Interrogation

At the exchange venue. Su Yu chatted and laughed freely with several Earth-rank armamentsmiths. When the topic turned to Zhao Li's crafting process, he gave a general account of Zhao Li's incredible mastery, brushing off his own role as merely lending a bit of auxiliary assistance. The others were simply curious at first, but after asking a few questions, they naturally steered the conversation back to the dao of forging weapons. Zhao Tianbing, a peak Earth-rank armamentsmith who had absorbed the strengths of a hundred schools, was also present. Often, a single sentence from him was enough to clear up long-standing perplexities. Everyone spent the night in high spirits. The lower-ranked armamentsmiths might not have understood everything, but they listened entranced. Even if a point eluded them, they committed it to memory by force. When else would they ever have the chance to hear these Earth-rank masters speaking their minds without restraint, expounding on their craft? Outside, the sky was gradually growing light. By dawn, Zhao Tianbing and the others had spoken their fill. Zhao Tianbing glanced at the two prefectural army generals stationed outside the door and asked, "General Liu, has any notice come through regarding the location of today's public trial?" At the hall's entrance, two Shanhai Realm generals had stood watch through the night without stepping inside. One of them turned around, saluted, and answered in a deep voice, "Reporting to Manor Head Zhao, the notice has arrived. The public trial will be held at eight o'clock this morning at the Great Xia Civilization Academy!" "The Civilization Academy?" Zhao Tianbing asked in surprise. "Why would it be held there?" The general said solemnly, "The Marquis and the Kings determined that since Feng Qi came from the Great Xia Civilization Academy, whether he is guilty or innocent, the academy must be made aware." Zhao Tianbing nodded and turned to the others with a smile. "Everyone, let us go together in a little while to take a look. As for Feng Qi... sigh, I only hope it is all a misunderstanding. Otherwise, turbulent times are ahead again!" Elder Chen from the Great Xia Prefecture also gave a slight nod and frowned. "Everyone knows Feng Qi himself isn't the crux. If this concerned only Feng Qi, that would be manageable. But once it involves that fellow... it becomes a massive headache." Knowing full well what he meant, the others kept their silence. Su Yu said nothing either. With some time left before eight o'clock, the group chatted a while longer before setting off together toward the Great Xia Civilization Academy, guided by the two Shanhai generals leading the way. *** Great Xia Civilization Academy. Once again, it became the cynosure of all eyes. Years ago, Feng Qi, a member of the academy, had faked his death to escape, infiltrating the Six-Winged God Cult for years. Because of that, he had even been hunted and placed on the Quest Realm's wanted list. Later, Chen Yong proved that he had arranged Feng Qi's undercover mission. And Chen Yong's arrangement had received Wan Tiansheng's personal authorization. Only a short time ago, this matter had been widely discussed, with everyone hailing Feng Qi as a hero. Yet in the blink of an eye, Feng Qi was implicated in the murders of five Shanhai Realm commanders, instantly triggering an uproar across the Great Xia Prefecture and throughout the Human Realm. Originally, this so-called public trial was only meant for high-level experts and leaders, but news had already leaked everywhere. There was no point in investigating who had leaked it. Starting today, the entire Great Xia Prefecture was buzzing with discussions about Feng Qi. Chen Yong, who had a close relationship with Feng Qi and was currently missing, as well as Wan Tiansheng, who had previously claimed to have approved Feng Qi's undercover work, were both pulled into the vortex of speculation. Did Feng Qi even possess the strength to assassinate generals? If he didn't, were Chen Yong and Wan Tiansheng involved? Wan Tiansheng had remained in seclusion—was he truly in seclusion, or was it a pretense? As for Chen Yong's disappearance, had he fled to escape punishment? In that moment, even Wan Tiansheng was faintly drawn into suspicion. Only recently had he stepped forward to confirm that Feng Qi had infiltrated the Six-Winged God Cult with his approval, but now that looked more like an act of deception. The venue for the public trial was the academy's Inspectorate. At this moment, the Inspectorate was completely cordoned off. This "public" trial was not open to just anyone. It required sufficient status and strength; it was only public to powerful figures. Secrets might be revealed during the inquiry, so it could not be opened to the general public. *** When Su Yu and his companions arrived, the area outside the Inspectorate was already encircled and guarded by the academy's Guards and the Great Xia Prefecture's Longwu Guards. