Ma Xiong stared at Jiang Wang for a while.

With a flip of his hand, he put away the Imprint Stone and asked, "A trip to the Patrol Inspection Bureau?"

His attitude, in fact, posed no issue.

From a logical standpoint, he indeed had no need to develop a grudge against a talent of the nation like Jiang Wang, unless he was eager to make his mark, or perhaps... had ulterior motives.

Jiang Wang replied, "Of course, I will definitely cooperate."

Ma Xiong conducted his own search of the Guarding the Nation Hall and left behind four Blue Badge guards to forbid anyone from entering or leaving. Only then did he leave with Jiang Wang.

To say that it was an escort would not be accurate, but indeed, Ma Xiong’s gaze did not stray far from Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang maintained a neutral expression. As a Blue Badge constable, who just so happened to be tracking this case, supervising him was part of the job, so there was no conflict to speak of.

However, upon exiting the Imperial Ancestral Temple and seeing the sun climbing overhead, he felt a sudden sense of disorientation.

This was the second day after the Master’s Ceremony. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

He had thought it would be a simple worship ceremony, yet unexpectedly, he witnessed such a significant event.

The intricate political undercurrents of Qi Country made him consider whether his decision to bring An’an over after the Yellow River Gathering was the right one.

Yun Country was a neutral nation with no nearby hostile forces. Lingxiao Pavilion’s status in Yun Country was supremely high, and as Ye Lingxiao’s only daughter, Ye Qingyu was entirely capable of protecting An’an, particularly since she herself was quite fond of An’an.

In contrast, even if he achieved good results at the Yellow River Gathering and established a foothold in Qi Country, could he really rest easy?

Living in a powerful empire like Qi Country, most of the time, life would certainly be peaceful and prosperous. But once trouble arose, the danger could often be insurmountable.

He hoped these troubles would calm down soon...

Ups and downs are always a hardship for the people.

He had only taken a few steps away from the Imperial Ancestral Temple when another group of Green Badge guards hurried over, led by a man with high cheekbones and particularly bright eyes.

This man appeared to be the one Ma Xiong had notified.

He had an air of brisk efficiency, not even bothering to greet anyone before he headed straight into the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Ma Xiong, apparently, had no objections, leading his ten Green Badge catchers to surround Jiang Wang as they walked.

"Lord Li," perhaps to lighten the mood or to observe the reaction, casually explained to Jiang Wang, gesturing with two fingers and pointing to his eyes, "can see many things."

Unlike Jiang Wang, who had risen abruptly among the catchers, Ma Xiong was a disciple of the Legalists, with a cultivation of the Outer Building of the Four Realms and was a seasoned Fourth Grade Green Badge constable. Those he referred to as "Lord" were at least Third Grade Green Badge constables, on par with the retired God of Constables, Yue Leng.

At that moment, Jiang Wang wondered if he could learn a powerful pupil skill, whether it would spark an inspiration to help him deduce the Eye Immortal Technique. Even if it was entirely unsuitable, it could still be considered a supplement to the Voice Broadcast Immortal Style, offering more "Knowledge."

He had been hesitant in many directions before, but now he suddenly had a clear thought: he decided to prioritize the pupil skill among the imperial secret techniques awarded by Emperor Qi.

As for the competent-eyed Lord Li mentioned by Ma Xiong, whether he could find any clues in the Marquis of Nine Returns Spiritual Shrine, Jiang Wang was not optimistic.

The disintegration of Cui Zhu and Zhang Song was completely irreversible, and everything had disintegrated cleanly. Cui Zhu, dying in front of Qi Jun, had not left any clues behind. There were likely many present at the time with keener eyes than Lord Li. And the results?

So there wasn’t much to hope for.

The Imperial City Inspection Mansion occupied a large piece of land in the North City.

From the expanse of the government office’s grounds, one could glimpse the power it held. No wonder Zheng Shi suppressed his realm, reluctant to undergo God Arrives.

