Suo Lun and Gao Yin rushed into the heavenly prison at flying speed.
Passing through layer after layer of checkpoints, they finally arrived at the cell holding Count Fu E.
They only saw him sitting cross-legged on the ground, dead with blood flowing from his seven orifices.
The expression on his face was extremely peaceful, as if he had died in his sleep.
Whether it was murder or suicide, there should normally be a special kind of fear before death, so the expression would be somewhat strange.
However, there truly was no expression on Count Fu E’s face at this moment, incomparably serene.
This could only prove one thing. He had suddenly died of an acute illness, without any pain, without any sensation, without any warning.
Zhuang Zhi Xuan stepped forward, took out a silver needle and dipped it in the fresh blood beneath Fu E’s nostrils, then placed it beneath her nose to sniff.
“Master, there is no poison in the blood.” Zhuang Zhi Xuan said.
Suo Lun asked: “Suicide, or murder?”
Zhuang Zhi Xuan said: “It should be murder!”
The situation was serious!
Extremely serious!
Why kill Fu E? To silence him!
Someone saw that Fu Qi had been captured, and feared that Count Fu E would confess everything to protect his grandson, so they killed him in advance to silence him.
Suo Lun closed his eyes and said: “Old Gao, go to my home and invite the Princess over.”
“Yes!” Old Gao immediately went to the princess residence.
Meanwhile, Gao Ning Qi and Zhuang Zhi Xuan guarded Suo Lun’s side.
Suo Lun took a deep breath, gazing at Count Fu E’s face with blood flowing from his seven orifices.
Speaking of which, he could also be considered a remarkable hero of the Furious Wave Kingdom. Although he was merely the second-ranked noble, he possessed a detached status, and within the entire kingdom, basically no one dared to provoke him.
He had not expected that he would now die an unnatural death.
Up until now, there was one thing Suo Lun had always been curious about. Why did Fu Ling Xi marry Count Suo Long?
Marriage between nobles was a major affair, very serious.
The Fu clan and the Suo clan did not seem to have any particularly deep friendship in their ancestral history either.
Fu E was dead. His grandson Fu Qi, Suo Lun would not let go. Fu Ling Xi was also finished.
In this way, would the once illustrious Fire Worship City also be in danger? Of course, this also depended on Suo Lun’s single thought, because the Fu clan of Fire Worship City was already suspected of rebellion.
But at this moment, Suo Lun could not attend to the matters of Fire Worship City.
Because Fu E’s death involved an enormous matter behind the scenes.
What was this matter? Suo Lun did not know! But it definitely had a huge relationship with the Furious Wave Kingdom.
…
Fu Qi had encountered two enormous blows today.
The first blow, his aunt Fu Ling Xi was captured. The second blow, his grandfather Fu E died a tragic death!
In this way, both of his backings had fallen.
Instantly, Fu Qi felt incomparable fear, incomparable unease.
Upon seeing Fu E’s corpse, he first completely froze in a daze, unable to believe his eyes. Such a powerful grandfather, a grandfather who would never fall, had actually died just like this!
Then, he collapsed onto the ground, letting out a hoarse, exhausted wail.
The entire heavenly prison was silent, with only Fu Qi’s mournful crying.
At this time, Yin Du, the junior minister of the Black Dragon Platform, rushed over quickly. Without a word, he directly knelt at Suo Lun’s side, kowtowing: “Criminal minister Yin Du pays respects to the Duke.”
Suo Lun asked: “Were there any casualties among the soldiers and warriors of the heavenly prison?”
“None.” Yin Du said.
Suo Lun asked: “Then did any outsider enter or leave this cell?”
“None.” Yin Du said: “Only two people have keys to this cell. One is this subordinate, and the other is Old Gao. Moreover, every time the cell door is opened, the iron lock will leave a mark. But today, this cell shows no signs of having been opened.”
This was strange. No one had entered this cell.
Yet Fu E had suddenly died, killed to silence him.
Without entering the cell, how was Fu E killed?
A truly enormous mystery!
…
A quarter of an hour later, the fairy-like Princess Zhi Yan, dressed in white robes surpassing snow in purity, entered this cell.
