ATPnovel Chapter 1352: Revised: 44 The Genius Case
Chapter 1352: Revised: 44 The Genius Case
Chapter 1352: Revised: Chapter 44 The Genius CaseWithin Linyi City, one shocking piece of news after another rapidly spread across the entire city with astonishing speed.
In the streets and alleys, at taverns and teahouses, rumors permeated the air.
“Have you heard? The assassination of Zhao Xuan, the Imperial Court Adviser, at Xiaolian Bridge—those Hell Has No Door assassins—Son of Qingyang helped them enter the city! Afterwards, he even facilitated their escape!”
“What? That can’t be true, can it?”
“Can’t be true? Su She, the president of Jubao Business Association, accidentally stumbled upon their conspiracy just outside the city. As a result, he was killed on the spot! The ones who did it were King Qin Guang and Wang the Coroner. They also silenced the coachman from the Bao family’s carriage service!”
“No, that’s not right—wasn’t it said that Su She, desperate and reckless, purchased information on the Bao family’s carriage service and ambushed Son of Qingyang directly on the Official Way? In the end, he was killed by Jiang Wang, Zhongxuan Sheng, and Zhongxuan Sheng’s personal guard, all teamed up against him!”
“You believe that? Back then, Jiang Wang’s Inner Mansion wasn’t even formed yet, and Zhongxuan Sheng—let’s not even mention him! How could they possibly kill Su She?”
“Wasn’t it said that a hidden murderer suppressed Su She in secret?”
“When Zhongxuan Sheng went out with the hidden murderer, Su She was already dead by then!”
“And the Zhong Xuan Family…”
“Heh. Not something to be spoken of, not something to be spoken of…”
…
“Do you know? Our nation’s greatest genius is actually a secret agent for Equality Country? Collaborating with Cui Zhu during the Grand Ceremony to earn the Son of Heaven’s trust—how many years has he even been in Qi Country? What qualifications does he have to represent Qi Country in competitions?”
“Stop talking nonsense. He’s the Yellow River Leader, the pride of the people of Qi!”
“What damn pride? You’d gladly count money for him while he sells you out! Do you even know about the Crying Shrine Incident?”
“Stop spouting nonsense! That’s forbidden!”
“Hmph. When the Crying Shrine Incident occurred, aside from Zhang Song, only Jiang Wang was present. How is it that every time Equality Country acts, Jiang Wang always happens to be there?”
“Perhaps it’s just coincidence…”
“Ha! Coincidence! Then this time when he shielded Yang Country royal remnants, killing an entire family of arrest officers in Zhao Heng City—is that coincidence too? He sided with the Yang Country royal remnants, incited General Cao Jie to reprimand Huang Yixing, sparking the factional feud between the new Qi people and the old Qi people—is that also coincidence?”
“Isn’t that case still under investigation?”
“Let me tell you a secret, but don’t tell anyone else. My brother-in-law works at the Imperial City Inspection Mansion. This case has conclusive evidence—it doesn’t even need investigation! The reason it’s being suppressed is out of concern for Court prestige, since Jiang Wang recently claimed the Yellow River Leadership and was heavily rewarded by the Son of Heaven. They’re waiting a few years for the uproar to die down. Watch and see what happens then.”
“I still don’t believe it. Jiang Wang, as the Inner Mansion prodigy, has unlimited potential. Why would he act as a secret agent for Equality Country? What could he possibly gain?”
“What they seek is ideals, not future prospects! Though their ideals are dangerously radical. Let me tell you, Jiang Wang has already fled across borders. Do you think he might return?”
…
…
Such rumors, in remarkably little time, had turned the whole city into a storm of gossip!
After all, he had been universally acclaimed as a hero just a short while ago—one might say there wasn’t a single Qi person who didn’t know Jiang Qingyang. So anything concerning him naturally spread with uncontrollable fury.
From within a luxurious carriage passing slowly by a teahouse, faint fragments of wind-carried gossip reached Li Fengyao’s ears, causing her frosty brows to arch slightly: “I came back precisely to see his grand moment. Why has it suddenly turned into all this?”
