From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 426 The Truth Gradually Revealed, Climax Arrives

Lin's voice stopped abruptly, as if it had been choked by an invisible hand.

The terror in his eyes sent a chill down my spine.

I turned around abruptly, only to see an empty courtyard, with the evening breeze rustling a few fallen leaves.

"What's wrong?" My voice was a little tense, and my heart was pounding like a drum.

Senior Brother Lin finally came to his senses, his face still pale. "N-nothing, I think I'm seeing things." He forced a smile, but it looked worse than crying.

I narrowed my eyes; Lin's unusual behavior made me sense a dangerous aura.

My intuition tells me that something is brewing in the shadows.

These past few days, I've almost locked myself in my room, organizing the evidence I've collected from various places.

These fragmented pieces of information are like stars scattered in the night sky, seemingly unrelated, yet subtly pointing in a certain direction.

I feel like I'm about to grab that thread, connect all the clues, and unveil the truth.

Who is the traitor?

What is their purpose?

These problems are like maggots clinging to my bones, gnawing at my heart.

I could almost feel the malice lurking in the shadows, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, waiting for its chance to strike.

I have a feeling that there is a much bigger conspiracy behind this, far more complicated than I imagined, and it may even endanger the safety of the entire Immortal Sect.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

"Senior Brother Lin, have you noticed anything unusual lately?" I stared into his eyes, trying to find a clue in his gaze.

His eyes darted around, and he stammered, "No...no, everything is normal."

His dodging further confirmed my suspicions.

I grabbed his wrist and felt his pulse, which was erratic and rapid, through my fingertips.

"Tell the truth!" My tone left no room for argument.

Senior Brother Lin finally broke down, and he lowered his head in despair. "Senior Sister Xiao, I... I saw Junior Sister Chu sneaking into the library, and she was holding a... a black box in her hand."

Library!

It houses the sect's important scriptures and secret techniques, and is heavily guarded, making it impossible for ordinary disciples to enter.

What is Junior Sister Chu doing there?

A terrible thought flashed through my mind.

Could it be... that she's a traitor?

Without thinking twice, I rushed out and headed straight for the library.

The library doors were tightly shut, and a faint smell of blood wafted from the cracks in the door, stimulating my sense of smell.

I pushed the door open abruptly, and the sight before me stunned me.

Broken jade slips were scattered on the ground, and a strong smell of blood filled the air.

Senior Brother Lin lay in a pool of blood, his face pale and his breath weak.

"Senior Brother Lin!" I rushed over and helped him up.

He struggled to open his eyes and, with his last ounce of strength, said, "Senior Sister Xiao... be careful... Junior Sister Chu... she... she is..." His voice grew weaker and weaker until he finally lost consciousness.

My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Anger, sadness, self-blame... a mix of emotions almost consumed me.

Senior Brother Lin paid the ultimate price to protect the evidence.

But I failed to discover Junior Sister Chu's conspiracy in time, which harmed him!

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug deep into my flesh, but I felt no pain at all.

I swear, I will find Junior Sister Chu and avenge Senior Brother Lin!

I will bring those traitors to justice!

I suppressed my grief and carefully examined the scene.

The evidence that Senior Brother Lin risked his life to protect has disappeared without a trace.

I noticed that among the jade slips scattered on the ground, some contained records of ancient forbidden techniques.

Could it be... that Junior Sister Chu's goal is these forbidden techniques?

What does she want to do?

Just then, I discovered a tiny clue.

Among the broken jade slip fragments, I found a piece of cloth stained with blood.

The texture and color of this fabric are exactly the same as the clothes Mingyue usually wears.

Mingyue…could she be involved too?

I felt a chill run down my spine.

Mingyue has always been a junior sister I trusted, and I have never doubted her.

Could it be... that all of this was a disguise?

My mind was a mess, with all sorts of clues intertwined, making it impossible for me to make sense of it all.

I feel like I've fallen into a giant maze and can't find the way out.

Suddenly, I realized something.

Why did Junior Sister Chu deliberately let me discover Senior Brother Lin's corpse?

Why did she leave behind the fabric of the bright moon?

This is too deliberate, like... a trap.

I suddenly looked up and gazed into the depths of the library.

There, a tightly closed stone door exudes an eerie aura.

Could it be... that the real secret is hidden there?

I took a deep breath and walked towards the stone door.

