Aftermath and Interrogation

Branch Bureau Chief's Office.

Zhang Qiming smiled as he saw Gao Zhen out of the office. The two chatted in the corridor for a while longer before he returned to his office with a smile still on his face. But by the time he reached the window, the sincere smile had already vanished.

After a long while, he saw the Operations Division's Flying Shuttle return and murmured, "What a pity."

A short while later, Zhou Yong entered Zhang Qiming's office and briefly reported the situation at the scene, focusing on Yang Wenqing's coordination with the East City Public Security Station, as well as the situation after the Liu Family and Madam Sun arrived.

Zhang Qiming stood by the window with his back to Zhou Yong, showing neither much surprise nor anger.

Once Zhou Yong had finished, he turned around, a faint smile still lingering on his face. Casually, he said, "All right. You don't need to take this too seriously. When I received the report from the West City, I merely had a sudden impulse and dug a little pit along the way. It would have been nice if it worked, but if it didn't, no harm done. The pit was shallow to begin with—it was only natural for someone to jump over it."

He walked over to Zhou Yong and patted his shoulder, soothing him in an even tone. "Go see Deputy Chief Gao now and report the situation to him as well. He'll definitely reprimand you a few times. Just listen to it. Don't take it to heart."

Hearing this, the resentment on Zhou Yong's face eased somewhat. He nodded. "Yes, Chief."

Zhang Qiming paced behind his desk and sat down, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingers. There was both appreciation and regret in his gaze as he continued, "This Yang Wenqing is rather interesting. He reacts quickly, knows how to borrow strength, and can swallow his pride when it matters. He's a talent worth cultivating. What a pity Gao Zhen got to him first."

He shook his head, the regret in his voice seemingly genuine. "If he could have worked for me, with proper polishing, he might have become a capable general in the future. But it's too late to say that now. Go. Do as I said. Be patient—there will be plenty of chances ahead."

"Yes, Chief." Zhou Yong bowed and left the office. He then made his way to Deputy Chief Gao's office in the Major Crimes Unit. Not long after he entered, Deputy Chief Gao's scolding could be heard from inside.

And perhaps Deputy Chief Gao did it deliberately—he did not even close the office door while reprimanding Zhou Yong.

Yang Wenqing had already escorted the suspect to the interrogation room to take his statement, a necessary piece of evidence for prosecution. Meanwhile, the collection of residual aura at the scene was being handled by the West City Public Security Station. Madam Sun seemed to have seen through the hidden currents in this case and had sent people to supervise matters on-site, so there likely would not be any problems.

Inside the interrogation room, the lights were somewhat harsh. Part of the seal on Liu Sheng had been removed, allowing him to speak normally at least, but he looked as though his soul had been pulled from his body. Slumped in a specially made chair, he stared blankly at the tabletop.

Yang Wenqing sat across from him while Wu Yan recorded at the side. There was no harsh interrogation or stern questioning. Yang Wenqing simply asked him, in a calm tone, to recount what had happened.

Liu Sheng remained silent for a long time before he finally began speaking in a dry, hoarse voice, his account fragmented and halting.

The story was, in truth, a commonplace one, yet it was filled with heartbreaking regret.

Liu Sheng had known the deceased, Sun Yi, and the others for some time. They could even be called drinking companions. That night, the two groups had initially been drinking and making merry together at the Drunken Immortal Tower, the atmosphere lively and heated.

The conflict began over nothing more than a joke.

Liu Sheng had been showing off a newly acquired artifact from his family, bragging about its extraordinary power. Perhaps Sun Yi had drunk too much, or perhaps he had long harbored some dissatisfaction. Riding the strength of the wine, he sneered, "It's nothing but a knockoff unfit for the stage. Is it really worth showing off?"

Those words struck straight at Liu Sheng's heart, which had become especially sensitive and proud under the effects of alcohol.

Youthful recklessness combined with rising drunkenness sent a surge of wicked fire straight to Liu Sheng's head. In that instant, every shred of reason was burned clean away. He suddenly rose to his feet and went out of the private room with Sun Yi and the others, making as though they would duel in the street.

Still arguing, they reached the entrance of the Drunken Immortal Tower and could no longer wait to make a move. Liu Sheng directly activated his artifact, and scarlet light instantly illuminated both inside and outside the doorway.

Perhaps he had only meant to frighten them at the time. Perhaps he merely wanted to prove himself. He had not truly intended to kill anyone—but once the artifact was activated, the consequences were no longer under his control.

The blazing flames unleashed by the artifact lost all precision and swept through the area inside and outside the entrance in an instant. Zhou Ming, standing closest, bore the brunt of it. Before he could even cry out more than a few times, he was already dead.

A nearby attendant stepped forward to stop them, only to be swallowed by the violent spiritual energy and flames. Several of Sun Yi's guards tried to subdue Liu Sheng, and amid the chaos, the artifact was activated once more...

Thus, a sudden spell battle caused the tragedy of five deaths in only a few dozen breaths.

When everything finally settled, Liu Sheng looked at Sun Yi, whose body had been pierced through by flames, and it was as if a basin of icy water had awakened him. Overwhelming terror and regret instantly drowned him. He fled in panic, and until Xiao Liang captured him, he remained in a dazed, muddled state.

"I really... didn't want to kill them... I just... I just lost my head for a moment..." Liu Sheng covered his face with both hands, his shoulders trembling violently. "How could I... how could I have..."

His voice choked with sobs, filled with endless remorse.

Yang Wenqing listened quietly, unable to keep a complicated feeling from rising in his heart. This was the price of youthful arrogance. A single loss of control, a single quarrel born of wounded pride, had not only destroyed five living lives and their families in an instant, but had also completely ruined what should have been Liu Sheng's bright future.

Wu Yan was not moved by the story. He stared coldly at the suspect and said, "A fine story. Unfortunately, it's full of holes."

Liu Sheng's body trembled. He raised his tear-blurred face and looked at Wu Yan in confusion.

Wu Yan gave him no time to react. His speech remained even, but carried immense pressure. "You said you were muddled and panicked at the time? Then explain this: when we arrested you, you had enough cash on you to support a long-distance escape, documents for a false identity, and even a sea chart marked with a Concealment route. That is not something a panicked person could have prepared in such a short time."

Liu Sheng's face turned deathly pale. He wanted to argue, but found himself speechless.

Wu Yan leaned forward, his eyes fixed tightly on Liu Sheng's flickering gaze as he pressed on. "And after you fled the scene, the first place you went was not anywhere else, but a concealed warehouse owned by your family in the Port District. Who did you meet there? Did you meet your father, Liu Hong?"

"No... that's not it! My father doesn't know..." Liu Sheng shook his head frantically in denial.

"Doesn't know?" Wu Yan sneered.

Liu Sheng was rendered completely speechless by the question, cold sweat sliding down from his temples.

Seizing the advantage, Wu Yan threw out an even sharper suspicion. "I suspect that your attack on Sun Yi was not an impulsive act at all. Were you instructed by someone to deliberately provoke him under the cover of drunkenness, all to remove Sun Yi as a stumbling block? This so-called accidental killing may have been a murder you carefully planned from the start!"

"No! I didn't!" Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Liu Sheng sprang up from his chair, only for the Spirit-Sealing Lock to yank him back down. He shouted agitatedly, "No one instructed me! Don't spit blood from your mouth!"

P.S.: Esteemed readers, this new book is hovering around thirtieth place on the new releases rankings. Please send a few votes if you have any, and leave some comments too. If you have reward points, toss in a little support as well. I'm begging you all—during the new book period, I can't do mass updates, but there will be some after it goes premium.