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

Pei Yun sat in the chair, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrest.

It turned out to be the case.

No wonder that old fox Zhou Mingxuan was in such a hurry to shift the blame.

This case is not only a hot potato, but it could also backfire on me.

"Rest assured, Star Lord, our Northern Garrison will do everything in our power to recover the lost items as soon as possible."

Zhou Mingxuan spoke in an official tone.

Yun nodded slightly, seemingly unimpressed by this rhetoric.

She continued, "The rules still need to be followed."

"Of course, the Imperial Observatory is not unreasonable."

"If the Northern Garrison can retrieve the 'Star-Attracting Sand' within the specified time, our Astronomical Bureau will offer a generous reward."

She extended two slender, jade-like fingers.

"Firstly, the person in charge of this case may be allowed to enter the 'Star Gazing Pavilion' of our Astronomical Bureau to consult the classics for one day."

Stargazing Pavilion?

Pei Yun's heart stirred slightly.

The Imperial Observatory's library is said to contain many ancient secrets, and even fragments of lost martial arts techniques.

This may greatly benefit his research on the "Taishang Xianzhang".

Yun Wei ignored Pei Yun's subtle change in expression and continued:

"Secondly, a 'Concentrating on Stargazing Pendant' can be given as a gift."

"This pendant was made by our Observatory using stars collected from the stars and refined with secret techniques."

"Wearing it on the body can calm the mind and spirit, aid in cultivation, and greatly benefit one's ability to perceive the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

These two gifts of gratitude are truly generous.

The latter, in particular, is a treasure that any practitioner would dream of.

Even Zhou Mingxuan's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible hint of interest.

Concentrate intently on the stars!

The Imperial Observatory only produces a few pieces each year, most of which are offered to the royal family or bestowed upon the talented disciples of top sects.

I never expected that they would be willing to give it up as a thank-you gift this time!

It seems the theft of the star-attracting sand has truly pushed the Imperial Observatory to its limits.

Pei Yun remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he had already begun to make plans.

This star official may seem cold and aloof, but the benefits he offers are truly substantial.

If he could obtain these two items, they would be of great help in restoring his cultivation and even in dealing with the Holy Maiden of Candlelight in the future.

After stating her conditions, Yunwei began to briefly describe the case:

"The theft occurred five days ago, about 100 li west of Gyeonggi Province."

"The one in charge of escorting the goods is a 'Star Guardian' from our Observatory, who is at the Foundation Establishment stage. There are also twelve guards, whose cultivation levels vary between the Innate and Acquired stages, but they are all skilled fighters."

"The on-site investigation revealed that the Star Guardian had disappeared, and the rest of the personnel, along with the 'Star-Attracting Sand,' had all vanished without a trace."

"Our Imperial Observatory used secret techniques to investigate, and the clues pointed towards the capital, but the investigation completely stopped after entering the city, which is suspected to be obscured by some kind of secret method."

"Based on preliminary assessments, the perpetrators are most likely demonic sorcerers, employing unpredictable methods, and there are quite a few of them."

When she spoke, her tone was flat and straightforward, as if she were reciting a book.

Yet, between the lines, a subtle sense of...superiority is revealed?

It seems to be saying that our Imperial Observatory has already investigated to this extent.

The rest depends on the abilities of your Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Zhou Mingxuan coughed lightly and then spoke.

"Lord Yunwei, this case is of great importance, and our Northern Garrison Division also attaches great importance to it."

"Therefore, this case was handed over to the young and promising Pei Yun, Commander Pei."

Yunwei turned her gaze to Pei Yun.

She didn't seem to have paid any attention to the young Imperial Guard sitting in the corner, who appeared somewhat nonchalant.

Yun Wei's gaze lingered for a moment on Pei Yun's excessively handsome face.

She had been cultivating since childhood, and in an instant she realized that Pei Yun's true energy was dormant, making him seem like an ordinary mortal.

Those eyes, which had been as calm as an ancient well, finally twitched slightly.

Pei Yun keenly noticed the subtle change that flashed across the other person's eyes.

First came surprise, then undisguised skepticism, and finally a faint hint of disdain.

It was so fast that it was almost an illusion.

Yun Wei slightly turned her head to look at Zhou Mingxuan, her tone more inquisitive.

"Commander Zhou, is the Northern Garrison Command currently... facing a shortage of manpower?"

That's a very insightful question.

There was no direct questioning, yet the dissatisfaction was made crystal clear.

Why put such an important case in the hands of a seemingly useless person who shows no signs of cultivation?

Is the Embroidered Uniform Guard out of manpower?

Or did they simply not take the case of the Imperial Observatory seriously?

"Official Yunwei is overthinking it."

Zhou Mingxuan's smile grew even warmer, as if he hadn't caught the hidden meaning, and instead pretended to defend him:

"Although Commander Pei is in poor health, he is exceptionally intelligent and has solved many strange cases. He is an invaluable talent in our Northern Garrison."

Even Lord Luo praised him highly.

His words, seemingly speaking up for Pei Yun, were actually adding fuel to the fire, a way of watching the show unfold.

Yun Wei stopped looking at Pei Yun and turned her gaze back to Zhou Mingxuan, making her final statement in a detached tone:

"Since Commander Zhou has made this arrangement, I will respect it."

"However, this matter is of great importance and time is of the essence."

She slightly raised her chin, with the scrutiny of someone in a superior position towards someone in a subordinate position.

"The Northern Garrison Command... will do its utmost."

"If there is no substantial progress within half a month, our Astronomical Bureau will have no choice but to take over and lead the investigation ourselves."

The implication was that if the Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn't handle it, the Imperial Observatory would take matters into their own hands, and then they would be the ones who lost face.

The atmosphere in the study became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Zhou Mingxuan remained calm and waited to see how Pei Yun would respond.

Zhang Quan stood behind Pei Yun, his brows furrowed.

He could tell that neither Commander Zhou nor the star official from the Imperial Observatory seemed to have a high opinion of his family's centurion.

Pei Yun smiled.

He slowly stood up.

Although he was smiling, there was something else in his eyes.

Pei Yun didn't look at Yun Wei, but instead strolled over to Zhou Mingxuan's desk.

He picked up the case file about the theft and casually flipped through a couple of pages.

"Commander Zhou, this file says that the team escorting the star-guiding sand was composed of astronomical officials from the Imperial Observatory?"

Zhou Mingxuan was taken aback, wondering what Pei Yun was up to, but he nodded nonetheless.

"That's right, the Star Guardians are guards trained within the Imperial Observatory."

"The foundation building stage of the Xuanmen orthodox path is equivalent to a seventh-rank martial artist in our centurion class."

"Oh?"

Pei Yun drawled out his words.

He raised his head and finally looked at Yun Wei, a harmless smile on his face.

"Equivalent to a seventh-rank martial artist? That sounds impressive."

"But how could someone so capable simply vanish without a trace, along with their goods, within the capital region?"

Pei Yun's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Yunwei Star Official, I'm a little curious."

"Was the transport route too conspicuous, attracting the attention of demonic thieves?"

"Or... is there some flaw in the security regulations within the Imperial Observatory?"

"Or perhaps, the so-called guardians of the stars are really nothing special?"

A series of questions were asked softly and slowly.

But it was like a series of slaps, landing squarely on Yun Wei's face.

You doubt my abilities?

Then I'd have serious doubts about the competence of your Imperial Observatory!

They can't even protect their own precious child, and now they're coming to ask for help to solve a case, and they still have the nerve to question others?

Pei Yun's temper has never been good.