"This man’s name is Hassen. He was once the Vice Commander of the Northern Desert Da Kuo’s Canglang Guard and has been hiding in the Great Xia for decades. Ten years ago, he stole the Dragon Tiger Fist technique from a Prince of the Great Xia. He has changed his disguise three times, one of which was Scar-faced Tiger. He has thirteen strongholds in the Capital City, located at West City Li’s Leather Shop, South City Wang Gan’s Blacksmith Shop... Have Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang investigate to solidify the guilt of the Northern Desert Da Kuo."
The voice came out of nowhere, yet it was perfectly clear, as if it were ringing directly inside his Sea of Consciousness—unmistakable and easy to understand.
Zheng Zhicang knew the Lord Emperor was using some Secret Technique to relay commands to him. This was not the first time.
He dared not disobey, nor could he. And he was gradually becoming willing.
The Spiritual Shackles held his Soul firmly in place, while the Soul Enchantment Technique periodically influenced his mind, preventing even the slightest thought of betrayal from arising.
But doubts lingered in his heart. ’Is Hassen really a spy for Da Kuo?’
’Do those strongholds even exist? Or is the Lord Emperor using this as an opportunity to frame them, pushing all the blame onto the Northern Desert? What if Da Kuo wasn’t behind this at all?’
He didn’t know, and he didn’t dare ask.
The only thing he could do was obey.
"Guards! Go and fetch Divine Constable Sun. Tell him we have urgent business to discuss," Zheng Zhicang said in a low voice, his decision made.
「7:45 AM. The downpour had subsided.」
Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang hurried to the residence of the Shadow Guard Chief. The man who was the foremost Divine Constable a century ago had grown noticeably haggard these past few days, even regretting having gotten involved in this whole confusing affair.
His eyes were sunken, his hair and beard had grown whiter, and his back was even slightly stooped. Clearly, he was not faring well.
A series of major cases had occurred in the Palace, and while every one of them pointed to a foreign enemy, the true culprit was never caught. They only ever managed to nab some small fry, which gave him an unprecedented sense of defeat.
Sun Wuyang cupped his hands in greeting. "Lord Zheng, is this about the incident at Wenhua Hall last night? We’re still investigating the perpetrator’s identity and have yet to reach a definite conclusion. Our preliminary theory is that they are a Super Grade Celestial Human from the Northern Desert Da Kuo."
"Exactly. Divine Constable Sun, please take a look." Zheng Zhicang handed him the dossier.
Sun Wuyang took the dossier and examined it, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
When he saw the words "Scar-faced Tiger, Northern Desert spy," a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"I have already examined the man’s body," Sun Wuyang said slowly. "He did indeed commit suicide by poison. The poison is Wolf Poison, which is unique to the Northern Desert. It kills the instant it enters the bloodstream and is astonishingly potent. Furthermore, his Disguise Technique was superb; the face he showed was also fake. If he weren’t already dead, I would never have discovered it, even with a close inspection."
"So, Divine Constable Sun, you believe he was truly a spy for Da Kuo?" Zheng Zhicang asked, testing the waters.
"Based on the superficial evidence, that does seem to be the case," Sun Wuyang mused. "The Disguise Technique, the poison, the assassination target... these are all methods typically used by Da Kuo spies. What’s more, the man’s skills were extraordinary. To be able to sneak into Wenhua Hall without being detected, he must be extremely familiar with the Imperial Palace—a veteran agent who has been undercover for years."
Zheng Zhicang felt a little more settled. ’If even Sun Wuyang is saying it, then the Lord Emperor’s leads must be real. This might not be a frame-up after all.’
He thought for a moment, then said, as if it were an afterthought, "Right, after last night’s incident, I had my men investigate the man’s movements around the Capital City. We ended up discovering a few suspicious strongholds."
"Oh? Where?" Sun Wuyang looked up, surprise showing on his face.
