Chapter 749: The Truth Comes to Light

Just as the sky was turning light, the tightly closed gate of the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce was knocked urgently.

The shop assistant who answered the door soon ran over, saying that Lu Xiaowu had come again.

Li Yan and the others were puzzled, but still went to the front hall to meet him.

Lu Xiaowu had an expression mixed with excitement and worry on his face. After seeing Li Yan and the others, he cupped his hands and deliberately said loudly:

"Brother Li, Daoist Wang, everyone, there is urgent news!"

His voice was loud enough; it was clearly intentional so that others in the courtyard could also hear.

This guy had tasted sweetness and wanted to reinforce the illusion that he was the key person in contact with the Twelve Yuan Chen, so as to seize more benefits in the future.

Li Yan saw through Lu Xiaowu's little thoughts but didn't point them out, saying calmly: "Second Young Master Lu, coming so early, what is the matter?"

Lu Xiaowu took a deep breath: "The news just received, it's bad! There's a big mess at the Yansheng Duke's Mansion!"

He deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, "Kong Zhenyuan, the eldest son of the Kong family who is most likely to succeed as the Yansheng Duke, last night..."

"Died in his own mansion in Jinan!"

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.

Before everyone could digest this news, Lu Xiaowu threw out even more horrifying details:

"And, the state of his death... is extremely miserable."

Li Yan's eyes instantly became sharp, and Wang Fu also furrowed his brows tightly.

Such a brutal killing method was clearly not an ordinary vendetta or political struggle.

Lu Xiaowu's news wasn't over: "Misfortunes never come singly! Almost at the same time, Kong Shang'an, the grandson of the Yansheng Duke who was in the ancestral home in Qufu—that is, Kong Zhenyuan's son—also met with a poisonous hand last night and had his head cut off!"

Kong Shangzhao's face turned ugly instantly. He was at odds with Kong Shang'an and his father, so he naturally didn't care about their life or death.

The key was that with Kong Zhenyuan and his son dead, his father's situation became delicate.

Looking at everyone's reaction, Lu Xiaowu added: "There is even more important news! With such a thing happening, the Mingde Academy has also been alarmed, and Master Lu Hongyuan has personally rushed to Jinan Prefecture to sit in command!"

"Lu Hongyuan is coming?"

Once this name was mentioned, Li Yan's expression also became a bit more solemn.

Lu Hongyuan was one of the ten Grandmasters of the Divine Land, who combined the Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji three fists with Confucianism to form the Way of Literature and Martial Arts.

High martial arts were secondary; the key was his status.

Within Confucianism, he was also a leader-level existence, and his influence in the imperial court was not small.

The air seemed to solidify, and a heavy pressure enveloped the entire front hall.

Wang Fu was thoughtful and stroked his beard, saying: "How did Kong Zhenyuan die?"

Lu Xiaowu said in a low voice: "I heard the news that the perpetrator dug open his Baihui acupoint, poured mercury into it, and someone peeled off his entire skin."

"Mercury pouring on the crown..." Wang Fu's face changed slightly, "This torture, I'm afraid there is a problem."

Looking at everyone's gaze, he said in a deep voice: "This punishment was used by the founding emperor of this dynasty, pouring mercury on corrupt officials and peeling their skin to stuff with grass as a warning to others. It was later abolished. There are also some evil arts of the Esoteric Sect, peeling skin to make drums."

"There is another kind."

Kuai Dayou crossed his arms and shook his head: "Ancient alchemists used this method to bury living souls as martyrs to guard tombs."

Li Yan said in a deep voice upon hearing this: "Regardless of which one it is, it shows deep hatred. It seems the cause and effect of this matter will fall on Kong Zhenyuan and his son, perhaps related to the person caught last night. Has a confession been obtained?"

"No."

Lu Xiaowu replied: "Last night, the two factions of the Kong family were making a scene at the yamen. After they left, the person took advantage of the jailer's negligence and committed suicide by hitting his head on an iron nail."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, "That person is an expert in poke-foot hidden energy. Being able to commit suicide shows he was likely protecting someone."

Lu Xiaowu shook his head, "That is unclear. The Prince asked me to remind you all that this matter is too big. It is best to save Manager Kong as soon as possible and get a confession; otherwise, when Grandmaster Lu comes to Jinan, there might be more changes."

"Thank you for the Prince's reminder on my behalf." Li Yan thanked him solemnly with cupped hands.

After he left, everyone looked at Wang Fu in unison.

"The problem is not big."

Wang Fu stroked his beard, "I estimate he will wake up by noon."

In the signing room of the Prefectural Yamen, the air pressure was terrifyingly low.

Master Zhao Tong's face was livid, and his eyes were burning with suppressed anger.

