Chapter 1676: Unexpected Success

Novel

After giving this command, the illusory head in the sky gradually faded away. Officials inside and outside the city bowed respectfully, saying, "Farewell, Your Majesty."

A potential rebellion, which might have erupted, was averted thanks to Zhao Hao's appearance. Zhao Huang led his soldiers out of Yi City's vicinity, and the many officials on Yi City's walls visibly sighed in relief.

Zu'an flew to the top of the city tower. Zhang Xie bowed and said, "Today's events owe much to Lord Eleven's timely arrival; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Seeing Zu'an silent and seemingly preoccupied, he spoke, "Lord Eleven must be under immense pressure from the Emperor's recent task. In recent days, I've also uncovered many witnesses and pieces of evidence, all of which I can hand over to you."

"Thank you, Lord Zhang," Zu'an sneered inwardly. This Zhang Xie was also an old schemer; on the surface, he seemed to be thinking of Zu'an, but in reality, he was pushing him into a pit of fire.

The Emperor clearly didn't want to deal with the King of Yan right now, yet he was handing Zu'an all of the King of Yan's criminal evidence. Was he trying to incite another mutiny?

After dismissing him with a few casual words, Xiao Jianren and Zhang Zitong gathered around. "Lord Eleven, if there's anything you need our help with, we'll do whatever it takes!"

It was clear they were genuinely concerned that Zu'an would encounter trouble due to the Emperor's three-day deadline.

Zu'an nodded slightly. "It's fine. You can continue your investigations according to your previously assigned tasks. As for this particular case, I already have a plan."

After giving his instructions, he quickly disappeared.

The two were filled with admiration. They were still utterly bewildered, yet Lord Eleven already had a solution. He was truly unfathomable.

After Zu'an left the city, Yun Jianyue quickly appeared to meet him. Looking at him, she couldn't help but remark, "You seem to be treating the Emperor

as a monkey to toy with, and he's not much better towards you. I don't know whether to admire you or pity you."

"I'm used to it," Zu'an replied calmly. "He loves playing these high-pressure games, enjoying the thrill of toying with others' destinies. If it weren't for that, I might even have become his loyal subject."

Yun Jianyue scoffed, "You're not one to be subservient. Sometimes I even get the impression that you're not from this world; your way of thinking is too different from everyone else."

Zu'an chuckled, "Then I won't be afraid to tell you: I actually transmigrated from another world."

"Oh please. If you're from another world, then I'm a fairy who descended from heaven," Yun Jianyue scoffed with a laugh, clearly thinking he was joking.

She quickly sobered. "What do you plan to do next? You only have three days."

"I'm going to Leisure Tower. There are many things I need to confirm," Zu'an replied, various experiences from the past few days flashing through his mind. He already had a general guess.

"I'll go to the King of Yan's mansion and communicate with them, telling them not to stir up trouble during this time. At the same time, I'll see if there's a way to ease the tension between you two. So, I won't accompany you to Leisure Tower," Yun Jianyue said. She had no desire to encounter other women there.

Zu'an nodded. Time was short, so neither spoke much, and they quickly parted ways.

Zu'an made his way to Leisure Tower. Although the place was very secretive to others, he had visited it several times and was already familiar with the route.

He possessed a special token, so the guards at Leisure Tower did not trouble him.

Soon, someone inside led him to Tang Tian'er's residence.

Tang Tian'er happened to be stepping out of her room, her face always adorned with that sweet smile.

It must be said that to be the face of an auction house in a lavish establishment like Leisure Tower, her beauty, demeanor, and temperament were all impeccable.

Tang Tian'er was momentarily startled by his arrival. She waved her hand to dismiss the others and welcomed him into the room. As she poured him tea, she smiled, "I was just about to look for you, and then you showed up at my doorstep. Isn't that a sign of perfect understanding?"

Zu'an sighed, "Sometimes I can't tell if that's your true thought or a facade."

Tang Tian'er immediately put on a mournful expression, as if on the verge of tears. "Your words wound my heart."

Zu'an ignored her and asked instead, "You were planning to find me?"

"Of course! Such a significant upheaval has occurred in Yi Commandery, and the Emperor has given you a three-day deadline. I was worried about your safety," Tang Tian'er replied.

"Your information is quite timely," Zu'an said, somewhat surprised. He had rushed directly from Yi City without stopping, yet she already knew what had happened there.

"Don't forget what Leisure Tower does," Tang Tian'er said with a slight smile, a hint of pride on her face.

"Then you must know why I've come to see you this time, right?" Zu'an stared directly into her eyes.