Sitting across from her, Li Longchuan shook his head with a bitter smile: “I have no idea. It happened too abruptly. He and I were just drinking together a few days ago—everything seemed perfectly normal then. His trip to Zhao Heng City was simply to investigate a case; who could’ve predicted that during the investigation, he’d vanish—and in his absence, a mountain of accusations piled atop him!”
“Where is he now?”
“No one knows. He hasn’t been reachable, and even Zhongxuan Sheng’s side has no updates.”
“Leaving Qi Country at such a critical time is hardly a wise move,” Li Fengyao said.
“Who wouldn’t agree?” Li Longchuan’s sword-like eyebrows furrowed tightly.
Li Fengyao thought for a moment, then declared: “Jiang Wang isn’t an idiot. The only reason he’d make such a foolish decision is if he didn’t leave Qi Country voluntarily.”
“He was on a mission capturing someone…” Li Longchuan stopped mid-sentence and then asked, “Are you suggesting that the two arrest officers traveling with him might be suspect? Third-grade Green Plate cultivator Li Youjue and Spirit-capturing master Yue Leng—they’re both veteran Godly cultivators who’ve spent most of their lives working within the Green Plate System.”
“I’m merely speculating. If they are suspicious, then surely the Imperial City Inspection Mansion wouldn’t let it go.” Li Fengyao glanced at her brother: “You seem troubled by something?”
Li Longchuan pressed his lips together and finally revealed: “Setting aside the other matters, Jiang Wang aiding Hell Has No Door into the city… that part might actually be true.”
Li Fengyao’s chin lifted slightly, her long neck dazzlingly pale, gleaming with a frosty curve.
“Explain,” she demanded.
“The incident with King Qin Guang and Wang the Coroner killing Su She—that matches in both timing and location, down to every tiny detail. Moreover, when the Imperial City Inspection Mansion investigated the Xiaolian Bridge assassination case, one of Zhongxuan Zun’s subordinates was coincidentally implicated. Though innocence was later confirmed, you know—it happened during the peak of the fierce struggle between Zhongxuan Sheng and Wang Yiwu.”
Li Longchuan added in a low voice: “Besides, Jiang Wang and Yin Guan… had known each other even before arriving in Qi Country. Such matters can be easily verified in You Nation.”
“If this is true, then I have but one question,” Li Fengyao queried. “At the scene, only King Qin Guang, Wang the Coroner, Jiang Wang, and Su She were present. If the first three were allied and Su She is dead, who leaked the information?”
“Which suggests… there are still uncertainties in this matter.”
“How is the family handling it?” Li Fengyao questioned.
“Father personally applied pressure at the Inspection Mansion, demanding fair treatment. Uncle, who has influence in Donghua Pavilion, is also advocating on Jiang Wang’s behalf.” Li Longchuan said: “No matter what, as his friend, I won’t allow him to be falsely accused.”
Li Fengyao lifted the curtain to gaze at the vibrant sunny sky and casually remarked: “It’s going to rain.”
…
…
Within the Imperial City Inspection Mansion.
Inside a secret chamber.
The Imperial Court Adviser, Xie Huaian, sat at the head of the room, fixing his gaze upon the man across from him: “Catch officer Yue, is there something you wish to say?”
Yue Leng sat upright with hands resting properly on his knees, stating resolutely: “Li Youjue is suspicious!”
Meanwhile, in an entirely different secret chamber, similar words echoed.
Except this time, the speaker was Li Youjue, and the inquirer was Beiyar Commander Zheng Shi.
“Yue Leng is suspicious!”
Li Youjue, facing Zheng Shi, spoke with fervor: “If he wasn’t suspicious, then why did he suddenly insist on joining our pursuit mission? We Green Plate cultivators handle cases according to established protocols. Yue Leng may have exceptional status allowing some leeway, but such recklessness is unbecoming! A perfectly straightforward pursuit was disrupted, allowing the target to discover us early, pulling off a classic ‘lure the tiger from its mountain’ strategy, and leading to Jiang Wang’s disappearance!”
