The male supporting character was actually myself.

During their interrogation, you will certainly tell the truth and be unable to explain many things that you are unaware of or that do not exist. In particular, Wu Wenquan, the youngest newly appointed Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, will be aggressive and rude to you, and will use his position to torture you, forcing you to use your internal energy to defend yourself.

Wu Wenquan seized the opportunity to speak out, arguing that you had disregarded the law, and specifically requested that the Emperor increase your punishment to death, with the Elder of the School of Law Enforcement personally abolishing your martial arts; you would die with your tendons severed and filled with resentment.

Ling Qiye: Σ(°△°|||)︴

No, no way?

“When I was an investigator in the School Affairs Department, the process wasn’t like this!” He looked at the little demon cat with surprise and said seriously, “Even if there are witnesses and physical evidence, the entire case process must be checked without any omissions, leaving the murderer speechless before a sentence can be handed down.”

"I...I didn't kill my friend, how could I be accused of such slander?"

Jiang Chen scratched his ear with his paw. "The evidence is overwhelming, the only problem is that you're not confessing. The court only wants a result. Who cares whether you're innocent or not? I'm risking revealing heavenly secrets to tell you everything about the future. If you don't want to die with your meridians severed and your conscience unresolved, then listen to me."

Ling Qiye was skeptical about this.

A sudden murder, a mysterious little demon cat, and a senior sister whose attitude towards him has drastically changed...

What happened to the world overnight?

"Suspect Ling Qiye, appear in court for trial!" Sure enough, at 1:15 AM, the third senior brother came to the prison in person with the imperial edict to interrogate him, followed by eight level-six experts.

Ling Qiye was startled for no reason. He turned his head and glanced at the little demon cat who was squatting with its hands in its pockets and seemed to be asleep.

He took a deep breath and walked out of the cell, silently going over the little demon cat's words of advice in his mind once more.

"Bold Ling Qiye, a dignified investigator, has defied the law and committed murder in public! His crime is heinous!"

He had just been brought to the interrogation room when Wu Wenquan, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, slammed his gavel and preemptively attacked.

Ling Qiye looked coldly at the young talent who had been calling him brother and reciting poems with him just a few days ago, and asked with a slight upturn of his lips: "Will Wu Shaoqing say that I am a disgrace to the Great Sui Dynasty and a scourge that will threaten all living beings with my extraordinary power?" Ling was quite surprised to hear such words from Wu Shaoqing.

It turns out that Wu Shaoqing, who used to chat so amiably with me and lavishly proclaimed his impartiality in upholding the law and judging cases, is actually just a person who speaks nonsense and parrots others. What a pity that you are so young and once considered my equal; you have truly disgraced the Dali Temple!"

The other party was clearly not expected that Ling Qiye, who was always upright, selfless, and law-abiding, would dare to refute them under such circumstances. They were also surprised that he had guessed their next words of psychological pressure and even countered them. They were speechless and did not know how to answer.

Wu Wenquan and Ling Qiye had a good personal relationship.

He was a genius who excelled in both literature and martial arts from a young age, and was a well-known figure in the capital. Although he was refined and easy-going, he also had a proud spirit. He believed that no one in the younger generation could match him and often sighed with pride. After meeting Ling Qiye, who was also young and promising, the two got along very well and became close friends.

That is why Wu Wenquan volunteered to handle the case.

He thought he knew Ling Qiye's personality and temperament very well, and that he could use righteous indignation to make him feel guilty and confess his crimes.

After all, in his view, the Qingyue Tower murder case had all the evidence and witnesses, and the suspect was caught on the spot. What controversy was there except that Ling Qiye was stubborn and refused to submit to the law?

"Don't you gentlemen have any doubts about this case?" Ling Qiye retorted and immediately seized the initiative, saying, "Even if you don't believe in my character, you think that with witnesses and physical evidence against me, I am a serious murderer."

So, I ask you all, if I killed Song Yubai in a fit of rage, why was I just crawling out of a pool of blood when I was captured?

The senior brothers in the School Affairs Department are well aware of my strength. I think it will be enough to kill Song Yubai, who has just advanced to level six, in one move. There is absolutely no way I will make a mistake and fall into a pool of blood.

