The male supporting character was actually myself.

Qu Wenqing accused Wang Baoyi of corruption and abuse of power, alleging that he disrespected heaven and earth and the spirits of the dead, and indiscriminately disposed of the innocent souls within his jurisdiction.

He pointed to himself, “It was the case where I was suppressed and expelled that led to Lord Qu, the official in charge of the underworld, summoning me back to record my statement and having me look in the Mirror of Karma in front of the underworld inspectors, proving that Wang Baoyi had indeed committed illegal acts.”

The underworld inspectors were furious, but because Wang Baoyi was still in the human realm, and the officials in charge of the human realm were a complex and intertwined group, it would be extremely difficult to even open a case to investigate Wang Baoyi. Therefore, I returned with a mission—to investigate whether Wang Baoyi had abused his position to maliciously expel ghosts and sever karmic retribution.

If they could obtain enough concrete evidence, they could legally arrest Wang Baoyi and send him to the Mirror of Karma. A Celestial Master like him, who is specifically accused and investigated and has sufficient influence, would be sentenced based on his actions without going through a process of offsetting merits and demerits.

"Huh? You need to assist with the investigation?" Bai Ling's face was full of worry. "No, no, it's too dangerous! How about I go for you..."

Jiang Chen chuckled and leaned against the bed, pulling her along. "Come on, let's cultivate first! Don't worry about this. Since they sent me here, they definitely won't let me risk my life. Don't worry, I guarantee you'll be safe. It's more important for us to delve deeper into the harmony of Yin and Yang energies. How about we try a new cultivation method today?"

With the lights off, the pure yang and yin energies in the room flowed slowly, weaving a harmonious serenade in the darkness...

Not far away, in Wang Baoyi's private courtyard, the little dumpling was "studying late into the night by lamplight".

"Meow~ You old rascal, you're really diligent, aren't you? There are so many attendance records that I can't even keep up with them all." The little white cat rummaged through the task records in the study.

From the time Wang Baoyi was discovered and entered Tingfeng Valley at the age of sixteen until he is fifty-three this year, nearly forty years, the number of clearly recorded missions alone is as tall as a person.

The thought of finding evidence of his illegal actions among so many tasks filled Rongtuanzi with despair.

"Forget it, let's leave this kind of brain-intensive, CPU-burning work to the host. I'm sure he can handle it well!" After pondering for a moment, the little white cat slapped its forehead and decided to slap down each problem and hand them over to the host to deal with.

Even though the system wasn't tired or sleepy, it still took most of the night to archive all the tasks and take high-definition photos.

Then, while Wang Baoyi was practicing undisturbed in his training room, they searched the entire courtyard where he lived.

"Host!" As dawn broke, the little white cat, having reaped a bountiful harvest, bounced onto the bed, rolled around, snuggled into his arms, and then meowed excitedly, "Didn't you accept Qu Wenqing's commission to investigate Wang Baoyi's illegal activities in the human realm? Meow has gathered all the information for you, Host."

It whined and whined, "It's just... there's a lot of data, so the workload is probably quite heavy..."

Jiang Chen glanced at Bai Ling, who was still fast asleep, and gently flicked her forehead. "You must have taken photos of all the information related to Wang Baoyi and brought it back. As for which ones are problematic, I'll find out."

"Hehehe~" After being exposed by her host, the fluffy little dumpling snuggled against him shyly. "I can't tell, and there are just too many... My host is the best, he can definitely spot the problem at a glance!"

"Fine, just bring over everything you've gathered. Once I find anything suspicious, you can check it one by one."

"Okay, meow!"

A moment later, Jiang Chen stared into thought as he watched it import nearly ten thousand high-definition photos onto the tablet.

Even if you look at them one by one, it would take quite a while, wouldn't it?

Moreover, Wang Baoyi himself wrote all the mission reports. If he really took the money and didn't care about suppressing and expelling ghosts, he probably wouldn't have written them so frankly.

Fortunately, the old guy was a bit of a perfectionist, and the mission archives were all arranged in chronological order. The little white cat was also photographed in the same order, so he quickly found the archive of the one that suppressed the original owner among the many photos.

"Just as I expected, the report is flawless!" Jiang Chen glanced at it and sneered, "How he treated the original owner who had fallen into evil spirits is recorded in detail in the script and in the original owner's memories, so there's no way he could be wrong."

