The old man’s expressionless face suddenly twisted into a cold sneer.
That smile appeared particularly terrifying on his gaunt visage.
He chuckled twice and said gravely, "Jiang Cheng. Jin Luan."
"The Jiang Family, the Bai Family."
"Very good, very good... As expected, it’s those nobles causing trouble again!"
"It seems that they won’t learn their lesson until they’ve been made to bleed properly this time!"
Having said this, he looked toward his aide and commanded coldly, "Send a message to the Jiang Family. Tell them that multiple Yang Transformation masters have battled in Emerald City. One has fallen, suspected to be killed by Jiang Cheng."
"Demand that they hand him over!"
The aide was taken aback for a moment, but soon after, he smiled and said, "Yes, my lord!"
After he finished speaking, he suddenly paused, then turned to the old man and said, "Right, my lord. What about the matter of the Flower Morning Festival...?"
This time the old man hesitated.
After a moment, he asked, "How often does the Flower Morning Festival cycle occur?"
The aide replied, "Once a month. The timeline is rather tight, and the major districts place a lot of importance on it..."
The old man continued to inquire, "The Security Bureau of Emerald City...?"
The aide said softly, "It’s managed by Gu Qing."
The old man pondered for a moment, as if trying to recall who Gu Qing was. Then, with a sudden realization, he uttered, "Oh, is he not the youngest disciple of He Weidao?"
"I remember, many jest that the youngster is a monster, having the air of He Weidao from back in the day," he mused, not really asking but reflecting. Finished with his reverie, he instructed, "Since he’s a person of He Weidao, grant the Emerald City Security Bureau a special permit, allowing them freedom of movement during military control."
"Don’t disrupt the district’s arrangements and planning for the Flower Morning Festival."
The aide asked, "And... should we inform them about what happened tonight?"
The old man’s eyes twinkled twice, "No need."
"We ourselves are still unclear about the specifics. It’s meaningless to tell them. If they are capable, let them investigate on their own. This way, we can also see how they interpret the situation."
"Yes!" With that, the aide left to carry out the two orders...
......
Meanwhile,
inside the Security Bureau of Emerald City, most of the commissioners felt a growing sense of relief.
Their reassurance stemmed from two developments. Read new chapters at freewebnovel
Firstly, the batch of commissioners and their mentor Fang Ze, who had gone out for training, had returned.
Secondly, Gu Qing returned as well, his body fragrant with the scent of women and his face smeared with lipstick, looking slightly disoriented.
The former brought back a wealth of useful information, and the latter seemed to provide everyone with a backbone.
Soon after, Gu Qing started summoning eyewitnesses of the night’s event, well-informed individuals, and the commissioners who had accompanied Fang Ze in his office.
Then, he personally sought out Bai Zhi and Bai Ling.
Not long after, rumors began to circulate quietly.
The murmurings suggested that Gu Qing too was troubled by the night’s events. After synthesizing the myriad of clues from the night, he reached a bewildering conjecture...
That was... he surmised that roughly five Yang Transformation masters had made their moves within Emerald City that night.
These five Yang Transformation masters belonged to two factions, one being Fang Ze’s, the other Jiang Cheng’s.
The reason for the conflict was that Fang Ze had captured many of Jiang Cheng’s subordinates, and had even captured Jiang Cheng himself, leaving Jiang Cheng harboring resentment.
Subsequently, Jiang Cheng plotted to assassinate Fang Ze.
But for some reason unknown to anyone, Fang Ze became aware of the plot. Hence, Fang Ze set a trap, baiting Jiang Cheng to make a move against him and, by some means, convinced four or five Yang Transformation masters to strike on his behalf.
Ultimately, he successfully felled Jiang Cheng’s Yang Transformation masters in Emerald City.
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Upon hearing this analysis, many within the Security Bureau found it hard to believe, thinking it too fantastical.
Those were Yang Transformation masters! How could the Security Bureau, having none of the Spirit Ascension masters’ prowess, believe that Fang Ze could so easily command the service of four or five Yang Transformation masters?
Was he the descendant of some grand noble, or perhaps the direct grandson of a federal Chairperson?
Everyone was quite clear about Fang Ze’s background and family history - he was an ordinary person who came from a poor district, with no backing whatsoever.
Where did such a person get such formidable support?
Moreover... although everyone knew Fang Ze was talented,
wasn’t it too terrifying how he could toy with Jiang Cheng, who was supported by the Jiang Family, making him dance on the strings and manipulate situations as easily as turning over one’s hand, when even being a monster like him could not explain convincing a Yang Transformation master, backed by the Jiang Family and with an official position four or five tiers higher than Fang Ze’s, to flee?
Yes, that’s right. While gossiping about this matter, the curious members of the Security Bureau quietly called a familiar contact at the Governing Hall, successfully learning that Jiang Cheng had indeed fled...
A Division Head of the Awakeners who concocted a plan to kill a Yang Transformation master and forced another Yang Transformation noble, a Municipal Councilor, to flee... however one thought about it, it was simply unbelievable...
.....
Meanwhile, in Gu Qing’s office on the fourth floor of the Security Bureau,
Xun Yi, dressed in prim and proper lady’s attire, glanced at Gu Qing’s silhouette and asked with disbelief, "Do you truly believe this is the truth?"
Gu Qing, standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the office and for once devoid of his usual frivolous demeanor, was deeply furrowed in thought, his face etched with confusion and bewilderment.
Clearly, even with his intelligence, he found it hard to believe the truth of the matter.
But... having been at the Security Bureau for so many years and cracked so many cases, Gu Qing had long understood a principle: when all impossibilities have been eliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.