The Six Doors' Purpose

Lord Zhuge said calmly, "We're taking over this case. The Sun Family may return home." The Seventh Elder's expression changed. "This... I'm afraid that wouldn't be proper. Sun Yu is, after all, a direct descendant of the Sun Family..."

"Proper?" Lord Zhuge suddenly laughed. "The rules of the Six Doors are the rules, aren't they? I hear that a scion of your Sun Family colluded with the heretical Youming Sect. Could it be this Sun Yu?"

The atmosphere on the main street abruptly shifted.

Lord Zhuge's mention of the Youming Sect struck like thunder. Not only did the Sun Family's faces change dramatically, but the constables of Chun'an County were too frightened to breathe. The Youming Sect—those three words were the greatest taboo in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even a minor connection to that heretical sect could mean confiscation of one's home and exile; at worst, the entire family would be executed!

The Seventh Elder's face turned deathly pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared at his temples. He forced out a smile more pained than a grimace. "Lord Zhuge must be joking... Though Sun Yu is a mischievous child, he would never dare collude with a heretical sect..."

A trace of amusement played at the corners of Lord Zhuge's mouth. Unhurriedly, he drew a secret letter from his sleeve. The paper had yellowed, and its edges bore obvious scorch marks, but the sinister ghost-eye seal on the flap remained clearly visible.

The instant the Seventh Elder saw that seal, his pupils shrank to pinpoints! He recognized it—it was the exclusive mark of the Youming Sect's Ghost Eye Hall, reserved for high-ranking members at the level of hall master or above! How could Sun Yu have dealings with someone like that?

The Seventh Elder trembled all over, nearly losing his balance. If this matter were confirmed, the entire Sun Family would be doomed!

"It seems... there really has been a misunderstanding..." The Seventh Elder clenched his teeth, each word forced out through them. "The Sun Family... will withdraw at once..."

"Wait." Lord Zhuge suddenly stopped them and swept his gaze over the members of the Sun Family. "Since you're here, you should help with the investigation." He pointed at the chubby young man who had been smiling all along. "Little Fatty, go back with Elder Sun and conduct a thorough investigation."

The boy called Little Fatty stepped forward with a grin and cupped his hands to the Seventh Elder. "Elder Sun, I'll be in your care." He seemed harmless, but the Seventh Elder clearly sensed faint arcs of lightning swirling around him—he was actually a rare Lightning Spirit Body! Such a constitution was the perfect counter to sinister, unorthodox techniques. Clearly, he had been sent to keep the Sun Family under surveillance!

The Seventh Elder's face turned livid, but he didn't dare refuse. He could only lead the Sun Family away in dejected silence. The chubby boy followed behind, seeming clumsy, yet never falling a step behind. Each step subtly matched some mysterious footwork.

After the Sun Family had gone far away, Lord Zhuge turned to the people of Chun'an County. His gaze lingered on Ye Yun for a moment, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes. The young man seemed to have only 8th Rank cultivation, yet his abundant qi and blood and solid foundation rivaled those of direct descendants from great clans! Stranger still, Lord Zhuge couldn't see through his true depth...

"You're Constable Chen, aren't you?" Lord Zhuge walked up to Chen Qingzhou and took out a pill the size of a longan, holding it out to him. The pill was amber-colored, with cloud patterns swirling across its surface. As soon as he took it out, it gave off a refreshing medicinal fragrance. "Take it and circulate your energy. It'll help your injuries."

Chen Qingzhou accepted the pill, overwhelmed by the honor. "Thank you, my lord..." He recognized it as the Six Doors' exclusive Nine Revolutions Return Pill, said to have the miraculous power to bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to bare bones. It was worth a fortune and nearly impossible to obtain!

"Tell me, what exactly happened?" Lord Zhuge casually found a flat stone to sit on. "Especially the masked hero..."

The atmosphere in the county yamen's main hall remained tense, but it was no longer steeped in the despair and oppression of before.

