Unlike the Zhuang Kingdom, the Qi Kingdom did not have a separate institution for handling extraordinary cases.
Instead, all cases—regardless of nature—were handled uniformly by the government.
Constables across the various commanderies were ranked from ordinary to extraordinary tiers, each grade enjoying different resources.
Ranking was not determined by cultivation level, but by the caliber of cases one had solved. If a constable had cracked three cases involving the Soaring-Dragon Realm, they could be promoted to the sixth-grade Constable rank. Because constables at or above the extraordinary level were issued azure waist tablets, distinct from the common black tablets, they were often referred to as Azure Badge constables.
Under such promotion rules, Qi Kingdom constables were generally stronger than ordinary cultivators of the same realm. Of course, there were rare cases of individuals whose cultivation fell short yet who could crack cases beyond their level—those were exceedingly uncommon, usually individuals who possessed some secret art far beyond the ordinary, excelling in detection far surpassing their cultivation.
Lin Youxie was precisely such an Azure Badge constable.
Her cultivation was only at the sixth-grade Soaring-Dragon Realm, yet she had solved more than six cases involving fifth-grade Inner Palace Realm cultivators!
One had to understand that cultivators at the Inner Palace level rarely bothered to conceal their crimes. Moreover, their methods for destroying evidence were innumerable, making investigation nearly impossible.
In the entire Qi Kingdom, the cases involving Inner Palace cultivators piling up at government offices in any given year would not exceed twenty.
If not for the fact that her cultivation truly lagged behind—requiring backup at every arrest—she would already be more than a fifth-grade constable by now.
At this moment, she stood in a small city at the northernmost reaches of Fengxian Commandery, before a dilapidated courtyard.
Behind her circled a group of sixth-grade Azure Badge constables, who quickly fanned out and surrounded the compound. Standing beside her was a fifth-grade constable with genuine Inner Palace Realm cultivation.
Yes—the legendary divine constable Lin Youxie was a woman. The Lin family had served in criminal justice for generations, with three single-linesuccessions leading to the present, leaving only one daughter.
It was thought that the family craft would die out with her, yet Lin Youxie had surpassed all who came before.
"Constable Lin, are you certain the culprit is inside?" The Inner Palace Realm constable beside her was a stern-faced middle-aged man, and he could not help asking, "So many days have passed—if we still cannot find the killer, we will all face punishment."
What they were investigating was the extermination of the entire Fengxian Zhang clan.
That two fifth-grade Azure Badge constables had been dispatched to handle this case was not something anyone in Fengxian Commandery could arrange.
The person who truly pulled the strings was the Eleventh Prince, Jiang Wuqi. Though young, his methods were grand and sweeping—most reminiscent of the current Emperor.
His supervision of this case in Fengxian Commandery was not merely to win over Zhang Yong. More importantly, he used this matter to demonstrate that the Jiang imperial dynasty would never forget its loyal subjects and old nobility. In his moves and plays, he did not merely strengthen himself, but focused on elevating the entire imperial house's influence—a vision of vast ambition.
Lin Youxie wore an azure headscarf and stood with her hands behind her back, looking more like a sharp young man.
Upon hearing this, she simply said, "Are the formation plates set? Is the battle guaranteed not to affect the surroundings?"
"No problem."
She said coolly, "Then go in and make the arrest."
The moment those words fell, the middle-aged man hesitated no longer. His blade struck the door head-on.
The entire courtyard, starting from the gate, was cleaved in two.
The door shattered, the house split open, dust and debris billowed up.
The Azure Badge constables surged in en masse.
Yet what they saw was a single person, sitting cross-legged alone in the ruined courtyard.
The man's face was covered in scars—hideous and horrifying.
A faint aura emanated from him, unmistakably Inner Palace Realm cultivation.
But he simply sat there, gazing quietly at those outside the courtyard: "Lin Youxie truly lives up to her reputation. You found me after all…"
His voice was also strange—hoarse and labored, flat and devoid of inflection, impossible to discern its original timbre.
"Why bother?" Lin Youxie asked.
But she received no answer.
Right before the eyes of those Azure Badge constables, the man detonated himself in a thunderous explosion!
