Chapter 320 - 173: Projection of a Foreign Divine Artifact (Part 2)

Chapter 320: Chapter 173: Projection of a Foreign Divine Artifact (Part 2)

CLANG~

A sonorous chime, seeming to originate from the nine heavens yet reverberating deep in the soul of every person, echoed without warning over Lingshan New District.

The chime carried an indescribable weight and authority!

Immediately after, from the direction of the Government Office Building in the city center, a dazzling golden pillar of light shot toward the heavens with a tremendous roar, like a mythical pillar stabilizing the sky, piercing straight through the clouds!

Within the pillar of light, the illusory forms of a soaring Profound Bird and the nation’s mountains and rivers could be faintly seen, emitting a vast aura that could suppress the eight wastes and rule the four seas.

This was none other than the ’Divine Artifact’ connected to the very source of Wanxuan’s national fortune.

After reaching a certain apex, the sky-piercing pillar of light seemed to be drawn by the Divine Art from the Foreign Countries below. It paused for a moment before reversing course at an even greater speed, transforming into a colossal golden sword forged from the resplendent national fortune. With an indomitable will, it slashed down with unerring precision toward the courtyard at Number 7, Locust Tree Alley!

In that instant, heaven and earth seemed to fall silent.

The golden phantom trapped within the barrier seemed to sense its doom. It let out a silent shriek, attempting a final struggle.

But it was all in vain.

The golden light of national fortune passed through the ’Purification Array’ barrier set up by Zhu Yunchuan without any resistance, instantly overwhelming the golden phantom.

There was no earth-shattering explosion. Not even a single trace was left on the ground or the surrounding buildings. The moment the phantom was devoured, it vanished completely.

Then, the light from the Divine Art unleashed by the nation’s Divine Artifact also rapidly dissipated.

All that remained was a courtyard razed to the ground and the lingering resonance of the national fortune in the air.

Yang Wenqing quickly retracted his power. The five-colored profound light around him faded, and the glow from the Spirit Gathering Array Plate went out completely. He let out a long, turbid breath, feeling a wave of weakness wash over him. But his eyes remained bright as he gazed at the empty ruins before him, a great weight finally lifted from his heart.

Qiu Zheng and Zhu Yunchuan, who had barely recovered a sliver of Spiritual Qi, walked up. Both were still shaken as they looked at the scene before them.

"Thank goodness..." Qiu Zheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. His gaze toward Yang Wenqing was now filled with a newfound admiration and astonishment. The image of Yang Wenqing holding up the barrier by himself had left a deep impression on him.

Yang Wenqing gave a slight nod without saying much. He turned to look at Li Xiulan, who was still restrained and being held at a distance by Xia Meng and his men.

"Director Yang, how about you hand her over to me..." Qiu Zheng’s gaze fell on the restrained Li Xiulan. "What she’s involved in runs deep. If we’re a moment too late, the lead could be lost for good."

But Yang Wenqing raised a hand to stop him. "Captain Qiu," he said calmly, "this matter is of grave importance and involves the source of the Divine Art. I must first report to the municipal leadership."

After speaking, he paid no more mind to Qiu Zheng, who looked like he wanted to say more but hesitated. He walked straight to a relatively quiet corner outside the courtyard and activated an encrypted communication line to his master, Qin Huaiming.

Once the call connected, Yang Wenqing relayed the entire situation, speaking with extreme speed but perfect clarity.

"...Master, now that Li Xiulan is in custody, we must act on the Huang Heng lead immediately, regardless of the chances. There are definite suspicious points about him. Otherwise, if we wait for them to react and cut all ties, we’ll be left completely in the dark," Yang Wenqing concluded, stating his judgment in a solemn tone.

The other end of the line was silent for a moment before the reply came: "Huang Heng’s identity is sensitive. Moving on him directly has major implications. The Municipal Bureau needs to coordinate. Wait for my word. Keep a close watch on Li Xiulan. No one is to have contact with her except those you absolutely trust."

"I understand."

Ending the call with his master, Yang Wenqing turned around to see Qiu Zheng standing nearby, unable to hide the anxiety on his face. He had clearly sensed that Yang Wenqing wouldn’t hand the suspect over easily.

"Director Yang..." Qiu Zheng stepped forward and lowered his voice. "If the decision is made to arrest Huang Heng, then I must remind you that Vice Director Zhuang Jian of the Civil Affairs Bureau must also be brought in as soon as possible. Delays could bring complications."

As he spoke, he took out an encrypted file pouch from his coat and handed it over. "This is a preliminary list and related evidence we had before we came. We estimate Zhuang Jian is connected to Huang Heng."

