Yin Yang Soul Searcher

The letter then became a collection of miscellaneous stories that Lianzhu had heard from various important figures.

Li Zhengshan read it word for word, but there wasn't anything particularly important. Come to think of it, who would leak secrets to a courtesan? It was only likely an accidental leak, a very unlikely probability.

Li Zhengshan then asked Lianzhu to recall the appearances of the two uninvited guests, as well as the appearance of the person who inquired about Yang Yongyuan. Unfortunately, the person who inquired about Yang Yongyuan had been there seven days ago, so there were no images of them. However, Lianzhu still remembered the appearances of the two uninvited guests.

Why did these two people want to kill Yang Yongyuan?

Lianzhu, still speechless, replied, "I don't know."

Li Zhengshan thought for a moment. The whole case was already clear, and there was nothing else he needed to know. He could just directly arrest the two masterminds behind it all.

However, Li Zhengshan still asked one last question: "What was the last time you saw Yang Yongyuan?"

The scene behind Lianzhu distorted for a moment, then changed to a scene inside a room in the Yang family mansion.

After the servant led Lianzhu to the room, he bowed and took his leave, closing the door tightly behind him. Yang Yongyuan sat at the table, his old face flushed, looking as if his blood was boiling.

Li Zhengshan analyzed that this guy must have drunk some alcohol and was driven by lust.

After entering the room, Lianzhu, with a charming expression, naturally removed her outer garment. She was left only in a barely-there gauze dress, her breasts half-exposed.

Then, she swayed her hips and came to Yang Yongyuan's side, saying coquettishly, "My lord~ why did it take you so long to find me? I missed you so much."

Li Zhengshan grinned at the sight. How could a young and beautiful woman act like this towards such a disgusting old man?

Is this still the courtesan? At Qingyue Tower, she's aloof and unapproachable. But at the mansion of a powerful figure, she's all obedient and subservient.

Disgusting, disgusting!

Yang Yongyuan casually pulled Lianzhu into his arms: "I've been quite busy these past two days, and I've neglected my beauty."

Lianzhu's eyes darted around, and she asked casually, "What are you busy with, sir? Please don't overwork yourself."

"Just some trivial matters, not worth mentioning." Yang Yongyuan grinned mischievously and reached out to touch Lianzhu. "Don't you know my own body?"

"That old codger! He's so impatient at his age!" Thinking this, Li Zhengshan slowly closed his eyes. "No one else should be coming into this room." It was too much to bear.

In the following time, Lianzhu and Yang Yongyuan engaged in free-fighting, each holding a weapon while the other exploited a weakness. They targeted each other's vulnerabilities. During the fight, Lianzhu tried to subtly inquire about things, but Yang Yongyuan easily evaded her questions.

They're both old foxes, but how could a young courtesan like you manage to get information out of Yang Yongyuan, a veteran of half a lifetime in officialdom? Reaching such a position as an official requires more than just luck.

The following scene was rather uninteresting. Lianzhu pretended to be completely absorbed, and Yang Yongyuan felt quite pleased with himself. He didn't keep Li Zhengshan waiting long; after about three minutes, Yang Yongyuan was already exhausted and collapsed onto the bed.

"It's strange. I'm usually full of energy after taking the medicine. But today, I feel unwell halfway through, and I feel like I can't breathe." Yang Yongyuan rubbed his chest.

Lianzhu's eyes darted away slightly, but she still said sweetly, "How could that be? You were very capable today. Your discomfort is probably because you've been working too hard these past few days."

"You have such a sweet voice, little beauty." Yang Yongyuan rolled over. "Every time you come, I have to have the kitchen prepare nourishing soup. Poor old bones of mine..."

(Two thousand words omitted here)

After it was all over, Lianzhu didn't leave first. Yang Yongyuan made her stay in the room for the required amount of time before she could leave. This was a matter of a man's dignity!

"No fun," Li Zhengshan couldn't help but glance at it as he cut off the soul-searching technique. "The little thing is quite unique in appearance."

In Zhengshan Hall, Bai Jueming and the others watched as the black energy slowly receded from Lianzhu's forehead and returned to Li Zhengshan's palm, after which he slowly opened his eyes.

Under the expectant gazes of his younger brothers, Li Zhengshan sat back down in the main seat, took a sip of tea, and then slowly revealed the results of the soul search.

After listening to Li Zhengshan's description, Bai Jueming began to review the entire incident in his mind.

First, someone inquired about Yang Yongyuan from Lianzhu. Then, two masterminds appeared and forced Lianzhu to take a pill made from miasma. Lianzhu then wrote a letter to her own faction seeking help.

Then, while Lianzhu and Yang Yongyuan were enjoying themselves, the miasma had already entered Yang Yongyuan's body. Lianzhu had ample time to leave the Yang residence before Yang Yongyuan's death, thus creating an alibi.

It's a pity that Lianzhu was deceived by the mastermind behind the scenes; they didn't intend for her to live. And Lianzhu's forces couldn't arrive in time to save her.

