Feng Qi insisted he had killed those men, offering no defense and pleading guilty to every charge.
Faced with a suspect like this, things became exceedingly thorny.
The military interrogator questioned him again and again until his patience was exhausted, driven nearly to the point of torture. Furious, he barked, "Feng Qi, you'd better think this through! Obstinacy leads only to death!"
Feng Qi ignored him.
Seeing that Feng Qi remained completely indifferent, the interrogator sighed. When a man was truly unafraid of dying, torture was of little use. Feng Qi had no glaring vulnerabilities either; had he a clan, sons, or daughters, there might have been leverage to exploit.
Yet Feng Qi was solitary and unattached. Threats were entirely pointless.
Just as the interrogator found himself at his wit's end, someone spoke up. "Gentlemen, may I ask a few questions?"
The crowd turned toward the speaker—Zhou Mingren!
Not a few people were taken aback. Why was Zhou Mingren stepping forward at this juncture?
Ignoring their stares, Zhou Mingren asked softly, "May I speak a few words?"
Marquis Xia gave him a penetrating look and nodded. "You may!"
Zhou Mingren smiled faintly and turned his gaze to Feng Qi. "Feng Qi, you've already resolved to die. Even if an Invincible searches your memories, I imagine you won't reveal anything. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, you've prepared to detonate yourself the moment an Invincible attempts a memory search, haven't you?"
Feng Qi remained silent.
A buzz of quiet chatter rippled through the hall.
Zhou Mingren said calmly, "Do you truly believe that dying will cover up everything? If I'm not mistaken, your friend surely left you with parting words when he parted ways with you. Even if he cares nothing for anyone else, would he truly abandon the disciple he treats like his own daughter? His master and his junior brother are both in dire straits. I doubt he sent you back just to take the fall for him, did he?"
Feng Qi remained silent, though stormy waves churned in his heart.
"Do you believe he can escape this calamity? Even if you die, do you think he will stop?"
"If he were willing to turn back, he would have done so when the Six-Winged God Cult evacuated. Yet he didn't. Clearly, he has cast everything aside and made his resolve. Feng Qi, why seek death in vain at a time like this? If you die, and someone else is killed a few days later, do you really think your death will shoulder anything?"
"Can you guarantee that after you die, he will lay down his burdens and hide away in the shadows, pretending he knows nothing?"
"That is impossible!"
Zhou Mingren said softly, "Everything you are doing is utterly meaningless. Don't you see? You are throwing your life away for nothing, failing the wishes he entrusted to you. I imagine he spoke words to that effect, didn't he?"
At that moment, Feng Qi's frame trembled so faintly it was almost imperceptible.
Not far away, Hong Tan leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, listening no longer.
Zhou Mingren was actually quite right.
Chen Yong would never stop!
Even if Feng Qi died today, and even if there was no evidence proving Chen Yong was involved, what would happen when someone else died a few days later? Would that still be blamed on Feng Qi?
In fact... Hong Tan suspected that, barring any surprises, his disciple was likely already up to something this very day.
Chen Yong would never let Feng Qi take the blame for him!
Never. Hong Tan knew his disciple too well.
The corners of Hong Tan's mouth curled slightly. Right at that instant, Marquis Xia's eyes flickered, and he quietly pulled out his voice transmission talisman for a glance.
Inside the hall, many others also drew out their transmission talismans.
A few low gasps broke out. Soon, someone called out loudly, cutting off the proceedings, "Wait a moment! I have an urgent matter to report to the three lords!"
King Dahan seemed to be contemplating something. Hearing this, he said indifferently, "Speak."
"Reporting to Your Highness, just moments ago... a Shanhai Realm commander of the Dajin Prefecture was slain!"
"..."
The hall fell dead silent for an instant.
King Dahan asked placidly, "The same as before?"
"Yes!"
An uproar exploded!
Down in the hall, Feng Qi's complexion turned terribly grim.
King Dahan let out a sigh. "I see."
With that, he opened his eyes and looked at Feng Qi. "Feng Qi, you might as well tell us what you know. Things have reached this point; remaining silent serves no purpose."
