Chapter 469

"General Ling?" Zhongsun Mou's gaze narrowed slightly. "The military order has been issued. You should be on your way to the front line right now; why are you still lingering in Zhitian Township?"

"None of your..." General Ling originally wanted to spit in his face, but suddenly remembering this fellow's authority, he forcibly changed his tone. "I will arrive within the deadline; there is still plenty of time!" Zhongsun Mou could not directly arrest him, but if a letter of denunciation were sent to the Red Yan capital, it would also be very disgusting.

So he quickly changed the subject: "The victims were also soldiers of my Flying Field Army; I want an explanation! Where is the culprit, what is their status, and how will they be dealt with, eh?"

"The case is not yet closed, and confidential information must not be leaked; this is the rule." Zhongsun Mou said indifferently, "General Ling, go fight your war with peace of mind. When the time comes, Lingxu City will notify the Red Yan Kingdom, and you will have your answer."

How could General Ling be willing to leave? By the time he returned from the front line, it would be at least several months later, and the opportunity would have long since passed.

He did not trust this "Inspector" from the bottom of his heart.

He Lingchuan spoke up to relieve him: "Before I came, the Crown Prince demanded that I investigate this to the end and ensure that the final result—not this—" he pointed to the gold slip in the guard's hand, "—is delivered to his hands. If you have any questions, go find the Crown Prince; I cannot stop halfway here."

Zhongsun Mou was offended and was about to retort, when someone suddenly walked in from outside the courtyard gate and exclaimed "Oh my" upon seeing the scene.

This was an old man in his fifties, with hair and beard half-white, carrying two oil-paper packages in his hands.

The group of fierce and wicked characters in the courtyard made him turn around and flee.

But how could the crowd let him go? Zhongsun Mou's guard rushed out, grabbed him by the shoulder, and dragged him back.

A probe with true energy revealed that he was just an ordinary person.

Without waiting for a stern interrogation, the old man confessed.

It turned out he was a servant responsible for taking care of this place. The owner, Mr. Mai, only came three or four times a year, staying no more than ten days each time before leaving, after which the courtyard would become completely quiet. He usually swept the floor, tended the flowers, and prepared some small dishes to go with his wine; life was quite pleasant.

When asked what Mr. Mai did, the old man said he wasn't very clear, probably a merchant. Because whenever Mr. Mai came, guests would visit every few days, sometimes several groups in a single day.

These people would enter the study and sit down, and once Mr. Mai closed the door, not even a sound could be heard.

General Ling asked him: "Did you never think of eavesdropping at the wall?" Although these people were engaged in shady business, they likely set up a barrier when discussing matters.

"No. Mr. Mai even praised me, saying my greatest virtue was having no curiosity."

Zhongsun Mou also spoke up: "Do you know Mr. Mai's full name?"

"I'm not clear; he never mentioned it."

"What does he do here?"

"Uh, most of the time he just reads books and drinks tea in the study. Occasionally he goes out, but then I don't know where he goes."

He Lingchuan asked him: "This time, how many days did Mr. Mai stay?"

"Five days... no, six days."

"Then where is he now?"

"I don't know." The old man looked bewildered. "Logically, he should be at home; Mr. Mai likes to take a nap in the afternoon."

However, when He Lingchuan arrived, the courtyard was already empty.

Did Mr. Mai smell danger and flee in advance?

But He Lingchuan's sudden interrogation of Wan Dahu took very little time, and then he rushed to Shuanglu Town without stopping; the difference in time was only two quarter-hours. How could Mr. Mai have known in advance?

Who leaked the news, and when? Zhongsun Mou asked a couple more questions, and seeing that no useful information could be extracted from the old man, he waved his hand for someone to take him away to provide a verbal description for a portrait.

The unexpected appearance of this old man gave both sides present a moment of respite.

Zhongsun Mou looked at He Lingchuan and was about to speak when the fierce tiger Jiao Yu spoke first: "Lord Zhongsun, I suggest we investigate the case together; that is the only way to concentrate our advantages."

He Lingchuan smiled: "Either we investigate until the truth is revealed, or you send a letter to the Red Yan monarch right now and have the Crown Prince recall me."

General Ling said loudly: "That's right! You are standing on Red Yan soil; you want to forcibly expel the Crown Prince's special envoy? You must first ask if we agree!"

He Lingchuan glanced at him.

This General Ling appeared reckless on the outside, but he was actually a very cooperative partner.

General Ling's meaning was that even if you don't agree, it won't work; the token can only bluff others, but I will still beat you out.

Smart people are most afraid of those who are completely unreasonable.

Zhongsun Mou was also calculating rapidly in his heart at this moment.

He had a deep grudge against Fushan Yue, so naturally, he would not be polite to his subordinates.

This so-called Crown Prince's special envoy was being stubborn and refusing to comply, which Zhongsun Mou found ridiculous. That is simply seeking death; there will be plenty of opportunities later, and if I don't send him away, I'll make him the scapegoat.

Therefore, he pondered for a moment, and his expression softened: "Exchanging information is fine; that way, we have something to report upwards. What clues have you obtained there?"

Zhongsun Mou's attitude suddenly softened, and He Lingchuan became even more vigilant.

When he himself wanted to play dirty, he also liked to suppress first and then raise.

But on the surface, he still had to take the opportunity to step down and soften his stance: "I have investigated several cases of missing demons here, including General Ling's juniors. In the last half-year, dozens of demons have gone missing in the central and northern parts of Red Yan, which is similar to the Lingxu City messenger case."

"You mean, there is a culprit hunting demons on a large scale, and the Lingxu City messenger was just accidentally killed?"

