Chapter 1371: Chapter 62 Formal Dinner
Yu Beidou was busy suppressing the Blood Demon in Light City.
Jiang Qingyang left Star Moon Plain with his foolish dog.
Meanwhile, Zhongxuan Sheng, in Green Sheep Town, was furious over the one-time amulet Yu Beidou had left for Jiang Wang...
His thick fingers almost poked Zhang Weiyu’s face: "You think you can just brush this aside? Let me tell you, that’s absolutely impossible! Compensation must be made! Do you have any idea how precious Yu Beidou’s amulet is? Only someone like Jiang Wang, my talented and exceptional brother, deserves such a treasure. Would Yu Beidou give it to just anyone? You can forget about anyone pleading for you today! If you don’t pay up, I’ll go straight to Minister Chen Fu. If Minister Chen Fu won’t settle it, I’ll take this case to His Majesty himself!"
Zhang Weiyu knew Zhongxuan Sheng was capable of demanding a debt directly from Imperial Court Adviser Chen Fu... this fatty could indeed pull off such madness.
For someone like him, such recklessness could cost them a lifetime of prospects. For someone like Zhongxuan Sheng, descended from a top-tier aristocratic family, it would at most earn him the label of behaving "rashly."
So, Zhongxuan Sheng could wield this as a weapon, while Zhang Weiyu had no choice but to treat it seriously.
The world was inherently unfair.
The Qi Country had existed so long that those hereditary ministers had used the passage of time to build insurmountable divides.
People like Zhang Weiyu, who came from ordinary backgrounds, had to exert several times more effort to barely achieve comparable status—and only then could they confront such matters at such moments.
He spoke coldly: "I will accept responsibility for what is mine to bear."
"Spare me the useless talk!" Zhongxuan Sheng waved his chubby hand: "Fork over the money—now that’s the right way to resolve things!"
He splayed his fingers in front of Zhang Weiyu’s face, looking brutish: "Pay up!"
Zhang Weiyu remained steely: "I don’t have that much on me."
"No money and still so arrogant?!" Zhongxuan Sheng’s voice suddenly grew sharper: "Zhang Weiyu, oh Zhang Weiyu, how do you even carry yourself? A dignified Grade-4 official of the Ministry of Personnel, and you can’t produce a few thousand prime stones?"
"I, as an official, uphold a modest lifestyle." Zhang Weiyu paused briefly, then added: "That item may not even be worth that much."
Zhongxuan Sheng widened his eyes in exaggerated indignation: "That amulet embodies Yu Beidou’s earnest effort, gifted to safeguard my brother’s path! Do you understand what kind of person Yu Beidou is? He’s no less impressive than Minister Chen Fu, perhaps even stronger! Tell me, if Minister Chen Fu’s cherished item were ruined, would three thousand prime stones suffice to resolve it?"
"A man must take responsibility, Zhang Weiyu!" Zhongxuan Sheng lamented, grief-stricken: "Just a few months ago, when my brother Jiang Wang accidentally damaged a Flaming Sun airship belonging to the Yang Valley, I didn’t blink and compensated three thousand prime stones on the spot! You know what dignity means? This is dignity! Zhang Weiyu, you’re someone with some standing, trying to weasel out of this debt—it’s truly disappointing!"
Zhang Weiyu saw through it clearly. Zhongxuan Sheng wasn’t here to collect a debt. He was here to use the accidental destruction of the amulet to completely derail this investigation.
The amulet had indeed been destroyed in his hands—this was undeniable.
He could certainly shift full blame onto the soldier who had uncovered the amulet, claiming he only requested the search for evidence of crimes, not treasure hunting. Getting out of this debt wouldn’t be difficult. But anyone with foresight wouldn’t choose that route.
He took a deep breath. He had invested far too many resources into this investigation to abandon it midway.
"Three thousand prime stones, is it?" Zhang Weiyu said: "I’ll accept this debt. Once we return to Linzi, I’ll gather the amount for you. For now, this official continues with the case. Are you still planning to follow along?"
"Follow along? Of course!" Zhongxuan Sheng said breezily: "Who knows if you’ll try to slip away halfway?"
"Very well." Zhang Weiyu surveyed the room. "Everyone present—follow me!"
This "everyone" included Ma Xiong, Zhongxuan Sheng, and his subordinates, as well as the Green Sheep Town locals who had previously been confined.
The soldiers naturally obeyed orders without question.
The Green Sheep Town locals, however, looked increasingly apprehensive.
Zhang Weiyu led the way, while Zhongxuan Sheng sauntered leisurely at the rear. Fourteen followed silently alongside.
