Chapter 96: The Number One Black Knife [Ask for monthly tickets! ]

Liang Peng did not rush back to the Kendo Academy these past two days because of family matters. He did not rush back until he had a class this morning.

Flying across the mountains in the early morning, the spring breeze blows my clothes.

He found a secluded place, suddenly landed, placed the dragon talisman on his waist on a stone, and walked to the shadow on the other side.

"Come out," he said calmly.

"Ah..." With an extremely unhappy cry, his shadow twisted into that little black one, "Why do you keep suppressing me with that talisman?"

Liang Peng had discovered before that this black shadow might have once been a very powerful practitioner, but now his ghost is very weak.

When the sunlight was a little stronger, he could not be seen.

The dragon talisman Liang Yue gave him could suppress the ghost so tightly that it couldn't show its head at all. This was a good method when you didn't want him to see something.

"Everyone needs some private moments. We can't always let you watch over us. Don't you have anywhere else to go?" he asked.

"I can only survive in the shadows. Every time I integrate into the shadows, it takes a lot of energy. If I leave you and integrate into someone else's, I will almost disappear completely." The black shadow said angrily.

"Then you can only be suppressed for a while." Liang Peng showed no mercy, "You know, it is impossible for us to be absolutely honest with each other."

"Why not?" The black shadow asked, "Since we met each other, it was fate. Didn't we agree on that day that you give me what I want and I give you what you want?"

Liang Peng calmly asked back: "Then can you tell me your origins?"

"I'll tell you when the time is right!" the black shadow said.

Liang Peng sneered, "The Shadow Lord of the Demon Sect?"

"Hmm?" The black shadow suddenly paused and fell into a brief silence.

After a moment, he said, "You suppressed my time. Are you going to check my background?"

"I'm not that bored to go and look it up. I can guess this kind of thing with a little thought." Liang Peng said calmly, "Your method of integrating ghosts into shadows is originally a method exclusive to some soul cultivators. There are not many people practicing this now. And you have the ability to see through people's desires, which is similar to the rumors about the Demon Lord Dong Yuefeng a hundred years ago. And you said that you were sealed for nearly fifty years, and the Demon Sect Shadow Lord disappeared for about the same time."

"Heh." The black shadow laughed, "You found me."

Liang Peng continued, "The reason why you merged into my shadow is probably not just because I am a Qi Refiner. I guess you want to come to the Sword Academy to retrieve your suppressed body, right? With the help of my identity, it is possible for me to get you close to the Demon-Suppressing Cliff in the back mountain."

"..." The black shadow was speechless. He didn't expect that his plan was all guessed. After a while, he said, "You've already said it. What else can I say?"

Liang Peng replied: "Since I have told you this, it means that I will not report you. But we need to distinguish between the primary and the secondary. I don't want you to do anything in the future, and I have to be careful that you will not set a trap for me. I can tell you clearly that no matter how much you help me, I will also give you a corresponding reward. The transaction between us is absolutely fair. You said that you were betrayed and you have no intention of looking for your former disciples. You probably feel that your fellow disciples in the Demon Sect cannot be trusted. Now you should remember that I am the only person you can trust."

"Okay." The shadow's tone became serious, "I will trade with you fairly."

Liang Peng nodded and said, "Think about it carefully. When you go back, I want the Soul Strengthening Pill formula you mentioned last time."

After saying this, he walked over and picked up the dragon talisman.

"what--"

The black shadow was suppressed by the dragon talisman again, and could only cry out in pain and lie dormant in a panic.

……

Early the next morning, Liang Yue packed his luggage, put on the white robe of the Zhuxie Division, led out the snow-stepping dragon horse, and headed north to the imperial city again.

Still after reporting through the side door, he was taken directly to the Drinking Horse Administration Office deep in the imperial city.

The gates and walls are deep and cold, the corridors are high and cold.

This place seems to be located under the high palace wall. It is gloomy and dark, as if the sun never shines on it for ten thousand years. Occasionally, one or two people wearing black clothes with red linings and long swords on their waists come in and out.

After Liang Yue reported at the front door, he stood there waiting, observing with his eyes, wondering in his heart, has everyone here been stabbed and free of restraints?
That's pretty miserable.

No wonder he looks so yin, maybe he feels sad when thinking about the word yang?

A moment later, a guard walked out of the porch and said, "Master Liang, please come this way."

As he spoke, he led Liang Yue into the government office of the Yinmajian.

As soon as I walked into the porch, I heard screams coming from inside. They were so shrill and tragic that they were unbearable to hear.

The guard looked normal. As he walked, he said to Liang Yue, "Master Liang, I still want to remind you that the person who will be in charge of your contact is Master Cao Yi, the top black knife in our prison. He has a bad temper and is always ready to kill people. You should be more careful."

Before Liang Yue came, he had already learned that there were mainly two types of people working in the Yinma Prison.

The one who acted in secret was called "Eagle Eye", and the one who fought head-on was called "Black Knife", and their ranks were all between eighth and ninth ranks. As a seventh-rank prince's companion, he was higher in rank than them.

However, rank is not taken into consideration everywhere. In the Drinking Horse Prison, the inexplicable death of someone below the fifth rank might not even make a splash.

Therefore, Liang Yue would never be arrogant.

But the guard's words, about killing people at will, might be suspected of intimidation, so he didn't take it seriously.

The guard took him to a black iron cell. Through the bars on the door, he saw a tall and thin young man with his back to the cell door, slowly inserting a black knife into the chest of a prisoner tied to a pillar, and asked in a deep voice: "I'll ask you again, do you confess?"

"Ah——" the prisoner wailed in pain, "I confess! I confess everything! Why don't you ask!"

"Do you want me to ask?" The young man snorted coldly, "You are still not sincere."

