As soon as he arrived, Tang Qingyuan ordered Shen Hao to strike while the iron was hot and immediately launch a comprehensive raid interrogation of all Wen Family members, young and old. Currently, the Black Banner Battalion only had Zhou Guangcai as a torture specialist, so they would pull staff from the Garrison’s Torture Department, and later that afternoon borrow extra personnel from the Thousand Households Station.

"I have only one request: within three days, I want to see the Wen Family confess everything about smuggling military equipment. This is the bottom line. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood, I will not let you down!" Shen Hao accepted the order and went out to arrange things.

Tang Qingyuan would not be idle either. He needed to compile the current findings onto an official report to submit to the Thousand Households Station. Their staff had already arrived and were pressuring him, having arrived last night, waiting outside his Public Office door.

October 13th, early 7 a.m., Tang Qingyuan had only just returned to Li City for less than half an hour when he organized a copy of "White Mountain Wen Family’s First Report" and sent it by courier to Fengri City. He had no idea how many people’s ambitions were triggered by his modest five-page preliminary report.

...

October 15th, upon Wen Family’s extradition—five hundred and twenty-one people including all servants and slaves—one hundred and seventeen died already, those frail under the three rounds of torture unable to survive two days.

The interrogation of Wen Family members was managed entirely by Zhou Guangcai, who vented all his pent-up anger from the previous dungeon assault incident.

The process was brutal; Wen Family members were subjected to inhuman treatment, but Shen Hao did not care, and neither did anyone else. Once you enter the Xuanqing Guard, either you’re clean or even the slightest stain will make life worse than death—this is common knowledge.

Holding a thick, bloodied stack of confessions, Shen Hao was satisfied with Zhou Guangcai’s efficiency. However, he felt that the evil qi emanating from Zhou had grown heavier, especially those eyes—now sharper, stabbing like blades.

The confessions were detailed, basically clarifying every minor aspect of the Wen Family’s involvement in smuggling military equipment.

"Twenty years ago, after the Dynasty subdued the Barbarian Tribes, it withdrew its troops to recuperate. Many temporarily conscripted Garrison Army units were disbanded and returned home, leaving large stores of military equipment idle. Some were sent back for smelting, others were kept as reserves."

The Wen Family started dealing with military equipment at this time. At first, they accepted orders from the Ministry of Revenue, transporting equipment back from border towns for smelting. Then, they began colluding with the Guan Army, selling these retired weapons privately to the conquered Barbarians, trading them for crystal stones and assorted medicinal herbs and tools produced by the Barbarians.

The Barbarians, having lost the Golden Horde Clan, were thrown into chaos. They coveted the Dynasty’s military gear, used it in their internal strife, and thus the Wen Family’s smuggling business grew ever larger. When the supply of retired equipment ran out, they began to exploit the nearby Jingbei Army—ensnaring them with promises of huge profits, falsifying accounts, reporting bogus losses from the Jingbei Army’s supply depots, then siphoning off and smuggling the equipment beyond the pass..."

Tang Qingyuan flipped through the confessions as Shen Hao explained. Put simply, the Wen Family took advantage of the great war twenty years ago, tasted the benefits, then descended down a dark path—corrupting the idle Jingbei Army and amassing wealth.

Cultivators don’t care for ordinary wealth, but spirit stones are never too many. According to the Wen Family’s Primordial Pill Realm expert’s confession, in just twenty years, the Wen Family’s Gathering Spirit Realm cultivators doubled, and they gained two more Primordial Pill Realm cultivators.

How did they achieve this? Is it enough to just have spirit stones?

Of course not. Spirit stones are merely the entry point and foundation. The most important factor is the Sect.

Celestial Prosperity Valley—the Sect affiliated with the Wen Family. For twenty years, the Wen Family relied on tributary spirit stones to obtain guidance in cultivation and support with elixirs, gradually elevating their strength. It was said that the Wen Family’s Great Elder broke through to Primordial Pill Realm Eighth Layer with help from Celestial Prosperity Valley and was poised to reach Perfection.

This is a cultivator’s pursuit. Ultimately, it’s all the curse of power. For individual power, the Wen Family ignored the collective strength ever-present around them, tumbling into the abyss—ruined forever.

"Now, with these confessions plus Wen Renhai’s earlier testimony, we have ironclad evidence of smuggling military equipment and embezzling the spirit stone vein, at most the details vary slightly. Well done. Let the prisoners rest today and recover; tomorrow, prepare to transfer them out."

"Transfer where? Fengri City Thousand Households Station?"

"Exactly. Before you arrived, a report arrived from the Thousand Households Station; Lord Jiang has already returned from the Imperial City."

"Returned?! So soon!"

"Soon? It’s already the fifteenth. So many people involved? Four or five days and still not done would be a joke. Here, see for yourself."

Tang Qingyuan, pleased, pulled a copper rod from the drawer and tossed it to Shen Hao. It bore the signature of the Thousand Households Station.

"What’s this?"

"Open it and see. If you hadn’t come, I would have passed it to you for review."

At Tang Qingyuan’s words, Shen Hao picked up the copper rod and opened it, the first line immediately catching his attention. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The report stated: On October 11th, night, Empress’s seventieth birthday, grand banquet at Ten Thousand People Hall. Western Town Governor’s Office ordered Fengri City Thousand Households Station to lead one thousand crack troops into the Imperial City. At early 9 p.m., they captured Wen Hong, Patriarch of the White Mountain Wen Family, Great Elder Wen Chang, and six others. When resistance was encountered, five—including Wen Chang—were killed; Wen Hong was arrested and sent directly to the Jingxi Town Governor’s Office for detention.

October 12th, dawn, Jingxi Town Governor’s Office ordered Fengri City Thousand Households Station to lead two thousand Xuanqing Guards to Xin Liangcheng, rendezvousing with fifty thousand Jingxi Army to form a pincer and choke off Jingbei Army’s main route, proclaiming Your Majesty’s order to suppress soldiers. Then, according to the roster, arrested fifteen Xuanqing Guard Inspectors within Jingbei Army, eight Hundred Households Officers, three Households Officers, one Central Lang General, and one hundred sixty-seven outcasts.

...

The wording was vague—only results were mentioned, no details of process, nor any reasons for the arrests of the Wen Family and Jingbei Army. It all ended with "follow-up investigation ongoing."

"Finished reading? This is the notice sent down from the Governor’s Office. Only those of us directly involved in the investigation may review it. It’s likely to give us an idea of the progress."

"Heh, Lord, judging from this, we’ve cracked one hell of a major case!"

"Hahaha, indeed. Shen Hao, after this, you’ll probably be promoted another half-rank. A Xuanqing Guard Hundred Households Officer not even thirty? Tsk, tsk—such luck!"

"I owe everything to your guidance, my lord!" Shen Hao knew how to talk. Once this case was settled, not just him, Tang Qingyuan as well would be well rewarded.

After some pleasantries, Shen Hao couldn’t help but ask, "My lord, I was thinking—since Wen Hong is imprisoned, why isn’t Qin Yurou mentioned? She’s in the Imperial City, isn’t she?"

Tang Qingyuan, hearing this, unconsciously suppressed his smile, sighing, "That woman likely won’t be arrested this time."