Chapter 633: When Did It Happen

A magnetic storm weapon capable of destroying communication equipment on a large scale in a short time. If such a weapon were truly deployed, the entire Outer State's combat capability would be significantly reduced. Shen Jingye initially thought of having someone take a statement, but then quickly dismissed the idea.

He feared that if someone took a statement, Geng Shunxi might again refuse to reveal the truth. Furthermore, there might be an insider within the bureau, and any record would leak information. Shen Jingye asked Geng Shunxi, "Where is the magnetic storm weapon's base?"

"It's on the seabed southeast of Jiahe Isle. I have the coordinates, and I also have the license plates of several ships that frequently visit the base. I'll give you everything, as long as you can guarantee my safety." Geng Shunxi rattled off the coordinates and license plate numbers. As Shen Jingye took out his notebook to record them, the lights in the interrogation room suddenly went out.

A power outage? That was impossible! The Darkstar Bureau had three power supply systems: two from the main grid and one from its own generators. Even with a major grid failure, the Darkstar Bureau should not lose power. As an electrician was about to head to the distribution room to check, Shen Jingye stopped him.

Someone had infiltrated the Darkstar Bureau. Shen Jingye returned to the interrogation room and asked Geng Shunxi, "I'll ask you one more time: Is Du Wenming one of your people?" This question had been asked many times, and Geng Shunxi dared not speak, not even making a distinctive expression.

This confirmed that Du Wenming was indeed a member of the Hundred Devils' Den, and like the Den Master and other high-ranking members, his name was protected by a curse. Du Wenming had participated in several renovation projects of the Darkstar Bureau building, so he knew as much about it as Shen Jingye did. If he was the one who infiltrated the building, sending electricians to check the power equipment now would be sending them to their deaths.

Shen Jingye pulled out his phone and found it had no signal. He ordered the communications department to immediately contact their superiors, but the head of the department reported that all communication equipment had failed. Had the magnetic storm weapon been completed?

Shen Jingye ordered all Darkstar Bureau personnel to gather and prepare for combat. They needed to act fast. Shen Jingye didn't know how many people Du Wenming had brought, nor could he be sure of his current combat strength. He only knew that Du Wenming could appear at any moment. Prepare for combat...

Could they fight? At the farm, the protective measures were far superior to those at the Darkstar Bureau, yet they couldn't stop Du Wenming. Over ninety percent of the Darkstar Bureau's personnel, vehicles, and equipment were out on missions. Those remaining were mostly archivists, lab technicians, and non-combat logistics staff. Du Wenming had also been involved in the renovation and design of over ninety percent of the building's defensive installations.

They couldn't fight. No one here could stop Du Wenming. He couldn't lead them to their deaths; he had to get them out of the Darkstar Bureau. Shen Jingye wanted to issue an evacuation order, but he quickly realized that the chances of a successful full-scale evacuation were extremely slim.

There would undoubtedly be an ambush around the Darkstar Bureau. A full evacuation would create too much commotion, allowing Du Wenming to prepare an interception. Non-combat personnel might not even make it out of the main gate before being killed.

He needed to assign a special person to go out and deliver a message, someone with the highest combat strength. Within the Darkstar Bureau, those with significant combat power, including Chen Changrui, were all out on missions. With communications cut, Shen Jingye couldn't reach them. It seemed there was only one person left with notable combat ability...

Everyone was waiting for Shen Jingye's orders. Shen Jingye looked at the boundary switch on the table; it was their last hope. He gathered all personnel in the interrogation room, preparing to activate the boundary.

Shen Jingye scanned everyone present, including some of the remaining agents, lab technicians, archivists, electricians, cleaners, and the gatekeeper... Should he leave all these people in the interrogation room?

No, Du Wenming's target was the interrogation room. There was also the vehicle department's storage room, which also had a boundary. He should keep his own people in the vehicle department's storage room and the Hundred Devils' Den members in the interrogation room.

This was a plan, but the crucial point was that there might still be an insider among his own people. How would he deal with it if an insider collaborated with Du Wenming?

