72: Chapter 72 is a trap!

Lin Tian arrived at the front courtyard and sure enough, saw a constable dressed in official black robes with an iron ruler strapped to his waist standing with his hands at his sides. Upon seeing him come out, the constable hurriedly bowed and saluted, his attitude quite respectful.

"Officer Lin, Magistrate Zhou Wenhai requests your presence." The constable said in a low voice.

"Oh?" Lin Tian remained composed, his tone calm. "I wonder why the Magistrate has summoned me?"

The constable seemed to have anticipated this question and replied respectfully, "Reporting to you, sir, the Magistrate heard that you have been promoted to Acting Minor Flag Officer of the Imperial Guard, so he has specially prepared a modest feast at his residence to celebrate and invites you over for a chat."

Celebrate? Lin Tian sneered inwardly. He had no prior dealings with this Heishan City Magistrate Zhou Wenhai, and his promotion was within the Imperial Guard, so what did that have to do with the local magistrate's office?

This "celebration" was, to say the least, far-fetched. This was likely a trap, and it surely had something to do with that "red blood vermilion fruit."

Refuse directly? The other party was, after all, the Magistrate of the county, and on the surface, it was a "kind" invitation. If he refused outright, it would only make him appear guilty and give others something to hold against him.

"Since the Magistrate has shown such kindness, how could I dare to refuse?" Lin Tian pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Lead the way."

"Please, sir." The constable stepped aside to guide him.

The Magistrate's residence was located in the West City and covered quite a large area. Although it didn't appear extravagant, it possessed an inherent air of official authority.

Lin Tian followed the constable to the front gate of the residence, where a middle-aged scholar with a goatee, nimble eyes, and dressed as a private secretary was already waiting. Upon seeing Lin Tian, he immediately put on a smile and walked up to greet him.

"Officer Lin, your presence is an honor! Please forgive me for not welcoming you sooner!" The private secretary cupped his hands and bowed, his attitude overly enthusiastic. "The Magistrate has been waiting in the flower hall for quite some time, please, come in!"

Lin Tian nodded slightly and followed the private secretary through several courtyards until they reached a flower hall that was elegantly arranged and exquisitely furnished.

In the main seat of the hall sat an old man around fifty years of age with a thin, refined face, dressed in casual clothes. This was none other than the Heishan City Magistrate Zhou Wenhai.

"Your subordinate Lin Tian pays his respects to the Magistrate." Lin Tian stepped forward and bowed according to etiquette.

Although he was an Acting Minor Flag Officer of the Imperial Guard, in terms of rank, he was still below the Magistrate, so the proper etiquette could not be neglected.

"Oh, Officer Lin, no need for such formalities, please rise!" Magistrate Zhou Wenhai stood up from his seat with a beaming smile, made a gesture as if to help him up, and spoke in a gentle tone.

"I have long heard that Young Master Lin is the pride of our Heishan City's younger generation, possessing extraordinary talent and favored by Hall Revered Master Chen. Now, you have stood out within the Imperial Guard and were promoted to Acting Minor Flag Officer. It is truly the good fortune of our Heishan City! Seeing you today, you truly have an extraordinary demeanor, just as the rumors say! Hahaha!"

"You flatter me, Magistrate." Lin Tian's expression remained calm, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Please, sit, please sit! Someone, serve tea and prepare the banquet!" Magistrate Zhou Wenhai enthusiastically invited Lin Tian to take a seat, then ordered his servants.

Before long, delicacies were served one after another. Although not extremely luxurious, they were quite exquisite.

Magistrate Zhou Wenhai sat in the main seat, frequently raising his glass, while the private secretary diligently urged him to drink. The conversation revolved around Lin Tian's talent, his future in the Imperial Guard, and the sights of Heishan City, creating an atmosphere that seemed warm and harmonious.

However, while Lin Tian smiled and socialized on the surface, his vigilance inwardly never relaxed in the slightest. The more enthusiastic Magistrate Zhou Wenhai was, the more abnormal he felt it to be.

After three rounds of drinks and tasting the dishes, the candlelight in the hall flickered, casting shifting shadows on everyone's faces.

"Come to think of it," Magistrate Zhou Wenhai put down his wine cup, a look of perfect admiration and curiosity on his face, as if mentioning it casually. "I heard that Officer Lin's recent promotion was because your cultivation has advanced, and you have already had a Breakthrough to the Second Grade Middle Stage? My, how the younger generation is to be feared! If I recall correctly, Officer Lin only officially started practicing martial arts a little over a year ago, right? Such speed is truly shocking! I'm afraid... you must have obtained some incredible Opportunity, or perhaps consumed some kind of Heaven And Earth Treasure that can strengthen your Qi and blood Foundation, right?"

