The scorching air seemed to solidify, warping the light, while the furniture in the living room dried out, appearing as if it might ignite at any moment.
Zhang Bailing, a Grandmaster, exuded an astonishing aura, yet Meng Qi remained completely unaffected. Rather than clashing with the incoming energy, he stood calmly, concealing his might as if basking in a gentle spring breeze. He smiled and said, “Master Zhang, I don’t mean to suspect the Zhang family, but since Feng Zheng died here, it is my duty to investigate.”
Zhang Bailing felt as though Meng Qi were utterly empty, his aura dissipating into nothingness. He felt an indescribable discomfort and suddenly realized the truth—Meng Qi, the “Crazy Blade,” was indeed a Grandmaster of the highest rank, clearly a tier above himself and others of his caliber.
His aura thwarted and lacking justification for confrontation, Zhang Bailing dared not forcefully expel Meng Qi, lest he become the target of all other factions. He could only frown and say, “Then please, Chief Investigator Su, complete your investigation swiftly and clear my Zhang family of Lengnan.”
Seeing this, Liu Shengming left the living room and summoned nearby secret agents, including some who had been embedded within the Zhang household. After this incident, they would all be reassigned.
Meng Qi turned his gaze toward Zhang Yu: “Bring Feng Zheng’s body and the senior family member you mentioned.”
Zhang Yu’s expression betrayed genuine panic as he hesitated and replied, “Chief Investigator, please wait a moment.”
After Zhang Yu exited the living room, Meng Qi clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the window, gazing at the pond filled with dead carp. His eyes were deep, as if appreciating the scenery, never glancing back at Zhang Bailing.
Although outwardly as rugged as a bear, Zhang Bailing, having been dispatched by his clan to serve as a political advisor in the Council of State, was actually a man of deep cunning. He now suppressed his anger, approached Meng Qi, and gazed at the pond alongside him, sighing, “Is Feng Zheng connected to the Emperor’s death?”
Without waiting for Meng Qi’s reply, he continued, “He could have died anywhere, yet he had to die in our Zhang residence. The implication of framing us is obvious.”
In other words, if the Zhang family of Lengnan were the masterminds, killing a key witness at home would be tantamount to self-exposure!
“You had Feng Zheng taken away first. I’ve just received a new lead. Logically, there was no need to kill him then, and there had been many opportunities to eliminate him discreetly during the chaos of the past few days,” Meng Qi still did not look at Zhang Bailing, calmly sensing the shifts in his emotions.
There was a trace of panic and fear.
Hearing this, Zhang Bailing relaxed slightly and smiled, “Chief Investigator, your insight is brilliant. You’ve seen through the plot to frame our Lengnan Zhang family.”
Unconsciously, he seemed to have shrunk a bit in Meng Qi’s presence.
Meng Qi turned around, still clasping his hands behind his back, and smiled at him: “But I’m curious about one thing—why not interrogate him directly in the palace? Why bring him to the Zhang residence?”
Zhang Bailing sighed, “It was our family’s mistake. Many of our younger generation have grown arrogant, not respecting the Six Doors or the court. They thought it unthinkable that the Lengnan Zhang family would personally come to interrogate someone.”
“I apologize on behalf of our clan leader. Chief Investigator, punish Zhang Yu however you see fit.”
He admitted fault candidly, but Meng Qi felt a sudden unease—something was wrong!
Except for top aristocratic families like the Zhou Prince’s Wang family or the Jiangdong Wang family, who maintained a low profile, no other prominent clans would reprimand their younger generations for such arrogance. They would use it as a pretext to conceal the true reason!
Initially, Meng Qi thought the Lengnan Zhang family wouldn’t be foolish enough to eliminate a witness in their own home, suspecting Feng Zheng’s death might be suspicious. His earlier posture was meant to prevent the Zhangs from becoming too self-important and obstructing the investigation. Now, however, he was convinced they were indeed hiding something.
His mind racing but his face impassive, Meng Qi did not respond. Instead, he turned and paced with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he were the true master of the Zhang residence. Without releasing any aura, he relied solely on his reputation and his position as Chief Investigator to firmly control the situation.
Soon, Zhang Yu returned with an elderly man with a ruddy complexion, carrying Feng Zheng’s body.
“This is Master Zhang Benshao, an elder of our collateral branch, who had a prior connection with Feng Zheng,” Zhang Yu introduced.
Meng Qi glanced at him. Zhang Benshao’s breath was strong, his eyes reflecting solar fire, likely a peak expert at the fourth or fifth level. His emotions were well-concealed, showing no ripple. Feng Zheng’s heart meridian and brain were shattered inch by inch, leaving no lingering attachment. There were no other injuries or marks on his body, seemingly a genuine suicide.
Just then, Liu Shengming entered the living room with an unfamiliar man dressed as a Zhang family servant, his eyes downcast, face wrinkled with age.
Seeing him, Zhang Bailing’s expression flickered, but he quickly regained composure. Another person might not have noticed, but under Meng Qi’s Yuanxin Seal, his emotional fluctuations were as vivid and clear as fireflies in the night.
“Chief Investigator, this secret agent has information to report,” Liu Shengming said with a bow.
Zhang Bailing narrowed his eyes. His left hand slipped into his sleeve, fingers moving in an odd posture before snapping outward. An invisible finger beam pierced through the fabric, speeding toward the servant like a curse.
