. Still, within the Xuanwin Continent, it was an ever-present existence that could follow him anywhere.

"Let me try."

Song Qian immediately caught the small butterfly-sized humanoid spirit that was constantly flying around Song Yeh. Then, she used her magical power to crush it directly.

She had no pity for such a cute-looking little spirit. However, immediately after, another identical one appeared by Song Yeh's side, just like the one she had just killed.

Song Qian tried several times, but no matter how she killed the little spirit, a new one would appear next to her father immediately.

Faced with this situation, she could only express her helplessness in the same tone as her father, "I have no way either."

---

Longling City was now under the full control of Tianwei Mansion.

The Imperial Palace had experienced numerous deaths just two days ago, and the culprit was yet to be found. As for Zhu Tenghu, the tyrant who died on the street, neither Tianwei Mansion nor the magistrate's office wanted to get involved.

However, Zhu Tenglong was furious upon learning of his younger brother's tragic death. He immediately pressured Tianwei Mansion to find the murderer quickly.

However, with no leads to follow, Zhu Tenghu had died suddenly with his head exploding on its own. No one present could see who had done it.

Therefore, the assistant steward of Tianwei Mansion, Han Tianlu, used the excuse that Zhu Tenghu was a cultivator and the court traditionally did not intervene in the affairs of the cultivation world. They only provided Zhu Tenglong with a list of suspects, asking him to find the murderer for revenge.

This list of suspects included all of Zhu Tenghu's enemies during his lifetime, as well as suspicious individuals present at the scene of his death.

Song Qian was also on this list. After all, among the people present at the time, she had the highest cultivation level, making her a suspect.

In addition, Song Yeh was also on this list, but not under his name. Instead, it was written as "Foreign disciple of the Song family in Longyang."

After receiving this list, Zhu Tenglong went to seek help from the head of the Shangguan family, Shangguan Jingming. He hoped that the Shangguan family could intervene and help him find all the people on the list.

However, Shangguan Jingming couldn't help but feel troubled after seeing the list.

Zhu Tenghu had offended many people, including some prominent figures. Shangguan Jingming even saw the name of Princess Han Wushuang on the list.

Han Tianlu had quite the audacity to include Princess Han Wushuang as a suspect. She was the favorite niece of Princess Han Xinlan, and the title of "Princess of Han" was specially bestowed upon her by Princess Han Xinlan.

Shangguan Jingming couldn't help but suspect that Han Tianlu included Princess Han Wushuang's name on the suspect list out of personal grudges. After all, Princess Han Wushuang had accused Han Tianlu in front of Princess Han Xinlan in the past. If it weren't for the direct intervention of the governor of Tianwei Mansion, he might still be imprisoned.

However, Princess Han Wushuang did indeed have a conflict with Zhu Tenghu. Zhu Tenghu was extremely lecherous, often harassing and insulting respectable young ladies on the street. Once, when a maid from Princess Han Wushuang's mansion went out to buy something, Zhu Tenghu publicly harassed her.

Upon learning of this incident, Princess Han Wushuang personally went to Zhu's mansion, tied him up, and flogged him twenty times with a lightning whip. If Zhu Tenghu didn't have a powerful elder brother as a backer, Princess Han Wushuang might have had him castrated on the spot.

In addition to this, Shangguan Jingming also saw the names of female cultivators from the Lingyue Sect, such as Mo Xunyu, Dong Xiner from the Cangyu Sect, and Ji Qinyin from the Feihua Sect. These women had been offended by Zhu Tenghu due to his lustful behavior.

Clearly, the identities of these people were not ordinary. Shangguan Jingming couldn't treat them as ordinary suspects, simply arresting and questioning them in private. However, Zhu Tenglong had to give an explanation.

So, Shangguan Jingming planned to host a banquet and invite these so-called suspects as guests. During the banquet, they could have a face-to-face conversation with Zhu Tenglong. As for who Zhu Tenglong ultimately believed was the killer among them, that would be up to him.

Coincidentally, Shangguan Jingming's alchemy room had just produced several high-quality Yuling Pills. He planned to use a shared pill session as an excuse to invite those prominent figures listed as suspects.

In fact

, Zhu Tenghu's death was entirely his own fault, deserving his fate. Many people in the city thought it was a relief, with some even secretly setting off firecrackers to celebrate.

In the hearts of the people, the person who killed Zhu Tenghu might be a righteous hero, eliminating a villain.

Therefore, Shangguan Jingming did not want to exert too much effort in investigating the true murderer behind Zhu Tenghu's death. He just needed to make a show of it to appease Zhu Tenglong and maintain the reputation of the Shangguan family in the mortal realm.

---

On the second night after Zhu Tenghu's death, Song Qian received an invitation to the pill-tasting banquet sent by Shangguan Jingming.

"Master Song, where is your foreign disciple?" The servant from the Shangguan family looked around and asked.

Song Qian frowned and asked, "What business do you have with the foreigner?"

"The master instructed us to invite your foreign disciple to the banquet for tasting pills together. Here is an invitation for your foreign disciple as well," the servant said, taking out a second invitation from his sleeve. "It's for your foreign disciple. Our master is also quite interested in the background of this foreigner, and he wishes to have a good conversation with him at the banquet."

"Understood. You can give the invitation to my master," Song Qian said.

The servant bowed slightly and said, "Very well, I'll trouble Master Song to pass it on." He then handed the second invitation to Song Qian.