Chapter 175
Chapter 175: Still Not Dead?
Almost at the same time, the patriarchs of the Yuan, Zhu, and Cen families—three great martial clans of Wu Dao—and the head of the Baili Clan each received an order from General Han Chui Yuan of Sheng Province:
“Proceed as originally planned. Before midnight, take down the Murong Family.”
Upon receiving this command, the Four Great Families immediately convened in urgency. After their deliberation, and with the premise of seeking General Han Chui Yuan’s assistance, the four families reached unanimous agreement. They would follow Han Chui Yuan’s instructions and launch an all-out assault against the Murong Family.
The four powerful clans vowed to completely erase the Murong Family from Prefecture City within the span of a single day!
…
At the Prefecture City Yamen of Sheng Province.
Once Hu Rui An and Wu Shang’s group joined forces with the three parties from Sheng Province, an investigation began under the guidance of Yao Ling Yuan, the Gold-Badge Chief Constable of Six Gates.
Normally, the three parties from Sheng Province would have needed to jointly report to the Imperial Capital and await authorization from the Ministry of Justice before dispatching a special envoy to obtain full investigative powers. However, with Li Mu Sheng present, this formality could temporarily be bypassed. Under his oversight, Yao Ling Yuan and the others were able to thoroughly investigate the murder case without restraint.
Of course, Li Mu Sheng himself had no real interest in the case. Only at Hu Rui An’s earnest request did he reluctantly assume the role of “supervising” the investigation.
The true motive behind Hu Rui An’s urgency to solve this case was to uncover Provincial Governor Zhu Zi Ming’s possible collusion with Fallen God Peak and the leak within the Heavenly Brocade Guard.
Mei Yan Yu, the son of Mei Yan—the Deputy Commander of Heavenly Brocade Guard—also participated in the investigation on behalf of the Sheng Province division. However, rather than focusing on the murder itself, he continually observed Hu Rui An, Wu Shang, and Cheng Zhong. Or rather, he secretly monitored their every move.
The reason for this was obvious.
He was waiting for the ghostly presence haunting the Heavenly Brocade Guard’s residence to appear again and claim the lives of these three.
As the time passed, Hu Rui An and his companions grew increasingly uneasy. Even with Li Mu Sheng, whose martial prowess was beyond formidable, standing guard, worry lingered in their hearts. After all, Li Mu Sheng was just one person. If the specter was truly as mysterious and cunning as feared, even profound martial arts might have limitations.
Or worse, if Li Mu Sheng somehow made a mistake, they might share the same fate as the fallen Commanding Commissioner. Though they deeply admired and trusted Li Mu Sheng, believing that such a possibility was minimal, the mere thought of it was still enough to cause anxiety.
Under this atmosphere of suspicion and unease, noon gradually passed.
Throughout this period, Yao Ling Yuan, worthy of his title as Gold-Badge Chief Constable, examined the 176 bodies meticulously. Quickly, he concluded that there had been seven attackers involved.
Among them, the individual who employed the martial technique “Azure Dragon Thousand Swords” appeared to be the leader. This person had killed the most victims and possessed the highest martial skill, at least reaching the level of a Half-Step Heavenly Union practitioner. Provincial Governor Zhu Zi Ming had fallen to this very person. Although Zhu Zi Ming held a martial cultivation of a Great Martial Grandmaster, he was primarily a civil official and thus powerless before his attacker.
“The murderer clearly searched the rooms but never interrogated Governor Zhu, instead silencing him instantly with a sword strike to the throat,” Yao Ling Yuan spoke slowly.
Deputy General Zhang Feng of Sheng Province frowned, asking, “Constable Yao, do you mean the murders were committed for robbery?”
Yao Ling Yuan nodded, then shook his head again. “Judging by the scene, that seems likely. Yet we cannot rule out the possibility that the murderer intentionally staged the scene to mislead us.”
Deputy General Zhang Feng frowned even deeper, glancing skeptically at Yao Ling Yuan. Clearly, he felt that the constable had provided no useful insight.
At that same moment, Mei Yan Yu glanced upward at the sun above the Yamen, then back at Hu Rui An’s trio, who were still alive and well.
Shock and confusion appeared on his face.
As the son of Sheng Province’s Heavenly Brocade Guard deputy commander, Mei Yan Yu knew better than anyone about the hauntings in the Guard’s compound. Historically, anyone encountering the ghost there at night had never lived past the following noon. Every single one had died mysteriously by hanging.
Yet now, astonishingly, Hu Rui An and his companions had broken this ominous pattern. They remained alive and vibrant, utterly untouched by misfortune.
Mei Yan Yu stared at them, deeply puzzled, thinking secretly, [What’s happening here? Even Father, protected by Mother and Elder Mu along with other top martial artists, could barely survive until noon before being gravely injured by the ghost. Why haven’t these three suffered any harm?]
Just as Mei Yan Yu struggled to make sense of the situation, a black messenger falcon appeared above the Yamen. After circling once, it swiftly dove down, landing gently upon Mei Yan Yu’s shoulder.
Seeing this, Mei Yan Yu composed himself, removing a small bamboo tube tied to the falcon’s leg. After releasing the bird, he unrolled the tiny note and quickly scanned it.
Suddenly, Mei Yan Yu’s expression froze. Carefully, he re-examined the note. Then he abruptly raised his gaze, staring at Hu Rui An, then shifting his eyes to Li Mu Sheng and Murong Xiao Ya.
For a moment, his expression flickered strangely.
At that moment, a servant standing behind Mei Yan Yu noticed something was amiss and quietly transmitted using martial Qi, “Young Master, what has happened?”
Exhaling slowly, Mei Yan Yu replied, “I’ve just received news that Baili Chang Feng is dead!”
Upon hearing this, the servant narrowed his eyes slightly. “Was it that old immortal from the Murong Family?”
Mei Yan Yu shook his head subtly, responding softly, “No. It was Hu Rui An and his group. Baili Chang Feng was killed by a single finger.”
As he spoke, realization suddenly dawned upon Mei Yan Yu’s face. “Now I finally understand what Hu Rui An meant earlier. They didn’t just kill Baili Xu—they even took down Baili Chang Feng!”
Hearing this, the servant fell silent. After a moment’s pause, he transmitted again, frowning, “Young Master, Hu Rui An’s martial cultivation is obvious at a glance. There’s no way he could defeat Baili Chang Feng. Do you know who truly acted?”
Mei Yan Yu pondered briefly before shaking his head. “The Four Great Wu Dao families have sealed off the news. Our information is limited, and we don’t yet know who actually did it.”
Turning slightly, Mei Yan Yu glanced towards Li Mu Sheng under the distant corridor, adding thoughtfully, “However, I suspect it likely involves the Eighth Prince himself.”