Chapter 389: Accusations (Patreon)

“It was obviously you.”

~~~

Outside of a contest, no one can be harmed in the House Without Corners. Direct means of attack will not work. Indirect means of attack also will not work. Only the overwhelming power of a Divinity can break through the barriers, but such an event would be too noticeable for anyone to miss it. This protection has allowed the renewal ceremony to happen without incident for four thousand years.

Yet, Green Shadow is found dead.

The panicked yells of the unfortunate disciple who went into his room echo through the tower, drawing everyone’s attention. People gather around Green Shadow’s door, arguing and hurling accusations at each other. Green Shadow’s body has to be analyzed by multiple experts from different factions, all of whom confirm that it is, in fact, his body and that he is very much dead.

“…central dantian…crushed…”

“…His soul was annihilated.”

“…instant. Probably never got the chance to fight back.”

“…it fail? The tower is supposed to prevent this!”

“...no one saw anyone going in or out of his room?”

“…kill himself? Perhaps?”

“...wouldn’t work. Self-harm is included in the restriction.”

“It was obviously you who did it!”

One voice rises above the rest. An Elder from the Temple of the Thousand Shadows shouts as he points his finger at the crowd. The people part, revealing Liu Jin standing on the receiving end.

“That is a bold accusation to make,” Liu Jin says, walking to the forefront, feet away from the Elder. “Do you have any proof to support your claim?”

“Proof?” The man from the Temple of the Thousand Shadows shouts. He is tall and thin in a way that reminds Liu Jin of a willow branch.  “Everyone saw your argument yesterday! No one other than you had any motive to do this!”

“If everyone saw that, they also saw that I defeated Green Shadow in a contest,” Liu Jin counters. “If anyone had a motive to try to kill anyone, I would say it was Green Shadow after being publicly humiliated.”

“Elder Tree Shadow,” another member of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows whispers to the man accusing Liu Jin. “Perhaps it is not prudent to do this out in the open?”

“I will not silence myself!” Elder Tree Shadow says. His aura flares up as he glares at Liu Jin. “If you want me to say it, I will! Who else here knows [Art of the Roaming Thief]? No one but you!”

Liu Jin frowns as countless murmurs rise around him. It is not Elder Tree Shadow’s accusation that surprises him. Instead, it is how everyone else is reacting to it. Those from the other side all trade looks with each other. They can follow his reasoning. They seem to find his argument credible.

They all think that [Art of the Roaming Thief] can be used to overcome the barrier.

Can it?

Liu Jin thinks back to the memory of Cao Bian trying to trap his master. Back then, Cao Bian had prepared countless barriers, but his master escaped them all by entering the Seventh Step of [Art of the Roaming Thief]. While the memory ended before Liu Jin could experience the actual escape, Liu Jin can still remember his master’s feelings at that moment. He was confident that none of those barriers would stop him.

At its core, [Art of the Roaming] is a technique that makes the user hard to find. It hides his Qi, enters the opponent’s blind spot, disguises his presence, and even creates decoys. It does all those things to keep his opponent from finding him, and each step further refines the process. Liu Jin can use it to bypass barriers, but it depends on the type of barrier.

Suppose there is a locked door. If there is a barrier designed to sound an alarm when someone gets close, the barrier would not notice him, and he’d easily open the door. If the barrier is designed to activate when someone touches the door, it would not notice him either, and he would easily open the door.

However, it is a different problem if it is a barrier designed to keep the door locked. Simply being impossible to detect would not be enough. In that case, he would have to go far deeper. Become so undetectable that his actions do not register as having happened at all. That would be…the Principle of Non-Existence. 

Putting aside whether Liu Jin can reach such a state or not, attempting something like that would be far too risky. The points of failure are far too many.

Three soft claps echo throughout the tower.

“What a terrible turn of events. I was sure you were going to try to kill me next, Junior. Why would you waste your time with such an unimportant person?”

Despite the situation, Liu Jin looks away from Elder Tree Shadow. Xun Huwen stands on the sidelines, looking as happy as he has ever seen him.

“It was you,” Liu Jin says, voice and face flat. “It was obviously you.”

“Do not attempt to assign blame to someone else!” Tree Shadow yells, pointing at him with his long arms. “No one else could have done this but you!”

“You say that, but you have failed to produce any sort of proof,” Lord Feng Shang says as he makes his way through the crowd to stand at Liu Jin’s side. “Could and did are very different words. I do not believe you require any further education to understand that. Many people in this world could have done many great things. Only a few do.”

“Must I educate you in simple logic?!” Elder Tree Shadow shouts. “A person is dead, and only one person can be the killer.”

“Is that really the case?” Feng Shang asks. “Or has your brain simply given up on thinking and chosen the easiest solution? If the Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire is truly capable of doing as you claim, you would not be able to hurl accusations at him because you would not recognize him. He would have no reason to be among us.”

Another round of whispers runs around the tower. Is it as Feng Shang claims? Certainly, a guilty man would have already fled the scene of the crime, so why does Emperor Qing Jin remain?

“It is exactly because he is capable of it that we must act now!” Tree Shadow says. “The True Dead Plains are the only thing keeping him inside the tower! We will never have a better opportunity to cage him!”

“What an interesting thing to say.”

The whole tower goes silent, making the soft taps of Great Mother’s cane seem unbearably loud. The old woman smiles kindly as she approaches them, but several people flinch away from her. Some leave the floor entirely. Elder Tree Shadow stands his ground, but he does not look nearly as sure of himself as he did a few seconds ago.

“You will have to forgive an old lady for voicing her thoughts, but it seems quite curious that this chain of events is giving the Temple of the Thousand Shadows what they seek most,” Great Mother says. “In fact, one might almost call this convenient.”

“The Temple of the Thousand Shadows would never-”

“That is quite enough of all of you.”

The Scribe speaks, and Elder Tree Shadow immediately silences himself. Unlike Great Mother, he has his cultivation sealed, yet no one dares to challenge him. The people part for him as they did for Great Mother as he makes his way to the front of Green Shadow’s door.

“In four thousand years, nothing like this has happened. It is a stain on the ceremony’s history and a pressing matter that must be dealt with urgently,” he says, casting a momentary glance at Green Shadow’s corpse. “However, I will not have you argue like children. In one hour, I will hear your testimonies and arguments. We will arrive at the truth that way. Until then, I ask that you all return to your rooms.”

“What about him?!” someone asks, pointing at Liu Jin. “You want us to be calm when we are in the same place as the murderer? Why should we even remain in the tower at all? I already did my part!”

“None can leave the tower,” the Scribe says with such severity that multiple people flinch. “However, if one person of less than twenty springs scares all of you so much, I suppose he can remain within my sight for the next hour.”

“I have no issues with that,” Liu Jin says.

Great Mother chuckles. Somehow, without Liu Jin noticing it, she positioned herself right next to him.

“I suppose we can wait on the ground floor,” she says, putting a hand on Liu Jin’s shoulder. “With two of us old people standing guard, all the young ones should feel safe.”

The Scribe sighs.