Just as my hand was about to touch the stone door, a voice suddenly rang out, "Senior Sister Xiao, what are you doing?"

I turned around abruptly and saw Elder Xuanfeng standing at the door, looking at me with a solemn expression.

Elder Xuanfeng's appearance made my heart tighten.

Why is he here?

Could it be that he also...? No, impossible!

Elder Xuanfeng is highly respected and has served in the immortal sect for many years; he could never be a traitor.

But his expression at that moment made it impossible for me to completely let my guard down.

"Elder, I..." I was about to explain when he interrupted me.

"Xiao Yao, I know you've been investigating the traitor, but this matter is of utmost importance. As a disciple, it's best if you don't get involved." His tone carried a hint of warning, and his eyes sharpened.

"Leave it to me, I'll handle everything."

His words made me even more confused.

He seemed to know something, but deliberately concealed it.

My gut feeling tells me that things are far more complicated than I thought.

“Elder, Senior Brother Lin…” I choked up, pointing to the corpse on the ground.

Elder Xuanfeng sighed, "I know, I've already sent people to investigate. Don't worry, I will definitely give Senior Brother Lin an explanation."

His words sounded sincere, but they only made me more uneasy.

Was Senior Brother Lin's death really just an accident?

Or... was someone doing this on purpose?

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

"Elder, I have discovered some clues that may be helpful to the investigation."

I told him about the library and the fabric scraps I had found.

After listening to my explanation, Elder Xuanfeng frowned and fell into deep thought.

"Bright moon..." he murmured to himself.

Seeing his reaction, I became even more certain that Mingyue must have a problem.

But why would she do that?

She and I grew up together, we were like sisters, I simply cannot believe that she would betray me and the immortal sect.

"Elder," I said, my tone pleading.

Elder Xuanfeng patted my shoulder, "Don't worry, Xiao Yao, I will find out the truth. You should go back and rest first, and leave the rest to me."

His words offered me a sense of comfort, yet also a touch of unease.

I always felt that he was deliberately hiding something.

I left the library and returned to my residence.

Throughout the journey, images of Senior Brother Lin's dying gaze and Mingyue's familiar face kept flashing through my mind.

I couldn't fall asleep; the doubts and anxieties in my heart grew stronger and stronger.

I have a feeling that an even bigger storm is coming.

I got up and walked to the window, gazing at the dark night sky outside.

Suddenly, I saw a dark shadow flash by and disappear into the night.

who is it?

My heart sank suddenly and a chill ran from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

Could it be... Junior Sister Chu?

I immediately rushed out of the room and chased after the direction in which the dark figure had disappeared.

I need to figure out what's going on!

I followed the shadowy figure to a secluded courtyard.

There was a person standing in the courtyard, with his back to me.

"Junior Sister Chu!" I called out.

The person slowly turned around, and the moonlight shone on her face, revealing... Mingyue!

She was holding a dagger in her hand, which was still dripping with blood.

“Mingyue, you…” I stared at her in shock, speechless for a moment.

She sneered, "Xiao Yao, you didn't expect this, did you? I did all of this."

"Why?" She burst into laughter. "For power, for authority! Who do you think you are? You're nothing but a piece of trash! Why should you be everyone's favorite? Why should you be the Immortal Venerable's disciple? I refuse to accept this!"

Her eyes were filled with resentment and jealousy, which chilled me to the bone.

I never imagined that Mingyue, who has always been gentle and kind, would turn out like this.

"Mingyue, you've gone mad!" I said, heartbroken.

"Crazy? Yes, I'm crazy! You forced me to this!" she roared, raising her dagger to stab me.

I quickly dodged, and the dagger grazed my arm, leaving a deep bloody gash.

"Mingyue, wake up! This isn't you!" I tried to awaken her conscience.

"It's too late! It's all too late!" She attacked me frantically, each move aimed to kill.

I was forced to retaliate, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

She used to be my best friend, how could I...?

Suddenly, Mingyue stopped attacking, her eyes became dazed, and the dagger in her hand fell to the ground.

"What...what did I do?" she murmured to herself.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out, "Mingyue, you did very well."

I turned around abruptly and saw Junior Sister Chu standing at the courtyard gate, a strange smile on her face.

“Junior Sister Chu, you…” I stared at her in astonishment.

She slowly walked over, picked up the dagger from the ground, and said, "Xiao Yao, the game is over."

She raised the dagger and pointed it at me…