Chapter 70: Is My Great Perfection Saint Realm Something Shameful?

Pang Jin finished speaking and glanced at Court Eunuch Cui, his meaning clear.

Li Chen had Court Eunuch Cui lead everyone nearby away first.

He could read Pang Jin’s expression—it must be something important to report.

Court Eunuch Cui understood, closed the door as he left, and signaled the surrounding eunuchs to depart.

“Speak. What is it?” Li Chen set down the memorial and looked at Pang Jin.

“Your Majesty, Minister Feng has investigated for half a year with no progress. I’ve just taken office and already found a crucial missing person—with leads to follow. Does that seem normal?” Pang Jin said seriously.

“It’s just the two of us—speak plainly. I understand.” Li Chen gave him a look.

Don’t play cryptic games with me—we’re alone; you don’t need to speak in official jargon.

And I’m not foolish enough to let you slowly guide me to analyze it myself.

Pang Jin smiled awkwardly and recounted the full story.

He thought Fan Kui’s appearance was too sudden, and he’d left behind traceable leads.

If it were truly those who killed the Crown Prince, they would have erased all traces.

So he believed someone deliberately did this to lure him into investigating.

In other words, someone was setting a trap, waiting for him to step in.

That schemer might not be the one who killed the Crown Prince—they might be using the pressure you’ve placed on the Ministry of Justice to force it to follow the leads they provided, achieving their own goal.

So this scheme is a trap within a trap.

Therefore, he decided to continue following the leads for now, to see what the schemer truly intended.

To lower the schemer’s vigilance.

Then he would step out of this trap and set a new one.

In a few days, he would falsely claim to have found new leads—actually fabricated by himself.

Then the schemer would surely wonder: I left no trace—why are new leads appearing? Did the Crown Prince’s killers act?

The Crown Prince’s killers would also feel suspicious—who is impersonating them?

Thus, the two hidden factions would begin to suspect each other.

Even if both the schemer and the killers knew this might be a trap, they’d still send people to investigate.

Because these leads are unknown to both sides—they fear this unknown might truly expose them.

Then, by pre-positioning covert sentries, identifying those who shouldn’t have been at the scene, and tracking them, the net could truly be cast wide.

This was Pang Jin’s two birds with one stone strategy.

One must admit, to reach his rank while being a commoner, this man definitely had real skill.

Through Pang Jin’s explanation, Li Chen clearly understood his meaning.

The capital hides many factions; if they truly wanted to kill someone—like the Crown Prince or the late Emperor—they’d leave no trace.

Any lead that can be directly found is likely a ploy by a faction to frame another.

It’s also possible the lead was accidentally left behind or discovered before it could be cleaned up.

These are matters Pang Jin must consider—not Li Chen.

Those hidden in the shadows either make no move at all, leaving no opening,

or make a massive move—directly trying to kill you.

These are the hardest to guard against in the capital.

Li Chen didn’t even want to mock Xu Zifeng—such stupidity is so extreme even others are too lazy to deal with him, yet he thinks he’s hidden well.

He pretends to be humble, but he’s truly foolish.

Then again, this kind of arrogant stupidity might also be a way to survive.

“Do as you see fit. If you need anything, say so.”

Li Chen knew Pang Jin’s visit wasn’t just about this matter.

Because such a minor issue, he could handle himself—he has the authority to do so. If he came, it meant something was beyond his ability to resolve.

Hearing Li Chen say this, Pang Jin knelt again and asked: “Your humble servant dares to ask Your Majesty—what realm are you in?”

Li Chen replied: “Saint Realm Great Perfection.”

At this, Pang Jin’s pupils shrank sharply, his whole body trembling slightly.

What? Great Perfection?

Everyone assumed someone Li Chen’s age reaching the Saint Realm would be barely at the Early Stage.

Early Stage Saint Realm and Great Perfection Saint Realm are two entirely different things.

Could this news be any more shocking?

Great Perfection Saint Realm is also called the “One Step to Heaven” realm!

The strongest combat power beneath the Heavenly Immortal realm!

Cultivators below the Saint Realm, seeing Li Chen in battle mode, would at most know he was a Saint Realm cultivator—how could they know his exact realm?

Even Master Yu, a Saint Realm cultivator, could only sense Li Chen was stronger—he had no idea how much stronger, until they fought.

“Then I dare to ask once more—when needed, please let Your Majesty act personally.”

!

Originally, Pang Jin had planned that whoever killed Fan Kui, a Heavenly Abyss Realm Great Perfection cultivator, must be extremely powerful—possibly even a hidden Saint Realm cultivator.

Even if the Ministry of Justice uncovered it, handling it would be difficult.

So he wanted Li Chen to activate the Imperial Weapon.

The so-called Imperial Weapon is one of the Tian Ce Dynasty’s royal secrets.

It’s said the second emperor of Tian Ce failed his ascension and transformed his body into an “Imperial Weapon,” also called the Imperial Corpse; if future descendants faced crisis, they could activate it.

The Imperial Weapon has the strength of a Saint Realm cultivator.

The conditions to activate it are extremely strict—Pang Jin didn’t know the specifics.

He thought: if a Saint Realm cultivator truly hid in the capital and was discovered, he’d ask Li Chen to activate the Imperial Weapon for help.

Then he thought of Li Chen himself being a Saint Realm cultivator, and impulsively asked.

The answer terrified him.

That was Great Perfection Saint Realm!

Why bother activating the Imperial Weapon at all? Activating it might alert the enemy.

Just ask the Emperor to act directly.

Pang Jin was slowly beginning to understand why, after Li Chen became emperor, the Second Prince fled the capital overnight.

Why Li Chen dared openly declare war on the Northern Wang Ting—this was his confidence.

Great Perfection Saint Realm—Pang Jin couldn’t even imagine it.

As a loyal minister, Pang Jin felt his only pillar was the Emperor.

Now he felt this pillar was perhaps too solid.

No wonder Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan, that crafty old fox, had become so obedient—he must have thought the same as me.

“Alright. Let me know in advance if you need me to act.”

This fell within Li Chen’s “job scope”—of course he’d agree.

Only by resolving these issues could he sit comfortably.

“Rest assured, Your Majesty—I will not let a third person know.”

Hearing this, Li Chen’s lips twitched slightly.

Is my Great Perfection Saint Realm something shameful?

Why can’t a third person know?

Since reaching max level, I never planned to pretend.

But since Pang Jin said it, he must have his reasons—Li Chen let him handle it as he wished.

After Pang Jin left, Li Chen resumed reviewing memorials; once work ended, he’d go complete his quest.

On the other side, the Tianyan Divine Sect began major moves.

(End of Chapter)