Asura in Arknights

There was silence.

The lord of Hammerfast is preventing everyone from entering the Dark Mountains, and Dr. Nauman has left behind a vast amount of data, all of which have introduced many additional variables into Leon and his team's plans.

The person who assassinated Dr. Nauman back then should have had no connection with the Dali Temple of Yan, which is separated by half a world. Just as Jingzhe said, it seems that cooperating with the Dali Temple is their most correct choice now.

but……

“I need to know why you’re here,” Li Ang said, raising his head and speaking to Jingzhe, word by word.

"Why are you asking this?" Jingzhe seemed reluctant to answer the question.

"If you're not even willing to explain something like this, then I think there's no need for us to cooperate."

As he spoke, Li Ang stood up and began to pick up the documents on the table. "Although there are a lot of documents, as long as we spend some time, we will eventually finish organizing them."

As a result, the Dali Temple lost the right to access these materials, unless they wanted to forcibly seize them.

Adele and Magellan also stood up, looking as if they were completely subservient to Leon.

Jingzhe remained silent, her growing agitation causing sparks to crackle from her body.

When Li Ang and his group had finished packing half of the materials, Jingzhe finally couldn't sit still any longer. She raised her staff to stop them and said, "I can tell you about the Dali Temple's mission this time, but it's only for you."

At this time, the language used during the Awakening of Insects had changed to the Yan language.

"I am here on His Majesty's orders to investigate a bloody case that spans four eras."

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Heaven and Earth in Illumination

Because of an imperial edict from the emperor, Jingzhe led his people to this godforsaken place.

A bloody case spanning several eras? Ha... This is no easy task. If Li Ang didn't know Jingzhe's identity, he would have thought she had offended the emperor and been assigned such a miserable job.

Jingzhe was able to rise to the position of one of the Nine Ministers at such a young age, and the power behind her played a crucial role. Even if the emperor wanted to deal with Jingzhe, he would have to consider the opinions of those behind her.

After all, this is a world where human power can communicate with the divine. The Great Yan is vast and populous, and even the emperor cannot necessarily do whatever he wants.

"That's all?"

“That’s all.” Jingzhe nodded. “A cold case that hasn’t been solved for decades… It doesn’t sound like anything special, but if you knew who was involved in this case, you wouldn’t think that way.”

"Who is involved...would you mind revealing them?"

Upon hearing this, Jingzhe considered it carefully before slowly saying, "I can't tell you everything. This case involves far too many people and forces. Even the Dali Temple itself cannot be fully trusted. This is for your own good."

"I can only say that this case involves many high-ranking officials in Ursus, Victoria, and Da Yan, and is even related to the succession of the royal power in Victoria. More than 20 years ago, the Yan ambassador to Victoria was one of the victims of this conspiracy."

Li Ang raised an eyebrow. According to Jingzhe, this matter was indeed quite serious.

"Then you're pretty unlucky."

"You must have only been the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review for a short time, and you've already received such a troublesome task. I hope the Emperor doesn't have any complaints about you?" Li Ang said casually.

To everyone's surprise, Li Ang received an unexpected answer from Jingzhe.

Jingzhe shook her head and said, "I think you've misunderstood."

“At first, His Majesty did not agree to my investigation of this case. I submitted sixteen memorials in a row before I finally managed to get His Majesty to agree.”

"……Why?"

Li Ang found this somewhat incomprehensible. Most people would avoid such a life-threatening situation as much as possible, so why would someone like Jingzhe actively seek it out?

Jingzhe has no shortage of reputation, status, and power. Even the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty was reluctant to investigate this matter. Why would Jingzhe take the initiative to take on this matter?

“Because I am the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review,” Jingzhe replied calmly. “Because the case file is stored in the Court of Judicial Review, and no one has inquired about it for thirty years.”

“I could have simply ignored this case like the previous two Ministers of the Court of Judicial Review, and even His Majesty wouldn’t have blamed me for my poor performance.”

"But if even I hide from this case, then who will be able to clear the names of those who died unjustly?"

As if reminding herself, Jingzhe repeated, "Yes, because I am the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

Jingzhe's calm words seemed to carry a special power, causing Li Ang's mind to tremble.

[Bearing the power of thunder and the laws of the universe, I am the hand and eye, the reason and the righteousness of the Great Yan.]

Li Ang understood that Jingzhe harbored a deep conviction, and compared to that conviction, what did the slight danger that investigating the case might bring matter? Even if she died because of her conviction, Jingzhe probably wouldn't have the slightest regret.

