A disciple accepted the order.
Soon, a spiritual bird flew into the sky.
Under the gradually dimming twilight, Zhao Dengzi and the others did not go anywhere else, but waited right there on the spot.
When the sky was almost completely dark, illuminated by the gradually brightening lights on the mountain peak, the spiritual bird flew back carrying a person. The arrival was none other than Wan Liqiu, the Law Enforcement Elder of the Kunling Mountain.
Seeing a group of high ranking sect members all keeping a tight lipped silence in the night, he was somewhat surprised. He walked into the crowd and asked, “Sect Leader, what is the urgent matter that summoned me back in such a hurry?”
The person who fetched him also had no idea what was going on, only saying that the Sect Leader had an urgent matter to discuss.
Before the Sect Leader could speak, an elder frowned and said, “Junior brother, what did you do in the Dingyin District?”
Wan Liqiu was asked somewhat bafflingly, “What could I have done? I just acted according to the resolution. I will inform everyone after the matter is settled. Did you urgently call me back just to ask this?”
Seeing that things were getting tangled, another elder said, “Junior brother, what did you do to that Zhang Zhichen?”
Wan Liqiu was stunned, “Besides acting according to the resolution, what else could I have done? No, you are asking without any context. Can you explain the situation clearly before asking what you want to ask?”
The elder who asked first raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down, and then roughly repeated Xiang Lanxuan’s harsh words.
After hearing this, Wan Liqiu looked both grave and baffled, “I did not do anything out of line. After the sect changed the drawing lots rules against him, we stopped the so called cheating investigation against him. We were preparing to withdraw after the last round of the district competition ended. What could I have done?”
Everyone looked at each other, feeling that he would not talk nonsense under such questioning, and thus became puzzled.
Zhao Dengzi said, “Elder Wan, Xiang Lanxuan is a guest, and we are the hosts. She is not an unreasonable person. If she had not discovered anything, it is unlikely that she would make harsh threats against us for no reason. I hope you will think twice and carefully recall if there was any oversight. Otherwise, if this woman turns hostile, our Kunling Mountain might face some trouble.”
The underlying meaning was very simple. This was not some trivial matter that could be ignored, and it must not be taken lightly.
Facing the grave gazes of the crowd, Wan Liqiu frowned. He thought and recalled for a good while, but still could not help shaking his head, “I really cannot think of where the problem lies. Sect Leader, how about this. I will go back first and gather my disciples to sort things out. If we really cannot figure out what went wrong, I will personally go to ask that Great Envoy Xiang what exactly is going on. We will definitely figure it out, and it will not escalate to such a severe situation.”
Zhao Dengzi thought for a moment and nodded, “That is fine. Thank you for your trouble.”
Wan Liqiu bowed to everyone. As there was no time to lose, he left immediately and borrowed the power of the spiritual bird to quickly fly away.
Although the journey was quite far, the power of its wings could easily leap over thousands of mountains and rivers. This distance was naturally nothing, and he soon returned to the Dingyin District. After landing, he immediately ordered his two accompanying disciples, Gan Ju and Qin Fujun, to be summoned.
As soon as the two disciples arrived, before they could even finish their bows, Wan Liqiu opened his mouth and said, “Put aside all current tasks for now. Go and investigate whether anyone on our side is doing something behind our backs against Zhang Zhichen.”
Upon hearing this, both disciples were stunned. Gan Ju asked curiously, “Master, did something happen that alarmed the Sect Leader into summoning you?”
Wan Liqiu said, “It is not just alarming the Sect Leader. The Great Enterprise Department has also been alarmed. As for the specific situation, the Sect Leader is also unclear, and I want to know exactly what happened right under our noses. The implication from the Great Enterprise Department seems to be that we did something here, as if pointing out that we investigated something we should not have. You two must immediately gather all personnel from the Meteor Hall. Do not leave a single one out. Strictly investigate whether anyone did anything against Zhang Zhichen behind our backs.”
