The stolen magic is a bit magical

Lin Xiaosu went first, with Yin Ti following closely behind, answering Lin Xiaosu's first question: What was the scene like when the incident occurred?

They walked further and further away, and the people in the room stood separately.

Minister of Justice Song Lifu's eyes flickered...

A very soft voice came from beside him: "Lord Song, Li Chengnian... has he committed a taboo?"

It was the Seventh Prince's voice.

Song Lifu said, "Your Highness means that his stepping forward to speak for the Wenhua Pavilion seems to be an attempt to win people's hearts?"

“Indeed, this is a major taboo in officialdom. Our young brother seems to be a bit too green. You, as a senior, should give him more pointers.”

Song Lifu smiled: "Your Highness has already treated him like a brother!"

“I was once a soldier, and soldiers are always simpler. Based on what he has done, he is worthy of being called my brother. It’s just that being in the royal family, it’s not convenient to show it,” the Seventh Prince said.

Song Lifu said, "Your Highness is not good at official matters, yet you can see that this is taboo. Your Majesty must also be able to see it. So, Your Highness, why did Your Majesty still allow him to win people's hearts this time?"

The seventh prince was stunned.

Yes, even a greenhorn like myself could see that this brother was trying to win people's hearts. How could the Emperor, who had ruled the country for over forty years, not see it?

Why did the Emperor not dislike him at all, but instead do his best to support him, personally conveying the gratitude of the Wenhua Pavilion to him?

"My lord, why is this?" the seventh prince asked directly.

Song Lifu explained, “This is a mutually beneficial arrangement! Although Lord Li is young, he is well-versed in the ways of officialdom. He needs the support of the court officials, and His Majesty also needs their approval.”

The explanation is simple, but the principle is immediately clear.

The Seventh Prince was not stupid; he vaguely understood some of it.

The emperor's promotion of this genius was quite abrupt.

There will be dissenting voices in the court, and even among the common people, people will say that His Majesty's hasty promotion of an inspector is solely for the purpose of taking down the Crown Prince.

This is not the explanation Father wanted to hear.

What the Emperor wanted to hear was: promoting this inspector was a legitimate promotion; it was just a coincidence that this inspector discovered evidence of the Crown Prince's crimes, and the Crown Prince was taken down. It was not that he had planned it, but rather a real-life example of how people who make mistakes will inevitably face retribution.

Therefore, the Emperor is reinforcing the fact that Li Chengnian is worthy of promotion.

The selection of personnel in officialdom is influenced by public opinion.

The Wenhua Pavilion was in charge of imperial records, and it also had another function: managing the opinions of scholars throughout the land.

In this era, it is almost equivalent to the combination of the National Archives and the Propaganda Department.

If Lin Xiaosu gains their approval, there will be much less noise from the public.

After Song Lifu reminded him, the Seventh Prince pondered these things for a long time before finally understanding.

Song Lifu's last words drifted over, extremely softly: "Your Highness should now begin to learn the ways of officialdom."

The Seventh Prince's heart skipped a beat.

The intrigues of officialdom!

There is no such claim in history!

They only talk about the ways of officialdom, but not the strategies and tactics of officialdom.

In officialdom, scheming has a special prefix: emperor! The scheming of emperors!

Would a high-ranking official like the Minister of Justice, a true bigwig in the bureaucracy, say something wrong?
impossible!
That was what he meant in a veiled way to the Seventh Prince…

You must now prepare to vie for the throne!

In the past, with Hongding in power, princes avoided vying for the throne as much as possible.

Because his position as crown prince was almost guaranteed.

Anyone who dares to challenge this position is courting death.

Which prince would dare to be so stubborn?
Even if he is truly stubborn, there will definitely be elders who are not so stubborn, who will sternly warn him not to cross the line.

But now, the situation has changed drastically.

Hongding is finished.

A vacuum has appeared in the Eastern Palace.

His Majesty has eight sons. Hong Ding is out of the running, and the position of Crown Prince will be chosen from among the seven.

The pattern of seven princes vying for the throne has already taken shape.

“Lord Song!” The Seventh Prince sighed deeply, “I understand what you mean, but… to be honest, I really dislike that palace.”

That hall.

East Palace!

He made it clear that he disliked vying for the throne.

Song Lifu asked, "What does Your Highness like?"

"I have fought on the battlefield for ten years and seven months. Many people say that this is the lowest point for me as a prince. But Lord Song, can you believe it? When I ride my horse on Zheyun Terrace, looking down at the vast mountains and rivers of the northwest, drinking a bag of strong northwest liquor, and singing with my sword in the north wind, that is actually my greatest comfort."

