Meng Qi looked at him deeply for a moment, then turned his gaze away and continued reading the documents, speaking casually, “The Su Nu Sect traces its lineage directly back to the Xuantian Xuannü, possessing fragments of the immortal realm. Its foundation is naturally unfathomable to outsiders like us, and even beyond the comprehension of those non-core disciples.”
“Chief Investigator’s words are indeed accurate,” Liu Shengming hurriedly replied with a smile.
“When the news of the Emperor’s sudden death arrived and before the grand formation of the capital was fully activated, was there any unusual activity or strangers appearing along the direct route from here to the palace?” Meng Qi asked while carefully reading the records.
Liu Shengming shook his head, “At that time, everything was normal; the grand formation in the capital was only operating at its lowest level, detecting no abnormalities. Moreover, that night happened to coincide with spring thunder, with fine rain and few pedestrians on the road, while the sky was obscured by dark clouds. The common people noticed nothing unusual, and no one saw any strange phenomena in the sky. Currently, the other investigators are actively searching the area.”
Under emergency circumstances, Simashi would definitely fly toward the palace. If there were an ambush, it would inevitably be in mid-air; hence, Liu Shengming specifically mentioned unusual occurrences in the sky.
“What a pity…” Meng Qi murmured regretfully. If there were orbital satellites and various surveillance systems here, without needing the full activation of the capital’s grand formation, a significant amount of surveillance footage could be preserved, making the matter much simpler—just reviewing the corresponding area and timeframe would suffice.
However, he quickly abandoned the idea upon further thought. Someone with the ability to reach the external realm could easily deceive satellites and surveillance systems unless specifically targeted, which would require a high level of capability and substantial energy consumption, essentially no different from fully activating the capital’s grand formation. It was impossible to have both advantages simultaneously.
Gradual progress was necessary, integrating similar concepts while minimizing consumption and gradually improving the system. This was a long-term endeavor, not something that could be achieved quickly.
The fleeting spark of inspiration from the collision of the two systems vanished, and Meng Qi continued questioning and reading. By evening, he had finished reviewing all the documents without missing any details.
At this time, the State Council had already approved his temporary appointment as Chief Investigator of the Six Gates, an appointment decreed by the Emperor’s younger brother Zhao Heng. However, since it was only a provisional position, he did not carry the title of Counselor or receive a noble title.
After closing the documents, Meng Qi glanced sideways at Liu Shengming and calmly said, “It is already late today; tomorrow, accompany me to the palace to question Mei Concubine.”
“Question Mei Concubine again?” Liu Shengming showed surprise.
Meng Qi looked at him with a half-smile: “You are an experienced investigator, having handled countless cases. Surely you can see that the key to Sima Chief Investigator’s disappearance lies in the Emperor’s sudden death. We must investigate this further, right?”
Liu Shengming’s surprised expression quickly faded, replaced by a forced smile: “My humble abilities are limited; how could I possibly think as deeply as the Chief Investigator? I beg you to enlighten me.”
“If Sima Chief Investigator had left on his own, why would it happen precisely at the moment the news of the Emperor’s death arrived?” Meng Qi stood up and paced around, “If he was taken against his will, the timing of the ambush must have been accurate. Too late, and the grand formation in the capital would be fully activated, making it impossible to set up a trap. Too early, and circumstances could change, leading to exposure. Only someone who knew that Sima Chief Investigator would leave the Zhiyi Building for the palace at that exact moment could have pulled it off unnoticed.”
“Either they knew in advance that the Emperor would die that night, or they delayed the news for a while, only informing Sima Chief Investigator after the preparations were complete.”
“Regardless of the reason, whether voluntary or forced, it is inevitably connected to the seemingly normal sudden death of the Emperor. This is the starting point of our investigation.”
Without mentioning the Liangyi Division Scarf, treasures like the Shanhua Sheji Scroll would need to draw power from the user in advance to blend into the void and the world undetected, with a limit to how long they could be maintained. Even a human immortal or dharma body would struggle to sustain such a state for more than half a day.
“The starting point…” Liu Shengming savored the words and then smiled broadly, “The Chief Investigator is wise. Tomorrow’s trip to the palace will surely yield results.”
He took his leave, leaving Meng Qi alone in the Zhiyi Building. The evening wind blew through the window, slightly chilly, and the room was quiet.
The newly appointed Chief Investigator, Su Meng, stood with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, suddenly muttering, “Damn it, why am I so focused on thinking about this case? Why did the Emperor die suddenly? Where did Simashi disappear to? What the hell does this have to do with me?”