Feng Qi answered in a low voice, "I've said all I have to say!"
Zhou Mingren chimed in, utterly calm. "Feng Qi, must you be so stubborn? Since that person had you return, he didn't intend for you to die. What point is there in courting death? His disciple is sitting right here..."
"You old bastard, what are you trying to say?!"
Just then, Wu Jia, who had kept her head lowered all this time, suddenly shrieked in fury. She snapped her head up and glared at Zhou Mingren, her eyes bloodshot.
Across from her, Su Yu's heart twitched.
How had his once carefree senior sister become like this?
Between their martial uncle's plight and his own departure, she had changed far too much.
Zhou Mingren cast her a glance and said nothing.
Marquis Xia barked, "Wu Jia, sit down! Insolence! Hong Tan, rein her in! Losing all sense of decorum before Invincibles—have you forgotten all respect for seniority?"
Hong Tan gently patted Wu Jia's shoulder, smiling. "Sit down, little girl. All you do all day is snap at me. I'm your grandmaster after all, yet you show no respect whatsoever."
Turning to Zhou Mingren, Hong Tan chuckled. "Old Zhou, don't misunderstand. The girl was cursing at me. Her seclusion hasn't been going smoothly these past few days, so she's taking it out on me. She's been spoiled rotten. I'll discipline her properly once we get back!"
Zhou Mingren replied evenly, "Think nothing of it. Do as you see fit, Elder Hong."
Wu Jia was held down by Hong Tan's hand, unable to budge. Lowering her head, she fell quiet once more.
Zhou Mingren paid it no mind and continued, "Another murder has occurred in the Dajin Prefecture, similar to the previous ones. It is likely the work of the same killer. In other words, Feng Qi might not be the culprit. Of course, he could be an accomplice, or his associate might be diverting our attention. Regardless, this latest case could not have been committed by Feng Qi."
Looking at Feng Qi, Zhou Mingren said mildly, "Feng Qi, there is no longer anything you can conceal. If I were you, preserving your own life and fulfilling his wishes would be far better than seeking your own demise. Don't you think?"
A trace of anguish surfaced in Feng Qi's eyes.
Why did it have to come to this!
He knew—he knew that the one striking this time was certainly Chen Yong, acting specifically to clear his name. Did he truly have to do this?
Did he truly have no intention of turning back?
In Feng Qi's mind, those repeated words echoed once more: *Help me take good care of Jiajia...*
Zhou Mingren's words pierced Feng Qi's heart with sharp, throbbing pain.
He had no fear of torture, nor would he give an Invincible the chance to search his memories. But now... would dying have any meaning left at all?
Feng Qi clenched his jaws so tightly his teeth nearly fractured.
At this moment, Hong Tan spoke up as well. "Feng Qi, don't confess blindly. Don't throw your life away for some misplaced loyalty. Just speak the truth!"
Hong Tan glanced around the hall and said coolly, "Doesn't everyone want to know whether the killer was my disciple, Chen Yong? Feng Qi, if you saw something, say it plainly. If you didn't, say that plainly too. Don't go foolishly taking the blame just because you assume Chen Yong did it! The law makes no allowances for sentiment!"
"Who can say with certainty right now whether it was Chen Yong?"
Hong Tan continued in a low, measured voice, "Even if the appearance was identical, even if the aura matched, plenty of people impersonate others these days! Are we to convict someone based solely on a person's word? If that's the standard, I might as well say I saw Old Zhou kill his own student, Zhou Pingsheng... just as an example, of course!"
"Does my seeing it make it true?"
Hong Tan's laugh grated on the ears. Someone bellowed furiously, "Hong Tan, what are you implying?"
Hong Tan said calmly, "Implying? Nothing at all! My disciple is missing. Feng Qi is naive and lacking in strength; never mind whether he actually saw or knew anything, even if he did, who can guarantee that seeing is believing?"
"Wait until you actually catch the killer red-handed at the scene before making accusations! Presumption of innocence—understand? I also suspect that my master was killed years ago by an Invincible, a human Invincible. Can I just claim I saw which Invincible did it and have him condemned?"