Coming to the side of Count Fu E’s corpse, she first put on a thin leather glove, then opened Fu E’s eyelids.
Next, she reached out to touch his forehead and the back of his head.
Finally, she closed her eyes to sense the energy field of the surroundings.
Five minutes later…
Zhi Yan said: “Husband, this is murder. He was killed using a spirit technique resonance technique.”
Next, she pointed at Fu E’s forehead and said: “Extremely powerful spirit energy attacked Fu E’s brain domain from here. It instantly raised the spirit energy in Fu E’s brain domain beyond the limit he could endure, causing direct death! The entire process was extremely fast, less than zero point one second.”
Then, Princess Zhi Yan pointed at the bloodstains around Fu E’s mouth, nose and eyes, saying: “To ensure a one-hit kill, the killer released spirit power that was too powerful, triggering violent resonance of the spirit power within Fu E’s brain, to the extent that blood vessels burst and fresh blood overflowed from the seven orifices.”
Suo Lun said: “The killer’s martial arts are very high?”
Princess Zhi Yan said: “Very high, shockingly high.”
Suo Lun said: “No one entered this cell. How could they kill Fu E?”
Zhi Yan said: “The killer killed him from a distance of several dozen metres, across empty space.”
Instantly, Suo Lun was completely, utterly stunned!
Th, this was possible?
Killing someone with a spirit technique from a distance of several dozen metres?
Zhi Yan said: “Moreover, there were many obstacles in between.”
Suo Lun said: “Yan, if it were you doing the killing, could you do it?”
Zhi Yan said: “If I had all the data of the target person’s brain domain, I could do it.”
Suo Lun was truly filled with boundless admiration!
Without a doubt, this was the most profound martial art in this world, only learnable at the very top levels of the Divine Dragon Temple.
Suo Lun said: “Is it very difficult to obtain all of a person’s brain domain data?”
Zhi Yan said: “Very difficult. The frequency of brain waves, the wave bands, etc., are all extremely complex data. Only with the target person’s full cooperation, letting down all spirit defences to accept examination, can complete data be obtained.”
Suo Lun said: “In other words, the killer who murdered Count Fu E was someone very familiar with him, even his most intimate person?”
“Yes.” Princess Zhi Yan nodded.
Count Fu E’s original wife was no longer in this world.
So his most intimate person would be his children. And among his many children, the only one who could understand profound spirit techniques was his daughter Fu Ling Xi.
Could the killer be Fu Ling Xi?
Of course, her martial arts were far from that high. But could she have told someone else Count Fu E’s brain domain data, then let that person kill Fu E?
Suo Lun said: “Yan, is it possible that Fu Ling Xi sent someone to kill Fu E to silence him?”
Zhi Yan nodded and said: “The possibility is very great.”
Suo Lun immediately closed his eyes. If this were truly the case, then Fu Ling Xi was truly impressive.
Not only could she harden her heart to harm her own son, but she could also send someone to kill her own biological father.
Truly impressive!
The education of the Divine Dragon Temple truly annihilated human relations!
Moreover, a few hours before Fu Ling Xi was arrested, she had specifically come to find Suo Lun, asking if he could release Fu E?
At that time, Suo Lun had found it very strange. She did not come earlier, did not come later, but came at precisely this time.
Suo Lun had originally thought this was because she knew she was about to be arrested, so she came one last time to strive for a chance, wanting to save her father.
But when Suo Lun finally refused, she actually let out a sigh of relief.
This was clearly not the attitude of someone wanting to save their father. Rather, it seemed as if she had finally found a reason to kill Count Fu E to silence him.
But… why?
At that time, Fu Ling Xi already knew that her name was on Zhi Li’s confession. She clearly knew she was about to be arrested.
And once arrested, she absolutely had no possibility of surviving.
She was someone about to die. Why would she still kill Fu E to silence him?
What secret did Fu E know? That made her, Fu Ling Xi, still want to silence him before her death?
Should she not care more about her own life and death?
What kind of enormous secret was it? That made her, before her death, still want to kill her own father to silence him?
Suo Lun suddenly said: “Yan, could the person who directly carried out the killing be Ji Meng Bai?”