~~~

“Brother-in-law, you truly make things interesting.”

As several others return to their rooms, either to prepare their arguments or simply to seek safety, Liu Jin moves to the ground floor as he agreed to. However, he does not do so alone. Feng Zhuo comes down with him, as do Xiao Shuang, Bai Wen, Lord Feng Shang, and even Chen Guo.

“It is rarely my intention,” Liu Jin replies. He is sitting in one of the round seats and staring at the ceiling in deep thought. “These things just happen.”

“That is sad. Really sad. However, considering so many people already think you do it, have you ever considered turning your talents towards assassination? I hear it is a very profitable profession,” Fu Lihua says. “I have a list.”

“Fu Lihua!” Prince Xiang yells at her, scandalized.

“Sorry, we have a list,” Fu Lihua amends.

“That was not the point, and you know it was not the point, but thank you.”

Liu Jin chuckles at their impromptu comedy routine, though he would not be surprised if Fu Lihua did have a list of people she wants to get rid of.

“It is so very pleasing to see you all have so much energy,” Great Mother says with a gentle smile. She brings her hands together in a soft clap that has everyone paying attention to her. “However, you should endeavor to be a little more serious. In less than an hour, the Young Dragon will have to argue his case before everyone in the tower.”

“Great Mother, what is the worst that can happen?” Xiao Shuang asks, her fingers interlaced with Liu Jin’s.

“Even if your husband were to be found guilty, the Temple of the Thousand Shadows cannot enforce any punishment, not while I am here,” Great Mother reassures them. “The issue is that gentleman over there.”

She does not even try to disguise the way her finger points at the Scribe, who has chosen to sit in the center of the stage, away from them.

“He’s a Divinity,” Liu Jin says, having guessed as much from the moment he saw all the seals on his body.

Great Mother nods.

“He’s one of the most important men in the Peerless Heavenly Sword Peak,” she says. “His cultivation is sealed right now, but he can easily break those seals at any moment. Should he do that and should he try to attack you, I will have to deal with him personally. The effects of that confrontation would be quite devastating.”

If two Divinities clash here, the barriers around the tower might collapse. It might even turn the whole area into the same type of territory as the rest of the True Dead Plains. That would result in a very chaotic situation.

“It is best if it does not come to that,” Great Mother says. “That is why it is so important that you think about how to argue your case. Perhaps you should start with something simple. If you did not do it, then who?”

“Xun Huwen.”

“Obviously, it was Xun Huwen.”

“That murderous upstart.”

“I mean, who else could it be but Xun Huwen?”

As Lord Feng Shang, Liu Jin, Elder Chang, and Feng Zhuo answer in near unison, the others can only look at them with various degrees of befuddlement.

