Book 2: Chapter 79: Murderer

After Ding Rui got tricked by Gu Hai, the Go puzzle world instantly pulled her in.

Ding Rui’s expression changed when she saw this strange environment. She wanted to fly up and leave the Go puzzle world.

However, the surrounding space suddenly twisted.

Whoosh!

In the next moment, Ding Rui appeared above the sea, the lowest part of the Go puzzle world.

“What? How did I get here?” Ding Rui’s expression changed. She wanted to leave this place quickly.

Whoosh!

Then, her figure shimmered, and she suddenly arrived where the dragon vein was.

“No! How can it be like this?” Ding Rui exclaimed.

“Roar!”

The dragon vein roared as its body smashed towards Ding Rui.

Boom!

Ding Rui got the soldiers of the zither music army to sacrifice themselves to protect her. However, the vast dragon’s body instantly smashed them to pieces.

Blargh!

Ding Rui vomited a mouth of blood as she quickly fled.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, space twisted again, sending the distant Ding Rui back before the dragon vein.

Boom!

A huge impact from the dragon vein smashed into the vast army again, shattering most of the soldiers.

“Gu Hai! Let me out if you dare!” Ding Rui roared in a crazed fashion.

Ding Rui understood now. All this was that Go board. Gu Hai had grasped that Twenty-Nine Line-Pair World Go Puzzle.

——

Outside, the floating island looked like it would crumble at any moment. However, it did not in the end.

Gu Hai continuously placed Go stones, apparently changing the internal structure of the Go puzzle world.

Although Long Wanqing could not see Ding Rui, she could guess Ding Rui’s position from the vast army. Manipulating the Go puzzle world, Gu Hai repeatedly sent Ding Rui to the dragon vein, letting the dragon vein attack her.

Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai with a complicated expression. “You actually can control the Go puzzle world?”

Isn’t this the scene of when we first came out? Now, he is using it to handle Ding Rui, and Ding Rui cannot retaliate at all?

Not far away, Li Haoran slowly put away his three golden arrows as he looked at Gu Hai coldly.

As he watched Gu Hai casually placing Go stones, his face turned sullen.

“Ding Rui, you are now at the end of your road. The hall master only wants to know how and why her mother died. Just say everything you know, and I can plead for mercy on your behalf. I will ask her to spare you the death penalty,” Gu Hai said.

When Gu Hai spoke, his voice spread throughout the Go puzzle world through his Go skills.

“That’s right. I want to know how and why my mother died!” Long Wanqing said while clenching her fist.

——

Rumble…! 

Down below, the Go puzzle world already turned chaotic. The dragon vein squirmed frantically while Ding Rui continued struggling despite her fatigue. Then, a loud sound rang out as her entire zither music army exploded and shattered. The zither she carried also exploded.

Boom!

As Ding Rui heard Gu Hai’s voice, she got blasted back while covered in blood. 

“Hahahahahaha! Speak? Tell you, and I can live?” Ding Rui roared stubbornly.

“How pigheaded!” Gu Hai said coldly as he continued to manipulate the Go puzzle world’s space.

Ding Rui bitterly endured the impacts while inside.

——

Suddenly, crackling rang out around Gu Hai.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Many cracks suddenly appeared around the floating island as well as on the Go board.

“Oh no! The Go puzzle world can no longer hold on!” Gu Hai’s expression changed.

Gu Hai grabbed Long Wanqing and leaped up.

Whoosh!

Gu Hai jumped off the floating island.

At the same time, mountains sprouted below the floating island. The sight of mountains appearing out of nowhere looked incredibly majestic.

Gu Hai did not dare to hesitate, immediately leaping about the mountains as he carried Long Wanqing.

“Roar!”

Boom!

The floating island suddenly exploded. A strong gale carried shattered rocks out in all directions.

The dragon’s body managed to struggle free.

Just at this moment, two more sections of the dragon’s body came out of the ground, perfectly connecting with the dragon’s body in the Go puzzle world and forming a segment of a long dragon’s body.

“Roar!”

As the dragon’s body turned over, it sank into the ground.

“Oh no!” Li Haoran’s expression changed.

Li Haoran stretched out his hand to grab the dragon’s body. Then, a huge manifested palm reached for the dragon’s body.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The manifested palm caught the dragon’s body. However, the dragon’s body was too strong. While the manifested palm was powerful, it could not pull it back.

Boom!

The manifested palm exploded as the dragon’s body dived into the ground.

The ground shook again before slowly recovering its previous calm.

Li Haoran showed a furious expression.