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Students passing nearby looked on with longing, eager to go in, but had no way through. The general escorting Su Yu's group explained in a low voice, "Those permitted to attend today's trial include academy elders, Sun Moon Realm experts, representatives of the various prefectures, representatives of the sacred lands, family members of the victims, and several descendants of Invincibles." The implicit meaning was that quite a few armamentsmiths were present, and not all of them could enter. After all, several Invincibles were in attendance, and decorum had to be maintained. Zhao Tianbing chuckled and said, "Those of Profound rank and above may enter; those below may stay behind. Please arrange for them to interact with some of Great Xia's local armamentsmiths!" "Understood!" one of the Shanhai generals replied, breathing a sigh of relief. They were wary of offending these armamentsmiths. The military required vast quantities of armaments each year; while some could be mass-produced, higher-level equipment required custom craftsmanship by dedicated masters. Counting the Profound and Earth ranks, there were about twenty people. If the Mortal rank were included, the number would exceed fifty, which was indeed too many. Bai Junsheng looked thoroughly dejected. He wanted to go in too! Unfortunately, he had not yet reached the Profound rank. Su Yu remained silent throughout, acting like a casual spectator, smiling as he followed the crowd. Just as they reached the entrance, several figures approached from the side. Su Yu glanced over and momentarily lost his composure. Familiar faces! Hong Tan, looking completely calm; Bai Feng, his expression cold and solemn; and Wu Jia, walking with her head bowed—the members of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction had all arrived. "Elder Hong!" Zhao Tianbing was the first to greet him. Seeing Zhao Tianbing, Hong Tan forced a faint smile and nodded. "Manor Head Zhao, I wanted to meet with you yesterday, but couldn't find the opportunity. Regarding Su Yu's matter back then, I must thank you for your trouble." "It was only right." Knowing Hong Tan was in no mood for pleasantries, Zhao Tianbing exchanged a few brief courtesies before letting them enter the Inspectorate first. Once they went inside, someone among the armamentsmiths sent a voice transmission: *"Hong Tan won't fly into a rage today, will he?"* *"Fly into a rage? He's in deep trouble himself. If Chen Yong's involvement is proven, Hong Tan might be dragged down as well. Talk about flying into a rage—if you ask me, Great Xia's Multiple Divine Characters Faction might really be finished this time."* *"Hard to say. Hong Tan's disassembly art hasn't been completed yet. Even if there is some connection, no one will move against him without absolute proof."* The armamentsmiths whispered among themselves, sighing with emotion. Just as the group was about to enter, Zhao Li walked straight toward the Inspectorate from nearby, looking straight ahead as if he hadn't noticed them at all. "Junior Brother!" Zhao Tianbing called out, finding it curious. His junior brother had come as well? Zhao Li glanced sideways at him and nodded. This surprised Zhao Tianbing even more; had his junior brother really changed his temper? Over the past two days, his attitude had been surprisingly tolerable. In the past, Zhao Li wouldn't even acknowledge a greeting from him. Just as that thought crossed his mind, Zhao Li said, "Zhao Tianbing, Chen Yong is Su Yu's martial uncle, and I am Su Yu's teacher. That makes him somewhat connected to us. If the accusations are true, so be it. But if they aren't, framed charges are easy enough to manufacture! When the time comes, you'd better stand up and argue on the merits!" Zhao Tianbing laughed helplessly. *No wonder his attitude toward me was decent these past two days—he was planning to have me lend a hand all along.* His junior brother only ever bowed his head when he needed help. After all these years, he hadn't changed one bit. "I understand, Junior Brother. But instead of entering seclusion to stabilize your realm, you rushed out like this. Aren't you hindering your own progress?" Zhao Li ignored him and strode through the entrance. Zhao Tianbing smiled and turned to the others. "Let us go inside as well. Sigh, this junior brother of mine was spoiled by me when he was young, and even now that he's grown, he still refuses to listen." To the others, the comment sounded unremarkable. Su Yu, however, felt a strange twinge of awkwardness. *Spoiled by you when he was young... Zhao Li is over a hundred years old. Talking about Old Zhao in the tone of a father addressing a son really takes some getting used to.