Chapter 1013: Mystery of the Disappearance

Zu An had barely stepped out of his room when a figure standing in the distance turned and walked towards him. "Greetings, Master Zu," the man said. "I am Gong Pan. Madam mentioned you had some questions for me."

"General Gong, you flatter me," Zu An replied. "I merely have a few questions I'd like to ask." Zu An carefully observed the middle-aged man before him. He had a robust build and sharp eyes, indicating a high level of cultivation. His thick eyebrows and large eyes gave him a mature and steady appearance. A scar, resembling a coiled dragon, stretched from his chin to his neck, adding a fierce edge to his demeanor.

Noticing Zu An's prolonged gaze, Gong Pan instinctively touched his scar. "This was from an attack by a master of the demon race years ago," he explained. "If it had been half an inch deeper, my bones would be long cold by now."

"My apologies," Zu An said, feeling a bit contrite, as his gaze had indeed been impolite.

"It's alright," Gong Pan said with a magnanimous smile. "Everyone who sees me for the first time looks at it. For me, it's not a mark of shame, but a glorious testament, proving that I fought valiantly against the demon race in a bloody battle, which is how I sustained this injury."

"General Gong, to survive such a severe injury, you are truly fortunate," Zu An remarked, acknowledging how perilous the attack must have been.

"I don't care about fortune; I just wish the Duke were safe," Gong Pan's voice suddenly dropped. "Thanks to the Duke, who pulled me an inch to the side back then, I managed to avoid that fatal blow. It's a pity that while I'm still alive, the Duke's whereabouts are unknown."

Zu An's heart stirred, and he seized the opportunity to ask, "Exactly what happened to your Duke?"

Local officials had previously investigated the case and submitted reports to the imperial court, but many details were unclear, and the logic was contradictory. It was clearly more effective to question those who had experienced the events firsthand.

Gong Pan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Since Madam sent me, it means Master Zu is trustworthy. Please follow me."

He then led Zu An to an empty courtyard. Once they were sure no one else was within earshot, he began, "The Duke's disappearance was incredibly bizarre. At the time, the Duke was in seclusion. When the day he was supposed to emerge arrived, there was no sign of him. At first, no one thought much of it, as cultivators don't always finish their seclusion precisely on schedule."

"However, after ten days passed and there was still no activity from his seclusion chambers, everyone tried to ask when the Duke would emerge. To their surprise, there was no response at all."

"It was then that they discovered the door wasn't locked from the inside, and the chambers were empty."

"Initially, everyone thought the Duke might have ended his seclusion early and gone elsewhere, as that had happened before. But after several months passed and the Duke still hadn't returned, the household realized something might have gone wrong."

"We dispatched many people to search for the Duke in all possible locations, but unfortunately, we never found him. Throughout Yunzhong Commandery and the surrounding prefectures, while some occasionally claimed to have seen the Duke, our investigations revealed they were all fabricating stories for the reward money."

"Another six months passed, and the Duke still did not appear. It was then that everyone understood he had most likely met with misfortune."

As he spoke, his knuckles cracked loudly, indicating his intense emotion.

Zu An asked in a low voice, "Who was the last person to see the Duke, and when was that?"

Gong Pan thought for a moment before replying, "Many people last saw the Duke. At that time, the Duke was hosting Second Master for drinks in the manor. Many maids and servants were attending, and I was also present. We all saw him."

"You were all there the whole time? And you personally saw him enter seclusion right after drinking?" Zu An found this odd. Who goes into seclusion immediately after drinking?

"Not exactly," Gong Pan corrected. "We were present initially, but later, the Duke wanted to discuss some confidential matters with Second Master, so he asked us to withdraw to a distance outside. Although we didn't see them directly after that, we could see their silhouettes through the window, clinking glasses, and hear their conversations and laughter from time to time."

Zu An frowned. If they hadn't seen them directly, there was a lot of room for manipulation.

In his previous life, many detectives often encountered similar murder cases.

"Is it possible the Duke had already met with foul play at that time, and the figures and voices you saw and heard were actually someone else's imitation?" Zu An pressed.

"That's impossible!" Gong Pan immediately refuted. "We are the Duke's most trusted people. No one knows his physique and voice better than us. If someone had impersonated him, we would definitely have been able to tell."

Zu An frowned again, feeling that Gong Pan's judgment was too assertive.