After a moment, Shen Jingye called out three individuals: his secretary Liu Ning, investigation section chief Song Qingping, and communications section chief Gu Hao. Among the personnel remaining in the bureau, these three were the ones Shen Jingye trusted most.

He took each of the three into his office, assigned them individual tasks, and then gave the boundary switch to his secretary, Liu Ning. The boundaries for both the interrogation room and the vehicle department's storage room were activated.

Shen Jingye informed those in the storage room that he was going to the interrogation room, and told those in the interrogation room that he was going to the storage room. However, he went to neither. Alone, he descended the stairs to the underground parking lot.

Given the current situation, Shen Jingye himself was the most capable combatant in the Darkstar Bureau. According to his estimation, Du Wenming would head straight for the interrogation room to kill all core members of the Hundred Devils' Den.

If Du Wenming had no way to cross the boundary, the core members of the Hundred Devils' Den would be safe. But if he could bypass the boundary, then the only option was to send the message out, prioritizing the safety of his own people. The vehicle department's storage room was heavily fortified and well-equipped; Du Wenming likely wouldn't force his way in.

Shen Jingye, meanwhile, had to seize this opportunity to immediately leave the Darkstar Bureau building, summon reinforcements from outside, and then report the situation to his superiors. This wasn't a snap decision; it was based on Shen Jingye's understanding of Du Wenming and his probabilistic assessment.

Go out through the main gate? Shen Jingye quickly calculated that there would definitely be an ambush near the main entrance. He went to the parking lot, believing that if he could just drive out of the building, he would have a chance to get the message out.

Just as he opened the car door, Shen Jingye heard a voice that sent chills down his spine: "Director Shen, where are you off to?" Du Wenming was in the parking lot! Was this a low-probability event?

No, it wasn't a low-probability event! It was an insider. Shen Jingye's head buzzed. Only those three individuals knew he was leaving the Darkstar Bureau. Could one of them be the mole? Could it be that the Darkstar Bureau's communication failure wasn't caused by a magnetic storm weapon, but rather...?

Du Wenming approached Shen Jingye, a smile on his face. "You always like to maintain an image of frugality and simplicity in front of your superiors, but you should still enjoy the perks you deserve. You're not even taking a driver with you?"

Shen Jingye smiled. "It's too late. The drivers are all resting, and I don't want to disturb them." Du Wenming sighed. "It is rather late. Aren't you worried about disturbing your superiors by reporting at this hour?"

"I'm not reporting; I'm going home to rest. You know my wife—if I'm home even a little late, she'll go crazy."

"Yes, your wife's mental condition has indeed caused you a lot of trouble. I've found a hospital abroad specifically to treat her, and I've also arranged a school for your child to study overseas. As for you, you've worked hard for most of your life. I'll give you enough money to retire abroad. If you agree, come upstairs now, shut down the boundary, I'll kill those people from the Hundred Devils' Den, and then I'll take you away."

Shen Jingye was stunned. "Director Du, what's wrong? Out of the blue, why are you talking about retirement? I'm ambitious; even though I'm not young anymore, I still want to climb higher. Talking about retirement now seems a bit early to me."

Du Wenming nodded. "If you don't want to retire, that's fine too. I heard you went missing for a while before the New Year. So, disappear for another period, and after some time, I'll let you return. You can continue your official career; how far you go will be your destiny."

Shen Jingye shook his head. "That won't do. As you know, I had an incident before. If I don't learn my lesson, my superiors won't trust me." Du Wenming frowned slightly. "After all this beating around the bush, you still don't understand what I mean?"

Shen Jingye looked at Du Wenming. "Which one of us doesn't understand the other?" Du Wenming flexed his ankle. "You want to be a hero?"

Shen Jingye rubbed the car door. "Not a hero, just doing my duty." Du Wenming laughed. "Why are you talking to me about duty? What nonsense are you spouting? Do you think you're writing a report? Others might not know you, but I do! At this position, aren't you clear about who you are? Do you still consider yourself a good person?"

Shen Jingye considered this carefully. "Not a good person, perhaps half a good person, or more than half." Du Wenming twisted his ankle, and Shen Jingye's ankle twisted with it, dislocating his ankle joint.

