Chapter 156: Investigation
Zhou Ziyu was a Mid-Tier Mental Power User.
According to legion regulations, when a Mental Power User committed certain crimes, both the investigation and sentencing were not supposed to be excessively harsh. A certain degree of leniency had to be shown.
There were, of course, exceptions.
Treason.
Murder.
And crimes of a similar nature.
That was why Yu Lanfeng was so confident. Even if something went wrong, he wouldn't be held responsible.
After all, Zhou Ziyu was connected to one of the Empire's most sensitive issues.
He had ties to that infamous illegal drug organization.
He was also involved in stealing classified military intelligence in pursuit of some unknown objective.
If they had actually succeeded, the defensive strength of Border Region Five would have been severely weakened.
The consequences wouldn't have been limited to Yu Lanfeng's legion alone.
Many of the planets protected by this military base would also have suffered.
The damage inflicted upon the Empire would have been enormous.
Regardless of who the person was, once treason was involved, they became a heinous criminal.
No sentence would be reduced.
No punishment would be mitigated.
The biggest problem before them now, however, wasn't how to deal with Zhou Ziyu.
It was how to prove beyond any doubt that he was connected to everything that had happened.
And, more importantly...
Who he really was.
Although the background information they had uncovered earlier was already sufficient to expel Zhou Ziyu from the legion, that wasn't their ultimate goal.
If they really expelled him...
Wouldn't that simply be granting his wish?
Once he left the legion, he would be free.
He would no longer be under Yu Lanfeng's command.
As Marshal, Yu Lanfeng would no longer have the authority to order him around.
If Yu Lanfeng wanted to do anything after that...
It would become far more difficult than it was now.
Nan Yu thought for a moment.
"Brother, finding evidence really is difficult."
"We'll have to take another approach."
"Zhou Ziyu will never admit he was involved."
"Even if I can prove that his mental power is almost on par with mine..."
"...that still doesn't prove he masterminded this or even participated in it."
"He can simply claim he never wanted to reveal the full extent of his abilities."
"In the end, he'd receive nothing more than a verbal reprimand."
"It wouldn't affect him at all."
The greatest difficulty was that Zhou Ziyu currently possessed the legal status of an Imperial citizen.
He was also a Mid-Tier Mental Power User.
That combination made him an exceptionally difficult criminal to deal with.
If only...
He weren't an Imperial citizen.
The instant that thought crossed Nan Yu's mind, his eyes lit up.
Wait.
Wasn't that actually possible?
"Brother..."
"What if we can prove Zhou Ziyu isn't actually an Imperial citizen?"
"What if he secretly infiltrated the Empire from another nation and obtained his identity through illegal means?"
If Zhou Ziyu had truly been born and raised inside the Empire, that approach would obviously fail.
But since he had sided with that organization...
There was a good chance he had no real connection to the Empire at all.
Perhaps he came from another nation.
Or perhaps...
He was stateless.
Stateless people usually lived on barren worlds abandoned by every nation.
Places that no country wanted.
Places with no exploitable resources.
Those planets were impoverished and desolate.
Mental Power Users and Ability Users were exceedingly rare there.
Sometimes there weren't any at all.
Even treasure hunters had no interest in such places.
However...
Shady underground organizations loved them.
Whenever they needed experimental subjects, they simply abducted people from those worlds.
Those people were treated as disposable consumables.
Whenever they wanted higher-quality test subjects, they took greater risks.
They would abduct small numbers of people from neighboring countries.
Organizations with even greater ambitions—like this illegal drug syndicate—went further still.
They established hidden operatives across countless planets belonging to different nations.
Whenever they identified a suitable target...
They made their move.
Of course...
Their method wasn't simply kidnapping people in secret.
Instead...
They used every possible method to lure their targets in voluntarily.
Before the victim even arrived, they already knew exactly what miraculous drugs the organization possessed.
The victim would willingly spend enormous sums of money...
Only to become an experimental subject.
What a perfect arrangement.
Even better...
Every person they selected possessed outstanding potential and made an ideal test subject.
The only drawback...
Was that they couldn't monitor the subject twenty-four hours a day.
Once the drugs had been swallowed or injected...
The subjects returned home.
Although the organization was extremely powerful...
It couldn't truly see everything.
They couldn't constantly observe every experimental subject.
Naturally...
That introduced significant variables into their experiments.
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"That's a good idea."
"But the background investigation is still ongoing."
"If we tamper with anything now..."
"And the investigation reaches a different conclusion..."
"We'll only expose ourselves."
Nan Yu smiled.
"We don't need to change anything yet."
"We'll wait until the investigation is complete."
