Chapter 538: Schemes, Schemes, And More Schemes!

BANG!

Someone slammed the table, startling Sun Xiaoqi terribly. She huddled her neck and looked up to find herself in a gloomy, cold chamber filled with imposing figures.

In the center sat Lord Lu, flanked on one side by Liu Chaochao. Around them were several Rank 8 Arbiter Commanders, their cold, stern eyes fixed on Sun Xiaoqi.

"Big Bro..." Sun Xiaoqi called weakly to an Arbiter at the corner who was tasked with taking notes.

This man, lean and with eyes bright as sparks, had strands of hair that seemed to flicker with flames. His name was Sun Ran, Sun Xiaoqi's cousin.

"Don't be nervous. Just answer whatever Lord Lu asks you truthfully. No one can threaten you here in the Skyruler Immortal Manor," Sun Ran advised gravely.

"Silence." Liu Chaochao cast a glance at Sun Ran.

Sun Ran bowed his head, ceasing to speak.

Liu Chaochao had just entered from outside and now addressed Lord Lu, "My men have already sealed off Sangju City. Shall you conduct the interrogation, or shall I?"

Lord Lu, sitting erect, his eyes a dark red and his body like a furnace, replied calmly, "You are the Sky Protector, it should naturally be you."

"Hmm." Liu Chaochao nodded and turned to Sun Xiaoqi. "You've always been a good child in my memory, a bit lazy, yes, but never one to harm the natural order or defend the wicked."

Relieved that it was Liu Chaochao questioning her and not Lord Lu, Sun Xiaoqi's eyes filled with tears as she nodded vigorously.

"That's good." Liu Chaochao smiled slightly. "Actually, this matter has nothing to do with you. On the other side, Lu Yao has already confessed. He and his backers plotted against Lu Changfeng and Jiang Lanyue, intending to rob them and set a trap in Sangju City, committing such heinous crimes!"

"He confessed? Is that true? How terrible..." Sun Xiaoqi gasped.

"Yes, he confessed. Next, we'll use him to flush out those behind him, break this case, and give the victims some closure," Liu Chaochao stated solemnly.

"Then, then, what can I do?" Sun Xiaoqi asked.

Liu Chaochao glanced at Sun Ran, smiled, and said, "You just need to tell us that last night, Lu Yao left the city gates alone and wasn't with you the whole time."

Sun Xiaoqi paused, then said, "B-but last night, he was right beside me."

"That's impossible. Lu Yao himself said he left for a while to signal the murderers. Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Liu Chaochao pressed.

"I'm not mistaken." Sun Xiaoqi shook her head firmly. "Last night after Lu Changfeng scolded us, he made us keep a close watch on the city gates. We didn't dare to leave..."

After a moment, she added quietly, "Could there be some mistake? Could someone be impersonating Lu Yao? He seems like a decent person to me..."

"Shut up!" Sun Ran shot her a glare as he continued his scribbling.

"Can you keep quiet? If not, get out," Liu Chaochao told Sun Ran.

"Sorry." Sun Ran scratched his head and looked at Sun Xiaoqi. "This kid has always been a bit of an airhead, not much wit about her, I think..."

"Leave." Liu Chaochao's voice was cold and sharp.

"Yes." Sun Ran obediently left the room.

Once he was gone, Liu Chaochao resumed the interrogation, though his tone had turned much colder.

"Sun Xiaoqi, recount the full details of your mission, from the moment you were briefed and personnel were assigned. Leave nothing out."

After speaking, Liu Chaochao stood and approached Sun Xiaoqi. "Twelve Arbiters died, but you and Lu Yao survived. This casts major suspicions on both of you. If you can't clear your name, it will not only hinder your future but also bring shame to your family. So, don’t let any deceiver ruin your path."

"Yes, yes, yes…" Sun Xiaoqi, terrified out of her wits, quickly recounted everything she saw and experienced along the way, albeit with slight adjustments to the details. Her genuine fear made her account appear more truthful.

After her narrative, Liu Chaochao added, "Three guarded the gate, two patrolled the east and west sides of the city—was this arranged by Lu Yao?"

"Yes." Sun Xiaoqi nodded.

"What does that tell us?" Suddenly, a voice from the corner spoke.

It was Liu Mumu, who had been listening silently. Her question silenced everyone. Indeed, their interrogation had gleaned nothing substantive.

"Let her go," Liu Mumu finally spoke. "She truly knows nothing. She survived simply because she was too insignificant for the murderer to bother with."

"Huff!" Lord Lu rose, his expression dark and silent, and he walked out.

"This…" Sun Xiaoqi, utterly confused, asked Liu Mumu, "Sister Mumu, isn’t the case solved? What I say doesn’t matter, right? Why does everyone seem unhappy?"

"Go ahead and leave," Liu Mumu said.

"Oh, okay." Sun Xiaoqi stumbled out of the chamber.

"I think we’re looking in the wrong direction," Liu Mumu spoke again. "Focusing on the two Arbiters who survived such a major case is laughably misguided. It only serves to let the real murderer roam free."

"Mumu makes sense." Sun Ran peeked in from outside, giving a sheepish grin. "Xiaoqi is just a naive kid. If I were the killer, I wouldn't bother killing her either. Why fuss over her?"

Liu Mumu nodded, then turned to Liu Chaochao. "Besides, brother, Lu Yao is one of Lord Lu's men. Why would Lord Lu suspect him?"

"Both of you shut up." Liu Chaochao glared at them before turning to leave.

?ι══????????══ι?

Elsewhere, Lord Lu stepped out from the long corridor, coming face to face with Lu Cheng.

"Brother," Lu Cheng called out.