Shen Jingye ignored his ankle, pulling a tissue from the car and throwing it on the ground. The tissue landed in a calculated spot, and Du Wenming, in his dancing steps, stepped on it, causing his footwork to falter. Shen Jingye seized this opportunity to break free, dragging his twisted left foot into the car, preparing to start it.

The car sped towards the parking lot exit, but his right foot, pressing the accelerator, suddenly disobeyed, stomping on the brake instead. The car screeched to a halt. Shen Jingye glanced in the rearview mirror; Du Wenming was sliding gracefully after him, catching up.

Li Banfeng raced towards the Darkstar Bureau building. Half a street away, his glove suddenly began trembling in his pocket. "What's wrong?" "My Daoist sect, Patriarch..." The glove stammered. Patriarch Xiao Qianshou? Was he nearby?

Shen Jingye's calculations were correct: there was an ambush at the building's entrance, and Xiao Qianshou was waiting outside. Li Banfeng activated his Golden Eyes of Autumn Clarity, Penetrating Spiritual Sound, and Hundred Flavors of Linglong, carefully pinpointing Xiao Qianshou's location. "Master, there's move..." The Silken Earring stopped mid-sentence, suddenly silent.

Li Banfeng looked up and saw Xiao Qianshou crouching on a lamppost, holding the Silken Earring in his hand. He chuckled, "This is a peeping cultivation artifact, quite good. You're just giving it to me? Don't you feel bad?"

The glove was terrified, afraid Li Banfeng would charge at Xiao Qianshou in a desperate fight. Li Banfeng always treated his magical artifacts like family, but making a rash move now would only lead to Xiao Qianshou stealing more, making the situation increasingly unfavorable. Retreating to his personal residence now was also out of the question; Xiao Qianshou would surely pick up the key.

Li Banfeng seemed to have no chance of winning; the gap in cultivation and experience between the two was too vast. The earring trembled continuously on Xiao Qianshou's fingertip, seemingly crying out for help to Li Banfeng.

Xiao Qianshou's fingertip flickered, and he slipped the earring into his sleeve. One of the important uses of the "Rivers and Mountains in the Sleeve" technique was to sever the connection between a magical artifact and its owner; otherwise, a newly stolen artifact could still help its owner fight.

However, this technique was highly dependent on cultivation level. Lower-tier thief cultivators found it difficult to completely sever the connection between an artifact and its owner using Rivers and Mountains in the Sleeve. Furthermore, it also depended on the opponent's cultivation level, the artifact's level, and the emotional bond between the two.

If an artifact and its owner were of a very high level, or if their bond was very deep, even a high-level thief cultivator might fail. Xiao Qianshou believed he wouldn't fail because he created this technique. The Silken Earring, in his view, was not a high-level artifact, nor was Li Banfeng a high-level cultivator. As for emotional bonds, Xiao Qianshou considered them a joke; he didn't believe in them, but he could use them as leverage.

"Little brother, I see you're quite fond of this earring. Let's make a deal: you return my disciple to me, and I'll return the earring to you. You won't lose out on this trade! If you don't agree, you won't get the earring back, I'll still take my disciple, and you might not even keep your life."

Li Banfeng remained silent, shifting his fingertips towards his right pocket. Xiao Qianshou glanced. "More good stuff? You're quite generous. Bring out whatever good things you have; I'll happily take as much as you've got." "Master, I'll go!" the glove spoke up. "Having this connection with you has already been my blessing; I am content."

Xiao Qianshou's hearing was keen; he heard the glove's voice. "Did you hear that? My disciple is sensible; he's willing to come back to me. Why are you getting in the way? Don't you feel quite superfluous?"

Li Banfeng's fingertips trembled as he reached into his right pocket again, then a faint smile appeared on his face. "Old scoundrel, the one who just spoke wasn't your disciple; that's my brother. And the earring you just took isn't an artifact; that's my sister. I have urgent business today and don't want to waste time with you. Give me my sister back, and then get as far away from me as possible."

Xiao Qianshou chuckled. "Boy, who do you think you're talking to?" Li Banfeng extended his leg and kicked the lamppost, breaking it.