"Then we'll modify or supplement the information according to the actual circumstances."
"As long as we can prove he isn't an Imperial citizen..."
"...that's enough."
"At that point..."
"A Mid-Tier Mental Power User from another nation infiltrating the Empire's strongest legion while deliberately concealing his strength..."
"Anyone with common sense will understand he came here with ulterior motives."
"He was nothing more than a ticking time bomb waiting for the right moment to explode."
"Once that happens..."
"No matter what we do to him..."
"I doubt anyone will question it."
After all...
Regardless of country, place, or background...
Everyone hated traitors more than anything else.
After considering it carefully, Yu Lanfeng agreed.
"We'll do it your way."
"But first..."
"We'll sound him out."
Nan Yu immediately caught up with him.
As they headed toward Zhou Ziyu's holding room, he said,
"If Zhou Ziyu really belongs to that organization..."
"His status definitely won't be low."
"Although his mental power is slightly weaker than mine..."
"...it's still far stronger than any Mental Power User I've encountered."
"If I remained stagnant for several years..."
"He might even catch up to where I am now."
Yu Lanfeng immediately understood.
"In other words..."
"If he's really one of them..."
"He's definitely someone important."
"And if they learn we've captured him..."
"They'll do everything they can to rescue him."
Nan Yu's eyes widened.
"Exactly!"
"Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
"We could deliberately leak the information."
"Lure their people out."
"They'd walk straight into our trap."
"And once that happens..."
"Proving Zhou Ziyu's identity would become much easier."
"Two birds with one stone."
"What do you think, Brother?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"We can try."
"But to ensure they can't actually rescue Zhou Ziyu..."
"We'll need proper precautions."
Nan Yu smiled confidently.
"No problem."
"Leave that part to me."
Yu Lanfeng frowned.
A very bad feeling suddenly crept into his heart.
"What are you planning?"
Nan Yu smiled before quietly explaining his idea.
Yu Lanfeng rejected it without even thinking.
"No."
Nan Yu blinked.
"Why not?"
"Isn't it a great plan?"
Yu Lanfeng looked at him seriously.
"Putting aside the fact that you don't resemble him at all..."
"What if something goes wrong?"
"And don't forget..."
"They're after you as well."
Nan Yu suddenly remembered.
That was right.
The organization coveted both him...
And the Nianshen Grass in his possession.
His proposed plan was impossible.
If he disguised himself as Zhou Ziyu and remained imprisoned there...
The enemy might rescue a fake Zhou Ziyu...
Only to discover they'd captured the real Nan Yu instead.
That wouldn't be a loss for them.
It would be an enormous gain.
His brilliant idea was immediately shot down.
Yu Lanfeng said calmly,
"We won't use that method."
"I already have my own plan."
"When the time comes..."
"We'll wipe them out in one sweep."
Since Yu Lanfeng had already said so, Nan Yu didn't argue further.
This operation had to be carried out one way or another.
He only hoped Yu Lanfeng's plan would succeed.
Taking a deep breath, Nan Yu followed him toward Zhou Ziyu's holding room.
Inside, Zhou Ziyu sat leisurely on a chair.
He looked completely at ease.
Yu Lanfeng left Nan Yu outside and entered alone.
Walking inside, he sat opposite Zhou Ziyu without saying a word.
He simply watched him.
Zhou Ziyu appeared rather restrained.
After all...
The person sitting before him was the Marshal of the legion.
Normally, he might not have had the opportunity to stand this close to Yu Lanfeng even once every year or two.
However...
He quickly lowered his gaze.
Perhaps he had realized his current situation.
His guard was clearly up.
Still...
No matter how cautious he was, he had to answer the Marshal's questions.
Yu Lanfeng spoke calmly.
"Zhou Ziyu."
"Mid-Tier Mental Power User."
"With mental power this strong..."
"Why hide it?"
Zhou Ziyu hesitated before answering timidly,
"I..."
"I really am a Mid-Tier Mental Power User."
"My mental power isn't actually that strong."
"When I sparred with Mr. Nan earlier..."
"His mental power was simply too overwhelming."
"My own mental power instinctively strengthened in self-defense."
"That's all."
"Afterward..."
"I've felt mentally exhausted ever since."
"My mental power really isn't that strong, Marshal."
"That should be easy to prove."
"Just test me with the machine."
Yu Lanfeng knew perfectly well that Nan Yu could subtly influence the readings produced by those testing machines.
Naturally...
He didn't believe Zhou Ziyu's explanation.
"You met Han Lu before the incident."
"On the day everything happened."
"You saw him."