Furthermore, if I committed murder, why didn't I flee?

It would be too easy for an eighth-level grandmaster to kill someone undetected and even destroy the evidence. Why were so many people from Qingyue Tower witnessed by him? And why was he so easily arrested by a few ordinary constables after the murder?

A series of rhetorical questions, under the slight influence of the protagonist's halo, temporarily caused the investigating officials to fall into deep thought.

Wu Wenquan, feeling humiliated by the rebuke, muttered, "You're a renowned detective. By using unusual behavior to create conflict and make people suspect there's more to the story, you can easily escape legal punishment."

"Then why don't I lure Song Yubai to a secluded spot in the mountains, kill him in one fell swoop, and destroy the evidence?" Ling Qiye said righteously and sternly, "To lure him to a bustling city and kill him in public, trying to escape punishment by creating conflict? Unless I've lost my mind, I would never do something so stupid!"

"Perhaps you didn't originally intend to kill Song Yubai, but rather killed him in a fit of anger after drinking!"

"Young Master Wu, what kind of wine could make an eighth-level grandmaster lose his mind, disregard the consequences, and recklessly kill someone in public, regardless of his bright future?"

"The...the issue with the alcohol is irrelevant to the case! The fact remains that you committed murder in public..."

Ling Qiye couldn't help but laugh and interrupted, "Wu Shaoqing, you still lack experience in handling cases. Let me, an investigator, tell you—any clue in any part of a case could become evidence to overturn the verdict!"

First of all, the act of murder defies normal thinking in every aspect, which is inherently problematic;

Secondly, the fact that an eighth-level grandmaster could drink such a mad drink is absolutely the most important clue in this case! How could Wu Shaoqing think it's irrelevant to the case?

I find it difficult to accept your level of judgment.

Since it was an eighth-level grandmaster, the most famous detective in the capital, who committed murder in public, the case must have had a wide impact and could directly demonstrate the capabilities of the Imperial Investigation Department of the Great Sui Dynasty.

"If this major case, which demands meticulous investigation to uncover clues and uphold justice, is to be handled by you high and mighty gentlemen who haven't even been to the crime scene and only want to extract confessions through torture to appease His Majesty, then I, Ling Qiye, will absolutely not accept it!"

"Are you going to stubbornly refuse to confess?" Wu Wenquan immediately demanded.

Ling Qiye turned his gaze to his third senior brother, "If I had been determined to remain stubborn to the end, I wouldn't have been arrested and imprisoned in the first place. The reason I abide by the law is because I believe that everyone will investigate the case and clear my name. If there are doubts about the case, they need to be investigated one by one. Otherwise, I would rather investigate it myself than tolerate such slander!"

Why don't you gentlemen think carefully about why I, with such a bright future and a deep friendship with Yu Bai, would want to kill him?

While an eighth-level Grandmaster isn't considered a top-tier expert, there are very few who can rival me in the Great Sui Dynasty, and I'm among the best in the entire world. Moreover, I am the youngest, fairest, and most incorruptible investigator. If I were framed and executed, who would benefit?

There are very few people who can frame an eighth-level grandmaster, but they are not impossible.

The Southern Barbarians, the Eastern Wilderness, and the Northern Yan are now eyeing my Great Sui Dynasty with covetous intent. Their ninth-level Grandmasters could easily use me to incite internal strife within the Great Sui Dynasty.

Executing me is easy; just have the Elder of the School Affairs Division personally cripple my martial arts and shatter my meridians. Even a child could kill me then. However, to cultivate another Ling Qiye who, at only twenty-something years old, has already advanced to the eighth level of Grandmaster and can fight against powerful external enemies, is far too difficult.

I urge you all to think carefully before you act!

The other adults on the sidelines who hadn't had a chance to speak looked at each other blankly.

If it were just a case of trying a murderer with eyewitnesses who committed the crime in public, it wouldn't be so difficult. But if the situation escalates to a conspiracy theory involving foreign enemies, with serious implications and far-reaching consequences, none of them want to gamble with their future.

"Lord Ling is quite right." After a moment of silence, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "There are indeed still aspects of this case that need to be investigated. For now, the suspect will be taken back to prison, and a verdict will be handed down after the facts are clarified!"

