Three punches shattered the demonic soul, young hero, I'm an honest man!

The Northern Garrison Command Office.

The case of Yinxingsha weighed heavily on everyone's mind like a boulder.

Especially when Liu Mang, the centurion, returned with a dark face, covered in dust and exhausted, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Until a figure from the Imperial Guard, like a sharp arrow, pierced through the courtyard and headed straight for the back hall.

He walked quickly, but his face was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Report—!"

Inside the study, Zhou Mingxuan, the head of the household, was holding a teacup.

His face remained calm and composed, but the subtle ripples on the surface of the tea betrayed the turmoil within him.

He listened as his subordinates, members of the Imperial Guards, gave a concise report on everything that had happened at the Jia family mansion in the southern city.

They captured the wicked monk Miaole of the Joyful Zen sect.

Arresting Jia Zhengchu, a wealthy businessman and accomplice.

The recovered stolen goods contained stardust.

The perpetrator was caught red-handed!

Zhou Mingxuan's hand, holding the teacup, paused almost imperceptibly.

He raised his eyes, his gaze deep and unreadable.

"You mean, Pei Yun had already anticipated that Liu Mang was chasing a bait?"

"Your Excellency, I do not know how Lord Pei knew this, but before the operation, Lord Pei did indeed judge that the Jia family was the key."

The Imperial Guard bowed and spoke, his tone carrying a hint of awe that he himself was unaware of.

Zhou Mingxuan remained silent for a moment, then waved his hand.

"Understood. Keep the prisoners and evidence safe and report to Lord Luo."

"yes!"

The Imperial Guards received their orders and withdrew.

Zhou Mingxuan was the only one left in the study.

After a long while, a complex smile finally appeared on his lips.

"Pei Yun..."

He originally thought that Luo Qingyi's promotion of this useless person was merely a gesture out of consideration for past merits.

Passing the case to the Imperial Observatory was partly a test of Luo Qingyi's bottom line, and partly an attempt to shift the blame.

But now it seems...

He misjudged the situation.

This kid's methods are far more powerful and bizarre than he imagined.

This kid has lost his cultivation.

But his mind and methods have become even more like a bloodless knife than before.

The front courtyard of the yamen (government office).

The news spread like wildfire throughout the Northern Garrison Command at an incredible speed.

As soon as Liu Mang kicked open the door to his duty room, he heard a cacophony of voices outside.

"Have you heard? In the southern part of the city, Commander Pei has recovered what the Imperial Observatory lost!"

"Really? That centurion is good at drinking tea, listening to music, and sleeping with women, but he's not exactly a crack detective, is he?"

"Absolutely true! Caught red-handed!"

"Commander Liu is chasing a fake! It's a diversionary tactic! The real sorcerer has already been subdued at the Jia residence by Commander Pei's men!"

"I heard that Commander Pei didn't move an inch; he was just drinking tea in the teahouse, yet he managed to get things done with such composure."

Liu Mang suddenly turned around.

He rushed out of the duty room and grabbed a flag officer by the collar who was spitting as he spoke.

His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his neck were bulging, like an enraged bull.

"What did you say?! Say it again!"

The little flag was startled and stammered as it repeated itself.

The color drained from Liu Mang's face instantly, turning it ashen.

He chased after them for ages, and was exhausted, like a dog.

It turned out that the package they were chasing was empty, filled with stones and cheap spices; the energy fluctuations were completely fake!

I remembered how Pei Yun was leisurely drinking tea in the teahouse before we set off.

I remembered how I had secretly mocked the other person for giving up and waiting to die.

"Damn it!"

Liu Mang shoved the flag bearer away abruptly, his chest heaving violently.

A tremendous sense of humiliation and resentment gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

Command with composure...

Drinking tea...

These words were like resounding slaps to Liu Mang's face.

Liu Mang's face turned from red to green, then from green to white, and finally turned ashen.

His fists were clenched so tightly they cracked, and his teeth were biting so hard his lips were almost bleeding.

"Pei Yun... I'm not done with you yet!"

He forced out those words through gritted teeth, his voice filled with venom.

Seeing his appearance, the Imperial Guards around him subconsciously took a few steps back, none of them daring to provoke him at this moment.

And those captains and lieutenants who were discussing Pei Yun's "slacking off" just a few days ago.

They looked at each other in disbelief.

Doubt, shock, and then a kind of indescribable awe.

A centurion who had lost his cultivation level solved a case that the Northern Garrison Command had deemed a dead end and that the Imperial Observatory had been helpless to solve in the blink of an eye.

This level of ability goes beyond what can be described by the word "method".

Inside the Northern Garrison Command's office, the discussion about Pei Yun had completely shifted.

"This Lord Pei... I really underestimated him before."

"That's what they call 'a true master keeps a low profile'."

"Keep your eyes peeled from now on, this guy is really something else!"

Amidst whispers, discussions about Pei Yun's "hidden talents" and "extraordinary abilities" spread quietly like vines.

