Chapter 2623: Public Inquiry
Xu Wuji earnestly said, "You can rest assured that, since you’ve fulfilled your duty by bringing him here, you can leave the rest to me. As long as he is here in the Red Zone, the only way they can take him away is over my dead body."
Hearing that, Xu Heng and the others were finally able to relax a bit.
Lu Yin understood Xu Wuji's predicament. There were certain positions and statuses that made specific tasks more difficult to handle. Lu Yin could have chosen to let Cheng Feng go, but he had instead chosen to escalate things for the sake of his own plans. This was something that most people did not understand, and it was possible that not even Xu Wuji understood that matter.
"Bureau Director, what should we do with Cheng Feng?" Lu Yin asked.
Xu Wuji replied, "Interrogate him. Force him to reveal other spies. Make sure to get every last detail regarding Sage Stone's death, as well as Yao Lan's involvement."
Lu Yin nodded. "And what if Yao Lan is also a spy?"
Xu Heng and Xu Leng exchanged glances. Things were extremely serious. If Yao Lan was truly a spy, then the Bureau would be forced to take action, while Sovereign Ninth Lotus's own reputation would be sullied.
Even the Cloudview clan had requested that the Bureau not publicize the fact that Yun Wu had been exposed as a spy to save the clan's reputation. There was no need to mention Sovereign Ninth Lotus.
Even if Sovereign Ninth Lotus did not care herself, her disciples would never accept such a thing, and on top of that, Yao Lan herself wielded significant influence.
Xu Wuji's expression turned serious. "Any person suspected of being a spy will be thoroughly investigated by the Bureau."
He stared at Lu Yin. "The Bureau has the authority to interrogate anyone not fighting on the Endless Frontier or is not a peak powerhouse. If Cheng Feng's interrogation suggests that Yao Lan may be a spy, then I give you permission to use the Bureau’s authority to demand Yao Lan appear for an inquiry."
Lu Yin’s eyebrows rose high. "Use the authority of the Sixverse Association's Bureau to demand an inquiry?"
Xu Wuji explained, "It would be a formal inquiry and not an interrogation. Inquiries are reserved for people who we cannot be certain are spies, and who also hold great influence or have made significant contributions to humanity. Formal inquiries are public to the entire Sixverse Association. They allow the Bureau to get the answers we need, while also allowing the entire Sixverse Association to come to their own decision on whether the person being questioned is a spy. This is also a means of showing kindness to whoever is being questioned."
Xu Leng’s eyes narrowed. "Senior Wuji, do you want Xuan Qi to publicly question Yao Lan?"
Xu Wuji shook his head. "I'm simply sharing this option."
"You are sending him to death," Xu Leng spat in a cold voice.
Lu Yin felt confused, and asked, "What do you mean?"
Xu Heng continued to stare at Xu Wuji coldly while answering Lu Yin. "A formal inquiry has the appearance of protecting the person being questioned and allowing everyone to witness whether they are cleared of all suspicions or are confirmed to be a spy. If it's the latter, then everything is fine, but if it's the former-" The man turned to look at Lu Yin. "The fact that a formal inquiry takes place means that the Bureau wasn’t able to find the definitive proof needed during the course of their own investigations, which is private information.”
"A formal inquiry exposes the questioned person’s privacy to the entire Sixverse Association. Do you think that no grudges will be held if the person is proven to not be a spy?”
"A formal inquiry is not about respecting the suspect themselves, but also about respecting the suspect’s influence and backers. Anyone subjected to a formal inquiry will undoubtedly be resentful about being forced to receive such humiliation, and they will also be disgusted by the formal inquiry. So, you can imagine the fate of whichever Bureau official publicly questions the suspect."
Lu Yin understood. If he publicly questioned Yao Lan, it would be a declaration that the Bureau had been unable to reach the truth of the matter with just their investigations. Yao Lan would not be able to hide any of her past actions during a formal inquiry, and there would also be no avoiding making various matters that she would much prefer to keep private public. How could Yao Lan accept having her private matters aired out in public? If Yao Lan was proven innocent, how would she retaliate against Lu Yin after he publicly questioned her?
