Chapter 460: Accidental Reversals

Thud!

The corpse fell straight to the ground.

Blood bubbled out from its throat.

Its face still wore a strange smile.

Wan Baoquan froze, his face filled with disbelief.

Though he hailed from Emei, he was no sorcerer, but a man who roamed the rivers and lakes, handling countless cases—but never one so brutal.

Zhao Dianbu—he knew well, was not this kind of man.

He must have been struck by some dark art!

"Senior brother…"

The junior disciple beside him was also at a loss.

Wan Baoquan's eye twitched; he clenched his fist tightly, squeezing out words through his teeth: "Spread the word—send for the Commandant's Office!"

Recalling Danhezi's words, he already had a plan.

He was well aware of the undercurrents in Chongqing Prefecture.

Now it seemed the mastermind behind this was likely tied to the imperial officials sent here; the Shu Prince's faction had seized an opening and intended to strike hard.

Men of the rivers and lakes sought self-preservation and wished to stay out of it.

But this matter had crossed his bottom line!

…………

Soon, news of the prison massacre spread throughout Chongqing Prefecture.

Streets and alleys buzzed with gossip.

Families with children were filled with dread.

Rumors had even surfaced that demons had entered the city to devour children.

Outside the county jail, the streets were already sealed off.

Corpses were carried out one by one; relatives who rushed to the scene wailed and cursed, but were all kept back by soldiers.

The Chongqing Provincial Governor watched it all with a blank expression.

He glanced at Wan Baoquan beside him and said coldly: "Didn't I order you not to leak this?"

He was no fool; now he understood.

It was likely tied to his own side.

What he hadn't expected was Wan Baoquan's move.

He had blown the matter wide open, leaving no room for compromise.

Wan Baoquan's expression remained unchanged; he immediately bowed low and clasped his fists: "Your Excellency, the matter is too large—I am powerless to suppress it."

Du Ling, the Chongqing Provincial Governor, eyed him coldly: "Wan Captain, don't forget—I was the one who promoted you!"

Wan Baoquan said nothing, only bowed even lower.

Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

At that moment, hoofbeats rang out on the street.

It was Battalion Commander Liu Gan, leading a large force of elite soldiers from the Commandant's Office, followed by a Commandery Commander.

The Commandery Commander was short and stout, with a feminine face, pale and smooth-skinned; though he had a beard, he looked more like an old woman.

When Du Ling saw him, his pupils shrank sharply.

This was Luo Hai, the Commandery Commander holding the official seal of the Chongqing Garrison.

In the struggle between the imperial appointees and the Shu Prince's faction, the Commandant's Office had always remained ambiguous.

On one hand, many of them were former subordinates of the Shu Prince; on the other, they were the Emperor's personal troops.

Thus, even those supporting the Shu Prince dared not act rashly.

Only Liu Gan, this reckless Battalion Commander, charged ahead; everyone else stayed silent and rarely showed their faces.

Luo Hai's appearance was no good omen.

It did not mean the Commandant's Office had fully sided with the Shu Prince's mansion.

They dared not do such a thing.

One order from the Emperor would purge the entire Sichuan Commandant's Office.

So the only possible reason was this:

They had been abandoned…

Thinking of this, Du Ling finally began to panic.

Indeed, after Luo Hai, the Commandery Commander holding the official seal, rode up, he did not dismount—only bowed slightly from horseback, high and aloof: "Greetings, Governor Du."

"Sorcerers have been wreaking havoc in Chongqing Prefecture—this is no longer merely the Prefecture's affair. The Commandant's Office intends to take full charge of this case. We ask your understanding."

Chongqing Provincial Governor Du Ling gave the crowd a cold look, then turned and stepped into his sedan chair, saying grimly: "Go back to the mansion!"

It was over—there was no more pretense. He didn't even bother with polite words anymore.

More importantly, he had to find a way to salvage the situation.

After he left, Battalion Commander Liu Gan let out a cold snort, then turned to Wan Baoquan and smiled as he bowed: "Captain Wan, we'll need to work together on this case."

Wan Baoquan's expression remained unchanged; he returned the bow: "I only want to find the killer—I'll assist you as needed."

Though he was merely a captain, he represented Emei.

Liu Gan's opening was an attempt to draw him in.

But Wan Baoquan's reply made it clear: beyond the killer, they would not involve themselves in the conflict between the Shu Prince's mansion and the court.

Seeing this, Liu Gan said nothing more.

Qingcheng and Emei, the two greatest forces among Sichuan's occult sects, may secretly compete, but only for supremacy—not life-or-death rivalry. In past battles between orthodox and heretical sects, Emei had even sent reinforcements.

Both sides maintained a tacit understanding: no involvement in power struggles.

If they pushed too hard, it might backfire.

Wan Baoquan had just betrayed Du Ling, who had promoted him; his mood was sour. He bowed and said grimly: "Commander Liu, you must already have leads—where is the killer?"

