Chapter 337 - 336 Gradually Brightening, Waiting for the Right Opportunity

"It pretty much comes down to that, but through traffic surveillance, we might not be able to obtain much useful information. For one, the actual culprits might not be the customers who came to pawn items. And secondly, if someone dares to commit an act, they would certainly be wary of any surveillance and would not be foolish enough to stroll under the cameras. Even if the culprits have appeared near the pawnshop, they would most likely have avoided surveillance and observed covertly."

Li Jing responded, taking out the accounts he had obtained from Sima Yuxuan.

"These are accounts of sect disciples I got from Sima Yuxuan; I’ve done a cursory review of them. Sima Yuxuan mentioned many unfamiliar sect disciples to me. Some of them did indeed go in and out of the pawnshop on the same day the three missing patrolmen appeared near the pawnshop. However, the times they visited don’t align exactly with the times the three patrolmen showed up."

Li Jing continued.

"Also, the three patrolmen arrived at the pawnshop on different dates and only met with trouble a few days after returning home. Chances are that the same group of people targeted them, but no disciples in the accounts appeared at the pawnshop at the same time on all three dates. They might be a starting point, but unfortunately, they are unlikely to be our suspects. These accounts can only serve as a reference."

After hearing his explanation, Yulian pondered over it and replied.

"If that’s the case, the customers of the pawnshop should practically be free of suspicion—at least those who came in good faith to pawn for cash shouldn’t be suspects. Ultimately, we will need to understand why the three patrolmen came to the street in front of the pawnshop, lingered there for a short time, and then left to get to the bottom of it."

After saying this, she mused.

"Though the case seems to be gradually clearing up as more clues are discovered, I think your initial suspicion was correct, that the three missing patrolmen were lured to the pawnshop. They were indeed pursuing the sect disciples who covertly tried to seize the assets of the Wang and Lu families. But they didn’t have clear leads on which sect disciples were involved. They came to the pawnshop not to stake out but to rendezvous, and the other party deliberately lured them here in an attempt to frame the sect disciples."

"Yes."

Li Jing took a light breath.

The analysis by Yulian

hit the nail on the head and was quite appropriate.

He had pondered these points after glancing at the accounts.

From the beginning, Li Jing didn’t believe that the culprits were necessarily sect disciples.

In his mind, if the disciples had any sense, they would not attack patrolling officers.

The covert usurpation of the assets and industries of the Wang and Lu families breaches the bottom line of Longyu, but even if it’s discovered, it’s not entirely without room for wriggling.

A fine will be imposed, the usurped assets, and industries will be confiscated, and restrictions will be placed on future cultivation opportunities.

However, if you move against patrolling officers, that’s a different story altogether.

Not only will the person who commits the act have to pay with their life, but the sect behind them will at least be put on a blacklist.

Such a stupid act is unlikely to be committed by the sect disciples.

From another perspective.

If the sect disciples attempted to usurp the assets of the Wang and Lu families, it is inevitable there would be sect backing, and it’s not individual behavior.

One reason is that an individual, no matter how wealthy, cannot usurp the assets and industries of the Wang and Lu families. The second reason is they wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility.

Would the sect allow their own disciples to move against patrol officers after the matter leaks out?

Certainly, some sect disciples may not be clear-headed, but the high-level officials of the sect wouldn’t be so stupid.

With this in mind, the suspicion mainly falls on the Demon Beast Union.

This is exactly what the Demon Beast Union would do.

In Longyu, they are as good as dead if they are exposed, and once discovered, it’s certain they will be attacked.

Speaking bluntly.

They are at odds with the Patrol System and the Management Bureau to death.

The Demon Beast Union’s branch in the capital has made a comeback and aims to get a piece of the asset division of the Wang and Lu families, but runs into sect disciples with the same intent.

This rival is incredibly powerful.

Apart from the Jiang family, which did not participate in the scramble among the Seven Great Families, the rest do have the capability to compete with the Demon Beast Union.

The smaller forces and families did not have much competitiveness.

The smaller forces and families might have exceptional wealth, but they didn’t possess top-tier combat power.

If the Demon Beast Union intends to, they can threaten or even kill a few of the smaller competitors to intimidate others.

However, when dealing with sect disciples, they can’t afford to lose their temper.

It’s basic for sect disciples to be at the Six Realm level when they are cultivating in the world.

Many are at the peak of the Late Six Realm, one step away from the Seventh Realm.