Zhou Ziyu froze again.
"I..."
"I did see him."
"But he merely happened to walk past me."
"We didn't even exchange a single word."
Watching Zhou Ziyu put on such a pitiful act before him...
Yu Lanfeng had to admit...
It really did look convincing.
It almost made him appear like the villain bullying someone innocent.
But this wasn't the kind of place where anyone would sympathize with a traitor.
Even if that traitor happened to be a Mid-Tier Mental Power User.
If they were here to save lives...
Everyone would treat them with the utmost respect.
They would go out of their way to ensure they never suffered even the slightest grievance.
However...
If they were an enemy spy sent to steal military secrets...
Everyone's attitude would reverse completely.
Every single soldier would gladly beat them senseless.
Some would even want to kill them.
The Empire clearly prohibited harming either Imperial Mental Power Users or foreign Mental Power Users.
There were, however, exceptions.
Imperial citizens guilty of unforgivable crimes.
Or foreign Mental Power Users who had actively invaded the Empire.
Even then...
If killing them could be avoided, it was preferable.
Executing a Mid-Tier Mental Power User with military rank inevitably created complications.
At that moment, another thought occurred to Nan Yu.
If Zhou Ziyu truly was a spy...
Then while treating patients...
Had he secretly planted tiny spheres of his own mental power inside their Mental Seas?
So that when the time came...
He could control them?
If so...
That might become his greatest lifeline now.
After all...
Wasn't this exactly that kind of situation?
Someone as careful as Zhou Ziyu surely wasn't a fool.
Yu Lanfeng's current questioning was obviously little more than buying time.
Anyone with half a brain could tell.
Therefore...
No matter what Yu Lanfeng asked...
Zhou Ziyu would never answer with anything harmful to himself.
Every response carefully avoided the real issue.
After questioning him for a while, Yu Lanfeng realized he wouldn't obtain anything useful.
Zhou Ziyu's thinking was meticulous.
His mouth was equally tight.
Since continuing served no purpose...
Yu Lanfeng simply stood up to leave.
Unexpectedly...
Just as he reached the door...
Zhou Ziyu stopped him.
Ordinarily, Yu Lanfeng leaving should have been a relief.
So why stop him?
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Ziyu asked,
"Marshal..."
"May I know why I've been brought here?"
"I don't believe I've done anything wrong."
Yu Lanfeng had already mentioned Han Lu by name several times.
Yet Zhou Ziyu still pretended ignorance.
Did he really know nothing?
Impossible.
Everyone in the military base knew Han Lu had disappeared together with that group.
He was obviously pretending.
Yu Lanfeng looked at him coldly.
"Don't worry."
"You'll remain here for a while."
"When the time comes..."
"You'll be allowed to leave."
As for where Zhou Ziyu would be taken afterward...
That would be decided later.
Soon, Yu Lanfeng left the room.
Inside...
Zhou Ziyu continued sitting there with that same restrained expression.
Almost as though he were quietly waiting for judgment.
Nan Yu had no idea what had happened inside.
Shortly after Yu Lanfeng entered, he had already left.
There was something extremely important he needed to confirm.
If his suspicion proved correct...
Then Zhou Ziyu could be convicted directly.
Because of that...
When Yu Lanfeng came back outside, Nan Yu was nowhere to be seen.
He was just about to lose his temper when the soldiers stationed nearby informed him where Nan Yu had gone.
Yu Lanfeng frowned.
Then hurried over immediately.
At that moment, Nan Yu had already arrived at the military base's treatment center together with Lin Changyu.
This was the section overseen by the Mental Power Users.
Many of them were currently working.
Fortunately...
They didn't appear overly busy.
Since Nan Yu had arrived with Lin Changyu, everyone except those actively treating patients gathered around them.
"General Lin."
"Did you need something?"
Lin Changyu smiled.
"Nothing major."
"I just need everyone's cooperation for a small investigation."
"Whatever we ask..."
"As long as you remember it..."
"Tell us."
"Everything could be important."
"I hope no one hides anything."
The others immediately nodded.
"Don't worry, General."
"If we know it..."
"We'll definitely tell you."
Everyone already understood.
This investigation had to be related to the recent disappearances of so many soldiers.
Although they hadn't received the latest updates...
Judging by today's events...
The investigation had clearly made progress.
Lin Changyu stepped aside, revealing Nan Yu behind him.
Most of them had already met Nan Yu before.
None of them seemed surprised.
Instead...
They greeted him curiously.
"You're back?"
There wasn't the slightest trace of hostility.
It was simply a friendly greeting.
Nan Yu smiled and nodded.
