Chapter 129: The Mastermind Brought to Justice

"You didn't expect this, did you?" Zhang He retracted his five-section staff and slung it back onto his back, returning it to the shape of a luggage crate.

"I truly did not," the Fat Mantis sighed as he lay on the ground. "You were meant to be an insignificant character, but I underestimated you. Now that I have failed, I have no complaints; there are simply a few things I do not understand."

Zhang He nodded. "The final words of some people are naturally of value. I am quite curious to hear your questions."

The Fat Mantis asked, "How did you come to suspect me?"

Zhang He smiled. "I didn't suspect you at first. But from the moment you were elected sect leader, I felt there were far too many coincidences."

The Fat Mantis could not help but ask, "What coincidences?"

Zhang He replied, "When I first arrived at Xie Family Post, I met you, and by then, eight disciples of the Hidden Sword Manor had already been killed. Later, when I returned to the manor from the Bai family, the transport team was ambushed just at that moment. Then, when Miss Zhong and I arrived at Happy Forest, we encountered Jin Mailang at exactly the right time. When I reached Famous Sword Manor, I unfortunately happened upon the scene where the Third Miss was decapitated. Upon my return to Hidden Sword Manor, Jin Mailang happened to show up to issue a challenge. And finally, during the sect election, you intervened at the most opportune moment to compete."

The Fat Mantis said, "What does that prove?"

Zhang He laughed. "It proves nothing on its own. But when you combine these seemingly chaotic and unrelated events, your shadow looms behind every one of them. You were involved in all of them, or at least aware of those you didn't participate in. Meanwhile, Wedding Dress Qi and Millionaire were largely in the dark. That made you the prime suspect."

The Fat Mantis said coldly, "That doesn't seem to prove I have done anything wrong, does it? None of this constitutes evidence."

"Of course not," Zhang He sneered. "But do not forget the paper scroll you and Fourth Miss secretly passed to me at Famous Sword Manor via Yan Jiu."

The Fat Mantis certainly had not forgotten. He asked skeptically, "What was wrong with that scroll?"

Zhang He said leisurely, "That scroll contained ten sheets of paper. Aside from the first and last, the other eight had drawings on them. On such small scraps of paper, the drawings were so lifelike they were nearly identical to the real people. This is a significant issue because the person who drew them is not just an artist, but a master-level one; otherwise, they could not have rendered such exquisite detail on such a small surface. Furthermore, this person had to have seen me, Fourth Miss, Third Miss, and Miss Zhong. Tell me, who could that be?"

Zhong Shuman asked in surprise, "Could it be him?"

Zhang He looked at the Fat Mantis and smiled. "It certainly wasn't him, because a master-level artist requires too much focus. Steward Fat is clearly not a man of letters willing to devote his energy to ink and brush. Besides, we only stayed at Happy Forest for half a day. Tell me, who did we meet?"

Zhong Shuman suddenly realized. The Fat Mantis himself had explained previously: "He is no longer a combat player; he has chosen life professions like chef, fisherman, florist, and artist."

The Fat Mantis's pupils finally began to contract. He had not expected his complex, meticulous plan to fail over this single detail. It was just like the old saying: there is no such thing as an impenetrable plan in this world. No matter how perfect, there will always be a flaw or two.

It was exactly like software in the real world; there is no such thing as an absolutely perfect program. There are always one or two vulnerabilities—otherwise, where would all the cheats and hacks come from? If the Fat Mantis was a super-program, then Zhang He was an invincible hack.

Zhang He smiled. "So, there is only one candidate who could have drawn those pictures. He not only saw us but is also very familiar with the internal affairs of Famous Sword Manor. More importantly, you were the only one who could have persuaded him, with Wanli Qingming as the intermediary. I cannot think of anyone else who could have produced those drawings at the time. I am curious, though—how did you bribe him?"

The Fat Mantis sneered. "His price wasn't high, just 100 gold taels. He is obsessed with ink painting, cooking, and flowers. You should know that playing those professions in *Dynasty* is quite expensive."

Zhang He shook his head. "I only know that if a person can be tagged with a price, then that person is worthless."

The Fat Mantis continued, "But don't forget, Young Master Qi himself voted for me and recommended me as sect leader."

"I know," Zhang He replied sharply. "The young master was deceived by you; it is understandable that he was duped. But your problem is even greater than Shao Gong's. From the moment the Third Miss was killed to Jin Mailang’s challenge, these events reveal a major issue: why would this mysterious person make these conspiracies so complex and secretive? There is only one reason: he has something to hide. He must be someone everyone knows and is very familiar with. If this mysterious person were a stranger, why the secrecy? Of course, you could argue that this person belongs to a prestigious sect, but would a true master from a prestigious sect go through all this trouble? He would simply show up and start a fight."

The Fat Mantis’s pupils constricted even further, but he could not help but ask, "Then how did you know I was the one who orchestrated it?"