A person's physique could easily be distorted when viewed through a window, and as for voices, with so many extraordinary individuals in the world, it was entirely possible someone was skilled in vocal mimicry.

The book "A Thousand Faces" he had acquired previously described how to perfectly imitate a target's speaking voice.

However, he then considered that such a secret technique must be exceedingly rare. After all, during his time as a Brocade-Clad Guard, he had never heard of anyone capable of such a feat.

At this point, Gong Pan continued, "Even if we assume, for argument's sake, that someone was impersonating him, how could they have done it? The Duke's cultivation had reached the peak of the Grandmaster realm; he was one of the world's top experts. Who could have silently subdued and replaced him in such a short time without us outside noticing anything?"

"What if Second Master Jian was assisting?" Zu An asked, staring directly into his eyes.

Gong Pan's expression changed, but he still replied, "Impossible. Although Second Master Jian's cultivation is high, he is still far inferior to the Duke. The Duke could easily defeat him with one hand tied behind his back, not to mention us being outside."

Zu An fell silent. He could suspect vocal mimicry, but cultivation was a tangible fact.

While it was possible that Jian Yanyou was caught off guard by a sneak attack from his own brother, with his cultivation, he couldn't have been subdued silently. Any sound would have alerted the guards outside.

Had he been mistaken from the very beginning?

Zu An remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How was the relationship between your Madam and the Duke?"

"The Madam?" Gong Pan's face suddenly changed. "You're not suspecting the Madam, are you?"

Zu An waved his hand. "I am a friend of your Madam; how could I suspect her? I'm just curious, as I heard her mention that she didn't live with the Duke?"

Gong Pan hesitated for a moment before answering, "That's correct; the Madam and the Duke were indeed living separately. However, that was because the Madam had to manage various affairs of the Yu family, and the Duke was responsible for the safety of Yunzhong Commandery and defending against demon invasions. They spent little time together, which led to them living apart."

"But their relationship was very good; they always treated each other with mutual respect."

"Mutual respect, you say." Zu An raised an eyebrow. This phrase could be interpreted in two ways: either the marital relationship was truly harmonious, or, alternatively, there was no genuine love, just each fulfilling their duties in a detached manner.

"One impertinent question," Zu An said, looking at him curiously. "Why did you come to the Yu family? By all accounts, you should be a part of the Duke's manor."

Gong Pan's expression immediately became somber. "After the Duke disappeared, everyone was quite united at first. But as we continued to search without finding any trace of him, many things began to change."

"But that's normal. Many people have families to support, and some want to advance their careers, so naturally, they seek new patrons."

Zu An probed, "Are you referring to Second Master Jian as the new patron?"

Gong Pan nodded. "Exactly. He is the Duke's younger brother and was already the second-in-command of the Governor-General's Mansion, with his own trusted followers. After the Duke's incident, it was perfectly legitimate for him to take over all affairs. Many people didn't necessarily intend to pledge allegiance to him at first, but by working under him, they gradually became his people over time."

"However, I don't have such ambitions. I've always been waiting for the Duke to return. Staying there now feels like an eyesore, so I came to the Madam's side. After all, she is the Duke's wife. A few others who share my sentiment have also come to the Madam's residence."

Zu An secretly nodded. This was understandable. Others could pledge allegiance to Jian Taiding, but for Gong Pan, as the former Duke's chief bodyguard and trusted confidant, pledging allegiance to the other side would inevitably mean he wouldn't be given important roles. Choosing to side with Yu Yanluo was a wise decision; at the very least, he could earn a reputation for loyalty and righteousness.

"From your tone, I don't sense any animosity towards Second Master Jian," Zu An observed curiously.

Gong Pan looked north, his expression calm. "Unless the Duke's disappearance is connected to Second Master, why would I hate him? It's only human nature for him to win over the Duke's former subordinates; even if I were in his position, I would likely do the same."

"Furthermore, the Governor-General's Mansion is responsible for the safety of Yunzhong Commandery and defending against the constantly encroaching demon race. After the Duke's disappearance, a strong leader was naturally needed to stabilize the situation. A capable and ambitious person is always far better than a mediocre one."

"General Gong, your integrity is truly admirable; such magnanimity is beyond ordinary people," Zu An said, feeling a surge of respect. He then asked Gong Pan several more questions about the Duke's manor, and Gong Pan answered each one.

Finally, as he was leaving, Zu An suddenly turned as if remembering something. "By the way, could you give me a list of the Duke's personal guard unit?"