* Still, when the Fourth Head died, Zhao Li had indeed been quite young, and Zhao Tianbing, as the senior brother, had taken care of him. It wasn't wrong for him to put it that way. Without further words, the group stepped inside. The guarding Longwu Guards knew the situation and allowed them to enter the Inspectorate without obstruction. The Inspectorate was designed specifically for hearings and trials. Inside stood an enormous hall, originally built to interrogate Shanhai and even Sun Moon Realm experts during internal investigations. After all, the Great Xia Civilization Academy had once boasted quite a few Sun Moon cultivators. At present, the Invincibles had not yet arrived, nor had Marquis Xia, nor had the representatives of the various prefectures. Only the spectators and onlookers were currently present. The expansive hall was open in the middle, lined with chairs on both sides and facing a row of seats at the front. Many people were already seated along the flanks. Su Yu spotted numerous familiar faces. Aside from Hong Tan and his group, nearly all the academy elders were present, including several Sun Moon Realm experts from Yuan Qingdong's circle. Zhou Hongbo and the others he had met on the road had also arrived, though Su Yu wasn't sure whether they were attending as representatives of the sacred lands, as descendants of Invincibles, or under some other identity. He didn't see Huang He and his companions, however; they likely had not been granted entry. Su Yu also spotted Zhou Mingren. Having already advanced to the Sun Moon Realm, this expert kept a very low profile, sitting in a quiet corner with a few followers. To his surprise, Su Yu caught sight of Liu Hong right beside Zhou Mingren. He wasn't sure what status Liu Hong held to gain entry, but the man had seemingly become Zhou Mingren's trusted confidant. On the opposite side, Su Yu saw Wu Qi sitting beside Wu Yuehua. He also saw Xia Yuwen accompanying Vice Manor Head Xia Changqing. Zhou Hao was nowhere to be seen, likely excluded due to his low cultivation. There were many familiar people. Near Hong Tan, he saw Xia Yunqi and the others. Having recently stabilized their realms, they faintly exuded the aura of eighth- or ninth-stage Shanhai experts. Their foundations appeared solid, though it was unclear whether they had completely integrated their divine characters. Before long, Director Ji entered in silence, found a seat, and sat down without exchanging words with anyone. A short while later, Chief Hu, General Zhao, and several others came in. Afterward, representatives from the various prefectures arrived one after another. The crowd grew steadily. By now, nearly two hundred people filled the hall. The number of Sun Moon Realm experts gathered here today was terrifyingly high. Between Great Xia's Sun Moon experts, those from the sacred lands, those from the various prefectures, and the Sun Moon armamentsmiths, there were likely several dozen in total. As Su Yu was pondering this, someone suddenly took the seat beside him. Turning his head, he saw Xia Huyou sitting down alongside Xia Chan. Noticing Su Yu's gaze, Xia Huyou gave a broad, good-natured smile. "Brother Cui, mind if I sit here?" "As you please," Su Yu answered casually with a smile. "Wherever His Highness chooses to sit is entirely up to you." "Don't put it like that. With several Invincibles attending today, what kind of big shot could I possibly be?" Xia Huyou chuckled. "Brother Cui, I saw you forge that Profound-rank armament yesterday. Absolutely magnificent! With skill like yours, you can thrive anywhere. Brother Cui, have you considered where you'd like to develop your career next? I think the Great Xia Prefecture would be an excellent choice..." Nearby spectators overheard him courting Cui Lang and merely smiled, paying no further attention. They had originally intended to listen in, but seeing the Xia family prince immediately trying to recruit Cui Lang made continued eavesdropping pointless. Beside him, Xia Chan paid no mind. She had heard of Cui Lang's notorious reputation. Such a dandy might be considered normal in the Great Ming Prefecture—perhaps even earning the title of a romantic scholar—but in Great Xia, women generally kept such men at arm's length, being prouder and more independent. She said nothing about Xia Huyou's attempt to recruit Cui Lang. The man was indeed a prodigy in the dao of armamentsmithing, but she had no interest in getting