Fire Breaks Out

The night was heavy, and all was silent.

The Black and White Divine Palace had bid farewell to the bustle of the day, becoming incomparably calm.

Yet beneath this calm lay turbulent undercurrents—disciples on night patrol hid in the shadows, eyes wide, watching for anyone suspicious.

The poisoning incident from a few days ago had made everyone tense. The number of night patrols had doubled, and the storehouse in particular had been reinforced with multiple protective formations, for fear of another poisoning.

But this time, it was not the storehouse that suffered.

"Fire! The Inspection Hall is on fire!"

Following the eruption of flames came the shouts of countless disciples.

The fire spread with terrifying speed, engulfing the entire hall in a mere instant.

Just then, an angry snort erupted from the sky, followed by a massive hand descending from above.

With the pressure of that hand, the flames were extinguished entirely, though the Inspection Hall's beams collapsed under the force, leaving it a pile of ruins.

The next moment, a figure appeared before the ruins of the Inspection Hall: it was Yue Xinchan.

Yue Xinchan stood with his hands behind his back, his presence imposing without a word: "Where is Fu Dongliu?"

"Subordinate is here!"

As a streak of black light flew over, Fu Dongliu arrived, though no matter how fast he was, he could not outpace Yue Xinchan.

Before the black light could fully coalesce, Yue Xinchan grabbed it. The light pulsed in his hand, barely forming the face of Fu Dongliu: "Grand Hall Master, subordinate..."

"Your lair has been burned down by someone." Yue Xinchan said coldly: "The poisoning incident remains unresolved, and now this happens. As the Inspection Envoy, how can you still have the face to stand before me?"

"Please calm your anger, Hall Master!" Fu Dongliu shouted: "Subordinate has already found some leads."

Yue Xinchan loosened his grip, and the black light fell, manifesting into Fu Dongliu himself.

He knelt before Yue Xinchan, no longer daring to hide anything, and recounted everything that had happened previously.

Yue Xinchan's anger flared as he listened, and he slapped Fu Dongliu across the face: "You scoundrel, how dare you conceal this from me!"

"Subordinate knows his mistake!"

"Where is Luo Qiuzhen?"

"Subordinate is here."

Yue Xinchan asked: "What is your take on this matter?"

Luo Qiuzhen knelt and replied: "Reporting to the Grand Hall Master, this disciple suspects this matter is related to the Wood Puppet Sect."

"The reason."

"The person acting in the shadows is skilled in wood-element techniques. Furthermore, the method used to infiltrate the storehouse likely involved some form of small puppet. As everyone knows, the Wood Puppet Sect is most proficient in wood-element arts and puppet manipulation, and they have long been at odds with the Divine Palace. This disciple suspects someone from the Wood Puppet Sect snuck in to commit sabotage."

Yue Xinchan nodded repeatedly as he listened. The Black and White Divine Palace and the Wood Puppet Sect had always been at odds, and it was common for both factions to plant spies within each other.

Luo Qiuzhen's reasoning was highly logical.

However, he did not want generalities, so he said directly: "Find the person."

Luo Qiuzhen said: "I already have a general scope."

"Oh? Tell me."

Luo Qiuzhen said: "The opponent's purpose in burning the Inspection Hall was likely to destroy the files and prevent me from tracking them. This also means the target is very likely among the previously suspected individuals."

"But the files have already been burned."

Luo Qiuzhen replied: "The files are burned, but the one hundred and twenty-six suspects are still in this subordinate's mind; they cannot be stolen."

"Hm? You memorized them all?" Yue Xinchan was slightly surprised.

Even for a cultivator, it was difficult to possess a photographic memory. Luo Qiuzhen had only been reviewing the files for a few days, yet he had managed to memorize every single suspect.

Luo Qiuzhen said: "Yes, this disciple has memorized them all."

Yue Xinchan looked at Luo Qiuzhen with satisfaction, then looked at Fu Dongliu, his face darkening: "Your assistant is capable, while you are too foolish. I give you three days to find the true culprit!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and departed.

Fu Dongliu had lost all face under Yue Xinchan's reprimand. Instead of being grateful to Luo Qiuzhen, a trace of malice grew in his eyes as he looked at him.

Seeing this, Luo Qiuzhen understood that he had earned Fu Dongliu's resentment, but he remained calm on the surface.

Watching this scene from afar, Ning Ye smiled slightly.