"Look at you, so much fire at such a young age!" As the lamppost fell, Xiao Qianshou's figure vanished, a thief cultivation technique called "Shadowless Coming and Going." "Old scoundrel, where did you run off to?" Li Banfeng's tone seemed a bit anxious.

Xiao Qianshou replied, "Don't ask me; you try to find me. Let's make a bet: if you find me, I'll give the earring back to you. If you don't, I'll take something else from you."

"Master, be careful!" The glove was terrified; this was the most dangerous moment. With "Traceless Coming and Going" combined with "Footprints on Snow," Li Banfeng couldn't sense Xiao Qianshou at all in this situation.

Once Xiao Qianshou got close, he could freely take any magical artifact, spiritual item, or weapon from Li Banfeng, including all of Li Banfeng's techniques. Xiao Qianshou remained hidden, not rushing to attack or kill Li Banfeng. In his view, killing was never something a thief cultivator should do. He just wanted to stall Li Banfeng here and retrieve his disciple in the process.

He loved seeing Li Banfeng in this state. Li Banfeng looked around, lost something, and didn't know where to look. Xiao Qianshou always enjoyed seeing the pitiful state of the victim after he had stolen something.

Then he watched Li Banfeng feel his pocket, then withdraw his hand, clutching his treasure for fear of losing it, yet repeatedly revealing its location to others. Such a foolish person, letting him suffer a bit more was also a way to broaden his horizons.

Then Li Banfeng turned his head and smiled at Xiao Qianshou. Xiao Qianshou shivered; Li Banfeng had actually seen him. How did he see...?

Li Banfeng's figure suddenly vanished. Not good! Fleeting Glimpse! Xiao Qianshou quickly searched for Li Banfeng's trace and soon found him in the grass by the roadside. A scale!

Although he saw Li Banfeng, Xiao Qianshou's chest trembled, and he was still injured. Fleeting Glimpse had taken effect a step earlier. How did he see me?

Li Banfeng charged towards Xiao Qianshou, preparing to use "Closed Door, Shut House" to trap and kill him. Xiao Qianshou didn't know Li Banfeng was a home cultivator, but he didn't want Li Banfeng to get close. He immediately changed locations, leaping from the awning in front of the bank to a lightbox behind the hotel, flying mid-air, and his figure vanished again.

Li Banfeng scanned around. Xiao Qianshou prepared to launch a sneak attack, but Li Banfeng glanced behind the lightbox, and his figure vanished again.

A wound burst open on Xiao Qianshou's chest. Li Banfeng pursued again, still trying to use "Closed Door, Shut House," but Xiao Qianshou escaped once more.

Although he evaded Li Banfeng's pursuit, Xiao Qianshou couldn't understand why Li Banfeng could always see him. In the parking lot, Shen Jingye, with several broken bones, half-crawled, half-walked to lean against a wall, looking at Du Wenming. "Your abilities have improved significantly."

"Playing innocent?" Du Wenming chuckled. "I've never fought you before, so how would you know how capable I am? You probably only heard Li Qi mention it once or twice. However, your methods genuinely impress me. I knew you weren't a pushover, but I didn't expect you to have such a profound mastery of calculation. Old Shen, it would be a pity for you to die. Listen to my advice: go upstairs now, shut down the boundary, and come with me!"

Shen Jingye shook his head. "I wouldn't dare go with you. I don't trust your character." Du Wenming frowned. "Didn't I tell you? Stop pretending. How good could your character possibly be?"

Shen Jingye stood up, looked at Du Wenming, and smiled. "Better than yours, at least." Xiao Qianshou, having suffered two losses in a row, finally discovered the problem.

His own sleeve was smoking. Not much smoke, just occasional puffs, but even that small amount was enough to reveal Xiao Qianshou's position.

Where was this smoke coming from? Without thinking, this smoke worked so well with Li Banfeng that it must have been emitted by the earring.

But the earring was hidden in his sleeve, and Xiao Qianshou simply couldn't believe that this not-so-high-level magical artifact could break through his "Rivers and Mountains in the Sleeve" technique.

There had to be something else at play. Xiao Qianshou was right; there truly was a hidden secret.

