Chapter 771: The Reason Behind It

He looked at Xu Wuyi, a hint of guilt in his eyes.

“I didn’t understand who he meant back then, but I do now. He was talking about you, Captain Meng.”

Li Zhaowen chimed in from the side, “He told us that if that person didn’t show up, he would let us go after seven days anyway. He said he didn’t want to blow things out of proportion. He just wanted to use this method to meet that person.”

Xu Wuyi fell silent for a few seconds.

Releasing them after seven days meant Song Qingwu never intended to escalate the situation from the very beginning. He was simply gambling—gambling that the “person who should come” would actually come. And now, he had won the bet. Xu Wuyi was here.

“What about the witness?” Xu Wuyi asked. “Who exactly is this secret witness you met?”

Zhou Bin and Li Zhaowen exchanged a glance before Zhou Bin shook his head.

“Captain Meng, to be honest, the more I think about it now, the more I feel something isn’t right. That witness was an informant I contacted during a previous case. We cooperated a few times, and he had always been reliable. The clues he gave me were indeed genuine; at least I verified a portion of them.

“But thinking back on it,” he paused, his tone growing heavier, “his appearance was too coincidental. It was highly abnormal. Moreover, when we met, he refused to give me any concrete evidence, leaving me unable to report it to my superiors. He strung us along until the two of us were forced to follow him.”

Li Zhaowen added, “Captain Meng, I think this might be a trap. Someone deliberately used that witness to lure us here so that we would be detained by the Song family.”

Xu Wuyi nodded. This assessment matched his own thoughts.

“Did Song Qingwu tell you why he wanted to see me?”

Zhou Bin shook his head. “No. He just said he wanted to meet that person to discuss something. He didn’t specify what it was, and we didn’t ask.”

Xu Wuyi asked no further questions.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the exquisite courtyard.

The faint, pleasant scent of wintersweet drifted in through the window. However, his mind wasn’t on the fragrance; he wondered what exactly Song Qingwu was trying to do. A core figure of the Song family had used a fake witness to bait the Inspection Department, all for the sole purpose of seeing him. What problems could meeting him possibly solve?

He turned back to look at Zhou Bin and Li Zhaowen.

“You two get some rest for now. I’m going to see Song Qingwu.”

Zhou Bin stood up, wanting to say something, but ultimately just nodded.

“Please be careful, Captain Meng.”

Xu Wuyi left the room, crossed the courtyard, and returned to the moon gate.

Song Qingwu was still standing there with his hands behind his back, looking at the wintersweet trees. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he turned around with a smile on his face.

“Grandmaster Xu, have you finished catching up?”

Xu Wuyi walked up to him and stopped.

“Mr. Song, you can speak now. You went to such great lengths to lure me here. What is it that you want?”

Song Qingwu looked at him and then slowly spoke.

“Grandmaster Xu, this isn’t the place to talk. If you don’t mind, I would like to take you to see someone.”

Xu Wuyi looked at him without speaking, feeling a slight stir in his heart. There was only one person in the Song family who could make Song Qingwu speak in such a tone: Song Yi, the Elder Grandmaster who had watched over the Song family for decades and a highly respected figure in the Federation Martial Arts Realm.

He nodded. “Lead the way.”

Song Qingwu turned and walked down a small path behind the courtyard. Xu Wuyi followed him. The two passed through several moon gates and winding corridors before finally stopping in front of an independent, secluded courtyard.

This courtyard was smaller and even quieter than the previous one. The courtyard walls were covered in creeping ivy, appearing profound and tranquil in the darkness of the night. The gate was left slightly ajar, spilling dim, yellow light from within.

Song Qingwu stopped in front of the gate and turned to look at Xu Wuyi.

“Grandmaster Xu, Sixth Granduncle is waiting for you inside.”

Xu Wuyi stood before the gate, then reached out and pushed open the slightly ajar wooden door.

It was even quieter inside than outside, with only the occasional chirp of insects breaking the silence. The ground was paved with blue bricks, and clusters of tall bamboo were planted in the corners, casting mottled shadows under the light.

A stone table sat right in the center of the courtyard, and an old man sat beside it.

The old man wore coarse, dark gray clothes. He had graying hair and a thin, gaunt face, and he was slowly sipping from a teacup. His movements were slow and steady, as if nothing in this world could make him rush.

Hearing the footsteps, he lifted his head, his gaze landing on Xu Wuyi.

His gaze was peaceful—as peaceful as a pool of deep water. Yet, beneath that placid surface, Xu Wuyi could sense an incredibly profound power lying dormant. This was Song Yi, the anchor of the Song family and a veteran powerhouse who had stepped into the Grandmaster Realm over forty years ago.

Song Yi set down his teacup and stood up with a faint smile on his face.

“Grandmaster Xu, I’ve heard much about you. Please, have a seat.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but every word rang clear in the ears, carrying a reassuring steadiness.

Xu Wuyi walked over to the stone table and sat down across from him.

“Senior Song, isn’t inviting me here in such a manner a bit too convoluted?”

Song Yi smiled but didn’t answer directly. Instead, he poured a cup of tea for Xu Wuyi and pushed it in front of him.

“Have a cup of tea first and wet your throat. This tea is grown on our own mountain. Although it’s not a rare or precious variety, its merit lies in its purity.”

Xu Wuyi picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea was warm, slightly bitter at first, but a sweet aftertaste quickly welled up.

Song Yi watched him finish before slowly speaking.

“Grandmaster Xu, I know you have questions. That child, Qingwu, did indeed take a roundabout approach, but he had his difficulties.” He paused and continued, “Those two team members of yours uncovered some things. If those leads are followed, they will implicate many people, many matters, and many forces beyond your imagination.”