As he spoke, he slowly twisted the knife in his hand, causing Liang Yue who was watching outside to grin.

“But if you don’t ask, sir, what should I confess…” The prisoner’s face turned pale and he was about to die.

"Write down all the things you have done wrong. If any of them doesn't match what we have, the lightest punishment you will receive will be slow slicing," the young man said coldly, and then pulled out his knife.

laugh--

Immediately blood surged out like a fountain.

"Prolong his life." He turned around, wiped the blade with a rag, threw it aside, and sheathed the black knife. Liang Yue only saw at this time that this ruthless young man actually looked quite delicate, with long eyebrows, a pair of phoenix eyes, and a white and thin face.

If he hadn't just seen him torturing a prisoner, Liang Yue would have believed that he was a noble and innocent young man.

The young man walked out of the prison door and saw Liang Yue, and said, "Master Liang from the East Palace?"

"I don't dare to call you sir. I'm just a new companion to the prince." Liang Yue said politely.

"My name is Cao Yi, you can also call me Cao Twenty-Seven, whatever is more convenient for you." The young man said casually, "The Babel case was handled by my adoptive father. You are the hero who prevented the case and you know more about the ins and outs of it, so I asked you to get involved. My adoptive father is very busy, so I will contact you during this period. All the information you provide will be reported to my adoptive father by me."

"Excuse me." Liang Yue said, "Um...Gou Daguan, the doctor of the Yuheng Division of the Ministry of Works, and Hu Lianshan, the chief officer, are these two here?"

"Gou Daguan should be on trial in the next room. As for Hu Lianshan..." Cao Yi pointed to the cell he just came out of, "This is it."

"Ah..." Liang Yue looked at the bloody man who was being rescued.

"What's wrong?" Cao Yi asked.

"Nothing, someone asked me to come and see how they are doing." Liang Yue shook his head and said, "It won't affect the investigation."

After taking a look at him, he felt that he had completed the task entrusted by Hu Peng and Gou You, and he would be able to get an answer when he returned.

Brother, your dad is fine and has become more open-minded.

Wouldn't it be less cruel to say that?
"Don't worry, our Horse Drinking Station is not as scary as the officialdom says." Cao Yi smiled softly, "Useful people will never die here."

After a pause, he added in a low voice, "Although they themselves may think it is better to die."

Liang Yue responded with a polite smile.

It was indeed a little uncomfortable to meet such a person for the first time, but I had to cooperate with him and try my best to get along with him.

"Come on, I'll treat you to lunch." Cao Yi suddenly said loudly, "While we have a quota for handling cases, let's go out and have something nice to eat and chat while we eat."

How can you still have an appetite to eat after just seeing that bloody mess?

Liang Yue felt strange, but still responded: "Then I will be disrespectful to refuse it."

Cao Yi went to the drinking horse prison and brought out a spirit horse. When he saw Liang Yue's snow-stepping dragon colt at the gate of the imperial city, he couldn't help but exclaimed, "What a good horse."

"Dahei was given by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Liang Yue said with a smile.

"It's called Dahei?" Cao Yi glanced at Liang Yue, "This name is too careless."

"Hehe..." Liang Yue laughed awkwardly.

I thought to myself, how good can Cao Ershiqi be?

However, he also knew that the other party should be Cao Wujiu's 27th adopted son, and the name was just a number.

As they rode side by side, Cao Yi asked again, "Do you have any ideas on this case?"

Liang Yue said: "I have already recorded the cause and effect in the document. Do you know anything about the 'Xishan Society' mentioned in it?"

"I don't understand." Cao Yi shook his head.

"This organization should be quite powerful and have influence in the court. Has the Drinking Horse Administration never had any contact with it?" Liang Yue was a little surprised.

Cao Yi groaned and said, "Perhaps I don't have enough authority. I can't read all the files in the Horse Drinking Station."

Liang Yue nodded.

Whether it is Hawkeye or Black Knife, they are all staff members after all. It is impossible for such people who pose great risks to know too many secrets.

Both Qin Youfang and Madam Zhang mentioned this "Xishan Society". It shouldn't be a lie. This huge force hidden in the dark must exist and influence many things.

If it can continue to exist and remain unknown, it can only be said that its strength is more terrifying than imagined.

However, it was enough for Liang Yue to inform the Yinma Supervisor of the information. Now that things had come to this, there was no need for him to fight against any dark forces.

His mission this time was to thoroughly investigate the Ministry of Industry.

He was thinking about how to lead the case to the Ministry of Industry.

Cao Yi looked up and saw a rather grand restaurant, so he said, "Let's go with this one."

Liang Yue had no objection, so the two of them dismounted, asked the waiter to tie up the horses, and went into the restaurant together.

After they sat down, a waiter brought two small cold dishes and placed them in front of them, then asked, "My two guests, what would you like to eat?"

Liang Yue didn't say anything, after all, it was the other party who offered to treat him first.

Although his family is not in financial difficulty now, there is no need for him to rush to pay the bill.

But Cao Yi looked at the dishes on the table and his face darkened. "What is this?"

"These are some tasty pickles given by our store..." The waiter was a little surprised and answered quickly.

"I asked you what this is..." Cao Yi's eyes became increasingly gloomy.

"What is this?" The waiter saw him staring at the pickled vegetables and answered timidly, "This is spicy cabbage. We make it ourselves. The taste is absolutely amazing. If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. We don't charge for it."

"This is pickled vegetable, right?" A thick dark shadow rose in Cao Yi's eyes.

Liang Yue's eyebrows jumped.

What a strong murderous aura!
　It seems that I can’t see other people’s posts today, so just post as usual, and they will all be displayed once the system is restored.

　
(End of this chapter)