Song Lifu sighed deeply: "To ride a horse over the flowing river, to drink wine and sing under the moon, is indeed a heroic act for men. But Your Highness, General Blood Dragon was also with you back then. Why did he almost suffer the extermination of his clan and the death of his people? Fate is not in your own hands. Where in this world can you sing your heart out? You need to understand that only when you are the one who ultimately plays the game will you be qualified to live the kind of life you want."

The Seventh Prince gazed towards the northwest for a long, long time: "Lord Song, what about you? What are your plans?"

"My plans depend on Your Highness's plans. If Your Highness intends to compete, I also intend to compete. If Your Highness intends to indulge in drinking in brothels and galloping across the frontier, I actually have a villa in Jiangnan. If I were to retire and return to my hometown, I might be more carefree and leisurely than Your Highness."

His meaning has already been made clear.

If His Highness the Seventh Prince intends to fight for the throne with all his might, then Song Lifu will also give it a shot.

How to fight?
He also has one path: to become the prime minister, a position that has been left vacant.

He was vying for the position of prime minister not for himself, but to occupy this highest position in the officialdom and pave the way for the seventh prince.

These two men, who once served under the Crown Prince and lived precarious lives, have entered into a shared destiny due to the prisoner exchange case. From now on, there are signs that they will become fellow travelers on the road to vying for the throne.

Their discussion deviated somewhat from the main topic of the day.

Today is the day of the Wenhua Pavilion's sudden crisis.

Their gazes shifted to Lin Xiaosu.

Accompanied by Yin Ti, the master of Wenhua Pavilion, he walked through the entire scene of the crime.

Time travel is being used for the first time in this world.

The rice bowl he used to eat in another world was placed on the table in this world for the first time.

Time travel is not unique to this world.

There is a time-space channel, and some people can travel back in time. However, if all the top experts on the time-space channel were brought over and asked to trace this case, everyone would be at a loss.

Even if they could travel back in time and see the scene, they still wouldn't be able to catch the culprit.

Why?

Because the culprit is not a human being, but a spirit.

The primordial spirit is invisible!
The primordial spirit can only sense things in the present moment; once the primordial spirit leaves, there is no room for any further sensing.

The difference between Lin Xiaosu and the masters of the Time and Space Path is that he also possesses a pair of Heavenly Insightful Eyes.

The Heavenly Eye can observe the primordial spirit, ghosts, and array patterns.

Therefore, as he walked around the Wenhua Pavilion, he personally witnessed all the operational processes of this primordial spirit.

A very bizarre operation.

The primordial spirit broke through unnoticed. With a slight tremor, an invisible wave emanated from the primordial spirit, covering the entire room and erasing the words from the books.

This is the power of rules.

What are the rules?

The Laws of Light!

The rule of light, at first glance, seems harmless and even a positive one. However, its terrifying aspect lies in its ability to eliminate all shadows. When ink falls on paper, it becomes a shadow in the paper's eyes.

This is the theoretical basis for erasing handwriting.

Of course, theory is just theory. To truly reach the level of using the power of intangible rules to eliminate tangible "shadows" is a high level of law. Such a person's power of rules alone is at least at the level of Dao Flower!
The flower of the Great Dao's rules blooms in the stage before one takes up the Dao.

If one achieves the Dao Fruit of Rules, then one has broken through to the Dao of Execution.

Lin Xiaosu deduced that the villain's lowest level was the peak of the Enlightenment Realm because she saw through this.

It is highly likely that one will break through to the Path of Execution.

Such a person commits crimes so secretly that even experts from the Time and Space Path would be completely baffled. However, he was unlucky and ran into Lin Xiaosu, a true master of this field.

Lin Xiaosu took a step and his eyes flashed with excitement as he worked with those people from that world on his case.

That look in your eyes means three things: you've gained something!
Yin Ti wasn't from that world and had never worked on a case with anyone before, but he was a seasoned veteran of the court with keen insight. He immediately noticed Lin Xiaosu's gaze and became excited: "Lord Li, have you found something?"

"Lord Yin, I have a complete understanding of the entire chain of events leading to the crime!"

Everyone was shocked; what seemed like the beginning of a grand spectacle of human flattery was about to unfold.

Huo Gang took a step forward: "Can you catch up?"

"Commander-in-Chief, please follow me!" Lin Xiaosu took a step forward and soared into the sky.

Huo Gang moved and followed suit.

