265: Chapter 265 Luring the Snake

"That is exactly the case," Lin Wan agreed. "Cao Yong has made countless enemies in the court, and there are not a few who want his life. This time, the opponent struck with such ruthlessness, clearly aiming for him. If he does not drag this mastermind out from behind the scenes, I fear he will have no peace of mind."

"What about the matter of the Family Tax?" Chen Ran asked again.

"Because of this murder case, Cao Yong has suffered a great blow to his Origin Qi, and the implementation of the Family Tax has been temporarily shelved," Lin Wan explained. "Those aristocratic families in the court who oppose the Family Tax have also seized the opportunity to launch an attack, impeaching Cao Yong for acting eccentrically and inciting public anger. Now that Cao Yong is unable to even take care of himself, where would he have the energy to manage the Family Tax?"

Chen Ran nodded slightly; this was within his expectations.

He had caused such a big commotion precisely to disrupt Cao Yong's plans, delay the implementation of the Family Tax, and buy himself more time.

It appeared that his goal had already been achieved.

"Regarding that mastermind, does your Six Doors have any leads?" Chen Ran asked, feigning indifference.

Lin Wan pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Based on the on-site investigation and the wounds of those subordinates of Cao Yong who were killed, the person who struck possessed immense strength and acted with ruthless decisiveness, leaving not a single survivor."

"I suspect that this person is likely one of Cao Yong's mortal enemies, or perhaps some Jianghu expert driven to a dead end by him."

Lin Wan paused and continued to analyze, "However, although this person's strength is formidable, it should not have reached the Innate Realm yet."

"Oh? How can you tell?" Chen Ran asked with great interest.

"It's simple," Lin Wan said, her eyes flashing with wisdom. "If it were a supreme master of the Innate Realm who wanted to kill Cao Yong, why would they need to hide their head and tail, not daring to show their true face?"

"Therefore, I speculate that this person's cultivation should be around the Return to Truth Realm. He fears the power around Cao Yong and dares not confront him head-on, which is why he chose this method of assassination."

"Furthermore, this person should be without support, acting alone; otherwise, it would be impossible to provoke the forces of the Cabinet."

Chen Ran listened to Lin Wan's analysis and secretly marveled in his heart.

As expected of his woman, and a divine catcher of the Six Doors, her mind was meticulous and she was insightful.

Although her speculation differed slightly from the facts, from a logical standpoint, it was the most reasonable explanation.

Without even a single key clue, she was actually able to deduce that there was only one killer—an accurate piece of information.

"Waner makes a valid point." Chen Ran smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

The main hall fell into a brief silence once again.

Lin Wan looked at the mountain of case files on the desk, couldn't help but rub her brows, and sighed:

"It's just that in this capital, although there are not many masters of the Return to Truth Realm, there are not few either. Trying to find such a Return to Truth Realm master who is proficient in assassination and has a grudge against Cao Yong in the vast sea of people is no different from finding a needle in a haystack."

Chen Ran quietly watched Lin Wan's slightly weary face, and his heart stirred slightly.

He knew that the mess he had created had ultimately fallen onto Lin Wan's shoulders.

Thinking of this, Chen Ran slowly stood up and walked to Lin Wan's desk.

"There is no need to be so worried."

… At night, in the inner city of the capital, deep within a vast and magnificent mansion.

Bright lights faintly shone from within the mansion, while outside was a quiet bamboo garden, isolating it from the chaotic and noisy sounds of the inner city.

Passersby could not approach this place; those who could live in such a place were either rich or noble. It was simply not something that ordinary people could reach.

Yet, in this seemingly peaceful mansion, who knew when the sky above had become shrouded in dark clouds.

Cao Yong sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in a secret room, his eyes slightly closed, with True Qi surging around his body.

Although he was nearly fifty, he was a Innate Realm Martial Artist himself and was very well-maintained, with a ruddy complexion and no signs of aging.

In terms of Lifespan, he was no different from an ordinary young or middle-aged person.

It was just that in those long, narrow eyes, a sinister glint would flash from time to time, making one shudder.

Outside the house, cold winds blew in gusts, sounding like the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves.

The window shook slightly, instead producing a sound similar to knocking.

Just at this moment, Cao Yong seemed to perceive something; he suddenly frowned and abruptly opened his eyes.

"Who is it?" he shouted coldly, his figure darting out like a ghost, arriving at the window in an instant.

Outside the window, there was no one. Only a pitch-black crow was quietly perched on the window lattice.

The crow did not fly away when it saw a person; instead, it stood quietly at the window, its eyes flashing with an eerie red light, staring fixedly at Cao Yong.

Cao Yong felt a shiver in his heart. Just as he was about to strike and kill this eerie crow, he suddenly discovered that a small bamboo tube was tied to the crow's leg.

His gaze tightened, and he reached out to take the bamboo tube down. Immediately, the crow let out a shrill cry, flapped its wings into the high sky, and disappeared in an instant.

Cao Yong ignored the crow and quickly opened the bamboo tube, pouring out a crumpled piece of paper from inside.

He unfolded the note and swept his gaze over it. The next moment, his face instantly turned ashen, and a terrifying murderous intent erupted in his eyes.

"Good! Very good!" Cao Yong laughed in extreme anger, his voice filled with gnashing hatred.

On the note, there were only a few words: "Lord Cao, I hope you have been well. Was the gift from that night to your liking? Midnight tonight, Ten-Mile Slope outside the city."

The content on the note stopped abruptly, but Cao Yong already understood that this must have been sent by the person who acted that night.

"Good, good, good. You actually dare to come and provoke me proactively. You have guts."

"Do you really think this old man is made of mud?"

Cao Yong snorted coldly, his True Qi erupting, shattering the tables and chairs in the room to pieces.

He knew that this was highly likely a trap. But he was not afraid at all; as the best talent selected by the Cabinet over several decades, he had this confidence.

Moreover, he, Cao Yong, had dominated the officialdom for decades and had never been toyed with like this before. He could not swallow this insult!

"Come here!" Cao Yong shouted loudly.

Outside the secret room, two guards in black immediately walked in quickly and knelt on one knee. "What are your orders, my lord?"

"Pass down the order to mobilize all the elites in the mansion. Midnight tonight, follow me out of the city!" Cao Yong said, word by word, with crazy murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"Yes!" The two guards accepted the order and left.

Cao Yong stood at the window, a cruel sneer curling on his pale face. "I want to see just how much ability you really have!"