"...and while the safety of all residents, especially esteemed guests like yourself, Young Master Jiang, is naturally my highest priority," City Lord Zhang droned on, his voice attempting a veneer of official concern that was thoroughly undermined by the undisguised irritation pinching his plump features and the impatient tapping of his fingers on the surface of his large, ornate redwood desk, "storming into the Administrative Palace, bypassing my officials entirely, and making such… dramatic accusations based on the unfortunate, if regrettable, demise of a mere brothel worker is highly irregular. Highly irregular indeed, Young Master! It disrupts the proper functioning of city administration."
I stood before him in the center of his spacious office, Lin Ruolan a silent, watchful presence a few steps behind me. The room itself was a study in contrasts. Opulent symbols of Imperial authority adorned the walls – heavy silk banners embroidered with the Azure Dragon Empire's crest, intricate maps detailing the province and surrounding territories, a large, imposing official seal resting on a dedicated stand beside the desk.
Yet, beneath the veneer of officialdom, signs of personal luxury and – perhaps -- slight neglect were evident. The furniture, while expensive rosewood, was slightly dusty. Trays overflowed with unread scrolls and documents piled haphazardly. An exquisite jade wine cup sat stained on a side table, beside a half-empty bottle of potent-smelling spirit wine…
City Lord Zhang himself embodied this contradiction: his robes were made of fine, expensive silk, yet slightly askew, revealing a glimpse of a burgeoning belly beneath. His face looked flushed, likely more from interrupted indulgence than righteous anger. His Foundation Establishment aura, though undeniably present – a pressure that would intimidate any Qi Gathering cultivator – felt to me… lazy, stagnant, lacking the sharp edge of honed power, suggesting his advancement likely owed more to family connections and resource consumption than innate talent or diligent effort. He looked, in short, exactly like the kind of lazy, corrupt, incompetent official Jiang Li's memories painted him to be, a man who had likely bribed or schemed his way into this comfortable provincial post and resented any disruption to his routine.
Perfect, I thought, maintaining a calm, almost cold exterior as I processed his dismissive words. Discretion? Keeping this in the shadows? That's precisely what the killer likely expects. That's how these power games are usually played amongst cultivators and nobles, isn't it? Quiet assassinations met with quiet revenge or subtle political maneuvering, keeping everything hidden from the prying eyes of mortal law and Imperial bureaucracy.
But I am not the original Jiang Li. And Leo Maxwell, the actor, knows that sometimes the boldest performance, one that shatters expectations, is the most effective one.
Audacity shall be my refuge here.
My decision, made in the cold silence of Mei'er's death room just minutes ago, felt undeniably correct as I stood here facing this pompous baffoon. By bringing this directly to the City Lord, by making it official the instant the body was discovered, I now force his hand. He might be lazy, corrupt, incompetent… but he's still an Imperial Official sworn -- at least nominally -- to uphold the Emperor's law within his jurisdiction.
An assassination attempt using cultivator poisons on a Jiang heir, now directly linked to the confirmed murder of a mortal witness within his city limits? He cannot simply ignore it or sweep it under the rug without risking severe repercussions if word reaches Yuhang City (or, indeed, eve the Imperial Capital itself). If he's innocent of involvement, he'll be terrified of being blamed for incompetence -- or, worse, a cover-up -- especially given the Jiang family's rising influence in regional trade. If he's complicit... well, forcing this into the light immediately, creating an official incident report, should make it vastly harder for him or his hidden allies to act against me again so brazenly or to simply dispose of the evidence quietly. And so, he may not fear me or even directly fear my family's local influence… but Imperial investigators, on the other hand? Depending on how clean the esteemed City Lord has kept his own nose, that may be a different story entirely…
That's the leverage.
That's the pressure point.
Recalling how I'd simply strode past the startled outer guards and administrative assistants moments ago, using the Jiang name and the sheer force of my newly consolidated Stage Five aura to demand an immediate audience, proclaiming loudly about Qi poisons, murder, and the threat to public order – yes, audacity was indeed the right play.
City Lord Zhang sighed heavily, the sound gusting with impatience, and dabbed at his sweaty brow with a fine silk handkerchief that probably cost more than the late Mei'er earned in a month.
"Young Master Jiang, please, let us be reasonable," he implored, his tone shifting to one of patronizing condescension. "A tragedy, yes, the girl's death is unfortunate, truly unfortunate." His expression suggested it was merely an inconvenient bureaucratic hiccup.
