Yin Yang Soul Searcher

Jia Qingshan couldn't help but wonder, "These two haven't been around since early morning. Did they go to work on that case involving the demon race? Why didn't they take me with them? My strength isn't bad either; I'm at least a bit stronger than Han Xueshan."

Yesterday, after looking at the map, Bai Jueming asked him a question: did he know the First Prince's marching route and arrival time?

Therefore, Jia Qingshan naturally assumed that Bai Jueming had gone to do this. But why hasn't he returned after so long? Didn't the First Prince arrive near the Tu Yun Mountains yesterday evening?

Jia Qingshan opened the folding fan he was carrying, which he had bought at a street stall, and was about to fan himself when he caught sight of the two people walking side by side. Jia Qingshan quickly closed the fan, stood up, and asked, "Brother Bai, where have you two been? We haven't seen you all morning!"

You're asking me now? I tried looking for you this morning but you weren't there. You incompetent bodyguard, I'll fine you eight hundred taels of silver!

Bai Jueming waved his hand, and Jia Qingshan followed him into the room. Bai Jueming casually leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, legs propped up on the table, eyes slightly narrowed, a smile playing on his lips. He acted every inch the master. Only then did he speak slowly and deliberately.

"Yesterday afternoon I uncovered the demon clan's conspiracy and went with several hall masters to stop it. And this morning I went to the mastermind's house and found important clues. Most importantly, Chu Jiangyuan, who had always wanted to kill me, is dead. It's truly exhilarating."

Jia Qingshan, holding a folding fan, looked puzzled: "What exactly did you do? Can you be more specific?"

Bai Jueming, unusually relaxed, was too lazy to explain. He pointed to Han Xueshan beside him: "Let Xiaoxue tell you."

"Just call me Han Xueshan!" Han Xueshan emphasized irritably.

"Hey, Xiaoxue, you're mistaken. You've protected me for so long, calling you by your name would seem too formal. We're practically family." Bai Jueming adjusted his posture comfortably.

Han Xueshan rolled her eyes, not wanting to talk to him.

These two are truly a pair of sworn enemies. Jia Qingshan muttered to himself.

Han Xueshan didn't want to talk about it because Bai Jueming played a significant role, both guessing the demon clan's conspiracy and single-handedly capturing Jinxiu, a member of the demon clan. There were also some things about Chu Jiangyuan... repeating them would only embolden that scoundrel.

However, Jia Qingshan looked inquisitive, and considering that the two were colleagues and would have to protect this bitch together in the future, Han Xueshan reluctantly recounted the story.

Bai Jueming listened from the side and nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's well said."

Jia Qingshan was completely engrossed in listening. His cheap boss was actually so amazing. Not only did he guess the demon race's purpose, but he also managed to capture Jinxiu, a fourth-rank official, first. Wasn't he an eighth-rank official? How did he do that?

Thinking of this, Jia Qingshan couldn't help but ask, "Isn't Jinxiu a fourth-rank official? How did you capture her?"

"Of course..." Bai Jueming didn't even need to think before he blurted out, "The Grand Preceptor values ​​me highly, took me in as his adopted son, and gifted me a divine artifact, so naturally I can easily subdue that fox."

"Pah!" Han Xueshan rolled her eyes speechlessly, naturally not believing Bai Jueming's words.

Jia Qingshan twitched his lips, deciding not to say anything if he didn't want to. If the Imperial Preceptor really took him as his adopted son, he would definitely focus on cultivating him. Then, when he could walk around the Yin-Yang Palace with an air of superiority, wouldn't Bai Jueming's tail be wagging in the sky?

Han Xueshan then recounted the events at the Yu family residence, leaving Jia Qingshan in a state of shock from which he remained for a long time.

"I never imagined that the mastermind behind all this, conspiring with the demon race, would be a minister of the Great Xia Dynasty. To cover up his crimes for his own selfish gain and collude with the demon race, it's too good for him to die like this!" Jia Qingshan said indignantly.

"Brother Jia, don't get so worked up about this. As your superior, I have to remind you of something." Bai Jueming sat up straight and tapped the table with his knuckles.

"What?" Jia Qingshan asked, puzzled. "What does this have to do with me? I wasn't involved."

Bai Jueming shook his head: "NONONO, Brother Jia, you're mistaken. Xiaoxue just revealed what Chu Jiangyuan said about the soul search. The location where they transported the minerals was at the border of Shangzhou and Jingzhou. Haven't you noticed the problem yet?"

"What's the problem? Did I say something wrong?" Han Xueshan retorted, "What does 'NONONO' mean?"

Bai Jueming smiled slightly, offering no explanation.

"What's the problem?" After saying that, Jia Qingshan's pupils widened instantly, and he seemed to understand something in a flash. His hand holding the folding fan began to tremble, and he said uncertainly, "You mean..."

Bai Jueming nodded seriously: "That's right. Since the mineral deposits are located at the border of the two states, then this matter is most likely related to Shangzhou!"

"Who in Shangzhou has such great ability to steal the mineral resources of the Great Xia? I think ordinary people don't have that capability." Bai Jueming's lips curled up, looking at Jia Qingshan with a hint of sarcasm.

"How could my father..." Jia Qingshan froze on the spot, opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that he couldn't find a reason to refute. How could someone with average strength and power have the courage and ability to steal mineral deposits? His own father, as the Prince of Yu Nan, was the prime suspect!

