I had already visited the overseer's residence earlier, before coming to the City Lord's manor.
What I found there had been both disturbing and perfect for my purposes.
The cultivation room had been littered with used bottles, their insides stained with dried blood. Some were recent, others clearly older.
The furniture was also damaged, based on my assessment it should be a recent doing that means.
He's desperate. His cultivation method requires constant blood sacrifices and he's running low. That's probably why he was pressuring the accountant(me) so hard.
I hadn't needed to plant much evidence. Just added fresh blood in strategic locations, reinforcing what was already there. Rubbing salt on already festering wound.
Now, maintaining my distance, I followed the City Lord's group through the streets. Disciples cleared the way as they moved with purpose toward the overseer's residence in the sect's district.
-----
The overseer's residence was modest compared to the City Lord's manor but well-maintained. The kind of careful upkeep that was more about status than comfort.
Elder Mu Qingxue did not knock.
She raised one hand and with a single, controlled release of spiritual energy, the lock disengaged cleanly and the door swung open.
No shattered frame. No dramatic burst. Just precise, quiet force.
"Overseer." Her voice carried down the empty hall, unhurried and clear. "Present yourself."
Silence greeted them. The overseer was not at the home.
Her expression gave nothing away. She gestured once to the City Lord. "Show me his cultivation room."
They moved deeper into the residence, the City Lord was guiding them. When they reached the reinforced door of the cultivation chamber, they found it sealed with a formation array.
She studied it briefly, her gaze moving over the inscriptions with quiet attention. Then she stepped back and looked at the City Lord.
"If you would," she said simply.
Another test. She wanted to see how familiar he was with it.
The City Lord stepped forward and began dismantling it thread by thread, careful and methodical, the work of someone with general formation knowledge rather than the hands that had built it.
Within minutes, the array collapsed and the door swung open.
The Foul metallic scent greeted them. Old dried blood marks, incense, and something else underneath both of them.
I watched from my concealed position as they entered the room. Even from here, I could see the shock on their faces.
City Lord and the disciples recoiled. One of the green robed disciples she turned her head to side. Another one pressed a sleeve to his face to block the fishy smell.
Elder Mu Qingxue did not flinch.
She walked in and stood at the center of the room.
Her hands, which had been folded in front of her since the office, lowered slowly to her sides.
Bottles littered every surface. Stains on the walls drawn in patterns that were not accidental. The cultivation mat at the center surrounded by markings that had not been made with ink.
She stood there and looked at it the way someone looked at a grave they had not known was there until they were already standing on it.
The silence stretched.
"This... this can't be..." she whispered, more to herself than anyone in the room.
"Elder, I wish it weren't true," the City Lord said quietly. "But the evidence speaks for itself."
"Evidence can be planted." Her voice had lost its precision. It came out flat, the way a voice went flat when the mind behind it was working too hard to keep up. "Anyone could have set this up while the overseer was away."
"That's true," the City Lord acknowledged. "Which is why I suggest we check something that cannot be faked."
She turned to look at him.
"Tell me, What is it?"
"A cultivator's spiritual energy becomes murky when they practice demonic arts. The corruption seeps into their meridians, their dantian, their very essence. It cannot be hidden from a cultivator of your level, Elder."
He met her eyes steadily. "When the overseer returns, check his pulse with your spiritual sense. If his energy is pure, I will accept any punishment you deem fit."
Her jaw tightened.
But still she had to do her duty.
She reached into her robe and withdrew her communication token.
She composed the message without visible emotion, channeling a thread of qi into the inscription.
The message was brief and commanding: Return to city lord manor immediately. That is an order.
She put the token away and smoothed the front of her robe once with both hands, a small, composed gesture in the middle of an uncomposed moment.
Then she stood in the center of the ruined room then looked at the city lord and said
"Lets go, I told him to visit me at your manor immediately," with barely controlled emotion. "We'll settle this once and for all."
She turned around to look back at the cultivation chamber one last time and left.
Others following her in silence, the weight of what they had witnessed pressing down on all of them.
The sound of their footsteps faded down the corridor, leaving only stillness behind.
I remained in my shadowed corner, watching everything unfold silently.
My gaze moved across the room, then shifted to the group who are leaving the premise
Particularly at the blue-robed figure at their head.
'Will she really serve justice for the victims?' I thought, my jaw tightening beneath the mask. 'Or will she try to cover up the mistakes her sect's disciple made?'
Hmm...better choose the right side elder...
His eyes began to glow faintly in the darkness of the corner, that strange red light seeping through as his thoughts turned colder.
Because if you choose wrong side... if you try to bury this, if you protect him because he bears your sect's name...
I let the thought hover itself in the air for a moment, the red glow in his eyes intensifying slightly.
Then you and your sect should be ready to face my wrath.
I will not spare anyone who sides with my enemy.