Gan Ju immediately bowed and accepted the order, “Yes!”
Qin Fujun, standing aside, showed an unpredictable expression. Facing her master’s order, she surprisingly did not respond for a long time.
Wan Liqiu and Gan Ju immediately sensed something was wrong. Gan Ju urged, “Junior sister, did you not hear what Master said?”
“Hmm?” Qin Fujun raised her eyes as if waking from a dream, then hesitated, looking as if she did not know how to begin.
The master and disciple beside her exchanged a glance and realised something. Wan Liqiu suddenly said in a deep voice, “Girl, could it be you?”
Qin Fujun shook her head, “I was secretly investigating Zhang Zhichen, but what I investigated seems to have nothing to do with the Great Enterprise Department. Besides, how would the Great Enterprise Department know that I was secretly investigating?”
Wan Liqiu said word by word, “Secretly investigating? What were you secretly investigating about him?”
Qin Fujun gritted her teeth, “This disciple suspects that this Zhang Zhichen is the murderer who killed Ye Ling’er and Di Ling that night.”
Gan Ju said in surprise, “The person that night should have been a master of the Upper Mysterious Realm. Otherwise, it would be unlikely to escape during a massive pursuit and blockade. Someone with that level of cultivation would not be qualified to participate in the Chaoyang Assembly.”
Wan Liqiu raised his hand to signal him to stop, and stared coldly at his female disciple, “Do you have any evidence?”
“I…” Qin Fujun bit her lip and said guiltily, “I am still looking… but I have already found some clues. At the time of the incident, that Zhang Zhichen might not have been at his residence.”
Wan Liqiu frowned coldly, “Do you know what you are saying? Might? Are you asking me to explain to the sect with the word might, or do you want me to explain to the Great Enterprise Department with the word might?”
Qin Fujun lowered her head.
Gan Ju, standing aside, also showed a heartbroken expression, “Junior sister, why did you not inform Master about this matter first?”
Qin Fujun hesitated, “Master also said that without evidence, how could I report to him with the word might?”
Gan Ju said, “So you hid it from us and went to investigate secretly? Were you not told after that incident to prioritise the big picture and handle the aftermath properly?”
Qin Fujun immediately retorted, “Master and the Sect Leader also said that if clues are found, a secret investigation is allowed.”
Gan Ju reached out his hand, “The clues? What kind of clues? Bring them out and let Master present them to the sect as an explanation.”
This question truly stumped Qin Fujun. Her clues were hard to describe, being just intuition and feeling. But things had come to this, and she had to give an explanation now. She could only bite the bullet and say, “Senior brother, my suspicion remains the same as before. I feel that the sect disciple who died that day was just a scapegoat, a diversion used by the murderer. If my guess is correct, I had a face to face exchange with the murderer. I feel that this Zhang Zhichen is very similar to the murderer.”
Gan Ju said, “Precisely because you met at close range, your eyes could tell if it was the same person. Why is it still based on feeling? What are you doing?”
He was also getting a bit angry. Internal sect matters were one thing, but involving the Great Enterprise Department meant the situation could easily spiral out of control. Once the master lost his status in the sect, these disciples would also face a bleak future. This woman could afford to ruin her future and rely on her looks to make other choices, but what about these men?
The sect was not like the outside world, where if one place does not keep you, another will. In the outside world, one could find another path. Could a sect disciple easily change sects or freely leave their master? If things went wrong, they might be sidelined for life.
Furthermore, the master was obviously biased towards this personal disciple, which made him somewhat dissatisfied.
Qin Fujun retorted, “The murderer is cunning and covered his face with mud. Senior brother knows this very well.”
Gan Ju was provoked into anger by her words, “You were not the only one who had close contact with him at the time, were you? Bring everyone who met him here to identify him on the spot. See if they can recognise him. As long as he can be identified, this matter will be simple.”
Qin Fujun said, “Senior brother, I said the murderer covered his face with mud. How can they recognise him?”