What he couldn't guess, however, was that it wasn't the Silken Earring that broke through Rivers and Mountains in the Sleeve, but Li Banfeng's technique, "Counting Family Treasures."

Home cultivators restrained thief cultivators; a home cultivator guarding their doorstep wasn't afraid of thieves stealing. "Counting Family Treasures" was a cornerstone technique for home cultivators and Li Banfeng's best-used technique. The Silken Earring was part of Li Banfeng's family, and even when in Xiao Qianshou's sleeve, it could still sense Li Banfeng and fight alongside him.

Xiao Qianshou was very surprised but not enraged. He intended to destroy the earring immediately. However, Xiao Qianshou wasn't sure about the earring's level. If he failed to destroy it and instead gave Li Qi an opportunity to strike, it would be a net loss.

As a sect patriarch, he had countless ways to deal with opponents. Xiao Qianshou once again used "Shadowless Coming and Going" to conceal himself, appearing as if he hadn't noticed the smoke coming from his sleeve at all.

Before long, a puff of smoke erupted from his sleeve. Li Banfeng glanced back at Xiao Qianshou, then quickly turned and walked away. The roadside trash can exploded, sending packaging, water bottles, and shredded paper flying everywhere.

Xiao Qianshou also saw the smoke from his sleeve. This time, he was prepared and had used "Stealing a Beam, Replacing a Pillar" beforehand, swapping positions with the trash can.

Li Banfeng felt danger approaching; Xiao Qianshou had taken the opportunity to get close. The glove cried out, "Everyone, be careful!"

No one knew what Xiao Qianshou intended to steal; not even the glove could discern his objective. Xiao Qianshou extended his left hand towards Li Banfeng's chest; he intended to steal a technique.

This grab missed its target; Li Banfeng reacted quickly enough, evading with "Carefree and At Ease." On his second attempt, Xiao Qianshou extended his right hand towards Li Banfeng's neck. This didn't seem like stealing; it seemed like taking a life.

Li Banfeng couldn't use the "Carefree and At Ease" technique consecutively in such a short time. In desperation, he reached his hand into his right pants pocket again. Xiao Qianshou burst into laughter, his right hand suddenly changing direction and heading for Li Banfeng's pocket as well. "What good stuff do you have in there? Give it to me!"

As Xiao Qianshou laughed, Li Banfeng laughed with him, having fallen victim to the "Universal Celebration" laugh cultivation technique, and his hand movements significantly slowed. In a fight between a journey cultivator and a thief cultivator, speed was crucial for both. Li Banfeng grasped the item but couldn't pull it out; Xiao Qianshou stole it. By instinct, Xiao Qianshou knew this item was very valuable.

It was a broken test tube, its sticky contents already oozing out. Xiao Qianshou paused for a moment and asked, "What is this?"

Li Banfeng looked at the sticky liquid on his hand and honestly replied, "Good stuff." Li Banfeng had crushed the test tube, and both of them now had the liquid on them.

This was the potion Cui Tik had prepared for Du Wenming; it was indeed good stuff, especially for Du Wenming, to whom it was a lifeline. But for others, it was a deadly ailment.

Rashes appeared one after another on both their hands. Xiao Qianshou's face contorted in a grimace, while Li Banfeng remained calm. "Come on, let's keep fighting!" Li Banfeng patted his glove, telling it to guard his possessions.

Could the glove hold them? The glove itself wasn't confident, but Li Banfeng trusted it.

Li Banfeng fought Xiao Qianshou empty-handed. Xiao Qianshou was in no mood to fight Li Banfeng now; his mind was consumed by the rash. In Outer State, he had offended Zhou Badou and Li Qi. In Puluo State, he had offended the Peddler, Sun Tiecheng, and He Jiaqing.

Offending people wasn't a concern; who in the martial arts world didn't have a few enemies? But with his combat strength not fully recovered, and now afflicted by illness, things were going to be troublesome.

Xiao Qianshou dodged for a few rounds, then used the ring on his left hand to slice across his right wrist, severing his own right hand at the elbow.

Even a moment of hesitation could have allowed the disease to spread throughout his entire body. At this crucial moment, Xiao Qianshou's ability to be so ruthless to himself truly demonstrated the foresight and decisiveness of a sect patriarch!

