Chapter 512

After another quarter of an hour, the bell sound stopped. The sixteen bells stopped simultaneously, and the room suddenly fell into silence.

That thing had finally left.

After breakfast, his spirit was refreshed, and He Lingchuan said while chewing on a toothpick: "Let's go, let's go have tea."

This time, they went to the Xiang Mansion.

Although Xiang Yan had taken the immortality pill, he was eighty-four years old this year. The immortality pill wasn't a true immortality pill; he was like other old people, sleeping lightly and waking up early.

The entire Xiang Mansion woke up with him, and the servants were sweeping the courtyard.

Xiang Yan himself was feeding two red-beaked pearl birds.

Although these two were bird demons, their size was even smaller than ordinary ones of the same kind. They hopped between the branches, and their posture and feather color were very beautiful.

The morning sun was rising, the heat hadn't caught up yet, and Xiang Yan's mood was also very good.

At this time, a servant came to report: "Master, the Crown Prince's special envoy is here."

Xiang Yan's hand shook, and a dozen grains of millet fell to the ground; the sparrows on the treetops flew down to peck at them.

Why was the Crown Prince's special envoy here again? Xiang Yan suddenly didn't want to feed them anymore, threw the small bucket aside, and was in a daze for a while.

"Master?" The servant on the side spoke up.

Only then did Xiang Yan straighten his clothes, let out a breath, and stepped toward the main hall.

The servant had already invited the special envoy to the hall for tea.

The tea at the Xiang Mansion was very good. He Lingchuan drank one cup and was refilling the second when he saw Old Man Xiang walking over from the back.

"I've come to bother you again, I hope Old Xiang won't blame me."

"The special envoy is willing to grace me with his presence; my humble abode is honored, and I couldn't be happier." Xiang Yan had been an official in the court for decades; insincere words came easily to him, only overflowing with enthusiasm, never revealing any stiffness, "Have you, have you had breakfast?"

He Lingchuan looked at him and smiled: "Just had it, it was that salty porridge you introduced; the heat was just right, truly worthy of being an old shop."

After the two exchanged pleasantries, He Lingchuan said: "The daylight is just right, shall we go for a walk in the garden?"

Xiang Yan naturally had no objections.

The two strolled into the garden, talking as they walked.

"I heard that Old Xiang is a native of Baishawan?"

"That's right, lived here for decades, from childhood to old age; even when I was an official in the court, I had to come back a few times every year."

He Lingchuan smiled and asked the key point: "Has the Cen family also been in Baishawan for many years?"

"Cen family, which Cen family?" Xiang Yan's heart skipped a beat. The special envoy was going to provoke the Cen family next, wouldn't he?

"Cen Boqing."

"His family, his family is related by marriage to the Great Minister of Agriculture of Lingxu City!" The implication was that the officials and dignitaries of Baishawan didn't want to offend his family.

He Lingchuan seemed not to understand: "Right, so the Cen family also lives here long-term?"

"Baishawan's scenery is beautiful, and Cen Boqing brings his family here every year, that is, the eldest daughter of the Great Minister of Agriculture of Beijia. Every time she comes here, everyone goes to pay their respects, and it's also when the Cen family's threshold is worn down by visitors. However, she didn't come this year."

Xiang Yan said this and coughed lightly: "Special Envoy, I heard that there are some misunderstandings between you and the Inspector?"

The Crown Prince's special envoy had snatched a wanted criminal from Lingxu City from the Inspector's hands! When Xiang Yan heard this news the day before yesterday, he didn't know what to say for a moment.

So it turned out that after the special envoy threw the Inspector's face on the ground and stomped on it a few times that day, he came to find him, Old Man Xiang.

Truly honored.

He Lingchuan smiled: "There are some misunderstandings, they will be cleared up soon."

Once the truth of the case is cleared up, there will be no misunderstandings, only a definite outcome.

Xiang Yan couldn't help but sigh: "It's one thing to have misunderstandings with the Inspector, but the Cen official, the Cen Mansion... even if the Crown Prince came, he would have to show respect."

He Lingchuan looked at him and said: "In the list you gave me a few days ago, why wasn't the Cen Mansion included?"

Last time he came to ask Xiang Yan, inquiring about the residents in the northwest corner of Baishawan, how many were from Lingxu City and had a good relationship with the Zhongsun family.

Xiang Yan told him five, and the Cen Mansion wasn't among them.

"Although the Cen family and the Zhongsun family were both officials in Lingxu City, they didn't have much interaction. During the years I was assigned to Lingxu City, their two families even had some small unpleasantness." Xiang Yan stroked his long beard, "However, I've been back in Red Yan for more than twenty years, and I'm not very clear if the relationship between the two families has improved; no one in the city mentions it usually."

He knew it was useless to play dumb now, so he asked directly: "Special Envoy, have you really found out that the Cen family is involved in the case?"

He Lingchuan nodded: "All clues point to the Cen Mansion."

"Is the evidence conclusive?"

"Still missing key evidence." He Lingchuan sighed, "To be honest, I caught two of his family's guards. Those two were here to kill to silence me, but I intercepted them."

Xiang Yan shook his head: "Two guards aren't enough to convict."

"Old Xiang is a sensible person." He Lingchuan said solemnly, "I am missing a piece of evidence that can directly link the case to the Cen family."

The tiger Jiao Yu said on the side: "Mr. Mai."

"Mr. Mai is certainly an option, but he is currently missing, and it seems he doesn't intend to show his face again." He Lingchuan shook his head, "I don't know if it was the Cen Mansion or Zhongsun Mou who sent a Nightmare to kill me last night."

