At nightfall, Zhao Wuji found Oscar and told him again that Flender had asked him about Sky Net.
Leaning against a tree twice as thick as a man, Oscar parted his lips slightly.
"Teacher Zhao, you can't let the dean know about Sky Net. The chain reaction and trouble it would cause would be more than we could handle."
Seeing that Oscar was still holding firm to his position, Zhao Wuji could only sigh helplessly.
"Teacher Zhao, it's late. You should head back and get some rest. I'll be going to the Star Dou Great Forest soon."
"What are you going there for?"
Zhao Wuji was taken aback. He knew that ever since Oscar had obtained his third ring, he'd been extremely wary of the Star Dou Great Forest. Even when Meng Yiran went to obtain her Soul Skill, Oscar had only sent a few people from Sky Net to follow her discreetly!
"I'll keep you guessing for now."
Oscar chuckled and turned toward the dormitory area.
Zhao Wuji watched Oscar wave as he walked away, his brows furrowing.
"What's he going to the Star Dou Great Forest for now? There's no way he or those youngsters will break through anytime soon. Could it be a Spirit Bone? Can he even predict that?"
In the end, Zhao Wuji couldn't figure it out and could only shake his head.
Meanwhile, Oscar turned a corner outside the dormitory area and headed to the blacksmith shop in Suotuo City.
"Old Qing, keep watch."
He spoke to Old Qing outside the shop, his expression grave, then turned and went into the inner courtyard.
Unlike the usual meetings, only Li Jianqiu was in the courtyard.
"Uncle Li, how's the investigation going?"
Oscar asked as soon as he arrived, before even taking a seat.
Over the past two years, Sky Net had established numerous channels throughout the Heaven Dou Empire, and Li Jianqiu had been investigating the truth about what happened back then.
After all, he was a Soul Douluo. Even though he was only level 82, he already held a respectable position in the Heaven Dou Empire.
Even after he went into seclusion, he wasn't someone any ordinary noble could afford to offend!
What's more, the noble who had found three Soul Douluos to attack him was no ordinary noble, either. The noble who had run over his child with a carriage back then had surely been nothing more than a pawn sent by someone behind the scenes!
Li Jianqiu sat on a bench, both hands braced on his legs as he rubbed his brow with one hand.
"I haven't figured it out yet, but I can confirm it's connected to the royal family."
Oscar nodded. The royal family was the most likely culprit, given the immense influence involved. He said, "Apart from the two princes who died, the Heaven Dou royal family still has Emperor Xue Ye, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, the fourth prince, Xue Beng, Prince Xue Xing, and Princess Xue Ke.
"Uncle Li, since you've traced this back to the royal family, you must have some solid information. I want you to tell me directly."
He sat beside Li Jianqiu and patted him on the shoulder before continuing, "Sky Net was founded to protect civilians and soul masters oppressed by nobles. I don't want anyone to have to give up their hatred just for Sky Net's sake."
Li Jianqiu lifted his head, his eyes slightly reddened.
"What I found points to Princess Xue Ke. I obtained a Spirit Bone back then, one that would have been perfect for her, so she had a motive. But something still feels off. Princess Xue Ke isn't cruel by nature, and she was very young at the time. Even if she really had plotted against me, she wouldn't have done it so ruthlessly."
"Do you suspect Xue Qinghe? He and Princess Xue Ke have always been on good terms, and he certainly had—"
Oscar was interrupted by Li Jianqiu.
"It couldn't have been Xue Qinghe. Based on what Sky Net has uncovered over the years, he intends to take the throne. He wouldn't leave behind a vulnerability like this, even if it would be difficult to discover.
"I suspect Prince Xue Xing and Xue Beng. They had the means to do it."
Oscar frowned slightly and looked at Li Jianqiu, prompting him to continue.
"Chief, you may not know this, but even while I was in seclusion, I always supported Xue Qinghe.
"The best explanation for what happened back then is that they were purging their rivals."
Li Jianqiu pressed his lips together, hesitating for a moment before speaking.
"Chief, I know you have reservations about Xue Qinghe. After all, we've already discovered that he secretly poisoned Emperor Xue Ye and intends to kill his father.
"But he treats ordinary people well, and if he becomes emperor, he could be a wise ruler.
"More importantly, have you ever considered that he might not be Xue Ye's son?"
Oscar's pupils contracted slightly. During the questioning in the Inner Scene, he'd already begun to suspect the truth about Xue Qinghe's identity, but he hadn't expected Li Jianqiu to have uncovered it too!
His reservations about Xue Qinghe had nothing to do with patricide. He'd long suspected that the two weren't father and son, and that Xue Qinghe might have come from Spirit Hall!
He was wary of Xue Qinghe because he feared Spirit Hall!
Oscar stood and spoke quietly. "Then it all makes sense. We haven't uncovered much so far, but that doesn't mean the nobles know nothing about it among themselves.
"Prince Xue Xing and Xue Beng went after you to show everyone else that Xue Qinghe doesn't truly care about soul masters from civilian families. Even a genius like you, Uncle Li, could become a Soul Douluo, lose everything, and still receive no retribution from Xue Qinghe.
"And Xue Beng can keep hiding behind his playboy persona in front of Xue Qinghe, so he won't be eliminated as a rival."
"Chief, after I was crippled, Xue Qinghe came to see me in private. He told me a great deal.
"But back then, I was consumed by hatred and kept thinking he was no different from the others. Looking back now, he may well have tried to get justice for me, but been forced to give up."
Li Jianqiu didn't explain further, but Oscar understood what he meant.
If Xue Qinghe really was a spy sent by Spirit Hall, he would be walking on thin ice in that position. Both sides would be watching him: one waiting for him to make a mistake, the other making sure he didn't.
That meant even if Xue Qinghe wanted to get justice for Li Jianqiu, pressure from both sides could leave him unable to act.
Thinking this over, Oscar asked, "Have you found any leads on the Spirit Bone?"
Li Jianqiu sighed, then straightened up, his eyes once more filled with boundless killing intent and resolve.
"Not yet, but it'll turn up eventually. When it does, we'll finally be able to identify the culprit!"
"Uncle Li, don't worry. No matter who the investigation ultimately leads to, we'll kill them all the same!"
Oscar patted Li Jianqiu on the shoulder, his voice low but brimming with confidence.
"Yes, Chief!"
Li Jianqiu started to drop to one knee, but Oscar stopped him.
"Uncle Li, there's no need for that between us. Just do what you need to do. Sky Net will always be your home and your support."
Li Jianqiu looked up at the young man before him. From that youthful face, he felt a sense of belonging unlike anything he'd ever known.
Perhaps... this was why he had stayed with Sky Net all this time.
"Mm."
The two lingered in the blacksmith shop's courtyard for a long while. Only after they'd finished two pots of tea did Oscar end their small talk and turn to the trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Uncle Li, I'm going to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow."
"For that matter? Don't forget, the Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest can smell your scent. They won't let you off."
Thinking of the Soul Beast Oscar had hunted, Li Jianqiu felt a pang of dread. Back then, he and Oscar had been chased by that pack of Soul Beasts for a full half month. If they hadn't both been fast runners, they might have been trapped in the Star Dou Great Forest!
"I won't be at ease until I find that Blue Silver King."
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