“I must apologize to you,” Li Ang said suddenly, very solemnly.

His actions naturally earned him a puzzled look from Jingzhe.

"I apologize for doubting you earlier. You are indeed the deserving Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

Li Ang could sense the hesitation and trepidation in Jingzhe's heart when she said those words. After arriving in Sami, she must have hesitated, regretted, and asked herself if it was all worth it.

Rather than answering Li Ang's question, those words were more like Jingzhe clearing away the confusion in her own heart.

Ultimately, the conclusion reached by Jingzhe was...

She was the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review in the Yan Kingdom.

Jingzhe may be young and lack strength and experience, but do those things matter? Based solely on her conviction, Jingzhe is undoubtedly the most outstanding Dali Temple Minister in Yan Kingdom in recent decades.

Compared to this, Li Ang's earlier guess seemed so boring and laughable.

Li Ang's sudden apology left Jingzhe somewhat bewildered, but she didn't take it to heart. She nodded and asked, "I've said everything I can say. So, have you made up your mind? Do you want to cooperate with our Dali Temple?"

"no problem."

This time, Li Ang answered decisively, "We do need your help, and you guessed right, we do have some other clues."

"A wise choice."

Upon hearing Li Ang's reply, Jingzhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

These research materials are the biggest gain for the Dali Temple since they came to Sami, and they really cannot give up these materials.

However, if Li Ang refuses, Jingzhe, as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, will absolutely not allow herself and the members of the Court of Judicial Review to do anything illegal.

Fortunately, Li Ang did not refuse.

"But is it alright for you to make a decision so quickly? Don't you need to discuss it with your fiancée?"

“No problem.” Li Ang shook his head slightly and replied, “I can make the decision about this. I will explain to Adele later.”

Jingzhe's words just now changed Li Ang's mind. If he couldn't even trust someone like Jingzhe, then there were probably very few people in the world who could gain his trust.

Wasn't the previous deal with Marna also established when both parties lacked understanding of each other? As it turns out, Li Ang's choice was correct. Although he encountered some trouble, he did receive a generous reward.

"Well... I wish us all the best in our upcoming collaboration."

Jingzhe stood up from her seat, walked to Li Ang, and extended her right hand.

"The cooperation went smoothly."

The two clasped hands tightly.

Jingzhe wasn't afraid of difficulties; she was only afraid that no matter how hard she tried, she would always be shut out by the truth. She had a premonition that the Dali Temple's work in Sami had only just officially taken its first step.

In a daze, it seemed as if Jingzhe had returned to the morning when she completed her apprenticeship.

The master placed a pair of thunder crystals in Jingzhe's hands, stared at her with deep eyes, and said, "From today onwards, you will be the new Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

"call……"

Taking a deep breath, Jingzhe looked into the distance, her gaze seemingly transcending space, landing on the misty mountain peak.

Thinking back to my youthful ambition and diligent study of laws and regulations, I only wish to command the Five Thunders to deter evildoers.

I felt the vastness of heaven and earth, the long night, and the thunder rumbling, and I came to understand the myriad difficulties of the world.

All I ask for in this life is—

[Heaven and Earth are in perfect harmony].

Chapter 58 Mountain Festival

Li Ang had no idea that Jingzhe had gone through such a complex emotional process simply by shaking hands.

He only noticed that Jingzhe seemed to be in a daze for a few seconds before quickly returning to normal.

After regaining her senses, Jingzhe summoned her subordinates and took away the screens used to prevent leaks. They had already finished discussing the important matters, so the screens were no longer of any use.

As the screen was removed, Adele and Magellan both breathed a sigh of relief.

Spending time with the Awakening of Insects in such a confined space actually requires a great deal of courage.

Li Ang did not notice that Jingzhe had a special aura. Anyone who got close to her would feel an inexplicable pressure. If she glared at them, ordinary people would probably be so frightened that they would confess.

Li Ang was a little surprised. Why had Magellan, who was always so lively, suddenly become so quiet? Since Jingzhe's appearance, she hadn't said more than three sentences in total.

This kind of person is Magellan's nemesis. In her eyes, they are far more dangerous than the traps in the ruins. Magellan is not stupid enough to jump out and attract fire, so he has been keeping quiet.

The effect was quite good; Jingzhe's attention was always on Li Ang and Adele, and she didn't pay much attention to her little follower.

However, although it wasn't outwardly apparent, Magellan was actually inwardly groaning; if she didn't leave soon, she really wouldn't be able to hold it in any longer.

