The Dragon Inspection Map was still in the Observation Department's Map Institute!
This was the third mystery Zeng Anmin had seen through using Rapid Enlightenment!
Just as he finished speaking, a flash of light burst beside his ear.
SWISH!
A transparent streak of Sword Qi shot out from an unknown direction.
BANG.
The bluestone floorboards at his feet were effortlessly pierced through as if they were made of tofu.
"Insolent whelp! Such brazen treason!"
It was impossible to tell where the voice came from. He had nearly lost his life without even seeing his attacker.
However, Zeng Anmin's heart remained completely undisturbed. People who scrambled to show off in front of their superiors were usually intellectually challenged. And toward the intellectually challenged, Zeng Anmin had always cast a gaze of pity.
"Let him finish." Emperor Jianhong finally set his eyes on Zeng Anmin, assessing him. This boy actually had quite a handsome face.
Zeng Anmin slowly raised his head and spoke respectfully, "Last night, at a quarter past the hour of the Rooster, while patrolling the Observation Department, a demonic mist suddenly rose, clouding my consciousness. I awoke at three-quarters past the hour to find the Dragon Inspection Map missing, yet the protective arrays at the scene showed no traces of intrusion."
Emperor Jianhong frowned slightly. "Why are you reciting your father's confession?"
Zeng Anmin bowed and replied, "To Your Majesty, all the answers lie within my father's confession."
"Oh?" Not only Emperor Jianhong, but everyone present—both in the open and hidden in the shadows—frowned secretly. This confession was completely ordinary. They had scrutinized it endlessly without figuring anything out, so naturally, they didn't believe Zeng Anmin's claim.
Zeng Anmin remained unhurried. Taking a deep breath, he explained, "The reason Your Majesty concluded that my father colluded with the Demon Race is simply because he is a Great Confucian Scholar of the Confucian Dao—the bane of all demons.
"How could he possibly fall for the Demon Race's tricks and be knocked unconscious by some unfounded demonic mist, leading to the loss of the Dragon Inspection Map?
"Furthermore, the arrays meant to guard against Cultivators showed no signs of activation, nor was there any evidence of human sabotage.
"Therefore, you deduced that he must have colluded with the Demon Race and deliberately leaked the location of the Dragon Inspection Map."
Pausing here, Zeng Anmin glanced up at Emperor Jianhong's expression and slowed his pace. "However, it is precisely because everyone had preconceptions about the words 'demonic mist' in my father's confession that your train of thought was misled. This caused the entire investigation to deviate from the truth."
Emperor Jianhong let out a cold sneer. "The Observation Department is filled with countless arrays. It is absolutely impossible for Cultivator Outsiders to steal the Dragon Inspection Map without making a sound."
The implication was clear: only the Demon Race had such a capability. Yet, with a Great Confucian Scholar standing guard, it was equally impossible for the Demon Race to steal the Dragon Inspection Map. Therefore, his father must have colluded with them.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's gaze landed heavily on Zeng Anmin. The arrays at the Observation Department were specifically designed to guard against Cultivator Outsiders. If it wasn't the Demon Race, who would have the immense capability to steal the Dragon Inspection Map completely unnoticed? Anyone with that kind of power wouldn't even need the Dragon Inspection Map in the first place!
Zeng Anmin lifted his head, his gaze resolute and his voice unwavering. "The arrays at the Observation Department guard against capable individuals and Outsiders. But what if the culprit was an ordinary person?!"
After saying this, Zeng Anmin quickly swept a glance over the surrounding crowd. He noticed that their expressions had all gone somewhat slack.
Thank you, Xu Qian! Fortunately, he had a habit of reading web novels in his past life. If a certain novel hadn't given him this line of thought, he might not have realized this even with his Golden Finger! Loving web novels could truly save lives at critical moments!
The entire garden fell silent for a moment.
"What utter nonsense! How could an ordinary person conjure a demonic mist?! Father, this thieving scoundrel is just blowing hot air. Let's just execute him by a thousand cuts!" The young girl named Ning'an glared furiously at Zeng Anmin, her pretty face filled with malice.
"Are you a sociopath?!" Zeng Anmin thought, feeling utterly speechless. This girl was so beautiful and looked no older than fifteen or sixteen. How could her mind be so vicious?