The moment the beam left his sleeve, Zhang Bailing saw Meng Qi separate his hands, his right sleeve casually flicking. The finger beam vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
“Chief Investigator, just now someone left from Zhang Yu’s courtyard and took a carriage out the back gate,” the servant said fearfully, glancing at Zhang Bailing but still answering honestly, describing the carriage in detail.
Just now? A carriage? Was it to avoid my perception, making any anomaly immediately detectable? Meng Qi nodded slightly, understanding the reasoning.
At a time like this, ordinary travel could indeed be the best cover!
Turning back to Zhang Bailing, Meng Qi saw his face shifting between green and red, clearly embarrassed.
“The one who left must be the true person who wanted to meet Feng Zheng,” Meng Qi stated confidently, then turned serious, “I request that all members of your household remain here temporarily and not leave.”
He turned sideways to instruct Liu Shengming: “Take my badge, summon the investigators, seal off the area, and no one is to enter or leave.”
Suddenly, Zhang Bailing chuckled, his face returning to normal: “Chief Investigator Su, Feng Zheng indeed committed suicide. The one who left is merely a guest of our Lengnan Zhang family, coincidentally needing to attend to some business. Once he returns, everything will be clear. You may seal off the area as you wish.”
He seemed unshaken, confident that once the person left Meng Qi’s perception range, amidst the bustling capital, the carriage’s occupant could vanish into the crowd, never to be found.
As soon as he finished speaking, the servant said, “Chief Investigator, there was something unusual about Zhang Yu bringing Feng Zheng home. I had my suspicions earlier, so when I saw a cloaked figure emerge, I sent word to the nearby secret agents to watch the carriage’s movements and confirm the identities of all who disembarked.”
Zhang Bailing narrowed his eyes but said nothing, confirming to Meng Qi that the mysterious figure was extremely powerful, beyond the ability of the secret agents to track or identify.
“Good,” Meng Qi praised the servant, “You may now return to headquarters and await promotion. In the future, if anything happens to you or your family, I will hold the Lengnan Zhang family accountable. For every life lost from your family, one from theirs will be taken.”
“You!” Zhang Bailing, already plotting revenge against the traitor, blurted out in anger, glaring at Meng Qi.
Meng Qi smiled calmly into his eyes, composed and at ease: “I’m lazy. Lazy to investigate who the real culprit is. Therefore, if anything happens to their family, I will come for your Lengnan Zhang family. You’d better pray for their safety or assign someone to protect them.”
Arrogant, domineering, and audacious—such words surged through Zhang Bailing’s mind one after another. His right hand trembled slightly from rage, but Meng Qi’s reputation, built over years, had long established an unshakable image—his words were always followed by action, and he never let an offense go unpunished. Ze Luo and the Crying Elder had proven this with their lives. Weighing this against his own position, Zhang Bailing couldn’t think of a reason to fully break with the “Crazy Blade” over such a relatively minor issue.
Indeed, under equal conditions, the strong and domineering always had the advantage, subtly forcing others to retreat and compromise.
Silence, still silence. After watching Meng Qi and the others leave, Zhang Bailing grabbed a vase and hurled it to the ground, shattering it into pieces: “That brat is truly infuriating!”
“Chief Investigator, shall we wait for intelligence and track that carriage?” Liu Shengming asked.
Meng Qi smiled and clasped his hands behind his back again: “Of course. At the carriage’s speed, it hasn’t yet left my perception range. With its appearance and the Zhang family’s aura, it won’t be hard to find.”
“Is that even possible?” Liu Shengming was stunned. If they hadn’t locked onto the carriage immediately, how could they find it amidst the bustling capital’s traffic?
This was precisely Zhang Bailing’s confidence.
Meng Qi said nothing, activated the Dao Yi Seal’s surface ability, extended his right hand, and traced the connection.
Others couldn’t, but I can!
Soon, Meng Qi took a step forward and appeared mid-air. Liu Shengming hurried to follow.
Within a few steps, a carriage appeared in Liu Shengming’s view, exactly as the servant had described.
“Is it him?” Liu Shengming heard Meng Qi’s slightly puzzled voice in his ear.
Who was it? His consciousness entered the carriage, only to dissipate instantly.
As the two landed in front of the carriage, a gentle voice came from within: “Chief Investigator Su, blocking my path—do you have business with this old man?”
It was him! Liu Shengming’s pupils constricted violently. It was none other than Cui Qingyu, the current head of the Cui family, who wielded the Supreme Halberd!
“May I ask why Master Cui is riding in the Lengnan Zhang family’s carriage?” Having reached his current cultivation, even facing Cui Qingyu, Meng Qi showed no fear, calmly inquiring.
Cui Qingyu lifted the curtain and stepped down, the carriage now empty inside: “Didn’t I just visit the Zhang residence? Why shouldn’t I ride their carriage?”
Meng Qi’s expression slightly changed, showing a hint of displeasure. Suddenly, he turned around, asking nothing further, and left directly.
“Chief Investigator, was it Cui Qingyu who interrogated Feng Zheng?” Liu Shengming followed, puzzled.
“No, but with Cui Qingyu’s help, the person has already escaped.” At this moment, Meng Qi’s demeanor was unexpectedly relaxed, completely different from before, “Don’t worry, there will be another chance. We’ll wait.”
His tone was confident, his posture composed, as if he had already grasped the key clue.
Liu Shengming dared not ask further and could only say, “Chief Investigator, where are we going now?”
“Find Consort Hua,” Meng Qi said calmly.
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