Law Enforcement Hall Mobilizes

This night was destined to be no night of peaceful sleep.

The third quarter of the Hour of the Ox.

Spirit Field was brightly lit.

Outer Sect Law Enforcement Hall disciples, dressed uniformly in blue, had sealed off the area so tightly that not even water could pass through.

The corpses of Zhao Erhu and the other two Outer Sect disciples still lay quietly where they had fallen.

Just then.

A streak of light tore through the night sky.

After landing, the longsword beneath his feet vanished into his body with a sharp whoosh.

Outer Sect Enforcement Elder, Mu Xingtian!

His ink-black robes snapped in the wind as the formidable pressure of the Foundation Establishment Realm burst forth. It was as though the air had frozen into blocks of iron, crushing everyone's souls until they trembled; even breathing became a luxury.

Mu Xingtian said nothing as he paced into Zhao Erhu's courtyard to investigate.

A moment later, he emerged with a handkerchief over his nose and mouth. Under the dim light, his hawk-like eyes gleamed with cold light as they swept over every person present.

"Who sent the report?"

A Law Enforcement disciple stepped forward, bringing out a Miscellaneous Disciple. "Reporting to Elder, this Miscellaneous Disciple from Spirit Field sent the report!"

"Who else saw it?" Mu Xingtian gave the man a casual glance and continued questioning.

The crowd whispered among themselves and looked from face to face, yet no one dared answer.

"Those who know and fail to report it shall bear the same guilt!" Mu Xingtian's icy voice was like a frigid wind from the Netherworld, making everyone feel death's advance notice.

At those words, how could the Miscellaneous Disciples who had seen it dare keep hiding the truth? One after another, they stepped forward.

"I saw it!"

"I saw it too!"

"I heard the commotion and rushed over, only to see Overseer Zhao and the two senior brothers already... already gone!"

Seeing this, Mu Xingtian said no more and waved at the Law Enforcement disciples.

The Law Enforcement disciples immediately understood and separated all the Miscellaneous Disciples for questioning.

One incense stick later.

Everyone returned to the same place.

The leading Law Enforcement disciple stepped forward and cupped his fists. "Reporting to Elder, all testimony is consistent."

"There were three killers. They did not see the process of Zhao Erhu being killed; they only saw the scene when the other two arrived."

"One of them used fire arts. Flames shot into the sky in the darkness, and everyone saw it clearly. They said it was a divine dragon of flame. A disciple recognized it at the time—it seemed to be a fifth-tier fire art, the Fire Dragon Art!"

"The other two were exceedingly fast, taking a life with a single leap through the air!"

As Mu Xingtian listened to the report, he swiftly pieced together the clues from his investigation and the testimony, reconstructing the scene in his mind.

His fingers tapped lightly against his arm, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes. "A fifth-tier fire art, the Fire Dragon Art? Zhao Erhu died too quickly, killed with one strike. Corpse puppet aura still lingers on the body—it should be the work of the Nether Corpse Sect. If I am not mistaken, one person controlled two corpse puppets!"

"As for a fifth-tier fire art, only Inner Sect Disciples may access one. It cannot be ruled out that these servants saw wrongly. Perhaps it was a third-tier Crimson Flame Dragon!"

"So... the answer is already obvious. It was a Nether Corpse Sect spy lurking in the Outer Sect, with strength at least at the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Refinement, only then could they have acted so cleanly and decisively!"

As an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, Mu Xingtian was immensely seasoned.

In an instant, he had locked onto the direction of the investigation.

"Leave several people behind to thoroughly investigate every Miscellaneous Disciple, their residences, and their private belongings. Do not overlook any trace, no matter how small. Report immediately if anything suspicious is found!"

"The rest of you, return to the Outer Sect with me and interrogate all Outer Sect disciples!"

"Yes!"

The Law Enforcement disciples answered with a sharp shout.

With a wave of Mu Xingtian's hand, his flying sword whistled out from his body. He leaped into the air, turning into a streak of sword light that vanished into the night.

The other Law Enforcement disciples also displayed their own abilities. Banana leaves, wooden boats, flying spirit beasts... they all gave chase.

Among the remaining Law Enforcement disciples, the young man who had just made the report curved his lips into an indescribable smile.

He cleared his throat and ordered, "Everyone, return to your own rooms and await interrogation!"

"What is this?"

