A Reasonable Man

The junior sister felt embarrassed because she had caused a big fuss at the campground without explaining things clearly. However, she also blamed Senior Mo for not giving her a chance to compose herself before attacking Long Jingyi. 

"What do you mean Senior Feng is not dead?" Mo Heng asked before he could stop himself. 

Long Jingyi laughed. "If someone did not know that Feng Yie was your fellow student and good teammate, they would assume you wanted her dead." 

Mo Heng realised he had phrased the statement a little wrongly, and Long Jingyi was not the only one who was looking at him with suspicion. 

"Stop misunderstanding my words." He retorted. "I made the wrong assumption because my junior sister ran out of Feng Yie's tent shouting and crying. It was a logical conclusion because of the situation." 

Su Yaling did not want these men to start fighting again, so she interrupted. "Can we listen to the explanation from the junior sister? It will solve this situation faster." 

"Thank you, Fairy Su." The junior sister was grateful to the senior from Moonlight Clan before explaining. "I woke up intending to check on Senior Feng to see if she had regained consciousness." 

"When I entered, I found she was not alone. A man was lying on the floor next to her bed. I did not think it was someone with bad intentions. I thought it was an overzealous admirer who wanted to watch over Senior Feng but accidentally fell asleep." She continued. 

"I thought it would be scandalous if someone found out, and Senior Feng would end up embarrassed because of the incident. So, I decided to wake the individual and chase them away quietly before everyone woke up." 

The junior sister's voice trembled. "I walked to the man and tried to shake him. But as soon as I touched him, the flesh on his arm started to fall apart like mud. I released him quickly, but he rolled to his back. That is when I saw his face. It was dark grey with cracks, and the open eyes were milky-white." 

The girl started crying again as she remembered the scary scene. The people who were listening were dumbfounded by the tale. Everyone was full of questions about the identity of the man, his intention after entering Feng Yie's tent, and the cause of his death. 

"That is impossible!" Mo Heng denied the story even as his heart raced. 

"I am not lying!" The junior sister was angry and almost stomped her foot. 

"I will verify this matter myself." Mo Heng said intending to go to the tent immediately. 

Now that he knew the entire story, he was afraid of the truth. Or rather, he was afraid that he knew the identity of the man in Feng Yie's tent. But his mind refused to believe that his best-laid plan had not succeeded. 

The man in the tent was likely his close junior, Xiao Xun. 

When Mo Heng understood on the previous night that the strange treatment from the cloaked man had worked, he decided to act and kill Feng Yie before morning. However, he was not willing to dirty his hands or leave evidence that could be traced back to him. 

After some thought, he decided to put a simple plan in motion. 

He remembered Long Jingyi had asked about a restoration potion to help Feng Yie regain her strength. The conversation was disrupted when the cloaked man was accused of being a devil cultivator. If he spiked a restoration potion, he could eliminate Feng Yie and get away with it. 

As an extra precaution, he did not hand over the potion openly. Rather, he told his most trusted junior to handle the matter himself because he did not trust others not to keep the potion for themselves. Xiao Xun always trusted him, so he did not question this excuse. 

The plan was foolproof. 

Xiao Xun was supposed to feed Feng Yie the contaminated restoration potion and return to his tent. In the morning, Feng Yie would be dead without leaving a trace. Even if the matter of the potion was exposed, he would claim it was under the instruction of Long Jingyi. 

He did not understand what went wrong. 

Even if Xiao Xun drank the potion, it would not have the effect the junior sister was claiming. After all, the poison he used in the potion was simply Forlorn Water. It would not have harmed Xiao Xun because he was strong and healthy. 

"I think we should all investigate this matter." Long Jingyi spoke up before Mo Heng could walk away. 

Mo Heng did not want to bring other people in case there was something incriminating on the scene. He needed to check the scene and ascertain what had gone wrong before he chose the next course of action. 

"That is not necessary, Senior Long. This is a matter of our Shademantle Academy, and outsiders should not be involved in case there are delicate issues." He countered. 

Long Jingyi snorted. "You have accused me and my friend of being responsible for Feng Yie's death several times, even though we have done nothing but help her. Now that she is well, it is not our business. You are something, Mo Heng." 

"I know I was wrong." Mo Heng replied with gritted teeth. "I will make a formal apology after investigating the incident. For now, you can get back to your day. The gate will probably open up soon." 

"I don't think so." Long Jingyi refused to give in. "If something else happens to Feng Yie, I am sure you will find a new way to blame me. I think it is only right that I am involved since you pulled me into your mess. Unless, of course, you have something to hide." 

Mo Heng felt his heart skip a beat. 

"What could I have to hide? I am just trying to protect the dignity of my Shademantle Academy." He decided to back down. "But you are right. I should not investigate alone because it will attract questions and doubts." 

His gracious words made him seem open and magnanimous, eliminating the suspicions that he had some nefarious intentions. 

"I am glad you are a reasonable man." Long Jingyi chuckled. "Fairy Su Yaling, you should also join us as an impartial party. You might be able to see something that we might overlook." 

Mo Heng stiffened because he did not want more people at the scene, especially not someone from the Moonlight Clan. The Moonlight Clan was a special sect that recruited talented girls and taught them unfathomable mind techniques. 

No one knew the extent of their powers, but they could read and influence people. For example, when Mo Heng and Long Jingyi were about to fight, Su Yaling must have used one of her techniques to influence their moods and calm them using their strange methods. 

If the rumours about the mysterious sect were true, she could have other techniques that might detect something incriminating. But refusing to invite her would be even more suspicious. 

"Please join us, Fairy Su." Mo Heng said. "You can also check if Feng Yie is conscious and well." 

Su Yaling did not want to get too involved, but she was a senior sister after all. She had to be gracious before the younger cultivators. She was also a little interested in the phenomenon that the junior sister had described. 

The effect the girl described seemed like something that would happen from a necrotising poison or disease. She had read about it, but she had never seen it. From the little she knew, it was something that involved devil cultivation. 

She could not help wondering if there was truly a devil cultivator among them. 

"I will be honoured to join you." Su Yaling smiled politely.