Chapter 524: Chapter 524: The Final Clue.

"They were close to being discovered."

The hall fell silent again.

Censor Zhao remained silent for a moment.

Then he slowly lifted his head.

His eyes were still red and filled with grief, but a complicated light had appeared in them.

"...Envoy Li’s words make sense," he said hoarsely. "If the enemy is starting to clean up, then someone was indeed getting close to the truth."

He turned his gaze toward Concubine Wei.

The hall’s attention immediately followed.

Concubine Wei’s body stiffened.

Censor Zhao’s voice was low, but the accusation within it was clear.

"Since Envoy Li is innocent... then what about Concubine Wei?"

His eyes locked onto her pale face.

"You were also one of the last two people to meet my sister. You visited her in the afternoon. What if... you are the culprit?"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly turned sharp.

Concubine Wei’s face drained of all color.

"I...! I would never harm Sister Zhao!"

Her voice trembled as she shook her head frantically.

"We were close friends! I only went to talk about the child and her health... I didn’t do anything!"

Just as the tension was about to rise further—

"Enough!"

Grand Tutor Wei’s voice suddenly rang out, filled with rare anger.

His usually calm and wise face was now frowning deeply as he stared at Censor Zhao.

"Censor Zhao! Mind your words!"

The hall fell silent under the old man’s rebuke.

Grand Tutor Wei took a step forward, his robes fluttering slightly as a faint pressure spread from his body.

"Concubine Wei is my granddaughter. I have watched her grow up. I know her character better than anyone here."

His gaze was sharp as he looked at Censor Zhao.

"Do not let grief cloud your judgment to the point of accusing someone without evidence. The enemy is already trying to sow suspicion among us. Are you going to help them succeed?"

Censor Zhao’s body trembled.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out for a moment.

Then he lowered his head, his voice hoarse and bitter.

"...I just... want to know who killed my sister..."

Grand Tutor Wei’s expression softened slightly, but his tone remained firm.

"And we will find out. But not by throwing baseless accusations at people who have no reason to harm her."

Fen Ling watched the exchange in silence, her crimson eyes unreadable.

Li Feng stood quietly on the side, observing everything as a thought reached his mind.

’They’re still playing into the enemy’s hands...’

The suspicion had already been planted.

Even if Grand Tutor Wei defended her now, the seed of doubt had been sown.

_

_

_

Time passed quickly.

The investigation continued throughout the day.

Interrogations, searches, and repeated questioning of every servant and guard connected to Concubine Zhao’s residence yielded almost nothing new.

It seemed because of the accident.

The Empress had personally moved her residence toward the inner harem, ready to face any hidden attack.

By the time night fully settled over the imperial palace, the atmosphere remained heavy and tense.

Li Feng finally returned to his assigned quarters.

The moment he stepped inside and closed the door, the formal, calm expression he had maintained all day slowly faded.

Yue Lan was already waiting for him.

She sat on the soft couch near the window, still wearing her elegant white envoy robes.

The moment she saw his face, her golden eyes softened with quiet understanding.

Without saying anything, she gently guided him to sit down in front of her, and gently guided his head onto her thigh.

Then she began massaging his temples with her soft, cool fingers.

"...You’re frustrated," she said gently.

Li Feng closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"More than frustrated."

Yue Lan’s fingers continued moving slowly and carefully, applying just the right amount of pressure.

"I could tell. You’ve been holding it in the entire day."

"..."

Li Feng remained silent for a while, enjoying the soothing sensation of her hands.

After a moment, he spoke in a low voice.

"They killed a defenseless mother... just to create confusion and throw suspicion around. And the entire palace is still running in circles because of it."

Yue Lan’s movements paused briefly, then continued.

"You think the enemy is watching you closely."

Li Feng opened his eyes slightly and looked at her.

"...You noticed as well."

Yue Lan gave a small nod.

"The timing was too precise and the method was too clean. And the way they left only you and Concubine Wei as the final contacts... it doesn’t feel random."

She continued massaging his head, her voice soft.

"...But I think you’re more angry because someone used an innocent life just to send a message."

Li Feng closed his eyes again.

"...Yes."

The room fell into a quiet, comfortable silence.

Only the soft sound of Yue Lan’s fingers pressing against his temples could be heard.

Li Feng glanced toward the bed.

Lan Suyao was sitting cross-legged on it, eyes closed in deep concentration.

A faint, cold aura slowly circulated around her body as she carefully adjusted her breathing.

It was clear what she was trying to do.

Sensing the increasingly strange and tense situation inside the palace, she had decided to attempt a breakthrough into the Golden Core realm.

She wanted more strength, just in case.

Li Feng watched her for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

He slowly relaxed under Yue Lan’s gentle massage, the tension in his shoulders gradually fading as he felt her tender care and her soothing fragrance.

He now felt like he understood why the Dynasty could never win against the sects even if they had so many resources on their land.

The dirty politics and the scheming were enough to make one lose their lifespan.

Who would have enough time to care about the Dao when one’s back was constantly being watched and schemed against?

He felt that despite having powerful strength, he was trapped in a quagmire, with every move he made being restricted.

’I already starting to hate this damn place.’

And the damn calamity.

Li Feng almost wanted to use [Age of the Stars] immediately and blast the entire place apart once the cooldown was over.

Yue Lan’s fingers continued pressing carefully against his temples as she whispered softly.

"Are you going to keep investigating tomorrow?"

Li Feng remained silent for a while.

Then, his eyes slowly opened.

A faint, sharp light flashed within them as he decided something.

"...Even though it seems like all the clues have been lost..."

He paused, then continued in a low voice.

"The mastermind would never have thought about this... that I still have one last clue left."

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