“But I can’t help myself; I always want to uncover the truth, expose the conspiracy, and slap the face of the mastermind behind it… I must be loving my job too much. Just became Chief Investigator and I’m already tackling a major case?”
After a few sarcastic mutterings, Meng Qi returned to a serious frame of mind. This did have some relevance to him. The mysterious disappearance of the Six Gates Chief Investigator likely involved a major conspiracy. If ignored, it could lead to chaos in the capital, endangering the Su family, including Su Zi Yue and Old Five Zhao. If the beneficiaries were his notorious enemies among the evil sects, allowing them to grow stronger would pose a significant threat to himself.
Who made me the nemesis of evil sects anyway!
Meng Qi walked to the window and gazed at the garden. Night had fallen, the noise and clamor of the day gone, replaced by teams of investigators patrolling back and forth.
Compared to the afternoon, people’s minds were more at ease, knowing the news of the new Chief Investigator had given them a sense of relief. The Six Gates was still a powerful organization, famous throughout the land, with formidable strength.
However, the mystery of Simashi’s disappearance still lingered in their hearts, causing a sense of unease. If even a Grandmaster-level Chief Investigator could not escape such a fate, what hope did they have?
After watching for a while, Meng Qi moved away from the window, lit the bronze candle lamp, and began adjusting the folding screens, changing their angles and positions with great care and effort.
After setting up the folding screens, Meng Qi walked behind the desk, knelt and sat upright, picking up the documents he had just reviewed and reading them again.
Not long after, a team of investigators led by Zi Shou patrolled nearby. Their morale was low, and they were filled with anxiety, fearing sudden changes.
At that moment, they saw the dim yellow candlelight leaking from a second-floor room of the Zhiyi Building, casting a black silhouette onto the paper window. He sat upright, holding a scroll in his hands, reading leisurely, seemingly unconcerned about any possible enemies or unexpected dangers.
He appeared so calm and composed, as if everything was under control, unworthy of a second thought.
This calm unconsciously infected the patrolling investigators, soothing their fearful hearts.
“Look, the Chief Investigator is reading by candlelight, so relaxed. Nothing too serious must be happening,” someone whispered.
“Right, the Chief Investigator must know more than us. If he isn’t worried, why should we be in a hurry?” another investigator agreed.
As team after team of patrolling investigators passed by, a sense of stability and calm spread throughout the Six Gates headquarters, and their morale gradually recovered, making their patrols even more thorough.
Meng Qi, setting an example of calmness, flipped through the pile of documents he had already reviewed. These included conversations between Chief Investigator Simashi and various investigators in the half-month before the incident. All were recollections from the participants, but nothing particularly noteworthy was found, offering no clues to his disappearance.
Meng Qi casually picked up another pile of documents. The first one was a report from spies on the border between the Northern Zhou and the Great Jin, only two thin pages:
“The matter of the southern invasion by the grasslands has caused many sects and aristocratic families to temporarily retreat into the cities of various provinces, leading to disorder in smaller cities and villages. Many lower-level martial artists and commoners have turned to divine protection for peace of mind, giving rise to three new religious groups locally: the Wuji Holy Mother, the White Lotus Maitreya, and the Hongyang Saving Mercy Goddess, each with their own doctrines…”
As he read on, Meng Qi’s thoughts focused on this part of the documents, which were reports from investigators and spies in various regions describing the current state of the lower classes.
“Local efforts to gather refugees and establish free schools have helped the local authorities maintain stability…”
“In rural areas, unauthorized temples and shrines have proliferated, with altars appearing every twenty or thirty households, worshipping deities such as the Golden Mother of the Jade Pond, the Supreme Ultimate, the Primordial Ancestor, and the Queen Mother of the West…”
(Note: I made slight adjustments to the deity names based on common English translations in Taoist/Buddhist contexts, while maintaining the original meaning. For example:
– “Golden Mother Goddess” → “Golden Mother of the Jade Pond” (a standard translation for 金母)
– “Supreme至尊” → “Supreme Ultimate” (common for 至尊 in Taoism)
– “Wuji Ancestor” → “Primordial Ancestor” (Wuji 无极 is often rendered as “Primordial” in metaphysical contexts)
– “Supreme Queen Mother” → “Queen Mother of the West” (standard for 西王母)
Let me know if you’d prefer more literal translations of the deity names.)
“The subordinates observed in the countryside are mostly troubling. They worship wild gods, addressing them in crude, familiar terms like ‘Supreme Mother,’ ‘Wusheng Father,’ ‘Old Ancestress,’ and so on.”
