Soon, only Wen Zixing and Suqing were left with Lu Yaoyao in the room. Wen Zixing stared thoughtfully at Murong Liluo’s departing figure. “Yaoyao, do you think Murong Liluo can be trusted?”
Her expression earlier when mentioning the Ban family had been too telling—even someone as careless as he noticed it.
“She won’t rat us out, right?”
Lu Yaoyao replied with certainty, “She won’t. Though aristocratic clans stand together against common enemies, they are not exactly one single body. Plus, Murong’s temper has changed a lot after her time at the sect. She knows right from wrong.”
Lu Yaoyao’s initial impression of Murong Liluo hadn’t been good—such a young girl, yet so sharp-tongued, having no qualms about badmouthing others. But after spending time at the sect, that warped disposition had straightened out. While she remained a bit arrogant, there were no major flaws in her character, so Lu Yaoyao trusted her.
Suqing was nervous. “Little Martial Aunt, if the Ban family really is involved, wouldn’t we be in danger?”
“Whether there’s danger or not, as long as they haven’t turned on us outright, we won’t be in immediate danger. Just stay alert.”
After reassuring the two, Lu Yaoyao’s mood turned even heavier. If the source of illness was everywhere, then were the currently unaffected members of the Ban family—and even their own group, who had come later—really still uninfected? Just to be safe, she circulated aura through her body a few times but found nothing wrong. Perhaps it was because they hadn’t been here long.
“So, what do we do now?” Wen Zixing racked his brain. “If it’s something everyone comes into contact with, then food and water are the most likely sources. I think we need to investigate the water supply first.”
Lu Yaoyao agreed. “Let’s focus our investigation there.”
Before they could discuss further, Ban Shiyi arrived.
As he entered, he bowed to them, then looked apologetic. “Ban Congshan told me that you Fellow Daoists went out early to search for clues. We’re deeply grateful for your dedication.”
“It’s shameful that after all this time here, we haven’t found even a single clue, and have had to trouble all of you to do the work. Truly, we’re embarrassed.”
Lu Yaoyao said, “Brother Shiyi, there’s no need to belittle yourself. Without your presence to calm the people, things wouldn’t be this orderly. Besides, the information you’ve given us has been very valuable.”
She then explained the reason the disciples had gone out early. “This matter has dragged on long enough. Since we are racing with time, we must seize every moment and find more clues as soon as possible.”
“Since Brother Shiyi is here, would it be convenient for you to join us in our investigation?” She took the initiative to invite first.
Ban Shiyi readily agreed, “It would be an honor.”
The four of them left the manor together. Ban Shiyi asked, “Are we heading to the mine again today?”
Lu Yaoyao nodded. “Naturally. Things were a bit rushed yesterday, so we may have missed something. I’ll trouble Brother Shiyi to guide us once more.”
The Wulin mountain range was vast. Yesterday, they had only investigated the vicinity of the tunnel where the pure Wustone had been excavated. Compared to the vastness of the mine, it was merely scratching the surface. Since even the miners who never returned to town had also fallen ill, it indicated that the source existed on the mining side as well.
Walking beside Ban Shiyi, Lu Yaoyao subtly observed his facial expressions and body language from the corner of her eye. She pondered an important question: If the reason they hadn’t shown symptoms was simply because they hadn’t been here long, then how could Ban Shiyi and the others, who had been here all along yet showed no signs, still behave so normally? Was it truly because their cultivation was high enough to resist the illness?
Or perhaps… they only seemed normal on the outside, but had already been eroded within?
Lu Yaoyao watched for every possible clue in Ban Shiyi’s expression, but everything looked natural, without any flaws.
Her gaze became more and more obvious. Ban Shiyi, naturally, couldn’t miss it. He finally asked, “Is there something wrong with me?”
Lu Yaoyao shook her head and continued to gaze at him openly with wide, innocent eyes. “Brother Shiyi, do you have a Dao companion?”
