Chapter 26: News of Ling Ye

Zhuge Ni and Liu Yanwei drove quickly to the farmhouse Ye Lin had visited earlier.

The place had been burned clean by Karma Fire, leaving even the ground a scorched brown.

"This... is indeed the aura of Karma Fire..." Zhuge Ni’s expression was one of shock and uncertainty.

Zhuge Ni was extremely sensitive to fire-type elements; the aura of this power was identical to that of Ling Ye in the novice secret realm at the time. The person who burned this place down was undoubtedly Ling Ye, but why would he do such a thing?

There are rules within the city; even Class-Advancers cannot kill at will inside the city walls. Otherwise, they will be arrested, and if the offense is severe enough, they may even be executed on the spot.

The Investigation Bureau is the organization responsible for maintaining order within the city. The scene had long since been cordoned off by the Bureau, and not long after the two arrived, a middle-aged investigator took the initiative to approach them.

"Miss Zhuge, Miss Liu, hello. I apologize for calling you over so late. My surname is Huang; you may call me Investigator Huang."

After introducing himself last night, Investigator Huang skillfully took out a pen and paper.

"I’ll get straight to the point. Miss Zhuge, you said that you previously saw a person named Ling Ye in the novice secret realm who could use Karma Fire and killed an eighth-level magic beast in a single strike, is that correct?"

"Yes," Zhuge Ni answered truthfully.

"Then can you find him?" Investigator Huang continued to press.

"I am also looking for him, but it’s as if he vanished into thin air; I simply cannot find him," Zhuge Ni said.

"Very well, then let’s change the question. Do you know Ye Lin?" Investigator Huang looked calmly into Zhuge Ni’s eyes, yet his gaze was filled with a firm power, as if it could pierce through a person’s psychological defenses.

"I know him, a coward who fears death," a flash of undisguised disgust crossed Zhuge Ni’s face.

"As of now, according to our Investigation Bureau’s findings, the probability that this Ye Lin is Ling Ye is very high," Investigator Huang said, continuing to stare at Zhuge Ni, hoping to find a breakthrough.

After all, Ye Lin is a high school graduate currently within the Ji Group; if they were to arrest him without sufficient evidence and it turned out to be the wrong person, they could not bear the consequences.

"Ye Lin and Ling Ye are the same person? Investigator Huang, don't joke with me," a sneer appeared on Zhuge Ni’s face. "That guy ran away right in front of me; he couldn't possibly be Ling Ye, and he doesn't know how to use any Karma Fire."

"Hmm? Are you that certain?" Investigator Huang frowned; this clearly did not align with the results of their investigation.

"Of course! I am the only person who has seen Ling Ye with my own eyes; he absolutely cannot be that coward Ye Lin!" Zhuge Ni said with absolute certainty.

Investigator Huang was silent for a moment, then picked up his pen and drew an 'X' over Ye Lin’s name.

He was also a Class-Advancer, with the life-class profession of [Lie Detector].

With his experience, interrogating someone like Zhuge Ni was effortless; he could be certain that every word Zhuge Ni had said so far was the truth.

If Ye Lin was not Ling Ye, then continuing to investigate this lead was a waste of time and entirely unnecessary.

Investigator Huang rubbed his brow with a headache; if Ling Ye was not Ye Lin, then the trail had gone completely cold. This fire had been burned too cleanly.

Moreover, it was Kensen’s territory that was burned, and those who died were all Kensen’s men. That guy Kensen refused to cooperate with their Investigation Bureau at all; they couldn't even confirm who the deceased were.

It seemed this would just become another cold case. The abilities of Class-Advancers are strange and varied, and every year there are several unsolved cases that cannot be cracked; Investigator Huang was already used to it.

"Miss Zhuge, thank you for your cooperation. Do you have any other leads you can provide?" Investigator Huang asked politely.

"No," Zhuge Ni shook her head.

Investigator Huang’s heart skipped a beat, because he detected an emotional fluctuation in Zhuge Ni at that statement. Zhuge Ni... was lying! She clearly knew some other information about that Ling Ye that she hadn't told him.

"Very well, thank you. You may go now," Investigator Huang said with a *click* as he lit a cigarette.

Although he knew Zhuge Ni was lying to him, there was nothing he could do. After all, this was Mr. Zhuge’s own daughter; in this world, sometimes the truth is not always needed.

Even if their Investigation Bureau really did catch that Ling Ye, if Zhuge Ni were to ask Zhuge Qianxing to step in and protect him, they would most likely have to choose to compromise in the end.

"Weiwei, hurry, I might be able to find Ling Ye soon!"

Zhuge Ni’s flushed little face was full of excitement.

"Huh? Then why didn't you tell Investigator Huang just now? Ling Ye killed dozens of people!" Liu Yanwei covered her small mouth in surprise.

"He must have had his reasons! I must find him and ask him clearly! Don't worry, if Ling Ye is truly a cold-blooded murderer, I definitely won't shield him!" Zhuge Ni said with a determined look in her eyes.

"Ni Ni... you are truly love-struck; you’re already thinking for him before you’re even together," Liu Yanwei’s mouth twitched.

"Don't talk nonsense! How could I be love-struck!" Zhuge Ni chased along a path; if Ye Lin were here, he would certainly have been able to tell that the path Zhuge Ni was taking was the exact escape route he had used after killing the black-hearted boss, Manager Wang, and the others.

"Ni Ni, how exactly are you going to find him?" Liu Yanwei, following behind, couldn't help but ask.

"I am extremely sensitive to the aura of fire elements. Although a day or two has passed, I can still sense the faint aura left behind by the Karma Fire!" Zhuge Ni’s eyes were full of excitement; in all of Qingcheng, she was the only one—an SSS-rank fire mage—who could sense it.

It was fortunate that it hadn't rained in the last two days, otherwise Zhuge Ni would have been helpless. She felt very lucky, thinking this must be a fate ordained by the heavens.

Zhuge Ni tracked the residual Karma Fire aura left by Ye Lin all the way into the slums.

In the slums, where sewage flowed and trash was everywhere, Zhuge Ni and Liu Yanwei, two girls dressed in elegant long dresses, appeared completely out of place.

The two couldn't help but frown; it was the first time in their lives they had seen such a dirty and wretched place.

During this time, some lecherous men with greedy looks wanted to make a move on them, but after Zhuge Ni threw a fireball at them, no one dared to harbor any ideas about them anymore; Class-Advancers were not people ordinary folks could afford to provoke.

The two walked and stopped, and soon Zhuge Ni stopped in front of Ye Lin’s house.

"The aura of the Karma Fire disappeared in this house. It seems this is Ling Ye’s home."

Zhuge Ni looked excitedly at the door in front of her; the Ling Ye she had been thinking of day and night was behind this door!

She wanted to go up and knock, but couldn't help but pause her steps, tidying up her clothes and hair, before looking at Liu Yanwei to ask.

"Weiwei, is my makeup ruined?"

"No, you look beautiful," Liu Yanwei said with a huff.

"That’s good, that’s good!"

Zhuge Ni took several deep breaths, then gathered her courage to walk forward, knocking on Ye Lin’s door with a heart pounding like a startled deer.