Li Banfeng pricked a rash and flicked the pus onto Xiao Qianshou's left hand. Xiao Qianshou gritted his teeth, and another hand emerged from beneath his right rib, taking the ring and severing his left hand as well. This hand from beneath his right rib was Xiao Qianshou's own hand.

Xiao Qianshou had gone through immense effort to recover three hands, only to lose them all in one night. If it had been anyone else, they would have collapsed long ago. But a sect patriarch was different; Xiao Qianshou could endure it. He was someone who had fought for his life against the Peddler and won! During their fight, the herpes blisters on Li Banfeng's body continuously burst, splashing pus onto Xiao Qianshou's face.

"You..." Xiao Qianshou didn't know how to describe Li Banfeng. Seeing Li Banfeng covered in rashes, the spread of the disease was already very deep. If they continued like this, both of them would be consumed by it.

Xiao Qianshou absolutely did not want to die alongside Li Qi. While fighting wasn't his specialty, his escape methods were unparalleled. After a few rounds, Xiao Qianshou's figure flickered and vanished once more.

Li Banfeng looked at the Darkstar Bureau building and abandoned the idea of pursuit. He couldn't fall for it; this scoundrel was just trying to buy time.

Li Banfeng picked up Xiao Qianshou's two severed hands from the ground, put them into his personal residence, and then retrieved the Silken Earring from his sleeve. "Master, I was so scared." The Silken Earring burrowed into Li Banfeng's embrace.

The Gramophone looked at Li Banfeng, covered in rashes. "Darling husband, how did you get covered in this plague?"

Li Banfeng used the "Pillow of No Worries" technique to quickly expel the lesions. "Darling wife, I just exchanged a few blows with Xiao Qianshou. If only I could have used 'Closed Door, Shut House' or 'Expand Land, Open Frontiers,' I definitely wouldn't have let that old bastard get away!"

The Gramophone enveloped Li Banfeng in a cloud of steam. "Darling husband, Xiao Qianshou is too fast. It's not easy to deploy techniques in front of him. First, carefully check if you've lost anything."

Li Banfeng checked himself. He hadn't lost anything; in fact, he had gained something. The glove pulled out a ring. "Master, this is one of our Daoist sect's items. The craftsmanship is exquisite; it's a rare and excellent piece." Li Banfeng glanced at it. "Did you take this from Xiao Qianshou?"

The glove pointed its index finger. "I took it from the hand under his ribs!" "Excellent work, a great reward!" Li Banfeng placed the ring on the glove's index finger and promised that after Xiao Qianshou's two severed hands were refined, one would go to the glove and the other to the earring.

After curing himself of the plague, Li Banfeng left his personal residence and immediately ran to the Darkstar Bureau. The building was without power, and all floors were pitch black. Li Banfeng walked around the building, and as he approached the vehicle department, the Silken Earring said, "Master, there's movement." Following the sound, Li Banfeng reached the vehicle department's storage room, pushed open the door, and saw many people inside.

"Why are you all here?" As Li Banfeng was about to enter, Secretary Liu Ning called out, "Director Li, you can't come in; there's a boundary here!" A boundary?

How could there be a boundary inside the Darkstar Bureau building? A boundary connected to the earth below and the sky above; if the Darkstar Bureau used such a boundary, wouldn't it burn through the floor? This must be some kind of special technique that Li Banfeng did not yet master.

Liu Ning took out the boundary switch, deactivated the boundary, and approached Li Banfeng. "Director Shen ordered that upon seeing you, I was to hand over command of the Darkstar Bureau to you. Here is the key to Director Shen's office."

Li Banfeng took the key and asked, "Where did Director Shen go?" Liu Ning replied, "Director Shen went to report important work to his superiors." This was the task Shen Jingye had assigned Liu Ning before leaving.

Li Banfeng called Shen Jingye's phone, but no one answered. "Are all the bureau personnel here?" Investigation section chief Song Qingping said, "All personnel remaining in the bureau are here. The Hundred Devils' Den members are detained in the interrogation room, and the boundary around it has been activated. Director Shen ordered this switch to be given to you. Before he returns, only you have the authority to deactivate the interrogation room's boundary."