Of course, this wasn’t a problem, nor would anyone criticize him for not being eager to rise through the ranks.

Almost every Capital Commandant had done the same. As long as they hadn’t lost the Emperor’s trust or been demoted, they’d typically delay as much as possible, delaying until it would truly affect their future before choosing to break through their realm and, begrudgingly, accept a promotion.

The questioning unfolded in a brightly lit room.

Jiang Wang was not a criminal, and so it could hardly be called an interrogation. It might be referred to simply as "questioning."

Those present, aside from Ma Xiong, included a Deputy Inspector by the surname of Yang.

This Deputy Inspector wasn’t like Lin Youxie, who was temporarily borrowing authority; he was genuinely one of the several Deputy Inspectors who managed the affairs of the Inspection Mansion on a day-to-day basis, holding considerable power within the Imperial City Inspection Mansion.

The Deputy Inspector named Yang and Ma Xiong sat across from Jiang Wang on either side of a long table.

The table was painted iron-black, with a very smooth surface.

The questioning was led by Ma Xiong, who personally came to the scene. He placed an Imprint Stone on the table, to show there was no interference, "Constable Jiang, please describe truthfully everything you saw and experienced at the Spirit Temple of the Marquis of Returning Nine Times. Inspector Yang and I will jointly witness your testimony."

Jiang Wang spoke, "I also need an Imprint Stone to make a record."

Ma Xiong and the Deputy Inspector named Yang exchanged a look, seemingly finding it mildly inconvenient, but the Deputy Inspector turned out to be surprisingly agreeable, "No problem."

Not only did he directly produce an Imprint Stone for Jiang Wang, but he also said, "You can check it. If you’re not assured, you may replace it."

Jiang Wang said apologetically, "Sorry for the trouble."

Despite saying it was a bother, he still checked it thoroughly.

Some trivial matters can be overlooked, but when it concerns one’s safety, one must be meticulous.

Holding the Imprint Stone, Jiang Wang infused it with Path Origin and then said, "At that time I went to The Imperial Ancestral Temple for sacrifices, first to the Spirit Temple of the Marquis of Bowang, then to that of the Marquis of Destroying Cities. Upon leaving the latter, I next visited the Spirit Temple of the Marquis of Returning Nine Times. That’s when I saw that person who was acting under the name Zhang Song."

"In private conversation, you can just say Zhang Song, that’s fine," Ma Xiong added, and then asked, "Do you know each other?"

That was a subtle interrogation technique because if Jiang Wang needed to remain vigilant at all times not to say "Zhang Song" was indeed Zhang Song, it meant he had to constantly remind himself, thus being highly cautious throughout his entire response. Ma Xiong, as the case handler, of course hoped he would relax a bit and then perhaps inadvertently reveal something.

"Yes, we know each other," Jiang Wang said bluntly. "We were both winners from the last adventure in the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, along with Wang Yiwu, Chongxuan Sheng, Li Longchuan, and Xu Xiangqian. Additionally, when I visited Yang Region earlier, I paid a visit to Zhang Song in Feng Xian County. At that time, an incident had just occurred at his home, making him appear quite haggard and rather indifferent. So there wasn’t much further interchange."

"Later, in Yunwu Mountain, we had an encounter. I won’t go into the specifics here—you should easily find them. Since then, we haven’t had any more interactions. Today was just a chance meeting."

The Deputy Inspector named Yang, wearing a smile, commented, "During that encounter, surely it was Constable Jiang who won."

Jiang Wang replied with a faint smile, "Naturally."

Although the man clearly showed goodwill, Jiang Wang didn’t use it as a segue into casual conversation. Instead, he continued with his account, showing his forthright demeanor.

"When I entered the Spirit Temple, Zhang Song just happened to be in front of the altar making his offering. I also went up and lit a stick of incense. Then..."

Knock, knock, knock.

At that moment, there was a knocking at the door.