Chapter 85: The Specialist Investigator

This was one of Xiao Kaitian’s advanced special abilities—“Dimensional Reduction.” It consumed six Divine Source Hearts, instantly collapsing Sanefu Ichii’s dimension into two. As a being of three dimensions, the loss of one meant he could no longer sustain life, and Sanefu Ichii vanished completely from this world.

In truth, even without resorting to Dimensional Reduction, Xiao Kaitian was confident he could kill Sanefu Ichii. But Sanefu Ichii had shown his fangs not only to him but also to innocent people. In the villa were Xiao Kaitian’s family and Loyal Uncle, along with several neighbors—people he had to consider. The May evening breeze drifted lightly through the small garden, as if nothing had happened. The execution of the skill before and after took but a moment. Xiao Kaitian straightened his clothes, his thoughts already far from Sanefu Ichii.

His own power was still somewhat lacking—though that could be tolerated. The crucial issue was the lack of a stable force; he could not ensure the safety of those around him. Pondering this, he narrowed his eyes.

Once the Future Century Project was underway, he could perhaps build his own “kingdom.” But there were still many taboos to overcome, defensive system technologies to resolve—one problem after another, none that could be quickly solved.

He recalled the young girl in a wheelchair he had met recently, and the “monster” beside her with a combat strength of 517. If these two could be persuaded to help, it would be a good temporary solution.

The existence of martial cultivators was a moderate nuisance to Xiao Kaitian.

“Young Master, the wind’s picking up,” Loyal Uncle’s voice sounded behind him. Xiao Kaitian raised an eyebrow, ceased his ruminations, and turned back inside.

In the main hall of Takao Mountain’s Medicine King Temple in the Island Nation, an elderly monk sat upright. Among a row of memorial tablets enshrined before him, one suddenly gave a sharp crack—the wooden tablet split open.

The old monk slowly opened his eyes, surprise flickering across his face. Rising, he approached the altar, his gaze fixed intently on the tablet inscribed with “Sanefu Ichii.”

“Sanefu…” His throat made a low noise, as if unable to believe what he saw.

“Sanefu is dead. What do you intend to do?” Suddenly a voice echoed in the main hall. A faint glow shimmered over the red long-nosed tengu mask at the center, as if the visage had come alive.

The old monk hesitated, saying nothing.

“Your body is failing. After so much effort to cultivate one, you let him be destroyed. What am I to do with you?”

The old monk lowered his gaze, bowing respectfully to the tengu mask. “I will give an account for this matter. It will not affect your descent.”

“See that it doesn’t. But I want it soon—I have other matters to attend to.”

“Sanefu’s resolve was weak,” the old monk explained slowly. “His death proves he may not have been suited for you after all.”

“I hope this isn’t an excuse. My time is short.” As the words faded, the light around the tengu mask gradually disappeared.

“It seems I must make a trip to Han-Tang…” the old monk murmured to himself.

News of Sanefu Ichii’s demise quickly reached the Han-Tang Maritime Martial Institute. Deputy Director Chen Tongren held the report, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Disappeared—what happened?”

“Yes, sir,” the staff member responsible was sweating profusely. “That’s the information from the front line.”

“Are you being careless?” Chen Tongren refused to believe it. “Or did Sanefu Ichii notice you and disappear deliberately?”

“Deputy Director,” the staff member replied with a bitter smile, “Sanefu Ichii was an upper-rank onmyoji. He’d noticed our people long ago but never bothered to avoid them. It wasn’t until yesterday, after we observed him entering a residential area, that he vanished completely.”

“Did you check thoroughly?” Chen Tongren slapped the table and stood, pacing the room as was his habit when thinking.

“Yes. Our people waited a long time. When Sanefu Ichii didn’t emerge, they entered the neighborhood secretly, investigating house by house. Nothing was found—no trace, not even signs of a struggle.”

Impossible. The saying goes, “Show me the living or show me the dead.” For a top expert simply to vanish—utterly unreasonable. If the martial world of the Island Nation came asking, what answer could they give?

Sanefu Ichii disappeared from the maritime city, right under their surveillance?

A cold sweat broke out on Chen Tongren’s forehead as he grasped the gravity of the situation. He felt a flutter of panic, bent over, and dialed an internal line. “Call Yan Xuan and Lin Dandan here.”

“Leave the report here. Pass down the order—this matter is strictly confidential. No leaks allowed.” He put down the phone and waved the subordinate out.

Soon, the office door sounded again. A man and a woman entered. The man had striking features, marred only by a hooked nose; the woman was dashing, though plain, her skin dark, but her eyes shone with a sharp, energetic light.

“Deputy Director!” The two saluted formally. Chen Tongren nodded in satisfaction. “Yan Xuan, Lin Dandan—you’ve both been with the Martial Institute here in the maritime city for five or six years, haven’t you?”

The man was Yan Xuan; the woman, Lin Dandan. Both were top experts at the Institute, at the middle stage of the Earth Realm, with remarkable talent and considered key persons for cultivation. Hearing this, the two exchanged a glance. “At your instruction, Deputy Director.”

“Good.” Besides their martial talent, these two were quick thinkers. Chen Tongren handed them the report. “Read this first.”

Lin Dandan took it, quickly scanning it before passing it to Yan Xuan, astonishment and disbelief on her face.

“What do you think?” Chen Tongren sipped his tea.

“Deputy Director, Sanefu Ichii is an upper-rank onmyoji from the Island Nation. To put it bluntly, even an Earth Realm peak martial artist could barely contend with him—there’s no way he disappeared without a trace. Even if he were killed, there should at least be a corpse or signs of battle. Unless the killer was someone he knew. But according to the report, he had no acquaintances in Han-Tang.” Lin Dandan gave her assessment.

“There’s another possibility,” Yan Xuan said, returning the report respectfully. “Sanefu Ichii is likely dead. The one who killed him must be a Celestial Realm grandmaster!”

“Could it have been Grandmaster Bai?” Lin Dandan suddenly blurted, as if something had occurred to her.

“Grandmaster Bai? Which Grandmaster Bai?” Chen Tongren asked, puzzled.

“Grandmaster Bai Kou,” Lin Dandan replied gravely. “Word is, someone saw her in the maritime city—but it’s unconfirmed.”

“Bai Kou?” Chen Tongren squinted, recalling the name. He shivered. “That demoness has been missing for years. How could she be here?”

The two looked at each other, unable to answer.

“In any case, you both understand the situation now.” Chen Tongren tapped the table. “From now on, I appoint you two as lead investigators for this case. Find out the truth—no matter what.”

“Yes, sir!”

“The Island Nation’s martial world may pursue this matter. Handle it with care—understand?”

“Yes, Deputy Director!”