Li Banfeng headed for the interrogation room. Liu Ning and Song Qingping both looked at communications section chief Gu Hao. Gu Hao's face was expressionless.

Director Shen had also assigned a task to Gu Hao before leaving. From Gu Hao's reaction, it seemed this task could not be revealed to Director Li. But what kind of task was it that couldn't be told to Director Li even now?

Upon reaching the interrogation room door, Li Banfeng deactivated the boundary. Entering the room, Li Banfeng saw bodies sprawled on the floor. All detained members of the Hundred Devils' Den were dead, not a single one remaining.

Li Banfeng examined several bodies and found that their necks were all limp; their cervical vertebrae had been twisted and broken. So close, just a hair's breadth away.

Had Li Banfeng arrived a moment later, the remaining Darkstar Bureau members might have faced annihilation. With communications still down, Li Banfeng went to Shen Jingye's office. The office lock had been pried open, and the room was a mess.

Shen Jingye should have left something in his office, but it seemed those items had been destroyed. Li Banfeng asked Liu Ning, "Do you know who broke into the Darkstar Bureau?"

Liu Ning glanced at communications section chief Gu Hao, whose face remained expressionless. Had Director Shen not assigned him this matter? Investigation section chief Song Qingping brought some documents from the office and handed them to Li Banfeng. "This is the report from the farm. Several Hundred Devils' Den members there died from broken cervical vertebrae. According to Director Shen's assessment, they must have died at the hands of Du Wenming."

Du Wenming. It was him. He was helping the Hundred Devils' Den to silence witnesses. All the events that unfolded in Yuezhou tonight were designed to buy time for this assassination operation.

Shen Jingye must have extracted crucial clues from the Hundred Devils' Den members; he had gone to report these clues to his superiors and had also left information for Li Banfeng. Now, it was highly probable that Du Wenming had taken the documents, and the Darkstar Bureau had lost contact with the outside world.

Li Banfeng immediately gathered personnel to restore communications and power supply. The electricians were hesitant. "Director Li, Director Shen said the bureau isn't safe right now." Li Banfeng replied, "Don't worry, I'll go with you."

Communications section chief Gu Hao said, "Director Li, you don't need to worry; leave the communications to me!"

An hour later, power and communications were restored. Li Banfeng contacted various teams. Most suspects had fled the scene, six suspects were killed on the spot, one suspect was killed by a party involved (at the barbecue restaurant across from Lu Family Bookstore), and three other crime scenes were in fierce combat.

He needed to find a way to capture someone alive! Li Banfeng went to the three crime scenes where fierce combat was ongoing. At six in the morning, one suspect was killed, and Li Banfeng captured two suspects alive.

Li Banfeng handed the suspects over to Chen Changrui. "Take them back for interrogation. You must find out who the mastermind is. They might have curses on them, so be careful with your techniques during the interrogation. Contact Director Shen as soon as possible; I'm waiting for his news."

With everything handled, Li Banfeng went to Lu Family Bookstore. He was tracking Du Wenming. Given all that had happened yesterday, including a crime scene across from the bookstore, Boss Lu should have some clues. The bookstore was not open for business, and Boss Lu was practicing hard-pen calligraphy, having written a thick stack of calligraphy copybooks.

Li Banfeng's prediction was correct; Boss Lu indeed had clues. "Last night, I almost captured Du Wenming, but I didn't expect that old scoundrel Xiao Qianshou to sneak into the bookstore." Li Banfeng was a bit surprised. "Sneaking into your bookstore, that can't be easy, can it?"

Remembering this, Boss Lu gave a wry chuckle. "This incident was strange, and the fight was miserable, full of hesitation and restraint. I worried he'd cause trouble in Outer State, ruining my business here, and also worried he'd go to Puluo State and mess up my other ventures."

"Afterwards, I thought about it: what if he really did go to Puluo State? If he were in Puluo State and entered my bookstore, he wouldn't leave alive. But there are too few items used in this bookstore, not even a few decent calligraphies or paintings. I wanted to write more characters and get some more household items, but I ended up getting the wrong things and fought a messy battle instead."

