Chapter 31

Prince Xian and Xiao Sheng walked side by side, entering the door while Prince Xian laughed, "Fourteenth Brother, you don't know. Although nominally I am the head of the Imperial Household Department, capable and efficient people have already been placed in charge of various sections. Everyone follows the rules and procedures, so everything runs smoothly without me having to meddle. I'm quite idle, quite idle indeed."

Fortunately, I recently acquired two rare items. I thought you, Fourteenth Brother, would certainly like them very much. So I brought them over. I also came to enjoy a cup of tea. It's been a long time since we two brothers have had a proper chat. It's a good time to catch up. Hehe, Fourteenth Brother, you won't refuse, right?"

Prince Xian was indeed good with words. From his tone, it seemed as if he and Xiao Sheng had always been close and often conversed. In reality, apart from important occasions like festivals, the number of times Xiao Sheng had met Prince Xian in recent years could be counted on one hand. Even when they did meet, they only exchanged formalities.

However, Prince Xian's amiable attitude always left a good impression, at least not a bad one. Xiao Sheng smiled again and walked into the living room with Prince Xian. He instructed Ling Zilin, "Put away the chessboard and go to the back to make tea."

Ling Zilin knew her status was not to be revealed. Seeing such a prominent figure as Prince Xian, she didn't dare say a word, nodded her head, and hurriedly put away the chessboard and retreated to the back. Naturally, she didn't know how to make tea, so it was still Eunuch Guan Canghai who brought the tea to entertain the guest.

Prince Xian had been officially enfeoffed as a prince, in charge of the Imperial Household Department and one of the six ministries, the Ministry of Justice. He had left the palace and established his own residence. His position was high and his power great, and his daily life was certainly more refined and meticulous. The tea here at Xiao Sheng's place couldn't compare to what he drank at his own residence.

But Prince Xian seemed indifferent, as if he couldn't tell the difference in the quality of the tea. He sipped it contentedly several times before putting down the teacup, taking out a flat wooden box from his chest, and gently placing it on the coffee table, pushing it towards Xiao Sheng with a smile, "Fourteenth Brother, this is the rare item I mentioned earlier. Open it and see if you like it."

Xiao Sheng smiled, "Eighth Brother, with your high standards, anything you like must be good." He reached out, grabbed the wooden box, and forcefully opened it. His eyes glanced inside, and his expression changed slightly.

Inside the wooden box were a long fingernail and a bloodstained piece of cloth.

Xiao Sheng's mind raced, but his face remained calm as he slowly closed the wooden box. He smiled, "Eighth Brother, these two items... well, they are indeed quite unique."

Prince Xian smiled and said, "Fourteenth Brother, you know I'm in charge of the Ministry of Justice, which handles criminal investigations. Not long ago, someone caused a disturbance in the palace. By the time the Dragon Soaring Guard arrived, the troublemakers had already left. But the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, Lie Zhenze, found these two items at the scene, which he believed were left by the troublemakers.

Lie Zhenze knew these were clues and wanted to use them to identify the troublemakers. However, while the Dragon Soaring Guard is good at fighting, they are not experts in forensic analysis. The true experts are in our Ministry of Justice. So these items ended up in my hands. Well, Fourteenth Brother, what do you think?"

Xiao Sheng smiled, "Eighth Brother, I've never worked in the Ministry of Justice, so how can I have any opinion? What do they think at the Ministry?"

Prince Xian said calmly, "The Ministry of Justice says that the fingernail was grown by someone from the Jiang family in the northern border after practicing a secret blood technique. After multiple verifications, they are certain of this. As for the piece of cloth, well, it turns out it's from the palace. Further information... they couldn't find."

Xiao Sheng smiled, "Really couldn't find? That's impossible, right? I heard the Ministry of Justice has a group of highly skilled elders who can use many secret techniques to locate someone through hair, fingernails, blood, and so on. Could the rumors be wrong?"

"Haha, just rumors. There's no such secret technique in the world," Prince Xian laughed, firmly denying it. He paused and continued, "Even if such a technique exists, the requirements for using it would be very strict, with many limitations. For example, we brothers are naturally protected by the great fortune of the Dahuang Empire and the will of heaven. No secret technique can trace us."

Xiao Sheng understood why Prince Xian emphasized "we brothers." He put the wooden box back on the coffee table, pushed it towards Prince Xian, and shook his head, "So, these items are useless."

"Not entirely useless. At least, we've traced the owner of the fingernail to the Jiang family. Coincidentally, Fourteenth Brother, did you know? The mother of Ninth Brother, Noble Consort Ning, once did a favor for the Jiang family in the northern border."