"But Silent Meridian Frost? Are you quite certain? Such exotic toxins are incredibly rare, exceedingly expensive... difficult even for Foundation Establishment alchemists to procure, let alone employ without trace. Perhaps it was merely a potent mundane poison after all? Something she ingested accidentally? Or a sudden, tragic illness? These Pavilion girls... their lifestyles are often… taxing, you understand."
He waved a dismissive hand, clearly wanting this unpleasantness to simply disappear.
"As for your own... indisposition the other night... young men of status often overindulge, accidents happen..." His implication was clear: perhaps I had simply imagined the poison in a drunken stupor.
"Rest assured," he continued, leaning back in his chair, adopting an air of magnanimous authority, "I will order my City Guard Captain – an excellent, thoroughly reliable man – to investigate the... ah... Serene Phoenix Pavilion meticulously. Such establishments, while perhaps necessary for the city's commerce," (he gave me a knowing, slightly greasy look) "sometimes attract unsavory elements or become entangled in internal rivalries among the women. We will get to the bottom of it swiftly and, more importantly, quietly. No need to alarm the populace."
He offered the easy, superficial solution, the bureaucratic brush-off, clearly hoping I would accept this face-saving measure and leave him to his wine and paperwork. He even added, "And of course, for your own peace of mind, Young Master, I can assign a detachment of my personal city guards to escort you while you remain in Qingshan."
I remained standing, turning slightly to examine an expensive but undeniably dusty calligraphy scroll hanging crookedly on the wall behind his desk – a depiction of serene mountains that felt utterly incongruous with the man himself. My silence, my deliberate lack of immediate reaction, seemed to unnerve him more than shouting would have.
Finally, I turned back, my expression cool, my voice level.
"Your guard, City Lord Zhang?" I asked softly, letting the question hang. "Adequate for handling market brawls and apprehending common pickpockets, perhaps." I allowed a small, dismissive smile. "But we are dealing, as I clearly stated, with Silent Meridian Frost. Its effects leave a distinct trace, a specific lingering chill to the ambient Qi, one only a cultivator familiar with such esoteric toxins, preferably an experienced alchemist, could reliably identify and analyze." I paused, letting him absorb the implication.
"And the Serene Phoenix Pavilion?" I shook my head slightly. "A convenient scapegoat, perhaps, but ultimately a distraction. I've dealt with Madam Xue extensively. She values profit and stability above all else. Orchestrating such a clumsy, high-risk assassination – and in her own establishment, no less -- seems unlikely to be her style, though the Serene Phoenix Pavillion clearly possesses security vulnerabilities that allowed this tragedy to occur."
My gaze sharpened, meeting his now slightly wary eyes directly.
"No, this requires expertise far beyond mere city guard, my Lord. This was no simple stabbing in a dark alley. This was alchemy. Silent Meridian Frost, expertly applied via an unwitting mortal intermediary. We need specialized knowledge, not just brute force or the convenient closure of a brothel."
The City Lord shifted uncomfortably in his chair, the flush on his face deepening. "Expertise? Alchemist Chen, perhaps? Yes, he has some skill..."
He clearly still wanted to keep this contained, manageable.
"Indeed," I agreed smoothly, seeing my opening. "Alchemist Chen possesses the necessary skills. However," – and here was the subtle pressure – "if local resources, even including Master Chen," I let the phrase hang pointedly in the air, "prove inadequate to properly investigate the attempted assassination of a Jiang heir – my attempted assassination – and the related murder of a key mortal witness within your jurisdiction using sophisticated cultivator means..."
I tapped a thoughtful finger against my chin, feigning contemplation.
"...perhaps I should trouble my family directly in Yuhang City? I am certain Father could spare a few Foundation Establishment investigators from our family's considerable payroll. They have experience in... delicate matters." I paused, watching his reaction closely.
"Or, failing that, we could always petition the regional Imperial garrison for official assistance? Though," I added casually, as if just realizing the inevitable bureaucratic consequence, my eyes never leaving his face, "that would undoubtedly require detailed reports filed directly with the Imperial Censorate in the Capital, wouldn't it? Such a fuss. Auditors arriving, examining city records, interviewing officials... why, it could disrupt the entire city's administration for months, I imagine! Terribly inconvenient for everyone."
The effect of my speech was instantaneous and profound.
The color drained rapidly from City Lord Zhang's flushed face, leaving it a pasty, unhealthy grey. The superficial annoyance, the lazy confidence, evaporated completely, replaced by raw, naked, undisguised fear. Sweat beaded visibly on his forehead and upper lip now, dripping down his temples and staining the high collar of his fine silk robe. His lazy posture vanished instantly; he now sat bolt upright, leaning forward frantically across his desk, his plump hands clasped tightly together, almost pleadingly.