Unlike before, he had come to watch the show in person this time. In this era, there were no rules requiring unrelated parties to vacate during an investigation, so whenever an incident occurred, everyone would swarm in. Because the matter involved Yue Xinchan, Ning Ye could not use the Kunlun Mirror to observe and had to come himself. Fortunately, Fu Dongliu didn't go mad and arrest everyone this time—after all, most people had come to put out the fire, even if they hadn't actually accomplished anything.

The harvest was quite good; he hadn't expected Luo Qiuzhen to blame the Wood Puppet Sect, which was a good thing. Another unexpected gain was that Fu Dongliu had developed jealousy toward Luo Qiuzhen, which was excellent. Luo Qiuzhen was meticulous and difficult to deal with, likely becoming a stumbling block for Ning Ye's future plans, but now it seemed he might not need to take action himself to deal with him.

As the crowd dispersed, Fu Dongliu looked at the ruined Inspection Hall and said: "Xi Jiang, find some people to rebuild the Inspection Hall. I give you two days."

The disciple named Xi Jiang hurriedly agreed. As Fu Dongliu left, Xi Jiang shouted: "The Inspection Hall is to be rebuilt! Anyone skilled in earth and wood techniques may sign up. Complete it within two days, and rewards will be given based on contribution!"

Ning Ye stepped forward immediately: "This disciple wishes to join."

"Are you skilled in earth and wood arts?"

"This disciple does not know how."

"Then why are you here joining the fun?"

"But this disciple knows talismans, and I can use earth and wood arts through talisman techniques."

Using talisman techniques to cast earth and wood arts? That would require burning through one's own resources.

Xi Jiang looked at Ning Ye in surprise. Ning Ye said, "This disciple was one of those previously poisoned, and my body has yet to fully recover. The fire at the Inspection Hall was likely caused by the same person who poisoned us. I despise their conduct and only wish to contribute what little I can to make up for my shortcomings; I no longer care about the cost."

"So that's how it is. Very well, count you in." Xi Jiang felt he understood Ning Ye's intentions.

Sometimes, when doing things, it is not necessarily for profit, but driven more by emotion.

Because they were all cultivators, everyone moved quickly, and in just one night, they cleared away all the ruins. Some disciples used displacement arts to transport giant logs and build houses, while others set up formations to reinforce the halls and defend the perimeter.

Because Ning Ye was skilled in talisman techniques, he could participate in everything. Despite his frail body, he did his utmost, which earned him the goodwill of the Inspection Hall disciples.

No one noticed that wherever Ning Ye went, small blue specks of light would fall into the foundations, pillars, beams, and tiles, only to vanish in an instant.

Two days later, the Inspection Hall was rebuilt.

Inspection Hall.

Fu Dongliu sat at the head of the table, his expression gloomy. "Tomorrow is the third day. Have you still not made any progress?"

There were hundreds of suspected targets; with so many, it was as good as having none at all.

Especially since many of them had masters; if they made a mistake, they would offend a large group of people.

But Yue Xinchan's mission had to be completed!

The group remained silent, none daring to answer.

Fu Dongliu's gaze fell upon Luo Qiuzhen. "Qiuzhen, what about you? Have you found anything?"

Luo Qiuzhen's expression was calm. "This subordinate already has a suspected target."

"Speak."

Luo Qiuzhen took out a dossier he had prepared and placed it on the desk. "This person is named Wang Sen, a native of Heaven Continent. He is skilled in wood-type spells, proficient in medicine, and has learned techniques for stealth and concealment. He is currently in the mid-stage of the Cang Xiang Realm, and his Basic Mental Method has reached the sixth level. Eighty days ago, he visited Huaiyin Mountain. His movements were secretive, and after he emerged, his strength increased significantly. Some suspect he had a fortuitous encounter in the mountains."

"Heaven Continent?" Fu Dongliu's eyes narrowed. "Where the Wood Puppet Sect is located?"

"Exactly."

"Why come to our Black and White Divine Palace?"

"According to him, the Wood Puppet Sect killed his family, and he came for revenge."

Fu Dongliu asked, "But could it also be a ruse created by the Wood Puppet Sect, a spy sent here?"

"Precisely."

"Does he have a master?"

"No, he is an ordinary outer sect disciple."

"Is there any evidence?"

Luo Qiuzhen shook his head slightly.

Looking at Luo Qiuzhen's face, Fu Dongliu suddenly understood something.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Investigate thoroughly; you will find evidence, won't you? You must provide the Grand Hall Master with a satisfactory explanation before tomorrow evening."

Luo Qiuzhen bowed his head. "Yes!"