Li Che pressed his uncle back into his seat, urging him to continue drinking.
The uncle, somewhat unsteady, did not refuse and plopped back onto the chair, resuming his drinking contest with Old Chen.
Li Che walked to the courtyard gate, his expression slightly cold and his brows furrowed.
Creeeeak.
The door swung open to reveal two figures wearing official uniforms.
The uniforms were black and red, embroidered with red cloud patterns, made of a special material that was stiff and upright. A golden “Control” character was stitched onto the chest.
Clothes of an officer from the Temple Control Bureau!
Li Che’s eyes sharpened as he recognized the newcomers as Divine Envoys from the Temple Control Bureau; after all, their outfits were too conspicuous, known to everyone in Golden Light Prefecture City.
“You are Li Che?”
Upon opening the door, the gaze of both Temple Control Bureau Divine Envoys fell upon him.
Two formidable pressures of Divinity, albeit subtle, lingered in the air, emanating an intimidating presence that made one’s heart tremble under their direct gaze.
This was evidently a Divine Secret Technique unique to the Divine Envoys of the Temple Control Bureau.
Although the pressure had no effect on Li Che and was as inconsequential as a breeze to him,
he still took a deep breath, his face changed slightly, and he saluted: “I have seen the two officers.”
The Temple Control Bureau, as an armed organ of the Da Jing Dynasty, could be seen as akin to the Six Doors organization. Although they mainly dealt with matters associated with the Mysterious Temples, they would intervene in any matters related to Divinity.
With the arrival of the Temple Control Bureau’s Divine Envoys at his home, Li Che’s eyes couldn’t help but narrow.
Were they so quick?
That shouldn’t be the case, for when he killed Qin Yuqing… he left no trace, and even had Qin Yuqing’s hidden scout provide him with an alibi.
It couldn’t possibly be exposed so quickly.
The leading Divine Envoy squinted, brandishing a Divine Envoy Token from the Temple Control Bureau, and looked at Li Che with indifferent eyes: “Come with us, the Chief has some questions for you.”
“The Chief?” Li Che’s heart sank slightly.
At the level of the Qintian Observatory, the Chief… would be equivalent to the rank of a Minor Supervisor.
Why would such a person be concerned with him for no reason?
Could they suspect his involvement in Qin Yuqing’s death?
Li Che’s brows furrowed, glancing at the courtyard before following the two Divine Envoys into the dark alleyway.
He took out two Gold Leaves and handed them to the envoys.
“May I know which Chief wants to interrogate me?”
However, the two Divine Envoys smiled cryptically: “Bribing an officer of the Temple Control Bureau is no minor crime. If we accept your bribe and are discovered, we could face the whip.”
Upon hearing this, Li Che understood immediately.
It required more money.
He then took out another ten Gold Leaves and passed them over.
This time, the Divine Envoys did not refuse; they pocketed the money directly, proving the sum had not been sufficient before.
“You needn’t worry too much. Chief Zhang Lianhao only asked us to bring you in, wanting to ask you a few questions about Qin Yuqing. Do you know her? The Third Miss Qin, found dead at home.”
“While investigating this case, we found that just before her death, Qin Yuqing had secretly captured many cultivators who came to Fei Lei City.”
“Therefore, we have to take in and question all cultivators from Fei Lei City, as for why the Chief specifically wants to see you, we’re not sure.”
The two Divine Envoys, in front of Li Che, deftly shared the twelve Gold Leaves between them, speaking to him with smiles.
Mainly because Li Che was cooperative enough, and his attitude pleased them.
Running about on a late night like this was unpleasant for them, but now that they had earned some ‘running money’ by pocketing some Gold Leaves, it wasn’t too bad.
“Although you possess Blood Exchange cultivation, it seems unlikely that you’re connected with the death of Third Miss Qin. She was known to be a True Qi Grandmaster and a Complete Divine Base Cultivator…”
The Divine Envoy remarked with a smile.
Li Che’s heart relaxed upon hearing this.
“Yoho, it’s quite lively in the courtyard, having a family feast? Should you say a word to them? You wouldn’t want the feast to be consumed by anxiety and turn into a bad event,” said the Divine Envoy, glancing at Li Che.
Li Che bowed: “I have just passed the examination for Third-class Guest Official at the Qintian Observatory today.”
“Upon hearing the good news, my family insisted on setting up a table. I initially refused, but, alas, they said that since it’s a joyous occasion, it was worth celebrating, so they arranged a feast.”
“It’s quite late and you officers have just arrived, why not join us for a drink before you leave?”
No sooner had Li Che finished speaking than the expressions of the two Divine Envoys changed, and the Divinity that permeated the air paused for a moment.
“A Third-class Guest Official from the Qintian Observatory?”
The two instinctively exchanged glances, showing a hint of astonishment in their eyes.
Immediately and tacitly, they took out the Gold Leaves they had just divided and, adding up to twelve, handed them back to Li Che.
“It turns out you’re a colleague from the Qintian Observatory… We are both servants of the Imperial Court, and although the position of Guest Official is external, it’s still an office of the government. We didn’t know and are blameless; Guest Official Li, please do not take it to heart.”
Li Che, however, waved his hand, pushing the Gold Leaves back to them.
To establish a firm footing in a city, it was essential to be well-versed in the ways of the world.
“How could I take it back? After all, you two officers had to make the trip in the middle of the night; consider it compensation for your efforts.” Li Che said with a laugh, then invited the two Divine Envoys from the Temple Control Bureau to have a drink in the courtyard.
They showed him face and were no longer aggressively demanding.
After having the drink, Li Che casually mentioned it to Zhang Ya before they both departed.
…
…
Golden Light Prefecture, Temple Control Bureau.
As the largest martial power in Golden Light Mansion City, its halls were filled with numerous strong individuals, and countless cultivators were stationed, for the Temple Control Bureau had to be ever vigilant against the outbreak of the Mysterious Temples.
Should Divinity from the gods of a Mysterious Temple outside the city infect and spawn evil spirits, the Bureau must dispatch forces to eliminate and suppress them.
Even though the Grand Prospect Dynasty had granted considerable authority to the Noble Families of various cities, the Temple Control Bureau’s power to intimidate was still fearsome. Continue your saga on M-V-L