"There’s Old Li’s Leather Shop in West City. The shopkeeper is from the Northern Desert, arrived in the Capital thirty-five years ago. There’s Wang Gan’s Blacksmith Shop in South City, which officially forges weapons for the military but secretly sells them to unknown parties. And a cosmetics shop in East City. On the surface, it sells makeup, but people with Northern Desert accents are frequently seen coming and going..." Zheng Zhicang relayed the clues from the Lord Emperor one by one.
The light in Sun Wuyang’s eyes flared. "Lord Zheng, is this true?"
"It’s the absolute truth. I’ve already placed them under surveillance. We’re just waiting for your confirmation, Divine Constable Sun, and then we can close the net," Zheng Zhicang said with a nod.
Sun Wuyang shot to his feet in excitement. "Excellent, excellent! If we can really dismantle the Northern Desert Da Kuo’s strongholds in the Capital City, it would be no less than severing one of their limbs! I will look into it at once. I will not disappoint you, Lord Zheng."
"I’ll be counting on you, Divine Constable Sun." After seeing Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang off, Zheng Zhicang stood alone at the window, gazing at the puddles on the bluestone slabs in the courtyard, his heart filled with a myriad of conflicting emotions.
’He didn’t know if what he was doing was right or wrong. Helping the Lord Emperor frame the Northern Desert Da Kuo and shift all the blame to a foreign enemy is undoubtedly aiding a tyrant.’
’But on the other hand, if the Northern Desert Da Kuo really was the mastermind, then he was purging a threat to the nation. That wouldn’t be a betrayal.’
’Truth and lies, lies and truth... he couldn’t tell the difference anymore. All he knew was that he had no choice. He had to walk this dark path to the end, unless he wanted to die.’
「Not long after, in Yangxin Hall within Qianqing Palace.」
Emperor Xia had just finished listening to the report from Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang, and the gloomy expression he had worn for days finally broke into a delighted smile.
"Good. What a fine Northern Desert, what a fine Da Kuo Royal Court!" he roared, slamming his hand on the table as he rose. A cold light glinted in his eyes. "Poisoning my Princes, cursing my Consorts, assassinating my Crown Prince... Now, even your spies who have been hiding in the Capital City for years have been exposed—a Super Grade Celestial Human, no less! Mr. Sun, you have performed a great service this time!"
Sun Wuyang bowed. "I dare not claim the credit. Lord Zheng discovered the leads; I merely reaped the reward."
"All have merit, and all shall be rewarded! Transmit my decree! Reward Zheng Zhicang and Sun Wuyang each with one thousand taels of gold and a hundred bolts of brocade! Furthermore, order the Divine Capture Sect, the Shadow Guard, and the Imperial Guard to coordinate. Close the net immediately! Take out all of those strongholds in one fell swoop. I need live captives! I will personally interrogate them!" Emperor Xia commanded with a grand wave of his hand, his face flushed with triumph.
"We obey!" Zheng Zhicang and Sun Wuyang declared in unison before taking their leave.
The imperial decree went out swiftly. At 1:45 PM, the strongholds were surrounded simultaneously. There was no shortage of experts inside, including masters of the Upper Three Grades and even Super Grade Celestial Humans.
The shopkeeper of West City’s Old Li’s Leather Shop was in the backyard counting his goods when the Shadow Guard burst in and wrestled him to the ground. From the cellar, they recovered more than a dozen secret letters to and from the Northern Desert. They also killed and captured several Da Kuo experts, among whom were three Grandmasters.
At Wang Gan’s Blacksmith Shop in South City, the forge fires roared. A blacksmith had just handed a newly quenched longsword to a masked man when masters from the Divine Capture Sect swarmed them. From a secret compartment, they seized thousands of pieces of forbidden military weaponry. They also killed and wounded several elites from the Northern Desert military, including a Super Grade Celestial Human.
The proprietress of the cosmetics shop in East City screamed and tried to destroy her ledgers, but the Imperial Guard cornered her inside. The books clearly recorded every single transaction with the Northern Desert, the sums of which were enormous...
They were caught red-handed, and the evidence was irrefutable!
When the news reached the Imperial Palace, Emperor Xia threw his head back and roared with laughter. It was as if all the pent-up frustration of the past several days was released in that single moment, leaving him with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

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