Chapter 75 A Secret Order Conceals a Deadly Intent! I'll Take the Lead in the State's Game!

Nangong Xiong lined up the three items on the long table.

The ledger was on the left, the letter in the middle, and the confession on the right.

He stood before the table in silence for twenty breaths.

The lights in the main hall flickered incessantly under the pressure of his aura; candle tears trickled down the bronze stand drop by drop, landing on the wooden base and congealing into a small, waxy yellow scar.

Nangong Yao stood to the side, pulling her sleeves down to hide the rope burns on her wrists, and remained silent.

Nangong Xiong withdrew his gaze from the letter and looked toward Lin Chen.

“These three things.”

He lowered his voice half a notch.

“Who else has seen them?”

Lin Chen's hands hung naturally at his sides.

“Only myself and Young Miss Nangong.”

Nangong Xiong nodded and fell silent for another two breaths.

He leaned over, stacked the ledger, letter, and confession one by one, picked up the coarse cloth beside the table, and wrapped them again with efficient movements and a sturdy knot.

Then he turned and walked into the side hall; the faint click of a bronze lock was heard as a hidden compartment opened, and the cloth bundle was placed inside before being quickly locked away again.

The entire sequence of movements was as smooth as flowing water; it was clear this wasn't the first time he had used that hidden compartment.

He walked back into the main hall, stood before the primary seat, and looked at Lin Chen and Nangong Yao.

“Both of you, sit.”

Nangong Yao sat in the chair on the left; Lin Chen stood by the right chair for a breath before taking his seat.

Nangong Xiong did not sit; he paced before the table with his hands behind his back as if organizing his thoughts, eventually stopping to face the two of them.

“Lin Chen, do you think we can bring down the Wang family with just these things?”

Lin Chen answered.

“It's not enough.”

The corner of Nangong Xiong's mouth twitched slightly.

“Tell me, in what way is it not enough?”

Lin Chen's finger lightly tapped the scabbard of the black abyss.

“The ledger only writes the words 'Master of the East Courtyard'; it doesn't mention a specific name.”

He paused for a beat before continuing.

“The wax seal on the letter is a private seal; the Wang family can shift the blame onto any manager, claiming it was an individual act unrelated to the main lineage.”

Nangong Xiong's interlaced fingers tightened for half a second before relaxing.

“Go on.”

“The confession comes from a minor character at the Late Stage of the Blood Refining Realm; his weight is insufficient, and it's not impossible for him to recant during an interrogation.”

Lin Chen moved his hand away from the scabbard and placed it flat on his knee.

“Together, this evidence is enough to sting, but not enough to take down the Wang family.”

Nangong Xiong leaned back against his chair; a new layer appeared in his scrutinizing gaze toward Lin Chen, making him look more like an old hunter sizing up a peer.

“How much do you know about the Wang family?”

Lin Chen did not hide anything.

“While in Qingxi County, I investigated the Zhao family Spirit Mine case and followed the trail to the Wang family.”

He briefly summarized his clashes with the Wang family during his time in Qingxi County, from the Zhao family's secret mining to Special Envoy Wang De's arrival to silence witnesses, and finally to Special Envoy Wang De being captured and imprisoned by him.

After Nangong Xiong finished listening, his fingers tapped silently twice on the armrest.

“I know a bit about the Zhao family Spirit Mine matter.”

He lowered his voice slightly.

“But regarding the Wang family sending someone to silence witnesses—the Governors Mansion never received any report of that.”

Lin Chen did not respond to this.

He didn't need to.

The statement itself explained a fact: the information channel between Qingxi County and the Governors Mansion had been intercepted by someone.

Nangong Xiong had clearly thought of this as well.

He remained silent for three breaths before speaking, his tone much heavier than before—no blame, only the gravity of someone who had weathered many storms.

“The Wang family has been rooted in Nanyang Prefecture for over a hundred and twenty years. They have several Ningdan Realm consecrated experts, and the Clan Chief Wang Chongyuan is an old fellow at the Late Stage of the Ningdan Realm. Furthermore, there are rumors of an Old Ancestor who never appears and remains in seclusion, said to have reached the Divine Treasury Realm...”

He paused there.

“More importantly, the Wang family has marriage alliances with several great clans in the capital. Pull one hair and the whole body moves. If I act recklessly, I won't just be poking the Wang family; I'll be poking a whole web.”

Nangong Yao added softly from the side.

