Chapter Sixty-Two: Shocking News Disturbs Peace, the Li Dynasty Shrouded in Dust

On a night swallowed by heavy, moonless clouds and profound darkness, the entire capital seemed enveloped in an atmosphere of deathly stillness by an invisible, giant hand.

The thick stone doors of the Court of Judicial Review's prison were tightly shut. The surrounding silence was broken only by the occasional footsteps of the guards and the intermittent, rambling dreams of the inmates.

Suddenly, a dark figure flashed across the prison walls like a ghost, moving so swiftly that it was almost imperceptible.

Immediately afterward, a mysterious person, completely wrapped in black night-travel attire, appeared silently at the prison entrance.

Athletic and light-footed, the figure clutched a gleaming blade that emitted a chilling, cold light under the faint moonlight.

Like a grim reaper of the dark night, the mysterious person rapidly shuttled between the cells.

At every stop, the figure swung the blade without a moment's hesitation. A flash of cold light and a splatter of fresh blood followed; the imprisoned officials barely had time to utter a single scream before collapsing into pools of blood.

Their eyes remained wide with terror, as if they could not believe what was happening before them even in their final moments.

The mysterious person operated with practiced skill and high efficiency. In the span of a few moments, all the corrupt officials in the prison had met a tragic end.

Then, with a flash, the figure vanished into the vast night, leaving behind only a floor of corpses and the pungent stench of blood lingering in the air.

When the guards came for their rounds the next morning, the horrific scene before them terrified them to the core, drawing forth cries of absolute despair.

The news quickly reached the imperial palace. Upon hearing it, the Emperor flew into a rage. He slammed his hand down on his desk so hard that the table in the imperial study trembled slightly, sending brushes, inkstones, paper, and ink scattering across the floor.

The Emperor's face flushed crimson, his eyes blazing with the fire of wrath, and he roared:

"Who is so audacious as to commit such a heinous crime right under My nose? This is utter contempt for the law and a crime most unforgivable!"

He paced back and forth across the hall, his steps hurried and heavy. He knew in his heart that with the deaths of these men, the sole evidence capable of incriminating the mysterious and powerful court official had vanished into thin air. A huge and terrifying conspiracy must be hidden behind this. Yet, as the Son of Heaven, he felt a profound sense of defeat and powerlessness at this moment. That fury churned violently within his chest like a rising tide, seemingly ready to swallow everything in its path.

Li Chengyin and Xiaofeng returned safely to the imperial court after weathering numerous twists and turns.

Having endured the exhaustion of the journey back, they should have rested for a while.

However, when he heard that the crucial prisoners in the Court of Judicial Review had been mysteriously slaughtered overnight, and that the only powerful evidence capable of implicating the mysterious high-ranking official in the court had thus been reduced to ashes, his gaze instantly turned grave, and his heart was shrouded in deep unease.

Li Chengyin paced alone in his study, every step seemingly bearing the weight of a thousand jun. His brows were tightly knitted, his thoughts tangled like hemp, and he pondered inwardly:

"This is no coincidence. A powerful and hidden force is deliberately plotting behind this. Now that the evidence has vanished, that mysterious official hiding in the shadows of the imperial court will surely become even more audacious. The balance of power at court is bound to be disrupted, and various factions will inevitably grow restless, engaging in open strife or covert struggle. The peace of the Li Dynasty is likely to be shattered, and a storm of blood and slaughter may already be quietly brewing. Though I desire to safeguard the peace of the Li Dynasty, how am I to pierce through these heavy mists before me? And how, amidst this shifting and unpredictable tempest, can I keep Xiaofeng safe and ensure the stability of the Li Dynasty's imperial foundations?"

His fists clenched involuntarily, his knuckles turning white. His resolute face now bore a few extra traces of anxiety and solemnity, as if he could already foresee the turbulence and crises awaiting the Li Dynasty in the future, even as he desperately sought a glimmer of dawn and hope within this unknown darkness.