Chapter Fourteen: Defoe Does Not Return

Bi Zhu Po expressed a little surprise.With the special restrictions of the stone chamber, she shouldn't be able to hear the conversation inside from outside the stone chamber, but she must surely hav..."This recognition is invaluable," Jiang Wang replied via voice transmission. "But I'm not sure I can help you."

Lin Youxie's trust was heavy, but Jiang Wang had come a long way since he was a boy who filled his head with naive fantasies and unconditionally believed that Dong Ah would save Fenglin City.

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We will still uphold our integrity and generosity within our capabilities, but we will not ignore the realities of the situation.

Lin Xiang and Wu Lie, both from the prestigious "Four Great Qingpai Families," were once the most dazzling figures in the Qingpai system. Known as "Southern Wu, Northern Lin," they formed the "Qingpai Twins," representing the hope for a revival of the Four Great Qingpai Families' glory days.

Lin Xiang had taken on countless major cases, and every case was solved. To this day, many of the investigation methods used in Beiyuan were his innovations.

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But his brilliance came to an abrupt end after he took over the investigation into Empress Lei Gui's assassination.

When Lin Xiang died, Wu Lie resigned from his post.

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In the blink of an eye, all traces of romance and revelry vanished.

Only three-year-old Lin Youxie, because of suddenly witnessing his biological father's corpse, was terrified of corpses for life.

The Lin family, once one of the Four Great Aristocratic Families alongside Wu, Li, and Cheng, is now reduced to only Lin Yu due to the extinction of the other families.

A few days ago, Li Youjiu was executed by Lingchi, which means that the Four Great Qingpai families have lost their names and realities, and no longer exist!

Now Lin Youxie wants to catch clues that Feng Gu might have left behind, and reopen the case of Lei Gui's assassination. Jiang Wang is not optimistic.

He is not unconvinced of Lin Youxie's investigative ability, but for a case of this magnitude and scope, it takes a powerful figure to drive the investigation forward. Neither Lin Youxie nor even her backer Urie possess that kind of influence...

From this perspective, why did Feng Gu choose to commit suicide at this very moment, right after Jiang Wuqi's funeral ended

Firstly, he had completed Jiang Wuqì's funeral affairs and had no more attachments. Secondly... He simply wanted to use the emperor's feelings for Jiang Wuqì to die as the Grand Eunuch of Changsheng Palace at a time when the emperor's grief had not yet subsided.

I implore the Emperor to unleash his righteous fury and push forward with this investigation.

Then, clues to the assassination of Lei Gui's concubine were revealed, upgrading the case.

Even putting that scalpel in front of Lin Youxie's door was definitely related to Feng Gu - in order to find out the truth behind Lin Kuang's death, Lin Youxie would definitely do everything he could.

Feng Gu's design was almost at the limit of what he could do.

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But the problem lies in... what is the emperor's attitude

On the surface, the emperor assigning the Beiya to handle the Changshenggong case alone and accommodating Feng Gu's last wish by having Jiang Wang oversee the progress of the case undoubtedly shows that he is putting effort into pushing it forward.

The investigation team consisting of Zheng Shangming, Lin Youxie, and Jiang Wang is also quite formidable.

But going from the Feng Gu Xuanliang case back to the many years prior assassination of Lady Lei Gui, frankly speaking, it lacks a bit of weight.

Unless Zheng Shangming is replaced by Zheng Shi and Lin Youxie is replaced by Uriah, there is no qualification to say that an investigation of this level of case is being pursued.

Therefore, the emperor's attitude remains unclear.

Perhaps the emperor is also waiting for something...

Only by combining the information from Lin Youxie and Zheng Shangming could Jiang Wang make some sense of this matter.

The key to this matter still lies with the emperor!

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After seeing the clue, would the emperor be willing to reopen the old case

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The two blue-ranked individuals before us clearly have different attitudes and stances. Zheng Shangming, if he finds the clue first, will surely wait for the emperor's will. Lin Youxie, if he finds the clue first, will definitely investigate all the way to the end, seeking the truth to be revealed to the world.

Jiang Wang sympathized with Lin Youxie's experience and understood her desire for the truth, but she couldn't rashly promise something she might not be able to do.

A light promise is always to be broken.

“You don't need to do too much, just close one eye and open the other.” Lin Youxie’s voice said.