The people below were all excited. Judging from this, they had really found the escape route of the murderer. Was this even possible?
The primordial spirit commits crimes without a trace or form. If it could be caught, it would completely overturn the world's theory of the primordial spirit.

No one noticed another strange thing about Lin Xiaosu.

That is, he can fly through the air.

Soaring through the air is exclusive to those in the Enlightenment Realm.

Although Li Chengnian, whom Lin Xiaosu was impersonating, was also a cultivator, his cultivation level was only at the level of "Gazing at the Heavens," and theoretically, he was incapable of flying.

However, the new identity that Lin Xiaosu just acquired changed this ironclad rule.

That means he was already a fifth-rank official.

A fifth-rank official can fly by relying on the power of his official seal.

People naturally assumed that this flight was the official seal flying through the air.

Of course, there were a few people who had some doubts. For example, Song Lifu, the Minister of Justice, was in charge of criminal cases. People in criminal cases always have exceptionally sharp observation skills. He keenly noticed that the figure of this Lord Li who flew away was exceptionally agile, not like someone who had just entered the officialdom.

For someone new to officialdom, there is an adaptation period when flying. It is already difficult enough to be able to fly without swaying, let alone be as nimble as a fish in water.

However, this seems insignificant compared to his incredible investigative skills.

Let's talk about Lin Xiaosu.

He chased after the direction in which the primordial spirit had fled.

Out of the city! The Western Hills are ahead!
The primordial spirit slipped into the western mountains, passed through the grass, and lingered in the Heart Pavilion for a while, seemingly assessing whether there were any pursuers behind it.

After confirming there were no pursuers, the primordial spirit took flight and entered...

Tunyun Temple!
Lin Xiaosu rose up and headed straight for Tunyun Temple!
The temple was filled with the sounds of Buddhist chants, and wisps of incense smoke rose from the burners.

Huo Gang's heart skipped a beat, and a voice entered Lin Xiaosu's ears: "Lord Li, have the villains entered Tunyun Temple?"

"Yes!" Lin Xiaosu answered with a single word.

Just one word sent a torrent of emotions through Huo Gang's heart.

When the Crown Prince planned to use the cloud-swallowing method for blessings, there was a key person in the cloud-swallowing temple, namely Abbot Xuankong.

After taking down the crown prince, the next step should have been to take down this key person, but this key person passed away at the same time.

The leader of the Hidden Dragon Guards provided an explanation: this is a case of karmic backlash!
Lin Xiaosu actually gave the same answer to the Seventh Prince.

This answer is flawless, because it is the ultimate truth of Heaven. Disrupting the cause and effect will be punished by Heaven; this is an ironclad rule.

A key figure at Tunyun Temple has passed away.

What this person left behind for the world was the image of an enlightened monk.

After his passing, countless believers went up the mountain.

Tunyun Temple held Buddhist ceremonies for forty-nine days to bid farewell to this eminent monk.

Under these circumstances, it is truly inconvenient for Your Majesty to take action against Tunyun Temple.

That's why it's been delayed until today.

However, instead of targeting Tunyun Temple, the royal family turned against it.
They directly destroyed crucial Heart Pavilion data, clearing Heart Pavilion of evidence.
Tunyun Temple, you're too arrogant!

In an instant, the Imperial Guard Commander, whose cultivation of divine magic had reached an inconceivable level, unleashed the divine and demonic energy within his entire body.

"The situation at Tunyun Temple is somewhat special, and the Grand Commander needs to make a decisive decision!" Lin Xiaosu said.

"How can we be complacent on the path of pursuing the culprit? Under the emperor's nose, even gods and demons flee in terror!" the Grand Commander declared.

"Okay! Off!"

The two fell from the air and landed directly in front of a Buddhist temple.

Inside the Buddhist hall, eminent monks were everywhere, creating a sacred and solemn atmosphere, with the sounds of wooden fish drums and chanting of sutras filling the air.

These eminent monks were not only from Tunyun Temple, but also came from across the sea. They had all heard of Master Xuankong's passing and traveled thousands of miles to bid him farewell.

In this situation, even the dignified and imposing Commander-in-Chief Huo Gang felt a bit uneasy.

Did the perpetrator hide in the Buddhist temple?
If so, how should it be pulled out?
To barge directly into someone's Buddhist shrine is truly shocking...

What's even more concerning is that this group includes not only eminent monks from the Great Wilderness Kingdom, but also guests from numerous other countries—essentially foreign dignitaries…

Even the royal family has to maintain its dignity; if anything damages the royal family's reputation, His Majesty will be furious.

