Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

"Senior brother!" Ren Xuan called out, "Officer Li, wait... wait..."

Li Fu remained unmoved. He could tell what was going on at a glance. The man's behavior, which resembled that of a clown, was not worth a second glance in his eyes.

He was too lazy to waste his breath on him.

From beginning to end, until he left, Li Fu did not look at Kang Jin even once.

"Second Senior Brother, what are you saying? Officer Li went through so much trouble to save Senior Sister, how can you say such things about him?"

Kang Jin, who remained where he was, watched Li Fu's departing figure, completely ignoring him. He then looked at his junior sister beside him, whose eyes were filled with anxiety as she followed that figure, seemingly oblivious to him as well.

His fellow students were also criticizing him. He felt dizzy and suffocated, as if he were about to vomit blood.

……

Li's main purpose in going on this trip was to investigate clues about the disaster relief fund case, capture the Taoist priest Leji, and rescue Ren Xuan, who had been kidnapped by him. This was merely a side effect.

Now that the Taoist priest Leji has been executed, the clues point to Eunuch Yicai.

Without further delay, he ordered his men to take the body of the Taoist priest Leji and hang it at the entrance of the bustling city to deter villains. He then led Chen Tao and other constables directly away and returned to the city.

Behind the robbery of three million taels of relief funds twenty-three years ago, which shocked the court and the public and led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of disaster victims in the Northwest,

It is highly likely that it wasn't the Changsheng Escort Agency that stole the goods, but someone else entirely.

A powerful former nobleman of the palace, who, though now out of power, still wields considerable influence—Eunuch Yicai.

The thought of this caused everyone on the road to fall silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

The moment I guessed the four characters for "father-in-law," it felt like a boulder was pressing on my heart.

Chen Tao rode closer to Li Fu, lowering his voice and speaking with apprehension.

"Boss, you see... since this matter involves Eunuch Yi, should we... continue with it?"

Upon hearing this, the other constables involuntarily tightened their reins, pricked up their ears, and showed signs of fear on their faces.

Having served in the government for a long time in Yanzhou, they had naturally heard of the name of that eunuch Yicai.

Li Fu knew that it was no wonder they were timid.

Although that eunuch has lost the emperor's favor and his power is not as great as before, when he was in power, he was a man with connections everywhere!

With his immense power and domineering attitude, not only ordinary officials, but even the prime minister of the court sometimes had to give him some leeway.

Even their superior, Prefect Feng of Yanzhou, would probably not dare to make the slightest move against such a person.

"Of course we should do it."

Li Fu answered without the slightest hesitation. His face was calm, and he looked straight ahead, the autumn wind blowing the hem of his blue robe.

Could a mere powerless eunuch really make him give up investigating this case and abandon the pursuit of justice for the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims who died unjustly?

Abandoning the White Rainbow Palm Technique, a highly advanced martial art, and letting the real culprit go free, would leave hundreds of potentially innocent members of the Everlasting Victory Escort Agency forever burdened with a stigma.

Chen Tao admired his boss's courage, but couldn't help feeling worried.

"Boss, I've heard that you have a golden imperial edict that was personally bestowed by the Emperor upon the descendants of the King of Chu. It seems that you have the power to execute first and report later."

But that applies to ordinary officials, after all.

If you want to make a move against someone like the eunuch, the imperial edict and token alone are probably not enough; you need irrefutable evidence!

Otherwise, not only will we fail to bring him down, but we may also suffer the consequences.

"Yeah yeah."

The other constables also said so.

"It is suspected that the eunuch's position was special. Even though he vaguely touched on the taboo of eunuchs interfering in politics, the emperor only exiled him from the capital. Most of his astonishing wealth was preserved and was not completely liquidated."

It is evident that deep down, the emperor still cherishes a trace of the old affection he had for those who had accompanied him for many years.

The weight of that last bit of old affection is immense.

Li Fu also knew that, not to mention the gold medal in his hand that wasn't entirely compliant with regulations.

Even if an imperial edict truly grants control over the military and political affairs of a region, it would likely require prior secret consultation and waiting for the emperor's approval if it involved a close confidant or favorite of the former emperor. Such an edict would not dare to act arbitrarily.

"evidence……"

Li Fu pondered for a moment.

Should we follow the same approach we used against Wang Chongyu, first storming his door with swift and decisive action, subduing him, and then searching for evidence?

Disaster relief funds are not as easy to sell as tribute items like the "Flower and Stone Tribute," which are easily distinguishable.

That was pure silver; if it were melted down and recast, or cut into pieces and used, the traces would be difficult to find.

"How could that eunuch, who was capable of orchestrating such a major case and weathering twenty-three years of storms, be so foolish as to still retain embezzled silver bearing the mark of the government?"

The possibility is extremely slim.

