Verification

The fact that Wang Sen was a traitor to the Wood Puppet Sect caused a stir within the Black and White Divine Palace.

An enraged Xuan Mulang took that glazed lamp and personally stormed the Soul-Severing Cave, where he had a massive argument with the Soul-Severing Human Demon—he couldn't defeat the Soul-Severing Human Demon, so he could only rely on his status as a master to unleash a barrage of verbal abuse.

When the Soul-Severing Human Demon heard that his most trusted disciple was actually a spy for the Wood Puppet Sect, he was so shocked he felt physically ill. He endured Xuan Mulang for half a minute before his patience snapped; he slapped Xuan Mulang flying with a single strike. He then spat out a mouthful of old blood himself and went straight to Yue Xinchans to plead guilty, taking the opportunity to falsely accuse Xuan Mulang of striking first.

The upper echelons were left in a state of utter chaos, to say nothing of the lower-ranking disciples.

Those who had been on good terms with Wang Sen were trembling with fear, each worried for their own safety.

Fu Dongliu, meanwhile, was full of vigor, arresting everyone who had ever had contact with Wang Sen and subjecting them to soul-searching interrogations one by one. He acted with such grandiosity that it seemed as if he had solved the entire case himself, with no involvement from Luo Qiuzhen.

Luo Qiuzhen, however, had no intention of fighting for the credit.

Luo Qiuzhen was not the type of person who sought only the truth for the sake of the world. He might have held such a mindset in his younger years, but as the years wore on, his state of mind had gradually matured, and the price of maturity was the destruction of illusions.

Therefore, he would bow to the facts, and when necessary, he would choose to frame the innocent.

But on the other hand, Luo Qiuzhen was also extremely proud.

His constitution was ordinary, his aptitude average, and his potential for cultivation limited; he knew that relying solely on talent would not lead to success. It was rare that he possessed a good mind. If he could use his wisdom to make up for his deficiencies and perform great deeds for the immortal sect that could not be achieved through immortal arts alone, he could become a specialized talent and be put to great use.

Because of this, Luo Qiuzhen had always been looking for an opportunity to prove himself.

Reopening the case for Wang Sen? That was not something he would consider.

But that did not mean he would let Ning Ye go or stop investigating this case.

Whether or not Ning Ye was the true culprit behind the Xuanyu Pavilion incident was not important; what mattered was his identity. As long as he could reveal the true face of this person, it would be a great achievement—and one that concerned the Thousand Mechanism Hall of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect.

Thus, the case didn't need to be reopened, but new merits could still be earned.

For this reason, Luo Qiuzhen would definitely investigate, but it would certainly be a covert investigation.

Because he did not want this credit to be taken by someone else.

Ning Ye had anticipated this, and Luo Qiuzhen had even anticipated that Ning Ye would anticipate it—though they were not well-acquainted, they understood each other as if they were old friends who had known each other for years.

So, while the upper echelons were still entangled in the conflict between the Soul-Severing Human Demon and Xuan Mulang, and the lower ranks were still using the events of the past two days as fodder for gossip, Luo Qiuzhen went to Tianyuan Peak.

Tianyuan Peak was the main peak of Nine Palaces Mountain, where the core main hall of the Black and White Divine Palace was located. It sat at the center, hence the name Tianyuan, and ordinary disciples had no qualifications to ascend the peak.

Luo Qiuzhen went to the back mountain of Tianyuan Peak.

The back mountain was a place of tranquility, seemingly filled with lush trees, natural serenity, babbling brooks, and beautiful scenery, yet it contained countless powerful beings in cultivation. Among them were the Black and White Divine Palace sect leader Heibaizi, the three elders, and the Hand of the Chess Player, Yue Xinchans.

There were no mechanisms on the mountain, but it was more dangerous than any other peak.

Entering this mountain was like entering the most beautiful place of crisis; a moment of carelessness could result in some powerful being flicking a finger and crushing you to death.

Luo Qiuzhen arrived at the back mountain, followed a small path toward the south side of the foothills, and eventually reached a cliff face.

He bowed three times toward the cliff and said, "Luo Qiuzhen of the Inspection Hall, requests an audience with you, Brother."

