Under the cover of night, the royal city of the Jin Kingdom shed the noise and prosperity of the day.
Like a crouching giant, its calm and majestic silhouette was revealed under the faint light of the stars and moon.
The palace walls towered high, with restrictions faintly visible.
The clanging of the patrolling guards armor echoed rhythmically through the empty squares and palace corridors.
Lu Li’s figure moved like smoke, skillfully avoiding several teams of patrolling guards.
Relying on the passage token previously given by the Jin Emperor, Zhou Ruolin, and his own Jindan cultivation, he silently approached Yangxin Hall, where the Emperor handled daily affairs.
Lights were still burning inside the hall; evidently, Zhou Ruolin was still hard at work.
In the shadows not far behind him, two small figures followed him like ghosts.
Gu Qingying had activated her Cognition Modification System, concealing her and Gong Shangyu’s presence to the extreme.
Like two agile civet cats, they used the cover of pillars, rockeries, and trees to trail Lu Li from a distance.
Gong Shangyu’s pink eyes were sharp, constantly sensing her Master’s presence and any movement in the surrounding environment.
Gu Qingying squinted her purple eyes, judging the best tracking route based on her familiarity with the terrain.
Although they occasionally exchanged glances, they tacitly remained silent, fearing that even a slight sound would expose their tracks.
Outside Yangxin Hall, the chief eunuch on duty clearly recognized Lu Li.
Seeing him arrive late at night, the eunuch was somewhat surprised, but he still bowed respectfully.
After a low-voiced announcement, he stepped aside to let Lu Li enter the hall.
Lu Li stepped into the hall and saw the Jin Emperor, Zhou Ruolin, sitting behind the imperial desk.
A pile of memorials was stacked by his side.
There was a hint of fatigue between his brows, but his eyes remained clear.
Seeing Lu Li, he put down his vermilion brush, and a smile appeared on his face.
“Master Lu’s late-night visit—could it be that the investigation has progressed?”
Zhou Ruolin dismissed the attendants and asked directly, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Lu Li bowed with his hands clasped, his expression grave.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, I have indeed made some discoveries. Although the work is not yet complete, the clues point in a very clear direction.”
He paused for a moment to organize his words.
“While investigating the city today, I happened to hear a nursery rhyme. The content was quite eerie. It was that rhyme about the Blood Jade Wheel hanging in the sky.”
Zhou Ruolin frowned deeply.
“I have also heard of this nursery rhyme. It only began to spread among the children in the marketplace over the past few days. Could it be…”
“Precisely.”
Lu Li nodded.
“I felt it was suspicious, so I asked around for its source. After some twists and turns, I learned from a little beggar on the street that the rhyme seemed to originate from the vicinity of ‘Zhang’s Sweet Water Shop’ in the west city.”
“Zhang’s Sweet Water Shop?”
Zhou Ruolin pondered.
“I remember that is an old, established water shop in the city. Its business is quite good, and many citizens purchase their daily drinking water from there. Even their shop’s signboard was bestowed by the late Emperor.”
“The problem might lie right there.”
Lu Li’s eyes grew sharp.
“I then went to the sweet water shop to investigate. Shopkeeper Zhang seemed normal at first, but as soon as I mentioned the recent nightmares and this nursery rhyme, he became flustered. His words were evasive and stuttered, and his story was inconsistent. He was clearly hiding something. Especially when I mentioned that some people were listless due to the nightmares, his eyes dodged mine, and he tried to change the subject. His attitude was truly suspicious.”
He continued his analysis.
“Please consider this, Your Majesty. This Zhang family water shop is quite large and supplies a vast amount of drinking water to the entire city every day. If someone were to use a method there to mix in certain drugs or evil arts that could disturb the mind and induce nightmares, wouldn’t it be easy to affect a large number of citizens? Its wide coverage perfectly matches the current distribution of people troubled by nightmares.”
Hearing this, Zhou Ruolin’s face darkened instantly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
“Does the Master mean that this Zhang family water shop is likely the source of the nightmares? Even if that Shopkeeper Zhang isn’t the mastermind, he certainly can’t escape involvement!”
