NOVPUB
Chapter 460: Chapter 456: Knife
Two Devas had fallen, leaving the remaining four Martial Kings too frightened to show themselves easily.
Under the leadership of Qiao Muqi and three Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, personnel from the Law Enforcement Court Headquarters and Zone Master Mansion poured into Deyue Building one after another.
With guidance from Tang Zhengxiao and An Yu, everyone’s search efficiency was pushed to the extreme.
Soon enough, various prohibited items had been discovered.
This included Demon Blood Essence.
Many young girls, who were rumored to have been killed by devils, also appeared in Deyue Building, used as tools for profit.
This time, Gu Jinlai did not conceal anything.
Therefore, once the news of this incident broke out, it caused a huge uproar among the onlookers, and the public was filled with righteous indignation after seeing the evil deeds of Deyue Building.
Gu Jinlai also took this opportunity to publicly try the high-level figures of Deyue Building directly with evidence controlled by the Law Enforcement Headquarters.
He personally executed fourteen people.
Moreover, over two hundred people faced varying degrees of punishment.
The public trial lasted for most of the day, and during this period, an unending stream of people came upon hearing the news, eager to understand the situation.
By the time the inquisition was over, Gu Jinlai’s uprightness had won him universal acclaim, with cheers and applause lasting a long time.
Seeing this, Gu Jinlai struck while the iron was hot, without any pause, heading directly to the next target.
Silver Mountain Association, Longevity Pavilion, Li Family, Chi Family, Fengxue Valley...
One after another, top-tier forces were uprooted under Gu Jinlai’s leadership.
Even though towards the end, some forces had their core members scatter and hide upon hearing of Gu Jinlai’s ruthless methods.
But what they didn’t know was that Gu Jinlai had already secretly ordered people to tail the most core "Red" figures before making his move.
Furthermore, all it took was to know in which area they were concealing themselves, then with Gu Jinlai sweeping over from high above, the Karma on them would naturally reveal their whereabouts.
In such circumstances, unless they fled Wind and Rain City, no matter how secret their hiding places were, they could not escape Gu Jinlai’s direct judgment on the spot.
The purge continued.
All the forces in the Outer City District were panic-stricken.
Those large forces with a Martial King or a Deva at the helm, but not part of the thirteen top-tier powers, were especially like mice in a bellows, trying every means to hide their past transgressions.
In addition, prominent figures from the Outer City District were seen running to the Inner City much more frequently, making every possible effort to find connections in a bid to protect themselves.
Unfortunately...
Gu Jinlai’s identity as the Zone Leader was personally appointed by Wu Tianya, one of the Four Great Giants and Dean of the Martial Saint Institute, and was recognized by the other three giants. Unless one of these people spoke out, even the nine Martial Saints and Saint Zhao Liang would not openly counter the will of the Four Great Giants.
...
Demon-slaying Hall.
The frontline force against devils.
And this force was also responsible for the authority over rewards and punishments for Demon Slayers who killed devils.
Although this power was slightly less compared to the City Lord Mansion overseeing the basic needs of Wind and Rain City’s population of 110 million, its influence was not the least bit inferior.
Because almost no weaklings could become Demon Slayers.
These people could live well in any city.
If they couldn’t get fair treatment in Wind and Rain City, they could go directly to the surrounding cities.
In other words, on some level, the City Lord Mansion of Wind and Rain City could not control the movement of people in the Demon-slaying Hall.
This alone demonstrated the astonishing autonomy and rights of the Demon-slaying Hall.
At this moment, Cao Wudao’s successor, Cao Congyun, carrying a gift, arrived at the palace where Jin Fantian, the Demon Slayer Hall Master, resided.
Jin Fantian sipped his tea while listening to what this junior had to say, occasionally perusing the collection of evidence he presented.
"Jin Yuhai once promised Gu Jinlai, Xia Ruyi, and Zhuang Ying that if they supported him to become the Southeast Sweeper Team Captain, he would grant them a Cultivation Technique. In the end, however, the captainship did not go to either him or Pan Dali, but was intercepted by the newly arrived Lan Yuxian. Since Jin Yuhai did not become the captain, he naturally would not honor the promise, yet Gu Jinlai and the others had deeply offended Pan Dali, facing life-threatening danger. Zhuang Ying’s subsequent death is a perfect example of this," Cao Congyun stated convincingly.
"Some speculate that Pan Dali leaked Zhuang Ying’s whereabouts to Shang Tielong, using Shang Tielong’s hand to eliminate him. Yet, for just a Zhuang Ying, Pan Dali does not seem the type to rest easy; his next targets would surely be Gu Jinlai and Xia Ruyi. All this trouble was brought by Jin Yuhai, and thus, Gu Jinlai absolutely had a motive to strike Jin Yuhai down," Cao Congyun continued.
Jin Fantian said nothing, maintaining a serene listening posture.
"When Jin Yuhai met his fate, only Gu Jinlai was nearby. If it was indeed Ji Lie who acted, then why did Jin Yuhai meet his end while Gu Jinlai lived? Woudn’t it be easy for Ji Lie to strike down Gu Jinlai next? This explanation doesn’t hold up! Of course, the claim at the time was that Gu Jinlai lacked the strength to kill Jin Yuhai, a top Martial King, in one blow, but lacking strength is one thing, and whether one can accomplish it is another. What if he just happened to have a similar Killing Move as a trump card?"
