Chapter 385: Investigating the Mastermind
Chapter 385: Chapter 385: Investigating the Mastermind
"You’re claiming you killed her? Do you have any idea what the consequences of that are?" Ning Xuan was so exasperated she almost laughed.
"This whole incident started because of me. I can bear any consequences," Lan Xin said, looking at Ning Xuan with a devoted gaze that came from the bottom of his heart.
He knew that according to Federation law, a lowly Half-beastman slave who killed a noble Controller would be executed by the most extreme means.
"You are my slave. If you die, my interests are the ones that will be damaged. What, you don’t use your brain when you’re supposed to, but you’re full of ideas in front of me? Now you want to make decisions for me?" Ning Xuan sneered.
"This slave wouldn’t dare." Hearing this, Lan Xin’s face paled, and his body swayed slightly.
"Hmph. Get over to that corner and kneel. Stop being an eyesore." Sensing Le Ling’s arrival outside, Ning Xuan pointed to a dark corner behind a screen, snorted coldly, and commanded.
"Yes." Lan Xin obediently got up, walked to the corner, and knelt. The spot he was in was completely shrouded in shadow, making him difficult to spot. Ning Xuan was protecting his dignity in front of an outsider.
Zhou Shi knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he entered to report that Miss Le Ling had arrived.
As soon as Le Ling entered the room, she saw Ning Xuan sitting down. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Miss Ning, it’s you! Is it really you?"
"Miss Ning, I’m good friends with Huangfu Xinyue. I’ve seen you before. Miss Ning, what are you doing here?" Le Ling asked excitedly the moment she saw Ning Xuan.
Ning Xuan looked at Le Ling and had a vague memory of the young girl. She was indeed one of the companions who used to hang around with Huangfu Xinyue, though Ning Xuan couldn’t recall her name.
"I’m here to provide medical support," Ning Xuan answered succinctly.
"Wow, you’re here! This corps has really hit the jackpot! Everyone knows that you, Sister Ning, are the champion of the alchemy competition. You’re also extremely skilled in acupuncture techniques and have profound insights into issues like spiritual power collapse and mutation," Le Ling praised her sincerely.
"I also know that when you were a volunteer at the Protection Association, the number of wounded you treated was dozens of times higher than anyone else’s. And you’re the only one, Sister Ning, who can save completely mutated cases! Sister Ning, you’re my idol! With you here, I’m even more determined to join the medical team," Le Ling said enthusiastically.
"Let’s not talk about that. I wanted to see you today to ask a few questions. Do you know where Yan Hezhen got the Stunned Powder? Wasn’t the formula for that poison destroyed long ago?" Ning Xuan asked.
"I’m not exactly sure where she got it. Sister Ning, Yan Hezhen started secretly poisoning General Lan over two months ago. Back then, she hadn’t been with the Blue Snake Corps for long. After joining the Blue Army, everyone in our squad lived together, so she didn’t have any opportunity to meet strangers. I guess she must have gotten the poison before she even came to the Blue Snake Corps. As for the specific timing, I don’t know the details," Le Ling said.
"So, Yan Hezhen came to the Blue Snake Corps with a purpose from the very beginning," Ning Xuan murmured thoughtfully to herself.
"Yeah. She was always very careful. I actually noticed a few suspicious things before, but she always managed to make excuses and brush them off. I never thought it could be poison. Who knew she was so vicious?"
"There’s someone behind her," Ning Xuan said with certainty.
"Who could be so hateful? General Lan is invincible and all-conquering. His Boundless Illusion Sea Talent Skill is so powerful. Why would anyone want to harm him?" Le Ling said angrily.
"The mastermind may have targeted Lan Xin, but their real target isn’t necessarily him. It’s also possible they’re targeting me." Ning Xuan said this ostensibly for Le Ling, but her words were actually meant for Lan Xin, who was kneeling in the corner.
Hearing Ning Xuan’s words, Lan Xin frowned in thought.
"Targeting you? Why would they target you? Sister Ning, you must be overthinking it. You’re such a good person—you can heal people and perform alchemy, and you’ve never gotten in anyone’s way. Why would they target you?" Le Ling shook her head in disbelief.
"Why so many questions? Think carefully if you have any other information. If you remember anything, come and tell me anytime." Having finished her questions, Ning Xuan wanted to send her away.
She needed to find someone to continue investigating Yan Hezhen, focusing on the period before she joined the Blue Army and seeing who she had been in contact with. Ning Xuan believed that as long as she followed the trail, no clue would remain hidden.
After Le Ling was sent away by Ning Xuan, a single glance from her had Lan Xin obediently kneeling before her again.
"Lan Xin, you are mine. You and I are one. When they target you, they are actually targeting me. They want to weaken my power by controlling you. Do you still want to say you’re willing to take responsibility for killing Yan Hezhen?" Ning Xuan pinched Lan Xin’s chin, forcing his head up.
Lan Xin’s long, thick eyelashes fluttered. Paired with his watery blue eyes, he looked almost unreal in his beauty.
"If this slave doesn’t confess to the crime, won’t you have broken Federation law, Master? Even if you aren’t sentenced too harshly, your freedom will certainly be restricted. I can’t bear to see you suffer such an injustice," Lan Xin said dejectedly. Of course he didn’t want to die, but for his master, he would do so without hesitation.
"You’re overthinking things. If I dared to kill her, I naturally considered how to handle the aftermath," Ning Xuan scolded.
"Yan Hezhen was likely a pawn sent by someone else. There are people behind her who want to deal with us."
"This isn’t just our problem here. I’ll report the situation to Yu Mingche and Ying Yaoshi, as well as Yun Han, Di Youlin, and Lin Mo. I’ll have them investigate this matter. Don’t worry. Yan Hezhen’s death will amount to nothing; I’ll be fine," Ning Xuan said with a light, confident smile.
Seeing that Ning Xuan already had a plan for the matter, Lan Xin gradually regained his composure. The moment he walked out of Ning Xuan’s room, he instantly transformed back into the cold and ruthless General Lan.
After Yan Hezhen’s death, members of the Blue Snake Corps found the poison Soul Loss Powder in the Space Buttons of He Jing and eight others. For illegally possessing a forbidden substance, He Jing and the others were sentenced to three years of service in a Level 3 Dangerous Area.
Aside from these nine people, no one else in the Calming Master squad was found to have done anything wrong, and they were quickly released.
Although the others hadn’t participated, they had been present as onlookers. With the exception of Le Ling and a few others, those onlookers were dismissed. Furthermore, all the Merit Points they had earned on this mission with the Blue Snake Corps were nullified, and the incident was recorded in their personal files.
Ning Xuan reported what had happened since her arrival at the Blue Snake Corps to Yu Mingche and Ying Yaoshi. Both of them dispatched people to investigate Yan Hezhen.