Immortal of the Ages

Chapter 527: Sangju City Murder Case!

"What are you trying to say?" Lu Changfeng responded coolly.

Gu Yuan slightly bowed her head and said, "This murder case in Sky Soaring City, why are we being assigned to such a remote task?"

The Great Dao Celestial Realm had the most stringent rules of the places Yun Xiao had been to so far on his cultivation journey. Here, even murder was constrained by heavenly decrees, while elsewhere, killings were rampant.

Logically speaking, the most difficult thing on the path to immortality was strife and competition. So, the laws of the Great Dao Celestial Realm should herald a prosperous and peaceful era.

What Yun Xiao witnessed from the citizens of Sky Soaring City somewhat confirmed this,

Yet, the Ascension Pool revealed a world beneath, swirling with dark currents.

Gu Yuan's doubts seemed to mirror those of the other Arbiters.

Lu Changfeng scoffed, "The murder case in Sangju City is not like any other."

"What's so special about it?" Zhao Cheng asked attentively.

Lu Changfeng explained, "The perpetrator not only killed but hung the bodies of nine victims on the town gates to intimidate the town mayor, making it widely known. This is an overt challenge to the Celestial Court's authority! If unaddressed, it would tarnish the Skyruler Immortal Manor’s reputation."

"I see!" The Arbiters nodded in understanding.

Murder was one thing, but creating such a spectacle and challenging the celestial laws?

Indeed, it would be impossible to face the people of Sangju City without taking action.

Eventually, the group of six left the Skyruler Immortal Manor.

"Take the Skyruler Sword Vessels; we'll reach Sangju City in about half an hour. Be careful not to mishandle the Celestial Sourcecores of the sword vessels!"

Lu Changfeng’s final warning was directed at Yun Xiao, who, in his eyes, was the novice among them in using the Skyruler Sword Vessels.

Of course, no one had instructed him on how to ride one either.

"Yes, Deputy Changfeng." The Arbiters each entered a Skyruler Sword Vessel.

These vessels were limited in number, not readily available to everyone; special authorization was needed for their use.

Clearly, Lu Changfeng had already secured permission.

Yun Xiao also boarded a Skyruler Sword Vessel, closed the door, activated the force of the Celestial Sourcecore, and set the array in motion.

Roaring to life, six Skyruler Sword Vessels ascended, then pivoted northward, their sword tips pointing ahead.

"Let's go!"

With a thunderous roar, the Skyruler Sword Vessel flashed and vanished above Sky Soaring City.

Yun Xiao lay prone inside the sword vessels, gazing down at the vast clouds of the Great Dao Celestial Realm. As the boat sped on, he saw heavenly palaces of the Celestial Court, large and small, streaking beneath them.

The more he passed over Sky Soaring City, the more prosperous the region appeared.

About 15 minutes later, and the population below thinned, the energy from the celestial mist grew sparse.

"We're here!" After half an hour, the Skyruler Sword Vessels began to slow until a small, exquisitely detailed city emerged from the mist, whereupon it thunderously descended.

Yun Xiao looked out and saw that, though small, this town resembled the Primordial Ruins, a divine ark floating within the air.

"It appears cities of this scale are countless in the Celestial Court."

BUZZ! Their six Skyruler Sword Vessels landed before the city gates.

The gates, framed by three stone pillars—two vertical and one horizontal—were imposing and indeed well-suited for displaying bodies. But by then, the gates had been cleaned.

The Arbiters were coming; it wouldn't do to keep the bodies hanging.

CLANK! The doors of their sword vessels swung open simultaneously, and six figures in Arbiter armor stepped out.

Next to Yun Xiao, the girl named Sun Xiaoqi glanced at him and timidly asked, "Lu Yao, how does it feel to investigate a case as an Arbiter for the first time? Nervous?"

Yun Xiao looked seriously at the gate and responded, "I only wish to capture the true criminal swiftly, to uphold the celestial laws."

"So mission-driven?" Sun Xiaoqi stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Of course, and to earn merits and rewards for cultivating Immortal techniques," Yun Xiao added honestly.

"Mhm, killing two birds with one stone," Sun Xiaoqi said.

"Quiet, keep up!" Zhao Cheng suddenly turned and glared at them.

Startled, Sun Xiaoqi quickly lowered her head, no longer daring to draw near Yun Xiao.

Ahead, the reception party of Sangju City approached respectfully, consisting of about a dozen true immortals.

Judging by their attire, they were surely the top figures of this small city.

Leading them was a woman in a wide floral robe embroidered with mulberry trees and chrysanthemums. Her beauty was striking, with a high nose and curved eyes, her hair swept up high, adorned with a sparkling hairpin, giving her an air of cleanliness, dignity, and propriety.

Still, it was evident that beneath her floral robe, her figure was exceptional.

"Welcome, Young Master and distinguished Arbiters! My name is Lu Quian, and I represent all the lesser Immortals of Sangju City!" The woman in the floral robe bowed deeply in respect.

The others followed suit, bowing even lower.

"Miss Mayor, there's no need for such formality," Lu Changfeng stated sternly.

The so-called mayor was the head of this small city, responsible for its administration, public welfare, and security. Their rank was equivalent to that of an Arbiter, both being Rank 9 Heavenly Officers of the Celestial Court.

Below the mayor, the lesser officials and Immortals, though receiving celestial stipends, were unranked and had slim chances for promotion.