Tang Tian'er's eyes were clear, showing no trace of panic. "I imagine you're troubled by the Emperor's three-day deadline. But you needn't worry too much; if you truly can't solve the case after three days, our Leisure Tower can offer you sanctuary and keep you safe."

"Leisure Tower certainly talks a big game," Zu'an

scoffed. "You know I didn't come here for that."

"Then what did you come for?" Tang Tian'er asked, her expression innocent and puzzled as she looked at him.

"Regarding the case of Gold Medallion Seventh last time," Zu'an went straight to the point, "you were the one who dumped his body in Blackwater Pond, weren't you?"

Tang Tian'er's face changed. "I don't know what you're talking about. Wasn't all of this done by the King of Yan? As far as I know, there was a traitor among your Embroidered Uniform Guard who was bribed by the King of Yan and deliberately framed me."

Zu'an looked at her, his eyes filled with disappointment. Without a word, he simply stood up and began to walk out.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Tang Tian'er's heart trembled. She quickly stood up and called out, "Wait!"

Zu'an stood at the doorway, not turning back.

Tang Tian'er bit her lip. "Are you here today as Gold Medallion Eleven, or as Ah Zu?"

"Is there a difference?" Zu'an asked flatly.

"If you're here as Gold Medallion Embroidered Guard, then what I just said was my answer," Tang Tian'er paused, then added, "But if you're Ah Zu, I have a different answer. I wonder if he'd be interested in hearing it?"

Zu'an turned his head, looking at her with some surprise.

To be honest, he hadn't held much hope this time, especially after realizing she seemed to have deliberately deceived him before.

Seeing him turn around, Tang Tian'er's sweet smile returned. She went over, took his arm, and gently led him back to his seat. "Friends hardly ever get to meet; why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

"Do you really consider me a friend?" Zu'an sighed.

Tang Tian'er looked wronged. "If I didn't truly consider you a friend, would I have gone to such lengths?"

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat as he recalled how she had helped him hide in the bathtub. He had to admit, if she had truly intended to deceive him, there would have been no need for such a significant sacrifice then.

At this point, Tang Tian'er slowly began, "It was indeed I who brought Gold Medallion Seventh to Blackwater Pond that night."

Zu'an's heart leaped. "Was Gold Medallion Seventh killed by your Leisure Tower?"

Tang Tian'er shook her head slightly. "Gold Medallion Seventh was already dead by then. I merely took his body there to dispose of it."

"Why would you do that?" Zu'an asked, puzzled.

"I knew there was that turtle spirit under Blackwater Pond, and I wanted to use its 'eyes' to give the authorities a piece of information: that Gold Medallion Seventh was already dead when he entered the water, and yet his cause of death was drowning. This would inevitably arouse your suspicion," Tang Tian'er said, pouting slightly. "I just never expected the court to send you to investigate the case."

Zu'an's mind stirred. "It was to make us suspect that a master of mental manipulation had attacked him, and the most famous expert in that field in all of Yi Commandery is Mister Huo from the King of Yan's mansion."

"Exactly. The King of Yan tried to seize a share of the Zhenyuan Merchant Association in Yunzhong Commandery last time, and for years, he's been heavily oppressing Leisure Tower here in Yi Commandery. Of course, I had to retaliate," Tang Tian'er stated confidently.

Zu'an frowned slightly. Her motive certainly seemed strong enough, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was deliberately saying this, as if something else was hidden beneath the surface.

However, he didn't press for details but instead asked another question, "According to the turtle, you seemed to be muttering to yourself back then, wanting his body to be discovered sooner. Weren't you worried that the turtle spirit might expose your own presence?"

"I was

deliberately letting it see me," Tang Tian'er said with a mischievous smile. "For years, according to Leisure Tower's intelligence, the King of Yan had a very important partner, a mysterious woman. But we could never find out her identity. So, I intended to use the turtle spirit to subtly suggest to you that there was a mysterious woman at the King of Yan's mansion, hoping you would investigate her identity. Who knew you wouldn't follow that lead and would investigate me instead? That's what I find most perplexing."

Zu'an's expression was odd. The mysterious woman she mentioned must be Yun Jianyue. The King of Yan and the Demonic Sect's secret alliance was likely unknown even to many high-ranking members of the King of Yan's mansion or the Demonic Sect. Only Gold Medallion Seventh, with his extensive experience, had sniffed out something unusual.

Even more coincidentally, the King of Yan also wanted to divert suspicion towards Leisure Tower, so he instructed Jiang Zhong to deliberately link the woman's appearance to Tang Tian'er. The original frame-up unexpectedly hit the mark.

So, the question remains: who was the real killer of Gold Medallion Seventh?

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