"Oh? What's wrong with her? "Yan Li asked.
Fang Xianhuai said, "My daughter is missing."
Yan Li wasn't very enthusiastic, "Did Lord Fang go to the wrong door? If someone goes missing, they should go to the capital magistrate's office. Why did you come to the Supreme Court?"
Fang Xianhuai sighed and said, "Your Excellency, you don't know! My daughter didn't return home last night. When I returned home this morning, she was still nowhere to be seen. I interrogated the maids and found out that Skycloud Pavilion invited her to participate in the poetry meet … "
Yan Li smiled playfully, "Isn't that good? I heard that Skycloud Pavilion's invitation is a very honorable thing. Your daughter didn't return home last night. She probably went out with some romantic scholar. "
Fang Xianhuai shook his head and said anxiously, "No, Your Excellency. My daughter never dared to stay out at night. Also, I went to Skycloud Pavilion to ask for her, but they said she left last night. I suspect that she's been kidnapped by them. "
"What's the benefit of kidnapping your daughter?" Yan Li asked.
"This …" Fang Xianhuai was speechless for a moment.
Yan Li said with a lack of interest, "Your Excellency Fang, you're an official of the imperial court and an assistant minister of the Secretariat. With your identity, how dare Skycloud Pavilion provoke you? Since they said she left last night, there's no need for them to lie. It's not too late to send someone to look for her first. "
"Your Excellency, you don't know!" Fang Xianhuai said, "I heard that many people who participated in the poetry meet changed. They locked themselves in their rooms all day …"
Yan Li waved his hand and interrupted him, "That has nothing to do with your daughter's disappearance. Come and find me after she's changed. "
"Your Excellency!" Fang Xianhuai suddenly shouted.
Yan Li squinted his eyes and said, "What's wrong, Assistant Minister Fang? Are you going to use the hard way now that the soft way failed?"
"No, you misunderstood …" Fang Xianhuai took out a small brocade box with a bitter smile and presented it to the table with both hands. "This is a little gift from me to congratulate Your Excellency on your appointment."
"You've received a gift so soon?" Yan Li's expression changed. He opened the box and saw that it was a soul stone. It was a priceless treasure. Even if one had money, they might not be able to buy it. "Lord Fang, it looks like we need to find a place to talk in detail."
He had been in the bureaucracy for so many years, but this was the first time he had seen someone accept gifts in such a bold and unrestrained manner. It was as if being an official was just to accept gifts.
The corners of Fang Xianhuai's eyes twitched. He cleared his throat and said, "If you don't mind, please come to my house for a meal."
"Yes, I am indeed a little hungry. Zhao Qiping, come with me to handle this case. "
"Here."
An hour later, Yan Li sat down at the dining table in the Fang Residence.
In order to please Yan Li, Fang Xianhuai specially asked the kitchen to cook more than ten dishes, some of which he was reluctant to eat.
Suppressing his anxiety, he waited for Yan Li to finish eating before saying, "Lord, can we start the case?"
Yan Li burped, picked up the teacup to rinse his mouth, picked up the napkin to wipe his mouth, and said slowly, "Tell me everything from the beginning to the end."
Fang Xianhuai heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately called a guard and said, "Bring her up!"
The guard immediately retreated. Not long after, a young girl was brought up with her hands tied behind her back. The young girl looked a little miserable. There were whip marks all over her body. It was obvious that she had been tortured. Everything from her feet to her knees was exposed. There was not a trace of blood.
"Master … spare me …" The young girl spoke weakly.
When she saw Yan Li, she couldn't help but be shocked, "Lord … save me, save me …"
Zhao Qiping, who was standing behind Yan Li, couldn't help but ask, "Lord Fang, what did she do? Why do you treat her like this?"
Fang Xianhuai snorted coldly and said, "As a maid, she dared to hide something from her master. This is a crime punishable by death."
Zhao Qiping hesitated for a moment and said, "I think she only has an employer-employee relationship with you. Even if she did something serious, she should be handed over to the authorities for punishment."
"This is my family matter!" Fang Xianhuai said angrily.
Zhao Qiping wanted to say more but was interrupted by Yan Li.
"Alright, it's normal to have a temper when his daughter is missing."
After speaking, Yan Li turned to Fang Xianhuai, "Assistant Minister Fang, what he said is not without reason. I don't care if you torture her, but if someone dies …" Towards the end, his tone became cold.
Fang Xianhuai suppressed his anger and said, "After we find Junyi, I will have someone treat her."
"Mm." Yan Li nodded in satisfaction and turned to the maid. "What is your name?"
Hearing that there was hope of survival, the maid was overjoyed and spoke quickly, "Reporting, reporting to Lord, this servant is Liu Hong."
"Liu Hong, tell me how your Young Miss went missing," said Yan Li.
Liu Hong told him what happened and choked with sobs, "Young Miss told me not to tell Master. In order to hide it, she specially hired a carriage …"
"In other words, Young Miss Fang went out alone," said Yan Li.
"Yes, yes …" said Liu Hong.
"Then why didn't you go with her?" asked Yan Li.
Liu Hong said, "Skycloud Pavilion has a rule that one can't bring followers."
