Honey, you didn’t really drugged me, did you?

Chapter 251: Chapter 125 Chen Jie: No one can find the Eighteen Dragon Capturing Palms? I don’t believe it!

Peng Shizhong led Chen Jie through a loop in the forest, then asked, “What do you think? Any opinions?”

Chen Jie hesitated and responded, “The old beggar must have been beaten to death by a group; among them, one was proficient in the Cold Ice Technique, and another in the Flame Technique.”

“Hmm, do you know who these two might be?”

After pondering for a moment, Chen Jie said, “My adoptive father once said that the Gang Leader of the Fishing Guild, Nan Batian’s unique skill is ‘Mystic Ice Power’—an Ice Based Technique; so, I suspect the perpetrator could be the Gang Leader.”

“Hmm, not bad. And the other?”

Chen Jie thought again and said, “The other, I believe, should be Liu Laoguai.”

“Oh, why him and not someone else?”

Chen Jie replied, “Among the Thirteen Grand Protectors I have met, few are adept with Fire Attribute Skills. As for those I haven’t met, I don’t know what skills they possess.”

“That doesn’t matter, though, because we can deduce the process by reflecting on the result.”

“Oh, how do you deduce?”

Peng Shizhong, intentionally challenging Jie Chen, listened as Chen Jie explained, “Firstly, their ambush of the old beggar was certainly driven by a motive—perhaps to annex the Beggar Sect? Possible, but a more likely possibility is for the old beggar’s unique skill!”

“The Seventeen Dragon Capturing Palms.”

Peng Shizhong named the secret technique.

“Correct, the Seventeen Dragon Capturing Palms. We martial artists are aware of the importance of a good secret manual, especially a famous Divine Skill like the Seventeen Dragon Capturing Palms. I believe no one would be uninterested in it, including our mysterious Darugachi!”

“Hmm, you mean Darugachi was also involved in this ambush on the old beggar?”

Peng Shizhong looked at Chen Jie.

Chen Jie replied, “Hmm, I wonder if my adoptive father noticed the horse hoof prints outside the forest?”

Peng Shizhong frowned; he hadn’t paid much attention to that, focused as he had been on the corpse.

Chen Jie continued, “There were numerous hoof prints, all very regular, even in depth—clearly standardized horseshoes, only an army would have such.”

“Black Cavalry!”

Peng Shizhong nodded, and Chen Jie added, “Exactly, the Black Cavalry. Since they were involved, it’s certain that Qimu Ge was present, and he represents Darugachi Mansion!”

“So, I speculate that Darugachi was part of this operation, possibly even organized it.”

Peng Shizhong nodded lightly then asked, “Even if Darugachi was involved, how do you ascertain that the other person was Elder Liu?”

Chen Jie explained, “Nan Batian is a fierce tiger; only a subordinate or another tiger might hunt with such a tiger.”

“Why?”

Peng Shizhong asked.

Chen Jie replied, “Because if he is not a tiger of the same caliber as Nan Batian, then after the hunt, he wouldn’t be able to secure any prey.”

“Meaning the Seventeen Dragon Capturing Palms.”

“If you were Nan Batian, and your ally was a weaker among the Thirteen Grand Protectors, and you acquired a secret manual like the Seventeen Dragon Capturing Palms, would you share it with him?”

Peng Shizhong responded, “No, it’s best for fewer people to know the secret manual. Why would I foster a potential threat?”

Chen Jie concluded, “Thus, only Elder Liu would have a chance to obtain the manual from Nan Batian, forming a base for cooperation.”

“So, I suspect it was probably Elder Liu. Of course, this is under normal circumstances; one can’t exclude some people having messed up minds, doing things clearly against their interests.”

Upon hearing this, Peng Shizhong nodded.

He was very pleased with Chen Jie’s intelligence.

From small details, deriving the situation at large was a remarkable skill, and this adoptive son indeed possessed it.

He couldn’t help thinking he had found a true treasure.

Thinking this, Peng Shizhong said, “Indeed, that hand technique looks very much like Elder Liu’s ‘Fiery Fire Skill.'”

“Fiery Fire Skill?”

Chen Jie looked at Peng Shizhong, who explained, “Yes, ‘Fiery Fire Skill’ and ‘Mystic Ice Power’ are both advanced Energy Transformation martial arts that the previous leaders of the Fishing Guild and Guild Cao, unknowingly acquired and handed down, becoming the sect’s divine skill of both guilds.”

Chen Jie asked, “The previous leaders acquired them unknowingly?”

“Yes, specifically, I don’t know, but it’s said to be related to your journey with Mianshui’s dragon.”

“The dragon?”

“Yes, but Mianshui hasn’t seen a dragon for nearly sixty years, so it’s unverifiable whether it’s true.”

The two casually left the forest and, seeing the unattended corpse of the old beggar, Peng Shizhong couldn’t help but feel mournful; he sighed and said, “He was once a prominent figure; he shouldn’t have been left exposed after death. Jiu Si, stay here and bury him.”

Then, moving toward the carriage, Peng Shizhong added, “By the way, Jiu Si, come early to White Tiger Hall tomorrow morning. Go have a good rest tonight.”

“Yes, adoptive father.”

Chen Jie responded as Peng Shizhong boarded the carriage, which soon disappeared.

Zhou Chu stayed behind, calling over a fellow brother from the Fishing Guild to start digging a grave. As he buried the body, he said, “Such a pity, who knows whether the Seventeen Dragon Capturing Palms were taken by Nan Batian and his group.”

Chen Jie, looking at the corpse on the ground, said, “They probably weren’t!”

“How can you tell?”

Zhou Chu looked at Chen Jie, who gestured toward the corpse and said, “Don’t you see? It’s a suicide. If he wasn’t intent on taking the secret to his grave, why would he kill himself?”

Zhou Chu instantly understood. Yes, if he had been willing to hand it over, he might not have died.

And yet he had chosen to end his life instead, indicating he was utterly unwilling to hand the item over.

“What a pity, such a great thing taken to the grave, now no one will find it. Ah… that was the Seventeen Dragon Capturing Palms!”

Zhou Chu felt immense regret.

Chen Jie heard this without any reaction, but thought to himself, no one will find it?