Chapter 782: Zheng Jingxuan

“The police investigated for a while but found nothing. In the end, they closed the case as a robbery-homicide.”

Xu Wuyi listened to the recount, his face showing little emotion.

A nineteen-year-old girl was accidentally killed because she rejected a suitor she didn’t like. A father was silenced because he refused an out-of-court settlement and refused to let his daughter’s murderer go. The perpetrators of these acts were a high-ranking committee director and a Martial Arts genius with a boundless future. They could get away with murder, settle everything with money, and continue to enjoy their wealth and glory.

Such things had happened in the past, were happening now, and would continue to happen in the future. Wherever there was light, there were shadows. During his time in the Inspection Department, Xu Wuyi had seen countless cases like this. Yet, all of this only solidified his dedication to cultivation. He firmly believed that only he could build a true world with perfect order.

“Before Lin Quan died, how many times did Zheng Mingchuan speak with him?” Xu Wuyi asked.

“Three times,” Lu Sheng replied. “The first two times were at Lin Quan’s home, and the third was at a teahouse outside. After each talk, Lin Quan’s attitude only grew more resolute.”

“Did Zheng Mingchuan threaten him?”

“He did. He said that if he didn’t accept the private settlement, he would run his business into the ground and bring disaster upon his family. But Lin Quan wasn’t afraid. He said he was willing to fight to the bitter end, even if it meant mutual destruction.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and continued his questioning. “What happened to Zheng Jingxuan after that incident?”

“Zheng Mingchuan sent him out of town for a change of environment and a fresh start,” Lu Sheng explained. “He has kept a very low profile these past two years, focusing entirely on his cultivation. Rumor has it that he is progressing very quickly.

“Zheng Mingchuan plans to wait a few more years until his strength increases further before officially reintroducing him to the public eye.

“When the time comes, he can use excuses like being in secluded cultivation or traveling to gain experience to explain away his disappearance over the years.”

Xu Wuyi’s gaze sharpened. “Where is Zheng Jingxuan now?”

“In Tianchi City, Northern Plain Province,” Lu Sheng answered. “Zheng Mingchuan arranged a new identity for him named Lin Yuan, and enrolled him in a local Martial Arts Academy to study. The dean of that academy is an old friend of Zheng Mingchuan’s; he knows his true identity and is keeping it a secret for him.”

Tianchi City was another city in Northern Plain Province, not too far from Heihe. Committing this information to memory, Xu Wuyi asked, “Who else knows about this besides you and Zheng Mingchuan?”

“No one else. Zheng Mingchuan has always been careful, and the fewer people who know about this kind of thing, the better. After Lin Quan died, he scrubbed all the related clues clean. Even Lin Wan’er’s death was staged to look like an accident.”

“What about the investigating police officers?”

“There was one detective who dug deep into the case at the time and nearly traced it back to Zheng Jingxuan. Zheng Mingchuan used his connections to transfer him to a remote area, making it impossible for him to continue the investigation. Eventually, that detective slowly gave up.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and asked no more. He had already gotten what he wanted.

Lu Sheng stood frozen, staring at him, his face filled with fear and despair. He knew what he had just said and what those words meant. Zheng Mingchuan was finished, Zheng Jingxuan was finished, and he himself was even more finished. He wanted to beg for mercy, to say something—anything—but the “truth” rule was still in effect, and he couldn’t even force a lie out of his mouth.

Xu Wuyi waved his hand. Lu Sheng’s gaze gradually lost focus, eventually turning completely hollow. He stood rooted to the spot, motionless as a statue.

Retracting his hand, Xu Wuyi turned and walked out of the factory building. The night outside was still deep and dark. The howling winter wind whipped at the hem of his clothes. He stood at the entrance, gazing at the distant snowfield shimmering silver in the moonlight, and let out a long breath. Now that he knew about these things, it was impossible for him to pretend he hadn’t seen them.

He made a call.

“Grandmaster Xu? It’s so late…”

“Minister Luo, I’ve caught Lu Sheng.”

Silence stretched for a few seconds on the other end of the line before Luo Jing’s voice grew alert. “Where is he?”

“Heihe. I’ll send you the address.”

“Alright, I’ll dispatch someone over immediately. Just hand him over to the local personnel. I’ll handle the rest.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and ended the call.

Ten or so minutes later, a group of people rushed over. It was the staff from the Inspection Department. Upon seeing Xu Wuyi and the unconscious man beside him, surprise flickered across their faces. The man leading the group quickly walked up to Xu Wuyi and bowed respectfully.

“Grandmaster Xu, Minister Luo sent us to pick him up.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and pointed at Lu Sheng inside the vehicle. “He’s in the car. I’ll leave him to you.”

The inspectors immediately stepped forward and carefully carried Lu Sheng out of the car. Xu Wuyi watched them disappear through the doors, then turned and got back into his own car.

With his rule suppressing him, unless a Grandmaster Level expert intervened, it would be impossible for Lu Sheng to recover within three days. Furthermore, even if he did wake up, Xu Wuyi would sense it immediately.

He didn’t drive away immediately. Instead, he sat in the driver’s seat in thought. Now that Lu Sheng had been handed over to the Inspection Department, the next steps would follow standard protocol: interrogation, gathering evidence, securing the proof, and finally transferring him to the judicial authorities. There were many cases pinned on him, making a conviction easy, but very few of them could be tied back to Zheng Mingchuan. Even if Lu Sheng confessed to everything, verbal testimony alone was useless. Building a case required hard evidence.

After a brief moment of thought, Xu Wuyi sent another message to Zhou Bin, attaching the details of the case.

“Arrest Zheng Jingxuan immediately.”

To startle the snake, one must first beat the grass.

***

Mornings at the Tianchi City Martial Arts Academy always began with the urgent ringing of a bell.

Zheng Jingxuan sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and looked out the window.