This announcement was a thunderbolt from a clear sky, catching everyone completely off guard. It wasn't until several seconds had passed that the murmurs and gasps began to rise. The students' faces turned pale, and Teacher Luo Le-sheng rushed out, intercepting the Nianglangshan Little Fairy, shouting fiercely, "What did you just say? What did you just say?!" "You're telling me that Xiahao Xue died? Please explain yourself clearly! If you dare to make up a story, I'll break your legs!" This teacher, known for her gentle demeanor, displayed an extraordinary outburst of impatience and urgency. "Teacher, Xiahao Xue indeed passed away, right in her room at the girls' dormitory. I didn't touch a single thing in the room," said the Nianglangshan Little Fairy calmly, then turned to the students, "Master Yuanshishizun, please take Ren Junzi and Guohezhu and go to the scene for inspection. Teacher Luo Le-sheng, please inform the faculty immediately and have them gather at the entrance of the girls' dormitory." She organized everything with calm precision, as if it were second nature. Although they were students, the bodhisattvas present were seasoned, frontline officials with extensive experience—indeed, more adept at on-the-spot problem-solving and administrative handling than the teachers who had stepped back from active roles after years of service. Without any prompting from the Niulanshan little fairy, the students quickly set off toward the women's dormitories. His gaze swept over the faces of the students, and Zhang Yuanqing caught a subtle nod from Tian Xia Gui. He didn't need to use any insight magic to pick up on Tian Xia Gui's unspoken message. ——Once the incident is officially reported, the academy will certainly conduct a thorough investigation into the students' movements the night before. As the head of the academy is a scout, and there are lie-detection devices available throughout the campus, the visit to the underground palace will inevitably reveal inconsistencies. I can use the ghost mirror to stabilize my emotions and thus evade the scouts' observation techniques. If the lie-detection devices are operated by scouts, the ghost mirror will still be effective. Should they be of a mental control nature, I can simply transfer the issues onto Xiao Dujia—the one who's always the comic relief. I myself remain steady, but Tian Xia Gui and Xia Hou Ao Tian are not. Only Sun Miao Miao and Zhao Chenghuang are steady under the latter circumstances. The scouts' observation techniques, however, they simply cannot avoid. Hey! After all the effort to secure the relics of the First Emperor, everything went smoothly last night—only to have this drama unfold today? Zhang Yuanqing felt deeply anxious. Now, all we can do is take things one step at a time. This sudden turn of events tests one's adaptability—first, we must get the ghost mirror to the Princess. But if I now ask to return to my dormitory, it would go against common sense and logic, and I’d be questioned. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly stopped and said, "Niu Lanshan, come here." Hearing this, Niu Lanshan, the little fairy, who had been jogging, paused mid-stride, and the students all turned to look. Zhang Yuanqing calmly instructed the students, "You go ahead. I'll have a few words with Niu Lanshan." In the context of a murder case, it's quite natural to have a private conversation with someone who first arrives at the scene. The students glanced at him briefly before resuming their way to the girls' dormitory. "Don't call me Niu Lanshan anymore—call me the little fairy," she pouted. Little fairy and gentleman—aren't those both positive terms? Zhang Yuanqing had no time for small talk, and quickly said, "I'm assigning you a task—go ask the plants and animals in the academy, especially the female dormitory—see if you can find any clues." The wood spirit understands both animal and plant languages and can gain insights from them. Though flowers and grasses might not reply, "I saw Chang Wei playing with Lai Fu the moment I entered," they still offer some vague clues—better than nothing at all. "Alright!" The young fairy from Niulangshan promptly accepted the assignment. Zhang Yuanqing's vision caught her silhouette, as well as the silhouettes of the trainees ahead, confirming that no one was paying attention to him. With quiet grace, he withdrew the ghost mirror and gently dropped it into the grassy thicket. He maintained a composed demeanor and followed the main group. Behind him, a round, endearing infant, with sparse downy hair atop a yellow bronze mirror, swiftly moved its limbs like a nimble cat, using the plants and trees for cover, crawling steadily toward the male dormitory. … Soon, the group arrived at the girls' dormitory. As a swordsman and a pawn who had crossed the river, Ren Junzi and Guo Hezhu carefully pushed open the door and entered first. Zhang Yuanqing paused at the entrance, addressing the group: "The descendants of the Lingjing noble families will remain outside. Those who have earned C-level or higher merit shall come in with me; everyone else will stay put." At this moment, he abandoned his usual laid-back, idle demeanor and displayed the dignity of a Prime Origin Immortal—both the extraordinary talent and the seasoned, accomplished leader. He only invited those with C-level or higher merit