Seeing Li Fu deep in thought, Chen Tao added:

"Moreover, even if there is evidence, it would be extremely difficult to arrest this eunuch."

I heard that although he has lost power and is living in seclusion, he still maintains a large number of martial arts followers under his command, who are heavily guarded.

Among them were not only the Seven Eagles of Bloodlust, whom he had recruited in his early years and who had committed countless murders for him, but also the renowned Golden Arhat Shi Zhuo, whose martial arts were said to have reached the pinnacle of perfection!

Mentioning these names made the faces of the constables nearby turn even paler, and they began to whisper among themselves, their voices filled with awe and fear.

"The Seven Cold-Blooded Eagles... those are seven ruthless and perfectly coordinated top assassins. Legend has it that they are fellow disciples and all know a vicious martial art called the Blood-Coagulating Eagle Claw, which can cause one's blood to congeal and die on the spot!"

"The Seven Cold-Blooded Eagles... those are seven ruthless and perfectly coordinated top assassins. Legend has it that they are fellow disciples and all know a vicious martial art called the Blood-Coagulating Eagle Claw, which can cause one's blood to congeal and die on the spot!"

"The golden-bodied Arhats are even more extraordinary!"

He was said to be a traitor to the Shaolin Temple. Somehow, he discovered a scroll of the Arhat Sutra in the Sutra Repository, stole the divine skills, and then defected.

Shaolin Temple made repeated attempts to recover the scriptures, but failed to do so.

It is said that this person's martial arts skills have reached a high level, and his internal strength is unfathomable. His martial arts skills are probably no less than those of the abbot of Shaolin Temple.

He usually practiced on a copper wall that weighed ten thousand pounds. After years of practice, the copper wall had been reduced to half its original size and was covered with his fist and palm prints!

Even the ancient Shaolin sect, with its thousand-year history, had to temporarily yield and swallow this hidden loss in the face of him…

"These are all top-tier martial arts masters who are renowned throughout the martial arts world. In their eyes, we ordinary constables and soldiers are probably no different from chickens and dogs. It won't be that easy to capture Eunuch Yi..."

The more they talked, the colder they felt.

They had to be afraid, as many of them had families to support.

Li Fu listened to his subordinates discussing the names of these masters, paying slight attention but not taking it too seriously.

The real problem right now is not the retainers and guards, but the lack of evidence.

There is one point that is easily overlooked.

"Evidence is indeed needed."

Leaving aside other aspects, the case of the robbery of disaster relief funds in the past, which involves Eunuch Yi, is entirely based on Le Ji Dao Ren's one-sided account.

Who knows if that wicked and lecherous demon might harbor malicious intentions, deliberately using the name of the eunuch to mislead him and cause him to make a powerful enemy to cause trouble for him.

Having witnessed and experienced Li Fu's terrifying martial arts skills, the Taoist of Joyful Extremes should know that there are not many people in Yanzhou or even the whole world who can cause him trouble. He guessed that the eunuch was one of them.

Li Fu was not afraid to guess his father-in-law's identity.

If we rush to their door without understanding the inside story, we might fall into the trap set by the Taoist Master Leji and be tricked even after his death.

That would be utterly ridiculous.

evidence!

Li Fu did not need the same kind of irrefutable evidence as other constables to investigate and commit murder.

However, he needed to find at least some clues, some real evidence, to confirm that what happened back then was indeed related to his father-in-law.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves rang out, and the group had returned to Yanzhou City.

Not long after entering the city gate, I noticed that the atmosphere on the street was unusual, with crowds of people everywhere.

"Boss, it seems like something serious has happened?"

Chen Tao said.

Many martial arts practitioners, armed with knives and swords, were seen rushing towards the west of the city, their expressions excited and their steps hurried. Some of them were shouting.

"Quickly, get to the west side of the city!"

"I heard that all the former head镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) of Changsheng Escort Agency have shown up!"

"What kind of petition rally are they planning to hold, to recount the truth of what happened back then!"

"They say that someone else stole the disaster relief funds, and they have evidence."

"I must prove my innocence before all the heroes of the world, and I must also invite righteous heroes and leaders of prestigious sects to join me in apprehending the powerful and formidable true culprit!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the city in an instant.

Pedestrians, vendors, and especially figures from all walks of life were shocked and in uproar, with discussions running rampant.

"Liu Jingxing and his group actually dared to show themselves?!"

"Was there really someone else behind that case from back then?"

"Didn't the imperial court already conclude that the theft of three million taels of disaster relief funds was due to their own embezzlement?"

"They're wanted criminals by the imperial court; they're incredibly audacious to show their faces in broad daylight!"

"The court's final conclusion?"

Hmph, those corrupt officials in the government, in order to give an account to their superiors, can't leave cases unsolved. Finding a ready-made scapegoat to take the blame is just a daily routine for them.

