Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 242 The pot at Qingya Cave has been caught

"What Green Cliff Cave? What Cave Master Wang?"

When Master Liu came to his senses, he looked completely bewildered.

Chen Anran retorted, "Stop pretending. Your goal is simply to kill us and then kidnap our sect leader from the Cloud Hidden Sect." He paused slightly, then continued, "All the members of the Cloud Hidden Sect have vanished. Isn't that exactly the same 'method' used when everyone from the Green Cliff Cave disappeared?"

Master Liu was almost in tears. "Yes, I was thinking of killing you all, kidnapping your sect leader, and then framing the 'Wilderness Seekers' for it all, but I really don't know anything about this Green Cliff Cave!"

Chen Anran sneered; he was convinced that it was Fifth Master Liu who did it.

"Alright, I'll contact Shen Zui from the Miscellaneous Affairs Department right away and have him take you away. After all, I'm not one to kill innocent people indiscriminately. So let's hand you over to the law."

Upon hearing this, Master Liu shouted even louder, "At most, this counts as attempted murder!"

"If this was considered attempted murder, what about the incident at Qingya Cave?"

"I told you, I didn't do it! I swear to God!"

Chen Anran was too lazy to listen to his explanation and directly called Shen Zui.

The call was connected very quickly.

"Feed? Fellow Daoist Chen?"

"On the provincial highway leading to Yunyin Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Lincheng, about thirty kilometers from Yue Ran Ju, we were ambushed. The mastermind was Liu Wuye from the Liu family of Xiangxi, who has now been subdued. He may be involved in the previous Qingya Cave disappearance case. There were also the bodies of seven 'Wilderness Seekers' at the scene, but three of them were dried up by Liu Wuye's evil magic." Chen Anran spoke steadily and concisely.

"...Master Liu the Fifth? Qingya Cave?" Shen Zui's voice became noticeably serious. "Is anyone injured? Do they have any other tricks up their sleeve?"

"My second senior sister, Master Huiming, and I are all fine. I just suffered some internal injuries, which will be fine after some rest. We haven't found any other ambushes yet." Chen Anran glanced at Master Liu on the ground. "Master Liu's limbs are crippled, but his life is not in danger. There are some... 'things' at the scene that require your professional handling."

"Understood. Stay where you are and remain vigilant. I'll take men there immediately! At least forty minutes!"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Anran put away his phone and looked at Liu Wuye, whose face was pale.

"Did you hear that? The miscellaneous affairs department will be here soon. Do you want to 'talk' about Qingya Cave with me again before Shen Zui arrives, or do you want to wait until he gets here and then have a leisurely chat in their miscellaneous affairs department?"

"Master Chen... I'm truly innocent!" Master Liu cried, "Yes, I coveted Fellow Daoist Wei's 'Extreme Yin Body,' and that's why I was blinded by greed and set up this ambush. I admit it! Kill me, torture me, or even cripple my cultivation, I'll accept it! But that Qingya Cave... I've lived in western Hunan for a long time and have never had any dealings with Qingya Cave. How could I possibly wipe out their entire family?"

His words were heartfelt, and tears streamed down his face. Coupled with his pitiful appearance, he truly seemed to have been wronged.

Wei Qingyi frowned and whispered to Chen Anran, "Perhaps he really wasn't the one who did it at Qingya Cave?"

Master Liu collapsed to the ground, his face tilted back, his cloudy eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Chen Anran... He repeated in a hoarse voice, "It really wasn't me... Qingya Cave... I've never been there... It's too far away..."

Chen Anran was too lazy to care whether he was the one who did the things at Qingya Cave, since the relationship between their Yunyin Sect and Qingya Cave wasn't much better anyway.

"Never mind, let Shen Zui and the others investigate."

After speaking, Chen Anran shed his Arhat state and called Fatty Li, asking him to bring the car over.

After the phone call ended, the stench of blood seemed to intensify in the night air.

Master Liu lay sprawled on the ground, his limbs dislocated and unable to move, only his chest rising and falling with rapid breathing. The fear on his face had not subsided, but his eyes held a hint of dejection and resentment, like an old crocodile trapped in shallow waters.

Wei Qingyi walked to Chen Anran's side and asked with a worried expression, "How are your injuries?"

"It's alright." Chen Anran shook his head, suppressing the faint metallic taste rising in his throat again.

Huiming had already walked to the seven corpses, clasped his hands together, and silently recited the Rebirth Mantra. Under the moonlight, the three fresh, dried corpses and the four ordinary bodies lay side by side, a stark and shocking contrast. The night wind blew through the forest, rustling the branches and leaves, making the place even more deathly silent.

"Master!" came Li Pangzi's hushed call from afar, accompanied by the low rumble of an engine. The black van turned around and stopped a short distance away. Li Pangzi jumped out, carrying a thick wooden stick he'd somehow found, and jogged over warily. After assessing the situation, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you alright? I just saw flashes of green light and lots of shadows in the distance..."

"It's alright now." Chen Anran opened her eyes and looked at the wooden stick in Fatty Li's hand, which had obviously been swung a few times. She found it both amusing and heartwarming. "Drive the car over here and wait. The people from the miscellaneous goods department will be here soon."

"Alright!" Fatty Li nodded hurriedly, then couldn't help but glance at Master Liu and the corpses on the ground. He shrank back, ran back, drove the car closer, and turned on the headlights, illuminating the chaotic battlefield.

Wei Qingyi stood to Chen Anran's side and slightly behind, sword in hand, her gaze still warily scanning the surrounding dense forest. Although Master Liu had fallen, no one could guarantee that there weren't other lurking figures. The peach wood sword in her hand gleamed warmly in the moonlight, its blade seemingly still carrying the faint warmth of the deathly aura it had just pierced.

"Junior brother," she suddenly spoke softly, her gaze falling on Chen Anran's profile, "this sword... thank you."

Chen Anran turned to look at her and smiled, "My senior sister, no need to be so polite. This peach wood sword is old and full of yang energy, which is compatible with your constitution. Carrying it with you can also help nourish your meridians. When I find better materials in the future, I will have someone make a sword tailored to your specifications."

Wei Qingyi smiled slightly, nodded, and said nothing more.

About half an hour later, high beams pierced the night as three black SUVs sped up and screeched to a halt beside the van. The door opened, and Shen Zui jumped out first, still wearing that crisp shirt, only the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his face showing the weariness typical of someone who had stayed up all night.

Behind him were seven or eight men and women dressed in plain clothes but moving efficiently. They quickly dispersed, some carrying instruments to scan the scene, while others skillfully set up a cordon around the area—a specially made fluorescent band with faint spiritual energy fluctuations.

Shen Zui strode up to Chen Anran and quickly glanced at him: "Where are you hurt?"

"Just a minor internal injury, I'll recover in a few days," Chen Anran indicated, then glanced at his engrossed "colleagues," "You weren't traveling with your master and the others?"

Shen Zui lit a cigarette and said quietly, "If we keep following him, who knows, the next scene might be at a nightclub."