Liu Gan's expression turned serious: "After a night of investigation, we've made some progress. This case involves many people."

"The children's corpses found in Chongqing Prefecture are only a portion; others came from minority villages in Sichuan, even some trafficked from Shaanxi and Hubei provinces."

"Those beggars merely guarded them; at fixed times, the yamen runner would take them away and deliver them to the Linjiang Tower in Hongya Cave."

"And these children were brought by Wang Biao's men from the Gelaohui…"

Upon hearing this, Wan Baoquan's face darkened.

Hongya Cave and the Linjiang Tower were properties of the Sichuan Merchants' Guild.

Wang Biao of the Gelaohui was the Third Master of the Gelaohui, in charge of its finances.

This wasn't an investigation—it was the Shu Prince's faction striking back, using the case as cover to target the Sichuan Merchants' Guild and the Gelaohui.

Bloodshed was inevitable.

Seeing Wan Baoquan's displeasure, Liu Gan smiled faintly: "We'll handle these matters. But we're short on manpower—we need you to investigate one more lead."

Wan Baoquan's pupils contracted: "What lead?"

He knew this was the key.

Liu Gan lowered his voice: "Years ago, a treasure-hunter from Chongqing's occult circles unearthed an ancient tomb of an Indian monk, filled with secret methods. Rumor says it was sold to a young man surnamed Du…"

Upon hearing this, Wan Baoquan's face turned grim.

He hadn't expected it to be tied to Du Ling.

"Hmm. I'll investigate."

Wan Baoquan turned and walked away—but headed toward the City God Temple.

Watching his retreating back, Liu Gan's eyes flickered with mockery, then he turned to Commandery Commander Luo Hai and bowed respectfully: "Your Excellency, what should we do next?"

Commandery Commander Luo Hai glanced at him coolly: "You're so capable—you need me to teach you?"

Liu Gan's forehead broke into cold sweat: "Forgive me, Your Excellency."

He knew he had gone too far—but Wan Baoquan had blown the case wide open, disrupting his rhythm. He had no choice but to bring Luo Hai in to stabilize things, or risk being overturned by his rivals.

Luo Hai, still mounted, leaned down slightly and whispered: "Do you really think His Majesty doesn't know what you've done?"

"The Shu Prince's faction acts recklessly merely to protect its interests—for now, they have no grander designs, so His Majesty turns a blind eye."

"The court ministers have all been bought by the Open-Sea faction, trying to use the Shu Prince as a scapegoat to seize more power—His Majesty knows this too."

"Some officials fear the Shu Prince will grow too powerful, becoming a tiger they can't control, so they've approved this move—His Majesty is well aware."

"This scale: add a bit, and it's disaster; subtract a bit, and it's disaster too."

"How to weigh it—that's your job."

"Remember—we are ultimately the Emperor's dogs…"

With that, he straightened up and rode off with his men.

Behind him, Liu Gan felt icy cold.

He had just set a trap for Wan Baoquan, seeking revenge for his reckless actions that had disrupted his plans.

Now, he himself had fallen into an even worse predicament. He had rushed too fast, placing himself in a perilous position—if he mishandled this, he would be the first to suffer!

In this moment, he seemed to see, in the direction of the capital, a vast shadow watching Chongqing with cold, indifferent eyes.

If he drove out Du Ling's men entirely, court ministers would surely use the Commandant's Office as a target—he would be thrown out to take the blame…

If he aided Du Ling, he would face retaliation from the Shu Prince's mansion.

"Dog… dog…"

Remembering Luo Hai's final words, Liu Gan instantly understood, silently cursing in his heart.

No wonder these old foxes were closer to the Shu Prince's mansion but never showed their faces, letting him take the lead.

No matter what a dog thinks inside, whom it bites or attacks is decided solely by the one holding the leash.

If it breaks free, the outcome will be one and only one.

"Someone, seal off this place!"

!.

Thinking of this, Liu Gan's eyes flashed with madness.

He knew he had only one path left.

To be a mad dog…

…………

"It's chaos, total chaos!"

Sha LiFei rushed back and recounted what he'd learned, cursing: "These sorcerers are too bold—they've bewitched a clerk, slipped into the prison to silence him, and killed several yamen runners."

"The Commandant's office took over, sent troops to the docks and Hongya Cave to arrest people; the Third Master of the Ge Lao Society was dragged straight from his home, and several shopkeepers from the Sichuan Merchants' Association were arrested too…"

Li Yan listened, thoughtful, then shook his head: "This matter is tied to the court officials—the Shu Prince's mansion is seizing the opportunity to strike."

He wasn't a fool; after obtaining the intelligence and piecing together what he'd seen, he'd already sensed something amiss.

"Whoever it is, it doesn't matter."

Sha LiFei shook his head: "We've already stayed out of it. Now the two sides are tearing each other apart—they won't bother looking for us."