Starting with the first Miscellaneous Disciple, the young Law Enforcement disciple personally took charge.

"This... this is spirit rice I exchanged for with Contribution Points two days ago!" The Miscellaneous Disciple trembled.

"I strongly suspect that this case is connected to the spirit rice from your Spirit Field! All of it is to be confiscated. Once the Law Enforcement Hall takes it back, we will investigate every grain!"

"No, Senior Brother, this is just ordinary spirit rice!" The Miscellaneous Disciple was on the verge of tears.

"If I say it has a problem, then it has a problem. Do I need evidence? My words are the evidence. Or do you... want to go down and keep Overseer Zhao company?"

The Law Enforcement disciple glared fiercely, killing intent surging around him.

"No, no! I don't!"

The Miscellaneous Disciples dared to rage but dared not speak. They could only watch helplessly as this band of bandits wearing the skin of the Law Enforcement Hall looted the belongings they had painstakingly saved up.

Anything of even the slightest value was spared nothing.

"Where is the person in this room?"

After making a round of plunder, the Law Enforcement disciple pointed at a pitch-black room and demanded.

"I... I don't know. Maybe he is asleep!" one Miscellaneous Disciple said softly.

"So there is someone in this room, correct?"

"Y-yes!"

Terrified of being plundered further, that Miscellaneous Disciple hunched his head into his shoulders. "He is my neighbor, an old man in his eighties. We all call him Old Man Duan. Maybe he is old and sleeps deeply, so he did not wake up..."

Bang!

Before he finished speaking, the Law Enforcement disciple kicked out, and the wooden door instantly shattered into pieces.

Immediately after, firelight flashed within the room.

Then came his surprised voice. "Hm? Where is he?"

Several breaths later, the Law Enforcement disciple emerged with a dark face and seized that Miscellaneous Disciple by the collar. "Are you sure someone lived in there?"

"There really was! An old man really lived there! If you don't believe me, ask everyone!"

The Miscellaneous Disciple was on the verge of tears. Had he known, he would have let it rot in his stomach rather than say a word.

The Law Enforcement disciple immediately sought confirmation from the others.

"Was there really someone in this room?"

"Absolutely! An Old Man Duan lived there, but no one knows where he went!"

After receiving a definite answer, the Law Enforcement disciple fell into thought, then suddenly shouted.

"All Miscellaneous Disciples, assemble! Count the numbers!"

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon another unlit room nearby.

"What about the person in this room?"

"No one is in that room!"

A Miscellaneous Disciple immediately replied, "Someone lived there a few days ago, but Overseer Zhao arranged for him to go to the Waste Elixir Chamber!"

"Waste Elixir Chamber?"

The Law Enforcement disciple frowned. "Why would someone from your Spirit Field have the authority to send someone to the Waste Elixir Chamber? Isn't that place assigned uniformly by Servant Peak?"

"I heard that person offended an Outer Sect senior brother. That senior brother told Overseer Zhao to 'take good care' of him, so..."

"There was a conflict?"

The Law Enforcement disciple immediately caught a different scent in the air.

"Yes! A conflict as vast as the heavens!"

A quick-witted Miscellaneous Disciple hurriedly raised his hand, his face full of excitement. "Senior Brother, I wish to report something! Is there a reward for reporting it?"

The Law Enforcement disciple narrowed his eyes and crooked a finger at him.

The man immediately scurried over with a fawning smile.

"Speak well, and your benefits will not be lacking!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The Miscellaneous Disciple pointed at Shen Fan's former room, his voice rising an octave.

"The one who lived in that room was a Miscellaneous Disciple named Shen Fan. He failed the Outer Sect competition some time ago.

But his childhood sweetheart was seduced away by an Outer Sect senior brother named Li Qingshan. Senior Brother Li Qingshan told Overseer Zhao to give Shen Fan special care, so he was assigned to the Waste Elixir Chamber.

But today, Old Man Duan called Shen Fan to Spirit Field, saying it was to transport fertilizer and earn Contribution Points.

Who would have thought that Overseer Zhao deducted Shen Fan's Contribution Points on the grounds that Shen Fan was not from Spirit Field, and even humiliated Shen Fan before everyone.

In the end, Shen Fan swallowed humiliation and left with a heavy burden. Then Overseer Zhao was killed that night. I strongly suspect Shen Fan was the one who did it!"