Chapter 1283: Invitation

Chapter 1283: Chapter 1283: Invitation

"Regarding Elder Lian and Elder Yang who are responsible for sect inspections, Elder Liu, did you not notice anything unusual about them before?" Pei Yan asked in a low voice, looking at the very angry Liu Xuanji.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xuanji smiled bitterly and said self-deprecatingly, "If I had noticed any problems, I wouldn’t have been manipulated into arranging him to guard the secret chamber. Elder Lian is secondary; he joined the sect with skills in hand and gained the sect’s trust over many years of steadfast work. We’ve checked his background multiple times without finding any issues. Perhaps we were negligent! It was my poor judgment that led me to trust him wrongly. But Elder Yang is different! He comes from a sect family’s lineage, not as powerful as the four large families like Liu and Mo, but nonetheless from a long-standing family. There’s no chance of him being an outsider’s spy!"

"If not a spy, then he must have been bribed!" Pei Yan spoke while standing up, walking to the window, and shouted downwards, "Director Mei!"

Upon hearing the call, Mei Simiao walked in from outside the courtyard and looked up. Seeing Pei Yan wave his hand holding a cigar, Mei Simiao immediately understood and went out of the courtyard, shortly returning and tossing a small package up to Pei Yan.

Pei Yan raised his hand and caught the package, returned to his seat, and opened it to reveal three transparent evidence bags, each containing a Spirit Stone. Pei Yan took out a bag and handed it to Liu Xuanji.

Liu Xuanji was quite curious about the transparent bag. He didn’t understand why Pei Yan used it specifically to hold Spirit Stones, but sensing there was a purpose behind it, he didn’t tear open the bag, observing the Spirit Stone inside while asking, "Is this the Spirit Stone from Ten-Eyed Well that was damaged? Why did you use this strange bag to hold it?"

"I have a purpose in doing so, and I’ll explain it to you later! For now, Elder Liu, see if there’s anything wrong with the stone." Pei Yan responded with a question instead of an answer.

"Since you question this way, you clearly know the answer. Stop beating around the bush and just tell me the result!" Liu Xuanji chuckled, handing the bag back to Pei Yan.

Pei Yan flicked the cigar ash, picked up an evidence bag, and waved it in front of Liu Xuanji, smiling, "This item was recently examined personally by your Spirit Lord. It didn’t naturally crack but was fractured by gently injecting a sliver of Spiritual Power into it. All three Spirit Stones are like this, which is why I suspect White Deer Institute reacted hastily rather than having a premeditated plan. My excessive reaction to the assassination was accidental and random. If they had understood my style and arranged in advance, they would have found three naturally cracked Spirit Stones for replacement. Even if they couldn’t do that, at least they should’ve destroyed the broken Spirit Stones to cover it up. Nevertheless, that Elder Yang didn’t do so; he didn’t even realize he needed to destroy these items."

"Pei Xiaoyou indeed has some skills! With this alone, I can use the sect’s punishment on Yang Yeqing! I refuse to believe he won’t confess who instructed him to do these things!" Liu Xuanji’s eyes flashed with a sharp look after hearing Pei Yan, and his way of addressing Pei Yan became slightly affectionate, eagerly pressing his hands.

Pei Yan extinguished the cigar and packed the three Spirit Stones, helplessly saying, "Elder Liu, this matter can’t be rushed! You can’t yet make that surnamed Yang willingly confess based solely on this. My colleague is now investigating his surrounding relationships, needing your people’s cooperation, but your sect members are very hostile toward us! They aren’t cooperating much with our investigation."

"These young ones are clueless, but Bai Qi should understand the situation! Allow me to write a letter for you to deliver to my senior brother. After he reads it, he’ll know what to do. I can guarantee that by then your investigation at Hongjun Sword Furnace will be unobstructed!" Liu Xuanji realized that delaying this matter wouldn’t do, and immediately moved to the room’s desk, taking up brush and ink to write to his Sect Leader Senior Brother, explaining the situation.

Pei Yan witnessed the scene, walked over to the desk as Liu Xuanji wrote his enigmatic script, and remarked with a smile, "Elder Liu being amenable is the best-case scenario. Tonight, I’m going to interrogate three people from White Deer Institute; it might be quite a spectacle—Elder Liu, are you interested in watching?"

"Oh!" Liu Xuanji halted his writing upon hearing this, turning to Pei Yan with curiosity, "Can I have a look?"

"You can! Of course, you can! Not only will your envoy attend, but also sect leaders, elders from separate institutes, and even the Spirit Lord will be invited to observe." Pei Yan cheerfully agreed.

Upon hearing the list of names, especially the Spirit Lord, the frustration building inside Liu Xuanji for days dissipated significantly. He knew Pei Yan wouldn’t make empty moves, prompting him to laugh and say, "You seem very confident, given such a lineup!"

"Naturally, tonight I’ll reveal White Deer Institute’s true colors!" Pei Yan said with undeniable pride.

"Good! Then I must attend the scene to witness Pei Xiaoyou’s skill!"

Pei Yan took Liu Xuanji’s finished letter and bid farewell before preparing for the upcoming interrogation, while Liu Xuanji waited anxiously for two hours until hearing footsteps downstairs, as Embroidered Robe Envoy Xiang Zixiong came up with a group to invite him for questioning.

Recalling Pei Yan’s earlier remarks, Liu Xuanji felt no resistance when following Xiang Zixiong, walking out of the loft with six Heavenly Dao Elders escorting him. Upon stepping out, someone cloaked him, and Xiang Zixiong whispered, "Elder Liu, please restrain your aura."

"Oh, okay!" Liu Xuanji agreed, amazed to find the loft emanating an aura identical to his own when complying.

This must be a tactic by the Investigation Hall to confuse outsiders; Liu Xuanji secretly appreciated their thoroughness. Remembering Pei Yan’s words, he brimmed with anticipation for the interrogation.

As they proceeded, Xiang Zixiong led them along less frequented paths, which Liu Xuanji noted were devoid of regular sentries, replaced by Investigation Hall agents or lifeless Mechanical Puppets, indicating Pei Yan’s diligence in preventing leaks, showing his distrust of Embroidered Robe Envoy and Divine Martial Guard, trusting only minimal connections with Immortal Palace through Investigation Hall personnel.