Not again! I already grabbed the dragon vein, but it managed to run. Again!

Li Haoran showed a frosty expression as he turned his head to look into the distance.

A blood-covered Ding Rui fell onto a distant mountain and vomited blood.

It’s that old bitch Ding Rui’s fault. Otherwise, I would have had ample time to prepare and would not have missed it again in such a miserable fashion.

The fleeing cultivators in the surroundings slowly climbed out of the rubble.

“The ground finally stopped shaking!”

“It’s over! It’s finally over!”

“I thought I would die!”

After the countless cultivators celebrated, they all looked in Gu Hai’s direction.

They saw Gu Hai land before Ding Rui while carrying Long Wanqing.

Ding Rui was already on her last gasp. Blood covered her, and her hair scattered everywhere, making her look like a dying crazy old woman.

“Hall Master, I believe I fulfilled my promise to you?” Gu Hai said with a bitter smile as he released Long Wanqing from his embrace.

Promise?

Previously, Gu Hai promised Long Wanqing to bring her out of the Dragon Pinning Sect openly.

Gu Hai did openly bring Long Wanqing out. However, the commotion seemed to be overly huge. Everything within five hundred kilometers of the Dragon Pinning Sect had turned into rubble; all the mountains and rivers had crumbled.

Long Wanqing smiled bitterly, looking at Gu Hai with a complicated expression in her eyes.

“Division Master Gu, many thanks for this time!” Long Wanqing said extremely seriously.

“It’s nothing. I have to thank you for giving me a chance back then as well!” Gu Hai shook his head and said, “Hall Master, go ask about your mother’s death first. Ding Rui should no longer be able to resist!”

“Right!” Long Wanqing nodded.

Whoosh!

Li Haoran had stepped off the flying ship and flown over. Now, he looked at Ding Rui sullenly.

“Cough! Cough! Cough! Hahahaha! Cough! Cough! Cough! Gu Hai, I underestimated you. I should have killed you earlier! Had I been earlier! Cough! Cough! Cough!” Ding Rui looked at Gu Hai with boundless regret.

“Division Master Ding, my earlier words still stand. As long as you tell the hall master who killed her mother, she can spare you!” Gu Hai said seriously.

“That’s right. Who killed my mother?” Long Wanqing said while staring at Ding Rui.

“Speak!” Li Haoran said seriously as well.

Ding Rui showed a faint sneer as she looked at the three. “The previous hall master’s death? Cough! Cough! Cough! Hahahaha! Battalion Commander Li, don’t you know?”

“Huh?” Gu Hai and Long Wanqing looked at Li Haoran.

“What do I know?” Li Haoran asked coldly.

“Hahahahaha! Stop pretending. Cough! Cough! Cough! Battalion Commander Li, don’t you dare to admit to what you did? Who killed the previous hall master? Stop shedding crocodile tears. Isn’t it you? Weren’t you the one who killed her? Hahahaha!” Ding Rui yelled as she glared at Li Haoran.

“Battalion Commander Li?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows and put his guard up.

“You crazy old bitch, what’s with your wild accusation? Do you believe that I’ll kill you right now?!” Li Haoran said, scowling.

“Crazy old bitch? Cough! Cough! Cough! Li Haoran, I’m about to die anyway; there is no need to make wild accusations. Just admit it. It is you. After killing the previous hall master, you refuse to admit to it? Long Wanqing, you have been tricked by his mask of fake kindness. He killed your mother!” Ding Rui glared at Li Haoran.

Boom!

Erupting in rage, Li Haoran threw a palm strike and exploded Ding Rui’s head.

“Li Haoran! Are you silencing her?” Gu Hai suddenly shouted.

“Humph! This crazy old bitch already went mad. Do you actually believe her?” Li Haoran said, scowling.

Upon seeing Li Haoran kill Ding Rui, Long Wanqing also raised her eyebrows. However, after frowning for a while, she shook her head. “That’s impossible. Battalion Commander Li could not possibly have killed my mother. Ding Rui went crazy!”

“Huh?” Gu Hai was bewildered.

“If I were the murderer, Long Wanqing’s maternal grandfather would have discovered it long ago. Gu Hai, I know you want to distinguish yourself before Long Wanqing. However, this crazy old bitch already turned completely crazy. Don’t go along with her madness!” Li Haoran said.

“That’s right. If Battalion Commander Li were the murderer, Grandfather would have found out. Furthermore, Battalion Commander Li has saved me before. He cannot possibly be the murderer.” Long Wanqing immediately defended Li Haoran.