But look at what he wrote in the report—"After patient communication, repeated questioning, and investigation to clarify the matter, it was determined that the evil spirit had committed heinous crimes such as self-degradation and taking the lives of innocent people, and was sentenced to suppression and expulsion. Because the evil spirit has committed numerous evils and shows no remorse, the highest-level suppression talisman of Listening Wind Valley was used to ensure absolute success."

The fluffy little ball poked its furry head over, and after reading the report, it meowed angrily, "Outrageous! The high-ranking members of Listening Wind Valley think that no one dares to investigate him, so they can fabricate reports with such impunity? Then... we don't need to look at the others, right? The old man must have written them all flawlessly, we can't possibly check them one by one."

"Even if we could find some, it probably wouldn't be enough to shake Wang Baoyi's foundation."

As Jiang Chen scrolled through the photos on the screen, he said softly, "After all, he wouldn't dare touch the big shots, and the underworld wouldn't care about the ordinary little people either. As long as the crimes aren't serious, they won't do anything to him after weighing the pros and cons. Besides, most of the ghosts he suppressed and banished are probably scattered in the wilderness and have long since vanished without a trace."

"Huh?! Then all my efforts were for nothing?!"

"Of course not." After carefully checking the amount, he tapped the tablet with his finger. "Look, Wang Baoyi's income has increased dozens of times since he became famous. Just from the business of suppressing the original owner, he has received nearly ten million from Murong Liangchen. Even if he has to hand over a portion to Tingfeng Valley, the amount of money he left behind is still quite considerable."

But look at the photos of the items in his room; most of them are old.

Wang Baoyi usually only wore the uniform issued by Tingfeng Valley. Even disciples who had only been in the sect for two years would have better fabrics custom-made for their everyday clothes. Since he's so rich, why is he reluctant to use it?

The fluffy little dumpling rolled its eyes and guessed, "Maybe it's to create an image of thrift? Or maybe it's to donate the money after doing something bad in order to increase its good karma?"

“No, he doesn’t really have much money. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to so easily raise the price and cut off his access to pills.” Jiang Chen smiled. “Xiao Bai, check his bank statements. Check everything that’s suspicious. He might be transferring money to other people’s names in some way so that it won’t be noticed when he uses it.”

Following the trail to find out where he spent the money might yield unexpected results!

"Okay, meow!" The little white cat stood up straight, its round, fluffy body saluted, and chuckled, "Mission accomplished!"

It hopped away, and Jiang Chen lay down again, staring blankly at the sleeping Bai Ling.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Murong Liangchen's physical condition stabilized quickly in the hospital, but there was no significant improvement yet. The doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Since he found it difficult to swallow most foods, he could only be treated as having anorexia for the time being, and was being slowly regulated with various nutritional supplements and nutrient solutions.

During the day, Jiang Chen accompanied Rong Tuanzi to check bank transaction data, and at night he cultivated with Bai Ling to enhance their relationship. He also met with Duan Tang and others to discuss and finalize detailed plans for their future cooperation.

Jiang Yulu stayed in the laboratory almost the entire time, and she stopped having nightmares.

However, her eagerness to find out the truth and get rid of her husband made her very anxious. The only good news was that her father was fully supporting her and would soon be able to legally and reasonably transfer all the funds of the Murong Group out of the company in batches and ultimately short the stock.

Jiang Yulu is now just waiting for the results. She will prepare all the evidence and file a lawsuit once the company has settled the matter!

"Ms. Jiang, some of our test results are in."

The staff member held a stack of forms, his face full of doubt. "Look at these two blood reports. This one is your husband Murong Jiangchen's blood sample."

This is the victim's blood sample, and the result is very strange—based on the blood DNA, the two blood samples belong to brothers who share the same father and mother!

In other words, based on the evidence we have so far, the deceased was either Murong Jiangchen's brother or younger brother. Whether he is the murderer is still under investigation, and we will need to wait for further results to have conclusive evidence.

Chapter Forty-Three: Summoning Souls with a Mirror

What?

Full brothers, sharing the same parents?!

Could the blood sample be a mistake? Although he had arranged for a trusted confidant to infiltrate Murong Jiangchen's side and take advantage of his hospitalization to collect a blood sample to confirm that there was no problem, this result was still hard to believe.

Jiang Yulu: Σ(°△°|||)︴

"This...is that unlikely? As far as I know, Murong Jiangchen is an only child with no other siblings, and besides..." She was a little confused. What would a biological brother from the same mother have to hide if he wasn't an illegitimate child? Could it be that the other one has some kind of shameful illness or special circumstances?