“The eldest daughter of the Wang family's primary branch married into the Duke Liu Mansion in the capital three years ago. The eldest son of the second branch holds a leisurely post of the fifth rank in the Ministry of War.”

Her fingers brushed the edge of her sleeve.

“To move against the Wang family is to move against the face of those families in the capital; pull one hair and the whole body moves.”

Nangong Xiong glanced at his daughter and nodded.

“So I will not be in a hurry to act.”

He turned his gaze back to Lin Chen.

“Do you understand my meaning?”

Lin Chen didn't move in his chair, his back remaining straight.

He replayed Nangong Xiong's words in his head and then spoke.

“So, what does the Governor intend to do?”

The corner of Nangong Xiong's mouth moved; it wasn't a smile, but an indescribable weariness.

“Three things.”

He held up one finger.

“First, your raid on the evil Cultivators' sub-altar and the slaying of the Nether Sect Altar Master can no longer be covered up. The news will spread through the entire Patrol Division by tomorrow morning.”

He pulled back his hand.

“Rather than cover it up, it's better to use it. I will use this achievement to promote you to Hundred-Household within the Patrol Division, and I will also assign six Cultivators from the Governors Mansion guards to be your subordinates—all of them experts at the Late Stage of the Tongmai Realm or higher.”

Lin Chen did not speak, only nodding.

Nangong Xiong held up a second finger.

“Second, the news that Yao'er was missing for eight days and returned safely also cannot be hidden.”

His gaze swept over his daughter's face; complex emotions flashed in his eyes for a moment without lingering.

“But she never personally saw a single member of the Wang family from beginning to end.”

He folded the second finger down, his voice dropping half a notch.

“You must remember this point; you must say this to everyone.”

Nangong Yao had no objection and nodded.

Nangong Xiong's gaze returned to Lin Chen.

He held up a third finger but was not in a hurry to speak.

He just stood there, looking at the young man for four or five full breaths.

“The third thing is something I need to tell you privately.”

Understanding his meaning, Nangong Yao stood up and gave a slight curtsy.

“Father, then I shall return to my courtyard to bathe and change.”

Nangong Xiong nodded and said no more.

As Nangong Yao walked past Lin Chen, her steps lightened; she cast a brief glance in his direction before passing through the main hall toward the inner courtyard.

The sound of footsteps faded, leaving only Nangong Xiong and Lin Chen in the main hall.

Nangong Xiong walked to the primary seat and placed his hand on the back of the chair without sitting.

He looked at Lin Chen, his tone becoming completely different from before—more direct and unvarnished.

“In the Patrol Division, continue with your normal duties.”

Lin Chen looked at him.

“You don't need to concern yourself with Director Wang. Stand your ground when you should, be as firm as you need to be, and do not back down.”

Lin Chen still didn't speak, waiting for the second half of the sentence.

Nangong Xiong withdrew his hand from the chair back.

“But in secret, investigate a lead for me.”

He paced to the long table and tapped the surface lightly, the sound falling heavily.

“The supply channel between the Wang family and the Nether Sect—which route does it take, whose hands does it pass through, and into whose pockets do the silver and resources eventually fall?”

He paused for a beat and looked up again.

“As long as you can find a chain of evidence directly linking back to Wang Chongyuan, I can take action on my end.”

Lin Chen was silent for two breaths.

“Does the Governor mean to bypass the Patrol Division?”

Nangong Xiong's finger paused on the table.

“There are certainly people within the Patrol Division who have been bought by the Wang family.”

The statement was simple, but its weight was immense.

Lin Chen pressed his thumb against the throat of the black abyss's scabbard, grinding it half a turn against the rough ray skin texture before stopping.

“I understand.”

Nangong Xiong glanced at him; something he hadn't noticed himself appeared in his gaze—faint, but definitely there.

He walked away from the primary seat, pacing toward the side hall to gauge things before finally turning back around.

“Are your Zhao Gang and Shen Yue reliable people?”

“This subordinate believes they are reliable.”

“Good.”

Nangong Xiong's tone tightened, becoming as calm as if he were assigning an ordinary task.

“Go now; dawn is approaching.”

Lin Chen stood up and cupped his hands.

“Farewell.”

He turned and walked out of the hall, his boot soles hitting the bluestone slabs with firm steps.

The sound of footsteps passed through the corridor toward the side gate.

The side gate of the Governors Mansion was an unremarkable small wooden door, through whose cracks a hint of the pre-dawn light filtered in.

Nangong Yao stood there.

