They Came from Central Province

Faced with the Foundation Establishment cultivator's shameless offer to serve as their guide, Chu Xingchen checked his traits without hesitation.

[Target: Guan Quan]

[Blue trait: Flexible Bottom Line]

[White trait: Somewhat Clever]

[White trait: Ruthless]

[Black trait: Poor Talent]

Chu Xingchen smiled in satisfaction at the traits. A flexible bottom line-wasn't this exactly the talent he was looking for?

His luck was good. This was the one.

Chu Xingchen remarked, "I could tell at a glance that you were a man of talent. Having a wharf of your own here couldn't have been easy, could it?"

Guan Quan gave a sincere smile. "Thanks to the blessings of you two officers, I've managed to scrape by."

"We came to ask you for a favor, mainly. Help us investigate a case." Chu Xingchen patted Guan Quan's shoulder. "You have time, don't you?"

"No problem. Whatever your orders, officer, everyone on my wharf will do their best to help."

"We don't need that many people. Just you."

Guan Quan froze at that. Just him?

The things he'd done lately were hardly any better than those of Wang Ermazi, whom he'd just reported.

Who the hell would dare go investigate a case with a squad captain from the Demon-Suppression Bureau?

Were these two trying to entrap him?

They said they wanted help investigating a case, but were they here to fucking investigate him?

Looking troubled, Guan Quan tried to wriggle out of it. "Officer, there's strength in numbers..."

"True. Captain, let's go get more people from the Demon-Suppression Bureau." Chu Xingchen first nodded in wholehearted agreement, then his expression abruptly changed. He turned a vicious gaze on Guan Quan. "You'd better call in more people too! Don't say our Demon-Suppression Bureau bullied you!"

The threat could not have been clearer.

Faced with Chu Xingchen's threat, Guan Quan instantly capitulated.

He had no choice. These two were clearly here to pick a fight. He'd sunk all his savings into this wharf. He could run, but the wharf couldn't run with him.

He could only put on a pained expression and speak in an aggrieved tone:

"Officer... can't you tell me what case you want to investigate right here? I'll cooperate fully."

Seeing that Guan Quan looked ready to cry, Chu Xingchen decided to get a little closer to the point before he actually scared the man off:

"Someone's been buying up quite a few Ritual Foundation Stones from you at high prices lately, haven't they?"

Guan Quan froze, unease immediately rising in his heart. As he worked out what to say, he looked up and caught Chu Xingchen's knowing half-smile.

Taking a deep breath, Guan Quan smiled bitterly. "A group did buy a lot of Ritual Foundation Stones. They didn't care about the markup at all."

Zhao Wanqing's eyes instantly lit up. She would have been an idiot not to understand at this point.

She hurriedly pressed him. "Who bought them?! What were their names?"

Guan Quan gave Zhao Wanqing a strange look, hesitating to speak.

Where did this stupid girl come from, and how had she become a squad captain? Why did she think they paid a fortune to buy here instead of going to a proper place like the Treasury Pavilion?

Naturally, their identities couldn't bear the light of day-or their faces were plastered on wanted posters.

Seeing Guan Quan's odd expression, Zhao Wanqing quickly grasped the point and realized she really had just made a fool of herself.

Chu Xingchen's expression turned serious. "All right. By now, you should know what those people used the foundation stones for, shouldn't you?"

Guan Quan spoke aggrievedly. "How would we..."

Chu Xingchen cut him off coldly. "Think carefully before you answer. You only get one chance."

At Chu Xingchen's icy expression and tone, Guan Quan understood that he probably wouldn't get through today without revealing something.

He glanced at the many underlings around him and, left with no choice,

Guan Quan quickly raised both hands. "Sir! I really don't know!"

Chu Xingchen instructed Zhao Wanqing beside him:

"Take him away."

Zhao Wanqing paused. What good would taking him away do?

Was he planning to take him back to the Demon-Suppression Bureau and torture him?

Wouldn't the daylilies have gone cold by the time they pried his mouth open?

Still, Zhao Wanqing obediently escorted Guan Quan outside.

The underlings watched their boss being hauled away, but none dared step forward to stop them.

Guan Quan cooperated fully, offering no resistance, but shouted:

"Officer! I really don't know!"

Chu Xingchen ignored him and turned to leave.

Zhao Wanqing followed close behind, escorting the continually shouting Guan Quan.

After walking a short distance, Chu Xingchen suddenly turned a corner.

Zhao Wanqing hurried around the corner with Guan Quan, only to find it was a dead-end alley.

Chu Xingchen stood to one side, watching her.

Guan Quan stopped shouting too and spoke fawningly. "Officer, would you mind loosening your grip?"

Zhao Wanqing looked at Chu Xingchen and released Guan Quan after he nodded his approval.

Chu Xingchen asked, "Can you talk now?"

"They seem to be a group of evil cultivators. The recent blood sacrifices were most likely their work."

Guan Quan hurried on, "Officer, I only sold them a little of that shipment. And once I found out what they were doing, I never sold them anything again!"

Zhao Wanqing watched Guan Ning, who moments ago had seemed ready to die rather than yield, now cooperating like a lackey.

This...

Chu Xingchen looked slightly impatient. "Tell me something useful."

"They're probably planning to set up a major ritual! A really big one!" Guan Quan said hastily. "I've heard they bought a piece of grand mystery stone to serve as the core of the formation eye!"

Chu Xingchen asked, "Who sold it?"

Guan Quan blurted out, "Wang Ermazi!"

This time, before Chu Xingchen could even question him, Zhao Wanqing instinctively reached for the short saber at her waist.

Chu Xingchen was somewhat speechless. "What exactly did Wang Ermazi do to offend you so badly?"

"No, Wang Ermazi really did sell it! I'd paid a fortune to get a piece myself, but that Wang Ermazi stole the sale from me! I'm going to lose a lot of money on that stone!"

Zhao Wanqing was also left speechless. So that was what this was about.

Guan Quan pleaded, "Officers, that's all I know."

"You're not being honest." Chu Xingchen reached out and patted Guan Quan's shoulder. "You think we just picked someone at random to try our luck? Take a guess. Who told us to come find you?"

Guan Quan's expression shifted instantly. Then he cautiously asked:

"Wang Ermazi?"

Chu Xingchen abruptly summoned his spirit sword and laid it against Guan Quan's neck, saying coldly:

"Your great-grandmother. She came to me in a dream last night and said that if you dared hide a single thing, I should send you up to see her!"

Faced with the spirit sword at his neck, Guan Quan's expression instantly crumpled, and he hurriedly said:

"Wang Ermazi really did sell it! All I know is that those evil cultivators call themselves the Spirit Evil Cult. I really don't know their actual plans!"

Chu Xingchen sneered. "You don't know? Aren't their people still at your wharf?"

Guan Quan froze at those words, then abruptly looked at Chu Xingchen, but all he saw in his eyes was mockery.

Was this man bluffing, or did he really have information?

But the sword at his neck certainly wasn't a bluff. The spirit sword radiated an endless chill that constantly stung his skin.

Guan Quan took a deep breath and said:

"They came from Central Province!"