Saving the White Moonlight Chapter 71

There was a cracked mark there. The long, straight crack almost ran through the whole remains of the Qiao branch family.
It was not a sword mark, nor did it look like the mark left by some technique. It seemed to have split open naturally.
Only, how could such a straight crack be natural? There had to be some reason behind it.
Yan Zhuguang walked to the crack and examined it closely. Because the crack was very narrow and small, it would not be found without careful looking. Of course, a cultivator’s eyesight was not ordinary. Yan Zhuguang was not the only one who had noticed this crack.
Seeing that she was interested in it, Qiao Shengjiao said, “Little Junior Sister saw this crack too? At first, we also thought this crack was a clue.”
“But the surviving members of the branch family told us that this crack was originally where a dividing wall stood along the branch family’s central line. It separated the inner courtyard from the outer courtyard. There was a formation inside the wall, so this crack should have existed before. That is why, after the killer flattened the branch family, such a crack was left behind.”
The formations set between an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard were usually no more than spirit-gathering formations or defensive formations. If someone attacked the formation, the pulling force of the formation might indeed cause the ground below to crack.
However, that was not what Yan Zhuguang cared about. What she saw were the few wisps of aura around the edge of that long crack.
“Eldest Senior Sister, these traces of demonic energy remain around this crack. It seems that the demonic cultivator may have attacked the inner courtyard’s formation.”
Yun Mixue nodded.
Qiao Shengjiao said, “That is indeed so. Not only the inner courtyard. The outer courtyard’s formation was also attacked.” He pointed at the ring around the outside. “The outer courtyard’s formation was not as strong as the inner courtyard’s, so it did not leave an obvious mark. But if one checks carefully, one can find some traces of demonic energy around the outer edge too.”
“My guess is that the demonic cultivator first broke through the outer formation, then attacked into the inner courtyard and killed the people of the branch family…”
“Whoever could do that must be a very powerful demonic cultivator.”
Yan Zhuguang said, “That is natural. If it were an ordinary demonic cultivator, how could they flatten such a large place?”
“But for a great expert like that, they could clearly wipe out the whole branch family in one blow. Why would they slowly break through the Qiao branch family’s defenses layer by layer before destroying them?”
If someone used a heaven-reaching method that could overturn mountains and seas to erase the whole Qiao family in one blow, the Qiao family’s two formations would shatter at once. The demonic energy would also scatter into the air. It would be impossible for demonic energy to remain at the edge of the crack.
The demonic energy at the edge of the crack had clearly been left behind after it was blocked by the formation.
A great demonic cultivator who could flatten the whole Qiao branch family had actually been blocked by a mere defensive formation? Was that not strange?
“This…” Qiao Shengjiao was stumped. It was indeed a little strange.
“Could it be that the demonic cultivator was deliberately tormenting the branch family? Maybe they attacked the formation on purpose but did not break it, just to frighten them?”
Yan Zhuguang said, “If that is what you mean, then this killer has quite the nasty hobby.”
Qiao Shengjiao shook his head. “The most important thing now is to find out who the mastermind is. It does not matter what method they used when attacking the branch family.”
“As long as we find the person, will we still be unable to ask what they did?”
Yan Zhuguang said, “The demonic cultivator who struck from the shadows must at least be at the Dividing Spirit stage. From Second Young Master Qiao’s tone, if you find out who it is, does the Qiao family plan to capture them as punishment?”
“Naturally,” Qiao Shengjiao said. “This person wiped out my Qiao branch family from top to bottom. Their actions were cruel and vicious. If we do not cut them to pieces, how can we face the dead of the branch family?”
“Forget the Dividing Spirit stage. Even if they are at the Merged Origin stage or the Tribulation Crossing stage, my Qiao family will still capture them and tear them apart!”
Yan Zhuguang sighed with feeling. “Second Young Master Qiao truly cares about his clansmen. With those words from you, the wronged spirits of the Qiao branch family should be comforted.”