This didn't sound like a conventional method, and Xiang Yan was startled: "Are you still safe, Special Envoy?"

"Barely, didn't get killed." He Lingchuan sighed, "I tracked back, and it was Fan Sheng of the Unity Guard waiting there, who fought a great battle with me without a word. This person is very hard to fight, and he also has a giant bear brother named Fan, Fan..."

As soon as he mentioned the name Fan Sheng, Xiang Yan stood still and hissed through his teeth: "Fan Bao?"

"Right." He Lingchuan smiled, "Does Old Xiang know him too?"

"Not just know him! The Fan brothers of the Unity Guard are not simple. That you were able to return alive from Fan Sheng's hands is truly, truly..." Xiang Yan wanted to say he was lucky, but on second thought, this couldn't be all luck.

It seemed he had always underestimated this young special envoy.

"The Unity Guard is the southern garrison army of Lingxu City, responsible for the safety of the city south and surrounding areas, and has always been the elite of the elite selected from the Savage Dragon Army."

Having traveled in the Beijia Nation for so long, He Lingchuan had heard of the great name of the Savage Dragon Army.

That was one of the elite armies of Beijia.

"The three Fan brothers hold the three main positions in this army."

"Oh, wait a minute." He Lingchuan asked curiously, "Three brothers? I only saw Fan Sheng and Fan Bao last night."

"The Great Commander of the Unity Guard, that is, the eldest of the Fan brothers, is named Fan Long, who has outstanding military exploits and strong cultivation." Xiang Yan explained to him, "He and Fan Sheng are biological brothers; as for the giant bear Fan Bao, that is their sworn third brother, named by Fan Long himself."

"I said so, how could Fan Sheng look like a human." Humans and bears couldn't be biological brothers, right... maybe?

"Among the three brothers, Fan Long is the most powerful; this is recognized in the army. Fan Sheng's martial arts and cultivation were all taught by his elder brother." Xiang Yan looked at him, "It's not that I'm boosting others' morale, but Fan Long once killed the great demon Chifeng single-handedly. If Special Envoy He faces him, I'm afraid it will be ominous."

He Lingchuan scratched his head.

Fan Sheng was already very difficult to deal with; he didn't expect them to have an even more powerful elder brother.

If he beat the younger one, would he attract the older one later?

By the way, "What is the background of Chifeng?"

"It was a great demon that raided Xushan, said to have the bloodline of an ancient demon immortal. Some demons have always refused to submit to Beijia, and this was one of them. At that time, Lingxu City sent many people, but they couldn't take it down." Xiang Yan shook his head, "Fan Long's style is completely different from his two brothers; he is shrewd, ruthless, and worldly. People don't dare to offend such a person easily."

"Anyway, he didn't come." He Lingchuan was big-hearted, "It seems his status is high, and Zhongsun Mou can't invite him."

Xiang Yan didn't know what status meant and didn't intend to ask more: "Fan Long has his duties and won't leave Lingxu City easily."

"Then it's fine." He Lingchuan sighed and changed the subject, "Clues are hard to find; these dirty things have been cleaned up too well."

"Then why is the Special Envoy here today...?"

"Oh, I want to find another clue, and I wonder if Old Xiang can help."

Xiang Yan folded his hands: "Special Envoy, please speak."

This matter was becoming more and more tricky.

He Lingchuan said solemnly: "The progress of the case has been presented to the Crown Prince by Jiao Yu. The Crown Prince also wrote to me, saying that this matter must be investigated to the end, regardless of the other party's background or identity."

After speaking, he handed over Fu Shanyue's handwritten letter.

Xiang Yan respectfully took it and opened it to read word by word.

The content above was the attitude of the Red Yan Nation toward this matter: "Investigate to the end and do not tolerate those who cause chaos on the front lines and harm my demon people!"

The words were firm and decisive, without the ambiguity and careful wording common in official documents.

At the end was the Crown Prince's large red seal, very eye-catching.

After reading it, he returned it to He Lingchuan and said in a deep voice: "Old man understands, I will naturally cooperate fully, hoping not to fail the Special Envoy's trust."

Having been an old official for decades, Xiang Yan knew very well He Lingchuan's intention in gaining trust, which was to tell him not to be sneaky anymore.

But he had retired after all, and now he was an octogenarian old man with no power or influence.

He Lingchuan smiled: "Old Xiang just do your best, I just want to ask you to handle some things."

Xiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "Please instruct, I won't let a third person know."

This was the promise He Lingchuan wanted from him.

"The difficulty now is that we need to find a second piece of physical or testimonial evidence that can directly link to the Cen family."

"The curse master Cheng Yu who released the Nightmare?" The tiger Jiao Yu passed by a tree and couldn't help but grind its claws on it. This sandalwood was very precious, but Xiang Yan didn't mind, "Even if we can catch him, even if he can come out to testify, without physical evidence, it's useless."

Why did they send Cheng Yu to plot against He Lingchuan? It was because this method of killing in dreams had no evidence to check.

"He can at most be considered supporting evidence." He Lingchuan said slowly: "I think there is a candidate who is very suitable."

Xiang Yan showed worry instead: "The Special Envoy is surrounded by killing intent, please be careful."

He Lingchuan smiled; this old man clearly knew the situation in the city very well, but had pretended to be ignorant earlier.

Xiang Yan sighed again: "Fortunately, Cen Boqing's wife, the eldest daughter of the Great Minister of Agriculture of Lingxu City, is not in Baishawan, otherwise this case would be even harder to handle."

(End of chapter)