involved. Ignoring her, Xia Huyou maintained his beaming smile. Even though Su Yu hardly responded, he kept chattering away. "Three Invincibles have come to preside over the public trial this time! King Dahan represents the Quest Realm. King Miecan represents the War God Hall. And King Dasong comes representing the stance of the Invincibles stationed on the All-Heavens Battlefield, as well as the battlefield's military faction." Su Yu asked in surprise, "It has already drawn the attention of the All-Heavens Battlefield?" "Of course!" Xia Huyou sighed. "If the dead were merely ordinary Shanhai experts, it wouldn't be this troublesome! But they aren't. Some of them were retired generals, and others were on active duty! The one from Tiansheng Sea was an active garrison commander! Killing a Shanhai like that is entirely different from killing any ordinary Shanhai." Xia Huyou sighed again. "Sigh! This matter won't be easy to handle!" Su Yu adopted an indifferent posture and laughed. "What's so hard about it? If Feng Qi did it, just execute him! If someone else did it and the evidence is conclusive, convict them according to the law. What's unclear is why these particular individuals were killed." Su Yu asked quizzically, "Did they hold personal grudges? Or has Feng Qi truly joined the Six-Winged God Cult and become a cultist of the all-races faction?" "That's still unclear. We'll have to wait for the trial. Feng Qi confessed without hesitation, but the truth still needs to be determined through interrogation." Su Yu nodded and asked no more. At that moment, a figure appeared at the rear of the hall—Marquis Xia. Upon arriving, Marquis Xia took a seat directly at the main platform. Simultaneously, three figures materialized in an instant, as if they had been standing there all along. The next instant, everyone in the hall rose, bowed slightly, and spoke in unison. "Greetings to the Three Kings!" "At ease!" King Dahan's voice rang out. Only then did the crowd retake their seats. Aside from wartime, it was exceedingly rare to see three Invincibles gathered together, and even if they did gather, it was not an occasion ordinary cultivators were permitted to witness. Instantly, all chatter below ceased. Even when people spoke, it was strictly via voice transmission. On the surface, the hall fell into absolute silence. Marquis Xia tapped on the table, a grave look settling across his face as he spoke: "Today, we hold this public trial regarding the matter of Feng Qi. Allow me to summarize the background once more! Over the past few months, five Shanhai Realm experts have been assassinated across several prefectures of the Human Realm! "General Liu Qi of Tiansheng Sea, General Sun Ran of the Great Tang Prefecture, General Xie Rong of the Great Qi Prefecture, as well as generals from the Great Shang Prefecture... and the Great Wu Prefecture..." Marquis Xia continued grimly, "Five consecutive Shanhai Realm experts were assassinated within the Human Realm! In the Great Wu Prefecture, the culprit's trail was exposed. Commander Wu of the Great Wu Prefectural Army led troops in pursuit and ultimately discovered an unconscious Feng Qi outside the prefectural city! "Feng Qi was comatose, waking only when the pursuing forces caught up. Commander Wu of Great Wu has also arrived today, and we will question him on the specifics shortly!" Marquis Xia went on, "After that came the facts known to all: Feng Qi confessed that he committed the murders. As for how he killed them, why he killed them, and whether he had accomplices, all of that remains unknown. Neither the Great Xia Prefecture nor the Great Wu Prefecture has issued any verdict. "Feng Qi was once a brilliant researcher of the Great Xia Prefecture who took part in the Star Astral Mansion gathering nineteen years ago. He was rumored to have perished afterward, but it was later confirmed that he was rescued by Chen Yong, assumed a false identity, and went undercover within the Six-Winged God Cult..." After recounting Feng Qi's background, Marquis Xia looked down and said flatly, "Today, King Dahan, King Dasong, and King Miecan personally preside over this trial! As Feng Qi's home prefecture, the Great Xia Prefecture is solely responsible for providing the venue and ensuring fairness. Great Xia will not participate in the adjudication!" The hall remained deathly quiet. No one voiced any objections; in the presence of three Invincibles, no one dared speak out of turn. Just then, someone tapped on the table before them, producing a metallic chime. Marquis Xia looked over and said placidly, "Director Hong, do you have something to say?" Hong Tan nodded and spoke: "With the Three Kings presiding, I wish to raise a matter. Regarding Feng Qi, I