“Cloud envoys serve the gods. They rarely deal directly with court officials,” Fushan Yue said seriously. “The person they see most often is the Lord Emperor himself!”

So Lingxu City has deliberately sent a special envoy with no factional ties?

Their attitude, then, is one of strict neutrality?

“In Beijia, even the attendants and lamp guardians of Star-Plucking Tower hold very high status, let alone a cloud envoy.” Fushan Yue spoke quickly, “This Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai often travels the realm carrying out the will of the gods. When you meet him in a moment, do not slight him.”

For those last four words to come from the mouth of the lawless Fushan Yue told He Lingchuan at once that this newcomer was no ordinary figure.

Isn’t he basically just a priest serving the gods?

Fushan Yue rose and personally went out to receive him.

Two men were already in the inn’s main hall, and one of them was Fan Sheng.

The moment Fushan Yue stepped over, he smiled. “Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai, long time no see!” Then he nodded to Fan Sheng. “Deputy Commander Fan.”

Not only was the other guest far from handsome, but his appearance was also actually rather plain, almost even a bit shabby. Standing beside Fan Sheng, the contrast between them was like cloud and mud.

Yet He Lingchuan found himself even less willing to underestimate him.

On the one hand, Fushan Yue, who was usually arrogant and domineering, had wholly changed his attitude in front of Bai Ziqi. On the other hand, the first duty of a cloud envoy was to serve the gods. Given how the entirety of Beijia revered divine worship, one would expect those selected for such service to be at least dignified and proper in appearance as a sign of respect to the gods.

And yet Bai Ziqi looked like this and had still risen to the post of deputy cloud envoy. That meant he certainly possessed extraordinary qualities.

Then there was Fan Sheng. This high and mighty second-in-command of the Tongxin Guards was at present standing behind Bai Ziqi.

Bai Ziqi’s face also lit with a smile when he saw Fushan Yue. “Your Highness! Hah, the last time I saw you, you were still only the eldest prince. Now you’re already His Highness. Congratulations, congratulations!”

When he smiled, he had a strangely infectious quality that made him seem much less disagreeable.

The two men clearly knew each other from before. After a few words of greeting, they invited one another to sit.

Fan Sheng and He Lingchuan also took seats.

Bai Ziqi did not bother with official platitudes; instead, he stated his purpose directly, “I was originally on the Twilight Plains. The Lord Emperor sent an urgent eagle order, and that drove me over here to handle this assignment.”

“The Twilight Plains?” Fushan Yue was taken aback. “No wonder you got here so quickly. I’d thought that if the capital sent an envoy, it would take at least half a month.”

The Twilight Plains lay in southern Chiyan. It was still some distance away, but much closer than coming all the way from Lingxu City.

“Ordinarily, that would certainly be true.” Bai Ziqi sighed. “But wasn’t it just my luck that I happened to be outside already? The Lord Emperor probably didn’t want to see those old men bickering and tugging at one another right in front of him, so with a distant point of his finger, he sent me rushing here.”

“So Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai was on official business in the Twilight Plains?” Fushan Yue did not believe for a second that he had merely lingered there. Only a few more steps north, and one would already enter Chiyan territory. Nine times out of ten, this fellow had already crossed the border and entered the state!

Why had an imperial envoy from Lingxu City slipped into Chiyan territory without a sound?

“Of course I was. What, did you think I enjoy wandering around for no reason?” Bai Ziqi gave a little laugh and steered the topic back. “The youngest son of the Zhongsun Family is still unaccounted for?”

“The aberrant creature that swallowed him hasn’t shown itself again to this day.” Fushan Yue’s expression darkened. “The outlook isn’t good.”

Then he pointed back at He Lingchuan. “The Lord Emperor designated the eastern imperial eagle courier disappearance case to be investigated by the State of Chiyan. My royal father dared not be negligent. This is the special investigator I appointed personally. He followed the trail from Zhitian Township all the way up the vine, and who would’ve thought he’d shake loose a fish this large?”

The large fish he was referring to was, of course, Cen Boqing.

