Chapter 87

It was said to be an investigation, but this black bear cave was not very large, and one could see through it at a glance, about the size of an ordinary Taoist room.

However, although the cave was small, the clues left behind were not scarce. Holding a flint, Gu Xuyao carefully searched. Although the entire cave had been disguised, he still noticed traces of a struggle.

"These traces are ambiguous; it’s not wrong to say they are from a struggle, but if Ru Changming claims they were caused by his own cultivation, it’s also possible..."

Gu Xuyao shook his head. The marks on the ground could not prove anything, and the few scratches on the wall were also like the marks on the ground, unable to fully prove they were from a struggle.

"It seems Ru Changming is truly meticulous..." After checking back and forth, the clues seemed incomplete. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stepped on something hard. Lifting his foot, he saw it was a piece of wood.

Picking up the piece of wood, Gu Xuyao brought the flint closer.

"This is not an ordinary piece of wood..." As he spoke, Gu Xuyao touched the gourd at his waist, comparing it. Although they were not identical, he could confirm that the materials were definitely the same, meaning this piece of wood came from a damaged gourd.

The gourd, a storage magical item carried by cultivators, would not be destroyed unless the cultivator was killed.

"Ru Changming can’t possibly claim he was cultivating in this cave..." No matter what cultivation technique he was practicing, it wouldn’t have broken his gourd.

Putting away the gourd fragment, he was about to continue searching when a black shadow flashed at the cave entrance. Gu Xuyao was startled. Just as he was about to react, a loud explosion sounded, and the person shattered the entire black bear cave with a single palm strike. Large rocks fell, immediately burying Gu Xuyao inside.

"Boom!"

In the next moment, lightning flashed, and the Thunder Armor appeared on his body. Gu Xuyao shattered the rocks and attacked the black shadow like a bolt of lightning.

The sound of their clash echoed, and the marsh was torn apart by the explosive force of their yuan power, creating many craters. The two figures moved rapidly, and after reaching the second layer of the Root-Born Realm, Gu Xuyao was no longer the same. Even if Yi Feng stood before him now, he might not be a match for Gu Xuyao!

With a "bang," the two figures separated, retreating a dozen feet before stopping.

The sound of tearing fabric, a piece of Gu Xuyao’s sleeve broke off, while the black-clothed person remained unscathed.

Gu Xuyao was at a disadvantage!

"Who are you?" Although he was at a disadvantage, Gu Xuyao showed no fear. The previous attack was just a test; in a real fight, the outcome was uncertain.

The black-clothed person’s face was covered, and only a pair of small, cunning eyes were visible.

"You don’t need to know who I am. I’m here to tell you that some things are beyond your control. If you know what’s good for you, leave the Earth Resonance Marsh, or move north. Otherwise, no one can protect your life."

Gu Xuyao laughed in anger, his pupils dilating.

"Ha, quite the bold claim. I’m curious, what power do you have to dictate my life?"

The black-clothed person snorted coldly, saying nothing more.

"I’ll ask you one question: will you leave, or not? No other nonsense."

Seeing the other’s attitude, Gu Xuyao naturally wouldn’t show him any respect. His face darkened, and the Thunder Armor crackled, representing his determination.

The black-clothed person raised an eyebrow in surprise, nodding to himself.

Suddenly, a black shadow attacked. The black-clothed person jumped up, and Gu Xuyao instinctively chose to defend. However, the black-clothed person did not attack Gu Xuyao but grabbed the flying black shadow, striking it with a palm. The black shadow fell heavily to the ground, and the black-clothed person fled into the distance.

Looking at the black-clothed person, Gu Xuyao knew it would be difficult to catch up, and there were likely more of his allies in hiding. It was not wise to leave Liao Wu Residence too far. Making a decision, Gu Xuyao ran to the black shadow on the ground.

"Ma Zi!"

The figure on the ground was not anything else but a corpse. Gu Xuyao recognized the face clearly; it was Ma Zi, who had just spoken with him!

Looking at the direction the black-clothed person fled, a wave of hatred rose in Gu Xuyao’s heart. The other party was using innocent lives to force Gu Xuyao to comply. Their intention was clear: if Gu Xuyao interfered again, all those involved would die!

"Damn..." Gu Xuyao’s clenched fists trembled slightly, not out of weakness but because he did not want others to die for him.

After a while, Gu Xuyao recovered. He looked at Ma Zi’s body with pain and carried him, heading towards Liao Wu Residence.

It was still dark, and it was already late at night. Most of the cultivators in Liao Wu Residence were in meditation, and the night patrol had been dismissed. No one noticed Gu Xuyao carrying a corpse back to Liao Wu Residence. However, he did not return to his own residence but went to Ru Changming’s room.

"Bang!"

