That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

As the sage said, "Food and sex are human nature!"

"Can't you, an old geezer, learn something good?!"

When these two started arguing, it was as if they had switched roles.

Xie Yunqi was like a rigid and pedantic teacher, while Wen Fuxiao was like an ignorant student.

"As the people's public servant, at such a critical juncture, instead of thinking about relieving the people's worries, you shut yourself in and watch women dance?!"

Xie Yunqi stomped his feet in anger, causing the already dilapidated carriage to creak and groan.

"Have you forgotten all those grand principles you taught me before, like how those in high positions should be concerned about the people, and how one should be the first to worry about the world's troubles?!"

"..."

It wasn't until Xie Yunqi said those words that Wen Fuxiao's expression suddenly darkened.

His drunkenness seemed to have suddenly vanished, or perhaps he had never been drunk in the first place.

After a long while, he sighed softly.

"Thank you, little girl."

Xie Yunqi was momentarily stunned by his address, feeling that the unfamiliar old man in front of him suddenly resembled someone from before.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Shun Family

"Everyone here is Xie Xiaoya's friend, and I know perfectly well that you're all willing to play along with her antics."

Wen Fuxiao looked at Jiang Jingming and smiled faintly:

"Furthermore, I consider myself to have a good eye for people."

Jiang Jingming nodded slightly, but for a moment he couldn't figure out the meaning behind his words.

But what is certain at present is that his hedonistic demeanor was undoubtedly an act.

Perhaps the true state of affairs beneath the calm surface of Fengling City forced him to adopt a self-preservation stance.

Wen Fuxiao coughed and slowly began to speak:

"Judging from what Xie Xiaoya said just now, her original plan was probably to take advantage of the banquet to get Lu Zhao, who was traveling with them, drunk, and then you could take the opportunity to leave and secretly investigate the case, right?"

Is it that easy to guess?

Xie Yunqi stuck out his tongue a little embarrassedly.

Indeed, it's that easy to guess, Jiang Jingming thought to himself. How could he possibly fool the legendary Mr. Wen, who was well-versed in both ancient and modern learning?

“If I can guess, then Vice Envoy Chen can certainly guess as well. Therefore, his arrest of you under the guise of questioning is probably also to stop your actions.”

At this point, Wen Fuxiao lowered her voice:

"To be honest, after the case of Tingpu Villa came to light, before I could even investigate it myself, Vice Envoy Chen had already arrived on horseback with a warrant from the capital. From that moment on, I lost the authority to take charge of the case."

He paused for a moment, and only after confirming that there was no sign of being eavesdropped on did he continue:

"You've probably heard that I've been refusing visitors lately, right? That wasn't my intention; in other words, I'm actually under house arrest."

"Where does Chen Sha get such great power?"

Xie Yunqi grumbled indignantly.

Looking at her indignant expression, Jiang Jingming couldn't help but wonder where the Divine Capital Guard got such prestige. Shouldn't Miss Xie know better than anyone else?

Shh, keep your voice down.

Wen Fuxiao smiled:

"It will take about half an hour to get from your residence to the prison, so we still have some time to chat."

"If the Chief Secretary has no right to interfere in this case, then what about the City Lord of Fengling City?"

Jiang Jingming thought about it for a while, and finally asked the question.

Wen Fuxiao looked at him quietly for a long time, and finally shook her head:

"Young hero, you are young and an outsider, so it is normal that you do not know the secrets and history of Fengling City. The world only knows that the city lord of Fengling City is named Song Huai, but only a very few people know that his real name is actually Shun Huai."

"Instantaneous?"

Jiang Jingming was only slightly taken aback before quickly realizing what was happening.

Unlike sects like Tingpu Manor and Xiquan Sword Sect, which widely recruit disciples, Tingpu Manor is a large and flourishing family.

And the family's surname is Shun.

It's an extremely rare surname, so it's easy to remember. Jiang Jingming only glanced at it once back then, but he remembered it.

"Yes."

Wen Fuxiao nodded before continuing:

"The Shun family, under the name of Tingpu Manor, has been entrenched in Fengling City for many years and already holds a very high position, but they have always harbored ambitions to advance into the imperial court."

"Thus, after years of planning, the head of the Shun family sent the young Shun Huai to the official family of Song. With the full support of Tingpu Manor, Shun Huai finally ascended to the position of city lord under the name of Song Huai."

"From this point on, the Shun family held an unshakeable position in both the martial arts world and the imperial court."

At this point in Wen Fuxiao's story, the outcome was self-evident.

Song Huai, the city lord of Fengling City, also died in this massacre, because he was a member of the Shun family.

This makes the significance of the case even more complex.

A faint chill spread through the carriage. Jiang Jingming instinctively reached for the knife at his waist, but found nothing.

"So, who exactly is capable of wiping out such a group of important figures overnight?"

Jiang Jingming asked the question thoughtfully.

"do not know."

Wen Fuxiao stroked his beard, trying to keep it from getting stained with the blood on his clothes.

Before setting off, he asked Chen Sha if he could change his clothes, but Chen Sha retorted that he was going to jail to be interrogated, not to meet the emperor.

So he could only go out wearing a robe stained with the dancer's blood, looking like an old madman who had just killed someone.

“The murderer did leave the signature ‘Young Mistress of the Duyue Sect’ inside Tingpu Manor, but this cannot directly identify the murderer and there is a high possibility that it was a frame-up.”