because merit directly correlated with capability: handling life-and-death cases required only elite-level participation, and others had no need to be involved. As for the descendants of the Lingjing noble families, among this generation of second-generation heirs, few could match the frontline officials in case management. Hearing this, the six saints—Tianxia Guihuo, Zhao Chenghuang, Sun Miao-miao, Niu Lanzhan's little fairy, Yuan Ting, and Peony Fairy—quietly stepped back and followed the Prime Origin Immortal inside. Past the foyer, into the bedroom, where Hé Rú and Rèn Jūnzhī were one examining the body, the other observing the room. Zhang Yuancheng entered the bedroom and glanced at the bed. The pristine bedsheet was stained black-red with blood. A young woman dressed in a silk nightgown lay on the bed, her eyes wide and fixed on the ceiling. It was Xia Chaoxue. Her face was pale, her eyes bulging with intensity, the neckline slightly disheveled, the hem of her gown barely covering her thighs, her black lace undergarment hanging at her ankles. The Hé Rú, his expression stern and composed, said: "There are two fatal injuries. One is the skull fractured, crushing the brain tissue; the other is a sharp instrument piercing through her chest, directly severing the heart. 'She offered little resistance,' he added, then turning to the lace undergarment hanging at her ankles, he asked: 'Among you female students, who checked whether she had been sexually assaulted? Well, 'sexually assaulted' may not be quite accurate—perhaps more precisely, whether there were signs of vaginal intercourse.' " The Peony Fairy glanced at Sun Miaomiao, then at the Niulanshan Little Fairy, and said, "I'll take it. I have experience in autopsy work and have handled similar cases." As she spoke, she walked to the bedside and lifted Xiaochaoxue's nightgown. The men present naturally turned around. After several seconds, the Peony Fairy said, "There were signs of intercourse prior to death." "I have a question," Zhang Yuanqing suddenly added. ... In the men's dormitory, Room 404. The Silver Princess, elegantly seated at her desk, turned her head and saw the round, endearing infant spirit crawling through the wooden door, like a small sea otter, with a bronze mirror engraved with flying phoenixes resting on its head. Upon seeing this, the Silver Princess understood the meaning of Yuan Shi Tian Zun's intention and communicated with the imprint within her mind: "I agree." She then remained motionless for a moment, and after a few seconds, bent down to pick up the bronze mirror resting on the infant spirit's head, while simultaneously brushing her hand across her forehead. A pale glow illuminated, then spread like paint, completely covering her face. The black and red pigments outline upward-sweeping eyes and a downturned mouth, sketching a white facial mask marked with cunning and treachery. White-faced: cunning and treacherous, skilled in scheming and deception. After ascending to the position of the Shadow Corpse, Zhang Yuqing lounged lazily against the back of his chair, emitting subtle mental murmurs: "Should any one of these four falter, the underground operation would be exposed. At that point, killing them all to eliminate them would be too late—there must be a plan, there must be a plan... Ah, what a nuisance! Which fool has chosen this very moment to strike, spoiling my plans? I'll skin him alive and draw out his spine!" ... "What's the issue?" asked the Over-the-River Soldier, casting a questioning gaze. "Why intercourse, rather than mere assault?" asked Zhang Yuqing. Ren Junzi stepped in to answer the question on behalf of the river-crossing soldier: "Since there are no signs of a struggle in the room, and considering the condition of Xia Xiaoxue's body, it clearly indicates she didn't experience any combat—her facial expression shows she was completely unprepared for the attack. Moreover, there are traces of intercourse, which suggests the killer was someone she knew well. It's highly likely that the perpetrator is her lover, and we should investigate her personal relationships. However, there's one point that stands out: Xia Xiaoxue is a water spirit. Water spirits are immune to physical attacks, which would have protected her life. "Even if Xia Xiaoxue hadn't anticipated being attacked, she should have reacted once the assault began," I noted. "That's exactly what I'm referring to," Zhang Yuanqing said, using the time he gained from the white-faced enhancement to quickly formulate a strategy. "What if Xia Xiaoxue is actually being influenced by a skill that affects her mentally—perhaps even under a form of mental control? In that case, the absence of physical struggle doesn't necessarily mean the killer is a close acquaintance. It could very well be the situation I'm describing." Ren Junzi nodded: "The inference makes perfect sense, but I believe there's a simpler, more relaxed way—this will require your assistance from the Star Officials." Zhao Chenghuang's expression remained stern as he nodded. "I'll take care of it." While Zhang Yuanqing had been anxious throughout, from beginning to end, the small team from the Earth Palace had never exchanged glances or shown any signs of disturbance, demonstrating remarkable composure. Zhao Chenghuang shifted his gaze to the body of Xia Chaoxue, black, viscous energy