The two stood in the corridor, the others around them stepping back to give space.

"How did the interrogation go with Sun Xiaoqi?" Lu Cheng inquired.

Lord Lu shared a few words, then asked, "And Lu Qian?"

"She shared a similar story to Sun Xiaoqi. The first night, three Arbiters died. To resolve the matter swiftly, Lu Changfeng didn't report to Skyruler Immortal Manor but brought in Jiang Lanyue instead. According to Lu Qian, on the second night, 12 of them went on a secret patrol and then vanished," Lu Cheng explained.

"Lu Qian is the city mayor. She wasn't involved in capturing the murderer last night?" Lord Lu frowned.

"Lu Qian says that Jiang Lanyue was too flirtatious, and Lu Changfeng didn't like him teasing Lu Qian, so he didn't let her follow... You should know about Lu Changfeng and Lu Qian's private matters, right?" Lu Cheng said.

Lord Lu didn't respond, his silence affirming his awareness. But Jiang Lanyue might not know.

"Moreover, I've asked several people at the city hall; they indeed saw Lu Qian there last night," Lu Cheng added.

"What time was she at the city hall?" Lord Lu asked.

"I didn't ask that specifically." Lu Cheng shook his head.

"Has the autopsy been done? What exactly was the time of death?" Lord Lu pressed.

"At midnight," Lu Cheng replied.

"Murders at midnight, bodies hung at the city gates close to dawn. Previously, the bodies were hung earlier in the night. This suggests that last night there was a gap, the murderer was covering their tracks, creating alibis!" Lord Lu said coldly.

"You mean to say, Sun Xiaoqi and Lu Qian are both covering for Lu Yao?" Lu Cheng was stunned.

After a long pause, Lu Cheng shook her head. "That's impossible. Xiaoqi is Old Sun's daughter, and Old Sun is the steward of Governor Jiang. She's upright and unrelated to Lu Yao; there's no reason for her to absolve a murderer. And as for Lu Qian, I've watched her grow up. She worked under me before, utterly devoted to Lu Changfeng, her affection is undeniable. Why would she harm him?"

"Could they have been threatened?" Lord Lu frowned. He was also struggling to believe it, which was why he was so agitated.

"It's unlikely. If Lu Yao had such a powerful background to intimidate them, it would mean his influence surpasses the entirety of Sky Soaring City. If he's that powerful, why bother? Besides, isn't this young man just Lu Bufan's youngest son? Although he's been missing for ten years and might have made some shady connections to plot for wealth, it's hard to believe he could frighten Xiaoqi and Lu Qian into speaking for him." Lu Cheng was certain.

"Lu Cheng." Lord Lu looked at his little sister. "The real Lu Yao died ten years ago in the Black Demon Cavern, and Lu Changfeng ascended to first place in the examination by stealing his Arbiter Tokens. The Lu Yao we know now is an impostor!"

Lu Cheng's eyes widened in confusion. "You never told me about this?"

"It's a trivial matter, what's there to say?" Lord Lu replied coldly.

"That complicates things a lot more…" Lu Cheng muttered, frowning deeply.

"Have you checked Lu Qian and Sun Xiaoqi for any bewitching? Any mind controlling Gu?" Lord Lu asked.

"I've checked; nothing turned up." Lu Cheng paused for a moment. "I made sure to check thoroughly, and Sun Xiaoqi is completely clean."

"Any traces of soul control?" Lord Lu pressed further.

"None." Lu Cheng shook her head.

The eyes of the two siblings met.

"Things aren't adding up." Lu Cheng's expression turned grim.

Where could the problem lie?

"He's just an imposter. Since we're certain he's involved but lack evidence, why not apply some pressure to flush out his backers?" Lu Cheng suggested coldly.

"Force out whom? Liu Zongyu?" Lord Lu scoffed.

"Liu Zongyu?" Lu Cheng drew in a breath of cold air. "So it's him, that vile man, setting up this trap in Sangju City to target your children? Is he using what you did to Lu Yao ten years ago to force your hand, to make you swallow a bitter loss? Does he crave the governor seat that desperately?"

Lord Lu's face darkened. "I thought after the incident with Xiaolu, he would stop, but now he schemes against me again. How can I tolerate this?" As he spoke, he looked towards the dark chamber and said ominously, "Liu Zongyu, you have children too..."

"Brother, we must retaliate fiercely," Lu Cheng said through gritted teeth.

"Your sister-in-law has gone to fetch our treasure; she'll be back soon." Lord Lu clenched his fists, his eyes as cold as frost. "But aside from the reactions of Sun Xiaoqi and Lu Qian, there's something else I haven't figured out yet."

"Jiang Lanyue?" Lu Cheng guessed.

"Exactly. A descendant of the Jiang Family. Does Liu Zongyu have a death wish? Governor Jiang is up for promotion, not retirement. He's impatient, even daring to provoke the governor? If he angers him, Liu Zongyu will gain nothing," Lord Lu said deeply.

This was the point that plunged him into deep conflict. It just didn't make sense!

"Brother, is it possible that what Sun Xiaoqi and Lu Qian said is true, that Lu Yao really is just a drifter, unrelated to everything including the incident with Xiaolu? That Lu Changfeng and Jiang Lanyue fell to some fugitive, or an enemy from your past?" Lu Cheng came to this realization and nodded. "Thinking this way, doesn't it all make sense? Liu Zongyu wouldn't scheme to destroy himself, would he?"

After listening, Lord Lu remained silent for a long time. "Let's go," he suddenly said.

"To interrogate Lu Yao?" Lu Cheng asked.

"Right, and keep an eye on Liu Mumu," Lord Lu instructed.

"Understood."

JustLivingJL's Thoughts