Asura Emperor Venerable
Chapter 551: Trapped in a Dead End Again

Chapter 551: Chapter 551: Trapped in a Dead End Again

Who could have thought that an assassination would lead to the unraveling of a three-year-old case?

Now, this assassination case had reached a deadlock, a killer who supposedly "died" three years ago had died once again, so how could one possibly uncover the mastermind behind it?

"Investigate, thoroughly investigate for me!" Shi Dang said sternly, "Bring over immediately all the people related to the case from three years ago, and question each one of them."

"Yes."

Shi Dang slightly cooled his anger and looked towards Shi Hao, "You’re unharmed, right?"

"I’m fine," Shi Hao slowly shook his head.

Now, he was ninety percent sure his parents had been hunted by the Stone Clan, so once he returned, the real culprit behind the scene immediately became restless, seeking to place him in mortal danger, to eradicate him thoroughly.

What swift action!

Moreover, it was clear that they wanted to pin the blame on the lineage of Shi Caiyuan. They truly knew how to seize an opportunity.

The power of the mastermind was enormous, being able to arrange for a Founding King Court death row inmate who should have died long ago to infiltrate the Imperial Palace. Could this be done by an ordinary member of the Stone Clan?

However, the more this was the case, the more it indicated that Shi Hao could come into contact with the truth of the matter even sooner.

If the true mastermind had always remained silent, perhaps the events of that year would have been eternally obscured, but now there was a chance for the truth to come to light.

But, this time it was the Founding King Court. Would the Supplementing Divine Temple appear next time?

Although Shi Hao was confident, if the assassination came from the Supplementing Divine Temple, he would have a great headache, and if it was the Great Sacrificial Heaven... If the Great Sacrificial Heaven were to similarly conceal themselves within their domain, it would be difficult for Shi Hao to detect them.

For the Great Sacrificial Heaven, it would only take an instant, and by the time he noticed, the attack would have already struck, perhaps even making it too late to retreat into the Immortal Abode.

"I will dispatch heavy troops to guard this place," Shi Dang said in a deep voice, his anger also very apparent; Shi Hao’s bloodline was strong, and even the big shots within the clan had taken notice. Yet, he was targeted for assassination on the very first night.

Fortunately, Shi Hao was unharmed, otherwise he certainly would not have been able to shirk responsibility.

He strode away, determined to thoroughly investigate the case of the switch from three years ago, and to strictly investigate how tonight’s assassin could have so easily infiltrated, as well.

Are the guards of the Imperial Palace merely for show?

Wasn’t this a slap in his face?

All those present had exited the courtyard, but a large number of Imperial Guards stood watch outside.

Shi Hao walked into the bedroom and looked at the damaged wall, his fighting spirit rising fiercely.

No matter who it was, he was undaunted for battle.

Early the following morning, Shi Hao went to request an audience with Shi Dang.

Of course, he did so to inquire about the progress of the investigations into the two cases, and another matter was information regarding his parents—knowing who his parents were would also allow him to trace back through their enemies.

However, whether it was the case of the switch from three years ago, or last night’s assassination, everything was without a clue, and the issue of Shi Hao’s parents... remained unsolved as well, as though he had sprung from the rocks.

It must be said, the methods of the real culprit behind the scenes were extraordinary.

Yet Shi Hao’s spirits were elevated, as actually this could narrow down the scope of the investigation.

—How many people are there in the Stone Clan?

After the growth of tens of thousands of years, not to mention several millions, there are at least several hundreds of thousands of clansmen, so how easy could it be to find a specific murderer among these hundreds of thousands of people?

But those capable of switching a death row inmate and allowing someone into the Imperial Palace, such individuals were certainly not numerous, and must undoubtedly be the high ranking members of the Stone Clan.

"Commander Shi, I wish to inquire about a person," Shi Hao said.

"Who?"

"Shi Feng."

Shi Dang showed a surprised expression and pondered before saying, "Shi Feng was a genius among our clan, second only to the elder ancestor Shi Geng, until Shi Zhong appeared, who then surpassed him."

"However, about twenty years ago, he suddenly disappeared; no one knew whether he was dead or something else had happened."

As he spoke, Shi Dang suddenly paused, scrutinizing Shi Hao carefully for a moment before saying, "Now that you mention it, I realize you bear a resemblance to Shi Feng!"

Disappeared?

Twenty years ago?

All of this matched up.

Shi Hao pondered, "Did this senior Shi Feng ever marry and have children?"

Shi Dang revealed a reminiscent expression before answering after a while, "Shi Feng was a very low-profile person, never involved in court affairs. If he wasn’t cultivating, he was traveling everywhere; I really don’t know much about that."

"Could you assist me by looking into Shi Feng’s affairs?" Shi Hao asked.

"Of course." Shi Dang nodded; he too wanted to confirm whether Shi Hao was Shi Feng’s son. Judging from his appearance, it was very possible, and even more so when considering his talents.

"Right, when I came to the Imperial Capital yesterday, how many high-ranking individuals knew about it?" Shi Hao inquired further.

A thought struck Shi Dang, Shi Hao was already pointing towards the upper echelons.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "His Majesty is only a nominal figure, reigning over all under heaven, while three Regent Kings handle all the court affairs. Yesterday, Lord Shi Long and Lord Shi Mingzhen were both off duty, leaving Lord Shi Zhixue in charge of court matters."

"Understood." Shi Hao nodded.

"You’re not suspecting Lord Shi Zhixue, are you?" Shi Dang asked.

Shi Hao smiled, "I wouldn’t rashly suspect someone, nor would I easily trust someone."

Meaning, he wouldn’t trust anyone from the Stone Clan.

Shi Dang sighed. Such a tribe member with astonishing bloodline deserved proper cultivation, and it was crucial to build up his confidence in the clan!

Thus, he had to find the real culprit. Only then could Shi Hao’s allegiance be secured.

Shi Hao took his leave and departed the Imperial Palace, starting to wander about the Imperial Capital.

This was his way of intentionally giving the hidden mastermind a chance.

—Come and kill me.

However, after a day of wandering, he wasn’t attacked, as if the event from the previous night had merely been a dream.

In a blink, several days had passed with no word from Shi Dang, and Shi Hao had not experienced any further attacks, as if the previous assassination attempt had been a case of mistaken identity.

Shi Hao believed this was the caution of the mastermind behind the scenes.

After a failed strike, without a clear understanding of who Shi Hao really was, they wouldn’t rashly attack again, lest they expose themselves.

Shi Hao wanted to investigate Shi Feng’s affairs, but found it to be unusually difficult.

—Though Shi Feng was a famous genius in the clan, proclaimed as the most talented following Shi Geng, until Shi Zhong came into the picture at the same level, he was very low-key, either cultivating or traveling abroad.

What exactly he experienced on the outside remained completely undocumented; hence, Shi Feng’s life was virtually a blank slate, until about twenty years ago when he suddenly vanished without a trace.

Was this Shi Feng really his biological father?

They looked similar, and his age aligned with the time of Shi Feng’s disappearance, but without confirmation through the Bloodline Talisman, he could not be certain.

What about that drop of Shi Feng’s blood in the Blood Pool?

No!

First, that was a sacred place for the clan, where each person’s single drop of blood was preserved; as long as the Shi Family endured, the blood would not vanish, serving as a solemn remembrance. Second, now inside the Blood Pool, Shi Hao’s own drop of blood reigned supreme, with all other droplets revolving around it—how could he possibly find that one drop from Shi Feng?

The leads came to an abrupt end.

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