The Prefecture Lord sighed deeply, then added, "Don't be hasty. Even though I can't help, it doesn't mean someone else can't."

"Who can help?" Qin Feiyang asked hurriedly, the flickers of hope reigniting in his eyes.

The Prefecture Lord replied, "An old rival of mine has awakened a very unique Battle Soul. It possesses extremely strong healing abilities and can help repair the Sea of Consciousness."

Qin Feiyang exclaimed with great joy, "Where is she? I'll find her immediately!"

The Prefecture Lord responded, "This matter cannot be rushed. She isn't in Spirit State."

"Not in Spirit State?" Qin Feiyang raised an eyebrow.

The Prefecture Lord patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Even though the Bonehead will keep sleeping, he won't be in any life-threatening danger."

Relieved by these words, Qin Feiyang and Fatty sighed in relief.

Yan Nanshan asked, "Prefecture Lord, did you catch him?"

The Prefecture Lord shook his head.

Qin Feiyang and his companions were utterly dumbfounded.

Even the Prefecture Lord couldn't catch him? How is that possible!

Fatty asked, "Do you know who the shadowy black figure was?"

The Prefecture Lord said, "His voice was unfamiliar. I suspect he altered his vocal cords."

Qin Feiyang said gravely, "I still hold my suspicions. It must be one of the Ten Great Commanders."

"That's impossible!" the Prefecture Lord stated firmly.

Yan Nanshan stated, "Prefecture Lord, you may not fully understand the situation. Like Qin Feiyang, I also believe this has something to do with the Ten Great Commanders."

"The situation?" The Prefecture Lord frowned, glanced at the increasing crowd around them, and said, "We'll discuss it when we get back."

With that, he waved his hand, opening a teleportation gate, and stepped in first.

"Take good care of it," Qin Feiyang instructed Fatty. He then sent Fatty and the Wolf King into the ancient castle, before following Yan Nanshan into the teleportation gate.

A moment later, the trio arrived before a courtyard. This was precisely the Prefecture Lord's residence.

Entering the courtyard, the Prefecture Lord sat at a stone table by the pond and said, "Speak. What exactly happened?"

Qin Feiyang said, "Summon the Ten Great Commanders here first."

Hearing this, Yan Nanshan's mind stirred. The mysterious War Ancestor who was rescued is certainly not in the Prefecture Lord's residence now, so naturally, he wouldn't be able to come. When the time comes, we'll know who the mysterious War Ancestor is by seeing who doesn't show up.

The Prefecture Lord frowned, still not believing this person would be one of the Ten Great Commanders. Nevertheless, he shouted, "Ten Great Commanders, come to me at once!"

His voice, like a great bell, resounded in all directions!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! In less than three star-times, figures began to appear one after another. There were men and women, old and young, all with unfathomably profound auras.

How is this possible? Qin Feiyang scanned them one by one and, to his amazement, found that not one was missing or extra; there were exactly ten people.

"Greetings, Prefecture Lord," the Ten Great Commanders bowed in unison.

"Mm," the Prefecture Lord nodded, then turned to Qin Feiyang. "Ask what you need to ask."

Yan Nanshan whispered, "Feiyang, could we have guessed wrong?"

"Impossible," Qin Feiyang shook his head, whispering, "Uncle Yan, go to the Dong Family again and see if there are any survivors."

"Understood." Yan Nanshan nodded, bowed to the Prefecture Lord, then opened a teleportation gate and departed.

No matter how deeply you hide, I will drag you out! Qin Feiyang muttered to himself. Glancing at Wang Hong and the others, he cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask you seniors, where were you all just now?"

Wang Hong replied, "After hearing the commotion, we all went to the assembly hall.

"But when we arrived, you were already gone.

"So, we waited in the assembly hall for the Prefecture Lord's orders."

Qin Feiyang asked, "Was everyone present?"

Wang Hong thought for a moment, then said, "Actually, it seems three people weren't present initially."

"Who?" Qin Feiyang pressed.

"Zhao He, Third Young Master Cao, and Xue Huiyun." Wang Hong turned to the two men and one woman beside him and said, "If I recall correctly, the three of you arrived later, didn't you?"

The three of them nodded. Qin Feiyang's eyes glinted as he looked at them.

Zhao He was an elderly man in a white robe, with white hair and a white beard, exuding an air of detachment as if he were a transcendent master. Third Young Master Cao appeared as a rather thin young man, holding a jade xiao, possessing a scholarly and refined aura. Xue Huiyun was also a young-looking woman with fine features; her black lace dress outlined her graceful figure, making her appear exceptionally captivating.

At the same time, the three of them also nodded amicably at Qin Feiyang.

Xue Huiyun can definitely be ruled out because she's a woman. As for Zhao He and Third Young Master Cao, it's hard to judge, Qin Feiyang thought.

Qin Feiyang cupped his hands again. "May I ask you three seniors, where were you and what were you doing at that time?"

Third Young Master Cao smiled. "At that time, we were outside the city hunting a War Ancestor realm ferocious beast. It was only when our subordinates sent us a message that we learned a major incident had occurred in the city."

"Outside the city?" Qin Feiyang frowned slightly. "All three of you were there?"

"Yes, all of us," Third Young Master Cao nodded. Xue Huiyun and Zhao He also nodded in affirmation.

