Chapter 522: Everyone, Search Them All

Cen Boqing spun around, his composure gone. "Crown Prince," he began, "my old servant is innocent, merely framed. On what charge is he to be imprisoned?"

"If there's suspicion, he must be brought in for questioning," Fushan Yue said unhurriedly. "This is standard procedure. Ask anyone in Baisha Jue; they all understand this."

Magistrate Tian gave a signal, and the constables stepped forward.

The Cen Manor could not allow this. Guards immediately drew their weapons, facing them.

Commander Lu waved his hand, and hundreds of soldiers likewise drew their swords.

In less than fifteen minutes, the area in front of the Cen Manor was again bristling with weapons. Onlookers uniformly retreated two steps, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.

Fushan Yue straightened up on his horse and said sinisterly, "Cen Boqing, do you truly wish to defy the law and disrupt order in front of me?"

When he became angry, an invisible malevolence spread in all directions. The small trees by the road, the grass in the cracks, and even the carefully planted flowers in the Cen Manor's outdoor flowerbeds immediately withered and decayed.

Everyone's mounts immediately whinnied and pawed the ground uneasily.

He Lingchuan also calmed his Great-Horned Rock Goat, thinking to himself that Fushan Yue's cultivation had actually advanced significantly in a short period.

The Emperor's Nectar from Sanxin Plateau was indeed effective.

In a standoff like this, Fushan Yue and the Chiyan officials would certainly not be at a disadvantage, as was evident from Fushan Yue's unhurried demeanor.

Cen Boqing, on the other hand, was sweating profusely, his gaze shifting uneasily.

He took a deep breath and suddenly said, "Wu Kai is not here." "Oh?" Fushan Yue's gaze narrowed. "Where did he go?"

"I sent him back to Lingxu City; he's already gone ahead," Cen Boqing said with a grim face. "By now, he should be out of the city; you won't catch him."

"You're also fleeing, yet he got a head start on you?" Fushan Yue was greatly surprised. "How can I believe that?"

He glanced at He Lingchuan, who shook his head. Of course, not a single word Cen Boqing said could be trusted.

"Believe it or not," Cen Boqing said indifferently. "I can swear to the heavens that he is truly not here, or else I'll die by nine thunderbolts through my heart."

"Whether you get struck or not, I don't care," Fushan Yue waved his whip. He didn't believe a word of any oath; he only trusted his own eyes. "Everyone, go in and search! Commander Lu, whoever dares to resist, kill them on the spot!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" With the Crown Prince's backing, Commander Lu was ecstatic. With a grand wave of his hand, the Chiyan soldiers charged into the Cen Manor, chests puffed out.

If the Cen Manor's guards dared to block them, they were met directly with spears, halberds, and swords.

These were all people from Lingxu City; usually, the regular soldiers had to bow and scrape, walking around them. When had they ever felt so triumphant?

Thinking of this, they thrust their weapons with double the ferocity.

The Cen Manor guards initially wanted to resist, but they were quickly overwhelmed, with four or five opponents rushing at them to take on one guard. Two fists cannot contend with ten hands; in no time, they were beaten black and blue.

Seeing the escalating conflict and his side suffering losses, Cen Boqing said with a livid face, "Stop! Let them search!"

The last few words were squeezed out through gritted teeth, filled with resentment.

The Cen Manor was large, but it couldn't withstand five hundred soldiers, fierce as wolves and tigers, rummaging everywhere.

These soldiers were also very crude. While searching for someone, they often carelessly knocked over furniture, trampled flowers and plants, and broke vases and jars.

The onlookers outside, hearing repeated crashing sounds from within the high walls, were all filled with amazement. Some curious individuals directly climbed trees, craning their necks to peer inside.

By the time these five hundred men frantically finished searching the Cen Manor, several gilded tenons were missing, beautiful ornaments on the rockery had vanished without a trace, and even two unroasted geese from the kitchen had inexplicably disappeared.

It even seemed as if two jars of pickled vegetables were gone...

In short, Commander Lu reported loudly, "Your Highness, we have searched every corner of the Cen Manor and found no trace of Wu Kai."

Fushan Yue nodded, then said to Cen Boqing, "It seems Wu Kai really did slip away. In that case, Elder Cen, please return to your residence. I'll come find you for a drink later."

Cen Boqing flung his sleeve, didn't even look at him, and turned to stride back into his manor.

The Cen family's carriages and horses slowly returned to the residence one after another. The Cen Manor remained guarded by Commander Lu's men, three layers deep, making it impenetrable.

The signals sent by these actions were practically the Crown Prince pointing at Cen Boqing's nose and yelling "murderer"; no one could mistake it.

The onlookers were no longer content with just pointing and whispering; adults laughed, children played, and even vendors selling melon seeds, flatbreads, and candied haw-on-a-stick rushed over to join the crowd.

"This shows no respect for the Cen Manor at all."

"The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince; he doesn't coddle these scoundrels."

"The Crown Prince's special envoy is formidable too; he actually exposed the Cen Manor!"

"It should have been like this long ago. They've been flaunting their power for years with no one to rein them in! I heard the Cen Manor's dog bit someone, and the bitten person had to go to their home to apologize... Hey, give me a flatbread!"

There were also those who worried:

"Can this really work? Won't there be trouble later?"

"Even if there is trouble, it's not your concern. The Crown Prince is here."

Fushan Yue, acting as if no one else was present, first ordered Commander Lu to launch an urgent city-wide search for Wu Kai, and only then did he pat He Lingchuan's shoulder.

"Let's find a nearby place to talk."

