Without pausing, Sang Hong charged into the arena like lightning. In just a few exchanges, he injured Jin Sanren and Mu Sanren, knocking them to the ground. Then, the surrounding Imperial Guards rushed forward, placing their knives against the necks of the two men. The others, seeing this, immediately lost their nerve and were quickly subdued.
Zuan sighed inwardly. He had seen so many people around the level of a grandmaster lately that he had forgotten that Sang Hong's cultivation was also among the top masters in the martial arts world.
Next, Yu Linlang searched the Chamber of Commerce and found that the president, Zhang Che, was not there. He didn't know if Zhang Che was just not there or if he had received advance notice and run away.
Because there were too many people and too much evidence, Sang Hong wasted no time and began the interrogation directly at the Chamber of Commerce.
Not used to the scenes of torture, Zu'an didn't watch how they interrogated people; instead, he found a room and began meditating and cultivating.
Not long after, Sang Hong came to him with a serious expression: "Azu, there's some trouble."
"What's wrong?" Zu'an knew how resolute Sang Hong was, and that it was no small matter that was giving him such a headache.
Sang Hong said in a deep voice, "The results of the interrogation just now, although many tough guys didn't talk, some couldn't hold on and confessed. The Pegasus Merchant Guild is actually working for the Prince of Yan."
"What!" Zu An exclaimed in surprise. Did that mean Qiu Honglei and the others were also in league with the Prince of Yan?
But Qiu Honglei was clearly captured by the Prince of Yan in Yi County before.
“We just found some correspondence, account books, and official documents from various government offices in Yi County in the room. Although we don’t have conclusive evidence yet, this is probably the case.” Sang Hong lowered his voice. “The Prince of Yan and the Demonic Sect are actually in cahoots and have been involved in the smuggling case with the demon race.”
Zu An frowned and said, "But the Prince of Yan and the Demonic Sect have been fighting for years, they've practically turned their brains out..."
“It’s just a way to keep an enemy around for his own benefit,” Sang Hong sneered. “This Prince of Yan is quite clever. He’s using this to get the court to keep allocating resources to him, while at the same time he’s taking the opportunity to expand his army and power.”
Zu An suddenly realized why Qiu Honglei didn't seem to have been mistreated when she was captured.
And then there was the time she hesitated before asking me if I would blame her if she lied to him about something.
I thought it was something else before, but now I realize that's what she meant.
No wonder the convoy transporting prisoners from the Demonic Cult was ambushed by the Demonic Cult's experts as soon as they left the convoy.
The thing that the seventh-ranked gold medalist has been investigating but dared not say openly is probably referring to this.
After all, this matter involves a vassal king, and without conclusive evidence, the body may very well be lost forever.
Sang Hong said in a deep voice, "This matter is of great importance. The Prince of Yan is a powerful and influential figure. If we are forced to rebel, even if we manage to escape back to the capital, we will probably be investigated and executed by the Emperor."
He understood the emperor's political tactics all too well. What the emperor valued was not the right or wrong of a matter, but its impact on imperial power.
Perhaps, in order to appease the Prince of Yan, they will have to kill these "treacherous ministers who spread rumors and mislead the public" to quell the Prince's anger.
Zu'an was naturally aware that the emperor's number one enemy was the Prince of Qi, and he naturally did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble.
"So what's next?" He couldn't help but lament that although the country appeared strong on the surface, it was actually riddled with internal crises, and that a single spark could ignite a great chaos.
"Let's stop investigating this case. Just declare that the Pegasus Merchant Guild colluded with Uncle Ming to help the demon race smuggle goods, and at the same time push the mastermind onto the Demonic Sect. Anyway, they don't need another dirty trick on them, and besides, they were indeed involved this time." Sang Hong's face was full of coldness.
Zuan was immediately in a bind. He knew this was the most suitable solution at the moment, but the problem lay in his close relationship with Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei.
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