"There are footprints here!"
Just as Chen Jinshu was about to ask more questions, a senior brother from the Steward Hall shouted from the rooftop, forcing her to shut her mouth mid-sentence. Now was not the time to stir up unnecessary trouble.
"Senior brothers, please understand! I haven't left the courtyard in the past three days. As for when those footprints appeared, I really don't know."
"You misunderstand, Junior Sister! These footprints didn't only appear on your rooftop. Several other households have had the same issue. The culprit likely moved along the eaves, avoiding the patrolling disciples."
Upon hearing that, Chen Jinshu felt a bit of relief and stopped overthinking it. Soon, the senior brothers gathered evidence and analyzed the size of the footprints.
"Sorry to bother you, Junior Sister! We won't go inside—after all, every household has protective formations. At most, the poison could've been placed outside the formation."
"Were there any unusual symptoms from the poisoned senior brothers?" Chen Jinshu asked casually.
Each courtyard had protective arrays. For the poison to be deployed successfully, it was likely placed outside the formation, making the eaves a key location. She subconsciously took a few steps back.
"No need to worry, Junior Sister. Before knocking on anyone's door, we check thoroughly for traces of poison powder. Your courtyard is very safe."
"I see!"
"We won't hold you up any longer. Many more courtyards need to be checked."
"Take care, senior brothers." Chen Jinshu gave a slight nod, watching the investigating disciples leave before finally closing her courtyard gate.
"Well, since I've already opened the gate, I might as well go water the herbs."
After a brief moment of thought, she left Ink Plum Courtyard, activating the protective array as she stepped out.
...
Moments later, her figure appeared near Frost Pool Herb Garden. The disciples moving through the area were all in a hurry, as if rushing against time—or avoiding something. Chen Jinshu hesitated for a moment, then headed into the spirit fields to begin watering the plants.
She quickly learned some news from Senior Brother Lin Yi in the neighboring field. All the disciples who had been poisoned were strong contenders in the upcoming alchemy competition—especially those who had already earned Mid-Grade Alchemist certifications.
They were not only skilled in cultivation but also highly accomplished in alchemy. If not for the poison incident, they might've performed brilliantly at the competition. Now, they had to race to recover before the event started.
Hearing this, Chen Jinshu felt lucky she hadn't shown off her talent too much—otherwise, she might've been a target too.
These past few days, the elders of Medicine King Peak had been furious, launching a thorough investigation to find the perpetrator. All the top contenders were being treated as suspects and subjected to Heart-Probing questioning.
Yet, the real culprit remained hidden.
Rumor had it that the elders were now planning to have all participants in the alchemy competition undergo a Heart-Probing Screening, to ensure the culprit would be revealed and justice served.
After quickly finishing her duties at the Frost Pool Herb Garden, Chen Jinshu rushed off to Green Pine Herb Garden, where the spirit herbs had only been planted for two to three months and needed more frequent watering.
When she arrived, she noticed something different from Frost Pool Garden.
The disciples here looked exactly the same as they had three days ago—expressionless, indifferent, as if nothing concerned them.
Curious, she asked the supervising elder and soon learned why.
These disciples were miscellaneous workers, not competitors in the alchemy tournament. They had simply accepted tasks issued by Foundation Establishment cultivators to tend the spirit fields, in exchange for spirit stones and contribution points.
This poisoning incident had little to do with them—no wonder they showed no concern.
Suddenly everything made sense. These disciples had either similar or lower cultivation levels than hers but still worked here. It turned out they were just here to complete tasks.
Still, some among them remained inscrutable—likely Foundation Establishment cultivators handling things personally.
An hour later, just as Chen Jinshu finished tending to her three acres of spirit fields in Green Pine Herb Garden, a loud voice rang in her ears:
"All disciples participating in the alchemy competition, gather at the Medicine King Hall!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu knew exactly what was happening—the elders were beginning their mass interrogation of participants. This would definitely help reveal the true culprit sooner. Without hesitation, she rushed toward the mountaintop Medicine King Hall.
Before long, she arrived to find the hall crowded with disciples—over two hundred by rough count—even though a portion of them had already been screened.
"This is way more than Senior Sister Dai had estimated!"
Her earlier confidence wavered slightly. Looking at the group of disciples ahead waiting for their Heart-Probing, she hurried to line up at the back.
"As you've likely heard, some competitors were poisoned. This is merely a screening to ensure none of you harbor ill intentions."
The speaker was an elderly man in a dark cyan robe—older and more powerful than Master Gu himself. After half an hour of waiting, Chen Jinshu's turn finally came. The process was simple: stand before a special Heart-Probing Stone, encircled by a formation made of spiritual energy.
The moment she stepped into it, she felt herself trapped—unable to resist, incapable of even forming rebellious thoughts.
"Are you the one who poisoned the others?"
A voice as calm as a Buddhist chant echoed in her ears. She responded uncontrollably:
"No!"
"Were you involved in this matter in any way?"
"Unrelated!"
She tried her best to resist, but could only manage these few words.
When the questioning ended, the restraining force was lifted.
"You may leave."
Upon hearing that, she quickly stepped out of the formation and went to the registration table to sign her name. Looking back at the long line still waiting, she realized that the crowd hadn't shrunk much—but she knew at least a hundred disciples had already gone through the process.
She could already imagine the grandeur of the upcoming alchemy competition—how large must the venue be to accommodate so many participants at once? After her questioning, she didn't linger. She swiftly returned to Ink Plum Courtyard.
Before entering, she used a cleaning spell to tidy the entire place, inside and out, then reactivated the protective array and stepped inside.
"Hopefully there won't be any more of these harmful incidents."
This massive Heart-Probing screening by Medicine King Peak served two purposes: to hunt down the true culprit and to deter the restless disciples—reminding them that secrets never stay hidden forever.