Chapter 1457: Clouds and Mist Veil

"So, the patched-up account books are fine now?" King Yao leaned back in his chair. "It seems someone isn't giving up."

If no major issues could be found in Shuangxi's books, wouldn't the whole series of behind-the-scenes actions have been for nothing?

He knew Xue Zongwu's temperament too well. There was almost only one person who could make such a high-ranking official, who held military power, anxious and sleepless:

The Regent Qingyang.

King Yao knew that Qingyang had originally intended to collect evidence of Xue Zongwu's corruption; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to dispatch a special envoy.

Did she suddenly realize this path was blocked and decide to go all the way...?

After all, from the current perspective, Xue Zongwu's death indeed brought her significant benefits.

A surge of frustration choked King Yao as he thought of this:

"A clever scheme, hehe, a truly clever scheme!"

Perhaps the leader of the Black Armored Army truly had some connection to Qingyang. If so, he would have to concede to Qingyang, who had killed Xue Zongwu and put him in a passive position!

Stepping back a hundred paces, even if Qingyang had no connection to Xue Zongwu's death, that old hag had too big an appetite; she wanted every single benefit, not missing a single one!

She left him no room to maneuver!

King Yao's eyes flashed. "You may leave. While you're at it, deliver a few verbal decrees for me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After Guard Liu left, King Yao remained in his seat, deep in thought for a long time.

The atmosphere in the imperial study was somewhat oppressive. Old palace attendant Qiu Long cautiously entered, presenting an urgent dispatch. "Your Majesty, there's news from Mang Province again."

King Yao's thoughts returned, and he took the dispatch to read it.

This was an urgent report sent back by the special envoy he had dispatched to Mang Province, mainly stating two things.

Firstly, the traveling parties that had spent the night in Mang Province on the night Qi Yunsheng and his son-in-law were murdered, whether nobles or merchants, had almost all been investigated. Four parties, totaling over fifty suspects, had been taken into custody.

There were two other parties the envoy did not dare to touch, specifically reporting them to King Yao for his decision.

The envoy also suggested expanding the investigation area to include the villages, towns, and fortified settlements within thirty li of Mang Province. The killer who could slay Xue Zongwu must possess extraordinary abilities. Although Mang Province was sealed off afterward, it was not guaranteed that the perpetrator hadn't escaped beforehand. Therefore, broadening the search was highly necessary.

Secondly, on the night of the incident, Qu Ruhai, the Left Grand Minister of the Luodian Kingdom, was also in Mang Province. He had spent the entire night drinking at a tavern and had an alibi. The envoy and local officials found no flaws after questioning him, and despite his special status, they had no choice but to release him, not listing him as a suspect.

However, the envoy had now discovered that the alibi was fake!

"An uninvited Luodian, huh..." King Yao fell into deep thought.

Qu Ruhai had previously been Xue Zongwu's long-standing rival on the battlefield and had suffered losses at Xue Zongwu's hands. Could it be that he donned black armor and a mask to seek revenge?

The Luodian Kingdom was also a direct beneficiary of Xue Zongwu's death.

"Where is Qu Ruhai now?"

Old palace attendant Qiu Long turned slightly and replied, "He is already in Tianshui City. Qu Ruhai requested an audience four days ago, but Your Majesty has not yet responded."

"Arrange a meeting for tomorrow." King Yao had kept him waiting for several days; prolonging it further would make Yao appear petty. "Send people to keep a close eye on him, see where he goes, and who he interacts with."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And also..." King Yao hesitated, then instructed Qiu Long to first cast a barrier before asking, "Has Regent Qingyang had any contact with the temples recently?"

"Three days ago, Regent Qingyang paid respects at the Temple of the Miraculous Heavenly Deity."

The Miraculous Heavenly Deity was one of the deities of Lingxu. As a former Imperial Advisor from Beijia, it was only natural for Qingyang to visit the Miraculous Heavenly Deity's temple. However, Qiu Long, an old attendant who had served by the monarch's side for twenty years, understood King Yao's apprehension. "Are you worried that...?"

"The dragon-serpent mark left by the Black Armored Army leader cannot be erased; it can only disappear naturally. This doesn't seem to be the work of human hands." King Yao had also carefully read the report. "Each time he kills a so-called evil person, the dragon-serpent head mark appears. To exhibit such consistent power, many deities on the Glittering Gold Plains might not even be capable of it."

Yao was a powerful nation on the Glittering Gold Plains and served the Miraculous Heavenly Deity, so King Yao naturally knew many secrets.

The divine realm, like this world, was ruled by a minority over the majority. Ordinary divine beings had limited power and would find it difficult to continuously mark the Black Armored Army leader through the barrier between the two realms.

Could it be that one or several powerful deities were involved?

King Yao knew his own affairs best; thinking of this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Qiu Long, however, reminded him, "Your Majesty, perhaps there is another kind of power that could achieve this."

"Oh?" What had he overlooked?

"Immortals," Qiu Long stated word by word. "True immortals have not yet completely disappeared from the human world."

"You're right!" King Yao gently slapped the table. "How could I forget that Spirit Mountain still exists in this world!"

As the ruler of a great nation, he naturally knew of Spirit Mountain's existence.

Immortals, when casting spells, didn't need to penetrate the barrier between the two realms, making it much easier than for deities.

With this new direction, he immediately had many associations. Could Spirit Mountain be extending its reach here?

"Is this so-called unerasable dragon-serpent mark connected to the one in the north?"

King Yao stroked his grizzled beard, pondering for a long time:

"Venerable Illusionist."

Regardless of the turbulent undercurrents, the afternoon sun in Tianshui City remained bright, lifting one's spirits.

Gu Lin, the chief manager of Tonglin Records, took advantage of this bright weather to enter a tea house.

The tea house was just two streets away from Sanmentou Inn. Today, there was no famous storyteller holding court, so there weren't many listeners. The storyteller, a man in his fifties with a raspy voice but with good intonation, was earning a meager living.

When Gu Lin walked in, the storyteller was talking about Xue Zongwu's death.

The major event had been brewing for several days, so it was no longer news. However, the storyteller added a detail, specifically mentioning the appearance of an oversized dragon-serpent head totem at Xiaotao Villa.

"Good riddance, both the father-in-law and son-in-law deserved to die." Gu Lin thought to himself, wanting to erect a longevity tablet for the killer.

Where was the person he was supposed to meet?

Just as he was about to look around, someone waved at him from a corner in the northern part of the tea house.

The person was wearing a veiled hat and only lifted the veil to smile at him after catching his attention.

It was He Lingchuan.

Gu Lin immediately walked over and entered the private room He Lingchuan indicated.

He Lingchuan closed the door behind him.

These private rooms in the tea house were specifically for conversations and business dealings, and the beechwood doors provided good sound insulation.

Of course, He Lingchuan also cast a barrier as an afterthought, then said to Gu Lin, "Have all three thousand catties of Incense Joy Powder been transported out?"

"The shipment has departed."

He Lingchuan had pre-ordered the Incense Joy Powder from Tonglin Records, which had even delivered it early. The Yangshan Merchant Guild had sent special personnel to inspect it and confirm everything was in order. Tonglin Records then transported it to the border of the Yao Kingdom, where it was transferred to Changlong Martial Arts, a subsidiary of Yangshan.

Gu Lin said with regret, "Incense Joy Powder is no longer in short supply these past two days. If Master He had delayed his purchase by two days, the price would have been much more favorable."

"It doesn't matter," He Lingchuan replied. His order for the Incense Joy Powder was merely a test of Tonglin Records.