CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47: LAYING THE CARDS ON THE TABLE

"Uncle, what are you doing?"

At this moment, Yu You stood up, his face full of solemnity.

"Old General, what exactly happened?"

Yu Tongguang slowly stood up, and several commandery officials vaguely stood by his side.

Yu Tongguang frowned. He did not believe that Qi Yi would seize the opportunity today to directly lash out against him, because doing so would be outright rebellion, and no one present at the Qi Family would escape.

The Qi Family had not fully controlled all the garrison forces in the Commandery City, and today they were not unprepared. Outside, several Personal Guard Generals were leading part of the garrison to intimidate.

His current target was the Gu Family, mainly intimidating and wooing the other two families. Despite the pressure, the methods were mild enough not to push the two families to a desperate point.

But Qi Yi’s actions at the moment clearly indicated an unexpected change within.

Qi Yi slowly rose at this time, his gaze sweeping across the officials present and the many esteemed guests. His eyes blazed with unprecedented fury as he spoke in a low voice:

"Someone has murdered Madam Qi Zhou of the main house of Qi Mansion!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed dramatically.

Especially the Young Marquis from Haojing, Zhou Qianling, whose face altered drastically as he abruptly stood up from his seat.

"What, my elder sister...?"

"Uncle Qi, what on earth is going on?"

Meanwhile, the Daoist next to Yu Tongguang, dressed in a black and white Tai Chi Daoist Robe, with a baby-like face, whispered a few words in Yu Tongguang’s ear.

Yu Tongguang’s gaze shifted slightly, and after a brief contemplation, he said.

"Old General Qi, if I were you, not only would I seal off everyone present, but I would also use the Official Seal to lockdown the entire Qi Residence!"

"What do you mean, Yu County Ruler?"

Both Qi Yi and Zhou Qianling immediately looked over, but Qi Yi’s expression darkened as he handed over the Third-Class General’s Seal he carried to Qi Yuanwu beside him, instructing him to place it before the plaque of Qi Family Mansion.

He also ordered the elite warriors to guard the doorway.

As the General’s Seal was placed behind the plaque, Zhang Jian noticed an invisible Dragon and Tiger Qi flowing from the entrance of the Qi Family Estate, vaguely covering the entire mansion.

The Daoist’s gaze flickered slightly at this scene.

Zhang Jian’s gaze was fixed on the old Daoist in the Daoist Robe. He had long sensed the distinct aura of the old Daoist, whose traces of Spiritual Power were well concealed, even better than the Tianxu Daoist and those Heterodox Sorcerers Zhang Jian had encountered, but in Zhang Jian’s Divine Thought, nothing could escape.

However, this also made Zhang Jian certain that this Daoist’s Dao Practice far surpassed that of Tianxu and others.

A formidable character indeed.

"But it seems he hasn’t achieved Magical Power yet, otherwise it would blend with his body, changing the nature of the Spiritual Power inside him..."

Glints flickered in the depths of Zhang Jian’s eyes. His Divine Thought was extraordinarily sharp, a miraculous ability stemming from the innate strength of his soul.

Having not practiced any Magic related to eyes, he couldn’t fully unlock or harness its potential.

Many judgments might not be necessarily accurate.

Facing the Qi Mansion’s crowd, Yu Tongguang stated indifferently: "Mr. Qingyu recently sensed traces of a monster presence at the Qi Residence. There might be something fiendish causing trouble this time!"

"Fiendish?"

Qi Yi’s face turned grim.

This reminded him of the previous nightmare calamity of the Qi Family.

Beside him, Yu You leaned slightly on his cane, squinting his eyes, and after a moment, said meaningfully: "It’s probably not a fiend, but someone shouting ’stop thief’ while being the thief themselves!"

Yu Tongguang glanced at Yu You, a cold smile in his eyes, but he did not reply. He disdained offering such an explanation.

Qi Yi frowned, glancing at these two.