Even with their secret firepower, the Demon Beast Union can’t confront the sects head-on.

If they also provoke the sects while being jointly attacked by the Patrol System and the Management Bureau, they might have to abandon their operations in Longyu and move their activities abroad.

In terms of combat power, they’re no match for the sects.

In terms of financial power, they have no reason to compete head-on with the sects who possess permanent secret realms.

Since they can’t fight directly, they’ll have to change their strategy if they want to claim part of the assets and industries of the Wang and Lu families as they wish.

Framing.

Is a pretty clever method.

Regardless of whether the disappearances of the three patrolmen end up being traced back to the sects involved, this method can at least ensure that Longyu will discover and pinpoint any underhanded sect and warn them to back off."

He massaged his temple, feeling a bit of a headache.

On one hand, the case was heading in the right direction.

Getting rid of the Demon Beast Union was something he intended to do anyway.

Now all signs point to the Demon Beast Union as the leading suspects.

Once he gathers the evidence, he has reason to go after the Demon Beast Union.

However, right now, he had no choice but to continue following the leads of the sect’s disciples.

Although Jin Ruixin gave him this case to bring justice back to the three missing patrol officers, the problem of the sect’s disciples was also closely related to the case.

He now held a ledger in his hand, and he had to follow through with it.

Not only did he need to figure out how many sects had tried to get involved with the Wang and Lu family’s assets and businesses, but he also had to deal with the Rakshasa crowd used as a stepping stone by the sects. Only then could he focus on the Demon Beast Union.

It was unwise to leave things halfway.

Just because the suspicion was mainly ruled out for the sect’s disciples, it didn’t mean he could push the issue onto Jin Ruixin.

Moreover, he couldn’t just give his ledger to Jin Ruixin. Otherwise, Sima Yuxuan’s pawnshop would probably not last a few more days.

The spending problem of the sect’s disciples was essential, and if Sima Yuxuan did not do this business, the disciples of the sect in the capital and the neighboring Earth Realm would be stuck in a rigid situation.

If he gave the ledger to Jin Ruixin, Li Jing would be in a tough spot.

Surely Sima Yuxuan would resent him, and the sect’s disciples would also bear a grudge against him.

The place where they could make money without cheating disappeared just like that. Where else could they enjoy such good conditions?

Li Jing would not do such a stupid thing to upset people.

Although Sima Yuxuan’s pawnshop was in the shadows, its existence was key to helping the sect’s disciples adapt to society and solve their personal economic issues.

Like the existence of the gray area represented by the Dark Street, Sima Yuxuan’s pawnshop also needed to exist, otherwise, it would lead to many problems.

The only thing to be thankful for now was:

The line of the Demon Beast Union had the undercover agents from the Black Butterfly and the Sinister Gate, which could reveal something at any time.

...

After having a discussion with Yulian, Li Jing took a picture of each page of the ledger provided by Sima Yuxuan and sent it to Little Ai, asking her to check the identity information of the sect’s disciples who had transactions at the pawnshop in the last month.

Nothing about these tasks was too difficult.

Individual identity information - the sect’s disciples were all registered.

Little Ai could easily find their address, position, etc. through the Patrol System, but the sect they originated from was sealed and could not be looked up in confidential files.

Of course, this did not mean it was impossible to check.

If Li Jing authorized it, Little Ai might be able to break into the confidential files.

But doing so would be too sensitive and not very meaningful after the fact.

The detailed origin of these people was clearly written in the ledger by Sima Yuxuan, there was no particular need to check. He only needed to find out what their everyday identities in the mortal world were and where they lived.

...

It goes without saying that Little Ai was efficient.

With clear name information, she soon dug up all the info on the sect’s disciples that appeared in the ledger.

Just in time, Li Jing and Yulian took a taxi to the bustling center of Dark Street, where some powerful forces, headed by the Rakshasas, were located.

The two of them took the opportunity to disembark, found a nearby coffee shop, rented a private room and sat down.

Once settled in the private room, Yulian asked:

"It’s getting late. Should we call Jiu Li and Tong Yan over to join us?"

"No rush, let them stroll around."

Li Jing shook his head and said calmly.

"Isn’t it peaceful without them here?"

Yulian chuckled.

Jiu Li and Tong Yan, indeed, were the types to make a fuss about every little thing.

The two of them together indeed created quite a racket.

Not having them there indeed made the place rather peaceful.

