Ever since Su Fu defeated Zongzheng Wujiu, she had been tacitly acknowledged as the chief candidate of Lingxiao Province.
“That’s entirely possible,” Mo Sanchou agreed.
“The deadline is tomorrow at midnight, and the fox spirit is already dead. Even if she has the Supervisor’s support…”
“With so many people, how could they possibly investigate everything in just one day?”
Unlike the examinees, they weren’t naive.
Unless everyone was exceptionally obedient, organized, and disciplined, there was no way to conduct a thorough investigation.
But was that even feasible?
Not to mention the subsequent analysis and reasoning-it was a logistical nightmare.
“A deadlock.”
“No wonder Zongzheng Ye and Su Luan on the other side have already started preparing for the B exam. Su Fu is no longer a threat to them.”
“But seriously, who designed this exam? The answer to the A exam’s puzzle…” Mo Sanchou looked exasperated.
“It’s utterly absurd, downright inconceivable!”
The others nodded in agreement.
“Absolutely!”
“For example, if finding the true culprit of the case is a hurdle as high as a door…”
“Then finding the way into the B exam is like scaling the heavens!”
Zhao Wujie was dumbfounded.
“Seriously, what normal person could think of something like this?”
“I doubt even 10% of the examinees will make it into the B exam smoothly.”
Bai Li concurred, “I’d say 20% might discover the method, but only about 10% will actually succeed.”
In other words, even knowing the answer would still result in a 50% elimination rate!
***
Just as Su Fu entered the room, Li Shaoqing quietly approached Lin Mingxi.
Glancing around, he lowered his voice and asked, “Is what you said earlier true? Did Chief Su really…”
“Obtain the Supervisor’s token? Full authority to act on his behalf?!”
The last few words were practically hissed through clenched teeth-utterly unbelievable!
Lin Mingxi immediately replied, “Of course!”
“You have no idea the Supervisor himself rushed down from the Star Observation Platform just for Chief Su!”
He gestured animatedly.
“The Supervisor treats her like his successor, granting her full authority to act.”
He added deliberately, “He even said he’s grooming her to be the next Supervisor!”
Li Shaoqing gasped.
Was Chief Su really that formidable?
Lin Mingxi embellished further, “See these twenty people from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau? The Supervisor was so concerned for Chief Su’s safety that he specially assigned twenty elite guards to protect her at all times.”
Li Shaoqing followed Lin Mingxi’s gaze, his eyes widening.
“So that’s why!”
No wonder Su Fu had brought so many people!
He’d thought something major had happened.
He looked pensive, knowing full well how difficult it was for the Dali Temple to request assistance from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau for cases.
After endless rounds of persuasion, they’d be lucky to borrow three or five people at most.
Yet the Supervisor had directly assigned Su Fu twenty elite officers?!
His gaze shifted to the tightly shut door, his expression completely transformed.
This Chief Su… was clearly about to skyrocket.
Magistrate Li’s mind immediately became active.
If Chief Su had earned such high regard from the Supervisor, she would undoubtedly be heavily relied upon in the future.
When else would be a better time to establish ties with someone like her?
With that thought, he unconsciously straightened his posture, standing even more formally.
Lin Mingxi quietly observed Magistrate Li’s reaction.
Good, good-he had clearly grasped the significance of their boss’s current standing.
The more importance Li placed on their boss, the easier it would be for them to leverage the Dali Temple’s resources in the future.
Thinking this, he smoothly shifted the conversation:
“Today, Chief Su uncovered and apprehended several criminals in one go at the Drunken Moon Pavilion.”
“On the way here, she also solved a bizarre intrusion case. And now, this heart-extraction case…”
He deliberately drew out his words, “That’s multiple cases solved in a single day!”
A blatant hint.
“What?!” Magistrate Li gasped.
“Excellent! Truly excellent!”
He rubbed his hands excitedly.
“Such achievements-I will report them truthfully!”
“At this rate, it won’t be long before Chief Su is summoned by His Majesty for a personal commendation.”
He lowered his voice, “That would be the highest honor…”
Lin Mingxi inwardly sighed.
What a shame there wouldn’t be a ‘later.’
If they failed to solve the case and find the entrance to Volume B by midnight tomorrow, they’d be eliminated outright-all talk of promotions and wealth would be meaningless.
If only this were a month-long scenario…
At that moment, Magistrate Li solemnly patted Lin Mingxi’s shoulder, his tone earnest:
“Since Chief Su still has doubts about this case…”
He paused briefly, “You shall represent the Dali Temple and cooperate fully!”