Not the overseer. Not the sect. Not even a Foundation Establishment elder who choses sect's prestige over the lives of innocent.
A chill rose from the pendant against my chest and washed through my mind, calming my emotions.
I then followed them to the city lord manor.
-------
A the flying sword cut through the pale morning air like a blade drawn across silk
The overseer had returned to the city in haste, his flying sword with barely controlled urgency.
I watched from the rooftop City Lord's manor as he landed somewhat clumsily on the balcony of the City Lord's manor,
His usual composure cracking at the edges. Something had rattled him badly, made him abandon whatever he'd been doing to rush back here.
I observed his agitated movements and smiled.
So you didn't find the bandit leader. Of course you won't, because he was never there from the start.
Curiosity pulled me forward.
I followed him inside, keeping my concealment robe activated and sticking to the shadows as he strode through the ornate hallways toward the main hall.
The blue-robed envoy, Elder Mu Qingxue, sat upon the City Lord's throne with perfect, regal posture. The City Lord himself stood respectfully to her side, while two jade-green robed disciples waited attentively below the dais.
The overseer entered and immediately cupped his fists, bowing deeply. "This disciple greets Elder Mu. Forgive my delayed response to your summons."
His voice was smooth, respectful. Professional.
Then he turned slightly toward the City Lord with a far more casual nod. "City Lord Chen."
The difference in tone was subtle but telling. Elder Mu noticed it too, her sharp eyes narrowing fractionally.
"Overseer Zhang Wuhen," she acknowledged, her voice cool as winter water. "You seem... distressed. What matter has put you in such a state?"
Zhang Wuhen straightened, composing his features into a mask of dutiful concern. "Elder, the bandit problem has escalated beyond normal criminal activity. Several of them have fallen to the demonic path, practicing forbidden blood arts."
He paused, his expression darkening convincingly. "I was in the middle of tracking their leader when your summons arrived. I fear he may escape if I delay too long, but naturally, your commands take precedence."
"Demonic cultivation?" Elder Mu's tone sharpened. "In my sect's territory? How long has this been occurring?"
"I only discovered it recently, Elder. The moment I confirmed it, I began the investigation personally rather than alert them through official channels. These demons are cunning and,"
A knock interrupted him. One of the City Lord's attendants entered, carrying a jade slip. "City Lord, urgent intelligence has arrived."
City Lord Chen took the slip, his spiritual sense sweeping over it. His eyes widened fractionally, and he glanced at Zhang Wuhen before passing the slip to Elder Mu.
She brushed her fingers over it, her expression unchanging as she absorbed the information. After a long moment, she set it aside and looked directly at Zhang Wuhen.
"The intelligence reports demonic cultivator activity in the eastern mountains. Foundation Establishment level, possibly higher." Her voice was measured, giving nothing away. "You were investigating there?"
"Yes, Elder. That's where the bandits fled."
"Then you should exercise extreme caution, Overseer Zhang. At early Foundation Establishment, you would be vulnerable to a trap laid by a more powerful demonic cultivator. Do not pursue without proper preparation and backup."
She's testing him, I realized, watching the subtle interplay. Giving him rope to see if he'll hang himself.
But she wasn't moving fast enough for my taste. The evidence was already in motion, but I wanted to see his mask crack completely.
I slipped out of the hall, moving through the manor with purpose. There was something I needed to prepare.
When I returned perhaps half an hour later, the atmosphere in the hall had shifted noticeably. Elder Mu was speaking to Zhang Wuhen, her tone almost conversational.
"It has been some time since you joined the sect, hasn't it, Overseer Zhang? How has your cultivation progressed? Your life in the city?"
Zhang Wuhen bowed again. "This subordinate is grateful for the sect's nurturing. Life has been... challenging at times, but smooth overall. I have been diligent in my duties and cultivation."
"Challenging?" Elder Mu's eyebrow raised delicately. "In what way?"
"Managing the security of such a large territory requires constant vigilance, Elder. The responsibility weighs heavily, but I welcome it as a test of my dedication."
City Lord Chen coughed awkwardly, drawing Elder Mu's slightly displeased gaze. "Something troubles you, City Lord?"
"No, no, Elder. My apologies for the interruption."
But his expression said otherwise. He clearly knew something that made Zhang Wuhen uncomfortable, and the overseer had noticed the exchange, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.
Elder Mu studied them both for a moment, then made her decision. "Overseer Zhang, given the dangers you've described and the time you've served, perhaps I should examine your cultivation personally. Ensure there are no hidden injuries from your dangerous work that might impede your progress."
It was phrased as concern, but the room's temperature seemed to drop. Zhang Wuhen's face twitched, his smile becoming somewhat strained.
"Elder is too kind, but this subordinate is perfectly healthy and,"
The doors burst open again. Another guard rushed in, this one carrying a piece of paper and a small pill bottle. His face was pale, his hands shaking slightly.