The staff member shook his head, looking puzzled. "It's probably some kind of melodramatic family feud. By comparing hair and shoe prints, the suspect has been identified as Murong Jiangchen. If no decisive reversal evidence emerges, it will most likely be a tragedy of brothers killing each other. Miss Jiang should be prepared."

She nodded blankly, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

Before the results came out, Jiang Yulu actually made some rather sordid deductions based on fragments of her dream, such as that Murong Jiangchen was bisexual with some kind of special fetish, and that he killed someone to cover it up for some reason.

After all, the brief state the deceased presented at the time really made him seem like the owner of that house, and although his face was not clearly visible, his every move revealed him to be an elegant and refined person...

Elegant manners?!

A sudden flash of insight struck Jiang Yulu, leaving her stunned as if struck by lightning. The test results overturned the male ketone's initial assumption. Murong Jiangchen and the deceased were brothers born of the same mother, and the deceased possessed outstanding temperament and elegant manners. Judging from the accessories he chose, he seemed to be a person with great taste and unique aesthetic sense, characteristics that perfectly matched the impression Murong Jiangchen left on the public!

On the contrary, she carefully recalled her husband's behavior from the time he pursued her to after their marriage, and a bold and terrifying thought lingered in her mind—could it be... that the one who was killed was the real Murong Jiangchen?! And the one she met and married was an imposter?!

Otherwise, how could the head of the prestigious Murong Group, a young man with exceptional talent who had already made his mark in the business world in his early twenties, immediately retire from the limelight and settle for a second-line position after getting married?

If he's a fake and worried about making too many mistakes and getting exposed, then everything makes sense!

Jiang Yulu trembled uncontrollably.

She had grown up in the world of the wealthy and had heard all sorts of dark stories of betrayal and enmity for personal gain. But the thought of killing the powerful and taking their place without anyone noticing was terrifying! And she had actually shared a bed with such a murderous monster!

"Dad, can you check if Murong Jiangchen has any other brothers? The results just came out—he killed his own brother, his own flesh and blood!" Jiang Yulu hurriedly dialed her father's number and whispered her suspicions, "I suspect... the person I married was an imposter; they could very well be twins! I hadn't thought of this before, but now that I've thought about it carefully, something seems off about him..."

After hanging up the phone, she consulted with the head of the case, "Can we use the blood samples we've collected to estimate the victim's age? If we can determine the age range, we might be able to find the deceased's identity information."

“No, Ms. Jiang, current technology cannot determine age through blood tests; bone age testing is required.” The other party frowned slightly and shook his head, saying, “The relevant departments have already tried to retrieve the body parts, but the murder occurred too long ago, so it may be difficult to find them.”

Jiang Yulu frowned and thought for a moment before tentatively asking, "Could we... find a professional who is registered with a special department to try to summon the spirit on site? It seems that Murong Jiangchen was haunted by an evil spirit a while ago, so he specially invited a Taoist priest to perform a ritual."

As far as I know, he invited several groups of Taoist priests a couple of days ago. I wonder if he might be haunted by the ghosts of those he killed?

She had heard her father say that some things couldn't be brought to the public eye, but special departments had strict management and filing procedures for them.

Sometimes, in difficult or special situations, even in matters of public security, unscientific methods may be used.

"Well..." The person in charge gave a wry smile and said in a low voice, "If Ms. Jiang is willing to pay for it herself, she can try contacting us. We can provide some records. But there's one thing: this kind of unofficial, independent behavior cannot be used as evidence in court."

“It doesn’t need to be used as evidence in court, but at least we can find out the deceased’s true identity, and then it will be easier to investigate further, right?” Jiang Yulu naturally didn’t care about the money. Let alone hiring a Taoist priest, which would cost tens or hundreds of thousands, she wouldn’t even blink an eye even if it cost millions.

A few million is just pocket change. If I can find something to hold against Murong Jiangchen, it will be much more advantageous to me!

The person in charge of the case took the contact list and couldn't help but sigh, "Having money is damn good." They're self-funding the investigation, self-funding the use of the lab, and now they have to pay for a shaman to perform a ritual—none of these expenses are low.

For an ordinary family, the very first step of paying high salaries for staff to file a case out of their own pocket would be a challenge, let alone a professional laboratory where operating the machines costs money.