It was clear she believed she could find the clue before Zheng Shangming, for compared to Zheng Shangming who was still in the stage of doubt, she had already confirmed that Feng Gu's death was a suicide, taking a big lead.

The only thing that needs to be considered is Jiang Wang, who has been keeping an eye on them under the guise of supervision.

It's hard for her to make any underhanded moves when Jiang Wang is watching, both she and Zheng Shangming would find it difficult. That's why she needs to communicate with Jiang Wang privately.

Jiang Wang stopped talking.

The search of Jiang Wuqi's study did not yield any quick results.

It should be said that Lin Youxie and Feng Gu's goals were the same. One was for his deceased father, and the other was for his deceased benefactor. One pursued death as a solution, and the other risked everything to get involved. They both sought the truth buried deep in history...

Jiang Wang was unwilling to be the one who stood in their way.

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It's only natural to repay kindness and vengeance. Who has the right to criticize

But if he were to truly discover that Lin had hidden clues, he wasn't sure what he would do.

Can Zheng Shangming's friendship just be ignored The Zheng family father and son so openly offered the position of Northern Palace Cavalry Commander, could he completely ignore it

Maybe I shouldn't have taken this director position. Who could have expected such a difficult situation

But now, to directly quit would inevitably raise suspicions. Besides, having someone else supervise would undoubtedly hamper Lin Youxie's plans in reality.

Jiang Wang was feeling agitated, so he simply stood at the entrance of his study, letting his mind wander and distracting himself with meditation.

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He didn't want to make a choice anymore, so he might as well leave it to fate and see which one fares better, Lin Youxie or Zheng Shangming.

The Dragon-Tiger has been completed, and it's time to allocate more energy to the Starry Light Tower. After all, all magical arts rely on cultivation as their foundation.

A spark ignited within, instantly connecting to the celestial Starlit Tower of a distant stellar realm.

It is not that the power of soul and spirit is sufficient to traverse the cosmos. This connection is more based on the inherent wonder of the Starlight Holy Tower itself.

In the vast expanse of stars, a seven-tiered green pagoda stands tall, its ancient aura palpable. It boasts flying eaves and curved corners, resembling an exquisite painting with carved railings.

A wisp of a soul descended and manifested its form.

At that time, the Star Tower was erected directly beside the Yu Heng star, skipping the most complicated and dangerous step of building the Starry Saint Tower. There was no need to risk losing one's soul in the universe by establishing an anchor point, nor did they have to gradually gather starlight power to build the Star Tower—after all, Guan Yan's predecessor had already crushed it with a single palm.

Today, the Starlight Tower still exists within the inner perimeter of the Yu Heng Constellation concept. However, the "core" Yuheng star previously occupied by Elder Guan Yan has vanished without a trace.

The Yu Heng has already been taken. For those with ambition like the Dragon God, it would be much harder to seize a position.

Jiang Wang didn't think about contacting Guanyuan senior. He thought that the senior was probably with his little mother-in-law now and wouldn't want to be disturbed.

Within the starry expanse encompassed by the Jade Measuring Star, Jiang Wang's Star Pavilion is not unique, nor can it monopolize this domain. But this Star Pavilion must be in the most central position, in Qi State within the Eastern Region, Qi State's Linzi.

Blessed with unparalleled advantages, the falling starlight resembled a cascading waterfall, radiating brilliance.

Jiang Wang was already very familiar with the state of soul manifestation.

The current manifested form of a soul, if it were to appear directly in the vast universe, would likely be shattered instantly. However, within the Star Tower, that is not the case.

In a sense, the Starlit Pavilion, situated in the distant reaches of the cosmos, could be considered an "celestial palace" that transcends worldly boundaries.

Just like five inner abodes can also be seen as five "Palaces of Heaven," in practice, they expand more possibilities and provide practitioners with more choices.

Stars shine brightly in the vast sea of stars.

Jiang Wang settled his mind and sat in meditation within the Star Tower. Using his spiritual awareness, he manifested his soul essence and, with the help of the tower's mystical energy, calmly felt the connection between himself and the universe. The Star Sea is also the Cosmic Ocean, and the Starlight Tower is also oneself.

Man corresponds to the universe, so there are all kinds of possibilities.

