Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Sword Tower City, Plum Blossom Division, Fifth Bureau of the Censorate, Main Hall.

Zhou Qingfeng, Xiao Hongyun, Jin Wei, and Zhiqi sat around the tea table, discussing the case of the murder of Guan Wan and choosing the next direction for the investigation. After all, the direction was very important; if the direction was wrong, all efforts would be in vain.

Zhou Qingfeng took a sip of tea and smiled, "Old Xiao, why don't you share your thoughts first? Where should we start, and in which direction should we investigate? Feel free to share your opinions; it's okay if you're wrong."

Xiao Hongyun raised an eyebrow: "Ten years have passed since we last met. Are you trying to weigh me down?"

Zhou Qingfeng smiled without saying a word. He really wanted to see if Xiao Hongyun had become more powerful after ten years. This power was not only in terms of combat strength, but more in terms of certain abilities beyond combat strength.

Seeing this, Xiao Hongyun shook his head helplessly, then glanced at Jin Wei and Zhi Qi, pondered for a moment, his expression slowly turned serious, and slowly said: "I reviewed the case files and related materials six times throughout yesterday, and I am certain that some underground secret organization is conducting human drug trials."

Zhiqi and Jinwei exchanged a glance, both puzzled. What made them so certain?

Zhou Qingfeng slightly raised his hand and gently pressed down, signaling them to calm down and continue listening.

Xiao Hongyun said, "I remember more than seven years ago, I can't remember the exact time, I was responsible for leading a team to supervise the judicial and administrative activities of Niuxinbao and suppress the local demons inside the castle. I experienced something similar."

Zhou Qingfeng hummed in agreement: "Yeah, and then?"

Xiao Hongyun frowned slightly, lost in memories: "Back then, there was a doctor who called himself Xiaoyao Sanren who was selling some kind of super aphrodisiac pills all over the castle, selling them for only sixty magic coins each."

"It is said that mortals who eat it will be cured of all diseases, and will become stronger and more capable of working. Most importantly, it has the effect of strengthening the kidneys and enhancing male virility, and can greatly improve sexual performance at night."

At this point, Xiao Hongyun paused slightly, shook his head helplessly, and said, "You know, as long as it's said to be able to enhance male virility and replenish kidney essence, let alone medicine, even dog poop would be enough to make plenty of men eat dog poop clean. Even cultivators like us can't avoid being tempted, let alone a group of ignorant and foolish people from the lower classes."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly in agreement.

Xiao Hongyun's expression was somewhat grim: "Things quickly changed."

"Those who took the super aphrodisiac pills began to develop terrible symptoms."

"Initially, I developed a sugar craving and needed to consume large amounts of sugar every day, otherwise I would be so hungry that I would want to eat people."

"From the middle stage onwards, they began to eat raw, bloody meat. They would vomit everything else they ate. Many ordinary people, unable to afford raw meat, lost their minds from hunger and ate their own families and children."

"Then rare signs of degeneration appeared in this group of mortals who had eaten living people."

"As you know, the symptoms of degeneration are only signs of impending death for us cultivators who have been corrupted in spirit. Mortals have never cultivated, so how could they be degenerated?"

Zhou Qingfeng frowned: "The drugs are rapidly altering their bodies, turning them from normal prisoners into demons. Xiaoyao Sanren may be related to the mysterious person we are investigating."

Xiao Hongyun nodded and said, "Perhaps it's related, or perhaps this mysterious person is the Carefree Hermit."

"Just over seven years ago, the Carefree Hermit used mortals as test subjects for medicine, causing thousands of mortals to fall into the Turbid-level cannibalistic demons. But today, seven years later, he is using cultivators at the Devouring Fiend Realm as test subjects for medicine."

"I think you should understand what this means, Lao Zhou."

Zhou Qingfeng remained silent, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together inside his sleeves, his mind racing as he absorbed a great deal of information from Xiao Hongyun's words, analyzing and deducing from it.

Upon hearing this, Zhiqi and Jinwei also vaguely grasped some of the underlying principles.

Seeing this, Xiao Hongyun continued, "In Niuxinbao, any mortal who has taken the Super Aphrodisiac Pill has been corrupted into cannibals. They possess exceptionally strong vitality and regenerative abilities, making them difficult to kill using ordinary methods."

"Fortunately, I had already reached the Devouring Fiend Realm at that time. I led the Demon Suppression Squad and joined forces with the 660 garrison troops of Oxheart Fortress to capture and kill these Turbid-level ogres one by one, thus eliminating the deadly danger in Oxheart Fortress."

"When I wanted to lead the team to capture that carefree hermit, he had already vanished into thin air."

After listening, Zhou Qingfeng's eyes flashed with wisdom: "More than seven years ago, it should have been the initial drug trial conducted by the secret organization to which Xiaoyao Sanren belonged, which distributed drugs to ordinary people on a large scale to collect experimental data."