He clenched his finger bones until they clattered and slapped the hardwood table.

"Bang!"

The heavy sandalwood table split open, causing the teacups to jump, and the hot tea splashed onto the official documents.

"The dignified Yansheng Duke died suddenly in the Kong Ancestral Hall! The mastermind's eyes and ears were right under your noses, committing suicide to destroy evidence! Kong Zhenyuan and his son were bloodied on their bed! You Jinan Prefectural Yamen..." He scanned the Jinan Prefect, Surveillance Commissioner, and Commandant of the Yamen who were holding their breath below the hall, his voice low but every word like a blade.

"What a fine job you've done!"

The Jinan Prefect had cold sweat on his forehead: "Master Zhao, calm your anger... This matter is too bizarre, the perpetrator's methods are vicious and ruthless, definitely not ordinary..."

Regarding the Kong family, he originally didn't want to provoke this case and only wanted to help, but he didn't expect the situation to turn out like this.

"Excuse!"

Zhao Tong shouted angrily, his righteous Gang Qi erupting, and the candles in the hall dimmed simultaneously.

"The death of Kong Zhenyuan and his son must be connected to the blood case in the ancestral hall! Is this how you are fooling around?"

Seeing Zhao Tong's anger almost burning to the top, the Jinan Prefect hurriedly said: "Master, don't be anxious! This official has already found one of the three great head catchers of Qilu, 'Ghost Fear' Bai Laojiu, who has already arrived in Jinan Prefecture."

Jinan Prefectural Yamen autopsy room.

The atmosphere was colder than a morgue.

The head catcher Bai Laojiu, who had been urgently summoned, had hair and beard like frost, wore a washed-white coarse cloth martial outfit, and was lean but as tough as iron.

He bowed his back slightly, his face full of age spots and knife-like wrinkles without expression, only a pair of eyes reflecting a chilling cold light under the dim oil lamp, his fingertips twisting a few pieces of dark brown wood.

This was the clue evidence just found from the Qufu Ancestral Hall.

The Qilu Administration Commissioner, Surveillance Commissioner, Prefect, and the livid Zhao Tong were all present.

Everyone held their breath, looking at this famous old god-catcher.

There is a specialty in the arts; when it comes to investigating cases, this person can be called a Grandmaster.

A thick file was spread on the table, adding the tragic deaths of Kong Zhenyuan and his son to the details before and after the Li Qi case.

"This case is not difficult." Bai Laojiu's voice was dry and hoarse.

He picked up a larger fragment, turned it carefully under the lamp, his gaze sharp as an eagle, "Li Qi's ancestral home registration in Pingdu Prefecture is not false. But the root is in Li Jia'ao, Laoshan. This is a remnant of sinking wood. I have restored it completely; it is a wine jar."

"The remnant talisman carvings inside the wine jar are the 'Hidden Trace Talisman' recorded in the 'Seven Slips of the Cloud Satchel'!"

"This talisman is not something an ordinary Jianghu warlock can do; it is a profound secret transmission of the Daoist school, which can 'screen breath and hide traces, hiding life energy like stubborn stone or rotten wood'! To be able to carve such a talisman into a jar in Laoshan and have old ties with Li Jia'ao..."

His voice turned cold suddenly: "It must be the work of a top expert of the Mystic Sect!"

He walked to the map of the Kong family ancestral hall and continued: "The other party should have used the sacrificial wine as a guide to hide the killing intent in the jar."

"Before the case, there happened to be a sacrificial ceremony. Someone hid in this jar and mixed into the important warehouse of the Kong Ancestral Hall. On the night of the case, there was heavy rain and thunder. The guards heard strange noises in the warehouse and just thought it was the wind and rain, while the murderer hid in the jar, performing secret arts like bone-shrinking, having been in ambush for a long time!"

"The wound on the Yansheng Duke's heart was as narrow as a finger, his heart pulse was shattered, and very little blood seeped out! This was caused by the ultimate Gang Qi injected into the fingertips, condensed and not dispersed, instantly severing life. Its momentum was as fast as lightning, which is why the deceased died without a sound."

"Such viciousness and decisiveness are definitely not ordinary vendettas; it is clearly a thunderous revenge method long premeditated by a Daoist expert!"

As the voice fell, the autopsy room was dead silent.

"Top expert of the Mystic Sect," "'Seven Slips of the Cloud Satchel' secret talisman," "Daoist bone-shrinking secret art," "Gang Qi one-finger"... Every word fell like a heavy hammer.

Regarding a Mystic Sect expert, the situation was becoming more and more complicated.

With the Kong family's status, which force would dare to be so arrogant?

"Is it investigated clearly?"

Just at this moment, a gentle voice sounded. ===== CHAPTER 750 =====