From bone collectors to the supreme ruler of humanity

Chapter 102 Gathering Martial Arts Pavilion Pill Room

Li Zhengxin continued, "After interrogation, this person confessed that he obtained the pills from a pill room in the Juwu Pavilion. The Juwu Pavilion is a subordinate agency of the Martial Selection Division, which you should also know. The Martial Selection Division is under the jurisdiction of my third brother..."

He didn't continue speaking, but simply gave Lin Yan a smile.

"What does Your Highness wish me to do?"

"My third brother has already left the city today; the round trip will take at least two days."

"I have already prepared documents to search that alchemy room under the pretext of strictly investigating the harmful effects of counterfeit pills. As for what you need to do, it is to find a list in the Gathering Martial Pavilion and bring that list back."

"What list?"

"A list of everyone who received pills from that alchemy room." Li Zhengxin turned around, his gaze turning gloomy. "My third brother has secretly funded and nurtured many rogue cultivators over the years, and the information of most of them is recorded on that list. Once I get the list, I'll know exactly how many spies he has hidden in the capital."

Lin Yan fell silent.

The Crown Prince is testing his loyalty by sending him to infiltrate the Third Prince's camp. If he succeeds, he may gain further trust from the Crown Prince, but he will become mortal enemies with the Third Prince. If he fails and does not bring back the list, his life may be in danger.

No matter what we do, he's the one who suffers.

"Your Highness," Lin Yan raised his head, "Since Juwu Pavilion is under the jurisdiction of the Martial Selection Division, its security must be extremely tight. I am merely a second-rank martial artist. Even with His Highness the Crown Prince's documents, I'm afraid their guards will not allow me to search them. And if the Third Prince inquires about it afterward..."

"That's why I asked you to go when he's not around." Li Zhengxin patted Lin Yan's shoulder. "Don't worry, that alchemy room isn't anything important. It's just a small workshop for refining pills and making medicine in the Juwu Pavilion. There won't be more than ten guards, and the highest-ranking one is only at the early stage of the Unending Realm. Just take my documents with you, and no one will dare to stop you."

Lin Yan did not agree immediately.

Li Zhengxin noticed his hesitation, waved to the back, and said, "The constables from the Jingzhao Prefecture will cooperate with you in the search. Chen Yi, you should go with Lin Yan too."

The shadow behind him suddenly began to ripple, and a figure gradually emerged.

Lin Yan recognized the man; it was the pale-faced man who had arrested him when he entered the capital.

Even though he was clearly within ten steps, the [Aura Observation] showed no reaction.

It seems that this pale-faced man is at least at the mid-stage of the Unending Realm, which is beyond the range that [Qi Observation] can perceive.

"With Chen Yi here, no one will dare to stop you from a mere alchemy room," Li Zhengxin said in an unquestionable tone. "Lin Yan, once this matter is accomplished, you will no longer be just a casual advisor to me."

"Your Highness, I will certainly do my utmost. May I ask where the alchemy room in the Gathering Martial Pavilion is located?"

"It's located in Liuxiang, west of the city. There's a sign for Juwu Pavilion's alchemy room hanging at the entrance. It's easy to find."

"What happens after we get the roster?"

"Send it to the East Palace and hand it over to Steward Feng. You don't need to worry about the rest."

Lin Yan stood up and bowed: "Your subject obeys."

As Lin Yan walked out of the garden, he secretly made plans in his mind.

The Crown Prince said that there would be no more than ten guards in that alchemy room, and their highest cultivation level was not just the early stage of the Unending Realm. It certainly didn't sound like a den of dragons or tigers.

The problem is that the Third Prince has controlled the Martial Selection Division, the talent selection system, for many years, and has trained countless martial artists.

Is a place for alchemy, medicine making, and talent cultivation really just what it appears to be?

Furthermore, when Lin Yan entered the capital, the Third Prince sent men to intercept the military guards and save his life.

He needs to find a solution that satisfies both sides.

They had to deceive the Crown Prince without completely offending the Third Prince.

……

Entering Liuxiang Lane in the west of the city, the passageway is very narrow, with old houses on both sides.

Lin Yan had only walked half a street when he saw the three large characters "Juwu Pavilion".

The gate to the courtyard was ajar, and there were no guards at the entrance.

Lin Yan stood at the door and first used his [Aura Observation] to sense the aura.

The courtyard wasn't large. A person sat in the main room, exuding a calm aura. He was a second-grade spiritual cultivator and was probably in charge.

There were a few people in the front yard and the east and west wing rooms, none of whom had high cultivation levels; most were mid-stage Body Tempering Realm martial artists.

There were two more in the backyard, one of whom had a significantly more powerful aura than the others; this was the Unending Realm Guardian that the Crown Prince had mentioned.

Wasn't the highest level supposed to be the early stage of the Unending Realm? This one looks more like the middle stage. I don't know who's stronger between Chen Yi and him.

Lin Yan cursed the Crown Prince in his heart for being unreliable, and kicked open the courtyard gate.

"Lin Yan, the Beijing Defense Advisor, has been ordered to thoroughly investigate the recent case of substandard elixirs harming people in the capital!"

"Stand still, everyone! Anyone attempting to escape will be shot on sight!"

Two people in the front yard were squatting by the wall, eating sunflower seeds and chatting, when they heard a loud bang and the gate flew in. They were quite frightened and jumped up.

"Wha...who is it?"

Lin Yan held the document given to him by the Crown Prince above his head and shouted, "This is an order from the Jingzhao Prefecture to investigate a case!"

The constables filed in from behind, one group pinning the two people in the front yard against the wall, while the other group blocked the main gate.

Lin Yan carried the documents and strode towards the main building of the central courtyard.

Twelve constables followed behind, their iron rulers clanging against each other at their waists. This display alone intimidated the people in the east and west wing rooms.

The door to the main house was suddenly pushed open from the inside, and a middle-aged man in his forties rushed out. When he saw more than twenty constables standing in the courtyard, his expression changed. He suppressed his anger and cupped his hands in greeting to Lin Yan.

"I am Zheng Quan, the manager of alchemy at Juwu Pavilion. I was unaware of your arrival, sir, and apologize for not greeting you properly. But Lord Lin, isn't it a bit disrespectful to the Martial Selection Division to barge in with such a grand entourage?"

Lin Yan handed the document to Zheng Quan, raising his voice by three fen, "Steward Zheng, look carefully! You've been producing substandard pills that are harming people. There are still two people lying in the clinic, their lives hanging in the balance. I'm under orders to investigate thoroughly. I'll investigate even the Martial Selection Division, let alone your mere pill workshop!"

Zheng Quan's face turned pale with anger.

Lin Yan gave him no chance to catch his breath, pressing forward another step, "To thoroughly investigate the case of counterfeit and substandard pills, we need a list of everyone who received the pills. Where is the list? Hand it over immediately!"

"Lord Lin, this roster is a secret of the Military Selection Division, we cannot..."

"Secret?" Lin Yan sneered, his voice loud enough to be heard throughout the courtyard. "The pills you concocted drove people mad, causing them to commit violence in the streets. You call that a secret? Then I'd like to see just how many shady things are hidden inside this secret!"

After saying that, Lin Yan gave Chen Yi a look, and the two rushed straight to the backyard.

The twelve constables swarmed forward and pinned Zheng Quan down.