Princess Zhi Yan said: “He has this ability.”
Suo Lun said: “Besides him, who else has this ability?”
Zhi Yan said: “Huai Bing Yi, Ji Xiu Ning.”
“What about Fang Qing Shu, Wan Wan?” Suo Lun asked.
Zhi Yan said: “These two do not have this ability.”
Huai Bing Yi, Ji Meng Bai, who could be the killer of Fu E?
Huai Bing Yi was as elusive as a divine dragon, with no one knowing where he was. Moreover, he was ostracised by the Zhi Du Temple, so his relationship with Fu Ling Xi should also be rather poor.
Ji Meng Bai represented the Hidden Continent, and was an ally of the Zhi Du Temple, so he was also an ally of Fu Ling Xi.
And the key point was, Ji Meng Bai happened to be in the royal city Zhi Du. Yesterday he had even come to the heavenly prison to see Fang Qing Yi, so he very likely learned the specific location where Fu E was imprisoned.
In this way, the possibility that Ji Meng Bai was the killer was somewhat greater.
“Immediately send people to search for the whereabouts of Ji Meng Bai and Fang Qing Di.” Suo Lun ordered.
“Yes.” Instantly, a Shadow Pavilion warrior received the order and went out.
Suo Lun waved his hand again and said: “Everyone out. I want to quietly think about some things alone here.”
“Yes!”
Instantly, Zhuang Zhi Xuan, Gao Ning Qi, Yin Du and the others all withdrew!
But Princess Zhi Yan did not go out.
Suo Lun closed his eyes, quietly thinking.
And Princess Zhi Yan gently massaged Suo Lun’s temples, letting the back of his head rest against her soft chest.
Suo Lun’s keen intuition was not wrong. The reason Count Fu E went mad with Zhi Li to the very end was because there was a reason behind it, and it involved an enormous secret.
“Yan, if one does not know the other person’s brain domain spirit data, is it fundamentally impossible to kill a person with a spirit technique from a distance of several dozen metres?” Suo Lun asked.
“Yes.” Zhi Yan said: “At least according to the realms I know of, no one can, in a state of complete ignorance, use a spirit technique to kill Count Fu E, a spirit expert, from a distance of several dozen metres. Because spirit energy is diffusive. The farther the distance, the more it diffuses.”
Suo Lun said: “In this way, the person who sent someone to kill Count Fu E is eighty percent Fu Ling Xi. Besides her, there should be no one who knows Fu E’s brain domain spirit data.”
Princess Zhi Yan nodded.
After a long silence, Suo Lun suddenly asked: “Yan, if you were to personally govern, could you govern the entire kingdom well?”
Princess Zhi Yan’s delicate body trembled. Then she hugged Suo Lun’s head in her embrace, shaking her head and saying: “Don’t say it. I can’t. I can’t govern the kingdom well.”
Actually, she could. She possessed far-reaching vision and breadth of mind, and was wise, calm, ruthless and decisive. She possessed almost all the qualities of a king.
Even, she was more suited to be king than Suo Lun.
What was most remarkable about her was not that she handed all political affairs over to Suo Lun. Rather, there were some matters on which she did not agree with Suo Lun’s methods, and her methods were often more rational. But she would not speak out, instead continuing to support Suo Lun.
Just at this moment, Zhuang Zhi Xuan’s anxious voice suddenly sounded from outside: “Master, word has come from the royal palace. His Majesty the King has fallen into a coma. Duke Zhi Ting requests that you go over immediately.”
Instantly, Suo Lun quickly jumped up and ran outside.
And Zhi Yan’s speed was even faster, grabbing Suo Lun’s hand and running outside as if flying.
…
Within the ghost prison of the Yanjing Temple!
This was a special prison. The special energy formation inside could shield all spirit techniques.
Any person with powerful spirit power who entered this prison would become as weak as an ordinary person.
Moreover, the powerful energy magnetic field produced by this energy formation would torment and suppress your brain domain spirit at every moment.
This feeling was like, when you wanted to sleep, countless terrifying sounds would come into your ears.
