Duan Tianya: “Ding Peng’s whereabouts have been investigated. He is indeed not dead, and he has mastered the Divine Blade Slash and inherited the Demon Blade ‘Listening to Spring Rain All Night in a Small Building’.”

　　Guihai Yidao, who was also a swordsman, previously only regarded Fu Hongxue as his target, but now he has undoubtedly added a brand new name, “Ding Peng,” which can be considered Guihai Yidao’s ultimate goal.

　　”So, the person who appeared at Qunyu Courtyard that day really was him.”

　　”His appearance is indeed similar to the portrait, but he is from outside the pass. However, his sword is terrifying. He defeated the combined forces of the six major sect leaders outside the pass with a single strike at the Round Moon Manor, which he founded. These included the leaders of the Tianshan Sect, Kunlun Sect, and Kongtong Sect. It is indeed very possible that he is a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm, which has already exceeded the scope of ordinary Grandmasters of the Innate Realm.”

　　”The appearance, moves, cultivation level, and even the demonic sword he uses are almost identical, but there is one major point of doubt: Ding Peng does not know the art of creating clones, so he cannot appear in both the border region and the capital at the same time. Has the gap period been confirmed?” Shangguan Haitang is very good at grasping the key points, and she immediately got to the point.

　　”It cannot be confirmed, but Ding Peng is always accompanied by a woman, his wife Qingqing, a beautiful woman who likes to wear blue clothes.”

　　”Understood. The information we have now is that Ding Peng, who appeared in the capital, is alone, and there is no trace of him or his wife along the way. It’s as if he suddenly appeared in the capital and then suddenly disappeared. His main area of ​​activity is outside the Great Wall, that area outside the Great Wall?”

　　”That area in Qinghai.”

　　”Then isn’t that very close to the Western Regions? Interesting, very interesting.” Shangguan Haitang had already figured out the problem here, and it was probably related to that guy Zhang Lingyu.

　　”Is there any news about Wan Sanqian?” Shangguan Haitang had just returned and hadn’t yet had access to much information, but she was good at grasping the key points and directly asked the most crucial questions.

　　”No trace of him, neither alive nor dead. However, his several treasure vaults and secret chambers have been raided, and a lot of gold, silver and rare treasures have disappeared without a trace. No one has seen anyone break in; they appear out of thin air like ghosts and then vanish just as suddenly. This is what’s giving us the biggest headache.”

　　Duan Tianya is almost bald now. This case is too difficult to solve. Even if he and Jiang Jinjiu join forces, they can’t solve it. It’s a hundred or a thousand times more difficult than catching the Embroidered Thief.

　　Even the conclusion drawn from “Drinking Alone Under the Moon” is not something a human could make. It truly appears out of thin air and disappears just as suddenly, and it can also store things and be moved by five ghosts. This is something completely beyond his comprehension, as if it were the work of an immortal.

　　Shangguan Haitang took the closing statement from “Bring in the Wine” and began to read it.

　　In ancient times, there were also case closure reports after the trial was completed.

　　This is generally called the closing statement.

　　Both parties in the case need to give their own statements.

　　Acknowledge your own problems.

　　Afterwards, signatures and fingerprints are required for the closing statement to take effect, and only then can the case be concluded and judged.

　　”Jiang Jinjiu’s judgment was correct. I believe him. This case is not something an ordinary person would do; it’s beyond our capabilities. We have no choice but to admit defeat. The best option is to stay away and not waste any more time and energy. We should find a way to clean up the mess. Wan Sanqian is most likely already dead.”

　　In fact, Zhu Wushi also had this judgment, but he was worried that Wan Sanqian might have said something he shouldn’t have, so he pressed Shangguan Haitang for an answer: “Wan Sanqian doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would directly reveal all his secrets. At least he must be hiding some treasures that no one will know about.”

　　”Many religions have secret techniques like the Heart-Questioning Mantra, including Western illusions, the Thousand Doors Illusion, Taoism, Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, the White Lotus Sect, and some cults from Persia. Even the Ming Cult might have them. Wan Sanqian, an ordinary person, doesn’t understand spirit cultivation. He might have been affected by such a secret technique.”

　　Zhu Wushi was also flustered upon hearing this, but he still sighed and said, “Then let’s leave it at that for now. The delegation from Izumo has already arrived in the capital. From now on, you, Haitang, will be in charge of this matter. I don’t trust anyone else right now, so I trust you. I believe that you will definitely not let your godfather down.”

　　Duan Tianya silently stepped aside, knowing that he had not done a good job this time. Haitang could analyze the same information in a few words and give the most reasonable advice, while he was completely clueless and had no idea how to start, and could only struggle with various issues.

　　Shangguan Haitang also knew about this matter, and it was said that he planned to offer a beauty as tribute to curry favor with the Ming Dynasty.

　　Of course, all of this is just the surface story. Nobody comes to the temple without a reason. The reason why Izumo Kingdom rushed over to send the princess was actually because they hoped to get the protection of the Ming Dynasty, because Japan was not behaving itself and wanted to annex the neighboring Izumo Kingdom.

　　Izumo was a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty and a bridgehead for the Ming Dynasty to restrain Japan. It had great strategic value. As long as she wasn’t too ugly, she would most likely be taken into the imperial harem.

　　Sometimes being an emperor can be quite frustrating and helpless. The woman you want to marry is completely different from the woman you actually end up marrying. It’s not as simple as many people think, where you can find any kind of beauty you want.

　　”Oh, right, there’s another possibility, I almost forgot to mention it. I only thought of it after hearing about it at the Jiangnan Martial Arts Conference.” Shangguan Haitang suddenly remembered something and said directly, “There are Jurchens near Shanhaiguan, who are the remnants of the former Jin Dynasty. Their current leader is called the Formless King, who cultivates the Formless Divine Skill. It is colorless and formless, and can transform into anyone. As long as he has seen any martial art, he can simulate it through the Formless Divine Skill and unleash its power no less than the original.”

　　Master Liaojie fought this person twenty years ago, when he was already a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm. It was in that battle that Master Liaojie suffered internal injuries, causing him to fall from the Grandmaster of the Innate Realm and become unable to maintain his strength. This is why he relinquished his position as abbot and went to the Southern Shaolin Temple to become the abbot of its branch.

　　”The Formless Divine Skill, the Formless King… I see. Haitang, your analysis is very likely. I will send someone to Shanhaiguan to investigate this Formless King. The Formless Divine Skill is one of the ten great divine skills in the martial arts world. In terms of knowledge, there are really few who can compare to Zhang Lingyu. With such a divine skill in hand, it is very possible that he has already broken through to the realm of the Innate Grandmaster. In this way, everything makes sense.”