Make your move tonight.

Bai Chuan’s face remained largely expressionless. Holding a cup of coffee, he said with a hint of calm, "However, all current evidence points directly to Hu Xiong."

"No, wait, I haven't been at the Thirty-Sixth Bureau lately. Exactly what has happened?" Li Minghao asked. How long had he been away for such a cascade of events to occur?

"It all depends on what Zi Yanran has to say now," Bai Chuan said in a deep voice.

Li Changqing frowned and asked, "Suppose it is indeed assumed that old Hu did this—what will happen then?"

Bai Chuan furrowed his brows and replied, "If we can prove Hu Xiong's innocence before the arrival of the Investigation General Headquarters personnel, that would naturally be the best-case scenario. But if his guilt is established before they arrive..."

"They will subject him to torture. Hu Xiong might not be able to withstand the interrogation methods of the Investigation General Headquarters, and he could end up confessing to crimes he never committed."

...

The villa district where Zi Yanran lived possessed an elegant scenery. In the center of the residential area lay a massive lake, accompanied by a high coverage of lush greenery. Various kinds of birds fluttered continuously through the woods, chirping away.

Tap, tap, tap.

Following the address provided by Hu Xiong, Zhuo Qingqiang arrived in front of a certain villa.

By this moment, Zhuo Qingqiang had calmed down a fraction. His previous aggressive attitude toward Hu Xiong stemmed largely from Xia Yi's death.

If he were to learn from the lips of this young lady, Zi Yanran, that the bite mark had indeed been left by her, perhaps there truly was a hidden backstory to this entire affair.

Carrying various thoughts in his mind, the door swung open swiftly.

Zi Yanran was dressed in a long white gown. Upon catching sight of Zhuo Qingqiang, a trace of confusion lingered on her face: "May I ask who you are?"

"Hello, are you Miss Zi Yanran?" Zhuo Qingqiang was momentarily taken aback, realizing she was indeed a stunning beauty. He got straight to the point: "Hello, did you happen to bite Hu Xiong on his right wrist yesterday?"

"Ah." Zi Yanran blinked in surprise and asked, "Are you a friend of Mr. Hu?"

"Please answer my question," Zhuo Qingqiang pressed. "Did you or did you not bite Hu Xiong's right wrist yesterday?"

Zi Yanran shook her head and replied with a smile, "I'm sorry, but Mr. Hu and I have only known each other for a few days. Why on earth would I rudely bite his wrist? Also, who are you?"

Zhuo Qingqiang's expression instantly darkened. "Sorry to have disturbed you."

With that, he turned around and strode away.

Hu Xiong definitely had something to hide!

Zhuo Qingqiang drove at high speed all the way back to the Thirty-Sixth Bureau and entered Zhang Guichuan's office.

Recounting every detail of the conversation he had just had, he waited for a response.

Zhang Guichuan wore a calm expression as he asked slowly, "Did she really say that?"

"Yes," Zhuo Qingqiang nodded, entirely certain. "Is there any reason for me to lie about this?"

Zhang Guichuan let out a slow, heavy breath, stood up, and began pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. "Is it possible... that this Miss Zi Yanran is the one who is lying?"

"Director, Miss Zi Yanran comes from a well-to-do background, and furthermore, she has only known Hu Xiong for a few days—how could she possibly bite him?" Zhuo Qingqiang spoke in a low, determined voice, "Director, let me interrogate Hu Xiong using heavier methods. I guarantee he will spill the truth then."

Zhang Guichuan took a deep breath. "There's no need to rush this. Let's wait until the people from the Investigation General Headquarters arrive tomorrow before deciding."

Zhuo Qingqiang looked as though he had more to say, swallowing his words at the last moment.

Ultimately, he could only turn and leave with a helpless sigh.

"Hu Xiong, oh Hu Xiong, there is no way you would do something like this," Zhang Guichuan muttered to himself, pacing back and forth in his office with his hands clasped behind his back. "Is there any way at all to prove your innocence?"

