Chapter 5998

The first light of morning broke through, its pale glow slicing into the mist that shrouded Jade Immortal City. Yet it did nothing to dispel the sudden, oppressive tension hanging over the city.

Within Yuxian Mansion—inside the duty chamber of the Criminal Officer’s Residence—the atmosphere was even heavier, frozen solid with dread.

Four deacons of the Punishment Hall stood stiffly in place, faces drained of color, sweat beading on their foreheads. Their heads were bowed, breaths shallow, as if even breathing too loudly might cost them their lives.

At the head of the room, behind a massive desk carved from a single slab of obsidian, sat a middle-aged man whose expression was dark and still, like stagnant water.

He wore a dark-blue brocade robe embroidered with intricate cloud patterns. His face was thin, framed by three long strands of beard, giving him the outward appearance of a refined scholar. But when his narrow eyes opened and closed, a chilling gleam flickered within them, carrying the oppressive authority—and hidden malice—of someone long accustomed to holding power.

He was Fei Qing, Chief of Internal Affairs of the Jade Immortal Mansion.

“Overnight,” Fei Qing said calmly, “two living men vanished right under your noses?”