Chapter 474: Trust

Chu Liang had never expected that his first time visiting the capital of Yu would be under these circumstances.

He had always thought he would come here during the Assembly of Immortal Sects, carrying the glory of Mount Shu. Who would have guessed he’d arrive earlier than expected, at the risk of tarnishing Mount Shu’s reputation?

As he followed Li Chengfeng straight to the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, Chu Liang didn’t even get a chance to marvel at the splendor and vastness of the greatest city in the nine provinces.

Despite bearing the responsibility of overseeing the entire empire, the headquarters of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau in the capital was surprisingly modest. It consisted of a simple courtyard with black eaves and weathered tiles. As one ventured further inside, they would find there wasn’t much more to it.

Perhaps, given the high cost of land in the capital and the relatively small number of cultivators stationed here, such extravagance simply wasn’t necessary.

This was Chu Liang’s first time meeting the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner.

Just a few days ago, the Commissioner had intervened in the Southern Regions, but by the time he arrived, Chu Liang had already left, with the use of Shattering the Void. And so, they never met.

The first sight that greeted him was an old man basking in the sunlight of the back courtyard. His appearance was refined and serene, yet he exuded an air of mystical power. The plants and spirit flora around him thrived with unusual vibrance, as if their vitality was drawn toward him, flourishing in his presence.

There was no doubt about the identity of this man.

He was Qi Yingxuan, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner.

"Back already?" Qi Yingxuan greeted them with a smile as he saw Li Chengfeng leading Chu Liang over. Without a visible gesture, two chairs drifted out from within the house. "Sit."

Li Chengfeng and Chu Liang each took their seat.

Chu Liang felt a slight sense of relief. The attitude of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau was, surprisingly, quite welcoming.

"It went smoothly, but I agreed to let Mount Shu's disciple, Jiang Yuebai, assist in the investigation," Li Chengfeng reported.

"That's good to hear," Qi Yingxuan said cheerfully, his gaze shifting to Chu Liang. "I too refuse to believe that you killed those people."

"Sir, you trust me?" Chu Liang asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Of course," Qi Yingxuan replied. "I know quite a bit about you. I'm aware of the great deeds you've accomplished, including saving countless lives in the Southern Regions just a few days ago. Nothing in your actions suggests you're a ruthless killer."

"I am honored," Chu Liang replied respectfully.

He had heard rumors that the Imperial Supervisory Bureau investigated all exceptional disciples from the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. All these findings were presented directly to the Commissioner.

After all, the Imperial Supervisory Bureau needed to select some of them for official positions.

Oftentimes, the Mount Shu Sect would send its disciples to serve at the Imperial Supervisory Bureau. As a matter of fact, some would even stay for a long period of time. Chu Liang had never imagined he’d find himself here so soon—especially under such unexpected circumstances.

However, despite the Commissioner having read his profile and record, Chu Liang knew it wouldn’t matter much. After all, it was still rare for a young disciple to leave a lasting impression on someone like Qi Yingxuan, who had reviewed the records of countless disciples throughout his lifetime.

"Still, no matter how much I trust you, I cannot allow personal judgment to sway the course of this case," Qi Yingxuan said solemnly. "We will work with the Mount Shu Sect to uncover the truth, but if all the evidence continues to point to you, I cannot let you walk free. That is our duty."

"I understand," Chu Liang replied calmly. "I believe that as the investigation unfolds, the truth will reveal itself."

"Well, since you're here, let's not waste the opportunity," Qi Yingxuan said with a smile as he stood up. "Come with me."

With that, the old man turned and strode back into the house.

Chu Liang cast a glance at Li Chengfeng, who smiled and said, "When the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner calls for you, you should go. Not everyone is allowed entry into that quiet room."

Chu Liang, feeling puzzled, followed the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner inside.

This appeared to be where the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner handled official matters. Stacks of documents were piled high on the desk, resembling a small mountain of paperwork.

Qi Yingxuan sat down at the desk, his gaze sweeping over the scrolls before him.

"In the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, there are 268 cultivators at the sixth realm, 19 at the seventh realm, and only 2 at the eighth realm," he began. "Yet, every day, thousands of letters pour in from across the land of the nine provinces, each one requesting aid."

Though the Imperial Supervisory Bureau was huge, it was always short-staffed; otherwise, they wouldn’t have to continually request that the immortal sects dispatch personnel.

"My subordinates must assess each case, determine how to allocate manpower, or request assistance from nearby sects," Qi Yingxuan explained. "The cases that come to me are the most challenging. They dare not make any judgments on their own, so the final decision ultimately rests with me."

Qi Yingxuan looked up at Chu Liang, his gaze tinged with a hint of expectation.

"Your records indicate that you're a highly intelligent individual. Since you'll be here for a few days, would you like to take a look?"