“However, you still should not have killed Ding Rui. We might have been able to get other information out of her!” Gu Hai said with a frown.

A complicated look flashed in Long Wanqing’s eyes. Clearly, she acknowledged Gu Hai’s words. However, she did not want to blame Li Haoran for killing Ding Rui. After all, Li Haoran had once saved her life.

“Long Wanqing, you had the Dragon Luring Jade earlier. Why did you not collect the dragon vein?” Li Haoran frowned.

“Perhaps the Dragon Luring Jade needs to be used at the dragon vein’s head. This is not the head but the body, so…” Long Wanqing said with a frown.

“Dragon tail, dragon body, and dragon head? Dragon head? I know now! I understand! This Nine-Five Island is a chain of plans left by Old Mister Guan Qi.” Li Haoran’s expression suddenly changed.

“Huh?” Long Wanqing looked at him, feeling confused.

“Both the Great Feng Mafia Family and the Dragon Pinning Sect had Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go puzzles there. Weren’t these left behind by him on purpose? These are sects that are at least eight hundred years old. There should be one more such sect!” Li Haoran said.

“The Peony Sect?” Long Wanqing’s expression changed.

“That’s right. The Peony Sect is as old as the Great Feng Mafia Family and the Dragon Pinning Sect. Furthermore, it sits in the center of Nine-Five Island. From a Go board’s perspective, that is the tengen position. The dragon head is suppressed at the tengen position?” Li Haoran’s expression changed.

“Peony? Peony? I remember now. Gu Hai, didn’t you mention that Feng Ling was a key to entering the Go puzzle because she had a peony flower tattoo on her head? If that peony flower tattoo is a key for this Go puzzle, perhaps the Peony Sect is…” Long Wanqing’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“The Peony Sect? Perhaps!” Gu Hai nodded.

Gu Hai had already guessed this long ago. He just did not say anything about it.

“Since that is the case, Long Wanqing, immediately bring your Dragon Luring Jade to the Peony Sect with me!” Li Haoran said.

Long Wanqing looked at Ding Rui’s corpse. Then, she looked at Li Haoran before nodding. “Alright!”

“Wait!” Gu Hai suddenly called out.

“Huh?” Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai, feeling confused.

“Hall Master, I think that after the huge commotion at the Dragon Pinning Sect, Venerable Liu Nian will be arriving soon. Let’s wait for Venerable Liu NIan to come first before going!” Gu Hai advised.

Li Haoran narrowed his eyes as he looked at Gu Hai. Then, he turned his head to look at Long Wanqing. “Long Wanqing, time waits for no one. It is best to go as soon as we can. When Venerable Liu Nian arrives, he will know that we left for the Peony Sect. Then, he will quickly follow!”

Long Wanqing nodded. Clearly, she wanted to go with Li Haoran.

However, Gu Hai looked at Li Haoran with a slightly grave expression. Although he had not spent much time with Li Haoran, he keenly sensed that Li Haoran was not as righteous as Li Haoran appeared.

“Hall Master, do you trust Venerable Liu Nian?” Gu Hai looked at Long Wanqing.

Long Wanqing remained silent for a while before saying, “Of course. My mother entrusted me to Venerable Liu Nian back then!”

“Then, I ask that we wait for Venerable Liu Nian. He will be here soon!” Gu Hai repeated.

“Gu Hai, you keep preventing Long Wanqing from going with me. What do you mean by this? Would I harm Long Wanqing? I am also on orders to protect Long Wanqing,” Li Haoran said coldly.

“Indeed. Gu Hai, don’t worry. Battalion Commander Li even saved me before. I will be fine. Venerable Liu Nian will quickly follow after us,” Long Wanqing immediately said.

Long Wanqing stubbornly insisted on what she wanted, not listening to Gu Hai’s advice. This made him very anxious.

“Hall Master, sorry for the offense!” Gu Hai suddenly said.

Shing!

All at once, Gu Hai pressed the crimson saber against Long Wanqing’s neck, showing a cold look on his face.

“Huh?” Long Wanqing instantly goggled.

Li Haoran also opened his eyes wide. What is Gu Hai doing? Is he abducting Long Wanqing?

“Li Haoran, if your job is to protect Long Wanqing, then move back. Otherwise, I will attack Long Wanqing!” Gu Hai said.

Li Haoran showed a scarily sullen expression as he stared at Gu Hai.

“Gu Hai, are you crazy?!” Long Wanqing suddenly shouted in anger.

“Move back!” Gu Hai shouted at Li Haoran.

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