He kicked open Ru Changming’s door. Ru Changming was cultivating inside and immediately became alert upon hearing the noise. Just as he was about to react, Gu Xuyao’s heavy punch struck his face.

The sound of the punch hitting flesh sent him flying. The fragile wooden house could not withstand the force, and Ru Changming’s body crashed through several rooms.

Gu Xuyao gently placed Ma Zi’s body on the ground. A gentle breeze blew, and the midnight wind stirred Gu Xuyao’s black hair.

Such a loud noise could not fail to alarm the other cultivators in Liao Wu Residence. Regardless of their cultivation level, they all ran out of their rooms and followed the sound.

The fastest among them were the cultivators from Ma Zi’s night patrol team. They were responsible for the night patrol, and if anything happened that night, the responsibility would be on them.

"Roar!"

The roar shattered a wooden house, and an innocent cultivator was sent flying. Ru Changming, who had been struck by Gu Xuyao, had blood at the corner of his mouth and red eyes, clearly enraged.

A whip flew out of his gourd, and Ru Changming, with a few quick movements, struck down from a tricky angle above Gu Xuyao’s head!

Seeing this, Gu Xuyao did not panic. He kicked Ma Zi’s body aside and leaped high, unafraid of the whip’s power. He swung his hand, releasing a bolt of lightning that struck the whip.

A sharp sound echoed through the night sky, and the battle between the two did not end easily. Their figures intertwined, and the sounds of their clash continued.

"Roar!"

The Thunder Roar, aimed at the treacherous and deceitful!

With a single punch, the entire Liao Wu Residence was almost illuminated!

Seeing Gu Xuyao’s serious move, Ru Changming did not hold back. He swung his whip, which transformed into a silver snake in the air. Ru Changming retreated, avoiding direct confrontation, while using the silver snake to attack Gu Xuyao.

However, Ru Changming underestimated Gu Xuyao’s strength. A green aura suddenly flashed around Gu Xuyao, and his speed increased!

"Word of Constancy, Speed of Constancy!" The Word of Constancy, the most powerful technique of the Tai Heng Sect. Although Gu Xuyao had not fully mastered its secrets, he had become adept at this particular move!

Ru Changming could not react in time, and Gu Xuyao’s sudden acceleration sent a heavy punch straight towards his chest!

But at that moment, the two figures suddenly flew into the air, their speed surpassing Gu Xuyao’s. One of them pulled Gu Xuyao back, while the other saved Ru Changming. In the end, Gu Xuyao’s punch hit the air, missing both of them.

The one who stopped Gu Xuyao was none other than the head of Liao Wu Residence, the patriarch of the Ru family, Ru Dongsheng.

And the one who saved Ru Changming was none other than his father, Ru Sanzhen.

"Ma Zi, Ma Zi, what’s wrong with you!" At this moment, the scene was under control, and the cries of the cultivators who had been on night patrol with Ma Zi were particularly loud.

Everyone followed the sound and looked at the ground. Indeed, the corpse was wearing the uniform of the Ru family, and many recognized the dead person.

"Gu Xuyao, what is going on here!"

Ru Dongsheng frowned. He had just given his wife the medicine made from the antler of the Yunze Huolu and the Lazheng Grass. Now, Gu Xuyao was causing such a commotion.

"Hmph, Gu Xuyao, you have a lot of nerve, attacking my Ru family disciple in the middle of the night. Fellow clansmen, this person, as a member of our Ru family, not only fails to protect the family but also intends to harm our talented members. Quickly, seize him!"

Ru Sanzhen had great prestige among the external cultivators. At his command, some were about to act. Ru Dongsheng roared, stopping everyone.

"Ridiculous! I, the head of this family, have not given an order. Ru Sanzhen, are you trying to overstep your bounds?"

Ru Dongsheng rarely showed such anger, even when Ru Hongming had formed alliances and argued in the grand hall.

For a moment, all the clansmen fell silent. Although Ru Dongsheng’s face was very serious, his personality was mild, and he usually did not care about minor matters, so everyone thought he would not get angry.

"You, speak, what exactly happened."

Ru Dongsheng pointed at Gu Xuyao.

Gu Xuyao looked at Ma Zi’s body and then at Ru Changming in the distance.

"The cultivator lying on the ground is indeed a member of the Ru family. He was killed by members of another family, and this person." Gu Xuyao pointed at Ru Changming. "This person colluded with other families, and we don’t know what he plans to do to the Ru family. Today, he even had the nerve to cultivate calmly in Liao Wu Residence. Tell me, should such a despicable scoundrel be killed, should he die!"

Gu Xuyao’s voice was like a thunderclap, and everyone heard it clearly. Even the external cultivators cast suspicious glances at Ru Changming.