"Do you still have the invitation?" asked Yan Li.
"Young Miss took it away. That's the admission ticket for the poetry meet," said Liu Hong.
Fang Xianhuai said, "Are you worried that someone is pretending to be someone from Skycloud Pavilion? I also received an invitation a few years ago. I will go and find it. "Finished speaking, he left.
After speaking, he left and came back shortly after. He took out a gilded invitation and handed it to Yan Li, "Lord, please have a look."
Yan Li showed it to Liu Hong and asked, "What's the difference?"
Liu Hong looked at it carefully and said firmly, "It's this kind of invitation."
Only then did Yan Li look at it seriously. This invitation was no different from an ordinary invitation. Suddenly, he felt something protruding from his back. He turned it over and saw a pattern made of an unknown black material. This pattern made his heart tremble, "What is this?"
Fang Xianhuai went up to have a look and said, "It looks like a lotus. I really didn't notice it."
It was a pure black lotus. At first glance, it looked like it was connected to the abyss on the other side.
This wasn't the first time Yan Li saw a lotus. Now he was even more certain about the relationship between Skycloud Pavilion and the underworld.
"I'll keep the invitation first. If there's any news about your daughter, I'll send someone to inform you."
"Lord, you must find her. She's my only daughter …" Fang Xianhuai bowed deeply.
After leaving the Fang Mansion, Zhao Qiping asked, "Lord, where are we going now?"
"Skycloud Pavilion," replied Yan Li.
"Skycloud Pavilion?" Zhao Qiping asked.
Yan Li got on the carriage and sat down, saying, "Let's go check out the situation first."
Zhao Qiping sat on the carriage, grabbed the reins and said helplessly, "But I don't know where Skycloud Pavilion is."
Yan Li said, "There are so many people on the road. Don't you know how to ask?"
"Ah, there's such a trick." Zhao Qiping suddenly realized.
Two hours later, the carriage arrived at the gate of Fengyue Manor. Zhao Qiping said, "Lord, we've arrived."
"Go and knock on the door," said Yan Li.
Zhao Qiping was stunned and said, "Just, just go in like this?"
"Just do it! Don't be so long-winded!" Yan Li felt that it was necessary to let Zhao Qiping know his current status.
Zhao Qiping might not be used to his role. He quickly got off the carriage and strode to the door. When he grabbed the brass ring and was about to call the door, the door suddenly opened with a squeak.
"Skycloud Pavilion isn't open during the day." A cold-faced man poked his head out. "If you want to participate in the poetry meet, please wait for the next notice."
Zhao Qiping said, "We're not here to participate in the poetry meet. Who's in charge here? Ask him to come out. My lord wants to see him."
The cold-faced man said, "Skycloud Pavilion doesn't entertain anyone. No matter who you are, leave immediately!" He was about to close the door.
"Hey!" Zhao Qiping quickly stopped him. "You dare to stop us?"
The cold-faced man's eyes flashed with killing intent and punched without warning.
Zhao Qiping was startled and hurriedly blocked with his left hand.
"Bang!"
He let out a muffled groan and felt suffocated. He took a few steps back and almost fell off the platform.
"Overconfident fool. Get out of here!" The cold-faced man sneered and slammed the door shut.
Zhao Qiping steadied himself. His face turned from green to white, then from white to green and then red. He panted heavily and was about to curse when he heard a piercing sound that made his whole body stiffen.
"Whoosh!"
A streak of Sword Qi swept past him and hit the door.
The door first caved in from the middle and then began to crack from the dent. It made a horrible "Ka Ka Ka" sound. Finally, with a loud "Boom!", the door, which was as tall as two adults, exploded into pieces along with the plaque that read "Wind Moon Manor".
The cold-faced man let out a blood-curdling scream and flew backward. He fell directly onto the stone steps in front of the hall and rolled down. His body trembled twice and then stopped moving.
Zhao Qiping turned his head and stared blankly at the carriage. His heart was in turmoil. He had heard countless legends about Yan Li, but he never expected that his classmate, who was once at the same cultivation level as him, had already reached such a terrifying realm.
What did it mean to release one's Primordial Qi?
It meant that he was a first-grade martial artist!
Only now did he truly realize that Yan Li was no longer the Yan Li of the past. Only now did he truly feel a sense of awe.
"Who goes there?"
A deep voice came from inside. Not long after, the owner of the voice came out of the hall. It was a man in embroidered clothes who looked to be in his forties. As soon as he stood still, a large number of black-clothed men poured out from every corner of the manor. A rough estimate showed that there were no less than a hundred of them.
"I'm the Chancellor of the Supreme Court." Yan Li's magnetic voice came from the carriage.
The man in embroidered clothes' expression changed greatly. He waved his hand and the black-clothed men immediately retreated. Then, he cupped his fists and said, "It turns out that Lord Yan has graced us with his presence. I'm Ma Yunpeng, the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Cloud Pavilion. My men have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai and have offended you. I'm very sorry."
"You're the Pavilion Master?"
"Yes," Ma Yunpeng said.
"There are so many experts hidden in Heavenly Cloud Pavilion. Are they preparing to revolt?"
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