Prince Xian smiled, "Noble Consort Ning has always doted on Ninth Brother. So... hehe, Fourteenth Brother, you need to be careful."

Xiao Sheng was unconvinced and sneered, "Eighth Brother, you must know what happened that day. From start to finish, I only have eight words: 'If others do not offend me, I will not offend them.'"

Prince Xian smiled, "That's best. Later, I'll go and talk to Ninth Brother, telling him not to cause trouble again. After all, we are still brothers. If we can get along, Father and Mother will be happy. Well... since that's the case, these items are useless. Might as well destroy them."

As he spoke, Prince Xian casually picked up the flat wooden box and squeezed it. Instantly, there was a soft "swoosh" sound, and the entire box, along with the fingernail and the piece of cloth, were shattered into dust, which fell to the ground.

The wooden box and the piece of cloth were one thing, but the fingernail, which had been grown by Jiang Weichen after using an evil technique to mutate his body, was as hard as tempered steel. Even Xiao Sheng would find it difficult to crush it into powder.

But Prince Xian's display was effortless and casual, clearly showing his profound martial arts cultivation, at least at the Divine Restriction Master level. This was not a show of power or a warning, but a gesture of goodwill. By destroying the evidence, he ensured that nothing could link Xiao Sheng to the battle in the palace's crematorium.

With this, Prince Xian had obtained Xiao Sheng's promise, and the issue was resolved. He felt a great sense of relief. He stood up and smiled, "Alright, I have some things to attend to, so I won't disturb your enjoyment of the gentle pleasures here. I'll take my leave. When you have time, Fourteenth Brother, feel free to visit my residence. We brothers should visit each other more often, ha ha."

"Eighth Brother, wait a moment," Xiao Sheng also stood up, his expression turning serious, "I have one more thing to ask for your help."

Prince Xian stopped and asked with a smile, "Oh, what is it?"

"About the Eastern Wasteland," Xiao Sheng turned and called out, "Eunuch Guan, please close the door and don't let anyone approach. Sister Zilin, come out."

Eunuch Guan went to close the door and then left the living room. Ling Zilin, biting her lip, came out from the back. Prince Xian sat down again and smiled, "A truly beautiful woman, I pity her. So, Fourteenth Brother, are you planning to take her as a concubine? Well, you'll be sixteen in a few months, so it's time to find someone for your chambers."

Xiao Sheng laughed and shook his head, "Eighth Brother, where are your thoughts going? It's not like that. It's actually related to the Eastern Wasteland. Let me explain..."

Xiao Sheng then briefly recounted Ling Zilin's story. Of course, he didn't mention that he had killed the leader of the Righteous Gate, Niu Lao. He only said that he had accidentally discovered Ling Zilin and rescued her, then took her in. Unexpectedly, her identity was recognized by Eunuch Guan, leading to a series of old events.

After listening, Prince Xian only nodded, not showing much surprise. He looked at Ling Zilin and asked solemnly, "Miss Ling, is everything Fourteenth Brother said true?"

Ling Zilin nodded and said softly, "Yes."

Prince Xian stood up, hands behind his back, and walked back and forth in the living room for two rounds. Suddenly, he stopped and asked, "Miss Ling, did you ever attempt to refine the Netherworld Pearl? Did you succeed?"

"The Netherworld Pearl is a holy artifact of the Ling Sect. The greatest ambition of each generation's Holy Maiden is to refine a complete Netherworld Pearl. Unfortunately, few have succeeded. My mother was the closest in five hundred years, but she ultimately failed. As for me..."

Ling Zilin paused, laughed coldly, and suddenly asked, "Prince Xian, how old do you think I am?"

Prince Xian carefully examined Ling Zilin's appearance and said, "Well... at first glance, you look about twelve or thirteen. But... the Dahuang Empire reclaimed the Eastern Wasteland eighteen years ago. This is indeed strange."

Ling Zilin gritted her teeth and said, "Yes. My mother is eighteen this year, but she still looks like she's twelve or thirteen. The detailed circumstances, as you are not of the Ling Sect, I cannot tell you. But it's true, all of this is because of the Netherworld Pearl."

"I understand," Prince Xian took a deep breath and said to Xiao Sheng, "Fourteenth Brother, since you've come to me for advice, I will take responsibility. In my opinion, to permanently solve the current problem, there are only eight words: 'Turn the hidden into the open, and take the initiative.'"

---

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, I need to go out with my wife to buy mooncakes and send them to relatives in the countryside. Since I need to buy dozens of boxes, it will take a lot of time, so there will only be one update today. Please bear with me. This is a custom, and there's nothing I can do about it. Ha ha. Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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