A Confession?

“In a bad mood. Not lending it.” Hearing this response, Elder Cold-Blooded Detective felt his scalp tingle. Why had he just assumed the Grand Marshal was gradually becoming mature and steady? The Grand Marshal was still the same Grand Marshal—her temperament was just as obnoxious as ever, never changing. Maturity and steadiness were mere illusions. At the end of the day, no one in this world dared to provoke her anymore. Without anyone to provoke her, of course she seemed gentle. “We can’t let our plan fall short over such an absurd reason,” the black-robed elder said. “Elder Cold-Blooded Detective, you should have an item for discerning lies. A Dominator-grade item will suffice.” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective suppressed his anger. “Why won’t the Grand Marshal lend the Tiger Tally? Clearly Fu Qingyang is meddling behind the scenes. Do you think, with Fu Qingyang’s intellect, he didn’t consider that a Dominator-grade item could intimidate Yuanshi Tianzun? That would be looking down on us Scouts far too much. Secretary Zhou, please ask Elder Cai to think of a way. We must get the Grand Marshal to lend out the Tiger Tally.” Secretary Zhou’s voice turned heavy. “Alliance Masters not interfering in routine affairs is an established rule. But if an Alliance Master refuses to lend an item, what do you expect Elder Cai to do—force her?” No one in this world could force the Grand Marshal. As the black-robed elder fell into contemplation, Elder Cold-Blooded Detective glanced at him and said, “Let’s not rack our brains over fields where we lack expertise. When it comes to political infighting, our comrades at headquarters are the true masters. Right, Secretary Zhou?” Secretary Zhou gave a faint chuckle, his voice remaining low. “Is Elder Cold-Blooded Detective praising me, or mocking me? It really isn’t a big issue. If the Grand Marshal won’t lend the Tiger Tally, then we won’t use it. The crux of this matter has never been substantive evidence; the crux is that Yuanshi Tianzun intends to embezzle the Yin-Yang Dial. Would the Council of Ten Elders allow such a thing to happen? Forget the Ten Elders—even the Alliance Masters wouldn’t tolerate it. If Yuanshi Tianzun insists on having his way, his enemies will be the Ten Elders and the Alliance Masters themselves. Therefore…” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective understood. “Therefore, as long as we hand headquarters an excuse to discipline him—a knife to wield—we won’t need to worry about the rest.” “Exactly!” Secretary Zhou chuckled. A smile broke across Elder Cold-Blooded Detective’s stern face. “I know what to do.” *** In the interrogation room. Zhang Yuanqing had been left hanging for five hours. It was now half past six in the evening, and the sun was nearing the horizon. He sat in the interrogation chair with his eyes closed, motionless as a sculpture. Suddenly, the soundproof door swung open. Elder Cold-Blooded Detective, his temples dusted with grey, entered the room alone. His hands were completely empty, carrying neither pen nor notepad. Elder Cold-Blooded Detective switched off the video recorder, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He said impassively: “Have you played around enough? You lifted female employees’ skirts in the office area, hijacked computers to play obscene videos, and manipulated employees to insult Jianghuai Branch elders, throwing the entire branch into utter chaos. On those charges alone, I could detain you for ten days.” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective waited a moment. Seeing that the young man remained upright with closed eyes, utterly unmoving, he said chillingly: “Do you believe I wouldn’t split your spirit body with a single sword stroke?” Only then did Zhang Yuanqing open his eyes, curling the corners of his mouth. “Speak with evidence. Everyone knows I, Yuanshi Tianzun, am devoted and a true gentleman. I’ve never touched an obscene video in my life. Everything you said is baseless fabrication. Elder Qin Hui, you’re practically forcing my entire army to recite *The River Runs Red*.” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective automatically tuned out his nonsense and continued on his own: “The Jianghuai Branch has never been wealthy. Compared to your Songhai, the salaries and benefits our colleagues receive aren’t even worth mentioning. Back then, when you opened your mouth like a lion, demanding both an item and fifty million in cash, the branch leadership was completely against it. “Yet you were forceful enough to slam the table at headquarters. Although headquarters was displeased, they indulged you out of regard for your boundless potential. We at the Jianghuai Branch had no choice but to swallow it. That is the rule—orders from above must be obeyed, even if unfair. “This time, when you borrowed the Yin-Yang Dial, charging you a little money wasn’t out of line. And we were only going to charge you once; we wouldn’t have held you up the next two times. Borrowing the Yin-Yang Dial requires paying a fee—that, too, is the rule.” At this point, he shook his head. “Fu Qingyang is a shrewd politician. There’s no way he failed to grasp this tacit understanding. Yet he instigated you to embezzle the Yin-Yang Dial. One truly wonders what his intentions are.” Zhang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes. “A clumsy attempt to sow discord. Furthermore, don’t preach your unspoken rules to me—I don’t buy it!” