Chapter 522: Chapter 522: Conspiracy

Li Feng’s expression turned even colder.

’Of course they were careful.’

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Understood. Thank you for your hard work, Little Ling."

"Mm! You’re welcome~"

With that, he returned the corpse.

After checking it a few more times and still finding no other results or hidden tricks, Li Feng finally turned to leave.

Yue Lan and Lan Suyao followed him silently out of the Cold Jade Chamber.

As the heavy stone door slowly closed behind them with a dull thud, the Cold Jade Chamber once again fell into complete silence.

Inside the now-empty chamber...

Prime Minister Mu’s corpse remained sitting upright on the stone chair.

That strange, fanatic smile was still frozen on his lifeless face.

It was as if he hadn’t died at all...

...but had instead achieved paradise.

The dim blue light of the cold jade stones reflected off his pale skin, making the smile look even more eerie and unsettling in the silent chamber.

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Next morning, Imperial Palace

The first rays of sunlight had just begun to paint the sky when Li Feng, Yue Lan, and Lan Suyao finally returned from Prime Minister Mu’s private residence.

They had spent the entire night thoroughly searching every corner of his mansion, secret chambers, and hidden vaults...

Yet they found almost nothing of real value.

No clear evidence.

No hidden records.

No obvious connection to the mastermind.

And... no news about Fen Ziyan’s whereabouts.

Just more dead ends.

The three of them walked back toward their residence in silence, the morning air still cool and fresh.

However, as they passed through the outer palace grounds, they noticed something was wrong.

A large number of imperial guards and servants were rushing about in panic.

Some were shouting orders, others looked pale with fear.

Seeing this, Li Feng frowned.

Feeling that something was amiss, he reached out and caught the arm of a passing guard.

The guard jumped in fright, but when he saw it was one of the Azure Moon Sect envoys, he quickly bowed.

"E-Envoy Li...!"

Li Feng asked in a low voice,

"What happened? Why is everyone in such a panic?"

The guard swallowed hard, his voice trembling with fear as he answered,

"Concubine Zhao... has been assassinated last night..."

"Eh?"

Li Feng’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Even Yue Lan and Lan Suyao beside him were shocked by the news.

The three of them exchanged quick glances before immediately quickening their pace.

Soon, they arrived at the heavily guarded inner harem palace.

A large crowd of imperial guards, eunuchs, and palace maids had already gathered outside one of the luxurious residences.

The atmosphere was tense and chaotic.

When the guards recognized the Azure Moon Sect envoys, they quickly made way for them.

As Li Feng, Yue Lan, and Lan Suyao entered the residence, they saw a group of people standing in the main hall.

Among them was Regent Empress Fen Ling.

Her usually dignified and calm face was now darkened with visible anger.

Even the twin spectral dragons around her had shown up and were now restless, their crimson eyes glowing with suppressed fury.

Li Feng’s gaze then shifted to another person standing nearby.

It was someone he had only met briefly on the first day and hadn’t spoken to since... and who seemed to have disappeared from court after that.

It was Censor-in-Chief Zhao.

The middle-aged man was currently crying loudly, tears streaming down his face as he knelt beside a body covered by a white cloth.

In his arms, he held a small baby.

"My sister...! Who did this to you...?! My poor sister...!!"

His voice was filled with grief and despair as he sobbed uncontrollably.

The baby in his arms didn’t seem to react... as it had already spent the whole night crying for its mother’s warmth.

The entire hall was heavy with sorrow and rage.

Fen Ling’s cold voice cut through the crying.

"Enough crying, Censor Zhao. Your sister’s death... will not go unpunished."

She then turned her gaze toward Li Feng’s group, her expression still dark but softened slightly.

"Envoy Li... you came at the right time. Concubine Zhao was assassinated last night. The killer left no trace... just like with the Shadow Dragon Guards."

Li Feng didn’t say anything.

He simply walked slowly toward the corpse.

The white cloth covering Concubine Zhao’s body looked almost too peaceful under the morning light filtering into the hall.

He stopped beside Censor-in-Chief Zhao, who was still sobbing while holding the baby.

Li Feng gently lifted a corner of the white cloth.

The moment he saw her face, he froze.

Concubine Zhao’s eyes were closed, her expression strangely calm and gentle... almost as if she had simply fallen asleep.

But she was completely lifeless.

No breath... no heartbeat... and no trace of warmth.

Li Feng stood there, dumbfounded.

He couldn’t understand.

They were talking and laughing normally just yesterday...

That kind and gentle woman who looked at her baby with such warm, loving eyes... was now lying here, cold and still.

Li Feng’s fists clenched slightly at his sides.

A silent, burning rage began to rise within him.

His expression remained calm on the surface, but inside, a cold storm was brewing.

’Who...?’

’Who did this?’

The hidden mastermind had crossed the line.

Killing Shadow Dragon Guards was one thing.

But assassinating a defenseless concubine... a mother right in the heart of the palace?

What exactly was their goal?

Li Feng thought, his mind racing.

Killing Prime Minister Mu made some sense if he was involved in the conspiracy.

But Concubine Zhao...?

She was just a gentle, low-profile woman who spent most of her time caring for her child.

There was no political power, no hidden influence, nothing that made her a threat.

So why...?–

Suddenly, Li Feng’s eyes widened.

He instinctively covered his mouth as a chilling possibility flashed through his mind.

’Could it be... because I got into contact with her...?’

The thought sent a cold shiver down his spine.

If the hidden mastermind was truly watching him that closely, then his brief conversation with Concubine Zhao yesterday might have sealed her fate.

Before he could think further, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall.

Everyone turned to look.

It was Concubine Wei.

But her beautiful, charming face was deathly pale, filled with shock and disbelief.

Her eyes widened the moment she saw the white cloth covering the body and the silent baby in Censor Zhao’s arms.

"Sister Zhao...?"

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