For example, the sound of a knife scraping across a wall. For example, the sound of ghosts wailing and wolves howling. For example, the sound of a baby crying mournfully.
Making it impossible for you to fall asleep, unable to sleep for days and nights.
And even if you fell asleep, the energy magnetic field here would make you dream, the most terrifying nightmares, nightmares that made fear surge up from the bottom of your heart.
So within this ghost prison, you could not sleep. And even if you fell asleep, you would instead fall into an even more terrifying situation.
And at this time, Fu Ling Xi was locked within this ghost prison.
She was completely naked, her stunningly beautiful and proud body fully exposed. Her entire body was bound with Heavenly Demon Silk, completely unable to struggle. The more she struggled, the deeper it cut into her flesh and blood.
Below her waist, she was completely soaked in water.
This was not only a ghost prison, but also a water prison.
The water inside was green, bone-piercingly cold. And the most terrifying thing was that there were countless blood-sucking snakes in the water. Once they discovered prey, they would frantically pounce over, biting and not letting go, desperately sucking blood.
At this time, the area below Fu Ling Xi’s waist was already frozen completely numb. She had no idea how many blood-sucking snakes were sucking blood from her body.
Soon, a red-robed judge came by boat to the ghost prison, arriving before Fu Ling Xi.
This was a judge of the same rank as Fu Ling Xi, likely a judge of the Yanjing Temple tribunal.
“Fu Ling Xi, confess.” This female judge said coldly: “In Zhi Li’s demon blood case, what role did you play? Who is behind you?”
Fu Ling Xi trembled and said: “I am truly innocent. Regarding the matter of Zhi Li bearing demon blood, I completely knew nothing!”
That female judge took out a whip and fiercely unfurled it!
This whip seemed to be composed of countless tiny venomous snakes, like thousands of strands, every one of them hissing and wriggling, appearing incomparably terrifying and disgusting.
This was the Snake Ghost Whip.
“Snap…” The female judge’s Snake Ghost Whip fiercely lashed onto Fu Ling Xi’s snow-white delicate body.
“Ahh…” Fu Ling Xi instantly let out a mournful scream.
When this Snake Ghost Whip lashed onto the body, the countless tiny venomous snakes on it actually ferociously drilled into her flesh and skin.
So at this time, the entire whip actually submerged into her body.
When this female judge pulled out the Snake Ghost Whip, Fu Ling Xi’s body was already covered in blood, riddled with holes.
“Speak, what role did you play in Zhi Li’s demon blood case, and who is behind you?” The female judge said coldly.
“I, I am truly innocent…” Fu Ling Xi’s delicate body trembled, boundless pain assaulting her.
“Snap…” The female judge’s Snake Ghost Whip lashed onto her snow-white chest once more.
“Ahh…” Fu Ling Xi’s stunningly beautiful face was completely twisted from the pain.
Her entire body curled completely into a ball, so pained that she directly lost control of her bladder.
The Snake Ghost Whip, one could endure at most three lashes, and it was unrelated to martial arts cultivation.
Indeed, at the second lash, Fu Ling Xi directly fainted.
…
Not knowing how much time had passed, Fu Ling Xi faintly woke up.
Then, she discovered someone was holding her hand and pressing it onto confession documents one after another. This was to make her directly confess and plead guilty.
“No, no, I am innocent.” Fu Ling Xi desperately struggled.
That female priest said quietly: “I know. I am one of our own. No one will save you, and no one can save you. Fang Qing Yi must die, Luo Ge must die, Ge Li must die. Of course you must die too. Die early and be free.”
“I am innocent…” Fu Ling Xi repeated.
That female priest said: “Rest assured, we will remember your sacrifice, and we will certainly avenge you. You have already pleaded guilty. Because your rank is not high enough for public execution, we will burn you to death right here in this cell. Rest assured, it will be very quick. It won’t hurt too much.”
After this female priest finished pressing the handprints, she then put on Fu Ling Xi the black robes of a Divine Dragon Temple prisoner.
Next, she tied her to a gallows, pouring ladle after ladle of oil onto her body.
Beneath her body was piled pyramid-shaped dry firewood!
“Light the fire, carry out the execution!” This female priest coldly ordered.