fiancée?

A short while later.

Linglong Holy Land.

"Fellow Daoists, you have traveled a long way. It must have been exhausting."

Just as the taixuan treasure ship reached the end of the Rainbow Bridge, a middle-aged female Cultivator dressed in palace robes immediately came forward to greet them. She gave a slight bow to the people from Taixuan Holy Land on the deck and then gestured with her hand, "Your accommodations have been arranged. Distinguished guests, please follow me."

"Thank you for your trouble, Senior."

Qi Yuan nodded slightly to the middle-aged female Cultivator, and then the group followed her toward the pre-planned courtyard.

"This place is called Sunset Glow Courtyard, a place of rest specially prepared by our Linglong Holy Land for your sect. Everyone, please rest here for now and wait for the grand ceremony to begin tomorrow."

As she spoke, the middle-aged female Cultivator led Qi Yuan and the others to a vast, independent estate.

The environment in the garden was exquisite and elegant, with tiered terraces, numerous pavilions, and even a clear green lotus pond. The pond was filled with lush lotus leaves, creating a pleasant scenery that was clearly well-maintained.

After entering, the middle-aged female Cultivator nodded to Qi Yuan and said with a warm expression:

"If you need anything, please feel free to instruct the servants and maids inside. Our Linglong Holy Land consists entirely of women, and there are many inconveniences between men and women, so I hope you all do not wander around outside at will."

"If you wish to go out for sightseeing, it is best to be accompanied by a Holy Land Disciple throughout the journey to avoid misunderstandings."

Although these words were said tactfully, the underlying meaning was clear: don't wander around aimlessly, or you will be responsible for the consequences.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior. This Junior has noted it."

Qi Yuan cupped his hands with a smile, looking as if he had taken the advice to heart.

"Then I shall take my leave."

The middle-aged female Cultivator in charge of the reception smiled with satisfaction. After instructing the servants of Sunset Glow Courtyard to provide good hospitality, she drifted away.

Next, Qi Yuan asked Song Cheng, the Hall Master of the External Affairs Hall, to handle the settling of the accompanying Disciples' accommodations, while he unceremoniously took over the main building in the courtyard.

"You all may leave; I don't need any service here."

After entering the room, Qi Yuan waved his hand to dismiss the servants present. After carefully confirming that there were no surveillance methods in the building, he let out a soft breath and set up a layer of screening Restriction around him.

Having done this, he quickly took out a communication talisman from his storage space and activated it.

A few breaths later, Ji Chan'er's slightly dissatisfied voice came from within:

"What are you doing? Why did it take you so long to reply?"

Qi Yuan's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he said in a deep voice:

"I don't have time to chat with you right now. If you have something to say, say it directly; I'm busy."

Just now, he was still on the taixuan treasure ship with so many people watching. If he had dared to pick up the message from Ji Chan'er, he was afraid it would immediately confirm the crime of colluding with a demonic sect enchantress. Wouldn't that be looking for trouble for himself?

On the other end, Ji Chan'er snorted unhappily and grumbled in complaint, "This Seat worked so hard to investigate the case for you, and you heartless person don't even have a word of thanks. My efforts were truly wasted."

"You've solved the case of the Qi Family's extermination?!"

Hearing this, Qi Yuan's spirits lifted, and he hurriedly asked, "Who is the killer?"

Ji Chan'er, on the other end of the talisman, first gave a faint sigh and then said with a complex tone:

"Although the killer's methods were clean and decisive, and they even deliberately left some clues to try and steer the case toward a demonic Cultivator's blood sacrifice, those extremely shallow things might fool others, but they can't fool This Seat!"

"This Seat can be certain that the extermination of the Qi Family was definitely not the work of a Demonic Path Cultivator. Instead, it seems more like the work of someone from the False Dao!"

"What?!"

Hearing this, Qi Yuan couldn't help but be shocked. Originally, he thought the Qi Family had offended some passing Demonic Path Cultivator and was thus massacred, but it seemed there was more to the story.

Regarding Ji Chan'er's judgment, although he wouldn't say he believed it implicitly, he still subconsciously leaned toward believing her.

After all, this enchantress could be considered a professional, and her eyes were sharp enough.

When the two of them were trapped in the illusionary realm last time, Ji Chan'er was the first to discover the flaws in the realm and broke free early, showing that she was by no means an ordinary person.

What kind of grudge could lead a Righteous Path Cultivator to cruelly slaughter an ordinary Xuanmen Family?

Just as Qi Yuan was frowning in thought, Ji Chan'er spoke again:

"Do you know a woman named Qin Lingxue?"

For some reason, although Ji Chan'er's voice was very calm, Qi Yuan could vaguely detect an uncontrollable trace of jealousy.

What was going on?

Qi Yuan was stunned for a moment and immediately shook his head in reply, "I've never heard of that name. Is she related to this matter?"

"Stop pretending!"

Unexpectedly, Ji Chan'er's tone suddenly turned cold as she said, "If you are truly that Qi Yuan, the concubine's son of the Qi Family who was kicked out, how could you not know your childhood sweetheart and fiancée?"

"Qin Lingxue comes from a humble background and has known you since childhood. The Qi and Qin Families even set a marriage contract, planning to hold a wedding once you both reached adulthood."

"Later, Qin Lingxue grew up to be graceful and beautiful, and her Spiritual Root Aptitude was even more outstanding. At the age of fourteen, she was accepted as a Disciple by a Hedao Realm Female Sword Immortal from Liyuan Holy Land, becoming a highly anticipated prodigy."

"But you, because of your poor Aptitude, saw your status in the Family plummet, and you were eventually kicked out of the house to wander and drift outside."

"You mean..."

Qi Yuan was a bit dazed by what he heard. He really didn't know that the trash Original Owner had a childhood sweetheart and fiancée, and she seemed to be quite powerful.

"Currently, the marriage contract between you and Qin Lingxue hasn't been canceled. Strictly speaking, you are still that woman's fiancé."

Ji Chan'er's tone became even colder, as if she were certain Qi Yuan was playing dumb.

"As the saying goes, 'An ordinary man is innocent, but possessing a jade treasure makes him guilty.' Qin Lingxue is currently very prominent in Liyuan Holy Land and is known as the Jade Maiden Sword Immortal."

"Most importantly, Qin Lingxue never had any intention of breaking the engagement with the Qi Family. Instead, she announced to the outside world that she already has a fiancé, rejecting the pursuits of many young talents."

"A Jade Maiden Sword Immortal with heavenly beauty has a trash fiancé in the Qi Family of Wangchu City, and this matter was discovered by her group of fanatical pursuers. What do you think would happen?"

????

Hearing this, Qi Yuan's expression became increasingly strange.

Ji Chan'er's investigation was already very clear: the massacre of the Qi Family was likely targeting the trash Original Owner, with the goal of eliminating Qin Lingxue's fiancé to have a chance at winning the beauty's heart.

Of course, that wasn't the main point. With this clue, it would be easy to find out who did it.

The main point was, damn it, this trash Original Owner even had a fiancée. Now that he had taken the Original Owner's counterattack script, he would almost certainly trigger tasks related to Qin Lingxue in the future... In an instant, Qi Yuan felt an ominous premonition clouding his heart.

No way!

Could it be that he was truly going to go further and further down the path of a scumbag?!