"Director, the overall situation is actually not that complicated. Earlier this year, around April and May, we had already grasped a corner of the mastermind's plan.

In April, we discovered that someone in Modu City was conducting secret Space Stone transactions, so we sent a seasoned team member to investigate undercover. During his investigation, he infiltrated the enemy's ranks and uncovered a Space Stone Smuggling Gang.

In September, during our operation, they used a Space Stone to open a spatial node. Afterward, the Space Stone Smuggling Gang was silenced by the mastermind, and our trail went cold.

Now we can be certain that it was the Duanmu Family who silenced the Space Stone Smuggling Gang.

The incident dates back to June when a large number of Soul Beads flooded the Black Market Soul Beads Trading Market, causing a significant impact. In October, I entrusted Wang Lan with the investigation. He lived up to expectations; within three days, he not only uncovered the mastermind but also acquired account books detailing nearly all the origins of the black market Soul Beads.

From Xiao Qing's account books, we learned that one hundred thousand Soul Beads had leaked from Star Martial Academy of Modu City. This was the first time Star Martial Academy of Modu City was implicated.

In truth, both the Soul Bead trade and Space Stone smuggling share a common source: the Duanmu Family. The Duanmu Family has been secretly controlling both the Soul Bead trade and Space Stone smuggling.

Previously, both businesses were very stable because the Duanmu Family was extremely cautious, remaining unnoticed in the shadows. But this time, perhaps due to years of smooth sailing or their own arrogance, they lost their sense of reverence.

After one hundred thousand Soul Beads leaked from Star Martial Academy of Modu City, the Duanmu Family, without hesitation, accepted them all. They also readily agreed to exchange Soul Beads for Space Stones.

Perhaps the Duanmu Family's judgment was clouded by profit, or perhaps the Duanmu Family was also part of the mastermind's cohorts.

This explains why those Soul Beads were resold, as well as the origin of the Space Stones used in the assassination attempt on Yu Ruoyun and Wang Lan in the Nine-layer Pagoda."

Ming Baiye paused for a moment before continuing, "Now, let's talk about the mastermind's plan.

One party we can confirm as the mastermind is the Demon Clan. This is the definitive answer we obtained from Mu Fanghua.

Mu Fanghua was approached by the Demon Clan when he was very young and was included in their infiltration plan. This plan first came to light last year in Suzhou City. Director, and everyone present, you should be familiar with it, right?

Mu Fanghua was one of the 'Poison Stings' of the infiltration plan. With the Demon Clan's covert support, his talents gradually emerged, and he successfully gained admission to Star Martial Academy of Modu City. Through the Demon Clan's arrangements, he met Nangong Meng and was accepted as his disciple.

Simultaneously, another girl named Ma Chuchu was also accepted as a disciple by Nangong Meng. However, any hidden details about their connection were completely erased, so the true situation is unknown.

The only known fact is that Mu Fanghua orchestrated a scheme leading Nangong Meng to assault Ma Chuchu, and he recorded the entire incident. He then used this video footage to blackmail Nangong Meng.

Nangong Meng, who valued his reputation above all else, was forced to comply and become Mu Fanghua's pawn. Nangong Meng was the one who smuggled out the Soul Beads and also the one who placed orders with the Duanmu Family for Space Stones.

Therefore, we can conclude that a Demon Clan spy definitely had a hand in assassinating Yu Ruoyun and inciting unrest in Jade Country. However, the Demon Clan is likely not the sole mastermind."

Hearing this, Cheng Jianlong frowned.

Now that the Demon Clan has been identified, I can finally breathe a little easier, Cheng Jianlong thought. As long as it was the Demon Clan's mischief, and there's sufficient evidence, they're the perfect scapegoat.

Martial God Yu Changdong was untouchable. Moving against him would have the same consequences as Yu Ruoyun being killed. The Yu Family's faction needed an excuse.

With the Demon Clan taking the blame, everyone was content. However, Ming Baiye's words suggested this blame was only partially accurate, at best.

Seeing Cheng Jianlong's slightly furrowed brow, Ming Baiye hastily added, "Sun Li, the medical department teacher at Star Martial Academy of Modu City, is not a Demon Clan spy, nor is there any indication she cooperated with the Demon Clan. On the contrary, her relationship with Martial God Yu Changdong is very close.

Sun Li played a crucial role in the plan to assassinate Yu Ruoyun. Without her arrangements, the assassination could never have succeeded. Therefore, the Demon Clan was only one party involved in the plan, not the entirety."

"Do you have any evidence?" Cheng Jianlong asked.

"No, just speculation," Ming Baiye admitted.

Cheng Jianlong lightly tapped the table. "If it's just speculation, we can't publicize this. I suggest we conclude the case by identifying the Demon Clan spy as the mastermind.

This will provide an explanation to the public and all factions, and it will also lull the true mastermind into a false sense of security. We will continue the investigation covertly, step by step, without rushing."

"Understood! Then... Wang Lan's case report..."

"Seal and file it as S-level classified. You will draft another case report for public release."

"Understood!"

「Returning from the Tianjian Bureau, it was dusk.」

After eating dinner in the canteen and returning to the dormitory, Wang Lan suddenly felt a wave of emptiness. Counting the days, it had been more than ten days since he last saw Jiang Xinyu. Suddenly, he missed her deeply.

He quickly typed a message on his phone, but after a moment's thought, he deleted it. Jiang Xinyu was training with the Qing Emperor, and every minute was precious.

Being guided by one of the Five Emperors for even a single day is a lifelong benefit, Wang Lan mused. She has the chance to train for a month; I daren't disturb her for a single moment.