Gan Ju said, “Are you joking? If you cannot recognise him, and others who met him at close range cannot recognise him either, on what grounds do you say he is the murderer? How can you reason this out? Just based on your feeling? Now the Great Enterprise Department demands an explanation. Can the sect use your reasoning to give an explanation?”
“Enough.” Wan Liqiu raised his hand and shouted to stop them from arguing further.
Qin Fujun was also annoyed and stopped talking to him. She turned to her master, whose face was changing colours, and said, “Master, I was only secretly investigating if he was the murderer. What does this have to do with the Great Enterprise Department? Even if he is an abandoned disciple of the Longguang Sect, he is just an ordinary participant. How could he attract such attention from the Great Enterprise Department? Do I not have even more reason to believe that this Zhang Zhichen is not simple, and is even more likely to be the murderer?”
Wan Liqiu said in a deep voice, “Are you sure you only secretly investigated the murderer and did nothing else?”
Qin Fujun guaranteed firmly, “This disciple has always maintained proper limits and has not done anything out of line. If there is a single false word, I am willing to accept any punishment.”
Wan Liqiu said, “What did you do? Explain the process clearly.”
“I just used the opportunity of investigating Zhang Zhichen’s nickname to manipulate Xiao Changdao and Wu Ronggui…”
Qin Fujun rattled off the entire sequence of events.
After hearing this, Wan Liqiu also felt it was nothing much, but he was still not reassured, “Bring that Xiao Changdao and Wu Ronggui here. I need to know if they acted arrogantly and abused their power.”
Qin Fujun was stunned, thought about it, and agreed it was necessary. She immediately accepted the order and went to find those two fellows.
Wan Liqiu then said to Gan Ju, “I do not know if this is what the Great Enterprise Department is referring to. Go and gather the subordinates again to verify if anyone is doing anything against Zhang Zhichen.”
“Yes.” Gan Ju also accepted the order and left.
Not long after, Xiao Changdao and Wu Ronggui were brought over. Facing the interrogation, the two detailed their investigation process, answering every question and daring not to conceal anything.
Approaching the latter half of the night, Wan Liqiu finally rushed back to the sect with Qin Fujun. He did not know if it was related to what his disciple had done, only knowing that after sorting through everything, this was the only incident.
Inside the sect hall, the high ranking members had been waiting. Not knowing the severity of the situation, they were all waiting for the answer.
As soon as the master and disciple arrived, Wan Liqiu explained the situation. Zhao Dengzi could not help but give a bitter smile, “It must be this matter.”
Several elders looked at him in confusion. Wan Liqiu asked, “How can you be so sure?”
Zhao Dengzi sighed, “Because the two people Qin Junior Sister used for her secret investigation bumped into Xiang Lanxuan. That person named Ke Ran, or rather, everyone in the room where Ke Ran stayed, are people from the Great Enterprise Department. They seem to have been there specifically to monitor that Zhang Zhichen. How could those two fellows go to them to inquire without being discovered by Xiang Lanxuan?”
Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished. An elder hesitated and said, “People from the Great Enterprise Department? There is such an arrangement, and why do we not know about it?”
Zhao Dengzi shook his head, “This matter was arranged directly by the Great Enterprise Department through Elder Huan. The Great Enterprise Department did not want it to be publicised, so it was not told to all of you for now.”
Qin Fujun could not help but ask, “Sect Leader, why is the Great Enterprise Department monitoring that Zhang Zhichen?”
Zhao Dengzi did not mention that he had sent people to secretly investigate the Longguang Sect. He sighed, “Who knows. Elder Wan, now that you know the reason, I am afraid you will have to take Junior Sister Qin personally to clarify the reason with that Great Envoy and resolve the misunderstanding.”
“Alright. If there is nothing else, we will go over right now.”
After asking for opinions, Wan Liqiu took Qin Fujun and left, heading straight for Xiang Lanxuan’s residence.
The two of them did not stay in the elegant guest courtyard for too long. In short, they explained everything clearly and came out.