The threat of involving the powerful Jiang main branch directly was bad enough; the mention of the Imperial garrison was worse…
But the invocation of the Imperial Censorate – the Emperor's internal affairs investigators, universally feared by officials throughout the Azure Dragon Empire – was clearly his worst nightmare made manifest. Auditors descending upon Qingshan Town? It would mean his comfortable, lucrative position getting heavily disrupted at the very least. Said position may even be forfeit, if sufficient evidence of his corruption were uncovered as a result.
"No! No, absolutely not necessary, Young Master Jiang!" His voice was suddenly several octaves higher, strained, cracking slightly, filled with desperate, fawning politeness that was almost comical in its abruptness.
"There is no need whatsoever to trouble your esteemed family or the garrison! A thousand apologies for my earlier oversight! A terrible lapse in judgment on my part! Of course, this grave matter requires the utmost seriousness and immediate expertise! Local resources are adequate, I assure you! More than adequate! Qingshan may be small, but we are efficient here! Extremely efficient!"
He was practically babbling now, desperate to keep this contained, to prevent any external scrutiny whatsoever, willing to promise almost anything to make the problem – meaning me, and the investigation – stay local and manageable.
Oh my, I thought to myself with growing amusement, someone definitely doesn't want an audit. Been embezzling from the tax base, have we, Lord Zhang?
Now that he was properly motivated, I pressed my advantage, stepping closer to the desk, my tone reasonable but firm, offering him the solution I wanted all along.
"Then I propose a sensible course, City Lord, one that demonstrates your commitment to justice and Imperial law without… undue alarm." I was offering him a way to look competent while keeping the wolves from his door.
"Authorize and hire Alchemist Chen immediately. His skills in poisons and alchemy are well-respected locally, even if his temperament is somewhat... curt."
A slight jab Chen likely deserved.
"Grant him official authority under your seal," – emphasizing the City Lord's formal involvement – "to examine the victim's residence as well as the relevant rooms at the Pavilion thoroughly – particularly the Jade Whisper Courtyard – and to question – question only, City Lord, for we need truth here, not coerced confessions – all relevant Pavilion staff, particularly those who interacted with Mei'er or myself in the days leading up to her death. We should determine how the poison was administered, who else she interacted within and outside her usual duties. A proper, thorough investigation is required."
The City Lord nodded vigorously, immensely relieved at this 'local' solution that kept the investigation within his purview and utilized a known, albeit independent, entity.
"Excellent! An excellent proposal, Young Master Jiang! Wise and prudent! Alchemist Chen is the perfect choice! Discreet, capable! Consider it done! He shall have my full authority, my official seal, whatever resources he requires from the city coffers! Immediately! I will dispatch a runner with my personal token at once!"
He seemed ready to promise Chen the keys to the city treasury if it kept Imperial auditors away.
Just how much did you steal from that treasury, if you're this nervous already?
I nodded curtly, accepting his frantic agreement.
I then turned as if to leave, having achieved my primary objective of initiating a credible (or at least officially sanctioned) investigation. Then, pausing dramatically at the door, I turned back, my expression shifting again, now carefully composed into one of righteous sorrow mixed with noble determination.
"One more thing, City Lord Zhang. To expedite… justice for the unfortunate Mei'er, whose only crime was diligent service, and to demonstrate clearly that such lawlessness will not stand unpunished in Qingshan..." I raised my voice slightly, ensuring the nearby scribes and officials, who had likely been pretending not to listen with ears wide open, heard every word clearly.
"I, Jiang Li, shall personally offer a reward." I paused, letting the anticipation build.
"One thousand low-grade spirit stones," – I heard an audible gasp just beyond the door at this mention of cultivator currency – "and two thousand taels of gold," – another stifled gasp – "to any individual, be they cultivator or mortal, who provides credible information leading directly to the arrest and conviction of the assassin who employed this poison and murdered that poor, innocent girl."
The stunned silence that followed was absolute.
One thousand spirit stones? That was an astronomical sum, enough for a Qi Gathering cultivator to buy several high-quality pills or even a decent, mid-grade spiritual artifact.
Two thousand gold taels was a fortune capable of making a mortal family disgustingly wealthy for generations.
Offering such a reward was unheard of, especially from an 'exiled' son known for wasting money, not commanding it.
The City Lord, despite his lingering fear, couldn't quite help himself. The sum, especially the spirit stones, was simply too unbelievable. A look of deep, almost involuntary skepticism, perhaps even scorn at the perceived bluff, flickered across his face again.