Zheng Shi gazed at him calmly, speaking in measured tones: “Am I to understand that Catch officer Li doesn’t find Jiang Wang suspicious?”
“As for those circulating rumors outside, I find them utterly groundless!” Li Youjue said. “Although my interactions with Jiang Wang have been limited, I’ve seen enough to know he has excellent character. Moreover, he’s at the pinnacle of Qi Country’s prospects—there’s no other place where he could develop better. For him to do such things, one would have to believe he’s lost his mind!”
“But concerning the family annihilated in Zhao Heng City…” Zheng Shi said. “The scene undeniably bore the marks of Jiang Wang’s swordsmanship.”
Li Youjue responded decisively: “That’s too easy to imitate—it proves nothing! If Yue Leng, as a Spirit-capturing master, deliberately crafted the scene, who could unveil the truth?”
“What do you think,” Zheng Shi pursued further, “would be Yue Leng’s motive?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea.” Li Youjue’s sharp eyes glinted audaciously: “Perhaps for Truth-Seeking Realm cultivation resources. Perhaps for some other purpose. Perhaps… Equality Country? If possible, I suggest directly extracting his Spirit!”
Zheng Shi turned down to review files without commenting.
Naturally, the suggestion was entirely impossible. With Yue Leng’s stature and status, even if definitive evidence existed against him, extracting his Spirit would require express approval from the Son of Heaven himself.
To cultivators, Spirit extraction was the ultimate disgrace—their lifetime secrets exposed, their dignity utterly destroyed. Nine out of ten subjected to Spirit extraction would have their Taoist Hearts shatter.
Furthermore, the process was fraught with danger; any slight error could result in Spirit obliteration.
To arbitrarily extract Yue Leng’s Spirit would spark universal unrest among both military and civilians. For the same reasons, the Beiyar faction wouldn’t pursue such extreme measures against Li Youjue either.
What perplexed Zheng Shi was the depth of animosity between Li Youjue and Yue Leng. Where had it begun?
“What issues does Li Youjue have?” asked another voice in another secret chamber.
Xie Huaian queried.
Yue Leng replied: “First, even though the intelligence about Yang Family remnants entered the Inspection Bureau through proper channels, Li Youjue happened to be on duty that day; his actions were too swift! There’s a mountain of intelligence exchanged within the bureau daily, with numerous matters requiring attention—yet he wasted no time and immediately rushed to Hengyang Prefecture. I have every reason to suspect he was prepared and simply awaited such a chance.”
“Second, upon reaching Hengyang Prefecture, he demanded the case be closed instantly and volunteered to take Jiang Wang beyond the national borders. When I caught up, it was under his reckless command to split the pursuit into two directions, which directly caused Jiang Wang’s disappearance! Intelligence is solely known to him, operations acted under his direction—now that things have gone awry, how could he not be suspicious?”
Xie Huaian thought for a moment and asked: “Do you believe Jiang Wang fled in guilt, or fell victim to an unforeseen accident?”
“I can’t be certain.”
Yue Leng hesitated, shaking his head: “Looking back, Jiang Wang indeed had some suspicions surrounding him… But if Jiang Wang is guilty, then Li Youjue must be his accomplice.
As we all know, given Jiang Wang’s current reputation, the National Defense Great Formation overseer would undoubtedly assign spiritual surveillance to ensure his safety. Only by using the pretense of executing Green Plate System missions abroad, alongside a Godly cultivator escort like Li Youjue, could he escape scrutiny.
For the same reason, if Jiang Wang is not at fault, then Li Youjue must undoubtedly be the culprit—for he knew that only through deceit could he lure Jiang Wang out of Qi Boundary and lay harm upon him!”
“In summary,” Xie Huaian’s expression remained neutral. “Li Youjue is suspicious, no matter what?”
Yue Leng decisively affirmed: “Precisely so!”