Why didn't the mastermind take the Lotus Pearl and cut off the clues? They were just waiting for the Onmyoji to search their souls. They didn't even disguise themselves, yet they dared to be so sure that the Onmyoji couldn't find them? That's too arrogant! Thinking of this, Bai Jueming couldn't help but ask the question in his heart.

"Could it be that their mission is already complete, and they don't care about being exposed anymore? They've already fled far away?" Li Zhengshan thought for a moment, then sighed, "If they escaped from the capital early, catching them will be like finding a needle in a haystack! We'll have no way to catch them."

Bai Jueming thought about it and realized that made sense. No matter how powerful an Onmyoji was, their efficiency was only high within the capital city.

Outside the capital, the world is vast, and it's impossible to conduct a thorough search everywhere... Unlike Bai Jueming's era, where there were cameras everywhere and ID cards were required to go anywhere. The crime-solving rate in ancient times was much lower than in modern times...

"However, we still need to find painters to create portraits, and then post notices widely. We'll offer a reward for two artists!" After Li Zhengshan finished speaking, Zhou Dahai, who was sitting below, understood immediately. He went out and called two painters in.

With their easels in hand, the two artists, drawing upon Li Zhengshan's detailed descriptions and their own exceptional skills, quickly created portraits of the two masterminds on the canvas.

The portrait was not painted in the usual black and white, but rather with various colors of paint, striving for realism.

When the man's portrait appeared on the paper, Han Xueshan became somewhat agitated. Pointing at the person in the portrait, she exclaimed, "I've seen this person before!"

Li Zhengshan was overjoyed upon hearing this; there was an unexpected gain? "Miss Han, tell me quickly, whose subordinate is this?"

Bai Jueming looked at Han Xueshan with some surprise. This little bodyguard has such wild connections? She even knows the mastermind behind the scenes?

The man in the portrait wears a dark green robe, his skin tinged with green. His entire body is a chilling green, with sunken eyes and a prominent nose. The artist has captured even the subtle, almost sinister aura perfectly! This demonstrates the artist's profound skill!

Han Xueshan carefully recalled what had happened that day before saying, "To be precise, he's not human, he's a demon!"

"The demon race?" Li Zhengshan repeated unconsciously, then asked, "How did you know?"

Speaking of this, Han Xueshan still felt lingering fear. Despite her sixth-grade cultivation, she was relentlessly pursued and utterly powerless.

"A few days ago, I was hunting in Treasure Beast Mountain when I discovered that he had gathered a group of wild beasts in the mountains. After I was accidentally exposed, he chased me all the way, and I only managed to escape by sheer luck."

"Was it the day I saved you?" Bai Jueming suddenly remembered that his older sister had asked him to visit his younger brother that day.

Han Xueshan rolled her eyes at him and nodded reluctantly. Even now, thinking about it makes her want to beat that jerk up!

"So it seems these things are all related to the demon race!" Li Zhengshan slammed his hand on the table. "The Treasure Beast Mountain is gathering wild beasts, the Convex Cloud Mountain Range is refining miasma, and they're assassinating Yang Yongyuan. What exactly are these bastards up to?!"

A long silence fell over the crowd in the hall; unfortunately, no one could answer his question.

Li Zhengshan scratched his head in frustration, then said dejectedly, "Draw several more copies of the portrait and post them out. I'm going to report the case to the Deputy Hall Master. Everyone, you may leave."

Li Zhengshan picked up the scroll, turned and walked towards the back of the hall, signaling that they could disperse. He felt much more relaxed than he had this morning. In just one day, the people who killed Yang Yongyuan had been identified, and the incident had even led to the deduction that the demon race was plotting something.

I'm not even sure if this counts as solving the case. The murderer has been identified, but it seems like nothing has been found. The true motives of the demon race remain unclear, and this matter is far from over. It's infuriating; what started as a murder case has turned into a demon conspiracy investigation!

However, the deputy hall master had said that the murderer of Yang Yongyuan would be found within three days. That should be considered a success, right? Even if he didn't get the reward of two Breakthrough Pills, at least he wouldn't have to go to Liangzhou. Thinking of this, Li Zhengshan quickened his pace.

Bai Jueming originally wanted to consult Jia Qingshan about the matter, but seeing the situation, he decided to postpone it until another time.

......

The eighth floor of the Yin-Yang Palace, a room with walls covered in animal hides and skeletons.

The assistant shopkeeper, wearing a demon mask, sat in the main seat, listening to his subordinates report various news.

After announcing his arrival downstairs, Li Zhengshan entered the room. Inside were three or four colleagues, including the head of the Qingshui Hall, the leader of the Scarface Hall, and the leader of the Muscle and Bone Hall.

The moment Li Zhengshan entered the room, the heads of the various halls who were reporting on their work all beamed with joy, realizing something. Had the case stalled after only a day? It seemed they too might have a chance to compete for the Breakthrough Pill.