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective said calmly, “I know you won’t. If you understood these rules and principles, you wouldn’t have reached this point today. You should have had a far brighter future. How pathetic!” “I don’t think so,” Zhang Yuanqing replied, remaining entirely placid. “A great man once said that blending with the dust of the world is wisdom, but remaining stubborn and intractable is what earns respect. Mm, and that great man is me.” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective sneered, making no attempt to hide his ridicule, though his words were measured: “When I was young, I was just like you, caring only for abstract principles. But reality taught me how to behave. Enough, no more wasting breath on you. Let me share some good news first: the Grand Marshal refused to lend the Tiger Tally. “At the same time, here is the bad news: we have ways to make you speak the truth.” Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow and was about to speak when he saw Elder Cold-Blooded Detective raise a hand behind the interrogation desk. Palm down, his five fingers curled slightly, like a puppeteer handling marionette strings. The next second, Zhang Yuanqing felt invisible threads drape down from above his head, burrowing into the nape of his neck. Similar sensations struck his shoulders, elbows, knees, wrists, and ankles. His pupils constricted violently, but very quickly, he lost even the voluntary ability to contract his pupils. He had become a marionette in Elder Cold-Blooded Detective’s hands. This was the ability of a Puppeteer. “The bad news is that we don’t need the Tiger Tally anymore.” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective stood up with a faint smile, turned on the video recorder, and returned behind the desk. Drawing out a black iron medallion, he held it in his hand and said: “Yuanshi Tianzun, look at my medallion. Now, answer me: was the Yin-Yang Dial actually lost or not?” With that, his left hand twitched slightly. Zhang Yuanqing’s lips trembled, as if struggling to resist, but he still uttered words contrary to his will: “It was not lost.” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective asked again, “Why did you lie?” His left index finger twitched. Manipulated by the movement, Zhang Yuanqing answered, “I wanted to keep the Yin-Yang Dial for myself.” Elder Cold-Blooded Detective originally wanted to ask whether Fu Qingyang knew about this, but after careful consideration, he abandoned the thought. As the Grand Marshal’s younger brother, the eldest young master of the Fu family, and an elder wielding real power in the Songhai Branch, Fu Qingyang was ironclad, both in backing and personal capability. Dragging such a person into this would only ruin matters without bringing any benefit. Thus, he changed tack: “Thank you for your cooperation. Everything you said today has been recorded by the camera. I will report it faithfully to headquarters.” With that, he clenched his left hand, snapping the invisible threads. Yet Zhang Yuanqing’s body had still not recovered. His joints felt as if they had rusted, making movement difficult. Elder Cold-Blooded Detective stepped up to the camera, stopped the recording, and said flatly, “Your condition will return to normal in five minutes. You may continue to stay here, or you may return to Songhai. As you wish!” Detaching the camera from its tripod, he turned and left. *** Fujia Bay Villa. In the main hall, which had been converted into a workshop, Fu Qingyang sat in the sole high-backed chair, hands folded across his abdomen, inspecting the four mechanical weapons before him. “Introduce them,” he said, shifting his gaze to Xiahou Aotian nearby. “It’s about time you witnessed the fruits of my labor. I burned through two days and two nights to forge these four mechanical weapons. To fulfill your mission, our outstanding employee Li Chunfeng nearly dropped dead in the cooling tank. I suggest a pay raise,” Xiahou Aotian said. “To maintain the stability of the employee salary structure, I have decided to strip you of the right to raise salaries,” Fu