Gong Chaoqun simply couldn't find a reason not to accept this great gift.

He didn't need to worry about solving the case, he could easily close it and satisfy both the court and the people. This story was too perfect, and it was the kind that the public would gladly accept.

In terms of the situation, although it might not have a big impact on the entire Maitreya Sect, at least the situation in Yangzhou could be contained. Otherwise, with the presence of Maitreya believers everywhere, Gong Chaoqun was worried that when he woke up tomorrow, Yangzhou would have already changed its allegiance, and his head would be sacrificed to the new flag.

In terms of righteousness, killing the Hu people was the right thing to do.

In fact, this trash magistrate was unclear about his relationship with the Maitreya Sect, making it very difficult for him, as the head of the Demon Suppression Division, to investigate the Maitreya Sect. He had long wanted to kick this bastard to death. It could be said that the death of the magistrate itself was a great gift.

No matter how you looked at it, it was perfect enough for him to want to kiss the real culprit. The culprit had been so considerate in carrying out the crime.

As for finding the real culprit, that was the real responsibility, right?

Anyway, Zhao Changhe would find him.

Seeing that Gong Chaoqun obviously couldn't refuse this generous gift, Zhao Changhe smiled and didn't say anything more. Indeed, anyone would make the same choice.

There was still one thing he didn't say, even if he said it, it wouldn't make a difference: Have you ever thought about why the killer was so considerate? What benefits did he have in calculating everything so meticulously? Just to avoid being punished for murder? If you didn't arrange it this way, it would be difficult to find out who you are.

Gong Chaoqun was an experienced veteran of the Serious Crimes Division, and it was impossible for him not to think of these things. It was just that, after weighing the pros and cons, the benefits were too obvious, and he didn't want to bother with anything else.

Yue Hongling didn't have any better ideas either. Whether it was dealing with the Maitreya Sect or the Hu people, she enjoyed it. As for the real culprit, they could investigate together with Changhe afterwards. She finally said, "I recently discovered the stronghold of the Maitreya Sect, it's in the White Lotus Temple ten miles east of the city."

"It's really there! I suspected it a long time ago, but the magistrate obstructed and concealed it in every way." Gong Chaoqun suddenly said, "Today, we will uproot the Maitreya Sect in Yangzhou!"

The case of the magistrate being assassinated was solved within an hour.

The magistrate's concubine was discovered by the Demon Suppression Division to be a Maitreya Sect celestial maiden. Under interrogation, she confessed to using the secret techniques of the Maitreya Sect to control the magistrate and absorb his true essence.

She also confessed that under her control and guidance, the magistrate intentionally acted on various pretexts, causing a large number of people to lose their homes and be taken in by the Maitreya Sect to strengthen their believers. The various extortions and silver profits not only fattened the magistrate himself, but also the Maitreya Sect.

All of this was true.

Even Ru Yan, who had fallen into the mortal world and believed in the Maitreya Sect, had experienced this process.

When the news came out, Yangzhou was in an uproar. Countless Maitreya believers were dumbfounded, including Ru Yan, who was still entertaining guests at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Of course, the spread of the news was another matter. The confession of the magistrate's celestial maiden concubine was not just about these things.

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She also confessed that she noticed signs of the magistrate breaking free from their control, and the Maitreya Sect, fearing the worst, conspired with the Hu people and assassinated the magistrate in his bedroom.

Of course, this was just a temporary fabrication, and the logic needed further consideration. However, it was mixed in with the genuine information, and no one thought about the loopholes here. Gong Chaoqun would report to the court and compile additional details, so there was no need to mention it.

In short, the main thing now was to convince the chief general of the army.

The prosperous place had long been neglected by the army, but at least the Maitreya Sect had not infiltrated the army too much. This was also the main reason why the Maitreya Sect still felt that they hadn't reached the point of rebellion.

Even if the army was neglected, it was still the army, and the fact that there were many people was very useful.

The Maitreya Sect had yet to form a military organization and still operated as a society at home. When the army began to arrest Maitreya believers throughout the city, the Maitreya Sect was caught off guard and had almost no resistance.

They even had enough strength to distribute hundreds of powerful bows and crossbows, along with the elite members of the Demon Suppression Division, to directly attack the White Lotus Temple ten miles east of the city.

Today, Fa Yuan was feeling uneasy inside the temple.

He knew about the assassination of the magistrate and the lockdown of the city, but this time, the Demon Suppression Division's lockdown was extremely tight. The outside world didn't know the details of the assassination, nor did they know that the magistrate died in front of their celestial maiden.

In his heart, this was not something their Maitreya Sect had done. It was impossible for them to evacuate everyone just because of this incident. He was more worried that the magistrate's celestial maiden in the mansion would be discovered by the Demon Suppression Division. He was thinking about how to rescue her.

There were many other officials in the city who were members of their Maitreya Sect, so it shouldn't be a problem to use their connections to bring the innocent celestial maiden out.

In Fa Yuan's mind, assassinating the magistrate was simply a stupid move. How much effort had their Maitreya Sect put in to turn this magistrate into their own person? They hadn't even enjoyed it for a few years, and now he was dead... Who knew what kind of person the next magistrate sent by the court would be like? It would take a long time to build a relationship with him.

If the sect leader had already taken action, it would be fine. If the magistrate died, he would just die. With a wave of his hand, the city would change. What need was there for a magistrate? But the sect leader hadn't acted yet, so Fa Yuan was extremely troubled. He couldn't advance, nor could he retreat.

Chi Li sat beside him, watching Fa Yuan pacing back and forth, and said coldly, "If you follow my advice, Master, you should either take action now and occupy Yangzhou, or immediately evacuate."

It turned out that the Maitreya Sect had indeed colluded with the Hu people. Chi Li was worried about getting into trouble after being injured, so he wasn't hiding in the magistrate's mansion, but in the White Lotus Temple.

Fa Yuan shook his head and said, "Your Great Khan has not yet raised his troops, and our sect leader cannot respond. How can I take action alone in Yangzhou?"

"Then evacuate. Your celestial maiden is trapped in the magistrate's mansion. The Demon Suppression Division is not to be trifled with. You'd better not hold any illusions that you can still rescue her. Be prepared for the worst. She has already been discovered and controlled by the Demon Suppression Division."

"Even if she is discovered, she is our Maitreya Sect's celestial maiden. It shouldn't come to the point of evacuation, right?"

In fact, Chi Li didn't expect the people of the Central Plains to be so dirty, not caring about who the real culprit was, and directly blaming him, Red Li, and the Maitreya Sect for the assassination of the magistrate. In his mind, this matter had nothing to do with him, and the magistrate was actually one of their own. It was only after he died that he felt relieved.

But the keenness brought about by long-term life and death experiences made him feel uneasy. He always felt that something was not right with this matter, but he couldn't figure out the specific reasons for the time being.

Seeing that Fa Yuan didn't believe in evacuating, Chi Li also knew that he couldn't persuade him, so he stood up and said directly, "Then we'll leave first."

Fa Yuan was very surprised. "Why?"

Chi Li shook his head. "It's just a feeling, like being stared at by a pack of wolves on the grassland, with goosebumps all over. If the Master believes it, then we'll leave. If you don't believe it, I have no reason to stay either. Anyway, we'll leave first."

After saying that, he quickly left with Batur and the others.

Just moments after they left, shouts and killings could be heard outside. Hundreds of strong bows and crossbows surrounded the White Lotus Temple, and the elite members of the Demon Suppression Division rushed in. Gong Chaoqun was the first to kick open the temple gate and shouted, "Zhang Banfo, come out and die!"