...

Chu Liang was indeed a highly intelligent person.

Even if he truly intended to seize a treasure, he would never do so by killing in broad daylight. Not only did the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner believe this, but so did the people of Mount Shu, which included Jiang Yuebai.

Their belief in his intellect was one thing, but their trust in his status was another.

After these days of business dealings, the disciples of his generation had no idea of how much wealth Chu Liang had amassed. Yet, one thing was certain: he was the richest person on Mount Shu.

The disciples of Mount Shu were renowned for their frugality among the sects in the Divine Nine. Aside from expenses related to cultivation and enchanted tools, even the Guardian Elders found it difficult to save any extra wealth.

But Chu Liang was different. After bringing about such significant changes on Mount Shu, he had transcended the traditional means of earning sword coins through tasks. He could lounge about all day, and still, piles of spirit stones would roll into his pockets.

While the Jade Pot Celestial Plant was undoubtedly valuable, for Chu Liang, the effort required to make a trip to Myriad Poison Mountain was nearly equivalent to what he could automatically earn in that time.

It wasn't that wealthy individuals wouldn't kill for treasures; rather, there was simply no need for someone like him to resort to such drastic and risky measures.

Of course, beyond his wealth and intelligence, the most important factor was their trust in his character.

Though he sometimes seemed sly, like a cunning little fox, he always stood firm on matters of principle.

That was why Jiang Yuebai trusted him.

Dressed in white and appearing like the radiant light of the full moon, Jiang Yuebai’s presence illuminated the shadowy gloom of Myriad Poison Mountain.

Jiang Yuebai gracefully landed on the ground.

Her trust in Chu Liang, while unwavering, was of little use. She needed to find the evidence to prove his innocence as quickly as possible.

Before Chu Liang left, he took the time to explain his thoughts and insights from the past two days, sharing the key points and uncertainties surrounding the case.

Chu Liang suspected that his involvement in the case was purely coincidental.

On the day of the first incident, Chu Liang had been randomly teleported near Myriad Poison Mountain. Even he had no idea where he would end up, making it unlikely that the killer had specifically targeted him.

His encounter with the "loving" family of three from the Red River Sect had been pure coincidence. They were then killed that day, and the killer employed methods that mimicked Chu Liang's.

The sect leader's wife had been killed with a single punch, while Elder Bai and a male disciple were cleaved in half by the sword qi of the Heaven-Raising Sword...

The odds of such a coincidence were incredibly small.

This suggested that the killer was intentionally imitating Chu Liang.

If it had been just this one case, Chu Liang would not have been accused of murder. However, in the second case, the framing was executed with even greater meticulousness.

In the second case, the killer had taken on the appearance of Chu Liang.

However, Chu Liang’s trip to Myriad Poison Mountain was known to no one, meaning his presence in Demon Spider Forest was purely coincidental.

The similarity between the two cases lay in the fact that he happened to encounter members of the Red River Sect by chance both times.

That was likely the reason the killer chose to frame him.

Since he had actually been to those locations and met those individuals, there was no alibi to prove his innocence.

After a quick analysis, Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai concluded that both cases had targeted the Red River Sect, and the framing of Chu Liang was likely incidental—simply a consequence of his presence at both scenes.

Perhaps the killer had a personal grudge against Chu Liang or Mount Shu.

However, those matters could be addressed later. There was a straightforward way to prove Chu Liang’s innocence.

The witnesses in the second case claimed to have seen Chu Liang kill the victims and then take the Jade Pot Celestial Plant he had scavenged from their bodies. Given that the plant was indeed in his possession, it was difficult to refute their statements.

In truth, however, Chu Liang had harvested the Jade Pot Celestial Plant himself from behind the waterfall.

The Imperial Supervisory Bureau employed the Shadow of Radiance technique on the divine souls of the witnesses, recreating the scene of what had happened during the crime. However, since several days had passed, the members of the Bureau were unable to recreate the moment when Chu Liang plucked part of the Jade Pot Celestial Plant from the cave behind the waterfall.

But there was another witness present at the time.

The little butterfly Chu Liang had saved.

Without it, Chu Liang wouldn’t have even known the location of the Jade Pot Immortal Plant. The butterfly had witnessed him picking the plant firsthand.

If they could prove that Chu Liang had indeed picked the Jade Pot Immortal Plant himself, it would reveal that the scene described by the witnesses was fake, thereby establishing his innocence.

When Chu Liang spoke with the butterfly, he asked where it was from. It had replied that its home was on the outskirts of Myriad Poison Mountain, several dozen li away from Demon Spider Forest, in a place known as Butterfly Fairy Valley.

Now, Jiang Yuebai has arrived at Butterfly Fairy Valley, searching for the little butterfly.