Xu Leng spoke slowly, "To my knowledge, there have been six formal inquiries throughout the history of the Bureau, and not a single person who was questioned was proven to be a spy. On the other hand, all six of the Bureau officials who performed the inquiry died."
The woman turned to stare at Xu Wuji. "Every last one of them died."
Xu Wuji looked up. "Those deaths were accidents."
"Really?" Xu Leng did not sound convinced.
Xu Wuji grew somber, "Countless Bureau officials have died over the years ever since the Bureau was first established. Working for the bureBureau au is almost as dangerous as fighting on the Endless Frontier, and those deaths were indeed accidents. Six deaths is an insignificant number in the face of the countless officials who have died while performing their duty. Those six were willing to publicly question people with great influence, which demonstrated that they were brave enough to fight on the frontlines of the battlefield. People like that are prone to early deaths.”
Xu Heng said, "Who can say? Junior Brother, you should learn more about the Bureau."
Lu Yin nodded. "I understand."
Xu Heng and Xu Leng soon left. They still needed to prepare for their battle with Xiu Ci, and they only had ten more days.
After the two left, Xu Wuji finally asked Xuan Qi, "Why were you so adamant about bringing Cheng Feng here?"
Lu Yin replied, "Spies are supposed to be taken back to the Bureau’s headquarters."
Xu Wuji chuckled. "Did you not consider the pros and cons of doing this?"
"In this line of work, if we dwell too much on the pros and cons, we’ll never be able to get anything done," Lu Yin stated in a matter-of-factly tone.
Xu Wuji adjusted his sunglasses. "You are quite suited for conducting a formal inquiry. I was not lying to you; those six people’s deaths were indeed accidents, just the same as deaths on the Endless Frontier. The people of my Bureau did not die in vain. If any sort of foul play had been involved, the six Bureau Directors would not have sat idle. Think about it—the Bureau stretches across the entire Sixverse Association and is backed by six peak powerhouses. Even Sovereign Ninth Lotus would not dare to openly oppose us."
"I understand," Lu Yin replied, "I wasn’t dwelling on that. Even if those deaths were not accidents, I am still not afraid. I’ve chosen this path, and I won’t be afraid to continue down it."
"Haha, you really are well suited for this job. It's just a pity that you aren’t a Void Suprema yourself yet, as making you the Bureau Director sounds like a good idea," Xu Wuji said with a laugh.
"Bureau Director, will you watch the battle between Senior Brother Xu Heng, Senior Sister Xu Leng, and Senior Xiu Ci?" Lu Yin suddenly asked.
Xu Wuji nodded. "Of course."
"Please take me with you," Lu Yin asked, "I want to cheer them on."
Xu Wuji’s brow furrowed. "Watch your words. Compared to your two senior siblings, there will be far more people cheering for Xiu Ci. Senior Xiu Ci is a respected figure who has fought on the Endless Frontier more than anyone else from the Voidforce Universe."
Lu Yin was taken aback. "Is that so?"
Xu Wuji solemnly stated, "The Endless Frontier is a place that even Void Supremas are reluctant to visit. In that place, death is just another part of everyday life. Every Void Suprema who enters the Endless Frontier dances along the edge of a knife. There, we face the strongest opponents within our realm, and even the Seven Skygods can appear. If I meet one of the Seven Skygods alone, I will die without question. Senior Xiu Ci has fought on the Endless Frontier many more times than me, and even more often than Senior Xu Wuwei. Senior Xiu Ci is not only famous for pioneering the path for not relying on voidforce puppets, but also for the number of times he has survived the Endless Frontier.”
"You should already have some idea of how extensive Yao Lan’s influence is. Most who enjoy such levels of influence are battle-hardened warriors who have survived the Endless Frontier, and Xiu Ci's influence far surpasses Yao Lan’s. Countless people have received his kindness and favor in the past, even Senior Xu Wuwei."
Lu Yin nodded, as this man was truly worthy of respect.
Over the course of human history, many spies and Redbacks had appeared, proving the darkness that lay within the human heart. However, history had also borne witness to kindling lights, such as Progenitor Chen, Progenitor Ku, and countless others from the Origin Universe. It was only natural that the Sixverse Association had its own fair share of inspiring figures. Regardless of how Lu Yin viewed the Sixverse Association, or the fact that the Great Sovereign had been involved with exiling the Lu family, there was one thing that Lu Yin could not deny: without the Sixverse Association and the Great Sovereign, Aeternus would have wiped out all of humanity long ago.
