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

A crack finally appeared on Yun Wei's perpetually icy face.

Her aloofness deepened, and her gaze toward Pei Yun sharpened.

That guy has a sharp tongue!

They actually turned around and started questioning the Imperial Observatory!

Zhou Mingxuan, watching from the side, almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.

good boy!

Sure enough, he's no pushover!

This is getting interesting.

Yun Wei took a deep breath, suppressing her displeasure, and spoke coldly:

"The transport route is a secret of the Imperial Observatory and there is absolutely no possibility of it being leaked."

"The guardians are well-trained and loyal, and the guard regulations have been in use for many years without any mistakes."

"As for the strength of the Star Guardians..."

Yun Wei paused for a moment.

"If Commander Pei has the opportunity, he can personally learn from you."

There was already a hint of anger in his words.

Pei Yun, however, seemed not to have noticed and continued to smile.

That's really strange.

"The route is fine, the people are fine, and the rules are fine."

"But the things are gone."

"Could it be that this star-attracting sand grew legs and ran away on its own?"

He shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"It seems this case is indeed more complicated than we imagined."

"Rest assured, Lord Yunwei, we Jinyiwei always insist on evidence when we do things."

"Since Commander Zhou has entrusted the case to me, I will naturally do my best."

Pei Yun emphasized the words "do your best," mimicking Yun Wei's previous tone.

"However..."

Pei Yun changed the subject.

"Let's be clear from the start."

"If, during the investigation, more detailed internal information is needed from the Imperial Observatory, or if certain relevant personnel need to be summoned to cooperate with the investigation..."

"I hope the star deity will grant me this favor."

"After all, investigating a case always requires getting to the bottom of it, right?"

If you give me attitude, then I'll teach you a lesson.

If you want the Embroidered Uniform Guard to be your pawn to solve cases quickly, it depends on whether I'm willing.

Yunwei was speechless, choked by the words.

Looking at Pei Yun's smiling, handsome face, she felt that this man was even more difficult to deal with than those slippery old foxes in the imperial court.

But every word he said made sense, and he even brought up the rules of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for investigating cases, leaving her with no way to refute him.

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit tense, Zhou Mingxuan stepped in to smooth things over.

"Alright, alright, we're all just doing our jobs for the imperial court."

"Rest assured, Star Officer. Commander Pei is experienced and will do his utmost to investigate."

"Pei Yun, you should hurry up too, the Imperial Observatory is waiting for the results."

Yun Wei kept a cold expression and stopped looking at Pei Yun.

She nodded slightly to Zhou Mingxuan: "In that case, I'll have to trouble Commander Zhou and Commander Pei."

"The Imperial Observatory has a deadline of ten days. If there is no clear progress within ten days, the Imperial Observatory will have no choice but to take over personally."

"At that time, we hope that the Embroidered Uniform Guard will fully cooperate."

After saying that, she didn't linger and turned to leave.

The moon-white Taoist robe brushed across the threshold, carrying an undisguised chill.

After everyone left, Zhou Mingxuan could no longer hold back his smile and laughed twice.

"You're something else, kid!"

"With just a few words, he silenced the star official in the Imperial Observatory."

"Amazing, amazing!"

Pei Yun pursed her lips and tucked the dossier under her arm.

"Same to you."

"I have great respect for Lord Chiju's ability to shift blame."

Zhou Mingxuan's smile froze slightly, then returned to normal, and he thought to himself:

This kid is definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Pei Yun said no more and turned to leave the study.

……

Within the Northern Garrison Command, in the Hundred-Household Office.

Pei Yun leaned back in his chair, looking languid.

He extended a finger, its knuckles clearly defined, and gently tapped the table.

The voice was unhurried, with a casual rhythm.

His gaze fell upon the file in front of him concerning the theft of "Stardust".

The information is pitifully scarce.

What Yun Wei, the cold-faced star official of the Imperial Observatory, said was almost identical.

A few days ago, a convoy was attacked a hundred miles west of the capital.

The Star Guardian, a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the seventh rank of a human martial artist, has gone missing.

The twelve guards, along with the so-called "star-attracting sand," vanished without a trace.

