Chapter 744: Peeping

Zuan asked in a low voice, "Who was involved in this operation? Arrest them all!"

His first thought was that there must be an insider among the Embroidered Uniform Guards; otherwise, how could Huabao have escaped?

He also mused that Xinrui's younger brother's name was quite ironic, essentially meaning "straw bag." His parents certainly had a strange sense of foresight.

At that moment, the two Embroidered Uniform Guards who had just returned reported, "Master Xiao was leading the team this time. He immediately brought all individuals involved to the Gaoling County jail."

The two Copper Badge Embroidered Uniform Guards speaking were Dai Laoqi and Chen Laoba, who had been assisting Zuan with the case recently.

Initially, Zuan thought their names were nicknames, but to his surprise, they were their actual given names. He wondered what kind of parents would name their children that.

Due to the peculiar connection of their names, they were naturally assigned as partners.

Coincidentally, it wasn't just their names; although both were young, their hair was thinning. Dai Laoqi had a receding hairline forming an M-shape, while Chen Laoba had the opposite problem, with a bald spot in the center of his head, a typical Mediterranean-style baldness.

The first time Zuan saw them, he thought he had met fellow programmers from his past life.

As for Xiao Jianren, whom they mentioned, he was a Silver Badge Embroidered Uniform Guard. He had offered many suggestions during the investigation of Xinrui's case, clearly a quick-witted individual who had left a deep impression on Zuan.

Apart from the mysterious Gold Badge Embroidered Uniform Guards, the names of other members were not significant secrets, at least not within the Embroidered Uniform Guard organization.

"Xiao Jianren..." Zuan fell into deep thought. Back then, they couldn't find Xinrui's body in the palace, nor any records of her entering or exiting through the Xuanwu Gate. It was Xiao Jianren who suggested that Xinrui might have been dismembered and her body parts smuggled out of the palace, prompting them to check the entry and exit records of all other palace gates. Could he have been misleading the investigation since then?

It was useless to ponder further; it was better to go to the scene. Zuan told Dai Laoqi and Chen Laoba to gather some Embroidered Uniform Guards, and then they quickly headed towards Gaoling County.

Gaoling County was not far from the capital, essentially a satellite town or even a suburb. The group soon arrived at the Gaoling County Yamen.

The Magistrate of Gaoling County cautiously came out to greet them. With such a case occurring in his jurisdiction, he feared involvement, as all civil and military officials were extremely wary of the fearsome reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Zuan gave a perfunctory reply and went directly to the county yamen jail. Xiao Jianren and the others were all held separately in different rooms, eliminating any possibility of collusion.

"Who arranged this?" Zuan asked, a little surprised.

Dai Laoqi replied, "It was Master Xiao who arranged it. When the arrest failed, he immediately took control of all the Embroidered Uniform Guards involved in the operation, as well as the casino owner and other relevant personnel at the time."

Zuan nodded secretly, impressed by Xiao Jianren's competence.

He then quickly arranged for personnel to interrogate those involved in the original operation. The Embroidered Uniform Guards were experts in this field, and after more than an hour of investigation, they found nothing suspicious.

Zuan's personal interrogation of Xiao Jianren also yielded no results. Unless all these people were colluding in a group crime, it would be impossible not to find something.

However, such widespread collusion among so many Embroidered Uniform Guards was unthinkable.

Every Embroidered Uniform Guard's family background underwent strict scrutiny. While it was possible for one or two to betray them, it was absolutely impossible for so many to turn traitor simultaneously.

"So many of you were trying to apprehend an ordinary person, and you let him escape? I need an explanation." Zuan had read the intelligence; Huabao wasn't even a cultivator. Not to mention the Embroidered Uniform Guards, even regular constables shouldn't have let him get away.

Xiao Jianren replied in a deep voice, "Lord Eleven, I've been replaying the entire incident in my mind. Huabao's escape involved too many coincidences. After much thought, there are only two possibilities: either there's an insider among our colleagues involved in the operation, or there's something wrong with that casino. I suspect they were helping Huabao escape, but unfortunately, there's no evidence. We could only arrest them first."

Zuan's expression changed. Lately, he had been dealing with emperors, princes, or at least high-ranking officials. He had subconsciously overlooked the casino people, treating them as mere extras.

