Chapter 28: Case

Zhang He, flung backward, clutched his face and dared not speak.

The man in blue hurried forward to mediate, saying:

“My lord, this matter cannot be entirely blamed on the Young Master; the Six Ministries’ men had long planned this—it was truly impossible to guard against.”

Gao Changrui slowly calmed himself, glared fiercely at Zhang He, then turned his gaze to Guan Shanxue.

After a moment’s thought, he instructed the man in blue:

“Zhu Zhi, go notify the Six Ministries—they are to handle this woman. Let this matter end today.”

Hearing this, Zhu Zhi frowned in confusion and hesitated to ask:

“My lord, are we really just letting this go?”

“What else can we do? The Seventh Imperial Prince remains in the Heavenly Prison; the Ministry of Revenue is now leaderless, and the Minister is barely holding on amid the infighting among those princes.”

Gao Changrui sighed, a deep weariness settling on his face, and said:

“Everything must wait until the Seventh Imperial Prince’s matter is settled. Under these circumstances, siding with any faction would be unwise.”

As he spoke, he turned to Zhu Zhi and patted his shoulder:

“We must tread each step with caution—lose but one, and we fall into irredeemable ruin.”

“Remember: from now on, be extra careful in all matters. Go.”

Hearing this, Zhu Zhi nodded and said nothing more, turning to leave.

Gao Changrui also did not linger, walking out of the room at once.

But as he passed Zhang He, he kicked him hard:

“Get out of my sight!”

“Big Uncle, I’m wrong—I won’t dare speak out of turn again!”

Zhang He cowered, shouting as he scrambled away on hands and knees.

Yet the instant he turned his head, a faint, venomous malice flashed across his face.

…

The headquarters of the Six Ministries stood at the central axis of Zhu Que Street, its main gate triple-arched, with six doors total.

The towering crimson lintel, the bronze-cast gates, the stern martial lions standing before them—all radiated solemnity and deadly menace.

Every commoner passing by was awed into silence, keeping respectfully distant.

As one of the Three Great Institutions under the direct command of Emperor Yuanwu, the Six Ministries, besides pursuing bandits and investigating criminal cases, held the vital duty of overseeing all martial sects across the realm.

This granted it immense influence within both court and martial world.

Even among the martial clans, some enthusiasts called the Six Ministries the Fifth Great Sect—after the Four Great Sects of the martial world…

At this moment, Ji Feiyun dismounted before the Six Ministries’ main gate and strode inside with long, confident steps.

The constables on duty at the gate saluted; Zhou Chuan and Guo Ninger followed closely behind him.

Once inside the headquarters, Zhou Chuan, his face grim, spoke in a low voice:

“Chief, I messed this up—I accept any punishment.”

Ji Feiyun walked straight through the front courtyard without glancing aside, waving a hand:

“This isn’t your fault. Had it not been for Guan Shanxue, you might have succeeded.”

As he spoke, Ji Feiyun entered an official hall, sat down at a desk.

He swiftly wrote a letter, handed it to Guo Ninger standing before him, and said:

“Ninger, take this letter to Lin Zongguan at the Fifth Imperial Prince’s mansion.”

Then he scanned the three before him and said:

“After today’s incident, Gao Changrui will be on guard—don’t waste time on him for now.”

Here, Ji Feiyun paused in thought, then turned to Zhou Chuan:

“Can you follow someone for me?”

“Who, Chief?”

Zhou Chuan asked quickly—he excelled in hidden weapons and lightness skills, and was always the best at tracking.

Within the Six Ministries, he was known as “Meteor Leg”; Ji Feiyun entrusted him with tracking precisely because of these skills, and Zhou Chuan hoped to redeem himself.

“You saw the young man beside Cang Yin Yue today—I want you to follow him.”

Ji Feiyun spoke slowly; Zhou Chuan blinked, puzzled—why track a stranger with no apparent connection?

Ji Feiyun clearly saw his confusion, tapped the desk with a finger:

“Based on my years in the Six Ministries, I feel this man is no ordinary man. He was far too calm facing both Guan Shanxue and me.”

“I suspect he possesses not only strong martial cultivation, but also an extremely potent body technique.”

He shook his head, smiling:

“Then again, I’m doing this for Brother Fu’s sake—this man appears out of nowhere beside Cang Yin Yue, and he’s strikingly handsome. We can’t afford to ignore him.”

Hearing this, Guo Ninger covered her mouth and giggled, looking at Ji Feiyun:

“Chief, your bond with Brother Fu is like brothers. But someone as formidable and outstanding as Brother Fu is rare in this world—I think Cang Captain knows how to choose.”

“I hope so. Let’s pray she doesn’t do something foolish.”

Ji Feiyun’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he waved his hand:

“Enough. Go do your tasks.”

Hearing this, Zhou Chuan and Guo Ninger replied and turned to leave the hall.

The burly Cao Po scratched his head and spoke up:

“Chief, got any task for me?”

Ji Feiyun rose from behind the desk, his gaze sharpening:

“There is a task—and it’s a big one. Come with me to Jiguang Pavilion.”

At this, Cao Po’s face showed surprise:

“Did something happen at Jiguang Pavilion?”

He shook his head to himself:

“But the Heavenly Brocade Guard is stationed there—its defenses are tight. That shouldn’t be possible.”

Ji Feiyun sneered, walking toward the hall’s exit as he spoke:

“Last night, five people died suddenly at Jiguang Pavilion. The Heavenly Brocade Guard found no cause, so they handed it to us.”

“Originally, the Divine Captains ordered Brother Fu to go himself, but he’s tied up investigating another case—so it fell to me.”

At this, Cao Po hurried after him, eyes brightening:

“The entire capital is watching Jiguang Pavilion. If Chief solves this case, it won’t just be a great achievement—it’ll make you famous across the capital!”

Hearing this, Ji Feiyun’s eyes flashed with keen light, but he quickly shook his head:

“The Heavenly Brocade Guard isn’t useless. If even they can’t solve it, this case is likely far from simple.”

As Ji Feiyun spoke, the two had reached the headquarters courtyard.

But then Ji Feiyun suddenly stopped, turning toward the main gate.

Two constables were carrying a stretcher in haste—on it lay Guan Shanxue.

(End of Chapter)