Chapter 587

Linghu Qingqing called for a thorough investigation, and the entire Anyang city immediately sprang into action.

Countless scouts were dispatched, countless top-tier army scouts were dispatched, countless spies of the Forbidden Demon Hall were dispatched, and even those brave fellows on the market streets were, under the urging and driving of the officials' runners, forced to scurry about in disarray.

"Alive, one must see living people…… dead…… also must see living people!"

Linghu Qingqing's order is unreasonable, illogical, forcing his civil and military officials under him into utter chaos, unbearable.

If Silver Fish Child is still alive, she can naturally find living people.

If she is dead…… who can turn a dead person into a living person?

But Linghu Qingqing said, giving them only one day; if they cannot find any trace or clue of Silver Fish Child's disappearance…… then many people…… will not need to live.

In the garden where Silver Fish Child secretly resided, everyone responsible for guarding and serving her was reduced to bone fragments under Linghu Qingqing's single palm, yet their souls remained unharmed. Linghu Qingqing's privately cultivated adept, versed in soul secret arts, gathered all their souls and then carefully searched them bit by bit.

The shrill wails of the souls rang incessantly in the ears; Linghu Qingqing stood with hands behind his back, quietly waiting outside the interrogation chamber where souls were searched, awaiting the final result of the soul search.

For Silver Fish Child's safety, Linghu Qingqing had put great effort into preparing that garden. Inside, the various formations, prohibitions, exquisite little tricks, and those guards and maidservants were all elite troops painstakingly trained.

Linghu Qingqing firmly believes no one could silently take Silver Fish Child out of that garden.

In the entire Divine State of Great Jin, no one could silently take Silver Fish Child out of that garden…… because doing so is equivalent to clashing with Linghu Qingqing from afar; unless that person's strength, scheming, and the power and influence they command completely overwhelm Linghu Qingqing, how could it be possible?

But in the current Great Jin, whose strength surpasses Linghu Qingqing? Whose scheming is deeper? Whose power is greater? Whose influence is more unfathomable?

"It's impossible to find no clues…… if that's the case, it's your incompetence, it's your lack of genuine effort…… then you are guilty of a capital crime!" Linghu Qingqing stood with hands behind his back outside a row of interrogation chambers, behind him a crowd of civil and military officials kneeling on the ground.

Although he is merely the temporary Grand Marshal who controls the world's supreme authority in the Divine State of Great Jin, at this moment Linghu Qingqing already bears an air of a lone lord, lofty and exalted, with dragon's might shaking the world and all people bowing.

At least the dozens of civil and military officials kneeling behind him, who hold various great powers over the surrounding provinces, prefectures, and cities of Anyang City, feel a pressure several times stronger than that exerted by the former Sima Xian and Sima Fa.

Dozens of usually imposing civil and military officials knelt on the ground, their foreheads covered in cold sweat, dripping drop by drop onto the floor.

They could only hope that their subordinates would quickly find the woman called Silver Fish Child.

They realized Linghu Qingqing was serious; if they failed to find the person within a day, they might be torn apart by his own hands.

They suddenly felt an inexplicable, faint regret——as if the throne in the Nine Heavens Hall were occupied by a dim-witted ruler, everyday life would be far more comfortable than under a sage sovereign!

The entire court of civil and military officials have grown accustomed to the ways of a dim-witted ruler, who is actually easy to deceive, but Linghu Qingqing is too perceptive and decisive, his power and methods too strong, leaving the officials somewhat unable to bear it!

Imagine, if Linghu Qingqing were to become the Divine Emperor in the future, with the dignity and pressure he exudes today, with his swift and severe measures…… everyone's days would be hard to bear.

Outside Anyang City, amidst green mountains and clear waters, there is a small town.

In the town there is an estate, which owns nearly one hundred thousand mu of top-grade fertile spiritual soil, used exclusively to cultivate 'Heaven Yang Grass'. Heaven Yang Grass is a high-grade, pure-yang attribute mild spiritual herb; the Great Jin imperial family uses Heaven Yang Grass to raise 'Open Peace Sheep'.

Open Peace Sheep are creatures whose flesh contains pure, mild pure-yang attribute power, possessing great tonic effects for the body and nourishment for the complexion; each year only about thirty to fifty thousand can be marketed, exclusively supplied to the high-status female relatives of the Great Jin Divine State imperial family for consumption.

The estate's manager, Sima Xiu, is also a member of the Great Jin imperial family.

However, Sima Xiu's branch of the clan is too distant from the Sima lineage qualified to sit in the imperial city; after a few more generations, hardly any will remain eligible to be recorded in the imperial registry.

Nevertheless, being imperial family, the clan's arrangements for them are quite proper.

Sima Xiu inherited the position of estate manager from his father, diligently cultivating Heaven Yang Grass and conscientiously raising Open Peace Sheep; each year, aside from the regular tribute, he always has a few thousand Open Peace Sheep left in his hands.

Those one or two thousand Open Peace Sheep are the resources Sima Xiu can control, his capital.

Whether secretly sold to imperial relatives of insufficient rank, or outright sold to those bold merchant guilds, each Open Peace Sheep, thanks to its potent efficacy, can fetch a very good price.

Thanks to the resources exchanged from these Open Peace Sheep, Sima Xiu not only lives comfortably himself, having reached the Fetus Storage realm before a hundred years of age, but also his three sons, nine somewhat mischievous grandsons, and twenty-one not particularly outstanding great-grandsons all possess considerable cultivation.

Not enough compared to those above, more than enough compared to those below.

For such a cadet branch of the imperial clan, having two of the twenty-one great-grandsons condense a divine fetus already makes Sima Xiu extremely satisfied.

Following the usual path, if these sons and grandsons dare to go to the battlefield for a stint, earn some merit, upon return they could at least obtain a fief, even if it's the lowest ninth-rank baron, which would come with thousands of li of territory—surely better than idling away on this estate?

However, recently the situation in Anyang City has suddenly changed.

Sima Xiu received news that the imperial clansmen inside Anyang City had suddenly been 'protected' in a hidden place outside the city, while those high-and-mighty clansmen within the city have vanished en masse, whole families disappearing.

Sima Xiu felt uneasy, faintly harboring some extremely dreadful suspicions.

However, his bloodline has become extremely diluted as a cadet branch…… Sima Xiu secretly reckoned that perhaps there would be no trouble after all?

Even if that former Left Minister, now the Grand Marshal, wanted to do something to the Sima imperial clan, what threat could a cadet branch like him pose?

Or perhaps he should early on lead his family to flee Anyang?

As Sima Xiu hesitated, a vast expanse of shadow swooped down from the high sky, enveloping the entire estate in darkness.

"Sima Xiu, you lot, how do you want to die?"