The moment Zhu Cheng struck with his palm, the pockmarked face suddenly floated back like a falling leaf; his body technique was so elusive and bizarre that it startled Zhu Cheng.
The pockmarked face landed lightly and was already standing at the doorway of the room.
He didn’t even glance at Zhu Cheng; with a backhand, he opened the door and attempted to flee.
As the door opened, a flash of sunlight revealed a black shadow standing at the entrance. The pockmarked face had yet to see clearly who it was when he felt an intense, cramp-like pain in his dantian, his body flying backward, landing at Zhu Cheng’s feet inside the room.
Duan Rong stood at the doorway, stepped into the room, and closed the door behind him.
Blood dripped from the pockmarked face’s mouth. In the moment he fell, he realized his dantian was already destroyed. He flipped his hand, trying to stuff a pill into his mouth, but Zhu Cheng was beside him and wouldn’t allow it. Zhu Cheng stomped on the wrist holding the pill, pinning it to the ground.
"Crack!"
The wrist of the pockmarked face was broken under Zhu Cheng’s foot, veins bulging on his forehead, and his face covered in cold sweat.
The pill in his hand fell and rolled in front of a pair of black boots. Duan Rong bent down, picked up the pill, lightly sniffed it at his nose, furrowed his brow, and said, "Such a potent poison!"
Though just a sniff, Duan Rong could already determine this pill was even more potent than Shen Ping’s First Grade Red.
Lying on the ground, the pockmarked face looked at Duan Rong walking in from the door, his face ashen, asking resentfully, "How did you find me?"
That day, Ge Rusong, in the Elder Hall, after Zhu He was challenged, Zhu He admitted he had sent Duan Rong to infiltrate the Divine Cloud Prefecture to search for spies.
Ge Rusong, though suspecting Zhu He of making excuses, still sent messages to the various leadership points in the Divine Cloud Prefecture, advising them to remain hidden and vigilant.
This pockmarked face was, in fact, the head of the Ministry of Justice’s base here. Receiving the message, he was indifferent, agreeing with Ge Rusong that Zhu He’s words were just a fabricated reason to counter the challenge in the Elder Hall. Moreover, he believed that after six or seven years of infiltration at the Ministry of Justice, even if Duan Rong were spying for traitors, he wouldn’t leave any clues for Duan Rong to find.
But he was exposed!
Watching Duan Rong walking towards him, he realized his mistake; the person in front of him was far more terrifying than he’d imagined.
Duan Rong stopped in front of the pockmarked face, saying lightly, "Half a year ago, I already knew you killed the Temple Director of the Ministry of Justice, Zhou Wei."
The pockmarked face froze for a moment, then said, "Impossible! Nonsense!"
Duan Rong chuckled and said, "Your hidden weapon technique is called the Ruyi Three-fold Hand, isn’t it?"
Upon hearing this, the pockmarked face’s eyes widened as if he’d seen a ghost, glaring at Duan Rong. Even Ge Rusong didn’t know the name of that hidden weapon technique, so how could this person know so clearly?
Duan Rong said, "I’m telling you this to persuade you. During the interrogation later, don’t hold onto secrets; I already know what there is to know. Don’t make your death more painful! There’s no need!"
"You..."
The pockmarked face seemed to want to say something more, but Duan Rong gave him no chance. His sleeve shook, and a cloud of misty medicinal powder spread onto the pockmarked face, who immediately passed out.
When Zhou Wei died, a flying saber had pierced his throat, pinning him to a tree. Duan Rong had uncovered the identity of the pockmarked face by devouring the Artifact Spirit in that flying saber; naturally, he knew the pockmarked face’s flying saber technique.
Duan Rong gazed at Zhu Cheng and said, "Take him to a secluded place and interrogate him thoroughly! There must be more spies within the Ministry of Justice."
"Yes!" Zhu Cheng gave a slight bow, then grabbed the pockmarked face off the ground and quickly arrived at the door with a leap. Opening the door, Zhu Peng was already waiting there. Seeing Zhu Cheng emerge, he immediately placed a burlap sack over the pockmarked face and threw the sack into an empty box by his feet.
Zhu Peng and Zhu Cheng then carried this box towards a carriage in the backyard.
Actually, the best place to interrogate a criminal would be the dungeon of the Ministry of Justice, but there might be spies there as well. So, Duan Rong had previously instructed Zhu Cheng to find another place to interrogate the person.
Duan Rong remained in the cramped room of the pockmarked face until Zhu Cheng and Zhu Peng carried the box out of sight around the corner of the corridor, retracting his Divine Sense slightly, only covering the surroundings of the room.
Duan Rong suddenly picked up an inkstone from the side table and thought to himself, "Read the Artifact Spirit."
Meanwhile, Zhu Peng and Zhu Cheng placed the box inside the carriage compartment.
Zhu Peng looked at Zhu Cheng and asked quietly, "Where to?"
Zhu Cheng replied, "To my house. You watch the box, I’ll drive!"
"Alright!" Zhu Peng jumped into the carriage compartment.
Zhu Cheng then leaped onto the driver’s seat and drove the carriage towards a side gate in the backyard of the Ministry of Justice.
The sound of the carriage wheels faded away, while nearby, from behind a large banana tree, a round head peered out. Dressed as a servant, this person worked in the Ministry of Justice’s backyard, overseeing the horses.
Inside the pockmarked face’s room, Duan Rong continued to devour the items within. Given the pockmarked face’s cultivation in the True Qi Realm Third Level and that he had personally murdered Zhou Wei, Duan Rong could almost be certain that this pockmarked face was the head of the Ministry of Justice’s base.
The pockmarked face had been infiltrating the Ministry of Justice for six or seven years, and any item in this room and their Artifact Spirits could potentially hold clues for further investigation. Therefore, Duan Rong had no intention of letting any of them go unchecked.