The name Pei Yun was shrouded in mystery within the Northern Garrison Command.

……

The Imperial Observatory, the Jade Balance Tower.

Skyscrapers soar into the clouds, as if one could reach out and pluck the stars from the sky.

Inside the building, starlight cascaded down like a waterfall, illuminating several figures dressed in plain white Taoist robes with star patterns.

The woman at the head of the group was none other than the star official Yunwei.

I was sitting with several fellow students, discussing the mysteries of astrology.

Even though the grand array that was crucial to the nation's fate was brought to a standstill due to the theft of the star-drawing sand.

However, basic star observation and divination were not difficult for these astrologers in the Imperial Observatory.

"Fellow disciples, the celestial phenomena these days seem rather unsettling."

Yun Wei spoke softly, her voice clear and cold like jade striking each other.

A senior disciple, whose beard and hair were slightly gray, but whose eyes remained as clear as a young man's, nodded and stroked his long beard:

"Indeed, the imperial star is dim and unclear, and there is a hidden ominous aura coming from the east from the Ziwei Palace. It seems that there are signs of an impending storm in this capital city."

Another senior student with a square face chimed in:

"Good fortune and misfortune are intertwined."

"The more chaotic the celestial phenomena are, the more likely they are to be a great opportunity for us cultivators to temper our Dao hearts."

"Only by seeing through this chaos can one glimpse the true face of Heaven's will."

The group exchanged brief insights on astrological practice, their words carrying an air of aloofness and mystery.

The unique path of cultivation for the Imperial Observatory is to seek a glimmer of heavenly secrets in this chaotic world.

At this moment, the senior brother with slightly graying hair and beard changed the subject and looked at Yun Wei:

"By the way, Junior Sister Yunwei, how did it go when you went to the Northern Garrison Command a few days ago to contact the Embroidered Uniform Guards about the stolen Star-Gathering Sand?"

Mentioning the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Yun Wei couldn't help but frown, her usually aloof and pretty face showing a slight brow.

The image of that centurion surnamed Pei flashed through my mind.

The ambiguous smile that always lingered at the corners of his mouth made her extremely uncomfortable.

Three days have passed, and there has been no progress.

The clouds drooped slightly from my eyes.

"The centurion in charge of this case is glib-tongued."

"I don't know what my senior sister was thinking, but she actually said that this matter could perhaps be handled with the help of the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

"Why should our Imperial Observatory need to deal with such people?"

In the eyes of the Imperial Observatory, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was nothing more than the court's lackeys, and their behavior was crude and vulgar.

They were worlds apart from these cultivators who sought to uncover the secrets of heaven.

Initially, they intended to rely on the Astronomical Bureau itself to retrieve the "Star-Guiding Sand".

However, the rarely seen and mysterious senior sister made a rare appearance.

It is suggested that this matter be reported to the Embroidered Uniform Guard so that they can assist in the investigation.

"Ten-day deadline..."

Yunwei shook her head, her tone resolute.

"In my opinion, even if they were given a month, they might not be able to find a clue."

"In the end, we at the Imperial Observatory may still have to clean up this mess ourselves."

Yun Wei paused, then suddenly remembered Zhou Mingxuan's attitude at the time, and added a sentence with a hint of confusion in her tone.

"However, that Commander Zhou was quite polite to that Commander Bai, even saying that 'Lord Luo values ​​him highly.'"

"Lord Luo?"

Upon hearing this, the senior brothers almost spoke in unison, their faces showing surprise.

Yunwei was stunned.

"Do any of you senior brothers recognize this Lord Luo?"

"Could it be Luo Qingyi from the Northern Garrison?"

The senior brother, whose beard and hair were slightly gray, pondered for a moment, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity.

Yun Wei was somewhat surprised: "Judging from the tone of Commander Zhou, this Lord Luo seems to hold a very high position in the Northern Garrison."

"It's more than just a very high status..."

The senior brother, with slightly graying hair and beard, smiled and explained with a touch of emotion.

"Junior Sister Yunwei, you haven't been in prison for very long, so you may not know this."

"That Commander Luo Qingyi of the Northern Garrison is no ordinary person."

The square-faced senior brother took over the conversation, his voice low:

"The capital's elite are as numerous as carp crossing a river: sons of dukes from noble families, relatives of the emperor, and secret disciples of righteous sects—aren't they all arrogant and haughty?"

"But if we're talking about the younger generation, there are only a handful who can truly overshadow their peers and make them look down on you."

"Luo Qingyi from the Northern Garrison Command counts as one."

"Our senior sister from the Imperial Observatory counts as one."

"And that young female leader who controls half of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, that's another one."

He paused, his gaze drifting into the distance, as if he could see those distinguished figures:

"These three women were known as the Three Beauties of the Capital, their beauty and talent surpassing that of countless men."

"The only one who can be vaguely compared to them is that young priest of Langya Academy who is known as 'once in a century'."