Ban Shiyi was caught off guard by the sudden question, but answered honestly, “No.”
Lu Yaoyao looked sincere. “But Brother Shiyi, you’re so handsome, with a good temper and decent character—there must be plenty of women who like you, right?”
Ban Shiyi chuckled. “You flatter me. In the Cultivation Realm, when it comes to popularity, who could compare with your honored father?”
“That’s different. My father is a distant flower on a high peak, a dream too far to reach. But you’re real!”
Ban Shiyi thought about it and found it quite reasonable, though something still felt off. “Are you praising me or mocking me?”
Lu Yaoyao looked completely innocent. “Of course I’m praising you, Brother Shiyi, don’t overthink it.”
Ban Shiyi: “…”
Soon the topic passed, and Ban Shiyi didn’t pursue the earlier question further.
After walking for a while, things grew a bit too quiet, so he turned his attention elsewhere. “Fellow Daoist Wen, you’ve been rather quiet today.”
Wen Zixing had kept a cool and aloof expression the whole way. When Ban Shiyi looked his way, he nearly broke character, but quickly responded with a curt, “I’m fine.”
And said nothing more.
In fact, Wen Zixing was afraid that his acting skills weren’t solid enough to play dumb in front of Ban Shiyi, so he resumed playing the cold iceberg type. Next to him, Suqing also wore a matching frosty look, though inside she was panicking.
Have they already been found out?!
Lu Yaoyao came to their rescue. “Brother Shiyi, pay them no mind. These kids feel they’re too young and a bit too unruly, which might make others less likely to trust them. So outside, they try to act more mature and dependable so as to not lose the sect’s dignity.”
“Yesterday, they realized they’d broken character, so now they’re trying to patch it up. If you notice any other disciples with the same expression, don’t be surprised, and don’t mention anything either—they’re all doing the same thing.”
Ban Shiyi couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this, offering a tactful compliment, “Your honored sect is truly… unique, including the disciples.”
Lu Yaoyao remained composed. “It’s nothing.”
Wen Zixing responded with an even colder expression.
There was no danger in the Wulin mountain range, and the path was very safe. Lu Yaoyao didn’t need Ban Shiyi to plan the route—she simply wandered. If she saw a mine tunnel, she would hop in and out without asking for permission.
As she meandered, her mind kept turning: what could be present both in the mines and the town? It had to be something ubiquitous, yet so common people didn’t notice it.
The trees? The ores? The soil?
No… None of those seemed correct.
What exactly had she overlooked?
Lu Yaoyao couldn’t think of anything for the moment, so she pursued the lead she had. “Brother Shiyi, where is the water source of the mine? How do the miners handle their daily food and water?”
“There’s a river in the mountain range, but it’s quite far from the mine tunnels. Since it’s a water source, being too close could risk cave-ins,” Ban Shiyi explained, then turned and gestured for them to follow. “The miners’ meals and drinking water all come from the Wulin River. Supervisors are assigned to fetch it daily.”
“Are the illnesses in town related to the water source?” Ban Shiyi’s expression grew more serious.
“We can’t say for sure—it’s just a possibility. With how widespread the symptoms are, something might be wrong with the water.” Lu Yaoyao thought for a moment, then asked, “Brother Shiyi, do you know of anything else that all the residents come into contact with?”
Ban Shiyi pondered. “Due to the influence of the Wustone veins, the soil here isn’t suitable for farming. All the grain and vegetables for the town are purchased in bulk from somewhere else.”
“A subordinate branch of the Ban family handles that. They purchase supplies in large quantities roughly every six months, then distribute and sell them through local shops.”
Since most residents were non-cultivators who needed to eat every day, the Ban family provided a special storage area for grain and food. It was protected with spirit stones and array formations to preserve freshness for over half a year.
Lu Yaoyao didn’t expect that even the food here was purchased in bulk. This is also a clue that needs to be investigated.
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Extra chapter on Sunday~
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