"One... thousand... spirit stones, Young Master Jiang?" His voice dripped with renewed disbelief. "A most noble, truly generous sentiment... commendable indeed... but surely..." He swallowed hard, clearly struggling. "...given your current... circumstances... funding such a reward... Are you quite certain you possess such means?" He trailed off, clearly doubting my ability to produce cultivator currency on this scale.
I laughed lightly, a sound devoid of humor, filled instead with condescending amusement at his limited perspective, his inability to grasp the 'new reality'.
"My circumstances? City Lord Zhang, you mistake my temporary presence in a remote area for poverty. A common error amongst those with limited vision."
I casually, deliberately tapped a gaudy-looking jade bracelet on my wrist.
"I assure you," I continued, meeting his skeptical gaze with unwavering confidence, "I have considerably more than that paltry sum -- even right here in my storage bracelet." I projected absolute certainty, not just in my wealth, but in my status – implying the bracelet was a genuine mid-grade spatial artifact, a possession befitting a favored Jiang heir, and that my family provided generously, supporting me fully.
"The Jiang family provides for its primary heir, you understand. I lack neither gold nor spirit stones. Please consider the bounty the least I can do to ensure justice for that poor mortal girl who died serving my family's illustrious name."
The performance was layered – wealth, status, filial piety (implying family support), and righteous justice all rolled into one. Now, for the effects…
Please buy it, please buy it! Come on, it all makes sense, doesn't it? Why would I be so confident if I wasn't the favored heir? Do you even know why I'm out here, buddy – you assumed I was 'exiled', but is that really the case? Cultivator families are mysterious and unfathomable – who are you to question my parents' methods?
The City Lord stared intently at the admittedly ostentatious (but quite mundane) bracelet on my wrist, then back at my face, hearing the confident claim backed by the previous day's impossible rumors and the sheer audacity of the massive bounty offer. His logical mind may have screamed 'impossible'. A disgraced exile shouldn't have a storage artifact filled with thousands of spirit stones!
And yet… was I really as disgraced as he had assumed? The evidence of yesterday: the absolute pandemonium of a spending spree at the market and mercenary guilds, the rumors he'd undoubtedly heard, my unshakeable confidence, the potential backing of the powerful Jiang family... the cognitive dissonance was powerful.
I could almost feel it as belief flickered, then took root, fueled by the evidence before him and the sheer force of my performance.
The System responded instantly, latching onto the high-quality belief of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
[Qualified Belief Detected: City Lord Zhang (Foundation Establishment - Mid Stage). BQT Level 4 Met!]
[Analyzing Belief: Possession of Storage Artifact; Possession of Vast Spirit Stone Wealth; Favored Family Status]
[Threshold Met! Manifestation Initiated!]
[Attribute Updated: Mundane Bracelet -> Middle-Grade Storage Bracelet (Spatial Storage Capacity Increased, Current Inventory: 2000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones & 10,000 Gold Taels)]
[Belief Meter: +2500 (High Quality Belief - Multiple Concepts)!]
A faint pulse of spatial energy, almost invisible, rippled around my wrist for a fraction of a second, unnoticed by others in their shock and the room's ambient Qi fluctuations. Simultaneously, I felt a subtle warmth spread from the bracelet onto my skin, and its surface seemed to gain a deeper, almost imperceptible luster as faint, complex spiritual markings were etched into it in an instant, before fading back to its mundane appearance.
More importantly, I felt the System confirmation resonate powerfully within my mind – the reality of the storage space clicking into existence, tangible and real, linked to my consciousness, filled with the specified, manifested contents.
Two thousand spirit stones. Ten thousand gold taels.
Just like that.
I now possessed the bounty money -- and considerably more -- contained within a genuine spatial storage artifact on my wrist.
The power of the system truly was intoxicating.
A final System notification followed almost immediately as I turned to leave, the ripples of belief spreading through the Administrative Palace.
[Local Perception Shift Detected (City Lord, Officials)!]
[Analyzing Belief: Wealth (Spirit Stones), Power, Status (Favored Heir?), Sense of Justice]
[Reputation Update: 'Eccentric & Unfathomably Wealthy Powerhouse' -> 'Righteous & Unpredictable Scion (Vast Resources)']
Righteous & Unpredictable Scion (Vast Resources). This was getting better and better.
The 'Righteous' part, likely born from the bounty and concern for Mei'er's fate, felt surprisingly satisfying, even if the initial motivation was partly strategic.
