Chapter 1625: Clues

The Heavenly Envoy frankly stated that Xue Zongwu was guilty of heinous crimes. Liu Wu could only rub his nose awkwardly and respond, "Yes, that's right. This year marks my King's fifty-ninth birthday. During that time, officials from other regions hurried back to the capital, making Mangzhou extremely lively with hundreds of officials gathered. This greatly complicated the investigation."

"Have you identified any suspects?"

"We arrested over three hundred people, and more than twenty are still imprisoned," Liu Wu admitted, a little embarrassed. "We haven't been able to identify a definite suspect. The killer who could openly assassinate General Xue was incredibly powerful, and none of the suspects we caught possessed that kind of strength."

"Were there no powerful martial artists or generals in Mangzhou at the time?"

"Yes, there were. Qu Ruhai, the Left Elder of the Luodian Kingdom, was in Mangzhou that very night. However, he fabricated an alibi, so Mangzhou had no choice but to let him go. We later found problems with his alibi after he had traveled to Tianshui City. But then, new witnesses appeared, proving he was in the west of the city that night, not at Xiaotao Mountain Villa," Liu Wu said with a bitter smile. "He is the Left Elder of the Luodian Kingdom, and without sufficient evidence, we had no way to detain him."

"The Left Elder of Luodian Kingdom? The Great Emperor Jiuyou?" Bai Ziqi smiled upon hearing this.

King Yao likely shared his opinion, which is why Qu Ruhai was ultimately released.

"From the western border of the Yao Kingdom to Mangzhou is quite a long journey. Why did the Great Emperor Jiuyou only make his move in Mangzhou?" Bai Ziqi pondered. "Before reaching Mangzhou, did the killer attempt an assassination? And did Xue Zongwu notice anything?"

"General Xue's guards said no," Liu Wu reported truthfully. "However, I suspect the killer might have planned an assassination en route but couldn't execute it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Most officials traveling from west to east into the capital would take the Taoshui route. I questioned General Xue's personal guards, and he was indeed planning to go via Taoshui but changed to a water route at the last minute, taking a boat to Mangzhou."

Liu Wu's interest was piqued. "What was the reason for the change in route?"

"Well, my court's Prime Minister had just been impeached by the Qingyang Supervisor, and his residence is in Taoshui. To avoid any suspicion, passing officials therefore..."

...meaning everyone chose to pass through Taoshui without actually entering it.

"What's the terrain like around Taoshui?"

"It's a hub for commerce, with rivers and lakes."

"Thriving commerce means a high flow of people and many outsiders, allowing the killer to blend in. The presence of rivers and lakes would facilitate an escape after an assassination," Bai Ziqi nodded. "The killer very likely intended to strike in Taoshui, but their plan changed at the last moment."

"General Xue's personal guards also mentioned that before setting sail, General Xue secretly switched boats, even managing to keep it a secret from most of his escorts. They only realized General Xue wasn't on their vessel once it was already out on the river."

"Hmm, it seems Xue Zongwu also sensed that something was amiss." Someone like Xue Zongwu would undoubtedly be very suspicious.

"Before General Xue returned to the capital, something else occurred in the tribute land under his management," Liu Wu recounted. "The accounting manager he sent there was ambushed and killed by two masked men in black, posing as the Great Emperor Jiuyou. The ledgers kept at the government office were also stolen."

That's quite a long chain of events. "What kind of ledgers were they?"

"My King later sent people to investigate. They were tribute ledgers, recording funds from the past few years," Liu Wu said, clearing his throat. "At that time, the Qingyang Supervisor was actively exposing corruption, so General Xue was likely a bit concerned."

Bai Ziqi frowned. "If this was the killer's doing, there would have been no need to tip off Xue Zongwu before his return to the capital. Hmm, who do you suspect was behind it?"

"Well..." Liu Wu hesitated. Who else? At the time, everyone suspected the Qingyang Supervisor.

"It's fine, just tell me. I want to hear your thoughts," Bai Ziqi said earnestly. "Don't worry, this won't go beyond these two ears."

He waved the others away.

Still, Liu Wu looked troubled.

Noticing his expression, Bai Ziqi understood. "The Qingyang Supervisor?"

Liu Wu mumbled, "I... I never said that."

Bai Ziqi simply smiled and said, "Understood."

Fortunately, at that moment, they had reached the first crime scene. Liu Wu quickly pointed ahead to ease the awkward atmosphere. "This is the main hall on the back mountain where General Xue and the Great Emperor Jiuyou fought. It was very grand before it burned down; I've even been here before."

"You mentioned a dragon's head imprint appeared here?"

"Yes. General Xue had already been killed at that time, and Elder Qi had not yet pursued the Great Emperor Jiuyou. A dragon's head pattern appeared on this bronze beast. In his rage, Elder Qi struck and damaged the pattern, and as a result—" Liu Wu pointed to the ground beneath their feet, "—the dragon's head pattern appeared on the ground, ten times larger than its original size! I questioned over a dozen witnesses in the villa, and every single one swore to heaven that it was true."

Bai Ziqi stated, "This is the power of spirits and gods."

Humans do not possess such power, especially since the Great Emperor Jiuyou had already departed.

"Many common folk say the Great Emperor Jiuyou is definitely not human, which is why we can't capture him."

Bai Ziqi chuckled, "I only said he can wield the power of spirits and gods, not that he *is* a spirit or god himself. How many people did the Great Emperor Jiuyou bring to kill Xue Zongwu?"

"Three."

"Only three?" Bai Ziqi was slightly surprised. "To tackle a formidable opponent like Xue Zongwu, the Great Emperor Jiuyou only brought two companions? How many people were with Xue Zongwu at the time?"