At this point, Boss Lu took out a magic box. "This was sold to me by the Hundred Devils' Den. I left some writing on it, hoping to find clues about Du Wenming, but so far, the writing hasn't given any indication. It seems the trail is broken. If you have any of their items, destroy them quickly; they're all trouble!" Boss Lu lightly poked the box with a fountain pen, and it immediately turned into powder.

He took out several books sold by the Hundred Devils' Den from the counter, drew a line across them with his fountain pen, and turned them all into paper ash.

After tidying up, Boss Lu cautioned Li Banfeng, "Xiao Qianshou is a sect patriarch. Even if his situation isn't what it once was, his status and methods are far from ordinary."

"His willingness to work for the Hundred Devils' Den utterly puzzles me; there must be a huge hidden secret behind it. Last night's confrontation felt just like the war in Inner State. You must be extra cautious."

Leaving the bookstore, Li Banfeng immediately called Tang Changfa. "Destroy everything bought from the Hundred Devils' Den." After hanging up, Bulb called again. "Seventh Master, Zhong Er's surgery is done."

"How is he?" "He's... okay..." "What exactly is his condition?" "He's still alive, but I can't really explain it. Why don't you come and see for yourself?"

Li Banfeng went to the hospital. Zhong Er was still in the intensive care unit, and Candied Fruit's eyes were red from crying. After Bulb greeted him, Li Banfeng changed into sterile clothes and entered the ICU with Bulb.

"Brother, Director Li is here," Bulb whispered into Zhong Er's ear. Guided by the doctor, Zhong Er's right index finger moved slightly.

Li Banfeng exhaled slowly and asked the doctor, "When will he recover?" The doctor replied, "This might be his best condition for the foreseeable future." Li Banfeng paused for a moment, then asked, "How long is 'the foreseeable future'?"

The doctor shook his head. "Uncertain." "You just said 'best condition,' what exactly does that mean?" "He can react to external stimuli."

"React" meant moving his index finger. Li Banfeng looked at the doctor and asked, "That's it?"

The doctor was a bit nervous. "We've done our utmost." "That's it?" "His injuries are very severe." "That's it?"

"His recovery will depend on his future condition..." The doctor dared not speak further. Bulb persuaded Li Banfeng, and they left the ICU.

How was this possible? Zhong Er could at least speak before; how could he have ended up like this? It wasn't the doctors' fault; this was simply the extent of their capability.

Li Banfeng said, "I'll find a way to contact Kang Zhenchang in a bit. You all wait here for me." Just after leaving the hospital, Li Banfeng received a call from Secretary Liu Ning. "Director Li, we contacted the superiors, and they haven't seen Director Shen!"

"What do you mean, 'haven't seen'?" "Director Shen said he was going to report on work, but the superiors haven't..."

Li Banfeng hung up the phone, returned to the Darkstar Bureau, and called Secretary Liu Ning. "Contact all superiors! Whether you know them or not, whether you're familiar with them or not, call them one by one. Tell them I told you to call!"

Liu Ning nodded, walked to the door, then turned back. "Director Li, when Director Shen left, he assigned tasks to me, Section Chief Gu, and Section Chief Song separately. We don't know the contents of each other's tasks. After you arrived, Section Chief Song and I reported our tasks, but Section Chief Gu hasn't reported anything to you. I'm a bit worried..."

"Section Chief Gu? Communications Section Chief Gu? Call him to see me at once!" Liu Ning left and returned shortly. "Section Chief Gu isn't in his office, and his phone is unreachable."

"Arrest him immediately!" Li Banfeng's veins throbbed. He dialed Shen Jingye's phone, but it still went unanswered. An hour later, Tang Yuan entered the office and said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, we've found Director Shen." "Where is he?"

"We found Director Shen's body..." "When did this happen?" "Just now, when we were checking vehicles in the parking lot..." "When did this happen?"

"Just now, in the trunk of a government car..." "When did this happen?" Tang Yuan dared not speak. "When did this happen?"

Li Banfeng's eyes were bloodshot. He covered his mouth with both hands.