However, Lin Xiaosu lifted her leg and went straight in.

“Benefactor!” An old monk spun to his feet. “We are currently performing a Buddhist ceremony, not a time for farewell. It is not appropriate to bid farewell to the Zen Master at this time. Please leave the hall, benefactor!”

During this period, many people came to bid farewell to Xuan Kong.

There are regulations within the temple.

Laypeople are allowed to pay their respects in several time slots, but during most of the time, they need to wait outside the hall.

Lin Xiaosu said calmly, "Fortunately, I did not come to bid farewell to the Zen Master, but to investigate whether the Zen Master's death was true or false!"

Upon hearing this, the chanting of scriptures in the entire hall came to an abrupt halt.

The sound of the wooden fish suddenly stopped.

Everyone suddenly looked up and stared at Lin Xiaosu.

My official?

Is he an official?

Is the investigation into the Zen master's death true or false?
His identity is astonishing, his origins are astonishing, and his pronouncements are anything but ordinary.

Even Huo Gang, standing behind him, suddenly changed his expression.

Xuan Kong, the culprit who used the insidious "Cause and Effect Error" to perform the "Swallowing Clouds for Blessing" ritual ten years ago, may actually not be dead?

If this is true, then today's events are definitely not as simple as investigating the destruction of data.

That was the most crucial and concluding part of the entire Cloud Swallowing Blessing!
"Amitabha!" A high-ranking monk in red robes slowly stood up: "This gentleman is extremely rude. Senior Brother Xuan Kong has already passed away, and his Dharma body is still in the Buddha's urn. How dare you utter such frivolous words?"

"The Dharma body is still there? Then let's take a look!" Lin Xiaosu took a step forward.

Ahead was a large vat, which was not yet sealed.

The air was filled with the fragrance of incense, and the wisps of smoke seemed to be drawn towards the vat by a magical force, where a giant lotus flower bloomed above it.

This makes the jar appear exceptionally sacred.

"Amitabha! Benefactor, you must not disturb the Buddha's spirit!" Three old monks stepped forward at the same time, blocking his way.

"Can't see it?" Lin Xiaosu said, "Master Xuankong recklessly interfered with karma ten years ago and was punished by Heaven. The mark of Heaven's Punishment is left on his Dharma body, so can't see it?"

These words enraged all the monks!
The old monk in red robes suddenly turned grim, his white beard trembling: "Benefactor, Abbot Xuankong has just passed away, his Dharma body is still intact, yet you still smear him, how dare you..."

"Don't rush to accuse me. Whether it's right or wrong, I can tell at a glance!"

boom!
With a soft thud, the three old monks blocking the way were simultaneously sent flying. Huo Gang stepped into the Buddhist hall, and the entire hall shook violently.

His figure was already tall, and as he entered through the door, sunlight fell on his shoulders, making him appear like an ancient demon god from the dimly lit Buddhist hall.

Huo Gang raised his hand, revealing a short knife with a dragon design. This short knife served as his identification, similar to an official's seal.

With a flick of the dagger, a dragon's roar resounded!
Unparalleled in majesty!

"Now do you all know my identity?" Huo Gang's gaze swept across the entire room: "The case investigated by Lord Li concerns the Great Wilderness Dynasty. No matter who from Tunyun Temple dares to obstruct us in the slightest, I will activate the Imperial Guards and raze Tunyun Temple to the ground! Did you all understand?"

The deep shout was heard throughout the entire temple.

The huge Zen bell hanging high on the temple roof also rang along with the sound waves.

The old monk in red robes clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha! The Dharma cannot be understood without debate, and the Buddha cannot be true without respect. You two benefactors wish to see the Dharma body of our senior brother, please!"

As soon as the sound fell, a seated Buddha in the large vat in front of him rose up cross-legged and stood straight up to the rim of the vat.

This was an old monk. Although his eyes were closed and he was no longer breathing, his skin and flesh were still lifelike. He was naked, but he did not give people a sense of obscenity. Although his body was old, there was a red light inside, and the sound of chanting could be faintly heard.

Huo Gang firmly locked onto this Dharma body.

He is the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards, and his divine eyes see through the illusions of the world.

He recognized the man as Xuan Kong at a glance.

Moreover, Xuan Kong has already passed away, so there is absolutely no falsehood.

Moreover, his spiritual platform was already withered, and his primordial spirit was no longer there.