Zhang He smiled. "That is even simpler. Why spend so much manpower, wealth, and energy just to kill one or two people? There must be a motive. In other words, whoever gains the most from this series of events is the final mastermind. I don't think I need to elaborate on this principle."

This is an eternal truth. The ultimate goal of every conspirator is to secure greater benefits for themselves. Once this is understood, it is not difficult to deduce the identity of the mysterious person behind the Fat Mantis.

The struggle between Famous Sword Manor and Hidden Sword Manor had resulted in both sides suffering, with neither truly benefiting. Hidden Sword Manor was severely weakened; many disciples were killed, Shao Gong defected, Wedding Dress Qi and Millionaire were decapitated, and Qi Shiqi was demoted to protector. The only person who gained was the Fat Mantis.

Famous Sword Manor was even worse off: the Third Miss was decapitated, Yan Jiu and Fourth Miss defected, Ximen Jian was killed, and the marriage alliance with the Beggar Sect was ruined. The only one who benefited there was Baili Feng.

Zhang He smiled. "I originally thought you were colluding with Jin Mailang, but that is impossible. If you were colluding with him, you would have gained nothing in the end."

"Why?" asked Zhong Shuman.

Zhang He smiled. "It’s simple. If he were to betray Young Master Qi like Shao Gong did, even if Jin Mailang were to annex Hidden Sword Manor and make him a branch leader, it would be too obvious. Are the eyes of thousands of manor disciples blind? Wouldn't they see it? Besides, if he really did that, Jin Mailang would despise him in his heart. If he could betray Young Master Qi, he could just as easily betray Jin Mailang one day."

Zhong Shuman was impressed. Zhang He's understanding of human nature was that of a true master; he never looked at the surface of things and always saw the underlying principles and future developments.

Zhang He continued, "But if it weren't for him and Baili Feng being in such a hurry to hire the Death Judges to deal with Jin Mailang, I wouldn't have suspected him. If the news that Jin Mailang was killed by the Death Judges at Xie Family Post reached Famous Sword Manor, what would happen?"

Zhong Shuman nodded. "The entire manor would likely unite in hatred, believing Young Master Qi to be despicable and treacherous. But Boss Jin's reputation would also drop below 2000. At that point, a new sect leader would be elected, and as soon as Baili Feng took power, he could negotiate with Steward Fat regarding the Xie Family Post issue. All their goals would be achieved."

Zhang He looked at the Fat Mantis and smiled. "So, I advise you, the next time you use this tactic, wait until Jin Mailang returns before taking action. That way, no one would suspect you. Unfortunately, you were too impatient. Sometimes, impatience leads to failure."

He paused and smiled again. "I know you are unwilling to accept this, but as I said, you were too impatient, and too arrogant. Anyone in your position, successfully succeeding as sect leader, would inevitably feel proud. You and Baili Feng were drinking on the small hill outside Xie Family Post that night. You thought no one saw you, but I tell you, I already suspected you. I followed you quietly, and you failed to notice. Given your strength, you should have sensed someone nearby, but you were too excited, and you had been drinking. Not only did you not discover me, but I heard every word you said. I logged off that night to inform my friends to come and assist, and I had already set a trap to see you make a fool of yourself today."

The Fat Mantis's face twisted. He suddenly remembered that he had conspired to have the Third Miss killed on her wedding day, and today, he was being sabotaged by Zhang He during his own grand ceremony. This was karma—what goes around comes around.

However, he let out a sinister laugh. "Fine, I admit everything you said, but what can you do about it?"

Zhang He also revealed a sinister and terrifying smile. "I know why you can still laugh. Actually, I have one more secret to tell you. I accidentally killed Miss Zhong that day. She was a 3rd-rank minor hero, and killing her increased my evil value significantly. My evil value is now at 50, while my chivalry value is only 4. You are an old hand in the Jianghu; you should know that if the ratio of chivalry to evil is more than 10 to 1, as long as I am not killing someone from a demonic sect or the underworld, I don't need to issue a formal challenge to kill you—your reputation will drop anyway. Your reputation is currently 2001, as you told me yourself. Once you die, you will be demoted to an automatic protector. Of course, you can stop dreaming about being sect leader from now on."

As he spoke, Zhang He drew his Qingshuang Sword, stroked the blade, and sneered coldly. "This is the sword Miss Zhong once gave me. You caused me to kill her by mistake, and now I will use her sword to kill you. This is the bitter fruit you planted yourself, and now you must taste it. One last thing: after you respawn, you’d better log off and hide for a month or two. Because if you log back in, you will still be here, and you should be careful that the Young Master and those thousand disciples surrounding the Three Lives Stone won't beat you back to your original form. I have finished speaking—you may go in peace..."

The Fat Mantis's smile froze. He could no longer laugh. He had thought his plan was flawless and calculated to the last detail, never suspecting that a larger, more terrifying net had been waiting for him all along.

The Fat Mantis could not help but curse, "I'll f*ck your mother..."

But his voice was suddenly cut short, for Zhang He’s Qingshuang Sword had already descended upon his neck, and the spurting blood stained everyone's faces.