Seated beside him, He Lingchuan had already been sized up several times by Bai Ziqi. At that, Bai Ziqi let out a long “Oh?” and said, “I’ve heard you’re from the State of Fu?”

He Lingchuan met his gaze. “That’s right.”

“Then tell me the case from beginning to end. The more detail, the better.”

Though he had already read the case summary submitted by Fushan Yue, its contents would never be as detailed as a firsthand account from the man who had actually handled the investigation.

He Lingchuan narrated the entire thing from start to finish, aiming to be concise and precise, without embellishment or exaggeration.

Of course, he omitted the matter of Mai Xuewen privately coming to see him. After Zhongsun Mou’s death, he and Fushan Yue had already compared notes more than once and agreed to conceal that “small” detail, lest Lingxu City’s special envoy misunderstand.

He had not handled this case for all that long—only about a month—but it was full of twists and entanglements. Even so, it took him just under an hour to recount the essentials.

During that time, the jiang beads, the portrait, Mai Xuewen’s hidden clues, and Records on Worshipping the Gods, which had been used to solve the riddle, were all brought out as well.

Fan Sheng remained silent throughout, not saying a word.

Bai Ziqi, however, listened with extreme care and occasionally interrupted to ask questions, all of which He Lingchuan answered without reservation.

He Lingchuan had long since decided that in dealing with Lingxu City’s special envoy, the one thing he had to do was appear “candid.”

Restore the case to its original shape, lay its whole process out under the sun as much as possible, let the other side examine it through a magnifying glass and still find no fault, then He Lingchuan himself would be safe.

Once the case recitation was complete, Bai Ziqi said “Good, good, good,” before remarking, “Judging from what I’ve heard, Special Envoy He has handled the case reasonably well. In other words, the present sticking point lies with Wu Kai. His testimony is the key to convicting Cen Boqing?”

“Exactly.”

“And if he refuses to confess, then neither he nor Cen Boqing can be convicted.” Bai Ziqi shook his head. “So the case is stuck right there, isn’t it? Do you have any response prepared?”

“Yang Song, one of Wu Kai’s subordinates, has already confessed and identified him.” Fushan Yue took over. “But there is no physical evidence, and Wu Kai is an exceedingly cautious man. If Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai has any good strategy, I hope you’ll do the favor of informing us about it.”

“I’ve only just arrived. I still need to observe and listen more.” Bai Ziqi sounded very modest. “Also, does the Crown Prince believe that Cen Boqing colluded with Zhongsun Mou and fabricated testimony in the courier case to cover up the truth? That is a very serious accusation.”

The Zhongsun Family, the Cen family, and the Minister of Finance, Chiyan had, in one breath, offended three great powers in Lingxu City.

“The convicted criminal they named as the murderer, Fu Songhua, is being held in the case, as is Pang Denian, the man under Wu Kai who was responsible for bribing the jailer and entering the jail to coach testimony. Written confessions have been taken from both.”

“And Fu Songhua’s confession?”

Fushan Yue had already prepared it. At once, he had someone bring it forward.

Bai Ziqi unfolded it and read it page by page with exceptional care.

He Lingchuan noticed that he was practically examining it line by line and word by word. By the final few pages, he took a very long time to turn each one, and his expression grew increasingly grave.

Why is he spending longer on the final pages than on all the earlier ones combined?

He Lingchuan’s heart stirred, and something occurred to him.

Cen Boqing had long prepared false testimony in advance. Once the matter blew up, he intended to dump the blame onto the fugitive Fu Songhua.

But there was one point Cen Boqing could not avoid: in the false confession, he had to make clear why the “mastermind” Fu Songhua would know the departure time and route of the eastern imperial eagle courier.

Otherwise, how could it be established that he was truly the mole?

So in Fu Songhua’s confession, there had to be an inside contact within Lingxu City.

And indeed, such a name appeared in the confession.

But because the disappearance of the eastern imperial eagle courier had been an accidental development, one that even Cen Boqing could not have predicted, he had been forced to add fresh material to the already prepared false confession, trying to disguise an accident as deliberate planning.

