County Government Office.

Han Lang had just returned to the mansion and ordered the chief constables to investigate Changze County when someone arrived at his door before he even had a chance to sit down.

"Lord Han."

The visitor was Xu Tong, an alchemist from the Profound Celestial Temple.

Han Lang, not daring to be neglectful, quickly stood up to greet him.

Han Lang asked, "Immortal Master Xu Tong, what brings you here?"

Xu Tong glanced at the several governmental officials present and smiled without speaking.

Han Lang understood and gestured for his personal guards to disperse.

Xu Tong said, "I came here to ask a favor from Lord Han."

"Oh?"

Han Lang asked, "Immortal Master, please feel free to speak. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Xu Tong said, "I need Lord Han to deal with someone for me, the one who was just appointed today at the training ground, Chen Tang from Changze County."

It's him!

Han Lang asked, "Does the Immortal Master want him alive or dead?"

Xu Tong said indifferently, "Lock him up first. As for whether to release him or not, just wait for my message, Lord Han."

Han Lang pondered, "If he were just a commoner, it would be fine, but now that he's a court-appointed Ninth Grade Martial Artist, we'll need a valid reason to trouble him."

Xu Tong asked, "Is there a problem?"

Changze County, Chen Tang...

Han Lang suddenly recalled some recent news, and an idea formed in his mind.

Got it!

Han Lang's eyes flashed with a cold light as he said, "Wait for tonight's banquet. I will apprehend him in public and give the Immortal Master a response."

Xu Tong smiled and cupped his hands, "Then I look forward to seeing Lord Han's methods."

"No problem, no problem."

Han Lang replied with a smile.

Owing a favor to an alchemist from the Profound Celestial Temple could be very useful in the future.

Moreover, this Xu Tong was the hottest alchemist in the Profound Celestial Temple this past year and was the personal Daoist child of the Observatory Master of the Profound Celestial Temple, rumored to have obtained the true teachings of the Profound Sect's techniques.

After sending off Xu Tong, Han Lang called over a personal guard, saying, "Go to Marquis Wu'an's Mansion and find Third Young Master Huo. Tell him that he must attend tonight's banquet; I have a surprise for him!"

"Understood!"

The governmental official acknowledged the order and left.

"Hehehe."

Han Lang chuckled lightly to himself, "In Wu'an County, getting involved with the Huo Family and the Profound Celestial Temple, even if you connect with the Li Family, it's useless. This works out perfectly, like pushing with the current, giving both families a favor."

...

Li Mansion, early evening.

Li Boxiong, Li Zhongmou, and Li Junqing were gathered in the study, exchanging information they had obtained.

The three siblings frequently glanced at the elderly man with gray hair sitting in the main seat.

Commander Li Yan, their father.

Although he had just turned fifty, his long hair was already completely gray, making him look like an old man in his sixties.

The three siblings knew this was due to the illnesses plaguing their father over the years.

Fortunately, after consuming the superb Earth Ginseng that Li Junqing brought back some time ago, his complexion seemed to have improved a lot recently.

Li Yan slowly asked, "What are your thoughts on the situation in Changze County?"

Li Boxiong said, "Based on the information collected, it indeed appears to be a clash between the two gangs, but there's something strange about it."

Li Zhongmou pondered, "Ordinarily, given the strength of the Evil Wolf Gang, they shouldn't have a reason to clash head-on with the Black Water Gang. Moreover, with the two major gangs clashing, how could so many people from the County Government Office be injured, and to this day, the County Magistrate and a chief constable are still missing."

Li Junqing said, "There's still too little information. It'd be best to interrogate someone who was present at the scene."

"Those present at the scene have mostly been captured by the Cyan Dragon Bureau."

Li Yan said, "This incident caused quite a commotion, and the Cyan Dragon Bureau has already intervened."

Li Boxiong suddenly said, "A clash between the two major gangs at the County Government Office, resulting in hundreds of casualties and even injuring government personnel, with such a significant impact, the Black Water Gang cannot escape accountability."