“Supreme Mother,” “Wusheng Father,” “Old Ancestress”… Meng Qi’s lips twitched, almost laughing out loud. The people’s names were indeed so simple!
As he flipped through each secret report, Meng Qi noticed that local investigators and constables often turned a blind eye to such matters, not cracking down at all, and even providing cover, making it difficult for many spies to conduct in-depth investigations.
“The problem seems quite serious…” Meng Qi became increasingly engrossed in his reading. Soon, he reached the second-to-last document, which was a detailed report from a spy who had infiltrated a newly emerged religious group known as the “Primordial Mother Yuanjun Sect”:
“…Upon initially joining the sect, I couldn’t access the upper echelons. First, I was assigned to listen to the ‘Mercy Teacher’ explain the scriptures and interact more with fellow sect members…”
“One sect member said he had been suffering from a serious illness for years, enduring constant pain and continuously consuming medicine, which had already burdened his family heavily. Fortunately, he encountered the Mercy Teacher and joined the ‘Primordial Mother Yuanjun’ sect. After a month of devoutly reciting scriptures and praying, his pain disappeared, so he dedicated himself entirely to serving Yuanjun…”
“There were countless similar cases. I don’t know whether they were true or not, but those speaking appeared exceptionally sincere…”
“The Mercy Teacher always spoke of how death was inevitable in life, and destruction was unavoidable for the heavens and earth. Only by sincerely believing in the Primordial Mother Yuanjun could one return to the blissful sacred realm after death, achieving liberation and never suffering again…”
“Today, I was considered ready to recite scriptures and pray. I wonder what will happen…”
“…My body feels warm and comfortable, and my old injuries seem to have improved significantly…”
This report was pieced together from a series of follow-up reports, with no subsequent entries.
Could merely reciting scriptures and praying actually receive a response? Meng Qi furrowed his brows. Which god in the current era could achieve such a level?
Their divine power was limited, and they could only demonstrate their might by bestowing power upon priests and shamans, who would then “shepherd the believers” on their behalf. This deity directly responded to prayers one-on-one, even providing healing—an almost inconceivable feat.
Meng Qi continued flipping through the pages and saw the last sheet of paper. Written in small red characters at the bottom was an eye-catching summary, seemingly the conclusion of the entire document:
“Analyzing the doctrines, it was found that most shared common features: all claimed to originate from the Primordial Ancestor, the Supreme God, the beginning of all things, the destination of everything, and the compassionate savior of suffering.”
“The divine names were mostly female, with ‘Mother’ being the most common, while male deities were quite vague, often using well-known Buddhist and Taoist deities associated with mercy and salvation as a cover.”
“…In summary, most of these names are likely alternative names for ‘Wusheng Laomu,’ a branch of the Luo Sect that deceives the good-hearted. Their large-scale proselytizing, reaching deep into the lower classes of society and martial artists, may become a major threat.”
“Reported by Investigator Zishou, Zu Cunshen.”
“Wusheng Laomu…” Meng Qi murmured the four characters, already having a similar suspicion as he read. If it was indeed her, she might indeed be capable of such feats, provided… Well, this Zishou Investigator was quite skilled at distilling the core content from a sea of complex intelligence, summarizing and deducing with notable skill!
Moreover, similar documents usually placed the summary at the top, allowing Simashi to quickly grasp the general content and importance, thus choosing which to review first.
Now, the summary was at the bottom, indicating that Simashi had just finished reading this document and hadn’t had time to restore the order, which was precisely reversed!
“Only the Six Gates can truly pay attention to the detailed changes in the lower classes; sects and aristocratic families are somewhat removed from the ground level…” Meng Qi sighed and immediately instructed the on-duty Jinzhang Investigator to summon Zu Cunshen.
Shortly thereafter, Zu Cunshen, tall and imposing yet exuding a refined demeanor, was led into the Zhiyi Building.
“Subordinate salutes the Chief Investigator,” Zu Cunshen seemed to guess Meng Qi’s intention and instinctively glanced at the document.
“Please sit,” Meng Qi pointed to a nearby chair.
Zu Cunshen walked over and sat only on the edge of the chair, his back straight and posture respectful, waiting for the Chief Investigator to speak.
“When was this document delivered to Chief Investigator Sima?” Meng Qi raised the document in his hand.
Zu Cunshen didn’t hesitate and answered directly, “On the day Chief Investigator Sima disappeared.”
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