Having settled on a plan, Li Qingxian headed to the training grounds beside the County Magistrate’s Office to summon all available constables and deputies.
Forty-three constables, three hundred and seventy strong men and civilian laborers.
Li Qingxian opened his Spiritual Eye and looked. A clear Destiny Image of the Twelve Longevity appeared above almost everyone’s head.
He was the Deputy Room Leader of the Patrol Bureau, a position equivalent to Senior Seventh Grade. He also had the foundation of a Ninth Grade Fate Master, augmented by his Spiritual Eye and Celestial Destiny Instrument. As a result, the Fate Grids of ordinary people were completely exposed before him.
Even so, there were ten people above whose heads no Qi Fortune appeared.
Li Qingxian remained impassive. He had everyone’s name called out and took note of these ten individuals.
Afterward, Li Qingxian found those with good Qi Fortune. He performed Observing Fate and Qi on them individually and expended Magical Power to view their Destiny Images, looking for people he needed.
Finally, Li Qingxian took Han Anbo, Yur Ping, and Zheng Gaojue into a nearby room. Outside, a Night Guard brought people in one by one.
Li Qingxian sat motionlessly while Han Anbo and the other two slowly questioned them about Beichang County and the rebels. Once they finished with one person, they brought in the next.
Each interview was kept to about ten minutes.
When the seventh person came in and the Night Guard left, Han Anbo was about to begin his questions. Li Qingxian raised a hand to stop him and looked at the sallow-faced constable, who wore a faint smile. "You’re Cui Baiyang, correct?"
"Reporting to you, My Lord, I am indeed Cui Baiyang," Cui Baiyang said.
"Your mother died when you were three, your younger brother died prematurely at four, your older sister drowned at seven, and your father passed away when you were seventeen. Correct?"
Cui Baiyang’s expression froze. He stiffly nodded in confirmation.
"As a mere constable, you’ve put quite a bit of effort into scrounging up money to support your mistress. You took money from Master Li half a year ago, and you swindled Zhangg the Seventh two months ago. You remember all that, don’t you?" After speaking, Li Qingxian picked up his teacup and slowly sipped from it, his head lowered.
Cui Baiyang was stunned speechless. He quickly remembered that this man was a Fate Master, gritted his teeth, and dropped to his knees.
"My Lord, spare me!" Cui Baiyang cried. "I only ask that you be lenient. I am willing to do anything for you."
"Do you know why I’m here?"
"To catch the rebels!" Cui Baiyang said.
"How do you plan to repay me?" Li Qingxian asked.
Cui Baiyang gritted his teeth and said, "I know all the rumors in the county. What’s more, I’m willing to secretly help you investigate the rebels, My Lord. I only ask that you keep my involvement confidential."
Li Qingxian smiled slightly. "If you are truly willing, I can give you the status of a Hidden Guard and guarantee your safety. But you must understand, if you try to play both sides and ruin the Emperor’s important work, not even the rebels will be able to protect you."
"Please rest assured, My Lord! My entire family and fortune are in Beichang County. I would never take such a risk."
The corners of Li Qingxian’s mouth curled up. "I chose you precisely because I knew you wouldn’t dare take such a risk. After all, you’re the type to go out at night, dressed in black with a blade, think things over and over, circle Zhangg the Seventh’s house three times, and then just go home to sleep."
Cui Baiyang’s face turned deathly pale, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his lips trembled slightly.
Han Anbo’s expression was calm, Yur Ping’s eyes gleamed with excitement, and Zheng Gaojue stared at Li Qingxian in disbelief.
Li Qingxian said, "Get up. Calm yourself, don’t let anyone see. Remember this man, Han Anbo—your Brother Han. From now on, you will be in single-line contact with him. You will answer to no one but him. Understand?"
"Understood!"
Cui Baiyang slowly rose to his feet, gently wiping the sweat from his brow. His gaze gradually steadied.
Li Qingxian took out a Calamity-Averting Talisman and tossed it casually. A gust of Magical Power carried the Spirit Talisman, making it float before Cui Baiyang.
"Since you’ll be working for me, wear this Talisman," Li Qingxian said.
Han Anbo added, "From this day on, your status is different. Aren’t you going to thank Lord Li?"