"If we report this, the Court should not ignore it, right? If we can take this opportunity to eradicate the Black Water Gang in Wu'an County, it would sever a vital limb of the Huo Family."

Li Zhongmou shook his head and said, "It's not that simple. The Black Water Gang has become influential, with interests intertwined with various parties. Without a heinous crime, we cannot take action against them."

Li Yan thought for a moment and finally said, "Let's wait for the Cyan Dragon Bureau's report. Since they've chosen to intervene, let them handle it."

"The banquet tonight?"

"The banquet will go on. By the way, I've heard you mention there's a promising youngster from Changze County; it would be good to meet him tonight."

...

Cyan Dragon Bureau.

At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed like a scholar in a green robe sat at the main seat in the main hall of the Cyan Dragon Bureau, looking over the continually delivered information gathered and interrogated by the four Guard Captains.

The Cyan Dragon Bureau is one of the most powerful institutions in Qian Country, usually dormant but showing terrifying efficiency and capability once in action.

One piece of intelligence after another is continually assembled, laid out on the desk.

Tan Wujiu, the Azure Dragon Department Captain of Wu'an County, Fourth Grade.

He needed to make sense of this seemingly chaotic information.

"My lord, I've finished interrogating my part. It was done individually, and some of the information obtained overlaps."

The speaker was Lu Chang, one of the four Guard Captains.

Seeing Tan Wujiu didn't interrupt, he continued, "According to the survivors from the Black Water Gang and Evil Wolf Gang, there was indeed a master present that night who appeared and shot down two Eighth Grade stewards of the Black Water Gang, leading to a clash between both sides, which then spiraled out of control."

Another Guard Captain, Xie Xing, said gravely, "I've inspected the scene. The Qingyun Tower has already been burned to ashes, making it impossible to find those two feathered arrows, but I initially judged that to instantly kill two Eighth Grades, the bow used should be two-stone or three-stone."

"Such bows are not available among the common people; they are hard to find."

The third Guard Captain, Qin Xiaomei, a woman, said, "After my interrogation, the Black Water Gang claimed that the person was from the Evil Wolf Gang, but the Evil Wolf Gang didn't recognize this person. Moreover, several people personally witnessed this person kill the Evil Wolf Gang Leader Gou Ying!"

"Yan Ji, the chief constable from Changze County, who was closely associated with the Evil Wolf Gang, also said he had never seen this person, claiming they were definitely from the Black Water Gang."

"Another chief constable, Meng Liangyu, also said this person was from the Black Water Gang."

Tan Wujiu's gaze shifted to the fourth Guard Captain, Cai Yin.

Cai Yin spread his hands and shook his head, "I haven't found County Magistrate Sun and Cui Zhao, these two seem to have vanished into thin air, not even a body found. I searched the nearby mountains and forests and found nothing."

Tan Wujiu gently massaged his temples with his index fingers, "The determined information is that there was a masked master with strength around Eighth Grade that night, who instigated the clash between the two gangs."

"Or rather, his ultimate goal...

Pausing, Tan Wujiu murmured, "Was not the two gangs but possibly the missing chief constable and County Magistrate."

This person committing such a major crime, wearing a mask to avoid being wanted is reasonable.

But there's also another possibility, afraid of being recognized.

After a moment of contemplation, Tan Wujiu suddenly said, "Find out all the people directly or indirectly killed by this chief constable and County Magistrate over the years. Also, list out the homicide cases in Changze County over the past few years."

The four Guard Captains directed the Cyan Dragon Guards under their command, quickly organizing the multitude of information.

Tan Wujiu looked at the names on the list.

"Cui Yong died more than two months ago."

"Cui Yong, Cui Zhao, County Magistrate Sun..."

Tan Wujiu looked over it several times, his gaze ultimately returning to Chen Da'an and Chen Tang.

"Hmm, Chen Da'an, Chen Tang..."

Over the past year, Cui Zhao and County Magistrate Sun caused many deaths, but the only family with a Ninth Grade Martial Artist emerged.

Tan Wujiu tapped the desk lightly and slowly asked, "Who among you has investigated this Chen Tang?"

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