We need to make our own judgments!

Look at the savvy people in the martial arts world, who truly believes that kind of rhetoric?

"Let's go, let's go check it out! We can't miss this excitement!"

"I also want to know, if they weren't the real culprits who killed hundreds of thousands of people and secretly pocketed the three million taels of disaster relief funds, then who could they be!"

The entire city of martial arts practitioners, upon hearing the news, surged towards the western outskirts of the city like a tidal wave.

The originally somewhat somber street was suddenly swept up by this restless flow of people.

Chen Tao reined in his horse and looked at Li Fu with surprise and uncertainty.

"Boss, the people from Changsheng Escort Agency have shown up!"

They also need to prove their innocence; they supposedly have evidence pointing to the real culprit?

"I was just about to go to sleep when someone handed me a pillow."

Li Fu raised an eyebrow.

The people from Changsheng Escort Agency then jumped out, claiming that they had evidence in hand, and that regardless of whether it was true or false, it was a clue that could not be let go!

"Let's go take a look."

He waved his hand; since there might be evidence, he naturally couldn't let it slip by.

However, their official uniforms and constable attire would be too conspicuous if they went straight there, easily causing unnecessary trouble and making it difficult to observe them secretly.

After a moment's thought, Li Fu said to Chen Tao and the others, "Change your clothes."

The group understood and quickly changed into ordinary black outfits or plain clothes, abandoning their official demeanor, and mingled into the surging crowd, heading towards the west of the city.

The backyard pavilion, with its doors and windows tightly shut, exudes a subtle fragrance.

A sandalwood screen painted with ink wash landscapes divides the room into inner and outer sections.

Behind the screen, soft couches and brocade curtains could be vaguely seen, with figures moving about.

"Father-in-law...you're so mean..."

A series of clear, charming laughs from young girls, mixed with the sweet scent of fruit, drifted out faintly through the gaps in the screen.

Seven black figures knelt silently on the ground in front of the screen.

These were the seven assassins known in the martial arts world as the Seven Blood Eagles. They were all dressed in black, with black headscarves, revealing only their piercing, emotionless eyes.

The seven people knelt in perfect unison, like seven lifeless black stone statues, their breathing barely audible. Only the faint, chilling killing intent emanating from their bodies indicated that they were living beings, and extremely dangerous ones at that.

From behind the screen came the sounds of fabric being woven and a woman's coquettish laughter.

An elderly figure was reflected on the screen, leaning against a soft couch covered with a thick fox fur.

Two pretty girls, around sixteen years old and dressed in light gauze dresses, were nestled beside him.

"Father-in-law is eating grapes."

A young girl carefully picked up a peeled purple grape from the crystal plate with her slender fingers and presented it to the old man with a sweet smile.

"So...so...sweet..."

The old man opened his mouth, slowly and deliberately took it in, and let out a muffled, satisfied hum from his throat.

Another girl was holding a small hammer and gently patting his knees.

The old man was none other than the powerful eunuch who once held immense influence in the court and was now lying low in Yanzhou—Eunuch Yicai.

After finishing the grapes, his high-pitched, soft voice, devoid of any anger, drifted out from behind the screen.

"I sent a few of you to find out where those few escaped Liu Jingxing are... It's been several days already? Hmm?"

The voice was not loud, and even somewhat casual, yet it caused the seven people kneeling in front of the screen to tense up almost imperceptibly.

"Replying to Father-in-law,"

The leader of the seven said.

"Yanzhou is a gathering place for all sorts of martial arts figures, and those few people seem to be intentionally hiding their whereabouts, so... there is still no definite news."

"No definite news yet?"

The father-in-law repeated it again, his tone calm, yet it seemed to make the temperature in the room drop suddenly.

The two young girls serving seemed to feel the chill as well; their smiles froze slightly, and their movements became even gentler and more careful.

"Are you all just sitting around doing nothing?"

The father-in-law sighed softly, seemingly with some regret.

"Now it's all good, you don't have to bother to investigate anymore."

They themselves jumped out, banging drums and gongs, setting up a stage and putting on a show, and even claiming to have evidence to identify the "real mastermind" behind the robbery of disaster relief funds from back then...

He deliberately paused on the words "the real mastermind behind the scenes," with a hint of mockery and amusement.

The Seven Blood Eagles in front of the screen lowered their heads even further, yet their murderous aura involuntarily spread out, as if a thin layer of ice had solidified in the air.

"Evidence..."

The old man drew out his words, then ate another grape that the young girl had fed him, chewing it slowly as if he were savoring something or reminiscing about something.

"In this world, there are always some people who are oblivious to their own mortality. Are there things they can simply uncover?"

"What my father-in-law says is true, they—deserve to die!"

The seven men spoke in unison, their voices low and filled with chilling killing intent.