Chapter 253: The Daily Life of a Genius: Cross-Rank Challenges

As a genius, how can you not challenge higher-level opponents? Congratulations, host, on completing your first cross-rank challenge. Though such feats will become routine, do not grow complacent because of them.

Completing cross-rank challenge task: reward calculation in progress.

Task rating: A.

Obtained 40 achievement points!

Achievement points reached 100: reward acquisition in progress.

You have been drawn into the whirlpool of the martial world, gained a rare opportunity, and thus embarked upon an extraordinary journey through the martial realm.

Martial art upgraded: Dragon and Elephant True Qi Power has replaced Six Dragon Cuts!

Young hero, begin your perfect journey through the martial world!

Li Rui was a mere peasant; though the Peace Guard had many martial arts, such high-tier techniques required monumental merits—unattainable by ordinary means, impossible to buy with gold or silver.

In one, look `'

This is now the best excuse to mobilize troops.

Undoubtedly, it maximizes benefits for everyone involved.

Liang He added.

The situation was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated.

"I heard that Official Chai of the Ministry of Justice's Inspection Bureau has arrived in Qinghe to gather evidence; a conclusion should come soon."

All four remained silent.

With Zhu Renhe's death, he was directly elevated to a third-rank official.

Zhu Renhe, a traitor of the Ghost Ming Sect, had now become a loyal minister who died for the state—and even received a noble title.

Chai Jingong? Li Rui hadn't expected that this investigation would again fall to Chai Jingong.

If this martial art spread, it would spark fierce competition among countless cultivators, rivaling even the core techniques of major sects.

Chai Jingong waved his hand.

Liang He and Liu Tong stood before Li Rui's bed, speaking one after the other.

Yan Zhongxing squinted slightly: "It must have been the remnants of the previous dynasty."

Chai Jingong gazed at his familiar office environment.

He longed to settle the case immediately—perhaps he could even fill the vacant position of County Magistrate.

He recalled that the recent rebels from the Southern Frontier's Qi clan and the Ghost Ming Sect both bore that surname.

To be killed by his own uncle—how could he close his eyes in peace?

Creating a martial art requires not only insight but also a high cultivation base.

This technique perfectly leverages his innate Dragon and Immortal forms, offering both offense and defense.

They had come together today to hear Li Rui's thoughts on the matter.

Li Rui secretly chuckled.

In his view,

They chatted for a long while, their every word implying that Zhu Renhe must have been killed by someone from the Southern Frontier Qi clan.

His expression turned grave; his nostrils flared repeatedly.

"Master..."

When he heard the name of Yuan Viceroy, he knew the framing had succeeded.

Blame Zhu Renhe's death on the Southern Frontier Qi clan.

Those men were willing to believe Zhu Renhe had been slain by the Qi clan rebels.

Upon hearing Chai Jingong's words, the young official froze, disbelieving.

Impossible to fake.

The other three were all top fifth-rank officials in Qinghe; Zhong Zheng had come because, with Zhu Renhe dead, he was expected to oversee affairs.

Chai Jingong sighed inwardly at the sight of his disciple's expression.

After all, Qi Deviation was something Cao Wei had witnessed firsthand.

【Age: 10】

He couldn't help glancing at the corpse of Zhu Renhe behind him.

He simply stared silently at the blood-red "Qi" character on the ground.

Dying for someone else's case was not worth it.

"Old Zheng, finish the corpse examination and issue your findings—no more delays."

Chai Jingong immediately turned away, unwilling to look again.

Li Rui silently thanked Zhu Renhe once more.

Dragon and Elephant True Qi Power? In the next instant.

Hearing the young official's call, Chai Jingong snapped back to awareness.

The Peace Guard soldiers had only just discovered Zhu Renhe's corpse in the forest outside the city, along with the "Qi" character on the ground.

They were the two Zhu family youths Zhu Renhe had just killed.

After all, the Qi clan were fools—otherwise they wouldn't constantly babble about restoring the old dynasty.

It was sheer contempt for them.

'I'm truly kind.'

Zhu Renhe had been missing for three days; it was his personal attendants in the government office who first noticed something was wrong, then the government and Peace Guard launched a full search for the County Magistrate.

Until today.

'Injury upon injury.'

Li Rui's eyes lit up.

'Died a worthy death.'

In just a few years.

He cleaned the bodies of the two young Zhu men to erase all traces of the Zhu family.

No one else could possibly link the killer of Zhu Renhe to him—a sixth-rank old man who had suffered Qi Deviation.

"Master, did I overlook anything?"

The righteous magistrate of Qinghe was dead.

The young official looked confused, bewildered.

Soon.