do not know the details. However, my eldest disciple, Chen Yong, left several months ago to rescue Feng Qi and has since vanished without a trace, leaving neither word nor corpse. Months ago, the Great Ming Prefecture urged the Eight Great Families of the Quest Realm to mount a rescue and eliminate the Six-Winged God Cult experts wreaking havoc in the Human Realm. Yet today, the cult's two Sun Moon experts remain at large, while my disciple is missing. I wish to request that the Invincibles investigate whether my disciple is still alive." Peculiar looks appeared in the eyes of onlookers. On the platform, King Dahan was silent for a moment before speaking: "Very well. Wait a moment; we will investigate and trace his fate shortly to see whether Chen Yong lives." "My thanks to King Dahan!" Hong Tan bowed in gratitude, then added, "Have the two Sun Moon experts of the Six-Winged God Cult been executed yet?" King Dahan was quiet once more before answering, "The Eight Great Families handled the matter ineptly. Accountability will be pursued in due course!" "My thanks to King Dahan for upholding justice!" Hong Tan said no more. Marquis Xia offered no comment either, simply calling out, "Guards, bring Feng Qi to the hall!" A moment later, two Shanhai experts entered the hall escorting a gaunt middle-aged man. Feng Qi walked in front, unrestrained by visible bindings, though his complexion was somewhat pale. Upon entering, he bowed and said, "The sinner Feng Qi pays his respects to the Three Kings and greets Marquis Xia!" *A sinner!* Marquis Xia's brow furrowed slightly as he said flatly, "Feng Qi, with the Three Kings presiding today, give a truthful account. Whether you are guilty or not is not for you to decide. Nothing can be concealed from an Invincible." "Feng Qi understands!" *** The moment Feng Qi entered, Su Yu looked at him. Compared to before, Feng Qi was thinner, older, and entirely stripped of his former high spirits. He still carried injuries, clearly far from fully healed. With Feng Qi's arrival, murmurs began to ripple beneath the surface. Fluctuations of voice transmissions flickered continuously. Everyone was communicating in secret. Beside Su Yu, Xia Huyou sent a voice transmission, whispering, *"Brother Cui, do you know Feng Qi?"* *"I don't!"* *"Never met him?"* *"Never!"* Xia Huyou transmitted, *"That's good. It's best not to be involved. Brother Cui, do you know Elder Chen Yong?"* *"I don't. I've heard of him, but only through Su Yu."* *"You know Su Yu?"* *"I've met him a few times."* *"Did he ever mention that he's actually my sworn brother? Every time he sees me, he calls me 'Brother' with the utmost affection. The very first time we met, he fell prostrate before my regal dominance, practically begging to serve under me. Did he ever mention that?"* Su Yu maintained an impassive expression. *"No. Your Highness Xia wouldn't be lying, would you? If you said that aloud, I doubt anyone would believe it."* *"It's the honest truth! Would I lie to you?"* Xia Huyou chuckled, transmitting again, *"Also, Brother Cui probably doesn't know that Su Yu's cultivation methods were all taught to him by me. They all belong to my Xia family, but since the Xia family isn't short on money, I gifted them all to Su Yu."* Su Yu couldn't be bothered to entertain him. *Lunatic.* *Is this guy testing me on purpose?* Ignoring him, Su Yu tuned out all other sounds and focused entirely on Feng Qi in the center of the hall. *** In the center of the hall. Feng Qi stood unguarded. Under the watchful eyes of three Invincibles, no one worried about him attempting anything. Feng Qi made no attempt to conceal anything, stating plainly, "Whether there is a trial or not is meaningless. I've already said it: I killed them! Cut me into pieces or execute me, just do as you please!" Marquis Xia said calmly, "Among the deceased were several high-stage Shanhai experts. You are currently only at the third stage of the Shanhai Realm. How could you have killed them?" "Ambush!" Feng Qi smiled. "I took them by surprise. They weren't on guard against me. I knew them, so I called them out for a chat and dispatched them easily." "Why did you kill them?" "Personal grudges!" Feng Qi replied indifferently. "We had past enmities. Some of those fellows had insulted me, and others had targeted me. I'm narrow-minded, so when the opportunity arose, I killed them." "Did you know who they were?" "I knew." Feng Qi chuckled. "Several were military men. But once I started killing, what difference did it make? Killing one means death, and killing several means the same. I simply went all the way and slaughtered them all." "Then why did you collapse outside the Great Wu Prefecture?" "Injuries!" Feng Qi sighed. "During