Qiao Shengjiao sighed. “That is only what should be done. It is a pity that we did not notice the demonic cultivators’ plot in time and save the branch family. No matter what bold words I say now, they cannot change anything.”
Yan Zhuguang exchanged polite words with him on the surface, but she did not agree in her heart. This Qiao Shengjiao might not care about the branch family being wiped out at all. He spoke so righteously, but who knew what he was really planning?
If he truly hated the demonic cultivators for striking the Qiao family’s face and truly wanted to investigate the branch family’s destruction, why was he wandering around here so leisurely? How could he still laugh and talk after seeing her and Eldest Senior Sister? Just investigating should have been enough to leave him frantic.
“Host, even you cannot guess what this Qiao Shengjiao is planning?”
The system rarely saw its host suffer a setback with someone else, and it found it rather new.
Still, this Qiao Shengjiao was indeed strange. It could not say exactly what was wrong, but he felt out of place.
The system thought this was rare, and Yan Zhuguang also thought it was rare. Rarely did the system actually notice that something felt wrong. “What did you notice?”
The system scratched its head. What kind of impression had it given Host before? Its intelligence might not compare to Host’s, but it was not that bad, all right?
Well… although the strange feeling around Qiao Shengjiao was not something it had noticed through intelligence.
“I just feel that the aura on him is a little strange, but when I scan carefully, I cannot find anything.”
“Was this Second Young Master Qiao in the plot?”
“Yes,” the system said. “He really is obsessed with beauty and is especially infatuated with Eldest Senior Sister. Later, he also falls for the female lead. But there are many people who like the female lead, so he is not very noticeable among them.”
“Can the one in front of us match the one from the plot?”
“Mm-hm,” the system said. “He is the same as the book described. Good-looking in a fake noble way, holding a jade flute spiritual artifact, and once Eldest Senior Sister’s devoted admirer.”
“Devoted admirer?”
“Uh… it probably means a blind, unreasonable, fanatical follower?”
Yan Zhuguang neither agreed nor disagreed. She only gave a soft hum.
This time, although Yan Zhuguang felt that something about Qiao Shengjiao was wrong, she only suspected his purpose. In the end, no matter what his purpose was, it had nothing to do with Eldest Senior Sister.
So although Yan Zhuguang stayed guarded against Qiao Shengjiao, she did not pay too much attention to him.
Just as Yan Zhuguang wanted to ask Eldest Senior Sister to leave, Yun Mixue began speaking with Qiao Shengjiao.
“Right, there is one matter I would like to ask Second Young Master Qiao.” Yun Mixue had only been listening quietly to Yan Zhuguang and Qiao Shengjiao’s conversation. Hearing them mention the Qiao branch family, she suddenly remembered something.
Qiao Shengjiao immediately said, “What does Immortal wish to ask? I will tell everything I know.”
“Where are the surviving members of the Qiao branch family now? I originally thought they would be stationed here and that we might meet them and speak with them. I did not expect this place to be empty.”
Su Qian’er had been sent to Fenghua Immortal Sect, had entered the inner sect, and had been recorded in the disciple register. The branch family head and the others must be anxious to know Su Qian’er’s current situation.
No matter what purpose they had in sending Su Qian’er into Fenghua Immortal Sect, since the matter had now been settled, the proper courtesies still had to be shown. If Yun Mixue personally told them, it would also let them feel at ease.
Only, she had thought that since the branch family had been destroyed not long ago, its people should still be here investigating. She had not expected that aside from the second young master of the main family, there seemed to be no one else here.
This inevitably made Yun Mixue feel that something was strange.
Qiao Shengjiao said, “They have already been escorted by the people I brought to the Qiao main family.”
“Immortal can see that I am alone here. This time, the family head sent me to investigate the destruction of the branch family. I originally brought several guards to help. But when I saw how grief-stricken the branch family members looked, I truly could not bear it, so I told them to stop investigating and escort those people back to the main family to rest.”