"The Mayor of Sangju City is surnamed Lu, and she addresses Lu Changfeng as Young Master?" Yun Xiao noted from behind, now understanding that even a Rank 9 Arbiter was a significant official here, on par with the mayor!

Lu Qian showed a look of guilt and said, "Under my governance, such a vile act occurred in Sangju City. It shames us to have called upon the Arbiters from afar."

"Less talk, bring the scrolls. Swift action to eradicate evil for the people is paramount," Lu Changfeng demanded.

"Yes, yes," Lu Qian responded submissively, hurrying over with a scroll which she presented to Lu Changfeng with both hands.

Lu Changfeng took the scroll, glanced over it, and handed it to Yun Xiao, saying, "You will handle the investigation. I will first speak with the mayor to understand the full story and take over the case."

Yun Xiao took the scroll, looked it over without a word.

Lu Qian quickly called over an elder in gray, saying, "Mo Ya, please lead these Arbiters to examine the bodies."

The elder named Mo Ya bowed deeply, approached Yun Xiao with small, hurried steps, and said, "Arbiter, please."

And so, Yun Xiao's team of five split from Lu Changfeng.

Lu Changfeng was in charge of the overall coordination and transfer of the case, while Yun Xiao and his team handled the groundwork.

This arrangement was quite normal.

Lu Changfeng was poised to become a commander among the Arbiters, certainly not someone to make a public spectacle of himself running about.

Yun Xiao's team, accompanied by the gray-robed elder Mo Ya, entered Sangju City ahead of the others.

Inside, the townspeople, hearing of the arrival of the Arbiters from Sky Soaring City, came out to gaze upon them.

"Mother! Look, it’s the Arbiters!"

"Such majestic armor! Such a commanding presence!"

"The men are valiant, and the women are striking!"

"Dad, I want to be an Arbiter when I grow up!"

At least in the eyes of the townspeople, the Arbiters seemed to carry a good image, even being the dream of many children.

"With the Arbiters here, that ruthless murderer will surely be caught!"

Hanging bodies at the bustling city gates was bound to attract attention.

Amid the expectant gazes of the citizens, the five Arbiters strode through the streets.

"In this small city of the Great Dao Celestial Realm, the level of the populace isn't much higher than that of the Primordial Ruins, dominated by Yin-Yang Immortals, with many also in the Sacred Wheel and Five Calamities Realms. I estimate there are only about a dozen True Immortals," Yun Xiao concluded with a swift glance.

Soon, they arrived at the city hall.

"The nine bodies are inside here. Please follow me." Mo Ya led them to a chilly morgue, bowing even lower. His eyes and face were almost hidden from view.

"Open the door," Zhao Cheng, having moved to the forefront during the walk, took command in Lu Changfeng's absence.

Being the only fully accredited Arbiter present, he naturally assumed leadership with his presence.

"Yes!" Mo Ya, seemingly intimidated by Zhao Cheng, hurriedly opened the door.

A stench of decay wafted out immediately.

Everyone frowned and covered their noses.

Gu Yuan, her pretty face tightening, said, "You go in; I'll look around here."

"That won't do." Zhao Cheng gave her a cool look. "Being an Arbiter means being responsible to the people."

Rolling her eyes, Gu Yuan had no choice but to follow them inside.

Yun Xiao stepped in to see a long table with nine bodies covered in white cloths.

Upon entering, Zhao Cheng got straight to business. He didn't consult the dossier but stood beside a body and asked, "Time and place of death."

Mo Ya quickly bowed and replied, "These nine died over three nights, three each night, and then were hung at the city gates. As for where they died, we don't know yet."

"So last night, the night before that, and three nights ago?" Zhao Cheng asked.

"Yes."

Three nights ago, Yun Xiao was still in the mortal realm. So, he knew this case had nothing to do with him.

After Zhao Cheng asked his questions, he swept the white cloths off the bodies with a wave of his hand.

He glanced over the corpses, crossed his arms, and asked, "Did they all die from their eyes being pierced through to the back of their skulls by a Sword Soul?"

"Yes, and then they were hung at the gates, so there are black marks of strangulation on their necks," Mo Ya bowed as he spoke.

"That means the killer is a Sword Cultivator," Chi Yu added from the side.

Sun Xiaoqi bit her lip and asked, "Do we know the killer's strength?"

Mo Ya turned to her and said, "The highest level among the victims was an Early True Immortal. It can be inferred that the killer is at least in the Mid True Immortal Realm."

At this, Chi Yu, Gu Yuan, and Sun Xiaoqi's expressions grew serious—they were all in the Mid True Immortal Realm.

Zhao Cheng, being in the Late True Immortal Realm, showed no fear and scoffed, "Given the killer's strength, he was able to hang the bodies on the third night, and you all failed to catch him?"

Mo Ya bowed his head in shame and replied, "Yes, last night our city hall mobilized over 100 people to ambush the killer at the gates. Yet, we failed to catch them, not even glimpsing a shadow."

He respectfully added, "That's why we called for help from the Skyruler Immortal Manor, to prevent the killer from turning murder into a sport, hanging three people each night."

After hearing this, Zhao Cheng stroked his chin, thinking for a while. Then, raising an eyebrow, he asked, "How many True Immortals in Sanju City are at the Mid stage or higher?"