She had changed into clean clothes, her hair was tied back again, and a plain white cloth was wrapped around her wrist, hiding the two rope burns.

Lin Chen walked over and stopped in front of her.

Nangong Yao looked at him, her lips pursed as if she had much to say but didn't know which sentence to start with.

In the end, she only said one thing.

“Thank you.”

Lin Chen looked at her.

“Young Miss Nangong has already thanked me today.”

A flash of something—either annoyance or amusement—passed through Nangong Yao's eyes, but she restrained it and looked away toward the sliver of dawn light in the door crack.

“What did my father say to you?”

“He said what needed to be said.”

Nangong Yao turned back and sized him up.

“Don't you feel he is using you?”

“Let him use me then.”

Lin Chen's hand returned to his scabbard, his thumb grinding against the ray skin texture unhurriedly.

“As long as the direction he is using me for is the same path I intend to take, whether it's being used or borrowed, there's no difference.”

Nangong Yao remained silent for two breaths, looking at the profile of his face thoughtfully.

“The Wang family's roots in the Prefecture are deeper than you imagine.”

“I know.”

“Aren't you afraid?”

Lin Chen rolled the question around in his mind and felt it was a bit redundant.

“What is there to fear?”

He looked out at the street shrouded in thin mist beyond the side gate.

“It was already a dead end before I came; now at least there's a path to walk.”

Nangong Yao stared at his profile for a long time without speaking again.

Instead, it was Lin Chen who spoke first.

“Your father said he would thoroughly investigate everyone who knew your travel route.”

Nangong Yao's expression darkened.

“I know.”

Her fingers lightly rubbed the side seam of her skirt as if suppressing an emotion.

“The people around me, people I have trusted for years—to think there was a Wang family spy among them.”

Her voice was very soft, nearly drowned out by the sound of the wind coming through the door crack.

“It is indeed time for a proper investigation.”

Lin Chen did not respond to this; he knew this wasn't something for him to judge.

The dawn light gradually rose from the horizon, making the thin mist on the street begin to glow.

Lin Chen moved his hand away from the scabbard and cupped his hands.

“Farewell.”

He stepped out of the side gate, his boots landing on the bluestone as he walked toward the Patrol Division.

Nangong Yao stood by the door, watching his back disappear into the morning mist for a long time without moving.

At the edge of his vision, a faint blue light floated up.

**[Summary of today's official duties: Investigated the evil Cultivator case, discovered key clues, wiped out the evil Cultivator sub-altar and headquarters, rescued the Governor's daughter, and maintained the peace and order of the Prefecture.]**

**[Duty Rating: Excellent.]**

**[Today's Basic Patrol Points: 50 points.]**

**[Extra Merit Reward: 1500 points.]**

**[Current System Accumulated Total Points: 9500 points.]**

Lin Chen scanned the light and didn't stop walking.

Nine thousand five hundred points.

He withdrew his gaze from the panel and looked up at the narrow sliver of sky above the alley.

The deathly pale layer on the horizon had been mostly swallowed by the orange-red morning glow; light leaked through the gaps in the roof tiles, hitting his shoulders in beams.

The task the Governor gave him was very clear, and also very dangerous.

Investigating the supply channel between the Wang family and the Nether Sect meant he would have to sneak into the Wang family's sphere of influence to rummage through their secrets.

And those several Ningdan Realm consecrated experts, plus that old fellow Wang Chongyuan at the Late Stage of the Ningdan Realm—any one of them could crush him as he was now.

Not to mention that rumored Divine Treasury Realm Old Ancestor who never showed his face.

Lin Chen's thumb ground a full circle on the black abyss's scabbard throat.

The rasping sound of the ray skin scales against his thumb pad traveled far in the empty alley.

He stood straight and hung the black abyss properly again.

This morning, the Patrol Division should receive the transfer order from the Governors Mansion.

From a Ninth-Rank Little Banner to a Seventh-Rank Hundred-Household.

A path that might take others years to complete, he had covered a large portion of in just a few days in the Prefecture.

However, the things buried beneath this stretch of road were far more perilous than those in Qingxi County.

He rubbed the dew off his boots against the base of a wall and stepped out of the alley entrance, merging into the morning crowd that was gradually becoming lively in Chengen Ward.

Toward the ward gate in the distance, the plaque of the Patrol Division office, worn so smooth its characters were almost unreadable, revealed its blurred silhouette under the morning sun.

And in a place he couldn't see, in a certain secret room of the Wang family estate in the east of the city, an ever-burning lamp suddenly went out.