The gathering clouds in the sky grew ever darker.
The torrential rain hammered the ground, making the atmosphere even more oppressive and filled with sorrow.
At the Dragon Division base, white wreaths were placed everywhere, and a corpse covered with a bright red flag lay in the center of the mourning hall.
Nie Yi, dressed in a black suit, stepped out of the car. A bodyguard immediately held a black umbrella over him, shielding him from even a drop of rain. Da Feng Novel Network.
Nie Yi adjusted his tie, smiled and nodded at the senior officials of the Arashi Division who were alighting from the cars behind him, and then quickly entered the base.
As the Deputy Minister of the Dragon Division's Yang Country branch, Nie Yi was, apart from the Imperial Envoy Wang Liren, the de facto highest authority in the Dragon Division branch.
Despite any inner glee he might have felt at Qi Tan's funeral, he had to appear extremely sorrowful on the surface to win over the people.
Inside the mourning hall.
Qi Tan's wife, Yu E, and his twenty-year-old daughter, Qi Zhuyue, knelt beside the coffin, sobbing quietly.
Wang Liren entered the mourning hall, bowed and offered flowers to Qi Tan, then walked over to the Qi family mother and daughter and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely catch the killer."
Upon hearing Wang Liren's words, Yu E cried even harder, glared at Wang Liren, and shouted, "What's the use of catching the killer? Can you bring my husband back to me?"
Wang Liren was caught off guard by her outburst and quickly tried to comfort her, "Sister-in-law, please don't get too emotional. Minister Qi may not be able to return, but if the killer can be found, Minister Qi will rest in peace..."
Yu E exclaimed emotionally, "I don't need your false sympathy! You're only looking for the killer for your own benefit, aren't you? I know you've always wanted to use me to bring down Nie Yi! Let me tell you! Nie Yi was the best brother to my husband when he was alive. No matter how much you suspect him, you're wasting your time!"
"Get out! I don't want to see you, this so-called Imperial Envoy!"
"I..."
Wang Liren was inexplicably berated by Yu E and felt somewhat at a loss. However, considering it was a funeral and Yu E had just suffered the pain of losing her husband, he didn't want to say more. He could only offer Yu E an apologetic apology and then prepare to leave the mourning hall.
Just then, Nie Yi, dressed in a sharp suit, entered the mourning hall. He happened to overhear Yu E scolding Wang Liren, a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, and he quickly stepped forward to question Wang Liren, "Imperial Envoy Wang, even though you are an Imperial Envoy sent by headquarters specifically to investigate Minister Qi's affairs, this is currently Minister Qi's mourning hall. Can you please be mindful of the occasion?"
"Sister-in-law has just experienced the pain of losing her closest person. You are now rubbing salt in the wound and stirring up her pain, what kind of behavior is this?"
"If you truly wish to investigate the case, can you please wait until after the funeral? Please show Minister Qi the final respect."
Wang Liren was once again confronted by Nie Yi and felt a surge of anger. However, he managed to suppress his inner rage and said sternly to Nie Yi, "Nie Yi, Qi Tan was assassinated. The top priority is to find the killer!"
"I believe that if the killer is not found, Qi Tan will not rest in peace even in death. You understand this, don't you?"
Nie Yi replied, "I naturally understand that, but I also know what is more important and urgent!"
"It is currently Minister Qi's funeral. I don't want to argue with you, and you shouldn't cause trouble for me!"
"The senior officials of the Arashi Division are all outside and will soon come in to offer flowers to Minister Qi. I'm sure you don't want us to be a laughingstock to the Arashi Division people, do you?"
"Of course not," Wang Liren said coldly. "The reason I'm not arguing with you now is for Qi Tan and the Dragon Division, understand?"
"Please proceed," Nie Yi said indifferently, then walked over to Yu E, patted her shoulder, and said solemnly, "Sister-in-law, please accept my condolences."
Yu E cried again, "Thank you... If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do..."
Nie Yi gently comforted her, "It's alright. Minister Qi was my best brother. Now that he's gone, I will take good care of you and your daughter. The killer will definitely be caught!"
Seeing the stark difference in Yu E's attitude towards him and Nie Yi, Wang Liren's eyes flickered with hesitation. However, he knew it was not appropriate to stay there any longer and quickly walked out of the mourning hall.
After a brief interlude, the senior officials of the Arashi Division and the elites of the Dragon Division branch all offered flowers to Qi Tan, and the entire funeral proceeded in an orderly manner.
The mourning hall returned to its solemn and dignified atmosphere, with only the sounds of weeping remaining.
Wang Liren stood outside the mourning hall, enduring the pouring rain, silently watching the people inside, lost in thought.
Ye Ling walked up behind Wang Liren, glanced in the direction of the mourning hall, and then smiled, "It seems that Qi Tan, in the end, was just a pitiable person."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Wang Liren immediately snapped back to attention and asked, "Why does Your Majesty suddenly say such a thing?"
Ye Ling said, "Look at those people. How many of them are genuinely offering flowers to Qi Tan?"
"The senior officials of the Arashi Division are only here to go through the motions out of respect for the Dragon Division. Nie Yi is inwardly gloating, and the other employees of the Dragon Division branch are busy trying to curry favor with Nie Yi at this moment."
"Even Qi Tan's wife seems to have an unclear relationship with Nie Yi..."
"Alas... the dignified Minister of the Dragon Division branch, in the end, only has you, whom he never knew, and his daughter truly mourning him. To reach such a state, is he not a pitiable person?"
Wang Liren said incredulously, "Your Majesty, do you mean... Yu E is unfaithful? You can't just say such things!"
"What's there to say or not say?" Ye Ling chuckled. "Look at Yu E's gaze, it's almost glued to Nie Yi. Staring at another man in her husband's mourning hall, if there's nothing going on, even a ghost wouldn't believe it! Truly pitiful..."
Wang Liren followed Ye Ling's gaze and indeed found Yu E's expression to be somewhat off. A sense of anger inexplicably arose in his heart, "No wonder she got so angry when I told her in the mourning hall that I would find the killer! It must be that Qi Tan's death is closely related to Nie Yi and Yu E!"
"At first, I thought I was being insensitive to the occasion and felt guilty, but I didn't expect her to be so malicious!"
Ye Ling smiled and said, "Hey, you can't be so hasty about this. After all, we have only confirmed that Nie Yi and Yu E are having an affair. Whether they were involved in assassinating Qi Tan cannot be determined yet."
"Don't let your personal emotions affect your judgment."
Being spoken to like this by Ye Ling, Wang Liren was somewhat surprised and asked, "But Your Majesty, didn't you intend to search Nie Yi's soul from the beginning? Why now..."
Ye Ling replied, "Before was before, and now is now. It's different."
Wang Liren asked, "What's different?"
Ye Ling smiled and said, "Here, there's a good show to watch."
"Besides, didn't you tell me not to search his soul?"
"Come on, young man. Let me see what your abilities can uncover!"
Wang Liren: "..."