After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Jiang Dusheng gently pulled away from his embrace, a hint of surprise appearing in her clear eyes:

"How do you know he's not dead? I haven't even had a chance to tell you yet."

Xie Jinchen loosened his grip on her slightly, but his hand still loosely held her waist. His gaze fell on the simple mourning hall not far away, and he calmly analyzed the situation:

"First, Xie Dai was adept at manipulating people's hearts and the times. He planned for many years, advancing step by step, even calculating his own death as a key move in advancing the game."

"Would someone like that be so easily killed by a hail of arrows, leaving no trace of his remains? Unless... that was the way he wanted to die."

"Secondly, Cui Yan's reaction." Xie Jinchen's eyes were sharp as he continued, "He is indeed a loyal minister and a pawn of the late emperor, but he has known Xie Dai for many years, and their relationship is that of teacher and father, and their bond is genuine."

"If Xie Dai had truly died tragically before his eyes, or even died because of his cooperation, his guilt and pain would have been much deeper, and he would never feel this way now, heavy-hearted but devoid of sorrow..."

"Third, timing and evidence." Xie Jinchen's gaze returned to Jiang Dusheng's face. "The body disappeared too cleanly, leaving only a few pieces of bloodstained armor and a broken sword, as well as that jade pendant."

"This is more like a carefully orchestrated scene, designed to solidify the tragic death and the destruction of evidence, to enrage me to raise an army, to enrage the Xie family army, and to enrage all those in the world who still hold onto the concepts of loyalty and righteousness."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng asked softly, "So, your vow to investigate the cause of death was for the world to see, and also... for him to see? To force him, or to wait for him to reveal himself?"

Xie Jinchen nodded, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Doesn't he like playing chess? Doesn't he like to take everyone into account?"

"Then I, this chess piece, will follow the path he has laid out and walk in front of him. I will walk until he has no choice but to show himself and give me an explanation."

Xie Jinchen looked at Jiang Dusheng, his gaze softening. "As for the rules of mourning... since he is not dead, there is naturally no need for them."

The wind and snow had completely stopped at some point, and the afterglow of the setting sun struggled to penetrate the clouds, casting long shadows on the snow and tinging the desolation of Shilipo with a warm gold hue.

"Oh dear..." Jiang Dusheng suddenly dragged out his words, deliberately saying, "If I had known you were so smart, I wouldn't have bothered to calculate Xie Dai's fate for you these past two days. Before I could even tell you, you had already guessed it yourself."

Xie Jinchen was holding her, preparing to walk towards the city center, when he heard this and stopped, looking down at her in confusion.

He scrutinized Jiang Dusheng, as if trying to find some clue on her face, his brows furrowed slightly, a hint of suspicion in his expression.

"Jiang Dusheng," he said slowly, "have you been possessed by some unclean spirit from Shilipo?"

Xie Jinchen paused, a smile playing on his lips. "Why are you suddenly only saying things I want to hear?"

Jiang Dusheng: "..."

The smile on her face froze instantly, then vanished without a trace, and she returned to her usual self.

"Xie Jinchen, you're... really boring."

[Remember the fastest online novel website: 1 ...

Two days later in Changling City.

During the morning court session, the atmosphere inside the hall was as oppressive as the deathly silence before a storm, and the air was almost suffocating.

Inside the magnificent palace, the smoke of ambergris curled upwards, yet it could not dispel the invisible solemnity and grim atmosphere.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Cangqi's face was gloomy, with an unnatural bluish-black tinge under his eyes. His originally handsome appearance now appeared somewhat irritable.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the gilded armrest, producing a dull thud, as his gaze swept over the mass of kneeling officials below.

Ultimately, it fell on the leader.

Crown Prince Chu Jingyu, dressed in an apricot-yellow robe with four-clawed python patterns and wearing a golden crown, knelt prostrate below the imperial steps. His clear voice echoed in the silent hall.

"Father! Duke Xie Dai, the Duke of Zhenguo, was ordered to suppress bandits in Qingzhou to serve his country loyally, but he was ambushed and killed by unidentified men in black within Qingzhou's borders. He died tragically in the wilderness, and his body was never found! This is a major case that has shocked the court and the public, and it is also a blatant provocation against the laws of our Xicang Kingdom and against the majesty of Father!"

He raised his head, his gaze intense, looking directly at Emperor Cangqi on the dragon throne, his words earnest:

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you immediately issue an edict dispatching a capable and trusted minister to Qingzhou to thoroughly investigate the Duke's death, apprehend the true culprit, so as to appease the hearts of loyal officials and uphold the law!"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than half of the civil and military officials kneeling in the hall followed the Crown Prince, kowtowing in unison and saying in unison:

"We, your humble servants, agree with the Crown Prince's words! We earnestly request Your Majesty to issue an edict to thoroughly investigate the truth, so as to comfort the loyal souls, set the record straight, and reassure the people!"

The sound was not loud, but it was uniform.

Emperor Cangqi's face grew even more gloomy, his chest heaving slightly, and an unnamed evil fire surged straight to the top of his head.

Just then, Censor Wang Heng knelt upright, his voice booming:

"Your Majesty, I have heard that when Prince Xie arrived at the site of his father's murder to pay his respects and make his vows, in broad daylight, in the autumn season, a heavy snow fell, covering his belongings, and heaven and earth grieved together!"

He kowtowed heavily, his forehead touching the cold ground: "This is an unusual phenomenon of heaven and earth, a clear warning. The people are already in an uproar; this snow is a cry for justice for Duke Xie!"

"Your Majesty! Those men in black dared to claim they were ordered to kill them! Such rampant traitors not only harm the pillars of the nation, but also dare to openly defame the Emperor's decree. Their hearts deserve to be punished, and their actions deserve to be executed by dismemberment!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an edict to thoroughly investigate the Duke's death, bring the true culprits and those audacious scoundrels to justice, and punish them according to the law. Only in this way can the might of Heaven be demonstrated, the disgrace suffered by Your Majesty be washed away, the criticisms of the people be silenced, the nation be at peace, and the hearts of the people be stabilized, Your Majesty!"

"Bang!"

Emperor Cangqi slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne and stood up abruptly. He felt an inexplicable sense of unease rush to his mind, his temples throbbed, and his vision blurred.

He had intended to suppress his anger and refute the statement calmly, but for some reason, his voice rose uncontrollably as soon as he opened his mouth:

"Wang Heng! How dare you!" He pointed at Wang Heng below, his fingertips trembling. "You believed those absurd rumors and are convinced that it was my secret edict that killed Xie Dai?!"

Emperor Cangqi gasped for breath, his chest heaving, his voice growing increasingly frantic. "If I truly wanted to kill him, why wait until today! Why resort to such despicable means?!"

Upon receiving news of Xie Dai's death, his initial joy was quickly overshadowed by a barrage of rumors that left him unsettled and even filled with a sense of panic that things were spiraling out of control.

Emperor Cangqi swayed slightly, and the chief eunuch beside him was so frightened that he hurriedly stepped forward to support him, but was pushed away by him.

He shook his increasingly heavy head, trying to dispel his anger, but only received a more violent reaction in return.