The moment those words were uttered, yuanqi surged through the hall, and willpower spilled out in agitation.
Shock filled the room!
This was the first time Hong Tan had spoken such words openly before everyone, before three Invincibles.
King Dahan frowned slightly, his voice deep. "Hong Tan, do not speak nonsense!"
Hong Tan smiled, bowed, and said, "Forgive me, King Dahan. I was merely using an analogy. Some people always assume they have me and my disciple cornered. Yet in the world of cultivators, anything is possible. To catch a thief, you must catch them with the stolen goods! Is it so difficult to disguise oneself?"
As he spoke, his face morphed, shifting into the likeness of Zhou Mingren. A moment later, it shifted again, becoming Marquis Xia. He chuckled. "What does an appearance prove? As for aura, if I am stronger than you and conceal it, what could you possibly detect? Talking about suspects without catching them in the act is nothing short of laughable!"
Zhou Mingren and the others frowned, saying nothing.
Feng Qi's eyes, however, brightened considerably!
Su Yu also breathed a quiet sigh of relief. His grandmaster, who had rushed back from seclusion, had finally pulled his weight. Thank goodness.
Hong Tan continued, "Right now, I suspect my disciple might already be dead, made a scapegoat for someone else! I wonder why eight Sun Moon experts from the Eight Great Families couldn't kill two Sun Moon cult masters from the Six-Winged God Cult. I wonder who was covering for them, who was protecting them as they ran rampant across the Human Realm while being pursued across entire prefectures!"
"I also wonder whether my disciple has already been killed, imprisoned, or crippled..."
Hong Tan sighed. "If the lords could help me find my disciple, I would be deeply grateful. As for the fallen commanders, perhaps they were slain by those Six-Winged God Cult scoundrels. I wonder if it wouldn't be wiser to step in now, capture and slay those two Sun Moon cult masters, and see whether any more murders occur. If none do... then perhaps they were the culprits all along!"
At this moment, Yuan Qingdong, who had remained silent the entire time, shifted slightly in expression. After a thought, he sent a voice transmission to the woman beside him.
As for himself, he kept his gaze fixed on a distant point and held his peace.
The woman beside him immediately snapped, "Hong Tan, that is pure sophistry!"
Hong Tan said mildly, "Holy Envoy Zhang, how is it sophistry? Where did I misspeak?"
The woman barked, "If Chen Yong wasn't the killer, why did Feng Qi confess right from the start? Furthermore, Sun Moon experts from both the Great Xia Prefecture and the Great Ming Prefecture were trailing behind, hunting down the cult masters of the Six-Winged God Cult. When would they have had time to commit murder? I request Director Hou and General Zhao to step forward. Let us see if they dare commit perjury before the Invincibles!"
Hong Tan smiled. "Be my guest!"
The woman looked toward the Invincibles above. King Dahan said nothing further. King Dasong pondered for a moment before smiling. "Then let Hou Zhen and Zhao Rui come in and speak. Are they here?"
A moment later, General Zhao's deep voice carried from outside the hall: "Zhao Rui is present!"
"General Zhao, enter the hall!"
Soon, General Zhao strode inside. He walked up beside Feng Qi, bowed slightly, and said, "Hou Zhen has returned to the Great Ming Prefecture. However, Hou Zhen and I were together nearly the entire time. The lords may ask me just the same!"
King Dasong smiled. "Zhang Ying claims you pursued the Six-Winged God Cult members the entire way. Tell us how it transpired."
General Zhao nodded and said gravely, "Ever since the Great Xia Prefecture learned Feng Qi was being hunted and his identity was exposed, I received the Marquis's orders to eliminate the two Sun Moon experts of the Six-Winged God Cult. Midway through, they split up. Hou Zhen and I tracked only one group—Silver Wing's party. Gold Wing drew away the Sun Moon experts of the Eight Great Families, maneuvering around them..."
King Dasong asked again, "Having tracked them the entire way, do you believe Silver Wing could have found the time to kill Liu Qi and the others?"
Zhao Rui fell silent.
Marquis Xia said, "Speak frankly!"
