Chapter 11:Miss Hua

A white silk banner,over ten feet long,hung from the crossbeam in the rear hall.When Minmin Hua,the daughter of Lei Hu Zhai,pushed open the door,the silk fluttered in the wind.The white silk was inscribed with blood-red characters,resembling a devil's writhing body,eerie and chilling.

"The murderer is Guo Xuyang!"

The blood had long since dried,its bright red hue now a dark maroon,but the handwriting remained unchanged.The six characters were written with such force that they seemed to be carved into the silk.Guo Xuyang immediately recognized that they were written by someone with considerable martial prowess.However,after staring at the characters for a long time,he felt a strange sensation:these blood-red characters did not seem to be left by the true culprit of the massacre at Lei Hu Zhai.But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was off.

Hua Minmin said coldly,"See?I told you so!"

Guo Xuyang's gaze shifted away from the blood characters and scanned the surroundings.From the main hall to the backyard,and then into the hall,he had not seen a single sign of a struggle.The bodies and blood had likely been cleaned up by Hua Minmin,but the fact that there were no knife or sword marks on the bricks,stones,or wooden doors after a hundred or so people of Lei Hu Zhai had fought with the murderer was alarming to Guo Xuyang.

"If the perpetrator was a group of highly skilled,well-trained,and swift assassins,they might have achieved this effect by attacking simultaneously,catching everyone in the zhai off guard.But if,as rumored in the martial world,the one who slaughtered the entire zhai was just one person...then this person's martial arts are truly unfathomable,"Guo Xuyang thought,his expression becoming more solemn.

"Miss Hua,where were you hiding at that time?"Judging by the method of the slaughter,if Hua Minmin did not have an extremely concealed hiding place,she would not have escaped this disaster.

Hua Minmin said indignantly,"I went to my aunt's house.I just regret that I was not at home that day;otherwise,I would have definitely chopped off Guo Xuyang's head!"

Guo Xuyang thought to himself,"Fortunately,you went to your aunt's house."He coughed dryly and said,"May I ask,could I take a look at the body of Chief Hua?"

Hua Minmin did not expect this question and glared at him,"Look at my father?!What do you want to do?"

Guo Xuyang waved his hand,"Miss Hua,don't misunderstand.I have fought with that...Guo Xuyang,and I can identify whether he was the one who committed the crime from the body."He paused,"If you think I'm disturbing Chief Hua,you can let me look at someone else."

"I've already buried them.Are you waiting for me to collect the bodies?"Hua Minmin retorted.She clenched her fists,her body trembling slightly,"You don't need to look.It was all one sword!Even father was...father,father..."She swiftly drew her Pifeng Knife and swung it at the sandalwood table beside her.The table shattered into more than ten pieces with a crack,"If I don't kill Guo Xuyang,I will be like this table!"

"Where was Chief Hua injured?Was it...the neck?"Knowing that further questioning would only add to Hua Minmin's sorrow,but in order to learn more,Guo Xuyang hesitated for a moment before asking.

"Yes,yes,yes!Why waste so many words?Are you going to help me kill Guo Xuyang or not?"

Looking at the pile of sandalwood fragments on the ground,Guo Xuyang sighed inwardly.He nodded helplessly,"Go,let's go..."

Hua Minmin sheathed her knife,quickly walked three zhang away,and then turned around,"Hurry up!What are you standing there for?"

Guo Xuyang pointed to the long silk banner that read"The murderer is'myself',""What about this?Just leave it hanging like that?"

"Hang it!I want to curse this villain's ancestors every day by looking at it!Curse them a hundred times!"Hua Minmin exclaimed excitedly.

Guo Xuyang inwardly sighed with a wry smile:"Curse a hundred times...then even if I had a hundred mouths all over my body,I wouldn't be able to explain clearly."He quickened his pace to catch up with Hua Minmin,thinking:"I didn't expect that'Ghost Knife'Hua Tiangao was really killed by a single sword.Judging from the six blood characters prominently left in the hall,it is obvious that someone is trying to frame me on purpose.Is the purpose of doing this for the'Dragon Ying Sword'?"

After leaving"Lei Hu Zhai,"Hua Minmin wandered around the streets like a headless fly,bumping into people and asking,"Do you know Guo Xuyang?""Do you know where that cur has gone?"...

Of course,Hua Minmin didn't know where to find Guo Xuyang,because Guo Xuyang was quietly following her.

When she got tired and thirsty,she casually found a tavern in town to sit down and eat and drink.After all,she was used to living a life of luxury as a wealthy young lady,and the"casual"tavern she chose was the most famous one in town.

Guo Xuyang took a sip of wine and said,"Miss Hua,since you have never met'Guo Xuyang'and don't know where he is,why don't you ask your aunt for help?I heard you say just now that your aunt's martial arts are very formidable."

Hua Minmin said,"Of course my aunt is formidable,and my uncle is even more formidable!It's just that..."She tilted her head back and drank a cup of wine in one go,"I'm afraid they are not a match for Guo Xuyang.I saw that you have good martial arts,so I came to you..."

She suddenly realized that she seemed to have said something she shouldn't have,and quickly stood up and shouted loudly,"Li Ying,you said my father saved you.If you dare to run away,I will kill you now!"With a clang,the tip of the Pifeng Knife was once again pressed against Guo Xuyang's nose.

Guo Xuyang gently moved the Pifeng Knife aside and sighed,"Don't worry,I won't leave."He thought to himself,"You are afraid that your uncle and aunt are not a match for that'Guo Xuyang,'so you drag me,who is not related to you,to die for you.Your plan is really well thought out."

Seeing that"Li Ying"in front of her had"expressed his loyalty"once again,Hua Minmin finally felt relieved.She sheathed her knife,sat back on the stool,and picked up a piece of crystal pig's trotter with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

Guo Xuyang glanced at the people in the tavern who were drinking,thinking:"Her outburst has already attracted the attention of others.Although I am coming to Jingmen for the first time and should not run into anyone I know,it is still more appropriate to leave as soon as possible."

"Let's get going once you're full,"Guo Xuyang said to Hua Minmin.

"What!?I've just started eating!"Hua Minmin's round eyes almost bulged out.

Guo Xuyang shook his head.He knew very well that it was impossible to get Miss Hua to leave the table at the moment!He raised his cup and poured the second cup of wine into his stomach.

Hua Minmin's actions indeed attracted the attention of many diners.

Previously,the people eating in the restaurant did not pay special attention to this couple.Although they saw that Hua Minmin,a girl,was carrying a big knife;and from Guo Xuyang's gait,some discerning people could see that his lightness kung fu was not weak.But in the chaotic times,it was common for martial artists to carry knives and swords and practice