Chapter 662: Suspicion
"How did they go missing?" Jiang Yue asked.
Hearing the question, Fu Yun fell silent and didn’t start talking until thirty breaths later.
"Eight of our people went to Yunlan town six years ago. However, they didn’t return, but we didn’t notice this at the time." She started and quickly continued.
"Later, more people went missing, and we began issuing tasks to search for the disciples. In the end, we discovered that they all disappeared at or near Yunlan town, but we didn’t find more clues."
"Don’t send more people. We will personally go there to investigate the disappearances." Yu Nianzhen said, and Fu Yun nodded.
"I understand." She said.
"What’s the second case?" Jiang Yue asked.
"One year ago, people began disappearing from a small village called Lujia village." She started.
"It started as once a week, but the number suddenly increased from one to twenty since five weeks ago."
Jiang Yue frowned when he heard this.
"One hundred people disappeared in just five weeks?" He asked in an incredulous voice.
"The escalation is too strange." Yu Nianzhen said, and Jiang Yue nodded before speaking.
"Where is Lujia village? Is it under a sect?" He asked.
"Lujia village is at the foot of Blue Cloud Mountain. It’s in the Sword sect’s territory."
"Foot of a mountain..." Jiang Yue muttered with a thoughtful expression.
"Could the culprit be a demonic beast?" He wondered.
"Lujia’s chief reported to the Sword sect, and the sect sent disciples to investigate. However, they searched the mountain but didn’t find the demonic beast."
"What about soul lamps?"
"The villagers originally didn’t have soul cups and soul lamps. However, after several incidents, a sword sect elder suggested making soul cups for the villagers."
"What was the outcome?" Yu Nianzhen asked.
"There hasn’t been enough time since the elder suggested the soul cups. They probably won’t be ready for another month."
"One month..., it will be good to know whether the villagers are just missing or dead." Jiang Yue said, and the other two agreed.
"The third case is also in the Sword sect’s territory." Fu Yun said, and Yu Nianzhen raised an eyebrow.
"What’s the case?"
"Five hundred cultivators suddenly disappeared from Sword City seven months ago." Fu Yun said, frowned, and continued.
"Some of the missing cultivators had soul cups or soul lamps, but the cups are broken, and the lamps went out." She said.
"No exceptions?" Jiang Yue asked, and Fu Yun shook her head.
"No exceptions." She confirmed with a solemn expression.
"In that case, we should assume that the five hundred people are likely dead." Yu Nianzhen said, his brows creased in a frown.
At the same time, a thought crossed his mind, and he turned to Fu Yun.
"How long after the people disappeared did the soul cups break?" He asked.
"There is no evidence or witnesses, but based on what we know, we can assume that the people disappeared because they were killed."
"Have there been other disappearances in Sword City since that incident?" Yu Nianzhen asked, and Fu Yun shook her head.
"None." She said.
Yu Nianzhen narrowed his eyes when he heard this.
"Starting from Sword City, find out if there have been any disappearances in the surrounding cities and villages." He said with a serious face.
"Okay." Fu Yun said and took out her communication jade to message her spies.
[Azhen, do you suspect the foreign devils?] Jiang Yue asked, and Yu Nianzhen nodded.
[It’s too strange for five hundred people to suddenly disappear without leaving a single clue. The Foreign devils may have eaten them.]
Jiang Yue frowned when he heard this.
However, he didn’t deny Yu Nianzhen’s suspicion because he also felt that the guess was right.
[Azhen, shall we head to Sword City?] He asked, but the swordsman shook his head.
[Let’s wait for the investigation result first.] He said and began explaining.
[If my guess is right, the foreign devils are no longer in Sword City and going there will only be a waste of time. Waiting for the results will help us narrow our search and avoid detours.]
[We should also investigate the cultivators who exited Sword City’s border guard arena in the week leading to the incident. We may find a clue based on what they did after leaving the arena and entering Sword City.] Yu Nianzhen said, and Jiang Yue nodded.
[You are right.] He said and frowned before continuing.
[Azhen, have you thought of the numbers?] Jiang Yue asked, and Yu Nianzhen nodded with a solemn expression.
[If we are right, five hundred foreign devils entered our Cangxing world seven months ago. Seven months is twenty-eight weeks, which means that each devil has eaten twenty-eight people since they entered our world. At least fourteen thousand cultivators have been eaten in just seven months.] The swordsman analysed.
[Our Cangxing world does not lack people, but we can’t withstand such consumption.] Jiang Yue said.
[We should investigate the cultivation levels of the missing people. That way, we will be able to estimate the foreign devils’ cultivation levels.]
[Good.] Yu Nianzhen said.
After that, Yu Nianzhen and Jiang Yue instructed Fu Yun before going to their island.
Time passed, and before they knew it, it was four days later.
On this day, Jiang Yue was playing the pipa, and Yu Nianzhen was practising his sword when they heard a buzzing sword.
"It should be Fu Yun." Jiang Yue said, collecting his pipa into his dantian.
After that, he took out his communication jade and checked the message.
"She has results. Let’s go." He said, and Yu Nianzhen nodded.
A moment later, they left the island and went to the information hall, only to find Fu Yun waiting for them in the lobby.
However, her expression was not good, and Jiang Yue was suddenly reminded of doctors on earth when they were about to deliver bad news.
"Seniors, I have news." She said in a voice laced with barely concealed fear.
"Let’s go to your study." Jiang Yue said, and Fu Yun nodded.