After a brief pause, General Zhao replied, "It would have been very difficult to find the time. Of course, I only kept watch on Silver Wing. I can only say the chances of Silver Wing doing it were extremely small."
"Did you encounter Chen Yong and Feng Qi along the way?"
"No."
"Did they have the time to commit the murders?"
"I do not know."
King Dasong nodded, turned to the woman, and said mildly, "Zhang Ying, do you have anything else to ask General Zhao?"
The woman said hurriedly, "Gold Wing was continuously entangled with us. When General Liu Qi was killed, we were still clashing near Dayuan Prefecture. Gold Wing had no time to commit murder. Silver Wing was being tracked and had no time either. During that period, only Chen Yong and Feng Qi's whereabouts were unaccounted for!"
With that, she turned swiftly to Zhao Rui. "General Zhao, was there any sign that Chen Yong and Feng Qi were deliberately avoiding you throughout the entire pursuit?"
General Zhao said in a deep voice, "There is no evidence whatsoever indicating they were avoiding us. Thus, I cannot answer your question!"
"When you tracked Silver Wing, did Silver Wing's group kill or capture Chen Yong?"
Zhao Rui fell silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Presumably not."
"Then what more is there to ask?" the woman shouted. "They deliberately avoided rescue, and the Six-Winged God Cult had no time to commit the crimes. Who else could have struck if not Chen Yong and Feng Qi?"
From the side, Hong Tan remarked calmly, "Ever heard of cloning techniques? Furthermore, I'm beginning to wonder whether you truly pinned down Gold Wing at all. Eight Sun Moon experts, acting like utter fools, led around by the nose like dogs on a leash by a single Sun Moon cultivator for months—and you have the nerve to claim you pinned him down!"
"Hong Tan!"
"How dare you slander us!"
"..."
At once, several Sun Moon experts near Yuan Qingdong shouted in reprimand!
Hong Tan wore an expression of complete nonchalance. "What? Did I say anything false? Eight Sun Moon experts led around like dogs for months by a single Sun Moon cultivator! Whether it was due to sheer incompetence, intentional negligence, or outright cover-up, who can say?"
Yuan Qingdong, who had stayed quiet until now, finally spoke up, sighing, "Gold Wing is already at the sixth stage of the Sun Moon Realm and possessed immense strength. The eight of us were all merely in the early Sun Moon Realm. We cornered him several times, yet he managed to slip away..."
"So you're saying you're a bunch of useless bums?"
Yuan Qingdong paused for a moment before replying, "If Director Hong insists on putting it that way, we will accept it. Our strength was insufficient, and we failed everyone's expectations."
"Qingdong!"
Several people looked displeased, but Yuan Qingdong didn't care. If Hong Tan wanted to call them useless, so be it.
There was no need to argue!
Turning the spearhead against themselves was pointless; admitting incompetence was far better. What could anyone do about it?
Eight Sun Moon experts failing to capture one was an indisputable fact.
No amount of arguing would help.
Hong Tan was somewhat surprised. Yuan Qingdong had actually learned to be shameless, which was unexpected.
A moment later, Hong Tan smiled and said, "Since your strength was insufficient and you're a bunch of useless bums, then is it so impossible that Gold Wing slipped away in secret to assassinate Liu Qi and the others?"
Hong Tan chuckled. "Dean Yuan, am I right?"
Yuan Qingdong considered for a moment, then said slowly, "Anything is possible. We cannot guarantee that this didn't occur. Therefore, I believe that before everything is made clear, we should let Feng Qi speak for himself. He is the person directly involved. What does Director Hong think?"
After a fierce exchange of words, matters had circled back to square one.
The focus remained Feng Qi.
Hong Tan said nothing more. He glanced at Yuan Qingdong, then at Zhou Mingren, and offered a careless smile. Leaning back in his chair to watch, he patted Wu Jia's head beside him and transmitted, "Don't be reckless. Your grandmaster won't abandon your master! Listen to me. The person your master worries about most is you. Don't say another word, understand?"
Wu Jia nodded silently, keeping quiet.