Knowing that Jiu Li and Tong Yan were tasked with keeping an eye on the Dark Street’s situation and the movements of the Rakshasas, and later the four of them would have to go to the streets to investigate, Yulian refrained from talking further.

It was good for them to be outside, allowing her and Li Jing to rest in the café.

Li Jing said that sentence, took out his phone and checked the information of the sect’s disciples sent by Little Ai.

Yulian didn’t bother him, ordered two cups of coffee and some desserts, sat quietly by his side to pass the time.

Soon enough.

Li Jing, in conjunction with the traits of sect disciples who had contact with Rakshasas learned from Ye Liuli, and the identity information of the disciples who had entered the pawnshop on the same day as the front door of the pawnshop, identified three groups from the information Little Ai had investigated.

Three groups of people.

They were respectively four from the Wuji Demon Sect, three from the Haoran Sect, and five from the Demon and Buddha Sect.

The characteristics, and the timing of their visits to the pawnshop coincided perfectly.

Among them, as Sima Yuxuan said, five from the Demon and Buddha Sect were stationed in Dong Ye City. The people from the Wuji Demon Sect and Haoran Sect were more scattered, distributed in the capital and five nearby cities of Dong Ye City.

These people’s positions in society varied from high to low.

The highest-ranking one was a disciple from the Wuji Demon Sect, serving as the local Management Bureau’s deputy director.

The positions of the rest were relatively casual, basing it on the rhythm of the area.

The common point amongst these three groups of people was apparent, they were all not far from the capital.

He sorted out this information on the three groups of people separately for archival, and then Li Jing checked the time on his phone.

It was just approaching nine o’clock in the evening.

It was still early, so they had to wait a bit longer.

Pocketing his phone, Li Jing turned to glance at Yulian, who was delicately nibbling on a dessert next to him.

Unbeknownst to him, Yulian’s Health Bar above her head had escalated to a mighty 8591.

In a blink of an eye, she had reached the Late Six Realm.

With sufficient food resources, a monster’s cultivation was fast.

In a while, she might reach the same level as Jiu Li.

Calculating the time, he had known Yulian for more than half a year already.

Unconsciously, he had fed this once Fifth Boundary Beauty Fox to such a state.

Seeing Li Jing gazing at her with a seemingly reflective expression, Yulian blinked and cocked her head in confusion.

"What are you staring at me for?"

"Because you’re beautiful."

Li Jing smiled.

???

Yulian.

Sure, she was beautiful, but that went without saying.

But Li Jing wasn’t the type to make those kind of remarks.

What...

What in the world did that sudden comment mean?

Could it be...

Gazing intently at Li Jing, Yulian felt a bit flustered for no reason, but quickly composed herself.

Once, she had had feelings for Li Jing.

But she was a more rational type.

She knew it was impossible, so she stopped entertaining those thoughts.

When she stopped entertaining those thoughts, as time passed, the feelings faded.

Continuing to eat her dessert, Yulian commented teasingly.

"It’s really rare for you to flirt with me. What’s the matter? Is your wife not satisfying enough for you, or do you want to try some ’wild flowers’?"

At her words, Li Jing was at a loss for words.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to respond to Yulian’s teasing; he just didn’t know how to reply.

As a married man, he couldn’t possibly say that wild flowers were more enticing than domestic ones, could he?

If such words were to reach Liu Sisi’s ears, there would be hell to pay.

Clearing his throat, Li Jing admitted defeat.

"I was just joking with you. I was just reflecting on how time flies and how far we’ve come together."

"What’s there to reflect on?"

Yulian laughed, saying.

"True, we’ve known each other for quite some time, but essentially not for very long. One or two years mean nothing to me, maybe it’s just your sensitivity because you’re younger."

Saying that, she smirked.

"Not only for me, but for you too, there are many more years to come."

At her words, Li Jing was speechless.

Yulian was right, indeed.

He was already in the Seventh Realm.

Even if he never progressed another inch, as long as he didn’t commit suicide or encounter unforeseen events, he could live an ordinary life with a virtually unlimited lifespan.

At least according to the records of Longyu’s thousand-year history.

There were no records of Cultivators above the Fifth Boundary dying of old age.

Of course.

So far, there were only a few recorded cases of Cultivators above the Fifth Boundary who had lived for over a thousand years in Longyu. Moreover, there weren’t any true cases of Third or Fourth Boundary Cultivators dying of old age.

The path of cultivation was hard to tread.

On this path, it was also very likely to encounter accidents.

...

While casually chatting with Yulian in the coffeehouse, the time soon struck past ten at night.