“Normally, collecting a large amount of experimental data will help in the development of more powerful drugs.”

"If the other party keeps using living people for research and drug testing, the pace of innovation will be very fast. It is normal for them to develop drugs that have a strong effect on cultivators in the Devouring Fiend Realm. Living people, mortals, cultivators. As drugs are updated, the requirements for drug test subjects will become more and more stringent. During this process, a lot of traces will inevitably be left behind."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongyun smiled and said, "Old Zhou, your wisdom is as sharp as ever."

“All existing drugs have undergone a long research and development process. The effects and side effects of each drug are extremely detailed, including which drug is effective for which type of person and which is ineffective or even harmful to which type of person.”

"This is definitely not something that can be done on a whim or with a flash of inspiration. Over the years, it will inevitably leave many indelible traces, each of which can be traced back to its source, allowing us to find the mastermind behind it all."

"It's just that I want to collect so much old information."

"The time and manpower alone make it a huge undertaking."

"Fortunately, I have often been on field missions over the years and have made many friends among the powerful and influential in the castles of various places in the Sword Tower Realm. I can ask them to do me a small favor and remotely transmit information about drug-related events from previous years to me. I believe that I will definitely gain something by carefully examining the clues left over from previous years."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled and said, "Is there anything else?"

Xiao Hongyun smiled confidently, picked up his teacup, and drank it all in one gulp: "Of course there is more."

“Since the perpetrator used cultivators at the Devouring Fiend Realm to test medicine in the Sword Tower, it is certain that he did not only test medicine on Gong Yuluo. There must have been many other Devouring Fiend Realm cultivators used for medicine testing. These people are all potential breakthroughs.”

Zhiqi felt a little uncomfortable watching him put on airs; the arrogance was just too overpowering. He couldn't help but ask, "Lord Xiao, I already thought of that. The problem is how to find out who these people are?"

Xiao Hongyun lightly flicked his fingers and said nonchalantly, "It's very simple. If I were the other party, secretly conducting drug trials and experiments, and had the option to choose the test subjects, I would definitely choose unregistered individuals."

Zhi Qi raised an eyebrow slightly: "Unregistered resident, you mean..."

Xiao Hongyun's lips curled slightly: "Old Zhou, your subordinate does have some brains. That's right, unregistered people are easier to take action against and less likely to attract attention. After all, are unregistered people even considered human?"

Holding the weapon, he remained silent. He came from a wild village protection team and knew all too well the suffering of the common people. In Sword Tower, unregistered people were not considered human. If they died on the roadside, they would be taken away and cremated without anyone caring.

Xiao Hongyun stretched and yawned: "I'll get straight to the point now."

"Based on the remaining clues in the case files, there are currently three directions for the investigation."

"First, we need to trace the source and investigate past drug trials that occurred in castles around the world. Gathering intelligence on this is very troublesome, but I'll handle the contacts. Old Zhou, don't worry about it, I'll take care of it for you."

"Secondly, underground boxing rings, where criminals have been, will definitely leave traces."

"Thirdly, medical clinics and pharmacies. Since it is a drug trial, medical clinics and pharmacies are the best places for drug trials. They can not only conveniently register customer information, but also keep track of the physical changes of the drug trial participants and experimental data."

"Because customers come to pharmacies and clinics to get treatment, they won't hide their illness or lie to the doctor. Doctors can easily gain the trust of customers and prescribe a new drug for them, and the customers will take it."

"Once the customers have taken the medication, whether their condition improves or worsens, they will all return to the clinic or pharmacy. The clinic or pharmacy can take this opportunity to regularly monitor the physical changes of the trial participants and collect their physical data."

"However, there are at least six or seven hundred medical clinics and pharmacies in the Tower of Swords, and checking them one by one would be a bit troublesome."

Xiao Hongyun paused, looked at Zhou Qingfeng, and said, "Old Zhou, this is all I can do for now."

Zhou Qingfeng looked at Xiao Hongyun with a smile: "Not bad, it's been ten years since we last met. I really have to look at you in a new light."

Xiao Hongyun chuckled and kept giving him smug winks: "So, are you convinced or not?"

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head inwardly; this guy couldn't resist showing off again.

Fine, considering how hard he's working, let him show off for a bit.

So he smiled, raised his hands, and slowly clapped: "Clap, clap, clap... Great, great."

Xiao Hongyun stood up, put his hands on his hips and laughed heartily. He then reached out and pressed his hand against Zhou Qingfeng's face a few times, saying, "Oh, it's nothing. It's just a little skill, nothing to brag about. It's not impressive at all. It's just average, only slightly better than you."

"Strong, strong, strong..." Zhou Qingfeng was quite supportive, nodding repeatedly and giving high praise.

