Shen Muzhi asked with utmost naturalness.
If it weren't for knowing beforehand that he was merely bluffing, based on his expression and serious tone, Liu Buli would have almost believed he had genuinely settled on a candidate.
The elder clearly shared this thought. Startled by Shen Muzhi's question, he quickly waved his hands, saying, "Valley Master, I don't know why you would ask such a question. But I can guarantee my absolute and unwavering loyalty to our Medicine Master Valley! I have never done anything to betray the Medicine Master Valley. As for the dealings you mentioned, they must have been fabricated by others to frame me!"
"Oh? Fabricated by others?" Shen Muzhi sneered coldly, pointing to the Ghost Clan member chained in the cage. "He's already bound like this, his fate sealed. I doubt there's any reason to frame you, is there?"
At his words, sweat immediately beaded on the man's forehead.
Forcing out an unconvincing smile, he stammered, "Valley Master, you must be joking with me, right? Didn't we already question them once when we brought these monsters back? They can't even hold a normal conversation, so how could they possibly identify me as having any connection with them?"
Shen Muzhi narrowed his eyes.
It seemed this man was more difficult to intimidate than anticipated.
However, that was of no consequence. He gestured to Lu Wuming beside him and said, "This is a friend of mine. He performed exceptionally well in this martial arts tournament, and you should know of his existence. If he weren't here, then perhaps there would be no way to prove anything. It's just unfortunate that he can understand the Ghost Clan's language. Do you need me to say something for him to translate for you?"
The moment these words were spoken, the胖子's face turned ashen.
Yet, after only a few seconds, he regained his composure. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he chuckled, "Valley Master, please don't joke with me about such things. How could a human possibly understand the Ghost Clan's language? That's absolutely impossible. Therefore..."
"Hey, watch what you're saying," this time it wasn't Shen Muzhi who spoke, but Liu Buli, his face etched with displeasure. "If you lack the ability to learn something, that's your own problem. Why must you doubt others? Learning a foreign language isn't difficult. My disciple has extraordinary talent in this area. Are you jealous of him?"
At his words, You Siqi, standing nearby, couldn't help but want to cover his face. He found himself admiring Liu Buli greatly on many occasions.
After all, for someone to speak such blatant falsehoods with such righteous conviction was something few others, besides Liu Buli, could likely achieve.
Perhaps it was because of the forcefulness of his words, or perhaps it was due to Lu Wuming's truly outstanding performance in the martial arts tournament. This caused the胖子 to become somewhat flustered, unable to discern whether they were deceiving him with a ruse or speaking the truth.
Liu Buli was a fox, and thus, he had always been adept at manipulating human emotions.
Seeing the胖子's current expression, he already guessed that the man's mind was in disarray. He then curved his lips and, striking while the iron was hot, patted Lu Wuming's shoulder. "Go ask that Ghost Clan member where this胖子 met with their master these past few times. Be precise with the location. Otherwise, I fear he won't believe you."
Lu Wuming nodded and went to ask.
This was a question they had already posed to the胖子 before summoning him. They had already confirmed that the Ghost Clan member could provide the answer, which was why Liu Buli could speak with such confidence.
To act the part, Lu Wuming still earnestly posed the question.
The Ghost Clan member, of course, didn't understand why a question needed to be asked repeatedly. However, since they asked, he was willing to answer.
After another bout of frantic cries, Lu Wuming listened and then turned to face the man, saying, "They met three times. The first was on Cloud Spirit Mountain, the second was in the hollow behind Medicine Master Valley, and the third was at the barrier surrounding Medicine Master Valley. Each time, they chose a moonless night, with the Ghost Clan hidden in the darkness, making them difficult to detect."
His description was far too specific. This time, even the胖子's heart rate became erratic.
However, admitting to such a thing would be a death sentence.
So, gritting his teeth, he stubbornly argued, "Since it was a moonless night, the person meeting them naturally wouldn't have seen clearly. Perhaps they simply mistook me for someone else. It has nothing to do with me."
As he spoke, he turned back towards Shen Muzhi, attempting to appeal to his emotions. "Valley Master, I have been a member of Medicine Master Valley for a hundred years. Not only me, but my wife and children are also disciples of Medicine Master Valley. Our entire family is loyal to Medicine Master Valley. Even for the sake of my family, I would absolutely never do such a thing! Valley Master, you must investigate thoroughly and not be deceived by villains!"
As he uttered his final sentence, his gaze inadvertently drifted towards Liu Buli and Lu Wuming. The gesture was too obvious; it was a clear attempt to suggest to Shen Muzhi that Liu Buli and his companions were the culprits disrupting the internal stability of Medicine Master Valley.
However, the more he spoke, the more serious Shen Muzhi's expression became.
His gaze at the胖子 turned icy cold as he said, "Speaking of which, I am also a bit curious. Your wife and children are all disciples of our Medicine Master Valley, yet starting a few months ago, you used your position to send them all away on assignments. At the time, I wondered if you had some sort of spat with your family. Now I realize, you were simply trying to ensure their survival during this calamity?"
The胖子 immediately waved his hands. "Valley Master, what are you saying? I am loyal to Medicine Master Valley. I sent my wife and children out on missions only because I felt they were suitable. There was absolutely no other intention."
"No other intention? Then it's easily explained."
Liu Buli chuckled from the side, his eyes curved. "I was originally going to remind you that all your Ghost Clan subordinates witnessed your transactions with their master. Since that's the case, they'll know who to seek revenge from. You brought them here, and as a result, they suffered heavy casualties, and even their master, whom they served loyally, is dead. If I were those escaped Ghost Clan members, I would definitely seek revenge from the culprit who led me into this death trap. If I couldn't kill him, I'd at least kill his family. If you are not that culprit, then you can rest assured."