In the stillness, I experience the uniqueness of this Starry Hall amidst the vast universe. It actively gathers the starlight of Yu Heng and further carves and polishes the Hall itself, making it more unique, more self-possessed, and more authentic...

This is also a process of further understanding oneself.

Know thyself, and then explore the cosmos. Use the cosmos as a mirror to reflect upon yourself. Both your understanding of yourself and your understanding of the cosmos are without end.

Though cultivation may never truly have an end, there are always those who dedicate their all to traveling further.

After finishing all her assignments, Jiang Wang stood up and strolled around the Starlight Tower for a while. She even went down to the basement to have a look.

The Sea Dragon God was suppressed at the bottom of this star tower. Under the influence of the formation laid by Senior Guanyin, it continuously provided power to the tower. Therefore, although Jiang Wang's attention has been focused on the Dragon and Tiger recently, the progress of the star tower itself has not been slow. It is now becoming more solid and stable.

The base of this star tower manifested as an ancient stone ground, like a single massive stone slab.

Rough and old, it has a sense of historical weight.

When adjusting it, Jiang Wang intentionally referenced the Guanhe Terrace and the Jiantai in the Tai Xu Illusionary Realm.

With a slight movement of his thoughts, the stone slab gradually became transparent. It was clear to see that beneath them was a prison cell with four walls sealed shut, complex formations connected in intricate patterns, giving a sense of being unbreakable.

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A black-gold dragon, coiled on the ground, seemed to be asleep.

The Sea Dragon God was originally a golden dragon. Later, after borrowing the reincarnation of the Yan Xiao, he controlled the dark side of the Senhai source world and became ink-colored. After being pulled out from Jiang Wang's body by Guan Yan and sealed in this prison, it became ink gold...

There is a sense of light and darkness, good and evil intertwined.

His dragon claws and dragon neck were imprisoned by massive chains. The grayish-white chains, one end attached to the shackles and the other to the four walls, not only confined his dragon body but also siphoned his power, preventing him from resisting.

The entire Starry Sky Tower was under Jiang Wang's control.

The transparency of the stone slabs underfoot at this moment is unidirectional.

You can see down from above, but you can't see up from below.

Jiang Wang looked silently for a while, making sure the other party had no possibility of escape, and then prepared to leave.

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"Oh."

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In the stone prison, the jet-black dragon suddenly let out a sigh.

It should have sensed the changes in this Starlight Saint Pavilion itself, knowing that Jiang Wang's soul had arrived at the building. It deliberately made some commotion to attract attention.

Jiang Wang watched silently, without a word, as He performed.

“Who else knows the ancient secrets The great war of a hundred clans, the sky collapsed nine times. How much did the Dragon Clan pay for this world Heaven is always ruthless, and mortals are most forgetful. But the fabricated legends are as thin as white paper, and the false stories are just broken dreams. Those who forget history will eventually be forgotten by history!”

The dragon god's voice was low, as if lost in great memories: "When my emperor fought the Fierce Mountain, he saved the world from collapse. He broke the Nine Curves River and shattered the Seven Treasures of Mount Xia. He questioned the Southern Heaven and roared in the Yu Abyss..."

At this point, He let out a heavy sigh. It was filled with a touch of self-pity and profound meaning, as if countless stories were waiting to be told, and endless secrets were ready to be shared.

The secret of the dragon, the history of the dragon, the treasure of the dragon...

Nobody would remain indifferent to this.

However, Jiang Wang remained silent.

Silence lasted for a very long time.

The Sea Dragon suddenly burst into laughter, a chilling sound: "In the past, when the dragon clan first opened up the Eastern Sea, more than half of the aquatic races followed us. For a thousand years, I have cultivated the Source Realm of the Deep Forest, yet in the end, not a single one has joined...Saints are indifferent, virtues go unrewarded, and throughout this vast universe, it is truly laughable!"

Jiang Wang didn't say a word, and left directly.

In the dungeon, the dragon god continued: "Think of me, a true dragon, mastering thousands of divine arts, knowing..."

Suddenly realizing the change in Saint Tower's aura, he couldn't pretend anymore and quickly jumped up: "Hey, don't leave! Little brother!"

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But the master of the Star Tower's presence was gone, and the Star Tower once again returned to its lonely state in the universe.

