Chapter 367: Chapter 366: The Seventh Son of the Jiang Family, Revisiting Dark Street,

Jiang Liao wanted to be alone for a while, and naturally, Li Jing respected that.

Although the case has just begun, the cause of Lu Qifei’s death has been clarified.

This truth that Jiang Liao had been waiting for, had taken twenty-six years.

His emotions were complex and needed settling, which was understandable.

Li Jing said goodbye to Jiang Liao.

He slowly walked out of the cemetery, and then hesitated for a moment.

At the parking lot, not far away.

Including Jiang Yini, all seven of the younger generation members who Jiang Liao claimed were "busy with other things," stood motionless beside the car he had come in, waiting silently.

Li Jing sighed inwardly at the sight of the seven figures.

The Jiang family’s regard for Lu Qifei was beyond doubt.

These younger ones, including Jiang Yini, were also discerning people.

Since Jiang Liao brought Li Jing to that residence, they had realized their father’s sudden invitation to Li Jing was more than just casual; he wanted to uncover the eclipsed truth.

Li Jing was brought to the cemetery.

The seven younger ones clearly realized what their old father was trying to do.

If not,

They wouldn’t have been in such accord, leaving as soon as they had burned the incense.

As children, they would not want their mother, who had been at rest for many years, to be disturbed.

Jiang Liao had made many arrangements for Lu Qifei’s body, undoubtedly out of various considerations and unwilling to let go of any possibilities.

But when it came to the younger ones, they might not think the same way.

It’s generally believed that the deceased should be left in peace.

This is a thought most people would have.

But as children, they have no choice but to respect their father, who has yet to let go.

Their absence was to give their father some space.

Li Jing’s departure from the cemetery alone immediately caught the attention of Jiang Yini and the others.

The others remained still as Jiang Yini approached.

"Where’s my father?"

"He’s inside. He said he wants to be alone for a bit," Li Jing replied.

"Mm."

Jiang Yini responded, looked back at her six siblings who hadn’t moved from their spots, bit her lip slightly, and continued to speak.

"The coffin of my mother, it wasn’t opened, was it?"

Li Jing was taken aback by her question.

If it hadn’t been for Jiang Yini’s directness, he wouldn’t have taken it into consideration.

If he couldn’t detect any abnormalities with his Sky Eye Technique, would Jiang Liao give up or...

Jiang Yini’s words had now made it clear to him what Jiang Liao would do.

This was honestly a little extreme.

But then again,

For the sake of truth, what wouldn’t Jiang Liao do? He’d even let a stranger disturb his deceased wife who had been resting for twenty-six years.

Li Jing secretly shook his head and said,

"Don’t worry. I just used my Sky Eye to look around. Although your uncle was a bit distraught, he did not behave recklessly."

Upon hearing his assurance, Jiang Yini nodded silently yet kept her gaze fixed on him.

"So, you did find something?"

With her calm question, all of Jiang Yini’s siblings’ gazes focused on Li Jing.

Feeling the pressure of the multiple gazes and Jiang Yini’s unwavering sight, Li Jing confirmed,

"Yes, there was a bit of a discovery. A known Miao Region Witchcraft called the ’Etching Skill’ was found in your aunt’s body and that was the root cause of her loss of vitality."

"Etching Skill?"

Jiang Yini squinted, her demeanor growing colder.

Jiang Yini, after all, was a director of the Management Bureau.

Even though she was only of the Fifth Boundary, her angry aura was quite intimidating.

Looking not far,

Welcome the six brothers and sisters of Jiang family, each with a cold expression and a chilling air.

Obviously,

As "natives" of the capital city and members of the Seven Great Families, they all knew very well what the Etching Skill was.

Thinking about it,

Back in the day, Chen Jing was sent on a dangerous mission to the capital city. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Looking for clues, he had beaten up every one of the younger generation of the Seven Great Families.

Wasn’t the Jiang family one of the Seven Great Families?

Aside from the relatively young Jiang Yini, there might be several at the scene who were beaten up by Chen Jing back in the day.

Essentially, they were of the same generation as Chen Jing.

They were less competent and generally developed within the system. The Jiang family might not hold this grudge.

If the Jiang family was that petty, they wouldn’t have remained standing till this day.

But why did they get beaten up themselves? They would always have some concerns, wouldn’t they?