In the center of the hall, Feng Qi's gaze shifted repeatedly. Suddenly, he said, "I'll confess! That day, when I woke from unconsciousness, I knew nothing and remembered nothing. When Commander Wu captured me, he asked if I had killed those men and why I was there. Seeing that I was alone, I assumed Brother Chen had killed them and fled to escape punishment. In my panic and concern, I immediately confessed that I was the killer!"
A wave of astonishment swept the room!
Feng Qi had recanted his confession!
Feng Qi said hurriedly, "I truly didn't know the situation. But I still remember that Brother Chen did come to rescue me that day. After we met, we were ambushed, and I was knocked unconscious. After that, my mind was in a haze, and I only regained full clarity after being arrested! Elder Hong is right—I was foolish. Not only did I nearly doom myself, but speaking so recklessly also cast suspicion on Brother Chen. This was my mistake!"
"Nonsense!"
The woman snapped once more. "Unconscious? Earlier you said you never saw Chen Yong, and now you claim you were unconscious and did see him! Feng Qi, your words are contradictory and incoherent—what credibility do you have left?"
Feng Qi said deeply, "I've already told you: it was a momentary lapse of judgment, and I didn't think it through. Now... I've come to my senses. Perhaps Brother Chen has met with misfortune, and I ought to tell everyone the truth so the Invincibles can go rescue him! Moreover, Gold Wing and Silver Wing might not be the only ones in the Six-Winged God Cult. Having been undercover in the cult for decades, I suspect members of the Six-Winged God Race themselves are lurking in the shadows. Perhaps they were the ones who struck, yet none of you noticed!"
"..."
Hong Tan smiled. This was precisely the outcome he wanted.
Feng Qi pleading guilty helped no one.
Now that he refused to plead guilty...
Where was the evidence?
The Multiple Divine Characters Faction had pursued an Invincible for years. They weren't without suspects, but without evidence, there was nothing they could do to anyone.
If these people wanted to convict Chen Yong, where was their proof?
Did they really think they had them cornered?
The moment Feng Qi recanted, someone in the hall suddenly spoke up: "My lords, I have something to say!"
Another armored warrior stood up, saying in a deep voice, "When Liu Qi was slain that day, I rushed to the scene immediately. In fact, I discovered a drop of blood left behind by the killer..."
Hong Tan yawned and cut him off. "Aside from you, was anyone else there when you found it? Are you certain it was left by the killer? The All-Races Cult does this sort of thing all the time—getting their hands on someone's blood to commit murder and frame them. You aren't about to say that the drop of blood in your hands belongs to my disciple, are you?"
The commander frowned slightly. "Multiple commanders of the Tiansheng Army arrived at the scene together that day. It was indeed the killer's blood. As for whether it was planted to frame someone, that can be discussed separately; right now, nothing can be proven either way."
With that, a drop of blood was presented.
King Dahan reached out and drew it toward himself. After examining it briefly, he tossed it to King Miecan. "Miecan, see if you can trace back the image of its owner!"
"Alright!"
King Miecan smiled faintly, catching the blood. In his eyes, sun and moon revolved, as if time itself were flowing backward.
Beneath the awe-struck gazes of the crowd, the drop of blood gradually manifested the faint outline of a human figure.
Up on the platform, Su Yu kept his expression taut, feeling a knot of tension in his chest.
Was it his martial uncle's?
Could an Invincible truly do this?
Tracing back events through a single drop of blood?
This touched upon the domain of Time!
After a moment, the figure resolved and became clear. Feng Qi suddenly let out a breath of relief and blurted, "That's one of the Six-Winged God Cult members—Vice Cult Master Red Wing, at the seventh stage of the Shanhai Realm! To think it was actually him!"
Hong Tan cast a meaningful glance at the commander who had just stood up, smiling with utter composure.
Hovering before everyone's eyes was a middle-aged man with a sinister gaze, rendered vividly to life.
King Miecan studied it for a moment, then casually waved his hand to extinguish the illusion. He shook his head. "This person is already dead. The blood no longer retains any karmic pull. With the man dead and the killings continuing, either there was more than one killer, or this blood was merely something dropped at random, holding no value whatsoever."
Feng Qi said hurriedly, "Then they must have acted as a group!"
"..."