If he remembered correctly, the last time he came to Qinghe, it was this very place.

Chai Jingong took a deep breath and slowly stood up: "The killer is the Southern Frontier Qi clan. Physical evidence is already in hand. This is an affront to our dynasty. Gather all evidence—I will submit it."

It was simply to give Zhu Renhe's death a reason everyone could accept.

News that County Magistrate Zhu Renhe had died at the hands of barbarian rebels spread like wildfire.

Li Rui waved to Liang He and Liu Tong: "I'm tired. Let's discuss this later."

Or perhaps it was the will of the one on the dragon throne.

The former dynasty's imperial family bore that surname.

That kind of elixir could suppress injuries temporarily, but the wounds would then rebound with even greater ferocity.

Last time Gao Zhen died, wasn't it Chai Jingong who investigated?

He went to the woods beside the road, where two headless corpses lay, their severed heads still open-eyed, refusing to die in peace.

'Immortal Weapon!'

Surely, the ruler of the dragon court also wished to see this outcome—after all, even Grand General Yuan had come to Yunzhou.

Of course, this was merely an honorary title with no real power; the key was the hereditary viscountcy, which would greatly benefit the Zhu family.

But Cao Wei, Yan Zhongxing, and Zhong Zheng had all declared this before even beginning their investigation—clearly, each had ulterior motives.

Faces filled with eager concern.

After both men had spoken, County Deputy Zhong Zheng finally added: "I agree. These Qi clan remnants of the old dynasty are clearly provoking our dynasty's authority!"

It saved him at least ten years of work.

Was this really the case?

"County Magistrate Zhu Renhe died in the line of duty, slain by barbarian rebels. It is a great sorrow for the state. His Majesty, in mourning, posthumously promotes him to Third-Rank Vice Minister of Rites and grants him the title of Viscount."

Investigating the case was a pretense; secretly inserting influence into Wu's internal affairs was the real goal.

But all of this paled beside the killing of Zhu Renhe.

【Name: Li Rui】

How could he defy his master's will?

Li Rui did not let his recovery delay his cultivation.

Even if the Zhu family was likely tied to the Ghost Ming Sect, involving them now would be unwise.

Such an arcane technique was beyond Li Rui's current realm—he could never comprehend it, no matter how high his insight.

"Dragon and Elephant True Qi Power"

Hearing the old coroner's words.

Watching, watching.

Soon he fell asleep.

Only then could Zhu Renhe's death be truly worth it.

He nearly lost his life.

【Technique: Changchun Art, Dragon Soaring Through Nine Heavens Map, Dragon-Elephant True Qi Force】

"Killers generally fall into two categories: one driven by hatred—passion killings, revenge killings; the other for profit." The Dreaming Immortal's Realm excels in this regard—external influences can all be ignored here.

The Qi family killed a county magistrate of Qinghe and left a character on the ground, claiming responsibility.

He could tell it was all due to the will of Director Yuan.

"Looks like this old bones needs ten days to half a month of rest."

As for the Immortal Blade, he had already returned it to Tie Kuang.

Why is Master acting so out of character today?

On the very day he departed from Yunzhou, someone came to his door.

He then turned and left.

【Achievement: 20/100】

A tidal wave of information surged into Li Rui's mind.

He then left, satisfied.

Of all people, only Tie Kuang might have guessed the truth behind Zhuang Renhe's murder.

"Qi!" Jiang Lin, Cao Wei, Yan Zhongxing, and Assistant Magistrate Zhong Zheng.

The veteran coroner from the Ministry of Justice let out a surprised sound.

As soon as he finished speaking.

A series of images surfaced before his eyes.

Upon hearing Li Rui's words.

"An upper-tier technique!"

How audacious! After killing someone, they even left their name.

"My disciple, is this really just about solving a case?"

The Dragon-Elephant True Qi Force was forged by synthesizing all his techniques upon the foundation of Six Dragon Slashes, elevating the martial realm by a great margin.

His qi deviation was real; that he regained peak combat power last night was only possible through a spirit pill that drained his body's vitality.

They were from Annan Town.

"Yes, Master Chai."

They all silently agreed not to publicize the matter—this involved a fifth-rank imperial official; the fewer who knew, the better.

"It's fine, it's fine."

Anning Guard borders the Southern Frontier; Cao Wei had repeatedly sought to cross the border under the guise of cross-border trade.

Li Rui lay on the bed with his eyes tightly shut.

Ten years ago, when he was still a Ministry of Justice Assistant Secretary, he handled a case.

He never imagined he would live to see an Immortal Weapon kill again.

Now the whole city is buzzing with rumors.

He decided to bury every detail he had seen today deep inside himself.