Seeing the atmosphere at the scene was a little tense, Li Jing looked at Jiang Yini, who exuded a dangerous air, and whispered,

"Miss, please keep your cool."

Jiang Yini faltered, her aura slackening a bit.

"Sorry."

Li Jing waved his hand dismissively at the sound of her voice, saying.

"Specifically, it would be better for you to go to your aunt with your brother and sister. I know nothing about Miao Region Witchcraft, let alone the Etching Skill. The judgement was made by your uncle. I just told him what I saw."

Saying that, he continued.

"The case has some leads now, and I have a lot of things to do, so I’ll go..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Yini interrupted.

"Do you need me to go with you?"

"No need."

Li Jing shook his head and said.

"You directly involved, don’t over participate."

Faced with these words, Jiang Yini was somewhat reluctant, but she ultimately nodded in silence.

She understood the logic.

Regarding the truth about the death of her biological mother, it wasn’t appropriate for any member of the Jiang family, including herself, to be involved.

Directly involved people are easily swayed by emotions, which can affect judgement.

Seeing Jiang Yini nodding in agreement, Li Jing gave her a faint smile and told her in a low voice.

"Don’t worry, I will try my best to uncover the whole truth. I will inform you as soon as there’s any news. In the meantime, take care of yourself and your family."

Faced with his words, Jiang Yini retorted awkwardly.

"My family isn’t that clueless."

"It’s best that way."

Li Jing laughed and said.

"I have to go, I’ll contact you if there’s anything"

With that said, he summoned his Spirit Soldier and flew into the distance.

Jiang Yini looked up as he shot into the skies, watching him silently.

While she was in deep thought, Jiang Ling, the second child of the Jiang family, came over and said.

"Why do you keep watching when he’s gone?"

Jiang Yini retracted her gaze at the sound of his voice, looking at Jiang Ling, whose mouth curved into a smile.

"I don’t have anything going on with him."

"Do you think I’d believe that?"

Jiang Ling tilted her head.

Without waiting for Jiang Yini to speak, she waved her hand dismissively.

"Alright, enough of that. You know your own situation best. Dad loves you the most, go keep him company. We’ll wait outside."

Faced with her sister’s words, Jiang Yini opened her mouth, lost for words.

She was very clear about her own situation indeed.

There was really nothing between her and Li Jing, right?

Thinking that arguing about it wouldn’t make much difference, Jiang Yini nodded and turned to go inside the cemetery.

The little cotton-padded jacket she wore was a bit drafty, true.

But her devotion to her family was no less than that of her siblings.

...

A few minutes later.

At the border between Guodu and Dong Ye City.

Li Jing dismissed his Spirit Soldier and activated the Silent Shadow, becoming an unobtrusive thunderbolt that landed in an inconspicuous corner of Dark Street.

The Etching Skill, was related to the Sima family.

This investigation won’t be easy.

On one hand, the Sima family was one of the Seven Great Families, it was difficult to handle directly.

On the other hand, the Sima family was a striking anomaly among the Seven Great Families. The descendants of the family were all like the sophisticated scholars of old, willing to bleed and break their heads, but never drop their dignity.

Trying to communicate with them was very tiring.

However, Li Jing did know of one person he could look for.

Sima Yuxuan, who was currently "retired" in Dark Street.

Sima Yuxuan hadn’t been retired for long, and twenty-six years ago, he was definitely still the pillar of the Sima family.

When the non-mainline descendants of the Sima family caused trouble because they were practicing Miao Region Witchcraft, he was bound to know about it.

As he made his way towards Sima Yuxuan’s pawn shop, Li Jing took out his phone and began to message Black Butterfly, one of his contacts in Immortal Message.

"Black Butterfly, how is everything going with your job at the Major Crime Unit? I have a favor to ask."

At this point.

Li Jing had made some connections in Guodu.

For this investigation into what happened twenty-six years ago, the difficulty was extremely high.

He would have to make use of all the resources he had at his disposal.

After waiting a while after sending the message, Black Butterfly responded.

"I’m doing well at the job, what do you need help with? Official matters are free, personal matters are charged."

I have to say.

Black Butterfly’s reply was brutally honest.

Li Jing was a bit taken aback when he received her message.

But he didn’t dislike Black Butterfly’s style.

At least she was a straightforward person, right?

After thinking for a moment, Li Jing started to type a message.

"I have a personal matter at hand, name your price."

