Free Web NovelChapter 1206: Chapter 1206: Secret Manual Stolen
A day passed without incident. By dusk, something big suddenly happened, alarming Senior Yun Zhonghe. He frowned and walked toward the Scripture Pavilion.
"Fengqi, Fengluo, what’s going on? What happened?"
Senior Yun Zhonghe asked the two disciples guarding the Scripture Pavilion.
"Master, just now the two of us were knocked out. When we woke up, we rushed to check if any scripture was missing, and discovered that one book was gone from the sixth shelf of the Scripture Pavilion. After checking, it turned out to be a Secret Manual called ’Bone Marrow and Bone Cutting’. Master, please forgive us!" Fengqi took the lead and said.
"What? The ’Bone Marrow and Bone Cutting’ Secret Manual has been stolen?"
Senior Yun Zhonghe was clearly shocked. He had just mentioned this book today and it was stolen already. That was way too coincidental. Obviously, whoever stole it must have overheard their conversation today.
Senior Yun Zhonghe thought, "It definitely wouldn’t be Chen Tianlong. He has no need to do this. I volunteered to teach him back then and he even hesitated. In that case, the only ones left are those two girls. But from what I know, those two were brought here by Chen Tianlong, and both are very close to him. It’s unlikely they’d steal the book."
Before long, Chen Tianlong, Lin Wushuang, and Wu Mengting also rushed over after hearing the commotion, and Hao Shuai was the last to arrive.
Senior Yun Zhonghe looked at the four of them; he already had a rough idea in his heart, but without evidence he couldn’t just accuse anyone. Besides, the Secret Manual definitely wouldn’t be on him right now. Who’d be dumb enough to hide something in front of Senior Yun Zhonghe?
"Master, what happened?" ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Seeing so many people gathered here, Chen Tianlong asked worriedly.
"Disciple, the ’Bone Marrow and Bone Cutting’ manual in the Scripture Pavilion has been stolen." Senior Yun Zhonghe was visibly a bit depressed. He had just talked about it today, and now it was gone.
"Huh? Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Cutting is missing? Who’s so bold that they actually dare steal from Lingyun Pavilion?"
Chen Tianlong was also very puzzled. By rights, this place was heavily guarded and full of experts, and it was a gathering place for Cultivators. If you were caught, wouldn’t it be a dead end? Only an idiot would do something like this.
But in that instant, Chen Tianlong suddenly thought of someone—Hao Shuai.
However, on second thought, something felt off. If it were Hao Shuai, wouldn’t that be too obvious? Anyone with half a brain would suspect him. Once they traced his movements, wouldn’t he be exposed immediately?
So Chen Tianlong felt this matter wasn’t that simple. Likewise, Senior Yun Zhonghe felt the same.
Chen Tianlong decided to look for clues. He followed his master, Senior Yun Zhonghe, and slowly walked closer to the bookshelves, starting to observe the surroundings to see if the thief had left any evidence behind.
Without a doubt, this had to be done by someone inside Lingyun Pavilion. There was absolutely no way an outsider could enter silently, because an Array was set at the entrance. If there were any external intruders, the Array would react immediately, and Senior Yun Zhonghe would be the first to know. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
But the Array had been normal the entire afternoon, which meant it was an inside job.
Not long after, three more people arrived. Senior Yun Zhonghe turned around and saw that it was his senior disciple Lin Hao. Lin Hao possessed the strength of Seven Stars in the Celestial Dao, his cultivation second only to Senior Yun Zhonghe.
Beside him were two others: the third disciple Lu Zhan, and Lin Hao’s younger brother, Lin Yun.
"Master, we heard that the ’Bone Marrow and Bone Cutting’ in the Scripture Pavilion was stolen?" the senior disciple Lin Hao asked.
"Mm, yes. We’re investigating. Immediately send word: thoroughly check everyone in Lingyun Pavilion who went out today, and seal all exits. No one is allowed to leave."
Senior Yun Zhonghe instructed. This Bone Marrow and Bone Cutting was an unparalleled Secret Manual of Lingyun Pavilion, practically a treasure. If it fell into the hands of a villain, the consequences would be disastrous.