Jiu Li and Tong Yan still hadn’t sent any news.

Had he not known that they wouldn’t only be having fun, Li Jing would have even doubted if they’d gotten so caught up shopping that they’d completely forgotten about their proper task.

Considering that, according to the agreement he’d made with Jin Rui Xin, the funds and industry in the hands of high-ranking officials of the Rakshasa group had been frozen for over an hour, Li Jing thought about stepping out for a stroll with Yulian.

The area where they were located was all property of the Rakshasa group.

They owned most of the streets in the middle section of Dark Street.

Right now, Jiu Li and Tong Yan were definitely lingering somewhere nearby.

But after all, the two of them could only investigate so much. At the same time, no one could guarantee where the upper echelons of Rakshasa would gather after realizing something was amiss.

Just as he was about to stand up, Li Jing’s phone on the table vibrated.

Noticing the movement, he instinctively looked down.

Looking at it, the message was from Jiu Li.

Did they have a lead?

Li Jing raised an eyebrow, picked up his phone and opened the message.

"There’s some movement. Tongyan and I are near the Haotian Clubhouse in the center of Dark Street. We saw quite a few high-ranking members of Rakshasa driving over. There are quite a few people, and there should be more to follow."

Seeing this message, Li Jing’s spirit was shocked.

Haotian Clubhouse.

It was indeed a Rakshasa property.

Without much thought, he started composing a message.

"Yulian and I are coming over to meet you now."

After sending the message, Li Jing stood up and threw several bills on the table.

"Xiaoyu, let’s go."

"Alright."

Yulian obediently responded and followed him.

...

Shortly after, the two of them left the coffee shop and walked a distance, pretending to be passersby near the Haotian Clubhouse.

As soon as they arrived, Li Jing saw several luxury cars speeding and stopping in front of the clubhouse entrance. A few well-dressed men got out of the cars and hurriedly entered the clubhouse.

Li Jing had records of the high-ranking members of Rakshasa.

It was therefore easy for him to judge that the people he saw were indeed the rakshasa personnel.

Just as he had planned.

Because of the large amounts of money and property being frozen, the upper echelons of Rakshasa became restless.

Withdrawing his gaze from the entrance of the clubhouse, Li Jing looked around with a slight frown.

In his field of view, he couldn’t see Jiu Li and Tongyan.

Didn’t they say they were nearby?

Where have they run off to?

Not seeing the two of them, Li Jing turned to look at Yulian.

The bustling noise of Dark Street at night and the constant flow of people on the street made the night even more lively than the day.

In this vast sea of people, relying on his eyesight to find the two of them, who were hiding who knows where, would be difficult.

At this time, they had to rely on Yulian’s ability as a demon beast to sense its own kind.

Yulian, who was acting like his girlfriend and tightly holding onto his arm, understood his gaze and pointed towards the entrance of the Haotian Clubhouse.

"Jiu Li is in the lobby of the Haotian Clubhouse. It’s hard to say if Tongyan is with her, but she should be there."

"..."

Li Jing.

What the hell were these two doing in there?

He didn’t recall telling them to meet inside the Haotian Clubhouse, did he?

Shaking his head helplessly, Li Jing stood on the side of the street and said,

"Let them be. We’ll stay out here and wait for a while, to see how many more Rakshasa members show up, aiming to nab them all in one go."

Yulian naturally didn’t object. She nodded and stayed standing on the street with him.

Getting Yulian’s acquiescence, Li Jing took out his phone and sent a message to Jiu Li, telling her to report any major developments inside and not to do anything rash to scare off their targets.

...

Time went by, second by second.

At the main entrance of the Haotian Clubhouse, more and more high-ranking members of Rakshasa, arriving in various luxury cars, hastily got out and went in.

In the blink of an eye, a quarter of an hour had passed.

Patience was key. Li Jing and Yulian waited keenly on the side of the street, without any hurry.

Just as they were waiting for more "fish" to enter the "fish cage", the Haotian Clubhouse became restless.

Several guests, cursing and swearing, came out from the clubhouse’s main entrance.

After a few came out, more groups of guests emerged, most of them looking displeased.

It seemed that they had been asked to leave.

Seeing this situation, Li Jing slightly raised his eyebrow.

If the clubhouse was clearing out people, perhaps that meant that everyone who needed to be there had arrived?

Just then, he saw Jiu Li and Tongyan emerge from the crowd that had been asked to leave the clubhouse.