The on-site investigation only revealed the presence of several mixed and chaotic traces of demonic cultivation techniques.

But which faction specifically?

The file states: Difficult to determine.

The method was clean and efficient, leaving no trace that could directly lead to the capture of the thief.

"That's interesting."

Pei Yun had a faint smile on her lips.

A Star Guardian with Foundation Establishment cultivation would be enough to qualify as a centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Although the people in the Imperial Observatory are used to a life of ease and comfort, they may not have the practical combat skills that the commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard have honed in the face of death and carnage.

But it's not some random cat or dog either.

It's astonishing that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could lead twelve skilled fighters, along with their goods, to vanish without a trace in the heart of the capital region.

The power of this fighter is definitely not simple.

Moreover, their methods were quite sophisticated.

This water is quite deep.

Pei Yun paused.

Others may not know, but he knows that this theft is inextricably linked to the Joyful Zen sect.

The system previously provided information about the theft of the Star-Guiding Sand and its connection to the remnants of the Joyful Zen sect.

But those Zen Buddhists are just gluttons who only know how to enjoy the flesh and manipulate people's hearts.

With such power, how dare they touch the things of the Imperial Observatory?

And it was done so cleanly and efficiently?

Pei Yun felt that something was wrong.

He rubbed his temples.

He closed his eyes, his mind calm.

Since becoming a centurion, my status has risen, and the system has been upgraded accordingly.

In addition to the daily update of one piece of intelligence, there is an extra opportunity to refresh the page again.

You can choose to completely refresh a new one.

It is also possible to delve deeper into existing intelligence and obtain more detailed information.

I haven't used this extra refresh much before.

Given the current situation, with all the leads so thoroughly cut off, there's no harm in making the most of it.

Let's see if we can dig up something new.

Pei Yun concentrated his mind and silently recited it in his heart.

A thought flickered in my mind.

[Intelligence Update]

【Star-Guiding Sand contains pure stellar power, possessing a unique aura that is extremely difficult to completely conceal using ordinary methods】

[By mixing a large amount of the exotic fragrance "Drunken Dragon Incense" from the Western Regions, its original aroma can be greatly obscured in a short period of time, interfering with tracking.]

Pei Yun opened her eyes.

A glint of light flashed in the depths of his eyes like a shooting star, disappearing in an instant.

Drunken dragon fragrance!

A special spice that came from the Western Regions.

It doesn't have any special effects, but it has a unique scent that lasts a long time.

Because of its high price, it is usually only used by wealthy families or in special places.

Is it used to mask the scent of stardust?

It's like a drop of ink in a bowl of clear water; it's easy to spot.

But finding a single drop of clean water in a vat of ink is as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

interesting.

That's a clever idea.

"Zhang Quan".

Pei Yun's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to the door.

Zhang Quan, who was waiting outside the door, immediately pushed the door open and entered, bowing respectfully.

"My lord, what are your orders?"

Pei Yun pointed to the teacup on the table, indicating that he should pour some tea.

After Zhang Quan served the warm tea, Pei Yun slowly began to speak:

"Go check."

"In the last half month, all the spice shops in the capital..."

"Investigate a Western Region spice called 'Drunken Dragon Incense'."

Zhang Quan was slightly taken aback.

Drunken dragon fragrance?

What does this have to do with the case of the Imperial Observatory?

Although he was puzzled, he did not show it on his face.

The orders given by this centurion were sometimes truly baffling.

You can tell him from his experience, and he can just do as he says.

Lord Pei Yun's sources of intelligence are always incredibly accurate.

It was an almost supernatural intuition, or rather...

It is some kind of unknown intelligence source.

Pei Yun picked up his teacup, blew on it to cool it down, and didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Check all block trade records."

"The buyer's identity, the quantity purchased, and the reported purpose."

"The more detailed the better."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable determination.

"Yes, I understand!"

Zhang Quan asked no more questions, clasped his hands in acceptance, and turned to leave quickly.

Watching Zhang Quan's departing figure, Pei Yun's lips curled into a cold, sharp smile.

Zhou Mingxuan?

Si Tianjian?

Want to see me, Pei Yun, make a fool of myself?

It's not that easy.