Chapter 101: Investigation

The martial society.

Bang!

The sound of glass shattering echoed clearly through the chairman's office, which spanned several dozen square meters.

Lin Yuzhi was absolutely infuriated. "Qiu Chufeng! Are you kidding me!?"

He had sworn he would handle it personally! He had guaranteed that Li Pin would die without a doubt! He had been certain nothing could go wrong! And now? What happened? What happened!? What happened!!

Lin Yuzhi had even made a personal call to the Gu Family, promising them success! And this was the answer Qiu Chufeng gave him!?

Qiu Chufeng had come to him, full of excitement, with a perfectly valid excuse. Lin Yuzhi had signed the investigation order, expecting good news from him, but in the end...

He got himself killed!? The dignified Sect Master of the Solar Vermillion Sect, a Martial Saint of the Taibai Kingdom for over a decade, had been killed by an Aura Force brat of twenty-two years old?!

"Useless! A Martial Saint!? What a joke, you're nothing but useless!" Lin Yuzhi cursed furiously.

He knew that the Martial Saints in Jiang Province were often promoted through political maneuvering. However, even if they had attained their position through the back door and hadn't truly grasped Martial Will, this was a life-and-death battle! A battle in which a martial artist's mental spirit and conviction were pushed to the absolute extreme! In such a desperate situation, he should at least be able to unleash a strike of Spirit Force, right?!

But Qiu Chufeng? Forget about Spirit Force, even calling him a grandmaster who had perfected the Internal Aura realm would be flattering him! He was, at best, an ordinary Internal Aura practitioner!

Who approved that such an incompetent fool should be granted the rank of Martial Saint? Does the association's council even care about objectivity and fairness anymore? Do they still respect the review system the Tianyuan Federation had established? These reviewers, they should all be—

Hmph?

Qiu Chufeng had been evaluated as a Martial Saint ten years ago...

Lin Yuzhi recalled that one of his former mentors had been on the review committee back then. That mentor had significantly helped Qiu Chufeng secure his Martial Saint title.

Forget it!

thought Lin Yuzhi in anger.

He clenched his teeth and raged, "Qiu Chufeng! You deserved to die!"

It would have been fine if Qiu Chufeng had just died, but Lin Yuzhi had been dragged into this mess because of him!

His dealings with the Gu family had been progressing smoothly. He could pin his first failure on his lack of skill and poor planning. At worst, the Gu family would think he was incompetent and underestimate him.

But now... he had failed for a second time!

He had called the Gu family again, confidently assuring them that he could help push Gu Haoran to take first place in Jiang Province. With that achievement under Gu Haoran's belt, he could easily rise to prominence through the national competition. But now...

His arrangements had failed yet again!

One failure might be forgivable, but not two!

What would the Gu family think? How would they view him now?

They wouldn't care about the absurdity of an Aura Force martial artist killing a Martial Saint, nor would they consider Gu Haoran's bad luck in facing a dark horse like Li Pin. They would only think that Lin Yuzhi was toying with them! They would think that he was taking them for fools, like they were puppets he was manipulating!

If it really came to that, they would no longer simply be disappointed! They wouldn't only think little of him, they would be thoroughly offended!

Offending the Gu family!

The more Lin Yuzhi thought about it, the angrier he became! He glanced at the expensive tea set worth over a million on his desk.... With a swift motion, he swept everything off the table.

Clink, clatter!

Everything shattered into pieces.

"My set..." After smashing it, he felt a pang of heartache. This was his favorite porcelain set. "My tea set..."

However, Lin Yuzhi quickly shaked the heartache off. Now wasn't the time for him to grieve over a broken tea set. He had to find a way to mend the situation.

If it weren't for that phone call an hour ago, he might still have had wiggle room. However, not anymore. Now that he had made the call, if he went back on his word....

He could already imagine what would happen.

The next time he had a chance to advance, the Gu Family's old patriarch might say something like, "Xiaolin is excellent, but still young. Young people need more honing before they can take on great responsibilities and shoulder the mission of revitalizing Taibai's martial arts world."

And then...

Snap.

His future would be crushed. No more career advancement.

Therefore... for the sake of his own future, he had to make a decision.

Lin Yuzhi forced himself to calm down. He pieced together the causes and consequences, and in the end... all the problems pointed to one person.

Li Pin!

Lin Yuzhi began to review the intelligence he had gathered on Li Pin.

He began martial arts training at fourteen, and within five years, appeared to have achieved Core Force. He paused his martial arts practice for three years, in which he focused on his university studies.

Upon returning to martial arts, he quickly advanced to the Core Formation realm, drawing on the contemplation and reflection he had done during his three years of hiatus.

In battles with figures like Wang Daoyi, Demonic Sand, Zhang Chiyan, and Han Li, he seemed to have gained insights into the Aura Force realm.

As for his age... he was still a month shy of turning twenty-three.

"A martial arts prodigy...."

Lin Yuzhi studied the file.

Each time he read about the rise of young prodigies, he couldn't help but reflect on how the younger generation always surpassed the older one.

However, simultaneously, he also harbored a subtle sense of disgust toward them.

Their brilliance highlighted his own inadequacies.

He resented them for their ignorance. How could these fledglings understand the efforts and sacrifices of the older generation? If not for the older generation who have fought to establish prosperity and stability in the Taibai martial arts world, how could these talented individuals have had such a peaceful environment to cultivate in?

Looking back several decades, life-and-death battles among martial artists were common. New martial arts factions would spring up almost daily, while old ones would be wiped out. The competition in the martial world was ten times more brutal than it is now!