Cui Baiyang came to a sudden realization. A look of gratitude spread across his face as he dropped to his knees and kowtowed.
Li Qingxian accepted his three kowtows, then waved his hand. A surge of Magical Power brushed the dust from his forehead, hands, and knees.
Seeing that not a single trace of dust remained on his knees, Cui Baiyang grew even more respectful.
After Cui Baiyang left, Li Qingxian varied the length of the interviews. It took him a full two days to question everyone.
He made a temporary note of the ten people whose fates he could not see through directly. If he couldn’t find a breakthrough, he would expend Qi Fortune to search for clues from them.
If he could find clues through ordinary means, there would be no need to consume his precious Qi Fortune Fish.
In the end, by using his Fate Skill, he recruited seven reliable Hidden Guards.
Three were constables, and four were servants and strong men.
The seven Hidden Guards had operated locally for many years. They spilled everything they knew in a torrent of information.
The group repeatedly reviewed their testimonies. There were definitely rebels, and rumors were flying everywhere, but no one could say specifically who they were.
Li Qingxian thought for a moment and said, "Brother Han, you’re coming with me today. The rest of you, continue organizing the testimonies."
Li Qingxian and Han Anbo used Magic to disguise themselves and took a walk around Beichang County to get a feel for the situation.
The place truly lived up to its name as the "Little Divine Capital." It was extremely prosperous, with some goods priced even higher than in the Divine Capital itself.
The scions of rich families paraded with their hawks and horses, wealthy households and local tyrants ran rampant, while the common folk of Beichang County were cautious and timid.
In just one day of walking around, Li Qingxian witnessed three brawls. One was a full-blown clash between two groups, while the other two involved gangs of strong men and house servants bullying commoners.
Passing by a few places with unusual Trend Formations, Li Qingxian took a longer look.
As evening fell, Li Qingxian saw a group of people dressed in blue-black robes pass by up ahead.
Li Qingxian and Han Anbo exchanged a look.
Han Anbo whispered, "There are many kinds of black robes. Commoners can’t wear reddish-black, and purplish-black is impractical. There are all sorts of other shades, and I can’t really tell them apart. But the blue-black of the Ministry of Justice is unmistakable."
"Our Patrol Bureau is casting a wide net, but the Ministry of Justice might not be. I fear they’ve caught wind of something specific," Li Qingxian said.
"Should we continue our slow investigation, or should we speed things up?"
Li Qingxian thought for a moment. "Have someone investigate the men from the Ministry of Justice."
"Yes."
The next morning, as Li Qingxian was eating his rice porridge and fermented tofu, Han Anbo rushed in, his face grim.
"The brother sent to investigate the Ministry of Justice is dead."
"How dare they!" Li Qingxian said angrily.
"The Demon Sect has always been this way," Han Anbo said.
Li Qingxian froze for a moment. He sat down in his chair, put down his chopsticks, and his thoughts churned.
’Fate is full of Deceit and is ever-changing. Even if I can see the images of ordinary people, a powerful Fate Grid or the interference of a Trend Formation can cause a sudden shift.’
’If I had consumed a Qi Fortune Fish to take a peek at that Night Guard’s fate beforehand, perhaps I could have prevented his death.’
’But I don’t have many Qi Fortune Fish. Not nearly enough.’
’It’s impossible to use a Qi Fortune Fish every time I send someone out.’
Li Qingxian’s brow furrowed slightly.
"Is there any proof?"
"None. Even if you were to perform an Inference, the Imperial Court would not recognize it as evidence," Han Anbo said.
"Take me to the morgue."
Han Anbo led the way with Li Qingxian behind him. Yur Ping and Zheng Gaojue hurried to follow.
As they walked, Han Anbo explained, "I’ve investigated carefully, and the Forensic Doctor has examined him as well. There are traces of a Demonic Skill, but we don’t know which one specifically. His Night Guard token is also missing. I thought that with the token, he would have been able to get away safely even if discovered..."
When they reached the morgue, Li Qingxian looked toward the Night Guard’s corpse.
On a wooden table covered with a hemp cloth, the body was swollen and bloated. The face was completely black, and though the clothes were intact, the center of the skull had caved in, pooling with blood and filth.