Inside the County Office

Cao Qianyuan immediately called out anxiously, "Deacon Wang, we came here to investigate the case and pursue the culprit. We must not commit too much slaughter, lest we harm the harmony of Heaven!"

"Heh, as if I fear a little karmic backlash," Wang Kongyun sneered coldly. "If you have a way to crack the case within a single day, then proceed with your method. If not, do not obstruct me."

At these words, Cao Qianyuan fell silent. If the cause of a court-appointed official's death remained unknown and they delayed in solving the case, it would be a severe blow to the imperial court's authority.

Although he possessed a few tracking techniques, the matter involved far too many people. It would take at least three to five days to uncover the truth, which was simply too slow.

"Then... Brother Wang, the mortals are innocent and full of suffering. I only hope you do not unleash too much slaughter."

Wang Kongyun snapped in annoyance, "This old man knows what he is doing. I do not need you to lecture me."

He turned his gaze toward Secretary Bai. His eyes were dark and sinister, striking terror straight into Secretary Bai's heart. The mortal trembled violently from head to toe, collapsing to his knees with a heavy thud.

"Spare me, Immortal! Spare my life! This lowly one never had the slightest intention of harming Lord Zhu. This lowly one is innocent!"

Wang Kongyun grinned, baring his teeth. He raised his hand, intending to place it upon Secretary Bai's head, but Cao Qianyuan reached out and stopped him.

"Brother Wang, I have already used the Heart-Questioning Art on him, and he spoke no lies. Let us not take his life."

Wang Kongyun lost interest, dropping his hand and walking out.

Secretary Bai collapsed limply to the ground, dripping with sweat. Realizing he had just survived a fatal disaster, he kowtowed repeatedly to Cao Qianyuan.

"Thank you, Immortal, for saving my life! Thank you, Great Immortal, for sparing this lowly one!"

As soon as Wang Kongyun emerged into the main courtyard, Zhou Chang'an and the gathered officials felt their hearts leap with dread. Their bodies shook uncontrollably with fear.

Wang Kongyun swept his eyes over them, a flash of greed flickering within his gaze. Ultimately, he restrained his desires. After demanding the locations of Yichun Tower and Wangchun Tower, his figure vanished into thin air.

"Whew... He is even more terrifying than Uncle."

Zhou Chang'an's mind was utterly unsettled. The aura of that cultivator just now felt no different from an evil demon. The way the man looked at them was precisely how one looked at pigs and dogs waiting to be slaughtered.

Flitting through the bustling streets of the county seat, Wang Kongyun took several deep, greedy breaths, a look of intoxication surfacing on his face.

"What fresh and delicious souls..."

But right at that moment, a sword scar on his back suddenly flared with a piercing, biting light. The excruciating agony nearly ground Wang Kongyun's soul to pieces, forcing him to instantly suppress his stray thoughts before the pain finally receded.

Before long, he arrived at Yichun Tower, which had already been cordoned off by yamen runners. Inside, the place was filled with colorful, delicately dressed courtesans. Every single one of them was pale with terror, huddling inside the private chambers and looking out at the guards in sheer panic.

Wang Kongyun flashed his token and stepped into Yichun Tower unhindered.

The madam immediately realized a powerful figure had descended the moment she saw Wang Kongyun. She rushed forward with a sycophantic smile, crying out, "My lord! Lord Zhu's death really has nothing to do with our establishment! This lowly one has been wronged!"

The surrounding women also looked on with dread. If Yichun Tower were implicated in the murder of Zhu Zhen, none of them would escape execution.

Wang Kongyun stared at the madam and slammed his large hand directly onto her face. A terrifying suction force erupted from his palm.

In an instant, the madam let out a blood-curdling shriek, begging desperately for mercy.

"My lord, I was wrong! Please spare me!"

"My lord, it really wasn't this lowly one..."

"Ah-Aaahh!"

Her flesh and blood rapidly dissolved as if melting away. In the blink of an eye, nothing was left but a skeleton draped in a sagging sack of skin. A wisp of grayish-white gas floated up, which Wang Kongyun swallowed into his mouth in a single gulp.

He casually tossed the skeleton aside and stood in place with his eyes tightly shut, seemingly savoring the taste.