But now... thanks to their efforts, the martial arts world had become orderly. Because of them, individuals and factions could coexist peacefully. These were their accomplishments. They had sacrificed so much for the martial arts world! Their high positions, privileges, and respect were well-earned!

Why should these youngsters, simply relying on boldness and a willingness to fight, think they deserve to rise to the top? Wasn't that turning back the clock on history?

Ring, ring!

At that moment, Lin Yuzhi's phone rang again.

As he answered the call, the urgent voice of his loyal deputy chairman came through.

—Chairman, something has happened! The Five Elements Sect has stormed the Solar Vermillion Sect! The Solar Vermillion Sect... is finished!

"What!?" Lin Yuzhi's eyes flashed with cold fury. "The Five Elements Sect!? How dare they!?"

The deputy chairman quickly narrated what had transpired in detail.

When Lin Yuzhi learned that all of this was related to Li Pin, he blew his top, his anger boiling over.

"Li Pin! Li Pin again!"

The deputy chairman inquired over the phone.

—Chairman, I've received word that Lian Hongchen is already on his way to the Solar Vermillion Sect. What should we do next?

Lin Yuzhi clenched his teeth and thought for a moment. After a moment, he decisively said, "I was the one who had approved of the Five Elements Sect and the Solar Vermillion Sect's 'martial exchange.' Legally, we can't touch them... But the Solar Vermillion Sect's assets are worth billions. We can't let the Five Elements Sect and Lian Hongchen walk away with this for nothing! You go ahead first, I'll be there shortly!"

The deputy chairman responded.

—Understood.

Lin Yuzhi hung up the phone and was about to move, but then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he stopped.

He couldn't get directly involved in this matter. If he did, he would go from being the strategist to just another piece on the board.

He composed himself, carefully analyzing the situation. Gradually, he sat back in his seat.

"This whole situation poses no real threat to me. Whether it's Li Pin, the Solar Vermillion Sect, the Five Elements Sect, or even Lian Hongchen, they are all mere pawns, unworthy of being my opponents. If I personally intervene, I risk losing my status," Lin Yuzhi mused audibly, his tone calm.

He was the chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society!

A level-two government official of Taibai, only two steps away from entering the central government and making national policy decisions!

How could such a status be compared to factions like the Solar Vermillion Sect and the Five Elements Sect?

Lin Yuzhi shook his head and smiled. "I almost lost myself there."

In the entire incident involving Li Pin, Lian Hongchen, the Five Elements Sect, and the Solar Vermillion Sect, the only one who truly had an impact on him was Li Pin. The reason for mentioning Li Pin was related to the Gu family's pursuit of first place in Jiang Province. This was the real issue he needed to address personally.

As for the Five Elements Sect and the Solar Vermillion Sect? He considered it a small sacrifice to create a bigger conflict between them.

He refocused his attention on Gu Haoran's information. With Gu Haoran's strength, as long as he didn't face Li Pin, securing the top spot was a given.

"With Lian Hongchen protecting you, I don't have a compelling reason to intervene personally, but... the investigation team can."

Lin Yuzhi sneered and quickly reviewed the evidence of the Solar Vermillion Sect's collusion with Zhou Chaoguang against Li Pin, as well as their attempts to sabotage him.

Then he made a phone call.

"Hahaha! Captain Wang, sorry for the late call. I've come across some new information that I believe will be very useful for your investigation."

—

Oh?

The person on the other end sounded a bit surprised.

The investigation team held significant authority, akin to imperial inspectors for local sects like the Solar Vermillion Sect. However, Lin Yuzhi was the chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society, a powerful regional figure.

This was also why the Solar Vermillion Sect, when being targeted by the investigation team, could only seek a breakthrough through Lin Yuzhi. Only Lin Yuzhi could shield them from the investigation team's pressure.

"From what I know, Qiu Chufeng of the Solar Vermillion Sect has indeed bribed the arbitration committee and arranged for Zhou Chaoguang to be the referee to ensure his sect's disciple would make it into the top spot in the Jiang Province Martial Competition."

Lin Yuzhi gave a brief overview of the events. Then, with a smile, he said, " The Solar Vermillion Sect is the culprit behind everything!"

The captain of the investigation team, Wang Tianyi, was somewhat surprised.

Is Lin Yuzhi actually betraying the Solar Vermillion Sect?

For a moment, Wang Tianyi was puzzled.

—Chairman Lin, you mean...

"As officials of the Taibai Kingdom the public deeply trusted, we must ensure the fairness and integrity of the martial competition," Lin Yuzhi said with righteous indignation. "The Solar Vermillion Sect's interference with the competition is unforgivable. According to the competition's regulations, we must swiftly bring those involved to justice and seize all assets related to the Solar Vermillion Sect."

With these words, he was clearly suggesting that the investigation team should take over the entire Solar Vermillion Sect. Such decisiveness...

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

—Indeed, Chairman Lin. As public servants dedicated to the martial arts community across the kingdom, we must do everything in our power to uphold the order of the martial arts world. I will assemble a team to investigate the Solar Vermillion Sect. Is there anything specific you would like us to focus on during the investigation?

"Handle it as you see fit, Captain Wang," Lin Yuzhi replied. However, he seemed to have recalled something, and he added, "However, not long ago, Qiu Chufeng, the Sect Master of the Solar Vermillion Sect, provided some information attempting to frame competitors in the martial competition. Though I find the information questionable, since he is directly involved, I hope you can investigate him thoroughly."

—Involved in the incident?

Wang Tianyi immediately understood what he meant. He smiled and responded.

—Rest assured, Chairman Lin, we will handle it according to the law. We will not let any evildoer go free, nor will we falsely accuse any innocent person.