Whether it was Governor Yu Tongguang or County Minister Yu You, as well as the seemingly indifferent Gu Chengyan, in his view, all were suspects.

Each could have murdered Madam Qi Zhou.

But presently, the greatest benefit fell undoubtedly to Governor Yu Tongguang.

With Zhou’s death, regardless of whether the Qi Family catches the murderer, they certainly can no longer leverage the strength of Haojing Dingyuan Marquis’s Mansion.

This undoubtedly granted Yu Tongguang a significant advantage, giving him a golden opportunity to clean up the entire Fengyang County.

Of course, this also benefited both the Yu Family and the Gu Family.

The Qi Family lost its neutral capital, and might well be forced to ally with the other two families to jointly safeguard its own interests.

Fury flickered in Qi Yi’s eyes. He resolved that if indeed it was proven Yu Tongguang’s doing, even if it took exhausting the entire Qi Family’s resources, he would capture Yu Tongguang today and take him to Haojing to seek justice.

Qi Yi blocked off the Qi Mansion and dispatched people to inspect the crime scene, quickly receiving feedback.

He found Madam Zhou with a strangely distorted body in the rear courtyard.

Nearby, a dozen shivering female attendants stood trembling.

...

In the main hall, the Zhang Father and Son sat in the middle seats, while the officials of Fengyang County sat in the upper seats.

Many officials were somewhat anxious at this time.

Worried that this sudden murder case would mark the beginning of a bloody conflict!

Those present had come for the birthday celebration, but had not brought many Personal Guards!

"Brother Jian, what do you think?"

Nearby, Zhang Yi directed an inquiring gaze toward Zhang Jian.

To investigate and subdue the monsters, a specialized cultivator is required, and Zhang Jian, being a cultivator, should have a better insight into this.

Zhang Jian’s gaze flickered. He had indeed detected a fleeting wisp of Yin Spiritual Qi Mechanism, but he softly said: "Father, this matter might indeed have something to do with fiendish beings, but the key now is not to find out whether there are fiends, but grandfather’s stance!"

Zhang Yi nodded upon hearing this.

The fact that Madam Zhou was dead was a done deal!

The balance of power in the Commandery City was already shattered.

Now the city’s situation was like a piece of wire on the verge of snapping, ready to trigger a bloody collision.

Not only did the Qi Family have to make a choice between the noble families within the Commandery and Governor Yu Tongguang, but so did the Zhang Family.

Zhang Jian was only second to the three main noble families of Commandery among the major families of Fengyang County.

But after a detailed consideration of the city’s dynamics, the father and son reached a consensus.

They naturally preferred to profit amidst chaos; ideally maintaining the status quo, allowing the three major noble families to reform into four, restoring balance until some opportune moment arose for further advancement.

Governor Yu Tongguang’s pressure on the three major noble families also represented an opportunity for the Zhang Family. Should they seize it, the Fengxi Zhang Family could transform into a true County-Honored Clan.

In the past, aspiring to become a County-Honored Clan meant facing the full opposition of the original three families, and even hostility from commandery officials. But now things were different; at such a juncture, the three major noble families, under pressure from the governor, might choose to allow, even support.

Zhang Jian noticed Gu Chengyan across from him smiling slightly.

A thought flashed through Zhang Jian’s mind.

Others might not know, but the Patriarch Gu certainly knew he was a cultivator.

This hidden card he had been keeping was the time to reveal and utilize.

After witnessing Zhang Jian’s stance, Zhang Yi instantly formed an idea. He got up and went to the rear courtyard, whispered a few words to Madam Zhang Qi, and saw her hurriedly head there.

Not long after, Qi Yi and Qi Yuansi hurried over.

The two personally invited Zhang Jian to the side.

"Brother Jian, you know Magic?"

At the moment, Qi Yi and Qi Yuansi had different expressions but both bore scrutinizing gazes.

Zhang Jian saw their expressions and immediately understood that they probably didn’t comprehend the difference between a cultivator and a Heterodox Sorcerer who merely knew a bit of Magic!