King Miecan smiled faintly and didn't reply.
In truth, everyone understood the reality in their hearts.
There was simply no evidence!
Whether it was Chen Yong's doing, people had their own judgments.
King Miecan sighed. "Let's not dwell on this. Since matters have reached this point, and Feng Qi's statements are contradictory, let us search his soul! Even if Feng Qi is innocent, he rashly confessed to murder; without a clear explanation, there is no way to account for this. Once his soul is searched, everything will naturally become clear. Of course, Feng Qi, any secrets unrelated to this will be kept confidential. Furthermore, you will suffer some injury from a soul-search. If you are innocent, we will compensate you. If not..."
As King Miecan reached this point, no one else voiced objections, but Hong Tan spoke up once more. "Out of the question! A soul-search damages one's foundation! Feng Qi is a hero who stayed undercover in the Six-Winged God Cult for decades. How can he be treated like this? As for why he confessed earlier, he explained his reasons. Whether to believe him... that is up to everyone, but I do not believe he lied! A soul cannot be searched simply on suspicion. I also suspect Old Zhou assassinated my disciple—am I permitted to search his soul?"
Zhou Mingren smiled faintly, offering no retort.
King Miecan frowned slightly. "Hong Tan, are you suggesting we drop the investigation entirely?"
Hong Tan shook his head. "Investigate! We must investigate! If we don't, how can we face the fallen commanders? How can we answer to the soldiers on the front lines? However, Feng Qi is a hero and one of our own. In my view, we should first capture the two cult masters of the Six-Winged God Cult and search their souls. Once we confirm it wasn't them, bring in the eight Sun Moon experts from the Eight Great Families to investigate whether they colluded with the All-Races Cult. After that, if you still want to search Feng Qi's soul, I will have no objection whatsoever!"
Hong Tan continued placidly, "Instead of investigating the All-Races Cultists first, instead of investigating the useless fools who botched their duties, you immediately move to search a hero—this is inappropriate! Could it be that because Feng Qi is weaker, he deserves to be treated this way?"
Hong Tan, normally a man of few words, spoke with sweeping eloquence, his arguments razor-sharp and methodical.
"Lord Miecan, everything I say comes straight from my conscience. If the lords believe that, having attained the Invincible Realm and serving as the pillars of the human race, you must search Feng Qi first, then I have nothing more to say! After all, behind the Six-Winged God Cult stands the Six-Winged God Race, and behind the Eight Great Families stand eight Invincibles. Going by status and background, Feng Qi is indeed the easiest target!"
"..."
King Miecan laughed. "Why don't you just come out and say we bully the weak and fear the strong?"
"I wouldn't dare!"
Hong Tan lowered his head. "I know the lords only wish to find the true culprit quickly and avenge the fallen commanders. Everything shall follow the lords' will!"
"Hong Tan!"
King Miecan chuckled again. "There's no need to provoke us. Compared to your master, you're still lacking. Back in the day, your master pointed right at our noses and cursed us. You, on the other hand, are too timid..."
After that brief tease, King Miecan said with a smile, "What you say makes some sense. However, Sun Moon experts in hiding aren't easy to find. If they were, they would have been caught long ago! As for the Sun Moon cultivators of the Eight Great Families, the eight of them acted together; frankly speaking, the likelihood of betrayal is slim. What do you think?"
Hong Tan replied in a low voice, "Your Highness speaks the truth. That makes Feng Qi the most suspicious, so searching him is completely fine!"
King Miecan waved his hand. "Don't play those games with me; I don't buy it! How about this: Feng Qi will be searched, and the Sun Moon cultivators of the Eight Great Families will be searched as well—though just one or two of them will suffice, since they acted together. How does that sound?"
The moment this was proposed, King Dahan looked at him in surprise, while King Dasong wore a peculiar expression and remained silent.
Below, Yuan Qingdong and the others looked thoroughly dismayed. *Us? You want to search our souls?*
The woman said hurriedly, "My lord! The eight of us acted together, representing the Eight Great Families and the Quest Realm! How could we possibly collude with the All-Races Cult?"