"City Lord! Elder! Forgive this intrusion, but I have urgent evidence that cannot wait!"
Zhang Wuhen's eyes flicked to the items, and I saw his spiritual sense brush over them. His entire body went rigid for just a fraction of a second. He tried to take over the evidence.
Gotcha.
City Lord Chen moved forward quickly, perhaps more quickly than his usual self . "I'll handle this matter, Overseer. Please, allow me."
He took the paper and bottle, scanning the contents. A slow, cold smile spread across his face as he looked up at Zhang Wuhen.
That smile says 'checkmate,' I thought with satisfaction.
The City Lord turned and presented both items to Elder Mu with a deep bow.
The hall had gone very quiet. The kind of quiet that has weight.
Elder Mu read. Each line received its due consideration
Her knuckles whitened where they gripped the paper. The temperature in the room dropped further, frost beginning to form on the edges of the throne.
She reached the end.
Then she threw the paper at Zhang Wuhen's feet. "Is what this letter states true?" Her voice was no longer cool. It was glacial, sharp enough to cut.
Zhang Wuhen picked up the paper with trembling fingers, his eyes scanning the contents. I couldn't see his face from my hidden vantage, but I could see his hands shaking.
The letter was detailed.
[ Respected Sun Moon Spirit Envoy and City Lord, who have been distressed about the missing young girls and children. Today you will find the real reason behind it.]
[I am the gang leader of those who died today at the city market today. I have kept this secret until now, waiting for the right time to speak.]
[But I no longer have that luxury, because the overseer hunts me relentlessly.
I fear I will not survive much longer.]
[For the past five years, I have worked under him, gathering the blood of virgin girls for his demonic cultivation practice. Before me, he had another loyal servant who abducted girls and delivered them to him.]
[He consumed their blood to suppress the backlash of his forbidden fire cultivation art using yin essence.
This cruelty has continued in secret for years.]
[When the sect began investigating my predecessor's crimes, the overseer killed him and claimed the glory of eliminating evil. He then placed me in his position to continue the work.]
[I lived under constant threat and pressure, with no freedom to refuse.
Disobedience meant death.]
[Now I am at my wit's end. The overseer has killed my comrades one by one, and I know I am next.
Before I die, I want turnover for my crimes and ask you for justice for the innocent lives destroyed because of that bastard Zhang Wuhen.
Please punish that monster for his crimes.]
[If you doubt my words, examine his pulse. The corruption of blood arts cannot be hidden forever.
You will find the truth within him.]
[Special note:
This one is for the overseer - You sick dog bastard check the back of the paper and enjoy it ]
It was signed by the bandit leader himself, claiming he was about to die at Zhang Wuhen's hands and wanted the truth exposed.
Zhang Wuhen read everything and turned the paper there on the back he found a crude drawing of a fist with every finger folded except the middle one, accompanied by a written message of such spectacular vulgarity of cuss words that cannot be found in this world.
"You G** Bast*** with s**** d*** .... " A half page of natural praise.
Despite the gravity of the situation, I had to suppress a laugh seeing the overseer varied expressions but I was also grateful for him because I had been thinking of sending such letter to one guy in my previous life, my manager.
Those words were my own specialized words that I wanted to say to my manager in previous life who was f**** p*** of s*** uses his authority to make me work overtime everyday.
Reading the custom message from me under the disguise of bandit leader, his face flashed through several colors red, white, purple, then a sickly gray-green. His hands crumpled the paper, spiritual energy leaking out his control.
"This... this is a fabrication!" he burst out, turning to Elder Mu. "Elder, I've been framed! This must be the City Lord's doing, he's been hostile toward me from the beginning! I'm being set up. Please.."
"Silence." Elder Mu's single word carried the weight of absolute authority. "You will submit to an examination of your meridians and dantian. Now."
"Elder, please, I can explain..."
"City Lord Chen," Elder Mu continued, ignoring Zhang Wuhen's protests. "Examine his cultivation. Check for traces of blood qi corruption."
Chen's expression stilled. He had not anticipated being used as a tool. But the elder's authority left no room for hesitation, and he was a man who understood when to step back.
City Lord Chen stepped forward, his expression carefully neutral now.
Zhang Wuhen stood with his hands folded behind his back, his face arranged into careful blankness, the expression of a man who has chosen stillness as his final position.
As the City Lord approached, reaching out with his spiritual sense, Zhang Wuhen moved.
The explosion of spiritual energy was sudden and overwhelming. Dark reddish flames tinged with sickly black erupted around Zhang Wuhen's fist as he struck out at City Lord Chen.
The power radiating from him was far beyond early Foundation Establishment. This was mid-stage, possibly higher.
City Lord Chen's eyes widened in shock. He tried to dodge, but the attack came too fast, too close. The flaming fist connected with his chest, and he was hurled backward like a ragdoll.