A face wreathed in black smoke appeared on the cliff, features indistinct, and the voice was eerie and ethereal: "What is it?"

Luo Qiuzhen said, "Brother, have you heard about the incident at the Green Wood Hall yesterday?"

"Hmm, and what of it?"

"Among the stolen items, one was a Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment."

"Oh?"

The black smoke suddenly swirled and surged violently, manifesting the agitated state of the person within the mountain.

A moment later, the smoke stilled, and the cliff face opened to reveal a deep, dark cave.

"Come in."

Luo Qiuzhen entered the cave.

The cave was cool and filled with a chilling aura, with the occasional sound of dripping water echoing through the space.

Luo Qiuzhen walked inside for quite a while before reaching a place that suddenly opened up.

A cultivator was sitting within, surrounded by black smoke that lingered and refused to dissipate. His entire body was shrouded in a black robe, exuding a mysterious aura.

Luo Qiuzhen bowed: "Greetings, Brother."

"Speak!"

Luo Qiuzhen gave a rough summary of the previous events.

The man listened and said, "So you suspect that this Ning Ye is one of the three disciples who escaped from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect?"

"Yes. However, this person has been disfigured. If you were to see him, Brother, would you be able to identify him?"

The man then said, "Qing Lin, Xin Xiaoye, Bai Yu... Hmph, if it truly is them, even if they are disfigured, I would recognize their physique and appearance."

"In that case, I am afraid I must trouble you, Brother," Luo Qiuzhen smiled.

In his mind, the other party would certainly agree to such a thing.

To his surprise, the man hesitated for a moment before saying, "I cannot appear in public. You bring me there, and I will observe for you from the shadows."

Hm?

Luo Qiuzhen was stunned.

He didn't quite understand the other party's line of thinking: "The Heavenly Mechanism Sect has already been destroyed. Three remnants of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect shouldn't pose any threat to you, Brother..."

"Shut up. My affairs have nothing to do with you. The fact that I am willing to step in for you is already an exception!" the man said harshly.

Luo Qiuzhen was left speechless by the reprimand, thinking to himself, Are you doing this for me? Clearly, you are doing this for yourself.

How did it end up seeming like I'm the one begging you?

However, the other party held a very high status, so he could not afford to offend him easily. Most importantly, since the other party did not wish to be in the limelight, it was actually a good thing for him, as he could claim all the credit for himself.

He nodded: "Since that is the case, I shall follow your instructions, Brother."

Luo Qiuzhen moved quickly.

One day later, he appeared once again in front of Ning Ye's small cabin.

Seeing Luo Qiuzhen, Ning Ye greeted him with a smile: "Congratulations, Deacon, congratulations on cracking such a major case!"

Luo Qiuzhen laughed: "It was Envoy Fu who cracked this case; it has nothing to do with me. I dare not take the credit."

Ning Ye then said: "You are too modest, Deacon. Since the case is solved, you coming to my place..."

Luo Qiuzhen said: "I disturbed you yesterday with my baseless suspicions, Junior Brother. If Wang Sen hadn't been exposed, I would have nearly wronged an innocent man. Thinking back on it now, I feel ashamed, so I came specifically to apologize. I hope you can forgive me."

Ning Ye said earnestly: "What are you saying, Deacon? You were just fulfilling your duties, as you should. How could I possibly have any complaints?"

Luo Qiuzhen: "I am glad you are understanding, Junior Brother."

The two stood there talking, making small talk for a while and exchanging pleasantries. Ning Ye did not invite Luo Qiuzhen inside to sit, and Luo Qiuzhen did not bring up any other matters. After a short while, he took his leave.

After leaving Ning Ye's cabin, Luo Qiuzhen asked: "How was it?"

A figure in black smoke appeared behind Luo Qiuzhen: "It is not him."

What?

Luo Qiuzhen was stunned: "Did you see clearly, Brother?"

"I saw very clearly," the figure in the black smoke replied. "Qing Lin is taller, has a slightly square face, and a clear voice. Bai Yu is shorter, has a thinner build, and a soft, delicate voice. As for Xin Xiaoye, she is a woman. This person's height and build fall between the two, he is male, not female, and his voice is hoarse. I even used a secret technique to verify it; he is not using any magical means to conceal himself, so I am certain he is not any of those three."