With mental power as strong as his, he naturally knew none of them bore any ill intent.
"That's right."
"I thought of something."
"So I'd like to ask everyone a few questions."
"As long as they don't involve classified matters..."
"Please don't hide anything."
"These questions are very important."
His attitude was sincere.
Naturally...
Everyone agreed.
Nan Yu had deliberately chosen a quiet period so he wouldn't interfere with their work.
Since so many people were free...
He decided to question them together.
The questions themselves weren't confidential anyway.
"I'd like to ask..."
"When you remove Mental Contamination from soldiers..."
"Do you keep detailed records?"
"For example..."
"Who treated which soldier each day?"
One of them immediately nodded.
"Of course."
"Do you need those records?"
"If you do, you can retrieve them yourself."
"None of that is classified."
Nan Yu already knew that.
However...
Judging from Zhou Ziyu's personality...
Someone so careful and deceptive would never leave evidence somewhere so obvious.
Everything recorded in official files could be searched simply by entering his name.
Every soldier he had ever treated would immediately appear.
That would make investigating far too easy.
Which meant...
He probably used another method.
Nan Yu waved his hand.
"I know."
"If I wanted to check the records, I'd have done it already."
"What I want to ask is something else."
"Has anyone ever received treatment that wasn't officially recorded?"
"For example..."
"Privately asking a Mental Power User for treatment?"
The room immediately fell silent.
Everyone exchanged glances.
As it turned out...
Such situations really did exist.
"Yes."
"But not often."
"Normally, whenever soldiers feel their Mental Contamination worsening..."
"They simply come here."
"We assign someone to treat them."
"So private treatment usually isn't necessary."
"There are exceptions, though."
"For example..."
"If a soldier is romantically involved with one of us..."
"They'll naturally seek treatment from that person privately."
"If it happens here..."
"It gets recorded."
"But if they meet privately..."
"Like inside a lounge..."
"Then no record exists."
Just as I thought.
Nan Yu nodded inwardly.
"Then..."
"Do any of you know anything involving Zhou Ziyu?"
"You've all worked together."
"Even if you aren't particularly close..."
"You should know something."
"For instance..."
"Did anyone frequently seek treatment from him in private?"
At this point...
Everyone had more or less guessed the truth.
Zhou Ziyu was clearly under investigation.
Normally...
None of them would casually speak about a colleague.
But now...
Nan Yu stood beside the Marshal.
His position inside the legion was already rather special.
His future was virtually limitless thanks to his overwhelming mental power.
Most importantly...
General Lin Changyu himself was standing beside him.
None of them dared conceal anything.
Nor did they dare lie.
After hesitating briefly, someone finally spoke.
"Actually..."
"Yes."
"Although he's about the same as us..."
"There's one strange thing."
"He had an awful lot of admirers."
"We know of at least five."
"Those five were constantly competing with each other."
"They were also the ones who visited him privately for treatment most often."
Nan Yu nodded.
"Please give me the basic information on those five people."
As soon as he received their information...
He handed everything to Lin Changyu.
"General Lin."
"Please find these five."
Lin Changyu immediately left.
Meanwhile...
Nan Yu remained behind, continuing his conversation with everyone else.
The moment Lin Changyu walked away...
The atmosphere relaxed considerably.
Nan Yu blinked.
"So..."
"Apart from those five..."
"Did anyone else seek treatment from him privately?"
One of them scratched his head.
"That's hard to say."
"Everyone here has their own private room."
"If someone deliberately avoided being seen..."
"We'd have no way of knowing."
"As far as we know..."
"Only those five."
Nan Yu nodded.
He still believed he was on the right track.
But unless they investigated everything thoroughly...
They might easily overlook something crucial.
Missing the most important piece of the puzzle would be disastrous.
Just as Nan Yu prepared to leave and find Lin Changyu...
He reached the doorway...
Only to discover Yu Lanfeng standing there expressionlessly.
...Ah.
Right.
He had completely forgotten about Yu Lanfeng.
"Brother?"
He called out in an ingratiating tone.
Yu Lanfeng didn't say much.
"Let's go."
"What did you discover?"
Nan Yu quickly explained his reasoning.
"I suspect Zhou Ziyu tampered with the Mental Seas of people he'd treated."
"But anyone officially listed in treatment records..."
"He probably wouldn't dare touch."
"The only ones he'd risk manipulating..."
"...would be those people who were deeply infatuated with him."
The two of them continued talking as they walked back toward the office.
Just then...
Lin Changyu also arrived.
He handed over information on the five soldiers.
The moment they started reading...
They immediately realized...
There really was something hidden inside those files.