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"Damn it!" The Dragon God's eyes flashed with ferocity, and he immediately leaped into the air.

As the chains binding him tightened, lightning lashed out like whips, encircling him in fury!

In the exploding and vanishing flames, the entire ink-gold dragon body crashed heavily to the ground, shattering into pieces. Its ripped flesh and exposed bones, it could only hatefully gasp for breath.

"Ants...how hateful!"

Born with great power, He reigned supreme for countless ages. Now a prisoner, He can only vent his anger through words.

His anger and humiliation could only echo within the prison cell.

If Jiang Wang doesn't listen, no one will hear...

While for Jiang Wang...

A true dragon's natural value is immeasurable. Not to mention His contribution to the First Star Tower's power, just His vision and experience as a true dragon is a huge wealth.

However, this "wealth" is not so easily obtained.

With this kind of layout established for millennia, Jiang Wang wouldn't be arrogant enough to think she had the wisdom to suppress the other party.

On the contrary, if one's eyes are blinded by greed, they may fall into the other party's trap at any time.

So before he had worn down his temper, he didn't intend to have any dealings with this Sea Dragon God - under the suppression of Guanyin's methods, this Sea Dragon God was unable to cultivate or resist... At worst, he would just wait for the First Star Tower to absorb him into a dragon corpse.

As time passed between him and the Sea Serpent God, time became his friend. The longer it went on, the more the Serpent God came to understand reality.

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Jiang Wang has enough patience.

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The people of Mu said that one could raise falcons, so perhaps it would be possible to raise dragons as well.

After finishing the training at Starlit Tower, that feeling of being torn and restless had vanished.

Zheng Shangming and Lin Youxie were still carefully sifting through the information, searching for passages in Jiang Wuqi's bookshelf. Occasionally, the two would exchange a few words of analysis, all vague and insincere.

Jiang Wang merely glanced at them before preparing to continue cultivating his Dao arts.

Although the dragon and tiger have already taken shape, the fire flowers burning down the city are still a bit short.

Although there are detailed explanations left by Zuo Guangyu, after all, the energy allocated before was not enough.

Such mastery over Taoist techniques is most evident in the passage of time. One day without practice, you know it yourself. Two days without practice, your Dao skills know it. Three days without practice, your opponents know it.

But perhaps it was because he had just met the Dragon God, Jiang Wang suddenly thought of the Red Makeup Mirror at this moment.

This reminded me of the third option at Changsheng Palace.

What if he could find the clue first

Wouldn't it be possible to make relatively more accurate choices in a situation with more comprehensive information

After carefully considering the cause and effect of revealing the clues, wouldn't it be better to decide who to give them to

Now Jiang Wang thinks about the Hongzhuang Mirror, not because of its possible connection to the Dragon Clan, but because of the mirror's reflection function.

After passing through many trials of the Divine Soul Tribulation, the Hong Zhuang Mirror's range has reached fifty miles, and every detail is clear and distinct. It can completely cover the Changsheng Palace!

Using it to look for clues would definitely be clearer than the naked eye, and it's not limited to this study.

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This was also what made him feel that he might have a chance to discover the clues first.

Investigating the use of rouge mirrors in Linzi is a foolish decision, as it easily offends powerful individuals. If you're seen as spying and someone comes knocking, that's truly embarrassing. You might even lose your status and honor.

But today, Changsheng Palace was completely sealed off, and the three of them were granted the right to search Changsheng Palace...

If not now, then when

Jiang Wang remained composed, already gripping the Red Makeup Mirror.

With the aid of the Crimson Mirror, his vision swiftly expanded to encompass the entirety of Changsheng Palace.

A rouge mirror is not a lucky charm, but a tool engraved with curses. If you don't use the rouge mirror through the mirrored world, you will inevitably be disturbed by negative emotions and faint curses.

But those things will no longer affect Jiang Wang in any way now.

Compared to the first time she felt the power of the Crimson Mirror Curse abroad, today's Jiang Wang is already incredibly powerful.

This magnificent palace was laid out before his eyes.

He observed the deserted Changsheng Palace from a detached perspective, anew.

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It's like visiting Jiang Wuki again.ng"Yin Guan smiled: "You miss him very much"It's pretty strange for a corpse to have breathing difficulties, but Officer Wang did feel that the breaths weren't very smooth at the moment. It was probab...