swiftly spreading into his eyes, coating the iris and the sclera. After just a few seconds, his brows furrowed, the black energy receding, and his tone grew notably serious: "The spiritual essence has been completely erased." "Erased..." Upon hearing this, Sun Miao, Zhang Yuanqing, and Yuan Ting all exchanged puzzled expressions. The others' eyes also grew complex as they scanned back and forth among the three members of the Taiyuan Sect. Erasing a soul is a unique ability of the nocturnal wanderers. At Qin Feng Academy, there are only so many Star Officials—four students and one teacher. Ren Junzi glanced over the four Star Officials and said softly, "My intuition tells me this case might prove quite troublesome." As she spoke, the room door opened, and the elderly dean, hair now white, arrived with the "Stellar Observer" and Teacher Song Man. Upon seeing the body on the bed, the dean's expression immediately darkened, then turned to the students and said, "Please share your findings." Tian Xia Gui presented in full detail the analyses of the two swordsmen and Zhao Chenghuang's results from the soul inquiry. "In my decades teaching at Qin Feng, this is the first time I've encountered a case of death—especially one involving a steward..." The dean pressed her fingertips to her brow, exhaled heavily, and said, "Stellar Observer, go take a look." The Stellar Observer approached the bed and activated his soul-consuming technique. After a moment, he shook his head. "The soul has indeed been erased." The headmaster nodded slowly, personally walked through the room for a second verification, and then asked, "Time of death?" He who had crossed the river responded, "Most likely during the late night, or approaching dawn." To date, no technology has been able to precisely determine the exact time of death; even experienced scouts conducting autopsies can only narrow it down to a general timeframe. The elder headmaster gave a single, sharp "Hmm," his gaze scanning the students in the room intently. "All of you gather at the ground floor now. The class is suspended—until we identify the killer before training concludes. If we can't find him, then we'll have to hand the matter over to headquarters." His tone was no longer gentle, but sharp and decisive, as if the students were no longer merely trainees, but potential adversaries. After all, students were being killed within the academy—his responsibility as headmaster was clear. Only by identifying the killer could he redeem himself. Late night, approaching dawn... The pale, prim Primordial Sovereign began to catch a spark of inspiration. By the late night, they had already dispersed and gone to sleep. If the polygraph results could be confined to terms like "late night" or "dawn," the polygraph equipment would be unable to detect lies—because, in fact, there were no lies at all. As various thoughts flashed through his mind, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly noticed a detail: Xia Chaoxue's nightgown. Why hadn't she taken it off when going to bed? Why was she still wearing it? Xia Chaoxue had a well-proportioned figure—full bust, slender waist, and full curves in her hips, suggesting a large, round backside. If it were me, I wouldn't have let her wear anything else. As the headmaster departed, the last of the staff members to leave closed the door and joined the trainees waiting in the corridor, all of them proceeding to the dormitory building. This was the first time in the history of Qin Feng Academy that a murder case had occurred. The faculty members had been summoned to the girls' dormitory lobby, where they were divided into two groups, listening attentively to the headmaster's measured and solemn account of the investigation findings. The current situation is that Song Man and the Little Fairy from Niulanshan haven't received any insights from the plants and animals. No visitors have entered the girls' dormitory during the period of the incident. The case has suddenly become quite challenging. The senior dean said with deep emotion: "I am the second dean of Qinfeng College, having been here since six years ago. The previous dean served for eight years, and I have served for six years—making a total of fourteen years. Throughout this entire period, the college has never had a fatality case. "The death of Xia Chaoxue has deeply shocked, saddened, and angered me," he paused, then continued slowly, "But since the incident has occurred, we must accept the reality. From now on, we will suspend all classes until the case is fully investigated and the murderer is identified. "During this time, every student, every teacher, and every student-teacher relationship must remain vigilant and watchful. You have already received the findings of the investigation. Who among you knows that Xia Chaoxue usually had a close relationship with that male student?" No one responded. The male students were staring at each other, the female students observing the males, and the male teacher was looking at the male students. At that moment, Yuan Ting said: "Director, among the twenty-two students, I, Sun Miaomiao, and Zhao Chenghuang come from the Ta Yi Department. Siyang Kai Tai Tai and Ren Junzi come from the same branch, and Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn and Tian Xia Gui Huo also come from the same branch. As for the others, they