Immediately, six or seven officials stepped forward, eagerly inviting the Crown Prince to stay at their residences.

"Your places are too busy for comfort," Fushan Yue said, turning back and casually pointing to the inn with the largest sign on the street. "I'll stay there."

No one dared to object.

Fifteen minutes later, the Crimson Cloud Inn was cleared of guests and became the Crown Prince's lodging.

From then on, the Crown Prince had reserved the entire inn; no unauthorized persons were allowed near.

Fushan Yue's guest courtyard was at least twice the size of He Lingchuan's guest room. The inn was heavily guarded, both inside and out.

Zhongsun Mou's grand style at the time paled in comparison to Fushan Yue's current display.

He Lingchuan also had to pack up and move. Before checking out, he handed a basin with a half-broken lotus root to a shop assistant, telling him to take it to Magistrate Tian for a reward, saying that the water spirit might still be salvageable.

Out of respect for Heaven's benevolence, and also because He Lingchuan was grateful for the thorough beating it gave Fan Sheng, he put some spiritual medicine into the basin. Whether it would live or not depended on the lotus demon's own destiny.

Jiao Yu, the fierce tiger, entered the Crimson Cloud Inn with He Lingchuan and immediately sat by the door.

An attendant offered tea, but Fushan Yue waved his hand. "Why tea? Bring wine."

He grabbed two cups and personally poured a full one for He Lingchuan. "Come, this cup is for you..."

"For solving the case?"

"No, for getting revenge for me," Fushan Yue said, slapping the table and laughing. "Zhongsun Mou always tried to oppose me. Now he's dead, and it serves him right!"

"Is 'served him right' really the right phrase to use?" He Lingchuan took a sip of wine. "This place is right on the street. Aren't you afraid people will say you're taking personal revenge?"

"What else?" Fushan Yue sneered. "When Fushan Ji was still alive, everyone thought he would eventually inherit the throne. People like Zhongsun Mou treated me with neglect and disrespect in Lingxu City. How could they have imagined today's disaster? They need a lesson, otherwise these fools, relying on their family's lineage, won't know fear!"

He Lingchuan frowned. "The courier case is a mess. Why would Zhongsun Mou protect Cen Boqing?"

"Only he himself would know the real reason, but my guess is it's probably related to his great-grandfather," Fushan Yue said, stroking his chin. "His great-grandfather is over two hundred years old and has long been retired. A few years ago, I heard he had two serious illnesses and nearly didn't make it, but then somehow he slowly recovered and is still alive today."

He Lingchuan understood without needing more explanation. "You think his great-grandfather used an elixir of immortality?"

"How else could he prolong his life and extend his years?" Merfolk naturally live longer than humans, and with an elixir of immortality, someone over two hundred years old could extend their life further. "That old man has extensive connections in Lingxu City and frequently interacts with officials. He's still the pillar of the Zhongsun family. Is it strange for him to obtain an elixir of immortality?"

"I estimate that Cen Boqing used this matter to blackmail Zhongsun Mou, forcing him to take Fu Songhua back to take the blame and close the case. That way, the truth about Cen Boqing killing demons for pearls and secretly refining elixirs of immortality would once again be buried."

Such a treasure as an elixir of immortality, if taken without imperial decree, must have been obtained through illegal channels.

"The Cen Manor had already prepared the incriminating evidence."

"Exactly. If you hadn't intervened, with the typical conduct of these Chiyan officials, their scheme would have gone smoothly." Fushan Yue raised his cup again. "Come, a toast to you."

He Lingchuan, not wishing to refuse, asked, "Before reaching Baisha Jue and meeting Cen Boqing, Zhongsun Mou had already interfered in the courier case. Why was that?"

"That's why I say that man was despicable," Fushan Yue scoffed. "He must have heard that I was handling this case, so he rushed to snatch it, wanting to show me up. And what was the result? He ended up with a handful of dirt he couldn't shake off. He must have regretted it immensely later."

At this point, he drank three cups in a row.

"The Inspector was abducted, his whereabouts unknown. I've already sent an urgent report to Lingxu City," Fushan Yue said, knowing such matters couldn't be delayed. "This is a serious matter; Lingxu City will certainly send someone to conduct a thorough investigation."

"With his son-in-law under investigation, the Grand Minister of Agriculture of Lingxu City can't possibly remain unresponsive, can he?"

"He's not just a decoration. You were right to call me here." The situation had progressed beyond the scope of a mere Crown Prince's special envoy. "In the coming days, we must act swiftly. Arrest those who need to be arrested, interrogate those who need to be interrogated."

"Couldn't you delay reporting to Lingxu City for a few days to buy some time?"

"No! Cen Boqing has probably also sent people to Lingxu City for help. The sooner this is reported, the better, or we'll be at a disadvantage." Fushan Yue scoffed. "Besides, it's hard to say when Lingxu City will send someone down. I estimate it won't be too soon."

"Why?"

"They'll argue and wrangle over the choice of special envoy for at least several days, won't they?" Fushan Yue chuckled. "And it'll take quite a few more days for the special envoy to travel from Lingxu City to Baisha Jue, right?"

Considering Fushan Yue's background, He Lingchuan believed he understood these matters very well.

At this point, Fushan Yue's smile vanished. "I just asked a few of the guards by the lake. After Zhongsun Mou was swallowed by the snail-toad, they saw Wu Kai accompanying Cen Boqing as he left. That means Wu Kai was still there at that time. Yet, less than an hour and a half later, Cen Boqing claimed Wu Kai had been sent by him to Lingxu City and had gone ahead."