Back at the dormitory, he chatted and joked with his two roommates for a bit before heading to his room to sleep. Most of the skill points he'd saved up went into Flame Sword and Phantom Tracer.

Actually, given Wang Lan's current combat strength, he was best suited to using Flash and Zanpakuto for instant kills. His lack of Star Power meant he could primarily function as a one-hit assassin. The reason for investing in Flame Sword was to prepare for learning the Infinite Fire Skill in the future.

As for Star Cloud Sword Dance, Crescent Arrow, and Thunder Snake, Wang Lan planned to improve them gradually. If conditions allowed in the future, these skills definitely warranted enhancement.

The Tianjian Bureau's case report spread among the various factions of the Star Martial world overnight. Most powers were quite satisfied with the Bureau's findings.

So, it was the Demon Clan's doing? That makes sense. The despicability and shamelessness of the Demon Clan are deeply ingrained in people's minds. How could our human race possibly have internal strife? With the Demon Clan's invasion looming, humans should stand united. The Duanmu Family? They're a disgrace! But most of the Duanmu Family members are still good. Such were the prevailing sentiments.

Similarly, those aligned with the imperial powers also breathed a long sigh of relief. With the Demon Clan taking the blame, a great weight was lifted from their hearts.

In a quiet study, an elderly man with thinning hair and reading glasses slowly raised his head, removed his spectacles, and rubbed the corners of his eyes.

"Let this matter rest here," he said firmly. "Without my orders, no one is to act rashly."

"Yes! But since the Tianjian Bureau has pinned it on a Demon Clan spy, shouldn't we be less tense now?" a voice asked.

"You know nothing!" the elderly man retorted. "What do you take the Tianjian Bureau for? The Tianjian Bureau is the Ministry of Defense's most elite intelligence agency; every member is an elite among elites. Do you think the Tianjian Bureau is so easily fooled?

They claim it's the Demon Clan, but do you really believe they've identified the Demon Clan as the true mastermind? They're trying to lull us into a false sense of security. Pass this on: if anyone under you has dirty hands and the Tianjian Bureau gets wind of it, don't blame me for being merciless."

"Yes!" The middle-aged man in a gray suit exited, his forehead drenched in sweat.

「Time flew by like a white steed glimpsed through a crack; in the blink of an eye, ten more days had silently slipped away.」

Over the past ten days, Wang Lan continued his fulfilling, routine life. It wasn't until he saw a poster on Star Martial Academy of Modu City's bulletin board proclaiming, "Heroes' Expedition, Awaiting Your Return," that he realized the internship support season for third-year students was beginning.

The main focus for third-year students was internships and skill enhancement. If the first and second years were for accumulation, the third was for growth, and the fourth was for breakthroughs. First and second-year students at Star Martial Academy of Modu City rarely left the campus, but from the third year onward, time spent there drastically decreased. This was especially true for the fourth year, when students might only be on campus for a month or two.

Jiang Xinyu would be going to the Middle East to provide support with the senior students, which meant she was about to return.

Just as Wang Lan was thinking this, a familiar figure suddenly appeared at the edge of his vision.

Perhaps this is what they mean by telepathy—I was just thinking of you, and you appeared before me. Jiang Xinyu slowly approached Wang Lan and naturally sank into his embrace.

After a long hug, the two parted. Wang Lan examined Jiang Xinyu closely. "Good, you haven't tanned."

"We were training in the Folding Space, so how could I get tanned?" Jiang Xinyu said with a playful laugh. "I've made a lot of progress this past month. Besides my Star Martial level reaching the late Star Cloud stage, my application of Star Martial Skills and combat awareness have improved significantly. The Qing Emperor even taught me a Star Martial Sword Skill, Moon Brilliance. I've never seen such a beautiful sword technique!"

"You've learned the Star Martial Skill the Qing Emperor taught you, but what about the ones I taught you?" Wang Lan asked.

"I've become very proficient with Crescent Arrow and Phantom Tracer. Star Cloud Sword Dance isn't really suitable for me, so I didn't spend much time on it. In just one month, this is the fastest progress I've ever made in my life."

"I'm not blaming you... Did you just get back?"

"Yes! I came back with Ruoyun."

"Come on, let's go out."

"Go where?"

"My place."

Jiang Xinyu had always known Wang Lan had a home in Modu City, though she had never visited. With Phoenix Plaza so close to Star Martial Academy of Modu City, Wang Lan could have easily commuted. However, since Jiang Xinyu boarded at the academy, he chose to live on campus too.

If the two of us lived off-campus together... Hmm? That's an idea worth considering.

In Wang Lan's room, Jiang Xinyu felt a bit restless.

Previously, she wouldn't have felt the slightest shyness bursting into his room and flipping his covers, let alone just sharing a room with him. But ever since they officially became a couple, she found herself less bold in his presence.

Wang Lan, on the other hand, was his usual self.

He proudly displayed the bounty of treasures he had prepared for Jiang Xinyu over the past month, spreading them across the bed.

"Look," he said, "these red ones are Purple Flame Arrows for long-range attacks. This is Meteor Fire Rain, and these are Earth Erupting Magma. The white ones are Song of Life. I've prepared mid-grade and low-grade Soul Beads for you too.

I don't know how long you'll be gone, so use them sparingly. Of course, don't hesitate when you really need to use them."

Listening to Wang Lan's earnest explanations, Jiang Xinyu's face was filled with a blissful smile. As for his advice on using the items sparingly but without hesitation when needed, she hadn't absorbed a single word.

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