"You must be seeking me for godfathering you into the Sinister Gate’s intelligence network. I should thank you for securing a position for me in the Bureau Serious Case Group. I’ll offer you a discount."

Black Butterfly replied, then added another message.

"The Sinister Gate has twenty-seven undercover agents in the capital realm altogether. To move one, it’s ten thousand Spirit Crystals. No charge if there are no results."

Li Jing was taken aback by the message.

Gauging it by the current conversion rate for Spirit Crystals,

ten thousand Spirit Crystals equated to almost one hundred and forty million Longyu Coins.

So much for a single agent?

This was supposed to be a discounted price!

Highway robbery!

However, Li Jing trusted the Sinister Gate’s ability to gather intelligence.

Ordinary disciples of various sects in the capital were usually assigned mundane tasks.

But this was not the case for the Sinister Gate.

They were directly connected to the Longyu Intelligence Department and engaged in intelligence activities within the capital realm.

That alone spoke volumes.

Li Jing thought it might be worth the expense if there were definitive results. He could afford it now, and since Black Butterfly had stated that they wouldn’t charge if there were no results, he started to type a message.

"Alright, I’ll take ten for now."

After sending the message, Li Jing started typing again.

"I’m currently investigating an old case on behalf of someone else, and I can’t divulge the details. I don’t need you to look into anything else, just find out if there’s anyone in the capital realm who understands Miao Region Witchcraft. If there is, regardless of whether they’re from a sect or not, tell me who they are."

Once the message was sent, Black Butterfly responded promptly.

"If you merely want to understand Miao Region Witchcraft, I’ve got someone knowledgeable at hand, but they’re not in the capital realm."

"No need for that, just find someone in the capital realm for me," Li Jing replied.

"Understood," Black Butterfly replied, then followed up with another message.

"The supposedly lost Miao Region Witchcraft is deemed insidious, ruthless, and elusive. Few who understand it would let others know about it, both to avoid scrutiny and because they see it as their trump card. This might be a bit tricky to investigate, but I’ll do my best to get back to you within three days."

"Okay."

Li Jing replied to the message, then put his phone away and closed the Silent Shadow app.

Having communicated with Black Butterfly, he now stood in front of Sima Yuxuan’s pawnshop.

Dark Street without the Rakshasa gang was still Dark Street.

The eradication of the biggest force in Dark Street undoubtedly had a huge impact, but on the surface, everything looked the same.

No different from the last time Li Jing visited.

There was a decent line in front of Sima Yuxuan’s counter.

Upon entering the pawnshop, Li Jing spotted a girl serving as the store guide. He walked straight up to her.

Sima Yuxuan certainly knew how to pick his people.

The girl didn’t stand out in terms of beauty in this world of beautiful faces.

However, her smile was very sweet.

The shallow dimples on her fair face added quite a few points for her.

More importantly,

this girl was the type that grew on you.

You wouldn’t notice anything special at first glance.

But take a second look, and you’d see that she had a very clean and unpretentious appearance.

A third look would be pleasing to the eye.

Meanwhile,

seeing Li Jing approach her with purpose, the girl stepped forward to greet him with a shy smile.

"Hello, sir. How may I assist you?"

Li Jing returned the smile and took out his Patrol Certificate.

"Tell your boss that someone is here to read the meter."

Seeing Li Jing take out his certificate, the girl’s face changed color.

Despite her unique look,

she was essentially a Dark Street frequenter.

Not just anyone could handle work on Dark Street.

There were hardly any clean slates among those who hung around Dark Street.

They were more sensitive to law enforcement than monsters.

Li Jing’s sudden display of his certificate had indeed given the girl quite a scare.

That she managed to keep her composure proved her experience.

Especially since it was less than a week ago when Dark Street’s biggest gang was thoroughly wiped out by the joint operation of the Dong Ye City Inspection Bureau and the Management Bureau, without even the slightest resistance.

Looking around Dark Street now, no one dared to act recklessly.

Even the "inheritance" left by the Rakshasa gang was unclaimed. Various forces chose to resolve it through negotiation instead of openly fighting each other, doing their best to avoid conflict that might draw the attention of inspectors.

With a shaky smile, the girl peered at Li Jing, bewildered.

"Please wait a moment. I’ll go inform the boss."

With that, she turned and left.

Meanwhile.

A portion of the guilt-ridden people in the shop were quietly waiting for the customers to leave.

Li Jing didn’t pay it any mind.