Here it comes! Lin Tian sneered inwardly, but his face remained composed. He merely bowed slightly. "You flatter me, Magistrate. It was just a stroke of luck that I had some insights, combined with diligent practice."

"Eh, Officer Lin is too modest." The private secretary on the side took over the conversation, twisting his goatee, his eyes flashing with a gleam, his tone exaggerated. "I, old Qian, have lived in this Heishan City for half my life and have seen at least eighty or a hundred Geniuses. Which of the three major martial arts hall Revered Masters wasn't brilliant in their youth? But even for them, it took at least three to five years of hard work to go from the initial stages to the Second Grade Middle Stage! Someone like Officer Lin, who entered the Second Grade Middle Stage in just over a year, is unheard of and unseen! This definitely cannot be explained by the word 'diligent practice' alone."

He leaned forward slightly, getting closer to Lin Tian, lowered his voice, and wore a smile that suggested "we are both sensible people." "I, old Qian, have traveled north and south and have heard some strange stories. I've heard that there is a 'red blood vermilion fruit' in this world, born from the creation of heaven and earth. If a Martial Artist consumes it, it can cleanse the marrow and change the meridians, causing Qi and blood to skyrocket and the Foundation to become robust! Officer Lin... could it be that you have had such an Opportunity?"

The dagger is revealed!

The smile on Lin Tian's face slowly faded. He placed the wine cup in his hand gently on the table, making a soft "clack" sound.

He raised his eyes, his gaze scanning calmly across the private secretary's face, which was filled with "curiosity" and "inquiry," and finally landed on Magistrate Zhou Wenhai, who was still smiling in the main seat, but whose eyes were bottomless.

"What does the private secretary mean by this?" Lin Tian's voice was not loud, but it carried a hint of coldness. "Could it be that you are suspecting me?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Officer Lin, you speak too seriously!" The private secretary hurriedly waved his hands, his face full of smiles, but his eyes remained sharp. "I am just curious, purely curious! Officer Lin's Cultivate speed is a miracle. I have lived to this age and couldn't help but want to get to the bottom of it, wanting to know what kind of Heaven-Defying Opportunity Officer Lin has obtained... Hehe, if it is inconvenient for Officer Lin to say, just take it as me being meddlesome, just meddlesome!"

"Curiosity?" A mocking arc appeared at the corner of Lin Tian's mouth. "Cultivating fast means I obtained a treasure? This logic of yours, private secretary, is somewhat arbitrary. My talent is decent, and I have been carefully taught by my Revered Master. I am also diligent in the Imperial Guard, so it is only natural that I have made some progress. What is so strange about that?"

"Good talent is naturally no problem." The private secretary's smile remained unchanged, but his tone carried a bit of persistence. "But Officer Lin's 'talent' is too outrageously good. To be blunt, this has already exceeded the bounds of common sense. I dare to be bold: if Officer Lin really obtained some benefits, such as that 'red blood vermilion fruit'... why not tell us and let me broaden my horizons!"

"red blood vermilion fruit?" Lin Tian raised an eyebrow, his face sinking completely, and his voice turning colder. "Private secretary, you keep saying 'red blood vermilion fruit.' I have heard that a few days ago, the magistrate's office was burglarized, and the treasure Magistrate Zhou Wenhai lost was precisely a treasure map recording the location of the 'red blood vermilion fruit'!"

He stood up abruptly, his gaze like lightning, looking straight at Magistrate Zhou Wenhai in the main seat. Ignoring the private secretary, he asked clearly and forcefully, word for word: "Magistrate Zhou Wenhai set up this banquet today in the name of celebration, but in reality, it is an interrogation. The private secretary keeps mentioning the 'red blood vermilion fruit,' implying in his words that I have obtained it. I would like to ask one question—"

He paused, and the air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly; you could hear a pin drop. Faintly, one could hear the sound of metal rubbing and light footsteps under the corridor outside the hall.

"Magistrate Zhou Wenhai, are you suspecting that it was I who stole the treasure map from your office and found that 'red blood vermilion fruit' and kept it for myself?"

As his voice fell, there was dead silence both inside and outside the flower hall. The candlelight flickered, stretching Lin Tian's upright figure long and casting it onto the smooth ground. The smile on Magistrate Zhou Wenhai's face in the main seat finally slowly disappeared, replaced by a deep and unfathomable calm. The jade thumb ring he was toying with stopped moving.