all come from different departments. That is to say, theoretically, Xia Xiaoxue shouldn't have a romantic interest here. I'm not saying anything about her personal life—just speaking on the matter at hand." Wasn't Yuan Ting the real social butterfly? He had already thoroughly investigated everyone's backgrounds? Zhang Yuanqing both admired and felt overwhelmed—how could Xia Xiaoxue have had a romantic partner in the academy if she hadn't had one? The case had suddenly become far more complicated. "That would be rape, then," Zhao Fei asked, turning to the red chicken guy, "Isn't it rare for someone in the academy to be able to do something like this?" "Who are you looking at, huh "Red Chicken Brother exploded in anger," "I have numerous wives and concubines outside, women who revere me can be counted from the Flower City all the way to the Capital—do I need to forcibly rape them?" The Senior Director glanced at Red Chicken Brother thoughtfully. "The case is rather complex; it truly doesn't seem like something he would have done." "???" Red Chicken Brother was momentarily unsure whether to be angry or relieved. "Is this case difficult? I think it's actually quite simple," a voice laced with scorn cut in. Everyone turned to see Zhu Mingxu, dressed like an idol trainee, stepping forward with his hands in his pockets, meeting the gaze of the trainees and instructors. "As the Director just mentioned, there are no signs of struggle, the perpetrator is someone familiar to the victim, and the deceased's spirit has been completely erased after death—few people can achieve both of these, right, Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun?" The moment he spoke, the crowd gasped. Female trainees such as Sun Miao Miao, the Peony Immortal, and the Niulanshan Little Fairy all turned to glare at Zhu Mingxu. "Deadly stiff, what are you bab Do you believe that if he's willing, your mother will strip herself bare and lie there for him to do whatever he wants? "Right now, pseudo-maiden aesthetics aren't in vogue—how dare you, with your current appearance, question the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign? You're ridiculous!" When the woman started shouting, her rudeness was no less fierce than that of a man. Among the official saints, especially among women, most were devoted fans of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign. Even if they weren't fans of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, they were still colleagues within the same organization—how could they allow representatives from the spiritual realm families to belittle them like this? Alu Mingxu was drenched in insults, especially from a woman, and instantly felt both embarrassed and furious, responding with a cold laugh: "Only the Night-Wanderer God can erase a spirit body. Only the Night-Wanderer God can appear and vanish without a trace. Only the Night-Wanderer God can take possession and control. Tell me, among you women, who else could it possibly be? Of course, it's also possible that it's Zhao the City God, Yuan Ting, or the teacher The female trainees continued to shout in anger, yet none could offer a counterargument. Zhang Yuan spoke with confidence, "Clear waters reflect their own purity. Director, I am willing to undergo the lie-detection test." The clamor of protests fell silent. The Director nodded slightly. "This is an inevitable trial." Then, he reached into the inventory and pulled out a small brown horn, six inches long. "Hold this object and answer my questions. If you are lying, the horn will glow." Not a scout by profession... Zhang Yuan accepted the brown horn with composure, and before the Director could speak, he offered, "I did not visit the women's dormitory last night. Xia Chaoxue was not killed by me, and I never violated her." Under the enhancement of the white facial mask, his thinking became noticeably sharper, more cunning, and more adept at adapting to the moment. All eyes turned to the brown horn. It remained completely still. The younger trainees breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Zhu Mingxu paused, looked deeply disappointed, then settled into thoughtful reflection. The four members of the Ground Chamber Team immediately understood that Yuan Shi Tian Zun was demonstrating for them. By following his procedure, it was clearly feasible. The elderly dean silently observed him, then nodded and suddenly asked, "Were you in your dormitory all last night?" Why are you asking this? Zhang Yuanqing calmly gazed at the dean. If it weren't for the贤者's time from the Ghost Mirror, his expression would have sharpened instantly or his pupils would have constricted. To Zhang Yuanqing, this seemingly simple question carried an immense amount of information. He had now fully cleared his name. By normal logic, if no one had been killed by him, why ask further questions? Was there any connection between his presence in the dormitory all night and the deceased? If he hadn't cleared his name, such questioning would have been understandable. Yet the dean, who had already confirmed through intuition and lie-detection tools that Zhang was not the murderer, still asked this question. Only one person would care whether the students had left the dormitory overnight. That person was the Armor Person. How did the armored person know that the stone gate had been opened?