“It worries me that you are all so certain,” Chen Guo says. Elder Chen laughs and pats him on the shoulder.

“Unfortunately, the Eternal Flame Clan has always been that sort of place, Nephew,” Elder Chen says. Despite looking like an older Chen Guo, the small smile on his face makes him look radically different. “They nurture dangerous Dao and are surprised by the consequences.”

“An unfair assessment, but this is not the time to debate philosophies,” Feng Shang says. “Rather, I wonder what it is that you are doing here. This matter does not concern the Infinite Mountain Sect.”

If Elder Chen is offended, he does not show it. He is as unshakable as his nephew, albeit with a mask of bland acceptance rather than perfected stoicism.

“I would think this is a matter that concerns all of us who come from the Eastern Side of the Dead Plains. If we don’t stand together now, then when?” Elder Chen asks.

“The Endlessly Raging Valley does not seem to share that opinion,” Feng Zhuo notes, pointing out their absence.

“I would hate to think that you consider us to be as reliable as them,” Elder Chen says.

“Please, let us not start a needless argument,” Prince Xiang says, walking in between them. He looks at the delegation of the Eternal Flame Clan. “I understand that you are all superior to me in various ways. However, this matter of your traitor being the culprit. Do you really believe it? This tower has withstood attempts to subvert it for millennia. This Xun Huwen is only in the Heaven Realm. How could he possibly be behind this?”

“One might ask the same question about Emperor Qing Jin,” Bai Wen says. “He’s only in the Second Level of the Heaven Realm, yet they expect us to believe he could be behind this. Does that make sense? Even if he could use his technique to bypass the barrier, can he really kill someone in the Fifth Level of the Heaven Realm without alerting anyone?”

Liu Jin stays silent.

“Brother-in-law, you are supposed to say no,” Feng Zhuo says.

“I did not do it,” Liu Jin says. “I was thinking that Big Sister Bai is right. Even if I wanted to, even if I could use [Art of the Roaming Thief] like that, I wouldn’t have been able to kill Green Shadow in that way. Even if Tree Shadow believes it, there must be people who realize how flawed his thinking is.”

“It is like Great Mother said, then. This has to be an attempt by those on the Other Side to acquire you, husband,” Xiao Shuang says.

“But is it premeditated, or is it a matter of opportunity?” Feng Zhuo asks, grabbing his chin and gently tapping it. “Did they plan on killing Green Shadow? If so, did the Temple of the Thousand Shadows have a hand in this? If not, then who was behind it?”

“The Scribe is the only person in the Divine Realms other than the Matriarch of the Divine Frozen Palace,” Chen Guo says, offering a short bow to Great Mother. “Logic dictates that he should be a part of it.”

“It is not that simple,” Lord Feng Shang says. “Even if a Divinity can break the barriers, it is not something that can go unnoticed.”

“How do the barriers work anyway?” Fu Lihua asks.

“In various ways,” Feng Shang replies. “You have to realize that to ensure others would trust the ceremony enough to come here, the people who build the barriers needed to take every precaution possible. The tower is surrounded by multiple overlapping barriers that all work together to ensure people cannot be harmed here. This does not just extend to direct violence. You also cannot use more indirect methods like putting poison in their food or tricking them into drinking or breathing it. If you can think of it, there is a barrier to protect against it.”

“And yet, you were willing to believe that Xun Huwen could be behind this, Lord Feng Shang?” Cheng Guo asks him.

“I still do,” Feng Shang replies.

So does Liu Jin.

And in one hour, he will have to find a way to prove it.

~~~

Mini-Character List

Liu Jin: Our wrongfully accused protagonist.

Elder Tree Shadow: Elder of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows. Imperfect Prosecutor. Does he believe Liu Jin did or is he merely taking advantage of the situation? You decide! 

Xun Huwen: Disciple of the Peerless Heavenly Sword Peak. Innocent bystander.

Feng Shang: Feng Gui’s brother. Defense Attorney. Ace Attorney, one might say. 

Great Mother: Semi-retired leader of the Divine Frozen Palace. Bailiff. 

The Scribe: Scribe of the Peerless Heavenly Sword Peak. Judge. Impartial?

Feng Zhuo: Young Master of the Eternal Flame Clan. Character Witness. 

Fu Lihua: Disciple of the Divine Frozen Palace. Probably livestreams during trials. Does have a kill list.

Prince Xiang: Prince of the Crimson Cloud Empire. Happy to be included. Helped come up with the kill list. 

Elder Chang: Elder of the Eternal Flame Clan. Also a character witness. 

Chen Guo: Disciple of the Infinite Mountain Sect. Has a very hard time wrapping his head around the Eternal Flame Clan.

Elder Chen: Elder of the Eternal Flame Clan. A carefully cultivated smile is the best armor.

Xiao Shuang: Disciple of the Divine Frozen Palace. Spousal immunity 

Bai Wen: Disciple of the Divine Frozen Palace. Sensible juror.