Qin Feiyang frowned. Strange. Wang Hong and the other six are definitely not the culprits. But these three also seem to have no issues? Could I really have guessed wrong? Yet, who else would have the ability to hide Lin Yiyi and Lo Qianxue in the Prefecture Lord's own residence?

Qin Feiyang turned to the Prefecture Lord and asked, "Sir, besides these individuals, are there any other War Ancestors here?"

The Prefecture Lord replied, "Excluding myself, there are only them."

Wang Hong asked, perplexed, "Qin Feiyang, what exactly are you trying to find out?"

The Prefecture Lord said, "He suspects that the shadowy black figure from before was one of you."

"What?" Wang Hong and the others immediately furrowed their brows, expressions of displeasure on their faces. One said, "Qin Feiyang, without any proof, you can't make such wild accusations." Another added, "Exactly! We are all prominent figures in Spirit State. Accusations like these will damage our reputations!"

Qin Feiyang said, "I have my reasons."

Wang Hong asked, "What reasons?"

Qin Feiyang then recounted the entire sequence of events in detail.

"Such a thing actually happened!" Upon hearing the account, the Prefecture Lord slammed his palm on the stone table, his aged face filled with anger.

The Ten Great Commanders also had expressions of shock and doubt.

Wang Hong said, "Qin Feiyang, bring Wei Zhongyang out. I want to question him face to face."

With a thought from Qin Feiyang, Wei Zhongyang materialized out of thin air.

"Greetings, Prefecture Lord! Greetings, Lord Great Commanders!" Wei Zhongyang immediately knelt on the ground and said respectfully.

Wang Hong asked, "Is what Qin Feiyang said true?"

"It is true," Wei Zhongyang nodded.

Wang Hong said angrily, "You have some nerve! Knowing Qin Feiyang and the others' identities, why didn't you report them?"

Wei Zhongyang's body trembled. "Lord Commander, please enlighten me."

Wang Hong shouted, "It was the Prefecture Lord's order that no one was to disclose their identities! You, on the other hand, not only told the Dong Family but also had them kidnap his relatives! Tell me, how many lives do you have to forfeit!"

"My lord, I know I was wrong! Please spare my life!" Wei Zhongyang kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.

So, all of this was the Prefecture Lord's intention, Qin Feiyang realized.

Qin Feiyang said, "Senior Wang Hong, there's no point in pursuing his culpability now."

Wang Hong asked, "Then tell us, what will it take for you to believe us?"

Qin Feiyang said, "I don't know. But Yiyi and Aunt Xue were indeed imprisoned within this Prefecture. And the only ones capable of doing so, aside from the Prefecture Lord himself, are you Ten Great Commanders."

Third Young Master Cao said, "It's actually quite simple. Lin Yiyi and Lo Qianxue must have seen the person. Have them come out and identify him."

"That method is indeed feasible," the Prefecture Lord nodded.

But Qin Feiyang didn't think so. This person is extremely cunning; he definitely wouldn't have shown his true face, he mused.

Still, he wanted to try. With a thought, he brought Lo Qianxue and Lin Yiyi out. He smiled. "Aunt Xue, Yiyi, have you seen these people before?"

The two women looked at the Ten Great Commanders.

After a moment, Lo Qianxue shook her head. "We've never seen them."

Wang Hong asked, "Then, did you see the person who abducted you?"

Lo Qianxue replied, "Yes, but he was wearing a mask, so we don't know what he looks like."

"This complicates matters," Wang Hong frowned.

Suddenly, Zhao He spoke up, "I know how to find the culprit."

Everyone looked at him, puzzled.

Zhao He smiled. "Lin Yiyi and Lo Qianxue surely know where they were imprisoned. If we can find that location, it will naturally become clear who the culprit is."

"That's right!" Wang Hong's eyes lit up. He looked at Lin Yiyi and Lo Qianxue. "Can you describe the place where you were held for us?"

Lo Qianxue said, "We only know it was a secret chamber, a dozen or so meters in size. There was nothing inside, nor were there any conspicuous markings."

Wang Hong asked, "Then how were you taken in and out?"

Lo Qianxue replied, "It was always via a teleportation portal."

Xue Huiyun sighed. "No distinct markings, and nothing that can serve as proof. The Dong Family, the only ones who knew, have been annihilated. It seems this matter is more complicated than we imagined."

The others also frowned deeply. Qin Feiyang had been observing their expressions closely but detected nothing out of the ordinary.

The Prefecture Lord smiled. "Regardless, the truth about the Lu Family's annihilation has finally come to light, and Qin Feiyang no longer needs to suffer imprisonment. However..."

Saying this, the Prefecture Lord turned to Wang Hong. "Wei Zhongyang was promoted by you. You must bear culpability for this."

Wang Hong bowed. "Your subordinate is willing to accept punishment."

Qin Feiyang cupped his hands. "Senior Wang Hong merely cherished talent; it was just his misfortune to encounter such a vile person. Therefore, I implore the Prefecture Lord to be lenient."

The Prefecture Lord declared, "Since it is so, we shall let this matter rest. Wang Hong, you are to announce to the world later and clear Qin Feiyang's name.

"Furthermore, all Ten Great Commanders, investigate this thoroughly for me! You must find that person!

"Anyone who dares cause trouble in my Prefecture will not be spared!

"As for Wei Zhongyang, Qin Feiyang, you may deal with him as you see fit."

"Yes, sir!" Qin Feiyang and the Ten Great Commanders bowed in acknowledgement.

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