On the way down the mountain, Qin Fujun felt quite aggrieved, “Master, is it just going to end like this? Ye Ling’er and Di Ling served in the Meteor Hall for many years, and were murdered in their own home by evildoers. Yet the elders say nothing. Did they just die in vain? Where is the justice?”
Wan Liqiu’s mouth tightened for a moment, and he sighed lightly, “Girl, there is no absolute justice in this world. The word justice contains the word public. When so called justice affects the interests of the majority, it is no longer justice. Do you understand?”
As soon as the words fell, a figure flashed in front of them, blocking their path. It was Zhan Yunqi.
He bowed and said, “Elder Wan, the Sect Leader requests Executive Qin to go over there alone.”
The master and disciple were both surprised. After exchanging glances, Wan Liqiu nodded to his disciple, “I will wait for you at the foot of the mountain.”
So Qin Fujun followed Zhan Yunqi.
When they arrived outside the sect hall, Zhan Yunqi did not go in. He gestured for Qin Fujun to enter alone.
The hall was already cold and quiet. Under the flickering lights, only the solitary figure of Zhao Dengzi remained, his thin silhouette pondering something in the light.
“Sect Leader.” Qin Fujun stepped forward and bowed.
Zhao Dengzi turned around, smiled slightly, and asked, “What does Great Envoy Xiang mean?”
Qin Fujun said in a low mood, “Just that meaning. She said to prioritise the Chaoyang Assembly. In short, it is fine now. She has calmed down, and it is in the past.”
Zhao Dengzi looked at her appearance and smiled faintly again, “I can see that Master Uncle Wan has high expectations for you and wants to groom you to be the next Elder of the Meteor Hall.”
Qin Fujun was astonished.
Zhao Dengzi then changed the subject, “Do you still suspect that Zhang Zhichen is the murderer?”
Qin Fujun thought for a moment and still nodded.
Zhao Dengzi said, “Do you have any evidence?”
Qin Fujun slowly lowered her head, “Not yet, it is just my intuition.”
Zhao Dengzi said calmly, “Then continue investigating.”
“…” Qin Fujun looked up in surprise, thinking she had misheard.
“If the young people of a sect have no spirit, how long can this sect exist?”
“But, how do we explain this to the Great Enterprise Department? Will Great Envoy Xiang…”
Zhao Dengzi turned his head and stared at the flickering light in front of him, “She does not represent the entire Great Enterprise Department. Although we greatly respect the Great Enterprise Department, we cannot let them manipulate us at will. To become the number one spiritual plant sect in the world and stand for a thousand years until now, we do not rely on being submissive. We must have some sharpness.
Junior Sister Qin, for such a large sect, being too weak will not work. We must hide a needle in cotton, so that others will not dare to manipulate us casually.
Someone came to my Kunling Mountain to kill people, and we cannot even investigate? What kind of logic is that?
My attitude has always been consistent. Prioritise the big picture, but secret investigations are allowed. Since Xiang Lanxuan has spoken, it is not good for us to reject her face. After all, if she wants to make things difficult for us, it will indeed make Kunling Mountain uncomfortable. Therefore, a secret investigation is more appropriate.
I am not forcing you to investigate, but I want to tell you that if you really want to investigate, then go ahead. But you must understand the consequences and grasp the limits. Do not cause trouble, otherwise you will have to bear the consequences.
However, I can give you a guarantee. No matter who it is, as long as they are working for the sect, and as long as it is a reasonable fault, no matter who comes to hold them accountable, I cannot guarantee other things, but I guarantee that I will never hand them over. At the very least, I will save their life. Do you understand what I mean?”
Qin Fujun’s eyes were already shining, and she nodded repeatedly, “I understand.”
Zhao Dengzi turned his head and looked at her, smiling, “Once you step out of this door, I have said nothing. Go, do not keep your master waiting.”
“Yes.”
Qin Fujun was very excited. She bowed respectfully and withdrew.