Chapter 1583: Clues

It was no wonder she was suspicious. Their people had already investigated the Blackwater Pool several times, finding nothing unusual about it except its coldness and depth. Yet, as soon as Golden Medallion Eleven arrived, he immediately began to suspect her. After a single dive, he claimed that Lord Seven's body had been dumped there by a woman...

If he was going to fabricate a story, at least make it plausible. How could such details be discovered underwater?

Not only she, but even Xiao Jianren harbored doubts. Was their boss testing them? Yet, his demeanor didn't suggest he was lying.

"Don't concern yourself with how I obtained this information," Zu An said calmly. "I have my own methods. You'd best find a way to prove your innocence, and then investigate whether Lord Seven was involved with any women."

He couldn't reveal the matter of the turtle demon, so this was all he could say.

"Lord Eleven, your statement is simply too outlandish," Zhang Zitong said, clearly displeased. "There's no physical evidence, no witnesses, yet you expect us to investigate based on a mere suggestion?"

Zu An frowned slightly. "I'm not discussing this with you; it's an order!"

Zhang Zitong's expression shifted slightly, but she reluctantly lowered her head. "Yes, sir!"

However, anyone could sense the resentment in her tone.

At this point, Xiao Jianren spoke up from the side, "Miss Zhang, our lord never speaks idly. If he says something, there's always a reason for it."

Zu An nodded inwardly. This old man hadn't been completely swayed by beauty. If he had continued to side with the woman at this moment, it would have shown a serious lack of judgment.

A strange glint flashed in Zhang Zitong's eyes, but she said nothing further.

"Furthermore, the woman who disposed of the body isn't necessarily the murderer," Zu An said, frowning in deep thought. "I just can't understand her motive for doing so."

"What do you mean by that, my lord?" Xiao Jianren asked, curious.

"If that woman truly wanted to dispose of the body without it being discovered, she could have easily tied stones to Lord Seven and sunk him to the bottom, ensuring he wouldn't be found for a long time," Zu An stated gravely. "Moreover, if she truly intended to destroy all traces, there are many simpler methods than dumping it in the Blackwater Pool."

This was a world of cultivation, where many possessed supernatural abilities. Unlike ordinary people in his past life, handling a body here was far less complicated. There were numerous ways to make a corpse vanish without a trace, making elaborate disposal unnecessary.

The turtle demon had previously mentioned that the woman said, "It would be better if it were discovered earlier." Could it be that she deliberately intended for Golden Medallion Seven's body to be found?

But if that were the case, she could have simply left the body at the yamen entrance or in a bustling marketplace, where it would have been found much more easily. The Blackwater Pool was, after all, quite secluded.

Too many possibilities flooded his mind, yet none had enough information to support a conclusive theory.

Xiao Jianren was full of admiration. "My lord, you truly have keen insight. Your analysis is absolutely flawless."

Zhang Zitong, standing nearby, stared with wide eyes. She didn't dismiss Xiao Jianren's flattery because she shared the same sentiment.

He had so quickly grasped the unusual nature of the situation; he was indeed worthy of being a Golden Medallion agent.

She just wondered where he got his information from...

She naturally didn't believe he had gathered the intelligence during his recent dive. Instead, she surmised he had obtained it much earlier from other sources and was only now revealing it.

Zu An looked up at the sky, noting the time. He then instructed Xiao Jianren to investigate in the direction he had indicated, while also cautioning him to be wary of the woman with the high ponytail. Additionally, he told him to investigate whether any women were involved in the cases Golden Medallion Seven had been investigating before his death.

Xiao Jianren, sensing the farewell in his words, asked curiously, "Lord Eleven, aren't you returning to the city with us?"

"I have other matters to investigate," Zu An replied. "I won't be returning with you."

Xiao Jianren nodded. This lord was always a loner with mysterious whereabouts, but most Golden Medallion agents were like that, so he had no suspicions.

After parting ways with them, Zu An immediately summoned his Wind Fire Wheels and sped back. He had already wasted enough time and now dared not waste a single moment.

On the way, Zu An mused that the case of Golden Medallion Seven was strange in every aspect. He figured he could probably find out what happened by asking Zhu Xie Chixin, as Golden Medallion Seven had mentioned reporting his investigations to Zhu Xie Chixin before his death.