Where there was evil, there was also good. This was what Mister Mu had reminded Lu Yin to keep in mind. There were many people whom he needed to protect, people who revered him, as well as people who wanted to protect him. They were all his responsibilities.
"Bureau Director, do you think that Aeternus will try to rescue Cheng Feng?" Lu Yin suddenly asked.
Xu Wuji could not give an answer, as he had no idea how much power Aeternus wielded within the Voidforce Universe.
...
The Bureau’s underground spaces were not as gloomy as Lu Yin had expected. Rather, he found a beautiful place filled with lush trees, vibrant flowers, and various adorable animals. It looked like a pastoral, ideal place for humans to live.
Upon seeing this place, a person’s first thought would not be to connect it with interrogations, and yet this was the Bureau’s interrogation room in the Voidforce Universe. This was Ning Ran’s domain.
Yi Jun was present, as was Cheng Feng. There was a mountain separating the two, so they were unable to see or hear each other, though both could appreciate the stunning scenery that surrounded them.
Lu Yin arrived.
Ning Ran swiftly moved to greet the acting Bureau Director. She was in awe of Xuan Qi, not because he had used brute force to assert his authority over the team captains, but due to his exceptional ability in catching spies.
In the past, the Voidforce Universe’s Bureau branch had only been capable of catching small fry, but after Xuan Qi had taken the reins, they suddenly found themselves catching one big fish after another. This would have been completely unimaginable just a short while before. Two Void Morphoras had even blocked the way to the Red Zone in an attempt to snatch Cheng Feng away from the Bureau, but Bureau Director Xu Wuji had never shown up. Things had been too exciting in recent days.
"Acting Bureau Director," Ning Ran greeted Lu Yin in a very respectful manner.
He stepped forward and observed Cheng Feng, who was facing the opposite direction. The prisoner was staring at a waterfall. "How is he?"
Ning Ran replied, "He’s just like Yi Jun. He’s mentioned a few names, and while some of them could be spies, we'll need to verify everything. He’s refused to say anything more than that he's being controlled by Cheng Kong."
This was the same excuse that any spy the Bureau captured gave, and it was the single most frustrating obstacle for the Bureau. It was nearly impossible to determine whether someone had been controlled by Cheng Kong, and they could not simply execute everyone. Given the number of eyes on the Bureau, such actions would incite public outrage.
After all, people who were qualified to be recruited as spies for Aeternus were never ordinary individuals.
Lu Yin quietly observed Cheng Feng, who had his back to them.
In such a beautiful setting, anyone would feel relaxed and rejuvenated, but Cheng Feng, Yi Jun, and all the other captive spies felt completely different. Each of them had a Poison Toad on their shoulders, which left them enduring excruciating pain every moment of every day. Ironically, the beautiful setting was precisely what Ning Ran enjoyed using to her advantage the most.
Experiencing intense pain in such a beautiful place was enough to easily shatter a person’s will.
Lu Yin made his way over to Cheng Feng.
The man’s face was pale, and his veins were bulging due to the intense pain that he was suffering. His eyes were practically popping out of his head, and his normally handsome features appeared twisted and grotesque. His fingers were clenched so tightly that his nails were digging into his palms, and blood streamed down his clothes to fall upon the bright red petals that blossomed across the ground.
"I'm Xuan Qi. You should have heard of me when Yi Jun was arrested. I haven’t been part of the Bureau for very long, and I’m actually not even from the Voidforce Universe. I don't particularly care about you one way or the other, and I’m happy to break the rules when it suits me. I don’t believe that you’ve been controlled by Cheng Kong, and even if you have been, I still don’t care. I’m still going to act as though you aren’t under anyone’s control," Lu Yin spoke slowly as he stared into Cheng Feng's eyes.
The man stared back at Lu Yin. The Poison Toad perched on Cheng Feng’s shoulder started to croak, and each time it did, the pain intensified. Cheng Feng longed for death.
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