The gavel slammed down, and Ling Qiye's verbal sparring succeeded.

"Little cat, little cat, although a judgment must be based on evidence and cannot be made up on the spot, the story you taught me was indeed very successful." Ling Qiye said with a wry smile as soon as he returned to his cell, "However... bringing up something like a ninth-level grandmaster framing me is indeed a bit too much. No matter how famous I am, I am just an investigator. How could I possibly arouse the interest of those old monsters in making false accusations?"

The fluffy little ball of fluff wagged its big, fluffy tail as it watched the words on the Book of Prophecy disappear, and meowed, "You're the chosen one, you know. Even though you're almost past your prime, my host is working hard to save you. Don't underestimate yourself; even the main system has specially sent outside help to save you!"

Jiang Chen stood up, shook himself, and said slowly, "Hoping those people will investigate the alcohol issue will most likely yield no results. The things I'm teaching you can only buy you time and help you avoid trouble. If you want to solve the case, you'll have to rely on yourself."

I ask you, if your memory serves you correctly, what kind of person could easily control you and then silently send you back to Qingyue Tower? And who could make others 'not see' you leave and collectively imagine the scene of you committing murder?

Ling Qiye rubbed the bridge of his nose and pondered for a long time.

"Only a ninth-level Grandmaster could so easily control me and bring me back to Qingyue Tower without being noticed! Although I have only recently advanced to the eighth level, my cultivation technique is unique and extremely domineering, allowing me to stand out among my peers. Apart from a ninth-level Grandmaster, no one can approach me without being noticed."

"How many level nine Grandmasters are there in the entire world?"

"As far as I know, there are only seven people: the Law Enforcement Elder of the School Affairs Division, the Commander of the Imperial Palace of the Great Sui Dynasty, and the Sect Master of Changsheng Mountain. These three are all from our dynasty. The other four are in the Southern Barbarians, the Eastern Wilderness, the Northern Yan, and the Endless Sea in the West."

"Next, we need to check if those four people have arrived in Kyoto. If not... Lord Ling, you're in big trouble!"

Chapter Five: The Wild Pseudo-Chosen One

Ling Qiye was stunned for a moment, "No, you can't be serious, right? Investigating the whereabouts of a level nine Grandmaster?"

"You yourself said that unless a ninth-level grandmaster personally intervened, it would be impossible for anyone to successfully frame you." Jiang Chen wiped his face with his paw and sighed, "After eliminating all the impossibilities, what remains is the truth!"

Either you killed someone;

Either a level nine Grandmaster personally sets a trap for you, which do you think is more likely?

His lips twitched, but he couldn't refute it. Besides, the fact that his own courtyard had been destroyed like that was indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people...

"Now that you've successfully elevated this matter to the level of a conspiracy by an enemy country, I doubt anyone will dare to target you for the time being. Even His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Sui Dynasty has to consider the combat power that an eighth-level expert can bring to the country. Logically speaking, you still have a great deal of exploitation potential. As long as the conspiracy wasn't devised by the palace, you don't need to worry about being sentenced to death."

Jiang Chen stretched his limbs and laughed, "Your explanation has also given the court a way out. Let's take advantage of this time we've gained and try to clear our names in one fell swoop!"

Ling Qiye thought about it carefully and nodded in agreement, "Even if there's no evidence to prove my innocence, an eighth-level Grandmaster's strength shouldn't be underestimated. They'll most likely give me a lot of noise but little real punishment, then let me have a chance to redeem myself. However..."

The thought of the little demon cat having to knock out the guards again and again if he wanted to sneak out to investigate the case made him feel a headache coming on for the ordinary yamen runners.

At the same time, Wu Wenquan was deep in thought, his brows furrowed. "Sir, Chen Xingcai, a member of the School Affairs Division's guards, has reported that Ling Qiye's prison break has not yet been dealt with. What do you think..."

"A prison break?" The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review pointed towards the prison with a long face. "If Ling Qiye really escaped, who were we interrogating just now? It's not difficult for an eighth-level Grandmaster to escape, but if he really wanted to run away, why didn't he kill someone first and then flee? This matter is suspicious and doesn't make sense at all!"