“I believe the possibility is very high,” Lu Li said solemnly.
“This matter concerns the safety of the entire city’s citizens. It is better to believe it exists than to ignore it. I suggest Your Majesty immediately send people to take control of the Zhang family water shop and the related personnel. A careful search might reveal key evidence.”
Meanwhile, under the shadows of the palace eaves not far from the Imperial Study, two petite figures were pressed against the wall like geckos.
They channeled spirit energy to their ears, carefully listening to the conversation inside the room.
It was Gong Shangyu and Gu Qingying, who had followed him.
‘Sweet water shop… Shopkeeper Zhang…’
A glint flashed in Gong Shangyu’s pink eyes, and she whispered to Gu Qingying, ‘Sure enough! Master found a key clue! I didn’t expect Master to have done so much investigation just after leaving.’
Gu Qingying squinted her purple eyes and nodded, her voice carrying a hint of coldness.
‘For Master to report this so solemnly to the Emperor, it seems the water behind this shop is deeper than we thought.’
After listening to Lu Li’s analysis, the Jin Emperor, Zhou Ruolin’s expression was as heavy as water.
His fingers unconsciously tapped the imperial desk, making a dull sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent hall.
A cold light flickered in his eyes; he clearly believed seventy or eighty percent of it.
If it was truly as Lu Li said, and the Zhang family water shop was the source of the misfortune, then their hearts and actions deserved death!
He pondered for a moment.
He did not immediately order the mobilization of the palace guards.
Instead, he reached deep into the drawer of the imperial desk and took out an ancient-looking token.
It was entirely black, and its front was engraved with four flamboyant characters: “Like My Presence.”
He solemnly handed it to Lu Li.
“Master Lu,” Zhou Ruolin’s voice was low and powerful, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.
“This matter is of great importance and may involve many things. Ordinary bailiffs might not be up to the task and might even alert the enemy. I will write a letter immediately. You take this token and head quickly to the Regent’s Mansion in the east city to meet my Imperial Brother.”
As he spoke, he had already spread out a piece of bright yellow silk.
He took up the vermilion brush and wrote rapidly with fluid strokes.
“I will use a transmission later to explain the situation to my brother and authorize him to mobilize his most elite ‘Jinwu Guard’ cultivators. After you rendezvous with the Regent, he will personally lead a team of Jinwu Guard experts to surround the Zhang’s Sweet Water Shop and all related warehouses and residences tonight!”
“Make sure to arrest everyone, from the shopkeeper down to the cooks and laborers—don’t let a single one escape! They must be strictly interrogated! At the same time, thoroughly search the inside and outside of the water shop. Any suspicious object, even if it’s under floor tiles or in wall cracks, must be turned over. I must have conclusive evidence!”
His tone was forceful, carrying the thunderous wrath of an emperor.
But beneath this anger, an extremely subtle smile—one that suggested a successful scheme—flashed through his eyes so quickly that no one noticed.
‘My dear sister, your brother is creating the perfect opportunity for you! This way, you can go “solve the case” with the Master you’ve been pining for. Being close to the target is the best way to get what you want. This camaraderie from fighting side by side is much better than staying in the mansion all day, being all sentimental over his old things. This is as much as your brother can do for you; the rest is up to how well you can hold your own!’
Zhou Ruolin grumbled inwardly, but his face showed nothing.
He carefully sealed the secret letter and handed it to Lu Li along with the heavy black token.
“There is no time to lose. I must trouble the Master to set off immediately!”
Zhou Ruolin stood up, his tone filled with trust and expectation.
Lu Li took the token and the secret letter.
Upon touching it, he felt that the token was neither metal nor wood, carrying a steady coolness; it was clearly no ordinary object.
Although he felt that having the Emperor issue a direct decree to mobilize palace forces might be more straightforward, on second thought, the Jinwu Guard under the Regent were the true elite cultivators of the Jin Kingdom.
They were indeed more professional in handling cases involving evil arts, and having a member of the royal family personally oversee the operation showed greater importance.
He thought no more of it, carefully tucked away the token and the secret letter, and bowed solemnly.
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will not fail your trust. I will certainly get to the bottom of this matter!”
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