In principle.

He didn’t want to disturb Sima Yuxuan’s business.

But it wasn’t like he could directly barge into the pawnshop’s inner courtyard to find the owner, right?

...

The girl left, and soon appeared again in the pawnshop.

Accompanying her was Sima Yuxuan.

Sima Yuxuan was taken aback to see Li Jing standing in the shop.

He thought inspectors’ sudden arrival was really about inspecting the water meter, but it was actually this guy?

Looking at the store, the number of customers had significantly decreased than usual, Sima Yuxuan’s face darkened.

Li Jing was really pushing it!

Just coming over unannounced was one thing!

Why did he reveal his identity?

Was it easy for a retired man to make some extra money?

However, facing Li Jing, Sima Yuxuan wasn’t in a position to be upset.

He felt helpless.

He was now mingling in Dark Street, with the Sima family behind him.

When faced with inspections, he was very conscious.

He carefully looked at Li Jing twice, saw him grinning widely at him with a friendly face, Sima Yuxuan’s brows furrowed again and again.

His intuition told him.

That someone’s arrival didn’t bode well.

Looking around, Sima Yuxuan met Li Jing’s gaze and let out a casual laugh.

"Brother, what brings you here?"

Li Jing was a smart man.

He knew that this statement was to reassure the customers in the shop.

At that moment, he gave Sima Yuxuan’s face, and obligingly said.

"I didn’t have much to do these days and thought of coming to see you, big brother."

Looking at the man who so readily acknowledged him as big brother, Sima Yuxuan also reciprocated.

"That sounds good. It’s not convenient to talk here, let’s go inside the courtyard and talk."

"Sure."

Li Jing nodded.

...

Soon after, the two men arrived in the courtyard.

Sima Yuxuan was a well-mannered host.

As a person from the outcast Sima family among the Seven Great Families, he paid great attention to etiquette when receiving guests.

After entering the courtyard, Sima Yuxuan led Li Jing into a room, asked him to sit, and personally brewed two cups of hot tea.

Once he was seated and served tea, he finally voiced his displeasure.

"I was thinking that Dark Street has been very quiet these days. What wind blew Inspector Li over here today?"

"A troublesome issue."

Li Jing smiled and did not beat around the bush.

"Twenty-seven years ago, a collateral member of the Sima family accidentally obtained the inheritance of Miao Region Witchcraft and caused quite the disruption in the capital. At the time, I believe you were the Six Realm guardian of the Sima family, so you must know quite a bit about this incident?"

Hearing these words, Sima Yuxuan furrowed his eyebrows.

Li Jing had come for the matter involving the Sima family’s collateral member from 27 years ago, which was quite unexpected.

After a moment of hesitation, Sima Yuxuan said.

"Indeed, I knew about that incident. However, I wasn’t that familiar with the collateral member who caused the mess. Our Sima family, being one of the prosperous Great Seven Families, has many branches. The reason I knew about that family member is because he caused trouble."

With that, he suspiciously asked.

"This case should have been closed long ago, and the collateral member who caused trouble was executed for committing serious offenses. The troubling matter you mentioned is...?"

"Knowing too much isn’t always a good thing. Simple logic like this you should understand."

Li Jing smiled.

Seeing that Li Jing’s response was a bit fishy, Sima Yuxuan nodded in silence, then said.

"I did a little digging about the culprit. He is the younger brother of the second wife of our current family head, and strictly speaking, he is not a collateral member but an adopted member. Relying on his sister’s protection, he gained quite a lot of resources in our family and had some success in business. Nobody expected him to stray."

With this, he hesitated for a moment, then continued.

"When the incident first occurred, it stirred up a lot of controversy in the capital. Since it pointed to the Seven Great Families, it created quite a chaos among the families. The in-charge of our Sima family at that time was very naive, for some reason, he decided to protect the culprit, which complicated the situation even more."

After listening to Sima Yuxuan’s narration, Li Jing looked puzzled.

"He knew about the offender’s wrongdoings yet he still wanted to protect him?"

"Who knows what the family head was thinking at the time?"

Sima Yuxuan shrugged off and continued.

"Perhaps he was seduced by the second wife, or maybe there’s another reason. Anyhow, after that incident, he was voted out by us, the then guardians."

After hearing this, Li Jing paused for a moment, then asked.

"Do you know where the offender learned Miao Region Witchcraft from?"