Jiang Yulu first came into contact with the Celestial Master industry from the official registration directory. She looked closely and found that the first one listed was Tingfeng Valley, which the butler had mentioned. It listed information on hundreds of Celestial Masters, with higher prices for those listed earlier. Wang Baoyi was listed first, and his prices varied depending on the job he was working on.

Her gaze lingered on the exorcism and suppression project; the prices listed here were just the starting price, and the actual cost would depend on the difficulty of the work.

“I’ve also heard of Master Wang’s reputation. If it really is an evil spirit that he suppressed and banished, I’m afraid…” The project leader shook his head with a troubled expression and said, “I’m afraid we can’t invite him. It’s said that as long as he takes action, there will be no worries. Whether the ghost of the deceased can even live is still a question.”

Jiang Yulu picked up the list of registrants from Shattered Star Valley with a determined look and examined it carefully. "Whether or not we can get them to come up, we should at least try. I seem to have heard someone mention that there is a kind of celestial master who specializes in calling back souls and smuggling away the dead?"

"Walking through the underworld is relatively low-skilled, but summoning a ghost to possess someone is definitely more professional." He took out a catalog from the back and handed it over. "These are all people who walk through the underworld. You can take a look at their resumes."

After making phone calls to consult with some people and comparing various options for a while, she finally decided to ask the head of the Qingfeng Sect to personally perform a spirit-seeking ritual.

When price wasn't an issue, the only problem was distance. Qingfengmen was located on the coast of the East China Sea, quite far from Kyoto, so Jiang Yulu didn't hesitate to use her connections to charter a private jet to ensure their group arrived without stopping.

That very night, the crime scene, which had been sealed off with yellow tape, became lively again.

Although relevant departments occasionally use methods like spirit communication and divination, these methods are extremely expensive and are only used in very difficult and confidential cases, so most staff members have never encountered them before.

Given the chance to witness it firsthand, they all wanted to come and see the spectacle up close.

The leader of Qingfeng Sect has a very good reputation in the industry. He is handsome and upright, and he is accompanied by two disciples in their thirties. He also brings his special magical artifact - a huge mirror.

“There is no Yin energy here, so the murdered ghost most likely left with the murderer.” The sect leader looked serious after examining the place carefully. “In addition, Miss Jiang said that the other party may have asked Master Wang of Tingfeng Valley to suppress and expel the ghost. Master Wang has never failed in his work. After the ghost is expelled, it will enter the wilderness of the underworld. That is not a good place. Many ghosts will be swallowed or killed. If the energy is insufficient, it will dissipate on its own.”

If the suppression talisman used by Master Wang is too powerful, even if the ghost doesn't dissipate, it won't be able to break through the gate between the Yin and Yang realms and ascend. I can only try my best. But... I can't have too much hope.”

To avoid unnecessary arguments later, the sect leader sighed inwardly, thinking that the world of celestial masters had become corrupt and people's hearts were no longer pure. Even the wronged ghosts who had been expelled had nowhere to turn for help, and this time it seemed that they would have to return empty-handed.

The two disciples tacitly placed the magic mirror and sprayed a layer of misty water on its surface.

The sect leader set up an incense table, lit a half-meter-long incense stick, and chanted incantations, while his two disciples each recited spells and performed magic before disappearing from a door formed by the faint smoke of the burning incense.

"My God, are we going to the underworld already?" Although everyone knew the process of visiting the underworld in advance, they still gasped softly when they saw the scene that looked like a sudden resurrection.

The sect leader smiled and explained, "There are many ways to go to the underworld. The method used by Listening Wind Valley is the simplest. They have contact with the headquarters of the underworld, so they can teleport directly using a magic array. Other sects each have their own methods. The most basic one is to find the gate between the Yin and Yang realms and enter and exit through it, but that is the least convenient method. Our Qingfeng Sect uses incense burning more often, so they will send back a message in a short while."

After waiting for more than ten minutes, a faint mist began to appear on the mirror, as if a ball of hot air had suddenly risen from inside the mirror.

"Sect Master, we've checked with the Underworld, and the results are a bit strange..." One of the disciples' entire bodies appeared in the mirror.

The scene looked a bit eerie, and everyone felt a chill down their spines late at night.

The other party looked puzzled and said, "We checked the register according to the specific address of death. It is clearly written in the register of the Underworld that the deceased, who lived in the large apartment on the third floor of Building 6 in Courtyard No. 1, was named Murong Jiangchen!"