“Whatever Chief Su requires, the Dali Temple will spare no effort to provide!”
Having achieved his goal, Lin Mingxi beamed.
“Rest assured, Magistrate Li. I understand!”
Dali Temple’s resources?
Secured!
Magistrate Li exhaled deeply, marveling, “Today has truly been a day of good news.”
“That human-skin lantern case has also made significant progress. I believe it will soon be closed.” He added casually, “Thanks to the clues provided by that foreign merchant.”
Jiang Qingyu, who had been staring absently at the door, flickered her gaze at this.
She turned her head, feigning casual interest.
“Foreign merchant?”
She had encountered this so-called “foreign merchant” on Vermilion Bird Avenue while heading to the Drunken Moon Pavilion-it was unmistakably Elai, the Chief of Xuandu Province.
From the sound of it… his case was nearing resolution too?
Assuming Jiang Qingyu was from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Magistrate Li answered, “Yes, a foreign merchant.”
“However, he is currently under our protection.”
“His situation is rather complicated. If you’re interested, you may review the case files at the Dali Temple later.”
He cast a meaningful glance at the door.
“With the Director’s token, you may visit anytime. Besides…”
“Chief Su has helped us crack so many cases-she is a great contributor!”
“However,” Li Shaoqing reminded them, “it’s already curfew time. I’m afraid we won’t be able to make it back today.”
“We’ll have to stay outside the city walls for tonight and set off first thing tomorrow morning,” he said.
“Please inform Supervisor Su on our behalf.”
The two nodded in agreement.
The room was utterly silent.
Moonlight slanted through the window lattice, spilling over the fox spirit’s corpse, the pale glow making it appear even more lifeless.
The fox’s fur was snow-white, now stained crimson with blood.
A gaping hole in its chest made it clear it had been killed with a single, decisive strike.
Su Fu crouched down.
The wound was clean and precise-it must have died without suffering.
“Zongzheng Ye and Su Luan are certainly thorough,” Su Fu sneered.
“Afraid it might turn into a vengeful ghost like Yuliuli, giving me a chance to interrogate it with the Judge’s Decree. Quite the clever plan.”
“Too bad for them. They think killing it cleanly means there’s no way to investigate?”
“Not a chance. In the realm of the Chinese pantheon, death is never the end.”
Where there is death, there are ghosts and they can enter the underworld.
Su Fu immediately activated her divine skill: [Summoning the Nether Soldiers]!
In an instant, a chilling wind howled, and the candle flames flickered violently.
A bone-piercing cold surged from all directions, plunging the room’s temperature sharply.
Soon, rows of armored nether soldiers materialized, spears in hand, disciplined and orderly.
“By the authority of Lord Zhong Kui, I command you to scour a ten-mile radius. Seize any fox spirits’ souls you find!”
“As you command!”
The soldiers responded in unison before dissolving into wisps of blue smoke, passing through walls and vanishing into the night.
Su Fu mused that, logically, the fox spirit hadn’t been dead long-its soul shouldn’t have entered the underworld yet.
Moreover, this heart-stealing fox had blood on its hands.
If it had any sense, it would flee rather than face severe judgment in the underworld.
That meant the chances of capture were high.
Before long, Su Fu sensed the nether soldiers’ return.
“My Lady! We’ve caught it!”
Four soldiers pinned a translucent, fox-shaped soul to the ground, its form trembling uncontrollably.
“Sp-spare me…” The fox spirit quivered, its voice shaking as if it had seen something terrifying the moment it laid eyes on Su Fu.
Su Fu narrowed her eyes.
This reaction… seemed excessive.
Something wasn’t right.
But as long as it was coherent, she could question it directly.
Su Fu wasted no time and activated [Judge’s Decree]!
A ghostly blue light erupted, enveloping the fox.
“Ah-!”
The fox wailed, collapsing under the pressure, unable to move.
“Speak,” Su Fu demanded.
“What is your connection to Yuliuli? Did you kill her?”
“N-no! It wasn’t me!” The fox shook its head frantically.
“I swear! Yuliuli and I… we just had a deal!”
It stammered, “She gave me human hearts, and I helped her maintain her beauty-that’s all!”
Su Fu frowned.
“Yuliuli helped you harvest hearts?”
“Y-yes…” The fox’s voice trembled harder.
“Last month, when you led the Imperial Observatory’s purge of demons…”
It dared a glance at Su Fu before quickly lowering its head again.
“I escaped that day, but your thunder magic still gravely injured me. Creatures like us… we’re already hunted down everywhere in Chang’an…”
“Every time the Imperial Astronomical Bureau organizes a purge, countless lives are lost…” Its voice trembled with sobs.