Yet the entirety of Yichun Tower erupted into chaotic shrieks. The women were scared out of their wits, fleeing frantically back into their rooms.

"Murder! Murder!"

"He killed the madam!"

Hearing the din around him, Wang Kongyun's face darkened with displeasure. A powerful spiritual pressure suddenly poured from his body like a cold, bloody sea. It froze everyone in their tracks, leaving them paralyzed with absolute terror.

Having thoroughly searched the madam's soul, Wang Kongyun learned that the clash between Zhu Zhen and Lu Shiyang half a year ago had indeed been orchestrated by the madam under the instructions of the Huang family.

However, the madam had only ever done that one thing. This tiny shred of evidence could not prove that the Huang family had killed Zhu Zhen; it only showed that the Huang family had been stoking the fires between Zhu Zhen and the Lu family.

Thus, he began to stroll leisurely through Yichun Tower. Guided by the memories of the madam's soul, he slaughtered and soul-searched every single suspicious individual.

Yet because several suspects had already left Yichun Tower over the months, he failed to extract any truly useful clues, which left Wang Kongyun thoroughly enraged.

The Soul Banner in his hand surged with black fog, and countless resentful spirits and weeping ghosts poured out, instantly transforming Yichun Tower into a nightmarish underworld.

"Soul-Chasing, Spirit-Seeking-Manifest!"

Ten humanoid ghostly shadows coalesced before vanishing into thin air.

Throughout the streets and alleys of Qingshui County, miserable shrieks began to echo from various quarters.

Before long, the ghostly shadows returned, dragging dozens of wisps of grayish-white gas that vibrated with the faint wails of lost souls.

These wisps of gas belonged to the souls of the suspects who had once frequented Yichun Tower.

Wang Kongyun devoured and soul-searched them one by one, then walked toward Wangchun Tower, leaving behind a Yichun Tower steeped in deathly silence. Even the few who survived were so traumatized that they had lost their wits and speech.

High above the county office, Cao Qianyuan looked down at Qingshui County, which was now filled with endless screams and chaos. He could only let out one sigh after another.

In just this short span of time, Wang Kongyun had slaughtered well over a hundred people. And when the truth finally came to light, an entire clan would likely be exterminated. There was no telling how many more lives would be lost.

The Vice County Magistrate's Residence

Zhou Chang'an listened to his servant's report, his heart pounding with anxiety. He hurriedly summoned Zhou Chengqian to his side.

"Chengqian, a catastrophic event is unfolding in the county right now. You must absolutely not wander around. Stay here safely; that is all that matters."

Zhou Chengqian nodded. "The main lineage already knows about the situation. They have dispatched Zhou Liu here as well."

Hearing this, Zhou Chang'an finally felt a bit more at ease.

Hidden in midair, Zhou Ping was also concealing his presence, quietly observing the movements within Qingshui County.

Years ago, his failure to protect Zhou Changxi had left a deep knot in his Dao Heart. Now that the county was experiencing such turbulent upheavals, even though Zhu Zhen's death had nothing to do with the Zhou family, he feared that Zhou Chang'an and his nephew might be caught in the crossfire. Naturally, he had rushed over to guard them.

As for Baixi Mountain, with Zhou Chengyuan and Zhou Qianling holding the fort, it was even more secure than wherever Zhou Ping might be.

Meanwhile, Wang Kongyun went on another rampant killing spree at Wangchun Tower, subsequently slaughtering dozens of ruffians and thugs connected to that local gang. Soul-searching hundreds of people in rapid succession was exhausting even for someone who specialized in demonic soul paths.

Nevertheless, by peeling back the layers of information from these fragmented souls, he finally grasped a solid clue.

Zhu Zhen's death was indeed not the work of the Lu family. The Lu family had merely obstructed and annoyed Zhu Zhen in various public matters to make his life difficult.

The true mastermind behind the assassination resided inside the county office itself-though the exact identity remained hidden.

That culprit had truly gone to immense lengths, plotting this layout for nearly a year and utilizing hundreds of mortals as unwitting pawns to weave such a convoluted web. Had Wang Kongyun not brutally searched hundreds of souls to piece it together, the truth would have remained buried.

He turned his head to glare back at the county office, then looked down at the writhing Soul Banner in his hand, letting out a ferocious laugh.

"Today, you've certainly been granted a grand feast."

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2