"The killer will be caught eventually. We just wait here quietly until the storm passes before leaving."

Li Yan nodded, agreeing.

He'd originally intended to intervene and find the sorcerer behind this, but now that things had gone this far, the sorcerer couldn't hide much longer.

As Sha LiFei said, throughout the day, Chongqing was in utter chaos, especially around Hongya Cave and the docks.

The Ge Lao Society members were furious—they were wealthy and well-connected, and they'd enlisted many to petition the yamen for an explanation.

But once they heard it involved the sorcerer, no one dared speak up.

Even the Ge Lao Society itself began interrogating Wang Biao's men.

Wang Biao was the Third Master of Chongqing, but he was only an outer hall member; above him stood the Sage and Heart Masters.

Not to mention the eight inner hall elders of the entire Ge Lao Society.

If Wang Biao truly took part, they had to give an account.

As for the Sichuan Merchants' Association, chaos reigned even worse.

Merchants sought profit; now that they'd dipped into power, their methods were crude—fine in good times, but in adversity, they panicked and began blaming each other.

It seemed the Shu Prince's faction had gained the upper hand.

…………

Unaware, night fell again.

Li Yan and the others rested as usual, hiding, lighting fires to cook, or reading—everything proceeded orderly.

Dang dang dang!

The gongs and drums sounded again.

The big men from the Zhou family came again for the Wu Troupe.

But their gongs and drums were noticeably quieter, their eyes anxious, distracted.

In contrast, the Wu Troupe actors now had confidence.

Wang Daoxuan's trick had worked.

After last night's performance, none of them fell ill—but they pretended to, and had some disguise as corpses to escape Chongqing.

Now that Chongqing was in chaos, no one noticed.

They feigned panic and followed the big men out.

Once they performed the final play, this matter would be fully resolved.

Arriving at the Zhou residence, the Wu Troupe noticed something was off.

The Zhou household now felt distinctly wrong.

Fewer people were in the courtyard; even the mourners in the funeral hall were distracted, pale, whispering to each other.

"Breaking the stage," hanging the inverted Eight Trigrams mirror, performing…

Everything went smoother than last night.

Only a few big men guarded them; no one caused trouble.

After the performance, the Wu Troupe actors pretended to be dazed, faces ashen, and hurried away.

This time, no one followed them.

Back at the alley entrance, the watchers had all withdrawn.

"Good, let's leave quickly!"

The elderly musician sighed in relief, leading the remaining members to kneel and bow three deep bows toward Li Yan's courtyard, then vanished swiftly into the dark alleys.

On the rooftop, Li Yan revealed himself, shook his head slightly, then leapt down into the courtyard and smiled at Wang Daoxuan: "Everything went smoothly."

"Master Dao, what will happen next?"

Wang Daoxuan paused, then spoke: "This method is mind-confusion. The Pai Sect only knows the spell succeeded; the Zhou family believes they've avoided disaster—but the curse has been accumulating."

"At dawn, when yin and yang shift, it will erupt fully—cause and effect, none to blame but themselves."

Li Yan nodded, saying nothing more.

The Zhou family was wealthy, entangled in power struggles, yet refused to bear the karmic consequences, using innocent people as shields—this was their own doing.

Even if we hadn't acted.

The hidden elder of the opera troupe would not have stood idle either.

…………

On the other side, after the opera troupe left, the Zhou servants busied themselves, lighting every lantern.

Inside the main hall, Han Kun and others were present, though a few were missing.

"Done!"

The sorcerer of the Sanfa Sect grinned: "According to my method, the danger has been averted. The Pai Sect's so-called Dragon King? Pathetic."

"Thank you, Master."

Han Kun bowed slightly, but his face showed no joy.

He glanced around, gritting his teeth: "What in the world is going on? When did Du's son learn sorcery?"

The Chen father and son both wore bitter smiles.

"We just arrived—we knew nothing of this."

"According to servants, the arrested shopkeepers didn't know why either—they thought Du's son had some strange fetish…"

Before he finished speaking, a furious voice came from the roof.

"A fetish justifies ignoring human lives?!"

Shu!

Wan Baoquan and several fellow disciples leapt down.

Qiang qiang qiang!

Many in the room drew their weapons.

"Everyone, stop!"

Han Kun panicked, quickly halting them.

They'd come only to seize territory—if they truly clashed with the yamen, the blame would be pinned on them, and no excuse would clear them.

"You must be Captain Wan…"

Han Kun bowed respectfully, then bitterly smiled: "Don't laugh at us, but we knew nothing of this."

"Had we known the Du family was this mad, we'd never have dared to…"

Before he finished, he sensed something wrong—a sudden chill swept through the room, his head spun, and he collapsed straight to the ground.

The others in the room likewise fell with thuds.

Seeing the entire room collapse, Wan Baoquan felt his eyelids twitch violently.

"Damn it, here we go again…"

(End of Chapter)