That made it very hard not to leave traces of weakness.

Which meant this “inside contact” was the crucial name.

It was only if Lingxu City investigated and found something there that it would ever accept such a false confession.

After finishing it, Bai Ziqi pondered for a long while, then said, “The greatest point of doubt in this case is that Mai Xuewen’s conduct doesn’t make sense.”

“Oh?” Both He Lingchuan and Fushan Yue looked puzzled.

“He doesn’t actually live in Baishajue. He doesn’t even own a house here. He comes at most twice a year. So why do his food, clothing, and daily use all connect back to Baishajue? It’s almost as though he’s afraid people won’t know.”

He Lingchuan’s expression did not change, but he tensed inwardly. Those clues were buried all throughout the complexity of the case, one here, one there. Even Fushan Yue’s memorial had listed them only in simple terms. Yet Bai Ziqi could still pick out the inconsistency.

He Lingchuan himself had felt the strangeness because he had personally handled the case, been on the ground, and seen and sensed it firsthand.

Bai Ziqi, by contrast, could identify the anomaly from nothing more than cold, static documents.

No wonder he was the special envoy entrusted by the Monster Emperor himself.

“Maybe that’s just the style he likes?” Fushan Yue shrugged. “Chiyan also produces chewing tobacco, but I still prefer the kind from the State of Baoshu.”

“Even if I don’t mention it, the Cen Family and the Zhongsun Family will use precisely these points later to attack Your Highness.” Bai Ziqi’s reminder to him was tactfully phrased. Then he added, “By the way, where is the suspect surnamed Wu being detained? I’d like to see him.”

“He’s here with me.” Fushan Yue glanced at He Lingchuan. “Fu Songhua was previously held in the county jail, but the jailer there was bribed by the Cen household. It’s no longer safe.”

He Lingchuan suddenly leaped to his feet and shot out of the hall like an arrow.

He moved so fast that he was gone in a breath.

Bai Ziqi’s brow twitched faintly. “What was that?” 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

What had happened outside?

At that exact moment, Fushan Yue spoke up as well. “It’s near suppertime. Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai, why not dine here with me? I’ve brought in some of the best chefs that Baishajue has to offer. Baishajue is rich in produce, whether it be things that swim in the water or things that fly in the sky, and when they’re stewed together, the flavors are marvelous. In Lingxu City, it’s not so easy to taste food this fresh.”

“I appreciate Your Highness’s generosity.” Bai Ziqi looked at the sky outside. “But later I still need to make a trip to the Cen Residence.”

“Oh, Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai is still going to the Cen Residence?”

“I have to hear both sides speak.” Bai Ziqi gave him a faintly amused smile. “This case won’t be easy to handle, and the Lord Emperor attaches great importance to it.”

He could not simply listen to the Crown Prince’s side. What Cen Boqing had to say was likewise one of the matters the Lord Emperor had specifically instructed him to hear.

“If the case were easy to handle, Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai wouldn’t have had to come in person.” Fushan Yue coughed lightly. “If it turns out Cen Boqing really is the mastermind behind it all, what does Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai intend to do?”

“Handle it according to the law.” Bai Ziqi’s tone carried a deeper meaning. “As I said before, the Lord Emperor attaches great importance to it.”

“And if there are still people standing behind Cen Boqing?” That was the matter the ruler of Chiyan and Fushan Yue cared about most.

Bai Ziqi smiled. “One step at a time. Why should Your Highness be in such a hurry?”

Fushan Yue let out a sigh. “Before I came, my royal father instructed me specifically. This case must be investigated until the truth is fully revealed. The real culprit must be uncovered, and Chiyan’s monster victims must be given a satisfactory explanation!”

In plain terms, the ruler of Chiyan’s stance could be reduced to eight words: Investigate to the end. Never let it go.

Fushan Yue was just about to continue when Jiao Yu came hurtling in from outside, so fast it left an afterimage. It wasted no breath on nonsense, “The suspect coughed blood!”