King Miecan laughed. "Everyone says the same, and Feng Qi says so too. It puts us in a difficult position! Both of them hail from the Quest Realm, so it's awkward for them to speak. I am not; I belong to the War God Hall, so I might as well play the villain! If your elders and ancestors take issue with this, they can come find me! Out of eight people, pick two. We won't inspect everyone, lest we offend too many people. It's no big deal. Rest assured, I will certainly keep your secrets, and I will compensate you afterward."
At this moment, the hall became terrifyingly quiet.
King Miecan... actually intended to search the souls of people from the Eight Great Families?
Was he about to offend all eight Invincibles in one go?
Or was this merely a formality?
King Miecan tapped the table, smiling. "Let's settle on this. Otherwise, people will complain of unfairness, and the investigation won't be able to proceed! Clearing your names is a good thing anyway, lest Hong Tan and the others keep babbling about you being useless traitors, tarnishing the prestige and credibility of the Eight Great Families and the Quest Realm. A drop in public confidence won't do your families any favors in running the Quest Realm."
"My lord!"
The white-browed youth spoke up as well. "We cultivate our ancestral techniques involving Invincible secret arts, and we are privy to many clan secrets. Submitting to a soul-search is extremely inappropriate. It is not that we refuse to cooperate, but that we genuinely cannot!"
"Indeed, my lord! We are descendants of Invincibles, possessing Sun Moon cultivation! How could we collude with the All-Races Cult? This is an entirely fabricated accusation! What could colluding with the All-Races Cult possibly offer us?"
At that moment, none of the Sun Moon experts agreed.
Who would willingly allow another person to rummage through their memories?
No one would!
Moreover, they were Sun Moon experts, scions of Invincibles, and masters of the sacred grounds. It was all the more impossible for them to agree!
The smile on King Miecan's face faded, replaced by indifference. "Then investigating becomes quite difficult! You refuse to agree, and Feng Qi feels it is inappropriate as well. How about we ask the dead instead? Most of the slain commanders were left without intact corpses. If there is remaining blood, I can attempt temporal backtracking. However... that is very imprecise! It only yields fragments, unable to confirm truth from falsehood or determine if someone was in disguise."
The white-browed youth frowned slightly and said quickly, "My lord, desperate times call for desperate measures! Feng Qi bears the greatest suspicion. He confessed beforehand and has now recanted. I believe we should conduct an immediate soul-search on him to determine the truth..."
From the side, Marquis Xia sighed. "Why make it so complicated? How about this: let's put it to a vote. The two sacred grounds shall vote. The assembly hasn't convened in years, but three Invincibles, multiple descendants of Invincibles, and representatives from every prefecture are present. Let's decide by vote—the minority submits to the majority! Once the results are out, no one may complain or refuse. At critical junctures, everyone must submit to the greater good!"
With that, he outlined briskly, "Three choices on the ballot: First, search Feng Qi's soul! Second, search both Feng Qi and the Sun Moon cultivators of the Eight Great Families! Third, search neither and investigate slowly!"
"Everyone, what do you think?"
"..."
The expressions of many in the room grew strange. Marquis Xia continued, "Representatives from all thirty-six prefectures are here, accounting for thirty-six votes. The two sacred grounds each get one vote, bringing it to thirty-eight... Wait, Lord Miecan hasn't established a prefecture, so adding his vote makes thirty-nine, how about that?"
King Miecan's eyes flickered strangely. "And what if the vote ends in a thirteen-thirteen-thirteen tie?"
Marquis Xia laughed. "Surely it won't be that coincidental? Of course, if it really turns out that way..."
Marquis Xia rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment before saying, "Then..."
He looked toward Zhao Tianbing's group and smiled. "Let the armamentsmith lineage cast a vote on behalf of Lord Tianzhu! What do the three lords think? Lord Tianzhu hasn't established a prefecture either, but the smithing lineage reveres him as their supreme master, and several Earth-rank smiths present can represent their lineage!"
King Miecan smiled faintly. "Forty votes? This is almost like back when we had to vote on whether to ally with the Immortals. How nostalgic. It reminds me of several hundred years ago, when King Daqin and the others made us vote on whether to form an alliance with the Immortals or fight the gods and devils to the bitter end... To think that process is being used here today."
