Inquiry and Secret Letter

"A man in black?"

A sharp, icy glint flashed in Fei Yangming's eyes.

He let out a deep breath. "Did you see clearly who it was?"

Wang Qi, standing to the side, shook his head. "No, the man was wearing a black robe from head to toe."

"Only his eyes were visible; it was impossible to see him clearly."

Fei Yangming continued his questioning, "What about his height and voice?"

Tang San replied, "He was about seven feet tall, and his voice was slightly rough."

"Judging by his tone, he seemed to know the Prefect."

Fei Yangming nodded slightly. "You two may go. Do not speak of this matter to anyone."

Tang San and Wang Qi nodded hurriedly. "Rest assured, Chief Constable, we know what to do."

Watching their retreating figures vanish, a strange, unreadable look flickered in Fei Yangming's eyes.

Late at night, in a dark basement.

Three figures appeared there without a sound.

One of them had eyes that faintly shimmered with a bloody light; he was handsome and dressed in a black robe, his entire presence exuding a wicked, dashing air.

Another was dressed in black, his entire body shrouded so that only his eyes were visible.

The last was a small, unremarkable man in a gray robe, with such a plain face that no one would ever notice him if he were tossed into a crowd on the street.

The middle-aged man in gray spoke, "My two lords, our inside man sent word today."

As he spoke, he handed over a secret letter.

The young man took the letter, opened it, and read for a moment.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked up at the other masked man.

"Someone masked went to see Fang Qingyu this afternoon."

"It seemed to be someone he knew, as he even dismissed his guards."

"Based on the build, the voice, and Fang Qingyu's reaction, I suspect it might be Huang Tairen of the Demon Extermination Hall."

Upon hearing this, the masked man's aura sank slightly.

"You mean to say? They might have discovered something?"

"There is a certain possibility."

The masked man clenched his fists, causing them to crackle.

"How are your preparations coming along? Have all the men arrived?"

"The ten elites under my command have all arrived. Each one is at the peak of Body Strengthening, just one step away from passing the Human Tribulation to step into the peak of Foundation Establishment."

"In this tiny Jade City, there aren't even ten people of this caliber in total."

"Since they have caught wind of us, let's launch the operation early."

"Although the preparations aren't quite complete, they are equally unprepared."

The man in the black robe spoke in a cold voice, without a hint of hesitation.

The handsome man nodded slightly upon hearing this. "Agreed."

"Then let us set the time for three days from now."

"It will be a dark, windy night, perfect for killing."

"Once Jade City is settled, I will send a message immediately, and the Northern Barbarians will march south to strike the pass within a day."

"At that time, you will lead your troops to Iron Blood Pass, and we shall attack from both sides to break through."

"Very well."

A conspiracy surged within Jade City, while the common folk remained unaware that danger was quietly closing in.

Early the next morning, Wen Taiquan found Li Qing.

"Old Qin, you've been holed up here for half a month; why don't you go out and walk around?"

"Be careful, or you'll stifle yourself into a useless wreck," Wen Taiquan said with a loud laugh.

Li Qing shook his head. "Sigh, it's not like I have a choice."

"The Wang Kuohai family died so miserably; I keep feeling like someone is watching me. I'm safer staying here in the Demon Extermination Hall."

Hearing this, Wen Taiquan shrugged helplessly. "You are truly too cautious, too overthinking."

"The Wang family incident was most likely a bloody crime committed by some member of the Blood Demon Sect by sheer coincidence."

"How could they possibly be targeting you specifically?"

"Aside from me, only the higher-ups know about this matter; it was you who provided the information."

"Could it be that you think I'm a Ghost, or that someone up there betrayed you? Colluding with the Blood Demon Sect?"

Li Qing hurriedly shook his head, "How could that be? I'm just being cautious, it's a habit."

"I'll have to hole up for at least half a year or a year before I even think about going out for a stroll."

"I'll have to rely on you for my daily shopping."

Li Qing patted Wen Taiquan's shoulder with great enthusiasm, looking every bit like he was depending on him.

Wen Taiquan sighed helplessly, "Sigh, forget it, you really are a bore."

"A few new courtesans arrived at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion these past few days; they are top-tier beauties."

"I was planning to invite you to listen to some music, but you really are a disappointment."

Wen Taiquan's words were filled with temptation and a hint of regret.

If it were someone thin-skinned with a greedy heart, they probably would have been swayed by him.

Li Qing simply shook his head vigorously, "No, no, no, I'm too afraid of death; I wouldn't dare take any risks."

"You go have fun yourself, and tell me all about how wonderful it was when you get back."

A cheeky grin appeared on Li Qing's face, while Wen Taiquan watched him helplessly from the side.

"Fine, then you can just sit here and drool."

With that, he turned and left the Archives Hall.

The moment he turned away, his expression darkened like water, and a deep, murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Li Qing watched his retreating back, his smile remaining, though his gaze was cold and sharp.

At this moment, he was 100% certain that this Wen Taiquan was colluding with the Blood Demon Sect.

He was a sleeper agent planted here, responsible for monitoring the entire Demon Extermination Hall.

He might even be just one of many; there were likely others doing the same thing.

"The Blood Demon Sect has truly been planning this for a long time."

Elder Huang chuckled from the side, "You fellow, your acting is truly top-notch."

"I didn't see a single problem."

"Shoulder to shoulder like that—if I didn't know the truth, I would have really thought you two were good brothers."

Li Qing let out a cold laugh, "Good brothers? They wouldn't be thinking about stabbing me in the back."

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and every day Li Qing received a detailed report on Wen Taiquan.

All these reports were delivered by the secret agents under Huang Tairen's command.

Every action Wen Taiquan took and everything he did throughout the day was recorded in minute detail.

Even the time and duration of his bathroom breaks were meticulously documented.

The Jade Tablet contained a detailed record of his movements over three days, and by now, it had revealed the truth.

"The Hundred Flowers Pavilion that Wen Taiquan visits daily houses an organization linked to the Blood Demon Sect—a place for information exchange."

According to the contents of the Jade Tablet, Li Qing pondered, "This information should be useful."

Thinking of this, he immediately organized the deductions from the Jade Tablet.

Knock, knock, knock.

He tapped the table three times, and a figure stepped out from the air.

"What is it?" A cold voice slowly sounded.

"This is the truth behind Wen Taiquan's daily activities; please deliver this to the Commander."

A hint of surprise appeared in the mysterious secret agent's eyes. He hadn't been able to spot anything wrong with Wen Taiquan at all, yet the person before him had discovered issues just by reading the reports.

This left him feeling deeply shocked.

"Very well." Without any hesitation, he took the envelope.