Chapter 97: Chapter 97: The Information Cheng Ji Found

The Daoist Scripture Hall’s representatives this time were, in fact, only there to ask some questions. Sending an Entering Cultivator was merely a sign of respect for Wang Ping’s own cultivation level.

After seeing the two off, Wang Ping was about to return to the small courtyard to check on the progress of the interrogation when a Kun Cultivator from the reception desk stopped him. She told him there was an urgent letter for him to collect.

Wang Ping’s heart stirred. ’It might be a letter from my master,’ he thought.

He was right. It was a letter from Yu Cheng Taoist, sent urgently by Immortal Crane. It should have been delivered to Wang Ping yesterday, but because he was investigating the theft of the Earth Cave Corpse Soldiers, no one had dared to disturb him, and the letter had been put aside.

After taking the letter, Wang Ping carefully inspected it in front of the Kun Cultivator to see if it had been opened. Once he confirmed it was secure, he asked for a private room.

Entering the room, Wang Ping sat down on a random chair and quickly tore open the envelope...

The letter from Yu Cheng Taoist was written in the secret code they used at their gatherings. He first described the aftermath of the White Water Sect’s destruction in detail, then warned Wang Ping to be careful of Bai Zhuo’s revenge. He advised Wang Ping to stay within the city and wait for Bai Zhuo to bring about his own demise.

After finishing the letter, Wang Ping let out a long sigh. The confirmation made him realize that his plan had truly succeeded. A sect with a legacy spanning more than eighty years, two Entering Cultivators, hundreds of Qi Cultivators, and thousands of ordinary disciples—all reduced to ash and smoke because of his scheme.

’I’ll have to be even more cautious in the future, lest I end up like the White Water Sect, not even knowing how I died.’

Wang Ping felt a certain kinship with their plight—if the rabbit dies, the fox grieves. As for the dead disciples, he could only offer his regrets. Almost fifty years of cultivation, coupled with the weakening of his connection to the Human Dao after breaking through to the Entering Realm, meant he was no longer as affected by such matters as he had been at the start of his journey.

In other words, he had become far more detached than before!

Then, his thoughts inevitably turned to the case he was investigating. If he mishandled it, he would make enemies, and some would undoubtedly hold a grudge against him.

This was the karma that came with leaving the mountains. It was why most accomplished Great Cultivators chose to live a secluded life in the deep mountains, unwilling to emerge and become entangled in worldly karma.

"What are you thinking about now?" Yu Lian asked.

"About the path ahead..."

"What’s the use in thinking about the path ahead?"

"Heh."

Wang Ping chuckled softly and looked down at Yu Lian’s small head on his wrist. Yu Lian looked back at him. "You’re right. There’s no use in overthinking the path ahead."

With that, he stood and walked toward the door. Just as he pushed it open, he saw an attendant, about fifteen years old, raising his hand to knock. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"What is it?"

"Daoist Changqing, there’s a letter for you."

Wang Ping took it, puzzled. But when he saw the Upper Dan Sect’s insignia on the envelope, he immediately knew who had sent it.

It was from Cheng Ji!

The envelope felt thick in his hand. ’This must be the information I asked Cheng Ji to find,’ he thought.

Wang Ping politely thanked the attendant, closed the door, and once again carefully inspected the envelope for any signs of tampering. Only after confirming it was secure did he open it.

To Wang Ping’s surprise, there were only two dossiers inside. This meant that in all this time, only two Entering-rank Artifact Cultivators had registered at this branch of the Daoist Scripture Hall.

Cheng Ji had left a note specifically mentioning that it was unusual. They often went years without seeing a single Artifact Cultivator, yet now, two at the Entering rank had appeared at once.

A string of coincidences...

But Wang Ping didn’t believe in coincidences.

He pulled out one of the dossiers. The first thing inside was a portrait, likely sketched from a magical projection. It depicted a burly man in dark-gray martial attire. His hair was a mess, like a bird’s nest, and he had a full, bushy beard.