Bai Jueming tapped his fingertips on the table, his mind racing with analysis: "You might want to think about this again. This pill case involves your Jia family's shops. Logically, if His Majesty were to shut down all of your Jia family's shops, you should have withdrawn from the capital. This is very likely His Majesty's intention. He doesn't want your Jia family's business to be based in the capital."

Jia Qingshan nodded; he had also thought of this.

"Afterwards, you came to the Yin-Yang Palace to prove your innocence, but because of his speculation about His Majesty's intentions, Hall Master Li did not prove your innocence."

"However, after receiving the message from the Imperial Preceptor, Master Li asked you in a dream, proving that you are indeed not involved in this matter."

"Then here's the question: since the Imperial Advisor has proven your innocence, why doesn't he let you return to Shangzhou? Why does he keep you under house arrest in the capital?"

"Let's speculate: perhaps the Imperial Advisor knew something, which is why he kept you as a hostage in the capital, making your father hesitant!"

"And I think this news is related to this mineral deposit!" Bai Jueming's analysis was so logical and well-founded that no one could think of any rebuttal.

Han Xueshan's delicate face was slightly parted at the corners of her mouth, her mind momentarily blank, and she stared blankly at Bai Jueming.

Why could Bai Jueming connect so many things from such a simple piece of information? Bai Jueming had also told her the whole story of the pill case, so why couldn't she think of these things...? Han Xueshan began to doubt herself...

"What you said makes a lot of sense." Jia Qingshan stood there for a long time, only managing to utter this one sentence...

"No, that's not right." Jia Qingshan quickly shook her head, almost stunned by Bai Jueming's words: "If the theft of the mineral deposits was really my father's doing, then why did he imply in the letter that I should join the Imperial Advisor's forces to prove the Jia family's innocence? And why did the Imperial Advisor take me in?"

"The first possibility is that it's your father's delaying tactic." Bai Jueming leaned back in his chair and spread his hands. "Your father did participate in the theft of the mineral deposits. Then he sent you a letter, saying that he no longer treated you as his own son. He used you as leverage to give to the Grand Preceptor, trying to sow discord among the Grand Preceptor and dispel his suspicions."

Bai Jueming suddenly wanted to laugh. He sat up straight and gently patted Jia Qingshan sitting next to him: "You're a pawn to be sacrificed. Be prepared to be taken down!"

Jia Qingshan's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Seeing that Bai Jueming didn't seem to be joking, cold sweat began to appear on his forehead and uncontrollably dripped down to his jaw. His body began to tremble slightly. He was terrified. If Bai Jueming's guess was correct, then he was not far from death.

Jia Qingshan jumped to his feet and retorted loudly, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! What good would it do my father to abandon me? Does he want to destroy the Jia family's legacy?"

"He only has one son, me! And he can't have any more children, or does he want to hand over the Jia family's legacy to outsiders?" After saying this, Jia Qingshan's mind went blank.

After listening to Bai Jueming's analysis, Han Xueshan looked at Jia Qingshan with some pity. What kind of father could treat his own son like an abandoned child? Could he really bear it?

Seeing Jia Qingshan's excited expression, Bai Jueming couldn't help but burst into laughter, gesturing for him to calm down: "Isn't your analysis quite good? Your father only has you as his son, how could he do something so stupid?"

"?" Jia Qingshan.

"?" Han Xueshan.

Jia Qingshan froze on the spot, a million curses raging in his mind. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself, thinking, "Why the hell did you scare me like that?!"

Han Xueshan's face darkened. Although she had already experienced Bai Jueming's despicable behavior, she still felt an urge to beat him to death. What a nasty habit—he enjoys watching others make fools of themselves!

Bai Jueming chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and said unhurriedly, "There's another possibility."

"Hurry up and tell me, you're driving me crazy!" Jia Qingshan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still shaken.

Han Xueshan was far less polite, glaring at her and scolding, "You bitch, tell me now!"

"The second possibility is..." Bai Jueming said somewhat awkwardly, not wanting the two bodyguards to resign in anger, which would be a loss.

Then Bai Jueming held up two fingers: "Your father truly didn't know about the mineral deposits, so he hinted to you through a letter that you should join the Imperial Advisor's faction. This was partly to appease the Imperial Advisor and His Majesty's suspicions, and partly to give you experience in the Yin-Yang Hall. Do you think, given your father's character, he would be looking out for you or trying to harm you?"

Actually, there's another possibility that Bai Jueming didn't mention: his father letting Jia Qingshan join the Yin Yang Palace was also a form of protection, wasn't it?

"Phew," Jia Qingshan let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He felt this was what his real father should do; his familiar father was back. Jia Qingshan unconsciously straightened his back: "Of course my dad is thinking of me."

"That's it, look how scared you were." Bai Jueming chuckled mischievously.

"..." Jia Qingshan glanced at Bai Jueming with a hint of resentment. He understood somewhat why Han Xueshan had called him a slut...

Suddenly, Han Xueshan had a flash of inspiration and discovered a loophole in Bai Jueming's words. She couldn't wait to retort, "If his father didn't know about the mine, why would he hint in a letter to him to join the Yin-Yang Palace for protection? Does that mean his father still knew about the mine?"