After telling Adele about cooperating with Dali Temple, she wasn't too surprised. In fact, Adele also preferred to cooperate with Dali Temple, but she wasn't good at negotiating with others.

She's the type of person who never haggles when buying things; whatever price she says is the price. To avoid being ripped off, Adele asked Leon for help in making a decision.

"To show my sincerity, I will first tell you about the research results of the Dali Temple during this period."

After Li Ang and Adele finished their conversation, Jingzhe said that she had summoned several officials from the Dali Temple and told them about the information she had compiled from Professor Nauman's materials during this period.

These officials were all fluent in Letanian, so communication was not a problem.

From their analysis, we can see that Professor Naumann's research materials can be roughly divided into X parts.

The first part is a topographical map of the Hammerforst area, which is much more detailed than the maps that can be found locally. It should have been drawn by Professor Nauman himself, but there is still a certain difference compared to the topographical map that Leon deciphered from the Sarkaz eulogy.

The second part is an investigation of this mobile city and some nearby settlements. This part of the data is very messy, with a lot of Sami script mixed in with Letanian language. It requires people who understand both languages ​​to work together to sort it out, so progress is very slow.

The third part is a bit puzzling. Dr. Nauman has actually collected a lot of intelligence about the Ursus invasion war more than 20 years ago, and the people of Dali Temple are also a bit confused about the significance of this.

The last and largest part consists of numerous local legends about the Sami people. This is the part that Dali Temple is currently focusing on, because Jingzhe believes that what they are looking for may be hidden in this part of the records.

"This is the intelligence we have at this stage," Jingzhe said. "Not many of the people I brought understand Letanian, so the process of organizing the information has been slow."

“I have a general understanding of the situation, but what I don’t understand is why you came to Sami? If you were going to investigate, wouldn’t it have been better to do it in Yan Country?”

Jingzhe just mentioned that he was investigating a case, but he didn't explain why he came to Sami to investigate, nor did he explain why he set his sights on the Dark Mountains.

Jingzhe understood what Li Ang meant. She told those people to go back and continue organizing the data, and then said, "You may not know, but Sami is actually quite popular among a certain type of person."

“Criminals,” Jingzhe slowly uttered two words. “Some people, in order to escape the pursuit of the judicial authorities, usually flee to a very far place, such as Sargon, Sami, and Rembito. These three countries are very suitable for their needs.”

“The geographical location is remote enough that even after going to these three countries, the standard of living will not drop to an unacceptable level.”

Is there really such a saying?

Li Ang raised an eyebrow in surprise. As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review in charge of the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty, Jingzhe's words were quite persuasive.

"So, the person you're looking for escaped here, and might even have slipped into the Dark Mountains?"

"good."

Jingzhe nodded. "According to the intelligence I have now, the target did indeed flee all the way from Yan Kingdom to here, and finally disappeared into that mountain range. Whether he is dead or alive, we must find his whereabouts."

"I see."

The fact that Jingzhe and her group arrived in Hammerford at this time is probably just a simple coincidence, but the reason why the person she was investigating went deep into the Dark Mountains is worth pondering.

After all, according to Jingzhe, this unsolved case has been shelved for nearly thirty years without anyone handling it. If she hadn't insisted on investigating, the case would probably have remained buried. After that person escaped to Sami, he could have lived a comfortable life. Why would he be so foolish as to go to his death in the Dark Mountains?

"When did he enter the Dark Mountains?"

“Twenty-one years ago.” Jingzhe gave a fairly precise time point. “This is information we obtained from the local residents. He entered that mountain range twenty-one years ago.”

"Then why don't you go in and take a look?"

Magellan finally couldn't hold back any longer and interjected, "Do you really think you can find that person's whereabouts from these documents?"

Jingzhe finally noticed Magellan, who was just standing by, and frowned, asking, "And who is this...?"

“She’s the guide I hired, and she also acts as a Sami translator. Don’t worry about her,” Li Ang said casually, brushing the matter aside. “But what she just said is what I was also wondering about: why not send someone into the mountains to check the situation? If they don’t go too deep, they shouldn’t encounter any life-threatening danger.”

You're right.

"But the problem is that the Sami people's 'mountain sacrifice' is about to begin, and they have sealed off all the entrances. My men simply cannot find any other way in."

"Why not just go around from somewhere else?"

Magellan blurted it out.

Chapter Fifty-Nine: I Can't Play Along