Great Qin, Heaven Capital City.
Ministry of Punishnt.
Officials clad in ink-colored garnts hurried in and out, their steps swift. Not one person initiated a conversation, rendering the atmosphere of the Ministry oppressive and forbidding.
Varieties of exotic birds descended from the sky from ti to ti.
Within the Ministry, major cases from all seventy-two counties of the world were gathered—cases with nurous entanglents or riddles, cases that local officials lacked the authority to adjudicate. Such matters were sent from every corner of the world to this place, where clerks bustled endlessly, their feet hastening rely to convey various ssages to different governnt offices.
Many disciples of the legalist school stripped the cases of any irrelevant information, comparing notes from various angles, in an effort to pursue the truth hidden beneath the fog. For matters that remained undetermined, renowned hunters from all over would investigate and report their findings back to the Ministry of Punishnt.
Everyone in the world knew that this was the place with the most secrets.
It was also the most dangerous place.
Even a well-trained individual could ensure that they left no trace for several years, but as ti passed, one would naturally beco lax, their thoughts reflected in their actions. The countless covert agents across the seventy-two counties diligently sought matters worthy of attention every day, reporting everything back to the Ministry of Punishnt.
Although only fragnts were revealed at a ti, as days turned into years, it was difficult for any secret to remain hidden from the relentless pursuit of the Ministry.
If it weren’t for the unpredictability of human hearts, the Ministry would almost be able to monitor the world’s abnormalities and prevent disasters before they occurred.
And even though it was impossible to predict the specific movents of the various Sects, there were considerable benefits in pursuing cases.
At the sa ti, only the upper echelons within the Ministry knew that the Ministry’s Armory held not only over seventy percent of Jianghu’s secrets but also the Martial Arts techniques and maneuvers of all the major Sects in the world.
According to a secret decree, whenever an agent from the Ministry witnessed mbers of a Sect duel, they would record the exquisite moves. Although the thods of cultivation were unknown, over hundred of years, the ultimate skills and Vigorous Qi of these moves were mastered. Furthermore, with this as a frawork, several techniques specifically designed to counteract the Martial Arts of Jianghu were created, which were not taught unless one had rendered great service.
In a certain room of the Ministry of Punishnt.
The desk was covered in all sorts of scrolls, yet a white-clothed young man sat there, a Jade Crown securing his hair, his appearance charming and distinguished. However, he exhibited a profound laziness as he bit into a partially eaten apple with one hand and held a scroll with the other, resting it on his knees. After munching a few bites, he read through the ssages on the scroll. Suddenly, upon spotting a na, his eyes lit up.
Lifting the apple to his mouth, he grasped the scroll in both hands, swung himself up, and, as he landed, exuded a grace as if gliding through the wind and stepping on the moon. With a casual flick, the scroll unfurled directly towards the young man sitting at the desk, without the slightest vibration—such was the skill in his execution.
Just as the scroll was about to smack the young man in the face, the latter’s left arm rose, the surrounding aura shifted, and the scroll froze in midair. With a flip of the wrist, he grasped it firmly, then lifted his head to reveal a face with soft features, pale skin, and especially captivating eyes, shimring as if they contained jade beads. He spoke,
"What now, Full Strength?"
The white-clothed young man did not reply. His eyes gestured to the other to look at the scroll as he tossed the other end over. Catching the apple, he swallowed the piece in his mouth, exhaled, and then said,
"News from Fufeng County, about sothing that happened a few days ago, only arrived today."
"Could it be your old acquaintance, Wuxin?"
His voice was laden with tease; Wuxin, however, was indifferent. He and Full Strength had known each other since their youth, and it had been seven or eight years by now; he understood Full Strength’s temperant the best.
But Fufeng County?
Wang Anfeng, no... Yi Nanping?
Wuxin had so guesses in his mind but showed no change in expression, as indifferent as ever. His hands unfurled the scroll, and his gaze quickly scanned it, first pausing in mild surprise before frowning in contemplation. After a mont, he abruptly said,
"Full Strength, bring over all the recent information from Fufeng County."
"Hmm? Oh."
Despite being puzzled, the white-clothed youth did not ask questions; he simply agreed and with a step, his clothes billowing, he moved with the swiftness of a swallow flying through a hall, rushing out the door.
A mont later, Wuxin looked at the files laid out before him, his right hand supporting his forehead.
Wang Anfeng, oh Wang Anfeng.
You really do know how to cause trouble…
Wuxin clenched his teeth.
Just thinking about the ensuing barrage of inquiries and the various docunts that needed to be submitted, even as a renowned figure throughout the land, he felt a wave of headache coming on.
He had previously handled the case of Yi Nanping, claiming he fell off a cliff and was lost without a trace, and the case had already been closed. However, it hadn’t been half a year before another Yi Nanping appeared, having committed a major cri. According to the rules, there were still exceedingly tedious matters waiting for him to prove.
He would rather chase criminals in the Great Desert than accept an investigation at the Court of Judicial Review.
Wuxin sighed, feeling this was simply the worst news he learned today. Fortunately, various signs in the case indicated the participation of an exceptional master, evidence enough to prove that the Yi Nanping in question was not so simple.
If it weren’t for this, he feared he might have to suspend his duties to cooperate fully with the investigation.
While pondering in his heart how to deal with the Court of Judicial Review’s questioning, he flipped through the files casually.
When he saw the description of the environnt where Xia Changqing had died, Wuxin’s palm paused slightly. He then turned the page, his thoughts in his mind taking a slight turn and focusing on the event itself.
All manner of clues spun through his mind, combining with the information he knew to draw several conclusions.
Xia Changqing, though a Fourth Rank expert, had after all been severely injured by Yu Wenze, the defender of Fufeng County. It seed that he must have died at the hands of Wang Anfeng, and regarding the previously ntioned expert from the Evil Sect, his death was clean, much like the injuries on the officials and bandits previously killed by Wang Anfeng. It was probably the handiwork of his ntor.
It appeared that his Sect must also be in Fufeng County.
Or at least, there was a master swordsman nearby. The Heavenly Inquiry scroll was stolen from White Tiger Hall, thus the Heavenly Inquiry must have also fallen into his hands.
I wonder how strong he will have beco the next ti I see him…
Just then, his gaze suddenly fell upon a ssage sent by a secret spy.
It was about a conflict between a certain Sect and a small official in Fufeng, a minor conflict which was a di a dozen in the realm of Great Qin. If he hadn’t just told Full Strength to bring all the reports from Fufeng County over the last few days, such a thing would not have appeared on his desk.
Wuxin was about to flip past it, but then he rembered sothing. He stopped and spread out all kinds of secret reports from the files across the desk, scrutinizing them one by one. Full Strength, seeing this and sowhat baffled, asked a question, but Wuxin did not respond. Instead, he casually grabbed a piece of paper and began to scribble on it, his expression growing progressively colder.
The cold murderous intent made Full Strength shiver uncomfortably and take a step back, saying:
"What exactly happened?"
Wuxin, holding the pen, glanced at the paper on the desk and shook his head, saying:
"See for yourself."
With a flick of his finger, the paper shot straight toward Full Strength, who caught it in his hands. He looked at it casually and his expression changed dramatically.
Wuxin’s voice reached his ears.
"The incident between Danfeng Valley and White Tiger Hall happened three days ago. On that day, the frequency of conflicts between the Martial Artists of Fufeng Sects and the County Officials rose by sixty percent, and these Martial Artists all ca from eleven different Sects."
"The news had not yet spread then."
PS: The second update
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