Seeing how much Senior Yun Zhonghe cared, Chen Tianlong understood the importance of this Secret Manual. Before it went missing, the master had only casually mentioned it and hadn’t emphasized its value. That was, in fact, to avoid tempting others and to reduce the chances of the treasure being stolen.
But Senior Yun Zhonghe had never expected that the thief would actually target Bone Marrow and Bone Cutting. How could he not be worried?
At this moment, Chen Tianlong noticed that on one row of books, because of the dust, some fingerprints had been left behind. After carefully examining them, he realized the prints were quite small.
Chen Tianlong thought, "Could it have been a child who stole it? Otherwise, why would the fingerprints be that small?"
Suddenly an image flashed through Chen Tianlong’s mind. "Could it be... a girl who stole it?"
After carefully reasoning it out, Chen Tianlong concluded: one possibility was that the prints belonged to a child; the other was that they belonged to a girl.
Since there was no dust on the fingerprints themselves, it was obvious they were left not long ago. Looking at the two disciples guarding the Scripture Pavilion—each tall and brawny, with thick fingers—it clearly couldn’t be them.
So Chen Tianlong concluded that it must have been the thief’s doing. Thinking of this, Chen Tianlong said, "Master, please come over and look at this row of fingerprints."
"Oh?"
Senior Yun Zhonghe really hadn’t expected Chen Tianlong to be this observant, noticing the problem so quickly, so he walked over at once.
"Master, look. Judging from these prints, they should belong to a child, or to a woman," Chen Tianlong explained his deduction.
"A child, or a woman?"
Senior Yun Zhonghe had originally suspected Hao Shuai, but after hearing Chen Tianlong’s words, he felt this was indeed possible.
Because if Hao Shuai had really stolen it, it would be far too obvious. And Hao Shuai’s expression was extremely calm. By rights, if he were the thief, under the pressure of Senior Yun Zhonghe’s presence, he would surely reveal some flaw.
But if it wasn’t Hao Shuai, then who could it be?
A child was impossible, because there were no children in Lingyun Pavilion. As for female disciples cultivating here, there were indeed many, but they all trained in fixed areas, comprehending their own Celestial Dao. Where would they find the time to come steal something like this?
Besides, apart from this time when he had specifically mentioned the book to Chen Tianlong, it had never been brought up before. Almost no one even knew the name of this book.
So the idea that a female disciple came to steal the book was practically impossible. In that case...
Suddenly Senior Yun Zhonghe thought of the two girls who had come along with Chen Tianlong. At the same time, Chen Tianlong also thought of this, but the more he pondered, the less likely it seemed.
What would they want this book for? Qiukui was already a Celestial Dao expert; this would be of little use to her. Moreover, she already cultivated a specific technique under a master.
That only left Lin Wushuang. Lin Wushuang was the one Chen Tianlong trusted most; he would never suspect her.
And what would Lin Wushuang want this thing for?
Steal it for herself? There was no need. Senior Yun Zhonghe had openly said it would be taught to him, so Lin Wushuang wasn’t stupid enough to risk stealing it.
Even so, Senior Yun Zhonghe still wanted to test things a bit, so he asked, "Hao Shuai, you know you’re the most suspicious one here. Aren’t you going to say something?"
"Oh, please judge clearly, Master. Ever since I returned to my room at noon, I’ve basically been resting on the bed and haven’t stepped outside. Your disciple Xiaojiu can testify to this—he’s been sweeping outside my door the whole time."
Hao Shuai suddenly remembered that a disciple named Xiaojiu had been sweeping endlessly outside, which had annoyed him at the time.
Xiaojiu’s name had been mentioned when he led Chen Tianlong, Lin Wushuang, and the others to their rooms, so Hao Shuai just happened to find an alibi to prove he wasn’t there.
Senior Yun Zhonghe didn’t summon Xiaojiu, because from Hao Shuai’s eyes he couldn’t see even the slightest hint of panic, which suggested he was telling the truth.