Lord Zhuge sat in the seat of honor, leisurely sipping his tea. The five subordinates he had brought stood in two lines on either side, like five stone statues, yet they gave off a reassuring presence. The most eye-catching was a woman named Mufeng. She seemed to be standing casually by the window, but in reality she had blocked every angle from which someone might launch a surprise attack. She was clearly skilled in coordinated combat techniques.

After taking the pill, Chen Qingzhou's complexion had visibly improved. He was giving a detailed account of what had happened that day. He deliberately omitted the details of Ye Yun's involvement, giving all the credit to the masked hero.

"...That hero's martial arts were exceptional. He drove the black-clad men back in just a few moves. After that, he vanished without a trace," Chen Qingzhou concluded.

Lord Zhuge made no comment. He turned his gaze to Ye Yun. "You have a solid foundation, young man. It's rare for a small place like Chun'an County to produce a young talent like you."

Ye Yun's heart tightened. He knew the other man had noticed something, but outwardly he remained respectful. "You flatter me, my lord. I was merely lucky enough to reach the ranks of a martial artist."

Lord Zhuge said meaningfully, "It's normal for young people to have a few secrets. As long as your heart is set on the right path, the Six Doors welcomes all kinds of talent." He changed the subject. "Actually, we came to Chun'an for two main reasons."

The hall fell silent at once. Everyone pricked up their ears.

"First, there have been a series of robberies in Kyoto recently." Lord Zhuge's expression turned grave. "A band of bandits has successively robbed seven escort agencies and three merchant caravans, killing and looting with ruthless abandon. Our investigation suggests that at least three 6th Rank martial artists are among them, and their leader may have already reached the 5th Rank."

Everyone drew in a sharp breath. Three 6th Rank fighters and one 5th Rank fighter—the strength of a single 6th Rank martial artist alone was enough to sweep through all of Chun'an County!

"We tracked them along the way and discovered they were fleeing in this direction," Lord Zhuge continued. "The authorities in Kyoto feared the local forces wouldn't be able to handle them, so they specially dispatched us to capture them."

Chen Qingzhou quickly stood up. "I'll do everything I can to assist!"

Lord Zhuge nodded, but turned his gaze to Ye Yun. "As for the second matter... it concerns the Ye Family from ten years ago."

Ye Yun's heart tightened, but he showed no emotion as he waited for Lord Zhuge to continue.

"Little Brother Ye, do you know Lin Manor in Kyoto?"

Ye Yun's pupils contracted slightly. Lin Manor! Of course he knew it! Wasn't Miss Lin, the young lady to whom he was betrothed, the daughter of Lin Manor?

"I've heard a little about it," Ye Yun answered cautiously.

"Over the past few months, one person after another has gone to Lin Manor, pretending to be a survivor of the Ye Family of Chun'an and claiming kinship." Lord Zhuge gave a faint, knowing smile. "Unfortunately, they were all clumsy frauds. They couldn't even produce a token, and General Lin saw through them at a glance."

Understanding dawned on Ye Yun. No wonder Li San and Wang Wu had appeared in the bandit-suppression force. They had been secretly investigating the Ye Family's survivors! They must have suspected his identity long ago; they just hadn't had any proof.

"General Lin and the Ye Family were old friends. He has never forgotten the Ye Family massacre," Lord Zhuge said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, the court was in turmoil back then. By the time he was able to investigate, many of the leads had gone cold. This time, using the false claims of kinship as an opportunity, the old general specially asked the Six Doors to come to Chun'an and get to the bottom of things. We've also heard that someone is coming to Chun'an County to wipe out the Ye Family's survivors."

He suddenly looked straight into Ye Yun's eyes. "Since you're a local, Little Brother Ye, do you know whether any members of the Ye Family survived?"

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Every gaze focused on Ye Yun, waiting for his answer. Chen Qingzhou and Yan Xiao Liu were even more nervous, their palms sweating. They had a vague idea of Ye Yun's identity, but didn't dare be certain.

Ye Yun was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his head. "I... don't know."

Lord Zhuge gave Ye Yun a meaningful look. "From here on, I ask you all to cooperate with us in completing our mission."