Marquis Xia chuckled. "We don't have to vote. The three lords may decide for themselves."
With three Invincibles present, voting wasn't strictly necessary.
Yet... how would the three Invincibles choose?
King Dahan spoke directly: "Then let us vote!"
He had no desire to make a unilateral decision at this moment. None of the three choices Marquis Xia provided were pleasant.
In truth, Feng Qi represented the Xia family at this juncture.
On the other side were the Eight Great Families, whom Hong Tan had pushed squarely into opposition. On the surface, this matter seemed to be merely about the deaths of several Shanhai commanders, but this vote... King Dahan gave Marquis Xia a profound, meaningful look.
This vote was perhaps not about whether to search Feng Qi's soul, but about the Xia family taking the pulse of the situation.
They wanted to gauge the currents of the Human Realm!
Who supported whom?
If the majority supported the Xia family, this case would no longer need to be investigated today. The probability of it being quietly dropped was very high, and the Xia family would likely step forward.
King Dahan sighed inwardly. Had the Human Realm truly reached this state?
Internal division had already set in!
The three outcomes represented three factions:
Pro-Xia, anti-Xia, and neutral.
The three camps could likely be discerned from this single vote.
Right then, Hong Tan chuckled. "Why isn't there an option to vote solely on searching the Sun Moon cultivators of the Eight Great Families? Marquis, isn't that somewhat improper?"
Marquis Xia snapped testily, "Cut the nonsense! The Sun Moon cultivators of the Eight Great Families are only under minor suspicion, while Feng Qi is under heavy suspicion. No matter what, Feng Qi must be searched alongside them! Don't push your luck!"
After rebuking him, Marquis Xia turned to Yuan Qingdong and the others, smiling. "Wouldn't you agree, gentlemen? Regardless of whether you are searched, Feng Qi must accompany you. That way, it appears fairer."
Yuan Qingdong and his companions looked thoroughly disgruntled.
After all their maneuvering, they had ended up dragging themselves into the mud!
If the second option won the majority, would their souls truly be searched?
Just as several of them hesitated, King Miecan said impatiently, "Enough! If you have objections, we will simply imprison Feng Qi and dispatch men to thoroughly investigate the killer and make an arrest. As long as the culprit is not brought to justice, Feng Qi will not leave prison for a single day. How about that?"
Someone moved to speak, but King Miecan said coldly, "Our time is limited, and we have none to waste on you! We are offering you fairness; if you drag this out any longer, there will be no need for us to oversee this at all! You can investigate it yourselves!"
At those words, no one dared utter another sound.
Any further argument would provoke King Miecan's wrath.
"Then let it be decided by vote!"
With a flick of King Miecan's sleeve, thirty-nine jade talismans flew out. The representatives of the thirty-six prefectures each received one, the representatives of the two sacred grounds each received one, and another flew near Zhao Tianbing's group.
The final one belonged to King Miecan himself, needing no distribution.
As for King Dahan and King Dasong, their respective prefectural representatives were present; the two monarchs maintained an air of detached indifference, having no intention of intervening directly.
Marquis Xia let out a light laugh and said, "Everyone, write down one, two, or three—fill in whichever choice you endorse. If you cannot decide on your own, you may confer with your respective prefecture lords. Hand in the jade talismans in half an hour!"
The hall fell utterly silent.
Nonetheless, many representatives drew out their transmission talismans, swiftly contacting their respective prefectures.
This matter was no longer something they could decide on their own.
Marquis Xia added, "It is an anonymous ballot, rest assured. Of course, Lord Miecan knows which jade talisman corresponds to whom, and I trust His Highness will keep it confidential."
"Naturally!"
King Miecan remained entirely composed. Chuckling, he leaned back in his chair, narrowed his eyes, glanced at the two beside him, and transmitted, "Entertaining, isn't it?"
Neither of the two paid him any mind. It wasn't entertaining at all; it would only invite immense trouble.
The Xia family and King Miecan were truly two peas in a pod—wanting nothing more than to plunge the entire world into chaos.
Chapter 344