Qingyang replied. “I have a meeting this afternoon. You have only five minutes. Begin.” “What meeting?” Xiahou Aotian asked. “Yuanshi Tianzun’s trial.” “What trouble did he get into this time?” Xiahou Aotian’s face lit up with glee. “Where is that Li Chunfeng? If he hasn’t dropped dead, have him come out to do the explaining,” Fu Qingyang said in a chilled tone, voicing his displeasure. He suddenly felt a trace of admiration for Yuanshi Tianzun, who could handle such a trashy Fangshi with ease. Xiahou Aotian cleared his throat and finally dropped the nonsense. Picking up a metal gauntlet, he said: “This is called the Atlas Gauntlet. It looks cumbersome, but its total weight doesn’t exceed five jin. It uses wind steel, a material celebrated for its lightness. Even Scholars and Musicians who lack physical strength can easily wield it. “I installed a sensor system inside the gauntlet capable of recognizing the wearer’s movements…” As he spoke, he slipped on the gauntlet and smashed a fist onto the workbench. *Clang!* The steel workbench let out a deafening boom. “This punch matches an early Level 3 Fire Specialist. The downside is that it consumes too much energy; it can only strike three times before needing to recharge. I added the recharging feature myself. Furthermore, the fist is equipped with internal mechanisms storing six armor-piercing short bolts. A single bolt can breach the defense of a Level 1 Earth Monster. Hitting the same spot four consecutive times can break the defense of a late Level 2 Earth Monster. If dipped in poison, it’s certain death.” Xiahou Aotian spoke with effortless fluency. “In addition, although wind steel is light, it’s notoriously sturdy. It can double as a shield when necessary.” Fu Qingyang nodded in satisfaction. Eccentric and grandiose though this Fangshi was, his technical expertise was fairly solid. “How is the security system?” “Rest assured. I embedded a miniature self-destruct device inside the gauntlet. As soon as someone attempts to dismantle it, the self-destruct sequence will trigger, ensuring the internal mechanical structure will never be leaked.” Next, Xiahou Aotian picked up a meter-long giant crossbow. “Its drawback is difficulty in aiming, and it requires tremendous arm strength to use. However, the bolt’s power surpasses that of a sniper rifle. My ideal users are Scouts.” The third mechanical weapon was a metal sphere. “This mechanical weapon is called the Buddha’s Fury Tang Lotus. Press this button, toss it out, and armor-piercing poison needles will fire. The effective range is thirty meters, covering 360 degrees without blind spots. It’s quieter than a grenade, yet far deadlier. Once used, the self-destruct device will trigger, making it an expendable item.” “Why do your naming styles vary so wildly?” Fu Qingyang glanced between the “Atlas Gauntlet” and the “Buddha’s Fury Tang Lotus.” Xiahou Aotian froze for a second, then looked at him with an expression of pure pity. “Never mind not knowing the Atlas Gauntlet, but you don’t even know the Buddha’s Fury Tang Lotus? You must have had no childhood. How pathetic.” The corner of Fu Qingyang’s brow twitched. Xiahou Aotian proceeded to introduce the final mechanical weapon: a mechanical puppet! “This puppet had the highest manufacturing cost. I transplanted the eyes of a Bewitching Demon into it, granting it the power of bewitchment. An armor-piercing crossbow is built into its left arm. Additionally, it possesses the combat instincts of a Swordsman, making it comparable to a Night Walker’s yin corpse—no, an upgraded yin corpse. In the Transcendent stage, it is both powerful and practical. The official faction will surely purchase it at any cost and request that we mass-produce it.” “That will do,” Fu Qingyang said. “Record a demonstration video for me, and compile a spec sheet of the mechanical weapons. Have it to me before two o’clock this afternoon. Any problem?” “Li Chunfeng hasn’t dropped dead yet. I’ll make him finish it.” “…Whatever works.” Fu Qingyang left the Technical Department of Return of the Dead. *** At half past two in the afternoon, in the headquarters conference room. The ceiling projectors lit up with yellow indicators. After a few seconds of flickering, beams of fluorescent blue light projected along both sides of the long conference table. Seated within the beams of light were elders, twenty people in total. All six elders of the Songhai Branch were present, alongside the four elders of the Jianghuai Branch. The remaining five attendees were Elder Cai, who presided over the meeting, and the secretaries of the other nine elders from headquarters. Shrouded in a light mist, his gaze already inhuman, Elder Cai spoke: “I shall preside over this meeting. We will now discuss the case of Yuanshi Tianzun embezzling official assets.”