"How did they die?" Zhu Xie Chixin asked in surprise. His first thought was not to think of Zu An, because he knew the other party's cultivation level. At most, he was only at the seventh rank. Although he seemed to be able to exert combat power beyond his cultivation level every time, he still had his limits. These three were all top experts at the seventh rank. Moreover, they had truly experienced the tempering of blood and fire in the battles of the past. Their actual combat ability was definitely top-notch. They were not the kind of theoretical people who could be easily challenged by people of higher ranks.

Zuan said without batting an eye, "I killed him."

Since it was impossible to reveal Yun Yuqing's existence, he had no choice but to take the blame.

"You killed him?" Zhu Xie Chixin was genuinely shocked, looking him up and down. "How did you do that?"

Zaun replied, "They chased me all the way, and I used the terrain to scatter them, then picked them off one by one..."

He remembered how the Blood Blade Ancestor fought four opponents single-handedly and ended up killing four experts whose cultivation was comparable to his own, so he roughly modified the story and told it to Zhu Xie Chixin.

Zhu Xie Chixin stared at him blankly. This combat ability was probably unmatched by many in the world. This young man was no ordinary person.

He noticed the bloody holes in the corpses and thought that they must have been attacked indiscriminately by a powerful move. It seems that Zaun has some hidden tricks that he doesn't know about.

He didn't press the other party about the specific skills, since these were taboos for cultivators, and no one wanted to reveal their ultimate moves.

He laughed heartily: "You've done a great service this time. Come, let's go and report to the Emperor!"

Zu An nodded. This case involved the Shi family, and it was indeed not something that Zhu Xie Chixin could decide alone.

Soon the two arrived at the imperial study. Zhu Xie Chixin respectfully reported the matter to the emperor, while Zu An took the opportunity to observe the emperor.

It's worth noting that in Jasly's illusion, he fought the emperor head-on for the first time and even defeated him.

Although it was just the emperor in his subconscious mind, it still gave him immense confidence, and now he seemed increasingly composed when looking at the emperor.

"Hmph, the Shi family has some nerve!" Upon hearing Zhu Xiechi's report, the emperor was both shocked and furious, and slammed his fist on the table.

Just as he was about to say something, he looked up as if sensing that Zu'an was observing him. He was a little displeased, but considering that the other party had just made a great contribution, he couldn't scold him too much. He patiently said, "Very good, Eleven, you have made a great contribution this time. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Zu An was inwardly grumbling, thinking to himself, "I want the Crown Princess, will you give it to me?"

He smiled slightly and said naturally, "It is our duty to share His Majesty's burdens, so there is no need for any reward."

He used to feel resentful about such hypocrisy, but now he was completely unfazed by the whole process, and instead felt as if he was deliberately manipulating the emperor's emotions.

As expected, the emperor laughed heartily: "Not bad, not bad, Eleven is becoming more and more sensible."

After offering a few perfunctory words, he said to Zhu Xiechixin, "Go and arrest Shi Tong, the Colonel of the Archers, and Shi Jun, the Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate. Leave Grand Marshal Shi Miao alone for now. Also, send someone to investigate the case of Sima Ouwu of the Xuanwu Gate. Make sure to find out the treacherous forces behind him. If I remember correctly, he was recommended by the Prince of Qi. Investigate him as well."

Zhu Xiechi's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly bowed, saying, "Yes!"

Zu'an then said, "Your Majesty, this case is not so simple. There are still many doubts, and the real culprit may be someone else..."

Before he could finish speaking, the emperor waved his hand and said, "Alright, you have completed your mission perfectly. This case is now in the hands of Zhu Xie Chixin. You don't need to worry about it anymore."

Zu An frowned slightly, about to say something, when Zhu Xie Chixin secretly gave him a wink, and he shut his mouth.

The emperor closed his eyes and began to meditate on the futon again: "I am tired, you may all leave."

Zuan secretly grumbled, "This guy doesn't waste a single moment cultivating, just to live a little longer. But what's the point of living like this?"

After the two left the imperial study, Zu'an asked, "Why did the Grand Commander stop me from continuing?"

Zhu Xie looked around and, seeing that no one was nearby, lowered his voice and said, "What do you think is the most important thing in investigating a case?"

"Of course, the truth is the most important," Zu'an answered subconsciously, the background music from Detective Conan involuntarily popping into his mind.

Zhu Xie Chixin smiled and said, "Seeing you like this reminds me of myself when I first joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard with a lot of enthusiasm. It wasn't until many years later that I realized that the truth of the case is not important. What is important is what kind of truth the Emperor wants."

Zu An's heart stirred, and he vaguely sensed something.

Zhu Xie Chixin continued, "The Emperor doesn't care about the truth. He has more to consider, and he cares more about what he can achieve through this case. Do you understand?"

"Thank you for your guidance, Commander." Zu'an was no fool. He hadn't thought much about it earlier because he was preoccupied with the identity of the mysterious third-party force hidden in the shadows. Now, with his reminder, he naturally understood. This outcome was most advantageous to the emperor. It eliminated the Shi family, who might pose a threat to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in the future, and also provided an opportunity to purge the Qi Prince's influence. Why would he want to uncover any other truth?

As for who the real culprit is, either he already knows, or he simply doesn't care. In any case, he is the strongest person in the world, and the person hiding in the shadows can't hurt him.

Zhu Xie Chixin laughed and patted him on the shoulder: "You're too kind. Let's get together and have a good chat sometime. I'm going to catch someone now."

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