Cao Congyun spoke with certainty, "Besides, does Gu Jinlai really lack such ability? Don’t forget, he has shown combat power comparable to Peak Devas in just two short months. Who can guarantee that he didn’t have the means to kill young master Jin Yuhai at that time? From all aspects, it is quite obvious that Jin Yuhai was harmed by Gu Jinlai, who ultimately shifted the blame onto Ji Lie!"
"So, all the evidence you currently possess is based on speculation, and you have no actual, tangible proof?"
Jin Fantian said.
Cao Congyun’s expression stiffened, then he quickly responded, "I am ninety percent certain that your son, Jin Yuhai, was harmed by Gu Jinlai. As long as the Heart Mirror is activated, all the sins committed by Gu Jinlai will have nowhere to hide."
"Heart Mirror."
Jin Fantian’s face showed little change, "Are you aware that Gu Jinlai is now the Zone Leader of the Outer City District, considered part of the reserve sequence of rulers of Wind and Rain City? Do you really intend to use the Heart Mirror on such a high-ranking official, a prospective ruler?"
"Although Gu Jinlai has become the Outer City District Zone Leader, his tenure over the past half a month has caused outrage among the people. Every day, there are no fewer than ten forces lodging complaints at the City Lord Mansion, at the Martial Saint Institute, accusing him of all sorts of corruption and lawless crimes. Some are even willing to demonstrate their resolve through death, offering their lives in exchange for a chance to put Gu Jinlai to the test with the Heart Mirror..."
"Willing to demonstrate their resolve through death?"
Jin Fantian, expressionless, "A few martial artists, strongest among them only at the Martial Sect Realm, want to bet their lives against an official of the Zone Leader rank, whose combat power equals that of Peak Devas, using the Heart Mirror? Since when did the life of a Zone Leader become so cheap?"
Seeing this, Cao Congyun wanted to say more, but Jin Fantian waved his hand dismissively, "Enough, let’s not waste time on baseless rumors. Dismissed."
With that, he picked up his teacup with displeasure, "You may leave. Come back when you have clear evidence."
Cao Congyun, a bit unwilling in his heart. 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
He had thought that the evidence he had gathered already pointed towards Gu Jinlai as the murderer of Jin Yuhai.
As Jin Yuhai’s father, Jin Fantian should have lashed out and taken action against Gu Jinlai immediately upon hearing the news.
As for evidence?
Not to mention that he could suggest to the City Lord to activate the Heart Mirror to obtain satisfactory evidence, what if he didn’t have any evidence?
As the Demon Slayer Hall Master, a Peak Saint whose power was second only to Zhao Hua, the City Lord, he could execute Gu Jinlai on the spot without anyone daring to utter a word of dissent.
But now...
He still didn’t dare act disrespectfully in front of this dignitary, who was on equal footing with his own father, Cao Wudao.
Eventually, he reluctantly bowed his head in farewell and left the courtyard.
After Jin Fantian left, an elder came around from the back.
He was Han Feng.
Compared to Jin Fantian, his cultivation wasn’t much to speak of; he was just a High-level Deva. But his identity was that of Jin Fantian’s Chief Staff.
Many times, when Jin Fantian was undecided on a matter, he would refer to his advice.
"Cao Wudao’s son is quite interesting, attempting to borrow a knife to kill someone and that knife is you, my lord,"
Han Feng said with a smile.
"Blinded by greed, short-sighted—it’s no wonder Cao Wudao hasn’t mentioned half a word of this to him."
Jin Fantian said, "I only took some time to listen to his nonsensical ranting today because I had some free time, just for a bit of entertainment."
Han Feng nodded in agreement.
The offspring of prominent figures, to determine whether they hold any status, could be judged by the cultivation paths they choose.
The true heirs often follow the cultivator’s path.
Of course, some offspring, due to their exceptional talent in martial arts, are heavily nurtured, but such heirs, by now, would have already manifested their Martial Arts Will.
Cao Congyun clearly did not fall into that category.
"Speaking of which, the newly appointed Zone Leader of the past half month has been very active; the Martial Arts Academy Master has certainly picked a good candidate,"
Han Feng said with a laugh.
"Lately, we’ve been a bit negligent in managing Wind and Rain City. Some people have fled to the Imperial Capital to lodge complaints, and we’re getting word from the capital that they want us to watch ourselves and not go too far,"
Jin Fantian spoke lightly, "The four of us will discuss how to alleviate some of the grievances, to ensure the normal functioning of Wind and Rain City’s order. At the same time, we’ll open up some channels for advancement to prevent further chaos from erupting below. If the situation escalates, it won’t reflect well on anyone."
"Gu Jinlai has no background or status; he’s a useful tool. When Wind and Rain City is mostly cleansed, we’ll throw him out for the major clans to deal with. That way, the job is done, some pathways for advancement are opened up, we deal with the investigation from above, and calm the fury of those major clans, ensuring the stability of Wind and Rain City."
Han Feng continued with a smile, "The key is to spread the good name of Wind and Rain City’s integrity and fairness far and wide, thereby attracting more people. Those refugees who managed to escape to the Holy Land, every one of them represents the hope of their entire sect, carrying on the lineage, and they are quite wealthy."
Jin Fantian said as he took a sip of his tea, "So, let this knife swing a while longer, there’s no rush."