“Severely wounded, I could only recover by consuming hearts…”
“Your Honor! I know I was wrong, but I’m already dead! Please spare me!”
The fox spirit never imagined that even after death-its corpse long cold, reduced to a wandering soul-it could still be captured by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s agents.
Damn it all!
Is there no end to this?!
The fox spirit raged… and then raged some more.
Su Fu, however, seemed lost in thought.
Last month’s demon purge?
That must have been the original owner’s doing.
“Enough with the wailing,” Su Fu cut off its pleas.
“How did you and Yuliuli first meet?”
The fox spirit shuddered.
“During the last purge… she helped me escape…” Its voice grew faint.
“That woman recognized me as a spirit at first glance but didn’t raise the alarm. She… sought me out, asking if I knew any methods to preserve eternal beauty…”
“Ex, ex…”
Su Fu began piecing together the sequence of events.
So this fox spirit, severely injured by her thunder magic, had escaped with Yuliuli’s help.
From then on, the two conspired-one seeking eternal youth, the other needing human hearts to heal-secretly claiming countless innocent lives.
Though not the murderer, the fox spirit likely knew Yuliuli best.
Su Fu rephrased her question, “What do you know about Yuliuli’s death? Tell me everything.”
Not daring to withhold anything, the fox spirit recounted, “The last time I saw her was three days ago…”
“She grew increasingly greedy, wanting to be more beautiful, ever more beautiful…”
The fox’s tone carried disgust.
“I’d had enough of her avarice. Just three more hearts would have healed me, so I sent her to…”
“She… quickly found targets, each from different walks of life.”
It recalled, “I knew one-she lured him to the plum garden, planning to strike in a secluded spot.”
“Another was a man who’d pursued her for years.”
Its voice grew vague:
“But too many men chased after Yuliuli… I can’t quite remember… only that he seemed to be a young official…”
“Your Honor! That’s all I know!”
Hearing this, Su Fu felt a jolt.
Three hearts, three methods of death, three suspects?
All the clues suddenly connected in her mind, forming the shadow of a bold conjecture.
“One last question.”
She fixed her gaze on the fox spirit.
“Yuliuli was just an ordinary woman. How did she help you escape my pursuit?”
The fox spirit glanced at Su Fu.
“Well… at the time, Your Honor saw her pitiful, trembling appearance and assumed she’d been coerced into wrongdoing…”
It cautiously peeked at Su Fu, continuing when she showed no reaction:
“Your Honor has always been most compassionate toward such fragile women, believing life is hard for them, that they act against their will…”
“So… you let your guard down.”
Su Fu: “…… You really didn’t need to add so many embellishments.”
Keeping the spirit creature, even making deals with it simply put, the original host had been completely fooled by a master manipulator, never imagining Yuliuli would be so bold as to accept such a thing.
Now everything fell into place, but one crucial point remained.
She leaned forward slightly, staring straight at the fox spirit.
“You said you wanted to leave. Did Yuliuli not realize you were trying to escape?”
“G-Great One…” The fox spirit shrank back.
“Didn’t you say that was the last question…?”
Su Fu raised an eyebrow.
“Who’s the Great One here, you or me?”
“I-I told her you were still hunting me, that I didn’t dare stay! If she was found helping me escape…”
“Then I might’ve mentioned some… severe consequences, punishments, and such…”
Seeing Su Fu’s dark expression, it hurriedly added, “The moment I brought you up, she fell silent. She must fear your authority.”
Su Fu suddenly laughed, her gaze piercing.
“You cunning fox. I’ll give you this, your schemes are endless.”
Every word skirted the edge of the Judge’s Decree, neither outright lies nor clear truths.
Had she not pressed further, she might’ve been completely deceived.
“Well?” Su Fu narrowed her eyes.
“Now that you see me standing here unharmed, are you surprised?”
The fox spirit’s expression froze, all traces of flattery vanishing-replaced by hatred and deep-seated fear.
Su Fu observed its reaction, and the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
So that was it.
It hated her for wounding it but couldn’t retaliate, so it sought to use another’s hand.
Yet here she was alive, having caught it once more.
Su Fu had likely guessed who killed Yuliuli and understood why there were three methods of death, why those specific traces were left at the scene.
She couldn’t help but think, You devious examiners!
You actually dared to design an answer like this?
You put the answer right in front of us, yet made it impossible to believe!
She’d better not find out who wrote this scenario!
The truth behind the heart-extraction case was finally clear.
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