Clearing The Leftover

Six days later, it was night outside. 

The moon hung high in the sky. The sky was crystal clear and no clouds could hinder the beauty of the moon tonight. Even the stars felt like they were there to just decorate the moon. 

Yang Zhai came in front of a house. He was wearing a black cloak. His face was also covered with a mask. 

He knocked on the door of the house. After waiting for a while, the door opened.

"Uh, who are you?" A man came out and asked after seeing Yang Zhai. He couldn't recognize Yang Zhai because Yang Zhi's face was covered by a mask.

"It's me." Yang Zhai removed the mask from his face.

"Oh, so it's you, brother, come in." The man brought a smile to his face and welcomed Yang Zhai. This man was the librarian of the Si academy, Hie Di. He was also involved with the people who killed newly awakened cultivators.

Yang Zhai did not hesitate and entered the house.

"How are you doing, brother Yang?" Hie Di greeted Yang Zhai. Both were sitting around a floor table.

"Fine,"

"What brings you here tonight? And where did you disappear? Also, congratulations on winning the second round of the competition."

"Just know that everything is fine. Besides, I came here tonight because I want to know something?" Yang Zhai got straight to the point.

"Ask away, brother, I will try to answer truthfully if I know about what you ask."

"Tell me, why did this happen to elder Cu Gil and Jil Lu? If I recall correctly, nothing unexpected happened whilst I was not in the clan, so why? Also, is there something that I don't know?" Yang Zhai did not say that he did not know about elder Cu Gil's and Jil Lu's situation. This way, Hie Di might lie to him or may hide a few things.

He stayed as ambiguous and clear as possible.

"To tell you the truth, I also don't know much about it, brother. But, elder Jil Lu and elder Cu Gil betraying the clan was a really shocking thing. Well, they are elders, but even the clan leader's wife betraying the clan leader was unexpected. However, I heard gossip from the servants of the clan leader that a letter had arrived before everything happened. They said that everything was related to that letter." Hie Di thought for a while before answering.

Betrayed? Just that and nothing else? Could it be that Jil Lu, Yua Emi, and Cu Gil are still alive? It is understandable about the other two, but even Yua Emi is alive. No, this won't do, I need further details: Yang Zhai contemplated what Hie Di said.

It was impressive that there was no news of Cu Gil, or the other two dying. In his previous life, after Cu Gil's and Yua Emi's relationship was proven, Tai Qi had them executed publicly and had also announced what they had done, but Hie Di didn't say anything related to this and only talked about betrayal, meaning that Cu Gil and the others were still alive.

"Do you know where they might be?" Yang Zhai asked another question. Since the news of the betrayal had spread, then Jil Lu and the other two would definitely not stay at their homes. They might have already left the Bai clan.

"No, nobody knows where they might be, but the elders suspect that they have most likely gone to the Ma clan. Why are you asking these questions anyway, brother?" Hie De was confused about this. Wasn't Yang Zhai with an elder, then why did he need him(Hie De) for these answers?

"Simple because you are involved with the killings of the cultivators, a traitor. So, the elder suspected that since you are also a traitor, you might have some information about Cu Gil, Jil Lu, and Yua Emi." Yang Zhai smiled and stated.

He was making Hie De remember his place. He was reminding him who he was. This way, Hie De would not cross his limit and would answer everything truthfully.

"Huh, no, no, no, brother, there's no way I am involved with such figures. If I was, wouldn't have I disappeared as well? Believe me, and also inform the elder behind you that I have no link with elder Jil Lu and the others." Hie De shook his head and hands, and rejected Yang Zhai's accusations hurriedly. He was trembling just from thinking about angering the clan leader.

"Oh, you don't have to worry anymore. Or it can be said that you won't be worrying anymore." 

"What do you mean by that?" Hie De was confused by what Yang Zhai said. 

"About that, I have something to tell you that the elder told me by himself and said that I must deliver his word to you." Yang Zhai smiled and stated.

"What word?"

"Come here, I cannot say it out loud."

"Okay,"

When Yang Zhai said this, Hie De came close to Yang Zhai to listen. He was already sweating from Yang Zhai's accusations and couldn't think straight. Right now, he just wanted to clear his name and that's why he did not reject Yang Zhai. 

"Move your ear here."

There was only a distance of one meter left between Yang Zhai and Hie De now. Yang Zhai moved his head close to Hie De's right ear and placed his left hand on Hie De's left side of his neck.

Hie De didn't notice anything strange.

"Uh…" 

Suddenly, Hie De's eyes opened wide. He looked at Yang Zhai with disbelief.

A red knife appeared from Yang Zhai's left hand and pierced Hie De's neck. It went in from the right side of the neck and appeared from the left side of Hie De's neck.

Yang Zhai then pulled out the knife from the neck of Hie De. When he did that, Hie De fell on the floor. He was dead.

Yang Zhai then began to search the body and the house. 

He could not find much, and only a few essence stones. After guessing, he concluded that the essence stones must be around six thousand or so low-grade essence stones. 

"For someone involved with the third elder, this Hie De was really poor. I thought he would at least have twenty thousand essence stones. Whatever, I should probably go." Yang Zhai left the house without dealing with the body.

Now that the game had involved even the elders and the clan leader, keeping Hie De and the other such people was dangerous. He decided to deal with them as quickly as possible: otherwise, they would prove to be dangerous.

"I was really lucky that Hie De was at his house tonight. Now, let's meet our old helper."

Yang Zhai muttered and left to go somewhere else.

He came in front of Jun Seo's house this time. 

Yang Zhai knocked on the door of the house.

"Who is it?" A female voice came from the inside.

"I am manager Jun Seo's friend, can you please call him?" Yang Zhai still had his face covered with a mask and the hat of the black cloak.

"Who?"

"Zihao De." 

"Wait a moment." The female voice disappeared after saying this.

"Jun, someone named Zihao De wants to meet you, he said that you are his friend." The female came to Jun Seo and said.

"What?! Jur Qre, are you crazy, do you know who Zihao De is? Why didn't you invite him in?" Jun Seo's expression changed after hearing the name of the third elder. 

He quickly ran to the main door and opened it to welcome Zihao De.

However, he saw someone else.

"Yan, Yang?! My lord, it's you. I thought you were elder Zihao De" Jun Seo heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that it was Yang Zhai and not Zihao De.

"My lord, come in." Jun Seo invited Yang Zhai into his house.

Both of them came into a room and were alone.

Jun Seo had already forbidden his wife from entering the room. He knew that if Yang Zhai came at this time, then it must be important.

"My lord, what brought you here tonight? I hope this servant can be of help to you." Jun Seo was very polite toward Yang Zhai. 

"Tell me, what do you know about Cu Gil and Jil Lu? Also, what is the third elder thinking?" Yang Zhai got straight to the point. He didn't want to stay and waste time on useless talk.

"Uh," Jun Seo was taken aback after hearing Yang Zhai. 

How did he know about the third elder? Or is his question just a coincidence?: Jun Seo was shocked after hearing the name of the third elder.

At first, he thought that Yang Zhai had found out that the third elder was the one behind the group that killed the newly awakened cultivators, but then after thinking for a while, he thought that this question was just a coincidence. 

!*****!*****!