“In their current state, even if they forced themselves to investigate, they would not find anything. It is better to leave it to us.”
“So that is how it is.”
Qiao Shengjiao said, “Why is Immortal looking for them? I am in contact with my guards. If Immortal wants to say something, why not let me pass it on?”
“It is nothing important,” Yun Mixue said. “Miss Su has already been properly settled in the immortal sect, so I wanted to tell them and let them feel at ease.”
“So it was this matter,” Qiao Shengjiao said. “With Immortal’s help, what do they have to worry about? Immortal need not be concerned.”
“Please rest assured, Immortal. I will certainly pass this on for you.”
“Then many thanks, Second Young Master Qiao.”
Yan Zhuguang watched the two of them finish speaking without blinking. Then she immediately said to Yun Mixue, “Eldest Senior Sister, we have already seen the branch family’s remains, and the matter about Miss Su has been entrusted to Second Young Master Qiao. It would not be good for us to keep disturbing him here.”
“The sect’s matters have not yet been sorted out. Let us not delay Second Young Master Qiao’s proper business. Shall we go back first?”
Before Yun Mixue could speak, Qiao Shengjiao said, “You are not disturbing me, not at all. How can Immortal and Little Junior Sister being here be called a disturbance? The branch family’s remains have already been searched through inch by inch. Now I am the only one here. Before the guards return, it is not good for me to go out alone to investigate, so I was just bored. I am happy that Immortal came here.”
Yan Zhuguang asked strangely, “Why did Second Young Master Qiao send all your guards away? Now that this has happened, the demonic cultivators may not have left. Are you not afraid of running into danger?”
“I am afraid, to be honest with Little Junior Sister,” Qiao Shengjiao said with a smile. “Otherwise, I would not be so happy to see Immortal and Little Junior Sister.”
“I did not bring many guards with me. At first, I did not expect to escort them back to the main family. Only, the safety of the few remaining members of the branch family is more important. Since I have some life-saving methods in hand, I told the guards to send them back quickly, then come find me.”
Qiao Shengjiao’s tone carried a hint of pleading. “For the sake of how pitiful I am, Immortal and Little Junior Sister, please stay. I can tell you about the suspicious points we found in the branch family’s remains. That way, you can report back too.”
Unfortunately, Yan Zhuguang did not fall for this. The more Qiao Shengjiao wanted them to stay, the more Yan Zhuguang wanted to leave quickly. She did not even want to ask about Su Qian’er anymore.
“No, no. We already learned enough just now. Since Second Young Master Qiao has life-saving methods, we can feel at ease.”
Yan Zhuguang shook Yun Mixue’s arm. “Eldest Senior Sister, let us go?”
“All right, all right.”
Yun Mixue was also thinking about Qiao Shengjiao in her heart. His “warmth” was almost too much for Yun Mixue to handle. Though it was somewhat rude, she also wanted to get away quickly.
After that, the two of them ignored Qiao Shengjiao’s repeated attempts to keep them there, apologized, and prepared to leave.
Only, just as Yan Zhuguang summoned her flying sword, Yun Mixue pulled her back. Yan Zhuguang stopped only after she leaned half into Yun Mixue’s embrace. At the place where she had just stood, a small jade arrow shot past at great speed and stopped in front of Qiao Shengjiao.
Qiao Shengjiao was badly startled. “Little Junior Sister, are you all right?”
Yan Zhuguang frowned. “I am fine. This message jade arrow is so urgent. It must be important. Second Young Master Qiao, look at the message first.”
If she had not clearly seen that it was a message jade arrow and stopped herself from casually destroying it, she would not have had to dodge at all.
Qiao Shengjiao looked at the two of them, then at the small jade arrow. In the end, he extended his spiritual sense to read the message. Sure enough, his expression changed greatly.
“What! They were all wiped out!”