After a long while, Zhang Guichuan realized that for Hu Xiong, proving his innocence under the current circumstances was harder than ascending to the heavens.

Even Zi Yanran herself claimed she had never bitten Hu Xiong.

...

Inside the gloomy and cold dungeon, Hu Xiong was locked up and bound by iron chains.

However, considering that he had risked his life for the Thirty-Sixth Bureau for many years, his cultivation had not been sealed with iron spikes before his guilt was officially established.

"Ah." Hu Xiong sat inside his cell, letting out a yawn. At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside as Zhuo Qingqiang approached.

"Got your answers cleared up? Can you let me out now?" Hu Xiong glanced sideways at Zhuo Qingqiang, making a motion to stand up.

Zhuo Qingqiang said coldly, "Let you out? I went to ask Miss Yanran, and she said she never bit you at all! Keep acting, go on, keep pretending."

Hu Xiong sat frozen inside the cell for a moment before shaking his head. "Impossible, Zhuo Qingqiang, you definitely didn't ask Miss Yanran!"

Zhuo Qingqiang gripped the iron bars tightly. "Hu Xiong, with evidence as solid as a mountain, are you still going to stubbornly deny it? Speak! Why did you kill Elder Xia? He had no grudge against you whatsoever!"

"That's right, I had no grudge against him, so how could I possibly kill him?" Hu Xiong shook his head and insisted, "Bring Miss Yanran here. I want to ask her myself."

"I see no point in that. The people from the Investigation General Headquarters will arrive tomorrow, and they will interrogate you themselves." Zhuo Qingqiang clenched his fists so hard they trembled, longing to avenge Xia Yi with his own hands. Yet, looking at Hu Xiong trapped inside the cell, he could do nothing.

In the end, he could only punch the wall in frustration and turn away.

...

The three individuals sitting inside Bai Chuan's office received the news.

"Zi Yanran said she never bit Hu Xiong either?" Li Changqing, Bai Chuan, and Li Minghao were all dumbfounded.

This matter had escalated into a serious crisis.

"Once the people from the Investigation General Headquarters arrive, the situation will turn critical," Bai Chuan said, his brows knitted together. "We cannot let Hu Xiong fall into the hands of the Investigation General Headquarters."

Li Minghao seemed to realize something. He looked at Bai Chuan and asked, "Old Bai, what are you planning to do?"

Bai Chuan answered in a grave tone, "Tonight, we break old Hu out first. We can investigate everything else later."

"I agree," Li Changqing nodded without a second of hesitation.

If Hu Xiong fell into the hands of the Investigation General Headquarters, nobody could predict what kind of complications might arise.

As long as Hu Xiong hadn't committed this crime, the truth would eventually come to light once cleared.

"So, we make our move tonight?"

The three exchanged glances, and their plan was swiftly finalized.

...

Inside the luxurious villa, Zi Yanran played a cheerful tune on the piano, a radiant smile gracing her face. Tonight, she would disguise herself as an evil entity to rescue Hu Xiong, and incidentally eliminate a few more people within the Thirty-Sixth Bureau. Once Hu Xiong was branded as an accomplice to monsters, he would completely burn his bridges with no way back.

By then, whether Hu Xiong was willing or not, he would become the target of relentless pursuit by the Paranormal Investigation Bureau.

Although Zi Yanran knew that doing this might be somewhat unfair to Hu Xiong, it was the best solution available.

It would thoroughly sever all his alternative paths.

Otherwise, Hu Xiong would sooner or later discover her true identity.

Once Hu Xiong was rescued, Zi Yanran had already made up her mind to elope with him far away from these so-called bustling mortal worlds, finding refuge deep within the Great Snow Mountains to spend eternity together.

"Supreme General, I am coming to welcome you home tonight." Zi Yanran finished playing the piano and changed into a flowing red dress.