He sighed as he said this:

"But Vice Envoy Chen doesn't think so, because if it weren't for the people from the Crossing Moon Sect, no one could have wiped out the Listening Waterfall Manor so quietly."

Jiang Jingming thought for a moment, then tentatively said:

“Vice Envoy Chen seems to have a great deal of hostility towards the Duyue Sect.”

"Which member of the Righteous Alliance doesn't hate the Moon Crossing Sect? After all, in that war ten years ago, the Moon Crossing Sect was like an uninhabited land in the Central Plains, stomping on the face of the Righteous Alliance like the sole of a shoe."

Wen Fuxiao chuckled for no apparent reason.

Xie Yunqi squinted at him for a long time, then reached out to grab his beard.

"Master Wen, why do I feel that your words are leaning more towards the Moon Crossing Sect? You old spy sent by the enemy!"

"Ouch, ouch!"

Master Wen immediately started bleating like an old goat.

Looking at Xie Yunqi's beautifully curved profile, Jiang Jingming suddenly couldn't help but ask:

"Is the young lady also so certain that it was the people from the Moon Crossing Cult who committed the crime?"

Through the gaps in the carriage, one could see the moon rising, its light like a ribbon.

The sounds of wheels rubbing against the ground and horses' hooves mingled together, echoing in the silent night.

Xie Yunqi seemed to have tired of making a fuss and quieted down.

Just when Jiang Jingming thought she wouldn't answer the question, he heard her say in a muffled voice:

“I don’t know. But since it might be related to the Moon Crossing Cult, I will investigate it thoroughly.”

"why?"

Jiang Jingming looked at her fine, curled eyelashes that drooped downwards.

“I know you probably think I’m stupid. Is there really such a thing as black and white in this world? I’ve seen countless people who do bad things under the banner of justice. But I know what I’m doing this for.”

Xie Yunqi buried his face in his knees and remained silent for a long time.

The usually energetic and lively young lady was now curled up like a dejected kitten, which made people feel sorry for her.

Jiang Jingming looked at her quietly for a while, then decided not to ask her any more questions.

Because he knew what she was after.

It was all because of a childish promise made when they were young that the young lady so earnestly hated the Duyue Cult, simply because they killed her friend.

The Wash Spring Sword Sect did not search for him, the young sect leader who had been separated from his group on the battlefield. The news they released to the public was that he had died in an accident and that they had erected a grave that no one cared about.

The only person in the world who cared about him had no choice but to believe this story and, for ten years, he wanted to avenge him.

Jiang Jingming looked up at the pale golden sliver of moonlight peeking through the crack and thought how unpredictable life truly is.

Chapter Seventy: Doing one's best

The carriage shook violently, probably because it had made a sharp turn.

Fang Zhiyi, who was already slightly drunk, lost her balance and was about to hit her head when Jiang Jingming raised his hand in time to cushion it for her.

The soft strands of hair fell gently into his palm, and only after a slight jolt did Jiang Jingming withdraw his hand.

Fang Zhiyi lowered her eyes and smiled gently.

Jiang Jingming paused, then turned his gaze back to Wen Fuxiao.

"Mr. Wen, is the reason why Vice Envoy Chen sidelined you immediately because he believed you were biased towards the Crossing Moon Sect?"

"Young hero, your deductions are excellent."

Wen Fuxiao smiled and nodded, then sighed:

“He probably harbored resentment ever since I wrote that ‘Strategy to Stop the War’.”

"Even if you are demoted and exiled to Fengling City, a thousand miles away, to live out your days, will that not eliminate this discontent?"

"Maybe so."

There was a hint of helplessness in Wen Fuxiao's smile.

"Actually, my 'Strategy to Cease War' was just a bunch of polite words. If the Divine Capital Guard were to join the fight between martial arts practitioners, it would be an irreversible catastrophe for the innocent civilians involved. I just don't want to see that kind of scene."

"..."

Jiang Jingming remained silent for a long time, his thoughts drawn back to the devastating scene of carnage and bloodshed ten years ago.

Mr. Wen is right. The fighting among martial arts practitioners alone has already resulted in such heavy casualties. If the Divine Capital Guard were to intervene, it would escalate into a real war, and even more people would die as a result.

Fang Zhiyi, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly smiled and spoke up:

"I have often heard rumors along the way that Mr. Wen was demoted by the emperor because of his famous 'Strategy to Stop War'. His strategy to stop war and his benevolent heart are truly admirable."

Wen Fuxiao listened to her speak, shook her head and chuckled softly:

“Young lady, you flatter me. I am but a scholar with only a pen; I cannot save this world. Look, the war that happened ten years ago will eventually break out again.”

"In this world, everything is just a matter of doing one's best and leaving the rest to fate."

Fang Zhiyi just smiled faintly.

"Yes, do your best and leave the rest to fate."

Wen Fuxiao pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly:

"Speaking of which, how did Xie Xiaoya get to know this girl? Their personalities are worlds apart."

"That's a long story!"

Xie Yunqi looked up, unaware of the sarcasm and slight smugness in Wen Fuxiao's words.

“When we were in Shulan City, we encountered a strange incident! Master Wen, have you ever heard of this poison called Mengdala? People who are poisoned by it will go mad and hurt others. Lu Zhao was bitten by the poisoned person and was infected. He almost died, but luckily Sister Fang came to his rescue.”