License revoked

After a busy morning, they had finally settled on a direction.

With a direction settled, things were easier. At least they had a thread to follow.

In that case, it was time to investigate and interrogate!

Fortunately, even counting only those openly present, Lin Ke had three powerful figures beside him: the Golden Crow Prince, Li Hanlin, and Butcher Zhang.

Those three were currently the strongest experts in the group.

Even Wang Lin and Shopkeeper Tong followed behind Lin Ke. At the very least, back during the Three Choices, Wang Lin and Shopkeeper Tong had stood alongside the Great Confucian Li Chungang.

If the killer or anyone suspicious appeared, they would be subdued immediately.

And so, protected by several powerful experts, Lin Ke chose to begin with the person under the greatest suspicion.

Chaoyang Street was not long, but the Chaoyang Crowd absolutely loved a spectacle.

Although only three people accompanied Lin Ke at that moment, a large crowd of enthusiastic onlookers from the Chaoyang Crowd followed a short distance behind.

Calling them the Chaoyang Crowd was not quite accurate. After all, Chaoyang Street was technically just a dead-end alley a few hundred meters long. Most of the crowd came from other neighborhoods.

At that moment, Lin Ke arrived at Wang Lin's Immortal Realm Painting Studio.

For no other reason than that you were too beautiful... pfft, no, because the interior of Wang Lin's Painting Studio was the darkest!

Upon reaching the Immortal Realm Painting Studio, Lin Ke and the others filed inside, while crowds of spectators gathered outside.

Inside the Immortal Realm Painting Studio, the room had already been arranged to feel dark and oppressive. Several broad Grand Tutor Chairs stood on one side, facing a tiny Tiger Bench.

The surrounding light was dim, with candle flames flickering uncertainly. Wang Lin, the Tea Shop Father and Son, Shopkeeper Tong, and the others sat solemnly on benches along either side.

Without any ceremony, Lin Ke sat directly in the foremost seat at the center.

At the sight, Li Hanlin raised an eyebrow, while Constable Xing's knees went weak.

The Golden Crow Prince showed little reaction. He sat behind Lin Ke as though it were only natural, then said, "A guest follows the host's arrangements. Whoever leads the investigation takes the presiding seat."

Seeing this, Li Hanlin went to sit behind Lin Ke without expression, though his mind began to turn.

This Golden Crow Prince... seemed to appreciate Lin Ke quite a bit?

Li Hanlin could not help glancing at Lin Ke's back.

Meanwhile, Wang Lin, who had already taken a seat nearby, immediately began talking quietly with Butcher Zhang.

"That lad's blond hair and blue eyes make him look like a Demon Beast. Didn't expect him to be so easygoing."

"Of course. The purer a Demon Beast's bloodline, the more likely its human form is to have blond hair and blue eyes. But only black hair and black eyes, like those of the Little Golden Crow Prince, mark the authentic primordial crow emperor bloodline."

"Oh, interesting. I've traveled north and south for years, and this is the first I've heard of it."

"Haha, I'm a Demon Slayer. It's perfectly reasonable for me to know that, isn't it?"

Reasonable? Wang Lin gave Butcher Zhang a long look.

Butcher Zhang grinned foolishly and scratched his head.

In front of them, the Golden Crow Prince's body had almost gone rigid.

"Ahem, well, let's bring in the first suspect." At that moment, Lin Ke wanted to strangle Wang Lin.

Wang Lin's name might have sounded like that of a fourth-step powerhouse, the sort with an ancient god avatar to boot.

Yet she was so unreliable!

If you wanted to make snide remarks, do it behind his back! Who did that right in front of an expert like him?

And even if you had to make those remarks, you couldn't make them to someone with a booming voice like Butcher Zhang!

Utterly speechless, Lin Ke could only divert everyone's attention.

Following Lin Ke's instructions, someone was brought in by the other constables.

The first suspect: Wu Dalang!

He was a tall, imposing man with a burly build and a rugged, resolute face.

A man who had clearly trained in martial arts!

The atmosphere intimidated him as soon as he entered, and then the constables led him to sit on the bench.

Smack!!

The instant Wu Dalang settled into his seat, Lin Ke slammed the table, stood up, and roared, "Wu Dalang, your crime has been exposed! We've already established that you're the killer. Why haven't you confessed?!"

Everyone was stunned by these words.

While everyone was still reeling, Li Hanlin's expression turned solemn. He raised his sleeve, waved it, and gave a cold shout:

"Interrogation!"

Hummm!!!

At once, an invisible force came crashing down, anchored to Li Hanlin's words.

The room fell silent. Enveloped in that atmosphere, everyone felt utter terror well up inside.

It was as though a whip soaked in chili water were lashing their consciences, trying to make them pour out all their guilt, conscience, and remorse at once.

Before Lin Ke even had time to complain inwardly, he distinctly felt that force pressing down from above.

Fortunately, it was not aimed at him, but at Wu Dalang in front of him.

Even so, he could clearly feel the pressure around him surge. He, too, had to expend almost all his mental strength to resist that force.

Still, he could speak.

"Talk!" Lin Ke's expression was icy. "Why did you kill him?"

"Because... because he deserved to die!"

After struggling visibly for a while, Wu Dalang finally spoke, but his very first words shocked everyone even more.

It really was Wu Dalang?!

The Golden Crow Prince shot to his feet. Golden flames instantly ignited around him, and beams of white light more than a foot long burst from his eyes, lighting up the entire room.

Li Hanlin frowned and glanced at the Golden Crow Prince. In the end, he stopped him. "Your Highness, let him finish."

Wang Lin's mouth fell open, Bingbing covered her little mouth, the shopkeeper narrowed their eyes, Butcher Zhang scratched his head, and Bai Zhantang's eyes grew as wide as Qi Dayan's...

In short, they were shocked!

They were shocked not only by how quickly Lin Ke had solved the case, but also that Wu Dalang, a mere martial artist who had not even entered a realm, could actually have killed the Little Golden Crow Prince!

Lin Ke's gaze shifted slightly as well, before he said coldly, "Continue."

"He... he stole my adorable, gentle, virtuous, beautiful, dewy darling! He-he deserved to die! He deserved to die!"

It was clear that Wu Dalang was utterly terrified. Although his words brimmed with hatred, he could not conceal that sense of guilt.

"Insolence!"

The Golden Crow Prince bellowed coldly. The golden flames around him could no longer be restrained, suddenly blazing upward and breaking through Li Hanlin's "Interrogation" in an instant.

At the same time, a piercing bird cry rang out for several miles around.

"Screee!!!"

But the cry died away almost as soon as it began, because another voice sounded there:

"Demon Bureau Inspector number three-one-five reminds you: Jingang of the Golden Crow Clan, one demerit recorded on March sixteenth, a yellow card, three points deducted, and a fine of fifty wen. Please proceed to the Demon Bureau of the Demon Department to pay your fine as soon as possible..."

"And a further reminder, Prince Jingang: you've already lost six points. Remember to return to the Demon Bureau for retraining to earn your points back, or your license will be revoked..."

As the voice faded, the makeshift interrogation room fell silent.

Nice name... Lin Ke inwardly praised the Golden Crow Prince's name, then steeled himself and spoke. "Well, Wu Dalang..."

He looked at Wu Dalang and searched for the right words. "Well, um, what was it again... how did this grudge between you and the Little Golden Crow Prince begin?"