Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

The two walked to a private room, where a maid served them the finest tea.

Qiu Wuhen leaned back in his chair, looking languid. He picked up the teacup on the table, brought it to his nose, took a sip, and then frowned slightly.

Zhang Jingchu sat upright in her chair, her back ramrod straight, and asked in a crisp and decisive tone:

"Tell me... what you found out."

When the conversation turned to serious matters, Qiu Wuhen abandoned his playful attitude and said solemnly:

"Alright, since Miss Zhang is treating, I will certainly tell you everything I know."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingchu looked at him with some displeasure:

"Let's skip the formalities."

"OK."

Qiu Wuhen put down his cup and spoke in a deep voice:

"These past few days, I've done a brief investigation into Gu Hanfeng's background. I found that he's actually nothing special. On the surface, he might just be an ordinary expert in the martial arts world who, with his skills, naturally accumulated a lot of wealth. Later, perhaps tired of cultivation and fighting, he casually found a small town to settle down in."

Zhang Jingchu lightly tapped the table with her fingertips, coldly interrupting him:

"Can you be more direct and stop beating around the bush?"

As a member of the Imperial Guard, she was responsible for investigating secret matters and disliked such long-winded and rambling speech.

Qiu Wuhen was not annoyed and continued:

"What I'm trying to say is that there are countless people and things like this in the world. They're all wiped out, so why is it that only Gu Hanfeng has attracted the attention of those above, even the Emperor?"

He paused, then continued speaking.

"There must be some secret behind this that the higher-ups are unwilling to reveal, but that we must find out. So, I went to the government office to review the relevant files."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingchu countered with a question:

"Didn't you say that the government offices are full of people who are just seeking fame and fortune and do nothing but idleness, and that you find them annoying? Why are you still willing to go?"

"Heh, that doesn't contradict it. After I went back, these impressions were even stronger." Qiu Wuhen didn't shy away from it, and his disdain was even more pronounced. "It's still the same as before. Those people are just putting on airs and wasting their time. They have no real skills whatsoever. They make excuses and waste time when checking things."

Qiu Wuhen chuckled lightly:

"However, Miss Zhang is naturally not among them."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingchu shook her head and replied:

"Tell me what you found out."

"Hmm... do you know about the Weishui Sect?"

Zhang Jingchu frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said frankly:

"I'm not sure."

"That's true, you're so young, it's normal that you haven't heard of it."

Qiu Wuhen was not surprised and slowly explained,

"In short, the Weishui Sect was once a profound cultivation sect with a strong foundation. Its strength ranked among the top in the Central Continent. It had many disciples and a large influence. It was also on the rise in its heyday."

His tone shifted, becoming more serious:

"Yet this sect, with such a promising future, suddenly disappeared without a trace thirty years ago. The reason was simple: not a single member of the Weishui Sect survived; they were all slaughtered."

Zhang Jingchu's eyes darkened, her fingers tightened slightly, and her mind raced, trying to grasp the connection between the two events. After a moment, she looked up and asked, "Was it Gu Hanfeng who did it?"

A hint of approval flashed in Qiu Wuhen's eyes, and he nodded slightly:

"Smart, quick to understand."

"So Gu Hanfeng has a grudge against the Weishui Sect?"

Zhang Jingchu pressed for an answer, thinking to herself, "What kind of deep-seated hatred could drive someone to do something so ruthless!"

"No, no, no." Qiu Wuhen shook his head repeatedly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement, yet also a touch of solemnity. "He has no enmity with the Weishui Sect. In fact, the Weishui Sect has done him a great favor, an immense favor!"

"Gu Hanfeng was orphaned at a young age and was a rogue cultivator. By chance, he was appreciated by the sect leader of the Weishui Sect and was taken in as a personal disciple, and his strength soared to the sky."

"Then why is that?" Zhang Jingchu frowned even more deeply. This matter was becoming increasingly perplexing and completely beyond her expectations.

"At first, I was completely baffled."

Qiu Wuhen sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"Because the contents of the case file end here, with no further clues. It only says in a few strokes: In the twenty-fourth year of Tianhe, Gu Hanfeng, a disciple of the Weishui Sect, slaughtered his entire family."

"Such a horrific massacre, and none of the five major immortal sects intervened?"

The Weishui Sect was a powerful force, and the massacre of its entire clan was no small matter; the five major immortal sects could not possibly be unaware of it.

"That's the strangest part."

Qiu Wuhen's tone held a deeper meaning.

"In this tragedy, not only did none of the five major immortal sects intervene, but they even seemed to be protecting him. At the time, the sect leader of the Weishui Sect had a close relationship with a high-ranking official in the imperial court."

"After the tragedy, the high-ranking official personally reported to the emperor, pleading for a thorough investigation, but in the end, the matter was dropped and never heard from again."

Zhang Jingchu remained silent for a moment, gradually clearing her mind, and slowly began to analyze:

"Hearing this, I have some vague guesses."

After organizing her thoughts, she stated them:

"Back then, the Weishui Sect probably touched upon the core interests of the five major immortal sects, and Gu Hanfeng probably made some kind of deal with the five major immortal sects, becoming their dirty butcher's knife. Afterwards, he was protected by the immortal sects, and the imperial court could only let it go."

"This analysis is quite reasonable. After all, Gu Hanfeng spent his early years fighting in the martial arts world, constantly battling for cultivation resources. As long as there is profit to be made, betrayal is nothing to him."

"But having said that, what you've found out is of no use to our current investigation."

Zhang Jingchu paused, then added:

"Our primary task is to find the murderer and the mysterious third young lady of the Gu family. This matter from decades ago is currently of no use to us. Its only use is to provide a possibility: the murderer may be a disciple of the Weishui Sect who survived by chance back then and has come to seek revenge on Gu Hanfeng."

"Ha, at least that proves I haven't wasted my time these past few days."

In fact, the task of investigating Gu Hanfeng had already been assigned.

Moreover, Qiu Wuhen received the appointment as soon as the mission was assigned.

He is highly experienced, ruthless, and adept at uncovering secrets; such cases cannot be solved without him.

However, after Qiu Wuhen was appointed, there was no further progress.

The Jingyu Guard is riddled with factions, and they are arguing endlessly about the other candidate, unable to make a decision for a long time.

In the end, the emperor grew tired of it and personally issued an edict to appoint Zhang Jingchu.

If Qiu Wuhen is a veteran with extensive experience and outstanding military achievements among the Jingyu Guards...

Zhang Jingchu was a rising star. She had only been a member of the Jingyu Guard for two years, but with her keen insight and efficient methods, she had solved many long-standing and strange cases.

"Besides, things are unpredictable; perhaps these seemingly unrelated past events will become the key to solving the case someday?"

Zhang Jingchu did not respond. She stood up, looked down at Qiu Wuhen, and said in a cold tone:

"Theoretical discussions are useless. The rest of the clues can only be uncovered step by step when we arrive at the small town where Gu Hanfeng settled back then and go to the scene."