If manufactured interference was involved, then the top suspects in Jiang Hao's disappearance would naturally include those privy to his plans and routes. That meant Duan Ting and Liu Ying had to be on the list, as callous as the notion might seem.
Despite the genuineness of their emotions—so convincing that even Yang Qing couldn't detect any falsehood—it wasn't beyond reason that they could still be involved.
His experience had taught him one thing: the cultivation world was a deeply insidious place. With their extended lifespans, cultivators were master schemers. Some could spend nearly a century—the full lifespan of a mortal—meticulously plotting the perfect scheme or ensuring an elaborate plan's success.
Cultivators only schemed when they lacked the strength and or the confidence to achieve their goals directly. That meant whatever they were entangled in carried significant risks to their lives.
