Investigating the Compass

After the four members of the Divine Constable Bureau arrived at the Anyuan Town yamen, Xu Tianlei greeted them with great enthusiasm.

He was completely different from before, when he had established his authority with his imposing presence in front of everyone. Now, he was very amiable, smiling and saying all sorts of nice things.

The people from the Divine Constable Bureau, on the other hand, looked indifferent.

It was clear they didn't take Xu Tianlei seriously, and this included the three individuals whose martial arts cultivation was weaker than his.

In the official system, martial arts cultivation wasn't as important; status and rank were key.

"You all will accompany me to investigate the east side and record the locations you've checked."

One of the Divine Constable Bureau members approached Shi Yi, Zhao Cheng, and the others, casually pointing out some people, and said.

He then took out a map of Anyuan Town and casually tossed it to one of them.

"Yes, Sir."

Shi Yi and the others replied.

"Let's go!"

The Divine Constable Bureau members were very efficient. After selecting people, they immediately began their operation.

Everyone watched as the person took out a special compass. They didn't know what kind of tool it was, but judging by how the person kept their eyes on the compass, it was clearly some kind of investigative tool.

Shi Yi looked at Zhao Cheng, who also shook his head slightly, clearly having never seen such a tool.

The group walked through Anyuan Town.

The Divine Constable Bureau member, while checking the compass, inquired about the specific locations in various areas, asking people to record the points they had investigated on the map.

This investigation continued until the afternoon.

"We'll stop here for today. Tomorrow, we'll investigate outside the town. We'll meet at the yamen, and the time will be the same as today."

The Divine Constable Bureau member took the map with the recorded locations and left gracefully.

The people who had accompanied the investigation then dispersed.

"The Divine Constable Bureau's investigative methods are truly miraculous; I can't understand them at all," Zhao Cheng said to Shi Yi as they returned to the Anyang Martial Arts School.

In their eyes, the Divine Constable Bureau members simply walked around, stopped, looked at the compass in their hands, and asked for directions.

This was completely different from the method of searching every household.

Initially, everyone thought they would also check if there were any fugitives hiding in Anyuan Town, but it seemed they had no such intention at all.

"That compass must have been crafted by a Daoist master to investigate Buddhist treasures. It's truly eye-opening," Zhao Cheng continued.

In fact, it wasn't just him; others also had their suspicions.

Miraculous investigative methods were basically associated with Daoist immortals and masters.

"This is also my first time seeing such an investigative method; it's truly amazing," Shi Yi chimed in.

With his Double Pupils, he could see a blue light flashing on the compass. The person walked and looked, checking if the blue light had any reaction.

He estimated that once the compass detected a Buddhist treasure, the blue light would definitely change.

This also reminded Shi Yi of the faint blue light he had seen on the Bodhi seed, which was clearly related to this.

The investigative methods in this world were even more powerful than he had anticipated.

Fortunately, he had reacted quickly and made many preparations. The Bodhi seed had not been left behind at all. Otherwise, no matter how well he hid, he would have been discovered by the Divine Constable Bureau.

"Daoist masters possess special methods. With the Divine Constable Bureau's investigative approach, they should be able to complete the investigation in no more than two days. We've also completed this mission!"

Zhao Cheng had originally thought the mission would be long, but seeing how things were today, it shouldn't take more than a few days. The efficiency was much faster than he had expected.

Of course, this was a good thing for them.

No one liked the Divine Constable Bureau staying in Anyuan Town for an extended period; it created a great sense of pressure.

Even the three major gangs in Anyuan Town dared not openly fight for territory at this time, for fear of displeasing the Divine Constable Bureau and being wiped out.

Even if these gangs had backing, they didn't dare to act presumptuously in front of the Divine Constable Bureau, because their backers were also afraid of being targeted by the Divine Constable Bureau.

"Senior Brother Zhao, are there Divine Constable Bureau members investigating in nearby towns?" Shi Yi suddenly asked.

Seeing how efficient these people were, it was clearly not their first time conducting an investigation!

"As far as I know, the Divine Constable Bureau members were previously focusing their investigations around the Dan River."

"But for some reason, they suddenly dispersed to investigate around the Dan River."

"At first, I thought we were assisting the yamen with their investigation, but I didn't expect the Divine Constable Bureau members to come personally."

"However, judging by the fanfare of the Divine Constable Bureau members, the lost Buddhist treasure must be very important," Zhao Cheng said in a low voice.

He learned some things from his father, but not much. His father hadn't told him everything.

For example, that people from the Divine Constable Bureau would be coming in person this time.

Zhao Cheng wasn't sure if his father knew about this, but he knew for certain that his father wouldn't harm him.

"Let's go. We should go back and tell Master about today's events first."

Zhao Cheng and Shi Yi quickened their pace.

He needed to inform Lu Feng about this matter and also see if he could find out more.

Zhao Cheng knew very well that his Master, despite appearing to drink tea and rarely managing affairs at the Martial Arts School every day, had access to a great deal of information and might know more.

The two quickened their steps, heading towards the Anyang Martial Arts School.

Anyuan Town Yamen.

"Sir, people from the Divine Constable Bureau were investigating in town today but didn't enter anyone's home. Tomorrow, they want us to assist with the investigation outside of town. The Divine Constable Bureau personnel have already left Anyuan Town, saying they will return tomorrow morning," Xu Tianlei reported the day's situation to Zhu Zhuoyu, the Town Magistrate of Anyuan Town.

He had followed along both to help and to keep an eye on the Divine Constable Bureau personnel.

Magistrate Zhu Zhuoyu was worried that the Divine Constable Bureau might have other plans, which was why he made such arrangements.

"It seems I was overthinking things!"

"Continue to cooperate fully with the Divine Constable Bureau personnel tomorrow."

"Also, remind those people in town that I don't want anyone causing trouble at this juncture."

"If anyone wants to make things difficult for me, I will certainly make things even more difficult for them."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuoyu's usually serene face showed a thoughtful expression, and then he spoke.

His tone carried a hint of ruthlessness.

Although Zhu Zhuoyu's face appeared serene, his heart was anything but.

"Don't worry, Sir. I already reminded them today, and I'll arrange for someone to remind them again later."

Xu Tianlei replied solemnly.

He was well aware that multiple factions were vying for power within Anyuan Town, creating a complex situation, and that Zhu Zhuoyu was behind much of it.

Zhu Zhuoyu didn't want any single faction to become dominant in the town, as that would not be beneficial for him. Only through the struggle between multiple factions could Zhu Zhuoyu maintain his transcendent position.

If he had an opportunity to advance to a higher level in the future, he could use this situation to achieve sufficient political achievements.

Zhu Zhuoyu's performance in the imperial examinations wasn't ideal, and he was affected by the turbulent political landscape, forcing him to remain in Anyuan Town. However, he didn't want to be stuck there for his entire life.

"Alright, you've also had a busy day. Go back and rest!"

Zhu Zhuoyu waved his hand.

"It's a shame the lost Buddhist Treasure was near the Dan River. Otherwise, the merit of finding it could have helped me establish a connection with the Divine Constable Bureau."

"As long as I have a suitable recommender, I can escape my current predicament."

After Xu Tianlei left, Zhu Zhuoyu sighed.