Walking out of the Administrative Palace into the late afternoon sunlight with Lin Ruolan trailing silently behind me felt like emerging from a high-stakes Texas Holdem poker game after having bluffed the entire table into folding while holding a Joker and an Uno card.
It was an unbelievable feeling. The air seemed clearer, the sunlight brighter. Officials and guards we passed in the corridors averted their eyes quickly, bowing deeply, their earlier curiosity replaced by palpable fear and respect.
Internally, I marveled at the ease and speed of the storage bracelet manifestation compared to the initial struggle for the gold chests or even the spirit sword upgrade, which had required a lengthy, dramatic, extensive performance and multiple believers.
I connected the dots instantly: the City Lord's belief – as a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator -- provided extremely potent, "high-quality belief" fuel, yes… but was that all there was to it?
A working theory solidified in my mind: reputation acts as some kind of a multiplier or catalyst for the Belief System. A high reputation makes manifestations easier, requiring less raw belief points or lower belief quality resource to achieve significant results. Conversely, a terrible reputation (like my initial 'Abysmal' status) likely acts as a dampener, requiring extremely high quality belief even for relatively minor effects. Just now, both factors were in play, making the high-value artifact and wealth manifestation almost effortless.
As if in confirmation, I felt a subtle, almost imperceptible, non-verbal 'purr' – accompanied by an unmistakable sense of deep affirmation -- from the System itself, a feeling of correctness washing through my consciousness, confirming the validity of my theory.
This understanding opened up new strategic possibilities – in my case, actively cultivating face and reputation is actively cultivating power. It is, perhaps, even more important than accumulating raw Belief Points in some circumstances, especially when dealing with powerful individuals or attempting complex manifestations. Reputation, after all, affected the threshold costs of all new manifestations – which opened the door for ever more dramatic increases in wealth and power.
I reflected briefly on the day's whirlwind events as we walked back towards the Jiang residence under the watchful eyes of the city's officials. Reporting the murder felt strategically sound after the initial shock, turning a potential vulnerability – my own near-death – into a strength, accentuated by a very public display of power, status, and righteousness.
And… it also felt morally necessary to me after seeing Mei'er's lifeless form.
The bounty would undoubtedly stir the pot, create chaos among the city's informants and underworld, put pressure on anyone involved, and might even yield genuine results by motivating someone with information to come forward.
Having Alchemist Chen officially investigate added legitimacy and expertise, shielding me somewhat while hopefully uncovering real clues about the poison's origin or application method.
But as I walked down the Palace steps, feeling the solid, cool weight of the newly manifested storage bracelet securely on my wrist, a sense of profound vulnerability remained.
Wealth, even manifested spirit stones, was merely a tool, easily spent but potentially useless against real threats like a hidden assassin. Reputation was a shield – powerful, yes but ultimately external, dependent on the fickle belief of others, and potentially fragile if my bluffs were ever definitively called by someone powerful enough.
What I needed, what the Leo Maxwell in me craved perhaps even more than Jiang Li did after tasting real danger, was personal power. I required combat capability to protect myself when performance bluffs and wealth proved insufficient.
The manifested Middle-Grade Spirit Sword resting in the bag held by Ruolan was a potent start, far better than anything Jiang Li possessed before, but I lacked the refined skills, the ingrained techniques, the combat experience to wield it effectively against a real threat, especially a cultivator skilled in assassination or poison like the one who targeted me.
How could the System help with that?
Could belief truly manifest skill?
Could I make people believe I possessed – say -- peerless swordsmanship, honed through secret training, and have that conviction translate into actual combat prowess flowing into my muscles and mind?
Could I manifest defensive techniques, heightened reflexes, an instinct for danger that went beyond mere observation?
Where did the limits of this reality-bending power truly lie when it came to such intangible abilities?
I glanced at Lin Ruolan walking silently beside me, her face a mask of thoughtful composure, though her grip on the sword bag seemed tighter now.
For now she was loyal (I hoped), bound by gratitude and – perhaps -- fear, but still just one Stage Six cultivator against ruthless enemies of unknown numbers and power.
I needed more.
I needed to become more.
I looked down at my own hands, clenching them slightly, feeling the smooth, potent, almost eager flow of Stage Five Qi circulating effortlessly within my tempered meridians – a power gained entirely through belief, not through years of arduous meditation and resource consumption.
It was real, solid, yet fundamentally unearned -- a foundation built on nothing but raw audacity and perception.
A new determination hardened behind my eyes. Wealth. Reputation. Those were just the opening acts, the stage dressing. It was time to test the true limits of what belief could create.
It was time to manifest real strength.