However, Zhu Xie Chixin was also elusive these days, not having returned to the capital for a long time. Zhao Hao was equally secretive about his whereabouts, leaving Zu An wondering what the two of them were up to.

***

By the time he returned to the military camp, dawn was just breaking, and many people were already active.

Fortunately, he had instructed Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang the previous day not to disturb him, so no one else had called him to wake up.

However, he soon noticed a figure lingering near his tent. His heart skipped a beat; he initially thought it might be someone with ill intentions.

When he recognized the figure, he finally let out a sigh of relief. "Sister Daoyun, what are you doing here?"

"Ah?" The elegant figure jumped, turning to see him. For a moment, her expression was extremely flustered. "Brother Zu... why are you outside?"

She had consumed the Feather Mountain Spiritual Spring yesterday, and combined with a night's sleep, her spiritual energy had recovered significantly. The first thing she thought of upon waking today was how out of sorts she had appeared before Zu An yesterday. She wanted to come and thank him, and perhaps salvage her impression.

However, doing so might seem too deliberate, and coming to a man's quarters so early in the morning could easily lead to misunderstandings.

Just as she was deliberating, Zu An called out to her from behind, naturally startling her. "I just went for a short walk," Zu An said with a smile.

"Brother Zu, did you go cultivating? No wonder your cultivation is so profound at such a young age." Xie Daoyun noticed the frost in his hair and his travel-worn appearance, naturally not realizing he had traveled thousands of kilometers away overnight.

Zu An knew she had misinterpreted, which meant he didn't need to explain. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you, Brother Zu." The wind was quite strong, and Xie Daoyun gently smoothed the wisps of hair blown loose at her temples.

"It's windy out here; let's talk inside." Zu An noticed that she seemed to have deliberately drawn her eyebrows, applied foundation to her face, and her lips were a vivid red.

"Mm-hmm." If it were any other man, Xie Daoyun certainly wouldn't have casually entered his sleeping quarters, but Zu An was different.

Before entering, Zu An specifically put Daji away. The two of them chatted in the tent for a while, recounting what had happened to each of them over the past few days.

Thinking of Golden Medallion Seven's case, Zu An feigned casualness and asked, "That Truth Talisman of yours yesterday was quite amazing. What cultivation level is it effective against?"

He really wanted to test whether the woman with the high ponytail was truly problematic.

When it came to her specialty, Xie Daoyun became quite animated. She briefly explained the principle behind the Truth Talisman's creation, adding, "It's generally effective up to the sixth or seventh rank. However, human hearts are complex. If you encounter someone with exceptionally strong willpower, the Truth Talisman won't be able to detect anything. That's why the imperial court rarely relies on its results, only occasionally using it as an auxiliary tool."

After listening, Zu An realized that using it to test the woman with the high ponytail would indeed be unreliable.

Noticing his disappointment, Xie Daoyun thoughtfully asked, "Brother Zu, have you encountered something difficult recently?"

"Not really, just asking casually," Zu An replied with a smile.

Xie Daoyun pursed her lips. "I must have been overthinking. Given Brother Zu's current cultivation and status, I imagine nothing would be too difficult for you."

They chatted for a while longer. Zu An suddenly realized that Xie Daoyun, being a talented scholar, possessed incredibly extensive knowledge. So, he pretended to casually bring up the topic of how to silently kill a master and make it appear like a natural death. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and other systems generally maintained strict secrecy, and others were unaware of Golden Medallion Seven's case, so he wasn't worried she would guess anything.

Xie Daoyun merely took it as a theoretical discussion. After a moment of thought, she replied, "A powerful water-element cultivator could feign a drowning. However, if the deceased was already a top master and there were no signs of struggle on their body, that possibility is low. Also, I once heard my teacher mention a branch of the Witchcraft Sect skilled in mind control, capable of killing people silently. However, after the establishment of the Great Zhou Dynasty, this lineage either perished or dispersed, with many reportedly retreating to the mountains. Therefore, few in the world know about them. If a master from this sect were involved, it would be much easier to accomplish."