“But Chen Xingcai’s account of what happened doesn’t seem like a fabrication.” Wu Wenquan was puzzled and lowered his voice to guess, “Could it be that Ling Qiye, who was imprisoned in the jail, did not escape; but there is indeed another ‘Ling Qiye’ outside who is trying to confuse the public?”

This guess is interesting, and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review gestured for him to continue.

"I just asked the prison warden, and the guards claimed that they were knocked unconscious but did not see the perpetrator. Many prisoners said they did not see anything unusual, so I deduced that there was nothing unusual in the prison and that the guards were just lazy and sleeping because they were drinking."

Since the door lock was intact and Ling Qiye didn't have the ability to burrow underground, Chen Xingcai didn't encounter him in person!

Disguise using human skin is commonplace in the martial arts world, so under the moonlight, impersonating Ling Qiye wouldn't be easily detected. My guess is, could someone be impersonating Ling Qiye, committing murder in public, escaping, and framing him?

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review frowned for a moment, then waved his hand, signaling, "Let's go! Go to Qingyue Tower to re-examine the scene!"

As a group of people rushed towards Qingyue Tower, no one noticed a small black cat nimbly darting between the rooftops and leaping towards the tower.

"Hey? Host, look over there!" Before even reaching Qingyue Tower, the fluffy little dumpling suddenly exclaimed.

Jiang Chen followed its paw and looked across to the other side, only to find a young man dressed in ordinary clothes being enveloped by the protagonist's halo! Although the range of his light was not as wide as Ling Qiye's, it was still very dazzling.

"Isn't there only one chosen one in this mission world?" He was confused for a moment and hurriedly asked, "What's the deal with that kid?"

The little white cat reacted quickly and was already busy writing a report. A few seconds later, it said with a serious expression, "Host, the situation is getting more and more troublesome!"

The main system replied that the kid was a wild, pseudo-chosen one.

It's unclear whether it's an intrusion, but since the other party possesses great fortune, we can't simply crush them; we need to find a way to seize their luck. Only in this way can the true chosen one, Ling Qiye, reclaim these halos. The more protagonist halos you accumulate and reclaim, the luckier you'll be!

Is this a battle for destiny?

Jiang Chen finally managed to find some clues amidst the chaos. He instructed Rong Tuanzi to keep an eye on the wild pseudo-protagonist while he quickly followed the main group to Qingyue Tower for on-site investigation.

Qingyue Tower was sealed off after the murder occurred.

Song Yubai died in the Hibiscus Pavilion on the first floor, a magnificent flower pavilion decorated in the style of the Tang Dynasty. Pushing open the door, one could see a pond with fish playing and hibiscus flowers in full bloom. Even the path in the pond was specially made into a dozen lotus-shaped stone piers, which were only slightly raised above the water, and walking on them truly gave one the feeling of walking on lotus flowers.

In the very center of the pool was an elegantly decorated platform, with white gauze curtains faintly concealing the mottled dark bloodstains on the ground.

The tea table and cups remained exactly as they were when the incident occurred, scattered on the floor. Two meters away from the platform was the public stage area. Just as Ling Qiye had described, after he and Song Yubai entered the Hibiscus Room, they sat together and drank to celebrate his advancement to the sixth-level boxer, until they were full and had drunk their fill of tea.

Ling Qiye then took his leave, while Song Yubai remained in the Hibiscus Pavilion to listen to music and enjoy the dance.

Logically, the dancers on stage should have been able to see him leave, but everyone said that Ling Qiye never left and instead stayed in the Hibiscus Pavilion, drinking tea and chatting with the deceased until late at night.

After a personal interrogation by the Director of the School Affairs Department, no evidence of lying was found...

So, did Ling Qiye really leave?

Why did no one notice?

Jiang Chen weaved among the painted eaves and colorful ribbons of the flower-adorned pavilion, carefully observing the crime scene for a moment before shaking his head and instinctively licking his paws. Clearly, Song Yubai was completely unprepared for the murderer, or perhaps the opponent's strength far surpassed his own, so much so that this level six expert didn't even have time to resist before being killed in one move.

Song Yubai lay on the ground, his throat slit, blood flowing everywhere.