Only Emperor Jianhong looked at Zeng Anmin thoughtfully. Understanding the implicit cue, Zeng Anmin's face brimmed with flying confidence. "To Your Majesty, if you simply gather the following items and bring in an ordinary person, I can recreate the scene from that day!"
A single sentence drew out everyone's curiosity.
Emperor Jianhong nodded gently. "Permitted." He, too, wanted to know how an ordinary person could conjure a demonic mist.
"I will need..." Speaking rapidly, Zeng Anmin listed out everything he required.
A short while later, someone brought over all the requested items.
"Please allow me to step forward and demonstrate," Zeng Anmin said, not forgetting proper etiquette.
"Mm," Emperor Jianhong nodded without even lifting his eyelids.
Zeng Anmin briskly stood up. The shackles on his body didn't hinder his movements. Taking the items before him, he began his first chemical experiment in this Otherworld.
Sand, charcoal, lime, urine...
Not minding the filth, Zeng Anmin reached out and mixed everything together into a container, lit a fire, and began to boil the concoction.
Before long, he had produced a transparent, crystal-clear stone. Seeing this, the heavy boulder in his heart slowly dropped to the ground. Thank goodness, the knowledge from his past life worked here as well.
After finishing, he turned around respectfully and looked at Emperor Jianhong. "Please summon an ordinary person, Your Majesty. I will now demonstrate."
"Mm."
A moment later, a trembling commoner was brought before Zeng Anmin. Opening the box in his hand, Zeng Anmin exposed the crystalline substance to the air and placed it beneath the commoner's nose.
HISS...
Upon contact with the air, the crystalline stone began to spontaneously combust, accompanied by a massive plume of white smoke that slowly drifted outward. At the sight of this, everyone's gaze sharpened, locking tightly onto the commoner.
THUD...
It wasn't long before the commoner swayed unsteadily and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Hiss..."
Little Ning'an, whose pretty face had just been filled with malice, now stared blankly at the scene with her small mouth wide open, looking completely harmless. The people hidden in the shadows also watched in sheer disbelief. Even Emperor Jianhong revealed a look of astonishment.
Zeng Anmin had never cultivated in any system; his physical condition was obvious at a single glance. Yet, he had actually managed to concoct such a miraculous item?! Aside from Emperor Jianhong, everyone stared at Zeng Anmin with bewilderment and uncertainty.
Seeing this, Zeng Anmin truly let out a sigh of relief in his heart. An unparalleled sense of fortune welled up within him. Thank you, compulsory education! Thank you, middle school chemistry! After all, his Rapid Enlightenment trait only boosted his intellect, not his worldly experience.
Striking while the iron was hot, Zeng Anmin said respectfully, "Your Majesty, with just a few pieces of this substance in my hand, one can create the illusion of a demonic mist. Furthermore, this item is toxic, much like knockout smoke. It is entirely logical that my father, caught off guard, fell victim to this ambush and fainted."
"I see." A thoughtful gleam flashed through Emperor Jianhong's eyes. While the Vast Righteous Qi of Confucian Cultivators strongly countered demons, devils, and ghosts, their physical strength was far inferior to that of Body Cultivators, and their antitoxic resistance was no different from an ordinary person's.
Pointing at the crystal stone in his hand, Zeng Anmin continued, "Since this item rules out the Demon Race, and the arrays surrounding the Dragon Inspection Map showed no abnormalities—which rules out Cultivator Outsiders—then it must have been the work of an ordinary person."
Before he could finish, the young girl interrupted him. Ning'an stared intently at Zeng Anmin, her voice laced with doubt. "The Dragon Inspection Map is so large! How could an ordinary person smuggle it out unnoticed?!"
Ning'an's words made perfect sense. Realizing this as well, Emperor Jianhong calmly looked at Zeng Anmin. He wanted a flawless explanation.
Zeng Anmin's expression remained placid. Without any rush, the youth's fair face radiated confidence. "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth!
"I boldly deduce that the Dragon Inspection Map was never taken away.
"Instead, the thief hid it somewhere inside the Observation Department!!"
As his voice faded, the entire garden plunged into an eerie silence.