"His personal guards were all stationed at the Rest Stop Pavilion outside the villa. He only brought about ten personal soldiers into the villa to see his father-in-law. However, several explosions occurred inside the villa first, so Elder Qi Yuncheng went himself to reassure the distinguished guests. He then assigned dozens of villa guards to General Xue to pursue the attackers. General Xue was supposed to meet his hundred personal guards at the southwest gate, but for some unknown reason, he suddenly pursued the enemy to the north."

Liu Wu then described the battle as witnessed by the onlookers.

Bai Ziqi listened, his brows furrowed. "The Great Emperor Jiuyou only slew Xue Zongwu in front of hundreds of people?"

"Yes."

"This was a spectacle! But it also indicates that the Great Emperor Jiuyou's cultivation and martial prowess are far superior to Xue Zongwu's." Bai Ziqi shook his head. "In that case, there isn't much to investigate about this battle. Since it was a meticulously planned setup by the opponent, it will be very difficult to find any flaws."

"Yes," Liu Wu agreed. "On the fifth day after General Xue's death, I rushed here from the capital to investigate, but I couldn't find any truly useful clues. The killer had meticulously cleaned the scene."

Bai Ziqi pondered for a long time. "How did Qi Yuncheng die? You previously mentioned that after Xue Zongwu was killed, he was still carving out the black dragon mark here in anger?"

"That's right."

"In other words, the Great Emperor Jiuyou had already departed by then."

"Yes. Using the mountain hall fire as a cover, the Great Emperor Jiuyou retreated from the back mountain by unknown means."

Bai Ziqi immediately asked, "What about Qi Yuncheng's body? Has it been properly preserved?"

"Yes, both his and General Xue's remains have been preserved with ice talismans and sealed in the cold cellar of Xiaotao Mountain Villa, with no signs of decay. However, retrieving them will take some time."

"Then take me to see the site where Qi Yuncheng died first."

"Yes, this way, please." Liu Wu led the way, asking, "Lord Envoy, do you believe there are more clues related to Elder Qi's death?"

"Xue Zongwu was the Great Emperor Jiuyou's target, but Qi Yuncheng was not," Bai Ziqi stated gravely. "Based on the Great Emperor Jiuyou's past conduct, he adheres to strict principles when choosing his targets, only selecting individuals who are truly evil. Qi Yuncheng doesn't meet that criterion and was likely not on his assassination list initially. It was only because Qi Yuncheng pursued him relentlessly that he was forced to kill him to silence him."

Liu Wu concurred, "Yes. Elder Qi quickly organized a group of men and rushed to pursue him."

"That suggests Qi Yuncheng had a way to track the Great Emperor Jiuyou," Bai Ziqi pointed out. "Such unplanned battles and killings are more likely to leave clues, as the Great Emperor Jiuyou's retreat would have been more urgent, allowing less time to clear the battlefield."

Liu Wu first led him to the top of North Mountain to survey the area. "At that time, Elder Qi had already led hundreds of men to the lakeside when another explosion suddenly occurred at Xiaotao Mountain Villa. So, he turned back and rushed towards North Mountain, intending to take a shortcut back."

"The shortcut involved climbing the mountain and crossing the ravine?"

Liu Wu pointed. "Yes, just climb up from the deep valley, and you're there."

"Alright, let's head down."

At the foot of the cliff, the dense vegetation had long covered any traces of the battle. The crime scene was located in a deep wilderness valley, and with over two months having passed, Bai Ziqi didn't expect to find any new clues.

Just walking around briefly left them covered in cobwebs, as if wearing a grey wig. Their clothes and pant legs were thoroughly covered in beggar-ticks and burrs, which would take more than fifteen minutes to remove completely.

"This is truly excellent terrain for an ambush. Qi Yuncheng was perhaps too overconfident at the time."

"Elder Qi himself possessed profound cultivation, and he was climbing the mountain with dozens of General Xue's close guards. Perhaps he believed that even if they couldn't win, they could still escape," Liu Wu said, pointing to the cliff above. "This path isn't long."

For cultivators, such a short distance could be covered almost instantly. If he were Qi Yuncheng, he also wouldn't want to take a half-hour detour.

Bai Ziqi asked Liu Wu to point out the positions where the bodies had been found. Liu Wu looked slightly troubled. How could he possibly remember the exact positions of dozens of bodies from that time?

"Do you remember the furthest locations where bodies were found, across the east, west, north, and south?"

Liu Wu secretly let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, yes, I still recall those."

He located the several ambush sites that were furthest apart. Bai Ziqi immediately instructed his men to mark them and release red smoke, then he climbed to a higher vantage point to observe.

From the high vantage point, he could see red smoke curling up from the dense forest, each plume marking the location where a body had been found.

"So Qi Yuncheng ultimately died here, correct?"

"Yes." He indicated the large rock beneath their feet.

"From here to the southernmost red smoke, the distance is over thirty *zhang*, and to the westernmost red smoke, it's the furthest at over one hundred *zhang*. Furthermore, this area is halfway up the mountain, without even a proper path; it's rugged and uneven, which surely affected their movement speed," Bai Ziqi mused. "Qi Yuncheng and his men, if they couldn't win, would have scattered and fled. If the Great Emperor Jiuyou only had three people, how could he have pursued and killed all of them, one by one?"

Observing the scattered locations where they had fallen, Bai Ziqi could well imagine the chaos of the scene.

However, no one was left alive.

Liu Wu explained, "Quite a few people died together. The Great Emperor Jiuyou likely used some method to gather them before killing them."

"Cause of death?"

"Sharp blades or spear thrusts. Also, several of the deceased had multiple bruises, suggesting they had been bound and struggled fiercely."