Yang Wenqing took the file pouch but didn’t open it immediately. Instead, his gaze fell on Zhu Yunchuan, who stood to the side. ’Zhu Yunchuan is from Internal Affairs Inspection. Pulling him into this will not only diffuse responsibility but also add legitimacy and weight to the operation.’

"Director Zhu, what do you think?"

Yang Wenqing tapped the file pouch lightly.

Zhu Yunchuan’s expression was grave. He glanced at the heavily guarded Li Xiulan in the distance, then at Qiu Zheng, and finally his gaze returned to Yang Wenqing. "If Vice Director Zhuang is truly involved," he said, "then this is no longer an ordinary public security case. It falls within the jurisdiction of the Inspectorate."

"As you are in charge of security for the New District, Director Yang, you have the authority to question any public official within your jurisdiction suspected of illegal activities or disciplinary violations. As for taking him into formal custody, I can contact the Inspectorate immediately to request a joint investigation, or our Internal Affairs Inspection can intervene and start a preliminary inquiry."

"Director Liao can be trusted. You can communicate with him and ask Vice Director Zhuang Jian to come to the precinct to ’assist with an inquiry.’ I’ll simultaneously initiate our internal procedures and apply to conduct an inspectorate interview with him. As long as we get him through our doors, we’ll have the upper hand."

A flash of approval crossed Yang Wenqing’s eyes. He no longer hesitated and nodded decisively. "Good. We’ll do as Director Zhu says. I’ll trouble you to coordinate on Zhuang Jian’s side, Director Zhu. We must get him to the precinct. As for the others..."

His gaze swept over Liu Xin, who had just run over with her team, and Xia Meng, who stood at attention awaiting orders. He commanded, "Liu Xin, you will coordinate with Director Zhu and Captain Qiu to escort the person back. The Operations Department, the Major Case Team, and Internal Affairs Inspection will each dispatch elite personnel to form three-person teams. They will mutually supervise the watch on the target to prevent any collusion or accidents."

"Section Chief Xia, you will personally lead the team to escort Li Xiulan back to the isolated interrogation room on basement level three of the precinct. Have Wenyuan and his team stand guard there to assist you in watching the suspect."

"Yes, sir!" the three responded in unison and immediately split up to carry out their orders.

Qiu Zheng immediately said, "I can help as well."

Yang Wenqing glanced at him and gave a noncommittal nod. He then walked aside to contact Liao Tianming, telling him to come to his office at the precinct in half an hour, but without explaining why.

"Director Yang," Kong Yu stepped forward to report. "Those three suspects tried to escape in the direction of the abandoned pier outside the city. Our people have them under control and are escorting them back to the precinct now."

Yang Wenqing nodded. Just as he was about to give an order, the badge on his chest suddenly emitted a unique pulse. It was his master, Qin Huaiming.

He immediately gestured for Kong Yu to wait, then walked quickly to a more distant shadow to take the call.

"Wenqing!"

Qin Huaiming’s voice was a little more relaxed than before. "The Municipal Bureau has coordinated the arrest of Huang Heng. Also, regarding Li Xiulan, make arrangements immediately. Have the people from the Special Case Office perform a Soul Search on her. No need to wait any longer."

Yang Wenqing’s heart stirred. ’This is clearly a consensus reached by the top brass at the Municipal Bureau, or perhaps an even higher level, to cut through the mess with decisive action.’ He immediately responded, "Yes, Master. I’ll arrange it at once."

He then took the opportunity to report the matter concerning Zhuang Jian.

Qin Huaiming said, "Two directors from the Special Case Office have already spoken with us about this. You are to hand the entire matter over to them. They will take the lead on all subsequent investigation, arrests, and interrogations. Your precinct just needs to provide full cooperation in terms of manpower, facilities, and perimeter support."

’In other words, our involvement in this case ends here. No matter how things develop from this point on, it will have nothing to do with the New District precinct.’

Yang Wenqing naturally understood his master’s subtext. He replied in an assuring tone, "I understand."

"Good." Qin Huaiming’s voice carried an imperceptible hint of a smile. "Someone’s going to pay a heavy price this time. If this matter is concluded smoothly, your contribution will be significant. Just wait patiently. The credit you’re owed won’t escape you."

Yang Wenqing’s heart was put at ease. He said, "I must still thank you for your guidance, Master."

Qin Huaiming laughed. "There’s no need for such formalities between master and disciple. Alright, that’s all for now."

Ending the call, Yang Wenqing returned to the group, his expression having already returned to its usual composure.

"Kong Yu," he said, looking first at his subordinate, "once those three suspects are brought back, hand them over directly to Captain Qiu Zheng of the Special Case Office."