A distinguished Inner Palace Realm powerhouse—someone who could command an entire city district, a formidable figure anywhere—chose self-destruction the very instant he was discovered.
Even the Azure Badge constables present, all seasoned veterans, were struck with shock and disbelief.
"What just happened?" the stern-faced Inner Palace Realm constable asked.
"Collect his remains and deliver them to that child of the Fengxian Zhang clan. This case is closed." Lin Youxie let out a sigh. "He was the one who massacred the entire Fengxian Zhang clan."
"But…" the Inner Palace Realm constable pressed, "why?"
Lin Youxie shook her head and turned to walk away on her own.
"I only find the killers. As for the stories behind them—I cannot find those answers."
…
State of Yang, Rizhao Commandery, Jiacheng.
The Sky-Cyan Stone vein controlled by the Chongxuan family lay within this city district.
Before entering the State of Yang, Jiang Wang had already sent the Chongxuan family's coachman away.
He did not wish to arrive in Jiacheng directly under the banner of a Chongxuan family envoy—aside from a polished veneer of peace, he would see nothing.
The State of Yang bore closer resemblance to the Zhuang Kingdom in its situation; it too was a land where ferocious beasts roamed.
Roads connected the various cities, with beast-repelling formation arrays carved into the thoroughfares at intervals. The wilderness beyond was all treacherous terrain.
Jiang Wang halted in a small mountain within the wild.
Back when he was merely at the Wandering-Meridian Realm, he could already move freely among ferocious beasts.
With his current strength, as long as he was not besieged by a horde of beasts, there was essentially no danger.
The so-called "dangerous terrain" was dangerous only for ordinary folk.
What drew the most attention about him should be his prematurely white hair. As a vassal state of the Qi Kingdom, the State of Yang was quite likely concerned with matters regarding the Heavenly Treasury Secret Realm. Someone might guess his identity from that shock of white hair—and thereby deduce his intentions.
Before officially setting his plan in motion, he needed some disguise.
Jiang Wang now possessed a Life-Nourishing Pill that could extend one's lifespan by one year, and a Longevity Fruit that could add ten years.
The reason he had not consumed them before was that he wished to continue experiencing the state of aging, to hasten the completion of the final strike among his three great sword forms.
Since he had inevitably aged once, he would make use of that condition.
Now he sensed that the sword strike was ready to be unleashed at any moment—there was no need to hold back any longer.
First, he swallowed the Life-Nourishing Pill.
This pill was made from ground powder of the Guardian Sacred Beast's tortoise shell from the You Kingdom. That titanic creature possessed power approaching the Cave-Truth Realm—a being practically made of treasure.
State Preceptor Zhao Cang of the You Kingdom surely possessed Life-Nourishing Pills of even greater potency, but that was no longer Jiang Wang's concern.
The Life-Nourishing Pill had no particular taste. After swallowing it, he felt a gentle warmth that dissipated in but a moment.
Jiang Wang then placed the Longevity Fruit into his mouth. The fruit melted upon contact—cool, sweet, and smooth—sliding down his throat like a thin stream before dispersing into every limb and bone.
He could clearly feel his vital energy, essence, and spirit replenishing to fullness.
The advancement of his strength had already extended his lifespan, and the Life-Nourishing Pill and Longevity Fruit had made up the deficit. At this point, his remaining lifespan was not far short of what it had been before he used the White Bone Escape Technique.
Of course, the regret was that the same Life-Nourishing Pill and Longevity Fruit would be useless if he consumed them again.
At that moment, Jiang Wang felt his scalp itch slightly, so he casually brushed his hand over it, sweeping away all the white hair.
A sphere of water-mirror coalesced before him, and Jiang Wang watched himself transform into a clean-shaven young bald head.
Then black stubble sprouted from the bare scalp, black hair growing rapidly until it reached just past his ears.
Not as long as before, but sufficient to tie into a Daoist topknot.
Jiang Wang would not tie a Daoist topknot again.
In the Zhuang Kingdom, in the Daoist sect—he no longer felt any sense of belonging.
He simply gathered his hair and tied it back.
Now dressed plainly, a long sword at his waist, controlling the fluctuations of his Dao Essence, he walked casually along the road—looking no different from any ordinary young man.
Except for that one heart, far too heavy.
Le Wen