“Hahaha… so cool!”

Thirteen years, a full thirteen years, Xiao Hongyun finally found an opportunity to hold his head high. There was no way he could compete with Zhou Qingfeng in anything before, but now that he had the chance to show off his talents, he would definitely not be modest.

Of course, this is only true in front of real friends and brothers. If it were someone else with whom he had a casual relationship, Xiao Hongyun would show a completely different face. He knew that their revolutionary friendship was very strong and reliable, and he didn't have to worry about being framed or plotted against if he exposed his true self.

Jin Wei, watching from the side, couldn't stop shaking his head. He clasped his hands and said, "Commander, we currently have three leads. Lord Xiao is in charge of one lead, while Zhiqi and I will be in charge of the other two leads: the clinic and the underground boxing arena."

Zhiqi immediately stood up and declared, "Commander, I will not let you down if you entrust this matter to me."

Zhou Qingfeng was pleased to see the two men volunteering. He needed such high-quality subordinates who could help him share the burden, and their abilities were undeniable and above average.

With the investigation proceeding along three lines simultaneously, any breakthrough in any of these lines would help me solve the case of the murder of Guan Wan and uncover the mastermind behind it: "Alright, then you'll be in charge of continuing the investigation."

“Jin Wei, you are steady and cautious, and you have many connections and acquaintances in Sword Tower City. You take people to investigate the clinics and pharmacies.”

"Zhiqi, you are quick-witted, agile, and daring. You're the one to crack this tough nut of the underground boxing ring. Don't be afraid of the owners behind the underground boxing ring; I'll take care of everything."

"Furthermore, I must tell you that this case has jeopardized the safety of the Sword Tower. Anyone who attempts to obstruct the investigation or refuses to cooperate will be arrested and treated as an accomplice to treason."

"Remember, don't give face to anyone. If someone is blind and wants to die, then grant their wish."

At this moment, everyone is eager to distance themselves from the case of the murderer, not wanting to be involved in anything, let alone obstruct or refuse to cooperate. If they were to encounter such a person, they would be sending their own head to the guillotine.

Zhiqi and Jinwei straightened their expressions and clasped their hands in a salute: "We will obey the Commander's orders. Time is of the essence. In order to prevent the perpetrators from cleaning up any remaining traces, we will immediately begin our investigation. Farewell."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly, watching Zhiqi and Jin Wei leave together, then turned to Xiao Hongyun: "Old Xiao, what are you still standing there for? Haven't you had enough of showing off? Hurry up and get to work."

Xiao Hongyun yawned: "I know, I know. You always order people around. I just got back from out of town and you didn't even let me catch my breath. I spent a whole day and night looking at case files, and now I have to go back to work."

Zhou Qingfeng watched Xiao Hongyun leave and fell into deep thought once again.

He had to operate on two fronts: on one hand, he had to try to eliminate the Luo family gang and completely control the Fifth Division; on the other hand, he had to solve the case of the murder of Guan Wan. In terms of pressure, his was the one under the greatest pressure.

However, Zhou Qingfeng is resilient to pressure. His strong mental fortitude, honed over a long period, is enough to support him in operating on two fronts. He can handle any unexpected events and pressure from all sides with ease and composure.

Outside the main hall, Jin Wei and Zhiqi walked quickly out together, each leading a team of Plum Blossom Guards away from the Fifth Bureau of the Censorate. This scene was witnessed by many observant people, who then went to pass on intelligence.

In another branch hall, Luo Bingyi sat in the new tea room, scratching his back with a back scratcher. Next to him sat two students, Zhai Xingyuan and Yan Wenjiu, who were reporting Zhou Qingfeng's actions to Luo Bingyi.

Zhai Xingyuan said, "Teacher, should we take this opportunity to do something underhanded?"

Luo Bingyi said calmly, "Haven't you done enough tricks? I was trying to avoid the case of the 'killing official pill,' and you still dare to get involved? Aren't you afraid that Zhou Silang will find an opportunity to dismiss you from your post, punish you, and imprison you?"

Zhai Xingyuan was given a mild but firm rebuke by the teacher, and somewhat embarrassed, he lowered his head and took a sip of tea.

Luo Bingyi calmly said, "Don't get involved in this matter at all. We'll just observe from the sidelines. Also, you should all keep a low profile for a while. Stop doing anything you shouldn't do and don't go to places you shouldn't go, so as not to give others a handle against you."

Zhai Xingyuan clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "Yes, teacher."

Luo Bingyi looked at Yan Wenjiu and found him absent-minded, seemingly lost in thought. He frowned and picked up a back scratcher to tap the student's head: "Wenjiu, I'm talking to you, did you hear me?"

Yan Wenjiu suddenly snapped out of his daze and said blankly, "Huh? Teacher, what did you say to me?"