He quickly instructed Chen Laoba, who was standing nearby, "Go find the casino owner."

Before Chen Laoba could move, an Embroidered Uniform Guard rushed in, panting, "Bad news! The casino owner, Ning Hao, is dead!"

"What?" Zuan sprang to his feet and rushed to Ning Hao's room. Xiao Jianren and the others followed, as their suspicions had largely been cleared after the rigorous questioning.

The group quickly arrived to find the casino owner's body. Ning Hao sat in a corner of the cell, leaning against the wall, his face frozen in terror, already lifeless.

"Has anyone seen him?" Zuan's sharp gaze fixed on the Magistrate of Gaoling County.

"No... no one," the Gaoling County Magistrate stammered, wiping cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. "After they were imprisoned, I, your subordinate, worried about incidents, so I stayed by the cells, waiting for your arrival, not allowing anyone to approach them." Initially, Huabao's escape from the casino was troublesome but not a huge problem. However, now a suspect had been silenced within his county yamen, which was a far greater issue.

Losing his official position was a minor concern; if his family were to be implicated and exiled, it would be utterly ruinous.

Zuan knelt beside the body and examined it, his brows furrowing slightly. He then waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to perform an autopsy, as there were experts in the Embroidered Uniform Guards for such tasks.

The results quickly came back: "No wounds, no poisoning. It appears he died of extreme fright."

Zuan frowned. Casino owners like Ning Hao usually had some underworld connections and were known for their daring; how could such a person be easily scared to death?

Furthermore, according to intelligence, Ning Hao was also an expert approaching the sixth rank. After all, to run such a lucrative establishment in the capital, one needed considerable strength to maintain order.

Zuan looked at Xiao Jianren, who was standing nearby, "Do you know of any methods in the world that can kill someone silently in this jail?"

Xiao Jianren was known as a walking encyclopedia within the Embroidered Tower. While his cultivation wasn't exceptional, he attained the Silver Badge position because he was well-read and had, to some extent, reviewed the Embroidered Tower's database.

Xiao Jianren replied, "To answer, sir, there are three possibilities: First, a Grandmaster using divine sense to kill from a distance. Second, certain voodoo arts of the Borderland Demon Race; it's rumored there's a 'Seven Arrows Book with a Nail Head' that can kill someone through ritual prayers by using a straw effigy, the target's birth data, and personal items. The third possibility involves races that cultivate special abilities, like the Dragon Race's 'Word of Power,' which could also kill him silently. It's my fault for arranging them in a regular county yamen jail. If they had been in the Embroidered Tower's cells, the special runic formations there would have isolated most of these powers."

Sensing his remorse, Zuan comforted him, "Your response was already very good. No one could have predicted this would happen, so it's not your fault."

Zuan quickly analyzed the situation. There were only a few Grandmasters in the world; how could one possibly target a casino owner? He had witnessed the Dragon Race's Word of Power, which was similar to his "Key Come" ability, and it was indeed capable of such a feat. As for the Demon Race, though their main population was far away in the Borderlands, centuries of war had led many demons to integrate into human society.

Like Qiao Xueying and Yun Yuqing, whom he had met before, they had successfully integrated into human society.

Many powerful demon cultivators were also harbored by various factions in the capital, but it was unknown which faction was responsible this time.

He immediately set about making arrangements: he sent Xiao Jianren back to the Embroidered Tower to investigate which factions in the capital harbored such demon experts, as Xiao Jianren was familiar with the city's situation and best suited for this inquiry.

Zuan, meanwhile, stayed behind to begin interrogating and investigating the other individuals from the casino.

Unfortunately, even after investigating until nightfall, no useful information was uncovered. The remaining casino staff were merely workers who knew nothing about their boss's affairs, only that his background was mysterious and that he seemed to have powerful backing in the capital. Regrettably, Ning Hao had always been tight-lipped about the identity of his patron.

Zuan realized that this line of inquiry wouldn't yield anything further, so he decided to return to the capital first.

As he galloped along, he suddenly frowned and sharply pulled on the reins.

"What's wrong, Lord Eleven?" the other Embroidered Uniform Guards asked in unison.

Zuan did not reply, as he had sensed being watched.