the last ambush, the target noticed and retaliated. I was severely wounded. I fled all the way until I collapsed from my injuries and was eventually captured." Marquis Xia remained cool and detached. "Are you certain you acted alone in all of this?" "Certain!" "You know this carries the death penalty?" "Of course. I'm not afraid of death." Marquis Xia nodded and turned toward the Invincibles. "Uncles, Feng Qi has confessed to the murders. His motive was simple: personal vengeance carried out through surprise attacks. I have finished my questioning." Below, several people frowned. The three Invincibles did not respond immediately. After a brief pause, someone tapped on a table. Marquis Xia looked over to see an armor-clad figure, clearly from the military, suppressing his fury as he spoke in a low rumble: "My Lords, Marquis, Feng Qi is speaking utter nonsense! General Liu was at the eighth stage of the Shanhai Realm, a seasoned veteran of countless campaigns against the sea demons, possessing formidable strength! Never mind a third-stage Shanhai—even an ambush by a seventh-stage Shanhai would not have brought down General Liu so swiftly!" Gritting his teeth, he continued, "And as for personal grudges, what grudges? Insults? I've known General Liu Qi for years, and he didn't know you at all. Why would he ever insult you? "Furthermore, I visited the scene of General Liu's death at Tiansheng Sea. There were clear, violent aftermaths of battle—shockwaves that no third-stage Shanhai could possibly unleash! Feng Qi, you are talking pure rubbish!" The general was thoroughly enraged! This was nothing but a pack of lies! And the Xia family was no better, muddling through the questioning with superficial, nonsensical queries! Gritting his teeth, the general pressed on, "My Lords, I request that the military be allowed to provide an interrogator. The Marquis is unaccustomed to such matters; none of his questions touched upon the core issues. The military has dedicated interrogators!" Marquis Xia smiled faintly and said nonchalantly, "Is that so? I thought my questions were fairly decent; he did confess to everything, after all! Very well, we shall defer to the Three Kings." After a brief silence among King Dahan and the others, King Miecan spoke: "Let the military dispatch an interrogator to participate. Unless absolutely necessary, we prefer not to employ invasive methods, so as not to compromise fairness." Searching someone's memories inevitably caused harm to powerful cultivators. It would also pry into numerous private matters. For experts, such measures were best avoided unless all other avenues were exhausted. As for retracing the past, that could only be done over a short timeframe. After so much time had elapsed, retracing was out of the question. King Miecan possessed the ability to retrace events, but it was exceptionally difficult unless he had arrived at the scene immediately after the incident took place. Soon, a Shanhai Realm military interrogator stepped forward. This time, the questions became far sharper. "Feng Qi, tell me: why did you fake your death in the Star Astral Mansion back then?" Feng Qi replied calmly, "Does that have anything to do with the current matter?" "Of course! Your infiltration of the Six-Winged God Cult, along with everything that followed, traces back to that faked death!" Feng Qi paused, then laughed. "Must you insist on asking this? If I tell you, will you believe it? And even if you do, can you uphold justice for me?" The interrogator frowned slightly. Marquis Xia said calmly, "Speak plainly!" Feng Qi said placidly, "It's simple. Years ago, when I entered the Star Astral Mansion, I ran into a group of people. To seize my treasures, they tried to silence me. Naturally, there's no evidence left now. You won't necessarily believe me, and even if you do, it won't change anything..." With that, he glanced toward the right side of the hall, looking at several figures in the crowd, and smiled. "Some of the people who tried to kill me back then are still alive today. Qian Jun, wouldn't you say so?" In the hall, a ninth-stage Lingyun expert frowned slightly and said coldly, "Feng Qi, there is no grievance between us. Having fallen to this state, why attempt to frame me?" Feng Qi shrugged and smiled. "See? I told you it was useless! It happened decades ago, so why bring it up? Someone wanted me dead back then—a genius of the academy with backing behind him. What could I do? I had no choice but to fake my death to escape. In truth, I nearly died for real; calling it a faked death was only because my injuries were too severe. Otherwise, who would want to live under a false name?" Feng Qi was ordinarily a man of few words, and after