"Secret hunting." He Lingchuan corrected him, "Wan Dahu of Zhitian Township has already confessed that he and his nephew conspired to kill demons and take their pearls."

"Take pearls?" Zhongsun Mou frowned, "What pearls?"

He Lingchuan cut off the conversation: "Lord Zhongsun, it's your turn."

Zhongsun Mou let out a long breath: "I investigated down from the north, not limited to within Red Yan territory. Several bird demons saw with their own eyes a Bai Jiandiao fly under a cliff to avoid the rain, but it didn't seem to come out after dawn. I questioned them repeatedly, but they didn't dare to confirm. Later, I collected evidence under the cliff, and the evidence ultimately pointed to Shuanglu Town in Zhitian Township, which is... here!"

General Ling interjected: "And then this fellow surnamed Mai got wind of it and fled in advance."

Zhongsun Mou was offended: "General Ling, watch your words."

"I just want to know, what do we do now?" General Ling was a pragmatist, "He's already run away; how can this case be investigated further?"

"Issue a bounty and wanted notice for this fellow surnamed Mai." Zhongsun Mou said, "The portrait will be out soon, and it must be posted in nearby townships. With so many eyes watching in the sky and on the ground, it will be very difficult for him to escape."

This is the Demon Kingdom, after all; those watching the bounty are not just humans, but all kinds of demons. Whether you are eating or squatting in the latrine, you never know which corner might have a pair of non-human eyes silently watching you; it is impossible to guard against.

He walked out leisurely, taking only one guard, and said to He Lingchuan: "I have some more information; follow me."

There was a big hole in the study door, so naturally, it was not suitable for discussing secrets.

He Lingchuan and Jiao Yu looked at each other and followed him to the main house.

General Ling, of course, followed as well.

He was about to instruct the two Drilling Wind Beast guards to watch the study, but before the words could leave his mouth, He Lingchuan, as if he had foresight, patted his long neck and whispered: "Don't worry about anything."

General Ling actually swallowed his words and silently followed him into the main house.

Zhongsun Mou closed the door himself and even set up a barrier before whispering: "This case must be handled to the Emperor's satisfaction."

The Emperor is the master of Lingxu City, the Demon Emperor who rules the entire Beijia Empire.

Therefore, the weight of this sentence was very heavy.

He Lingchuan heard the implication in his words: "Then how would the Emperor be satisfied?"

"The timing of this case is suspicious; the Emperor believes it was the work of foreign spies." Zhongsun Mou looked at He Lingchuan and said, "But the conclusion you analyzed clearly has nothing to do with this."

"The Lingxu City messenger was killed because someone was secretly hunting small, scattered demons? Pfft, how can such a conclusion convince the Emperor?"

If the Son of Heaven doesn't believe it was an accident, then they, as subordinates, will be the ones to suffer.

He Lingchuan humbly asked for advice: "Then how does Lord Zhongsun think this matter should be handled?"

"We must still dig deep and investigate in this direction." Zhongsun Mou said sternly, "If it were really as you say, that the Bai Jiandiao just encountered an accident, then the person behind the scenes should have ceased operations and gone into hiding after knowing they had mistakenly killed a Lingxu City messenger; at the very least, they should have waited for this period of scrutiny to pass. How could they continue to commit crimes one after another, and become even more eye-catching, allowing you to find clues?"

This kid had a foul mouth, making it sound as if the clues they found were all handed over by the person behind the scenes on a silver platter. General Ling's mouth moved, but a "mother-f***er" was ultimately swallowed back down.

He Lingchuan, however, felt a stir in his heart. What Zhongsun Mou said was not without reason, but he still said: "Perhaps there was a disconnect between the upper and lower levels, and Wan Song did not grasp the intentions of the person behind the scenes; or perhaps the task assigned from above was too heavy, and they were harboring wishful thinking."

For an organization to convey orders from top to bottom and ensure they are carried out is actually a very difficult thing. It is perfectly normal for confusion, entanglement, and disorder to appear in the middle, not to mention that both the upper and lower levels have their own selfish motives, and their interests collide.

The larger the organization, the greater the deviation.

The upper levels feel they have everything under control and think that their words will be followed, but the shrimp soldiers and crab generals below, when executing, can mess it up and ruin it for you.

Good intentions leading to bad results often stem from this.

General Ling stared: "Lord Zhongsun, if you insist on saying it was the work of spies, then only people from Lingxu City knew the Bai Jiandiao's flight route! If you don't go back to Lingxu City to investigate thoroughly, what is the use of always wandering around inside Red Yan?"

"There are already people investigating in Lingxu City." Zhongsun Mou said quickly, "The Bai Jiandiao disappeared in Red Yan, after all. Even if its itinerary was leaked in Lingxu City, the shooting down was executed within Red Yan territory. Find the culprit, and the difficulty will resolve itself."

He asked He Lingchuan: "You said Wan Dahu's nephew Wan Song is the culprit; where is this person now?"

"I don't know." He Lingchuan said briskly, "Since you were able to find Buffalo Lane, I was hoping you would also be able to find the culprit's whereabouts."

"Whether it's the Bai Jiandiao or General Ling's juniors, they all disappeared near Zhitian Township." Zhongsun Mou lifted his chin, "The culprit likes to haunt this area; why not use Wan Dahu as bait to lure him out?"

"That is exactly my intention." He Lingchuan smiled, "Then Lord Zhongsun, why not hurry back to Youtian Town? The news that Wan Dahu is under our control must not be leaked, otherwise Wan Song will not take the bait."

(End of chapter)