"Yes, I heard His Majesty was furious and has ordered Director Yuan southward."

Moreover, this technique was derived from his own martial arts and perfectly suited his body.

Let's just say peak condition.

At this moment.

Then he hesitated and said:

"Master? Master?"

Chai Jinggong stared deeply at the corpse.

Few people knew about this matter.

If not for his pressure, Li Rui's nature would never have led him to challenge a higher-rank opponent in youthful arrogance.

Challenging a higher-rank opponent is never wise—why not just wait until you're stronger and crush them outright? But precisely because of this, he gained the martial art.

He had already become a pillar of the Qinghe Branch of the Ministry of Justice's Criminal Affairs Office.

"This is terrible, terrible."

A moment later.

Li Rui felt the martial essence of the Dragon-Elephant True Qi Force, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The case appeared this way on the surface, but the truth could only be known after investigation.

Of course, to a lowly Ministry of Justice Secretary like him, it was all the same.

Turned the two corpses into pools of water, until they seeped into the ground with no trace left.

Was it truly to defend the nation? No—it was to amass wealth for the Fifth Imperial Prince.

Otherwise, the scene wouldn't be like this. The ones who came should have been officials like the Vice Minister of Justice.

Without him, how could Zhuang Renhe have reached the peak of his life—even if it was a cliff's edge?

He sat cross-legged atop a cloud, the martial essence of the Dragon-Elephant True Qi Force rising in his mind.

The room soon held only Li Rui.

Where has his teacher, who always investigates every case, gone?

"So we only need to examine those who held a grudge against Master Zhuang, or who would profit from his death, to find the killer!"

That's possible.

A young Ministry of Justice official was speaking confidently, certain he could solve the case.

Though the killer is already known, analyzing the weapon is still satisfying.

The two halves of Zhuang Renhe.

Liu Tong relayed the information he had gathered.

"Master, the Qi clan of the Southern Frontier is truly insane—they've even killed a county magistrate."

As for Yan Zhongxing, it's much the same—the Trade Office has long suffered harassment from the Southern Frontier Qi clan; now this is a perfect pretext to cross the border and strike back.

After regaining consciousness, he found himself in the Dreaming Cloud Terrace; Li Rui's body showed no sign of injury whatsoever—he looked vigorous and full of life.

The victim was a renowned martial artist, killed by an Immortal Weapon; since that day, the weapon's aura had been etched into his mind.

Martial arts created by a Land Immortal are undoubtedly stronger than those of ordinary cultivators—this is nearly a given.

The Dragon-Elephant True Qi Force saved him an immense amount of effort.

Cao Wei's face darkened: "Was it the remnants of the Wu Kingdom's Qi clan?"

Still silence.

Zhong Zheng was even simpler.

So he deliberately left Zhuang Renhe's corpse and the character "Qi" on the ground—to divert suspicion elsewhere.

Chai Jinggong gazed at Zhuang Renhe's case file, filled with emotion.

Li Rui leaned back comfortably.

Liang He and Liu Tong both obediently murmured "Oh."

【Talent: Martial Bone, Extraordinary Comprehension, Insightful Eyes, Dreaming Immortal's Realm, Anti-Demon Victory】

Secretary Chai Jinggong appeared distracted.

The veteran coroner nodded, packed up, and left.

Li Rui pulled out Corpse-Dissolving Water from his robe.

But under Chai Jinggong's gaze, he could only submit.

"How truly fated."

Though he may never become a Secretary, with Chai Jinggong's patronage, becoming an Assistant Secretary won't be difficult.

Hmm.

Chai Jinggong looked earnestly at his young disciple: "Ah Hua, especially you—remember, this case ends here. Write the official report carefully. Remember, remember!"

Of course, he didn't expect Cao Wei, Jiang Lin, or the others to believe him—belief didn't matter; willingness did.

He remembered meeting this County Magistrate Zhuang when he first came to Qinghe; he never imagined their next meeting would be as a corpse—split in two.

This matter is now settled.

The young official was his student, exceptionally skilled at solving cases.

Perfect!

Though somewhat disappointed, they all withdrew together.

"Master Chai, the corpse was cleaved by an extremely sharp weapon—likely a blade."

Jiang Lin: "I also believe it was the Qi clan. This is a grave insult to His Majesty."

His disciple shared his own stubborn nature—once a case arose, he fixated on it. That's why he had offered extra advice.

Clearly.

Out of professional instinct, Chai Jinggong leaned in to take a look.

Jiang Lin's heart stirred slightly.

Chai Jinggong's pupils contracted slightly.

Only a being above Land Immortal could possess an Immortal Weapon.

Land Immortal!

It was none of his business.

"Life is most important."

(End of chapter)