Chapter 32: Zhao Wanqing's Investigation Begins
At that moment, Ah Nian deeply regretted not reading more books. Her mind went completely blank, unable to think of any elegant way to describe the boy's condition—who was now, by every measure, on the verge of becoming a cripple.
The young man's future looked grim; even feeding himself with both hands might soon be impossible.
Ah Nian had removed one silver needle—from his left arm—and even then, the meridians there were nearly ruined. If he managed to lift his arm to eat again, that alone would be a miracle worthy of praise.
As for the other acupoints still sealed with needles, movement was likely out of the question.
The blood qi inside him had begun churning violently through his meridians.
And the paralysis extended beyond his limbs; his lower body, too, had been sealed by the needles.
In theory…
Ah Nian had never seen this young man before—clearly a new recruit of the Demon Suppression Bureau. His sister, Zhao Wanqing, was notoriously cold and aloof, never bothering with introductions or pleasantries.
Had she known he was her brother, Ah Nian would have risked everything to pull out those lower-body needles herself.
And who knew what mission the boy had been assigned? It was clearly one with a high danger level.
"At least the lad's still alive, isn't he?" Ah Nian finally offered, trying to comfort the terrifying woman before her.
Zhao Wanqing's hand moved instinctively to the short blade at her waist. She didn't turn around, and Ah Nian immediately felt that her words had backfired.
Her tone was cool and razor-sharp. "You placed these needles?"
"No… but don't misunderstand!" Ah Nian said quickly. "Without those needles, the kid would've been dead already. I checked—they were inserted only recently."
Zhao Wanqing nodded slightly, acknowledging her explanation.
Then she drew her short blade and lightly lifted one of the meridians with its edge. The blood qi inside the boy's body immediately surged toward the fresh stream of spiritual energy she had released.
Her expression didn't change. She pulled out a talisman from her belt, pressed it against the blade, and let it absorb a trace of the blood qi before sealing it away again.
She then resealed the small incision.
Zhao Wanqing wasn't a trained physician. Dealing with ravaged meridians while suppressing malevolent blood qi was not her specialty.
Handling the blood qi itself was simple enough—but doing so without further damaging the meridians was nearly impossible.
She hadn't done it to heal him; she only needed a sample of the blood qi.
After one last glance at her unconscious younger brother, Zhao Wanqing turned and strode out of the infirmary.
"I'll leave him in your care, Physician Ah Nian."
"Just doing my job," Ah Nian replied softly.
Once outside, Zhao Wanqing headed straight for the records room.
Her brother had been assigned to the Bureau's Second Division. She hadn't mentioned this to anyone—could this be revenge against her?
She swiftly searched through the mission logs and soon found the relevant file.
Case: Investigation into the disappearance of villagers from Wangjia Village.
Leader: A senior officer she recognized—an old hand known for competence.
Since her brother had been fished out of the river, the Bureau had already dispatched people to dredge the waters, searching for other missing operatives. Another team had been sent to Wangjia Village to continue the investigation.
The Bureau had responded swiftly.
Eliminating the possibility of personal revenge, Zhao Wanqing reasoned that since the veteran officer's life and death were still unknown, at least her brother had survived—barely.
But she also understood that if the investigation was left solely to the Bureau, the truth would take far too long to surface.
If it had been a beast attack, they would've flooded the area with manpower immediately.
But this was clearly human malice—a deliberate ambush. Such cases were always slower to unravel.
Humans, after all, were far more cunning than monsters.
And with the Bureau stretched thin, few investigators could be spared.
She would have to start her own inquiry—quietly.
Taking the file in hand, Zhao Wanqing turned sharply and strode out toward the bustling streets.
——————————
Bamboo Jade Pavilion.
In Yaoqin's room, several books lay open before her. A dark-red Blood Qi Spirit Stone hovered midair, suspended within a formation array.
She held a volume in one hand, reading carefully while using her other to adjust the formation, trying to reverse the process of the blood qi's corruption.
Moments later, the spirit stone flared with a crimson light, shattering the array in an instant.
Yaoqin's expression tightened. "Damn it…"
Standing nearby, her maid A-Ling spoke softly. "Miss… please rest for a while. You haven't slept in days. Why bother so much over that scoundrel?"
Yaoqin rubbed her temples lightly, her pale fingers brushing her brow. "Alright, I understand. You can go."
A-Ling sighed inwardly. That tone never meant she was actually going to rest—it only meant she wanted her maid gone so she could continue her work in peace.
"Miss…"
"Go out first," Yaoqin said, her tone flat and unwavering.
A-Ling could only sigh softly, bowing before stepping out of the room.
Once her maid's footsteps faded, Yaoqin closed her eyes for a short moment of rest before reopening them and resetting the formation.
She had to admit, ever since Chu Xingchen's cultivation had advanced, the things he entrusted to her had become increasingly difficult.
Even with the reference materials available from her sect, this spirit stone was no simple problem to resolve.
But since he had personally asked, she had agreed.
She began another round of testing, and as expected, it failed again.
The formation shattered under the backlash of the blood qi, and the spirit stone fell to the table with a crisp clink.
A trace of discouragement flickered through her chest, though she reminded herself that every failure brought her one step closer to progress.
It wasn't the first time, nor the second. After a deep breath, she steadied her composure and prepared to resume when a voice came from outside.
"Miss, Lady Zhao wishes to see you."
Yaoqin answered without hesitation, "I'm busy. I won't see her."
Silence lingered briefly before A-Ling's voice came again, slightly hesitant.
"Miss, she said it's urgent."
Yaoqin exhaled softly, slipped the blood qi spirit stone into her sleeve, and replied, "Let her in."
The door opened moments later.
Yaoqin lifted her gaze to see Zhao Wanqing entering, her usual calm and composed demeanor dimmed. The confidence that always marked her expression had faded.
"I'm busy lately," Yaoqin said coldly. "Say what you came for and then leave."
Zhao Wanqing stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "I need your help."
"No." The refusal came instantly.
Everyone seemed to think she had infinite time and energy. One after another, they came seeking her assistance—as if she had nothing better to do than solve their problems.
But Zhao Wanqing didn't react to the rejection. Instead, she calmly placed a talisman on the table—a seal containing blood qi.
"I need you to examine this blood qi and tell me what kind it is. It attacked a member of the Demon Suppression Bureau. If you ever need my help in the future, I won't refuse."
Blood qi?
Yaoqin, who had been ready to dismiss her outright, froze slightly. Her eyes flicked to the talisman on the table.
It couldn't be…
After a moment's hesitation, she reached out and took it.
As spiritual energy flowed into the talisman, she immediately felt the violent aura within it surge and writhe.
Her grip tightened around the paper charm, and her eyes closed briefly in frustration. "I understand. I'll let you know once I have results."
Zhao Wanqing blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Yaoqin to agree so readily. She had prepared herself for a cold dismissal—and possibly a slammed door.
But seeing Yaoqin's reaction, a question formed in her mind. The musician clearly recognized something about this blood qi.
Still, Zhao Wanqing trusted Yaoqin's integrity and the powerful sect backing her. That was enough.
"Thank you," Zhao Wanqing said, bowing once more before leaving promptly.
Yaoqin did not watch her go. She stood silently, her gaze lingering on the sealed talisman, her expression darkening.
The same type of blood qi… as the spirit stone Chu Xingchen had brought her.
And now it had appeared in the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Something was beginning to connect—and it wasn't a coincidence.
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