The dossier stated his name was Yang Jingwu, a cultivator from Anwu Prefecture in Hai Zhou Road. He had entered the Qi Cultivation Realm using powerful external martial arts and then took a full eighty years to achieve Foundation Establishment. He was later scouted by a passing Artifact Cultivator from the Nine Tripods Sect, who taught him an Artifact Cultivator’s Entry Technique.

After arriving in Mozhou Road, he took on missions every day. He had even accepted the case of the missing Earth Cave Corpse Soldiers, only to quit the very next day. According to Cheng Ji’s investigation, this man was most likely not involved.

He then turned to the second dossier. The man in this portrait was far more dashing: a handsome man in white robes with a jade hairpin in his hair. He had a well-groomed beard and the air of a wild, romantic poet, but the coldness in his eyes spoiled the image.

This man’s name was Zhang Jinglong, a native of Xingyuan Prefecture on West Stone Road. His file was sparse on details. It only mentioned that he had frequently registered at the Daoist Scripture Hall outpost in the South Sea Islands and often took missions hunting Sea Monsters to earn exchange points.

He appeared to be waiting for someone in Changwen Prefecture. Every evening, he would meditate in his assigned courtyard. Each morning, without fail, he would visit the lamb soup shop outside the Daoist Field Hall for a bowl of soup. Then he would go to the Qingjiang Tea House, the only teahouse operating in the city, and listen to music for the rest of the day.

This profile... it fit the description of a clandestine contact perfectly. ’Then again,’ Wang Ping thought, ’it’s possible that my memories of watching too many spy dramas in my past life are just playing tricks on me.’

"Which of these two do you think is the one?" Wang Ping asked, handing the two dossiers to Yu Lian. She read through them earnestly before saying, "I think they’re both suspicious."

"Then what should we do?"

"Are you thinking of just handing this in and calling it a day?" Yu Lian asked, sensing Wang Ping’s feelings.

"The thought did cross my mind. After all, the White Water Sect business is over..."

Wang Ping trailed off, because a sudden thought struck him. His master and Daoist Wen Yang had given him this case for a reason. Hiding from the White Water Sect’s fallout was only part of it. The other part was likely to see what the hidden hand pulling the strings in Mozhou Road would do next.

At this thought, Wang Ping stood up. He channeled his Wood Spirit True Essence, and the two dossiers in his hand disintegrated into dust.

...

In the small courtyard where the derelict guards were being held, the interrogation was still underway. Ah Jiu had not yet returned, but the screaming had stopped.

When Wang Ping returned, the Qi Cultivator squad leader guarding the courtyard rushed up to him. "Daoist Changqing," he said, "Leng Qianhu is using memory isolation on them. That will turn them into vegetables!"

"Are you sympathizing with these traitors?"

"I..."

Wang Ping paid the Qi Cultivator squad leader no more heed and strode to the door of the interrogation room. The two guards at the entrance simply pushed the door open without announcing him.

He stepped inside...

The first thing Wang Ping saw was a sea of portraits. Only then did he notice the derelict guards, their skulls pierced by steel needles that were engraved with dense arrays. Beside them, two guards were using a Secret Technique to read the memories, their hands constantly moving as they sketched one face after another.

When Leng Qianhu saw Wang Ping enter, he explained, "The people in these portraits are everyone these guards have been in contact with recently. I’m going to mark those they met with multiple times, and then we’ll identify them as quickly as possible... The next step is to wait for news from Ah Jiu, to see if the people he brings back overlap with any of these faces, or if his other leads point to anyone here."

After listening, Wang Ping asked, "How long will a workload this large take?

"You must trust the professionalism of the Commander of the Imperial Guard. I can give you a list in three days at most. By then, Ah Jiu should also have tracked down the answers we need."

"Good!"

Wang Ping nodded, then quietly left the courtyard and returned to the residence assigned to him by the Daoist Scripture Hall. Not long after, he entered a state of meditative trance, connecting his consciousness to all the flowers and trees in the city. Using their collective "vision," he secretly dispatched Puppet Zi Hong.