offering these remarks, he fell silent again. Decades had passed, there was no evidence, and the incident had occurred within the sealed Star Astral Mansion. How could anyone investigate it now? Force the Invincibles to search their memories? Search them based on mere suspicion? If he suspected a Sun Moon expert, would they be searched as well? The Invincibles would never permit such a precedent. Moreover, he was currently a criminal; the words of a criminal could not be taken at face value. Wild accusations would implicate countless people. Feng Qi was no fool; he knew it was pointless. Marquis Xia said flatly, "Those matters will be investigated later. Set them aside for now." The military interrogator nodded and pressed on: "You claim your entry into the Six-Winged God Cult was arranged by Chen Yong, and that Chen Yong submitted an application to Manor Head Wan. Planting an undercover agent requires official records. Is Manor Head Wan present? Do those records still exist? How do you prove that you were truly an embedded spy and hadn't turned traitor long ago? And if you had betrayed humanity long ago, why would Chen Yong and Manor Head Wan provide false testimony on your behalf?" Yuan Qingdong lacked the authority to demand those records, but this interrogator could. Without documented files, anyone could claim to be an undercover agent. If that were allowed, harboring cultists of the all-races faction would be far too easy. King Dahan spoke: "Acting Manor Head Xia, can Manor Head Wan emerge from seclusion at this time?" Marquis Xia shook his head. "He is currently in seclusion attempting a breakthrough to the Sun Moon Realm. Forcing him out now would be extremely difficult and could easily disrupt his breakthrough." The advantage of not yet having broken through to Sun Moon became strikingly clear at this moment. *Wan Tiansheng is attempting to break through to the Sun Moon Realm!* At once, peculiar looks surfaced in the eyes of many onlookers. *Could this be real?* *Is Wan Tiansheng truly only at the Shanhai Realm?* Of course, it was far more likely to be an excuse. *** Among the crowd, Su Yu sneered inwardly. Wan Tiansheng's excuse was remarkably unassailable. Had that fellow kept his cultivation hidden all this time just to use a breakthrough to the Sun Moon Realm as an excuse at a critical juncture? Breaking through a major cultivation threshold required substantial time, and one could not simply emerge at will. If he wasn't claiming to break through to Sun Moon, what else could he claim—that he was breaking through to Invincible? Otherwise, for a minor breakthrough, he should have emerged long ago. Forcing someone out during a minor bottleneck carried minimal risk, but forcing someone out during a major breakthrough risked immense backlash—it could easily prove fatal. "Then were the academy's records never filed with the Great Xia Prefecture?" the interrogator asked once more. Marquis Xia laughed. "They truly weren't. The various academies maintain great independence, operating under dual jurisdiction between the Quest Realm and the Great Xia Prefecture. Consequently, they often exercise full autonomy, as everyone here should know." "So only Manor Head Wan possesses the academy's records?" "Confidential archives may only be accessed and sealed by the manor head." The proceedings had reached an awkward impasse. Everything hinged on Wan Tiansheng emerging from seclusion, yet Wan Tiansheng happened to be in the middle of a critical breakthrough. Marquis Xia added, "Whether Feng Qi was truly an undercover agent has no direct bearing on whether he committed murder, does it?" "It makes a profound difference!" the interrogator insisted heavily. "If he was an undercover agent dispatched by the academy, then the academy must bear responsibility for his killings. If he wasn't... then why did Chen Yong and Manor Head Wan provide false testimony on his behalf? That is the crux of the matter!" Feng Qi cut in directly: "I was planted into the Six-Winged God Cult by Chen Yong and Manor Head Wan. Later, I simply corrupted myself. Watching cultists kill without consequence, I gradually let go of my own restraints. Is there an issue with that?" He shouldered everything, readily accepting every charge and taking all the blame upon himself. While this made the interrogation proceed with remarkable ease, it also made it impossible to take his words entirely at face value. The atmosphere grew increasingly suffocating. Wan Tiansheng and Chen Yong—was only Chen Yong involved, or was Wan Tiansheng implicated as well? If even Wan Tiansheng was drawn into this, the repercussions would be catastrophic. He was, after all, the Sixth Manor Head of the Great Xia Civilization Academy!