Ma Xiong lingered like a wandering soul, always remaining detached from the unfolding events.
The large troop of Rain-slicing Army soldiers tightly encircled the Green Sheep Town group. Unsurprisingly, they paid the most attention to Dugu Xiao, Fan Qingqing, and Zhang Hai, the three Transcendent cultivators.
"You must be curious." Zhang Weiyu said as he walked: "The search has lasted so long without a breakthrough, yet I’m not in a hurry—why is that?"
He had made up his mind to stop waiting for additional discoveries and decided to close the net early.
At this moment, in front of Zhongxuan Sheng, he couldn’t help but show a desire to express himself—a venting impulse born of having the upper hand, and wishing to release the pent-up frustration.
"I’m only curious about how long it’ll take you to scrape together three thousand prime stones." Zhongxuan Sheng laughed cheekily: "Whether you’re in a hurry or not—what does that have to do with me?"
Zhang Weiyu fell silent, biting his teeth as he pressed forward.
He seemed to have a very clear goal, making no stops along the way.
Under his lead, the party gradually left the town, moving along a newly constructed official way.
This winding official path split from the main road, extending toward an uninhabited area.
The direction it pointed to...
Was none other than Funing Mountain!
Ironically, when Jiang Wang had invited Li Youjue and Yue Lengshang to listen to celestial melodies, it was Li Youjue who had named this mountain during their meeting, sealing a bond of goodwill.
The reason Jiang Wang was duped in Zhao Heng City partially stemmed from this very relationship.
But now, it was precisely one of them, Li Youjue or Yue Lengshang, who forced Jiang Wang out of Qi Country!
The term "Funing" truly seemed more like "disruption."
As a seasoned Qing brand arrest officer, Ma Xiong never took sides, but he did not neglect his keen observation. He noticed that as the party progressed, Fan Qingqing—known for her detached attitude—began to show a trace of barely perceptible panic.
The ever-loyal Dugu Xiao’s expression also betrayed signs of anxiety.
A flicker of realization stirred in Ma Xiong’s chest. He now understood—the main course of this case lay ahead at Funing Mountain.
All the visible and covert clashes in the town earlier were merely the appetizers.
What lay hidden in Funing Mountain?
This question suddenly weighed heavily on many minds.
When the ancient, elegant structure of Zheng Sheng Hall appeared within sight of the group...
Zhang Weiyu smiled lightly.
He couldn’t resist turning to Zhongxuan Sheng: "I’ve obtained accurate intelligence regarding the Equality Country, yet when I searched the locations indicated by the intelligence three times, I found nothing. You should feel proud, shouldn’t you? Thinking you’ve successfully deceived me?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about." Zhongxuan Sheng looked at him earnestly: "Brother, there’s no need to act crazy over three thousand prime stones."
Ma Xiong had always noticed that Zhang Weiyu and Zhongxuan Sheng had maintained tight proximities during the earlier searches in Green Sheep Town, seemingly exchanging banter but actually clashing constantly. He only now realized the true crux of their confrontation.
Previously, it seemed like Zhongxuan Sheng held the upper hand throughout. Was Zhang Weiyu’s opportunity to turn the tides within this hall before them?
Faced with Zhongxuan Sheng’s typical abrasive remarks, Zhang Weiyu this time did not get angry. Instead, he strode forward and pushed open the doors to Zheng Sheng Hall, his tone brimming with confidence: "Come! Take a good look at this Zheng Sheng Hall! Let’s see if your silver tongue can twist the truth before so many witnesses!"
Zhongxuan Sheng wore a confused look of disbelief: "What do you want me to see? Accuse Jiang Wang of embezzling millions and building this extravagant hall? Do you even know how much De Sheng Trading Company earns annually, or how much Tai Xu Corner Tower rakes in daily? Don’t use your miserably impoverished calculations to estimate others’ incomes!"
"Ha!"
Zhang Weiyu let out a cold laugh, stepping into Zheng Sheng Hall. His eyes blazed as he scanned the room.
After a moment, he walked straight to the third seat on the left side, reached out, and struck the armrest with force!
The cylindrical armrest was hollow, concealing a mechanism. Without bothering to activate the device, Zhang Weiyu smashed it with a single blow.
As fragments showered down like raindrops, he reached in and pulled out a rolled-up parchment.
"Officer Ma!"
Zhang Weiyu walked over: "Using your expertise as a Qing brand arrest officer, take a good look. What’s this?"
He held the parchment out toward Ma Xiong.
Ma Xiong looked up and saw that it was unmistakably a—
Sunshine County Transcendent Power Deployment Map!