"Amitabha!" An old monk from beyond the realm chanted a Buddhist prayer: "This benefactor was truly speaking nonsense just now! Master Xuan Kong is surrounded by the light of Buddhism and Taoism, showing no sign of divine retribution whatsoever. How could he have disturbed the karmic order?"

“Exactly!” said another old monk. “In the secular world, one can speak freely, but in the Buddhist community, please refrain from falsehoods.”

Huo Gang felt a slight jolt in his heart.

What he was focusing on just now was whether the person in the vat was Xuan Kong, and whether Xuan Kong was actually dead.

These Buddhist monks, however, had a different focus. They were concerned with Lin Xiaosu's earlier statement that Xuan Kong had disturbed the karmic compass and had been punished by heaven.

If that's the case, then this body must bear the marks of divine punishment.

High-ranking monks like them are easily recognizable.

However, Xuan Kong did not have these marks on his body.

Huo Gang was a discerning man, and a hint of doubt crept into his mind.

Could it be that Lin Xiaosu's judgment of cause and effect that day was wrong?
Otherwise, why was there no sign of divine retribution when Master Xuan Kong passed away?

This kid, he's made such precise moves with every step he's taken so far, but did he dig a deep pit for himself today? He led me to Tunyun Temple, only to find a noose around my neck there?
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Lin Xiaosu let out a long sigh of relief.

Huo Gang's gaze suddenly fell on his face.

Lin Xiaosu said, "Originally, there were only two solutions to activating the Causal Disc: one was the Buddhist and Taoist method of mending the heavens, and the other was the demonic method of deceiving the heavens. However, this Master Xuankong, as expected of a senior expert who has studied the laws of cause and effect, has actually given a third solution. Does the Grand Commander know what this third solution is?"

Huo Gang slowly shook his head.

The third solution is: Sever the three corpses!

"Sever the three corpses?" Huo Gang's eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

The expressions of everyone in the room changed simultaneously.

This reform was not entirely the same; the change in expression on the faces of several monks from outside the region was purely one of surprise.

The high monks inside Tunyun Temple were terrified.

Lin Xiaosu's gaze was fixed on the red-robed monk: "He slew this Buddha corpse, leaving it in the Buddhist hall to radiate Buddhist light and justify its name. That demonic corpse was punished by heaven, erasing his karmic chess game. So, what kind of corpse is the one left behind? How about I call it the Yin Corpse?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lin Xiaosu suddenly drew her sword!
With a single sword strike, a large hole was cleaved open in the Buddhist hall behind him!
Inside the large cave, there was another Buddhist hall.

This Buddhist hall was also dark and looked exactly the same as the Buddhist hall outside, but the feeling it gave people was completely different.

The Buddhist temple outside is filled with the radiance of Buddhism and Taoism.

The Buddhist hall inside is as eerie as hell.

Inside the Buddhist hall, an old monk sat atop a black lotus flower. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, revealing two black Bodhi beads in them.

The moment his face came into Huo Gang's view, Huo Gang was greatly shocked: "Xuan Kong!"

There were countless eminent monks present, many of whom had mastered the Buddhist clairvoyance. One eminent monk from the Great Chu Kingdom narrowed his eyes and deciphered Xuan Kong's identity. His eyes were filled with shock.

boom!
The black lotus beneath Xuan Kong suddenly flipped over, and the area where he was located suddenly transformed into a boundless hell, with countless turbulent currents of yin energy dragging him straight down into the bottomless abyss.

"Trying to escape?" Huo Gang took a step forward, shattering the Yin energy into pieces, and pinning the black lotus platform to the void with his foot.

Golden light shone from beneath his feet, dispelling the hellish abyss.

If Xuan Kong is a wicked monk from hell, then Huo Gang at this moment is a god!

Xuan Kong suddenly shuddered, his body exploded out of thin air, and his primordial spirit, amidst the chaos, slid down into the abyss like a fish.

This was his last resort to escape: abandoning his physical body to preserve his primordial spirit.

With his cultivation level already at the Dao-Mastering Realm, the power of his self-destruction was comparable to a nuclear bomb, creating a turbulent current in the Great Commander's God-Demon Domain. Taking advantage of this opportunity, his primordial spirit could escape and truly hope to survive.

However, at that moment, Lin Xiaosu suddenly raised her finger.

A spatial rift suddenly appeared in the direction the primordial spirit was moving.

The moment the spatial rift appeared, the primordial spirit was greatly surprised. A flash of white light appeared all over its body, and the spatial rift was instantly smoothed out. (End of this chapter)