The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

Lei Qian squatted on the ground, rubbing his face with his hands. After a long while, he took a deep breath and stood up. Lin Qian also glanced at the corpse in the pit, feeling a bit surprised.

The corpse was none other than Lei Kun.

Although Lin Qian had crippled Lei Kun's cultivation, Lei Kun had once been a soul warrior. His physical body, though not particularly strong, was still much sturdier than an ordinary person's. As a result, the corpse remained relatively intact, making it easy for them to identify him.

"No wonder Grandfather couldn't find any trace of him. He must have been killed long ago," Lei Qian said, gazing at Lei Kun's body with a sorrowful expression. "Our family owes too much to them."

Lin Qian, however, didn't feel much sympathy. Lei Kun, spoiled by Lei Heng, had grown arrogant and tyrannical. His death didn't evoke any particular pity in Lin Qian. What puzzled him, though, was why Lei Kun had been killed, and why his body had been buried and hidden so carefully.

Crouching beside the pit, Lin Qian examined Lei Kun's corpse. The body was pale and bloodless, with closed eyes. The clothing around his heart bore a dark, dried bloodstain.

"Something feels off," Lin Qian muttered as he carefully considered the scene, trying to pinpoint what he might have missed.

Meanwhile, Lei Qian approached the outer sect disciples and began questioning them. "Have you been responsible for the patrols this month?"

"Yes," one of the disciples nodded.

"Did you see anything suspicious seven days ago?" Lei Qian asked urgently.

However, all the disciples shook their heads. "Ever since we started this duty, we haven't seen anything unusual."

Just as Lei Qian's expression turned disappointed, the disciple who had led Lin Qian and Lei Qian here suddenly spoke up. "Seven nights ago, while I was guarding the mountain gate, I did see Lei Kun."

His words immediately drew everyone's attention, including Lin Qian, who stood up and approached. "You saw Lei Kun?"

"That night, he seemed to be in a hurry to leave the sect. Since he's Lei Heng's grandson, I didn't dare to stop him, so I let him pass," the disciple explained, pausing as if recalling something. "Later, I remember Lei Kuo followed him out as well."

"Lei Kuo?" Lin Qian and Lei Qian exchanged glances, their faces showing surprise.

"Yes, about half an hour later, Lei Kuo returned. He seemed frustrated, and when I looked at him, he even yelled at me," the disciple added.

After hearing this, Lin Qian pondered for a moment. "Lei Kuo is very likely the one who killed Lei Kun."

Given the location, deep within the Wanxiang Sect's territory and under constant patrol, it would be difficult for an enemy to infiltrate and commit the murder. This made Lei Kuo the prime suspect.

"But something doesn't add up," Lei Qian said after a moment of thought, looking suspiciously at the guard disciple. "Why didn't you mention this when my grandfather questioned you?"

The disciple looked troubled as he replied, "Lei Heng did question me, and even brought Lei Kuo to confront me. But, strangely enough, Liu Ming and dozens of inner sect disciples all testified that Lei Kuo was with them that night, drinking and discussing cultivation. Compared to the inner sect disciples, who would believe an outer sect disciple like me?"

Hearing this, Lei Qian nodded silently. He recalled how his grandfather had returned, disappointed, and had said nothing further about the matter. It seemed that Lei Heng had accepted Liu Ming's testimony, leaving Lei Qian in the dark.

Moreover, Lei Kuo and Lei Kun had no recent grievances, nor did they share any deep enmity. Although Lei Kun was not Lei Heng's biological grandson, he still bore the Lei family name. What reason could Lei Kuo have had to kill him?

Suddenly, Lin Qian acted swiftly, grabbing the guard disciple by the chin and pouring a transparent liquid into his mouth. The disciple choked and coughed violently, but after a while, he regained his composure.

"Sorry, but this was necessary. I'll compensate you later," Lin Qian said, patting the disciple's shoulder. He then asked, "Now, tell us everything you saw that night."

To everyone's shock, the disciple found himself unable to control his words and recounted every detail of that night truthfully.

Lei Qian and the other disciples watched in astonishment.

"Boss, what is this?" Lei Qian whispered to Lin Qian.

"Truth Serum. For half an hour, the person who drinks it can't lie and must answer any questions," Lin Qian replied quietly.

Lei Qian's eyes widened in realization. "Three days ago, when I couldn't stop myself from speaking... was it because of..."

"I slipped some into your tea to make sure you were genuinely loyal to me. Now that I'm sure, I'll give you a gift later," Lin Qian said seriously.

"..."

After the guard disciple finished his account, Lei Qian clenched his fists tightly. "So it was Lei Kuo after all!"

Under the effects of the Truth Serum, the guard disciple had recalled more details, confirming that Lei Kuo had left the sect before Lei Kun, not after, as he had originally claimed.

Lin Qian trusted the effects of the Truth Serum and believed that the guard disciple's testimony was accurate. Lei Kuo's collusion with Liu Ming only reinforced the suspicion that he was the murderer.

But despite their certainty, the motive remained unclear. Why would Lei Kuo kill Lei Kun? What reason could he have had?

"Could it be to silence him?" one of the outer sect disciples suggested.

"Silence him?" Lin Qian and Lei Qian both turned their attention to the disciple.

"I... I just thought, if they had no other grievances, that might be the only explanation," the disciple stammered under their intense gaze.

Lin Qian found the idea plausible. Lei Kuo must have done something that Lei Kun had accidentally witnessed, forcing Lei Kuo to eliminate him to keep it secret.

"Boss, if only you hadn't killed Lei Kuo," Lei Qian sighed, looking helplessly at Lin Qian.

Lin Qian looked a bit embarrassed. "Who knew this would happen? If I'd known, I would've given him the Truth Serum instead. But now... well, I stabbed him before I could think about it..."

While Lin Qian and Lei Qian were deep in conversation, the other disciples stood near the pit, their backs turned.

None of them noticed that within the pit, the once lifeless Lei Kun had suddenly opened his eyes!