Chapter 017: The Demon Pearl

Hanyue felt somewhat dejected. She had originally wanted to go to Wang Bo's residence to sit for a while, to cultivate their feelings and learn more about Wang Bo as a person. She had not expected Wang Bo to be so anxious to send her away, which left her feeling a bit puzzled.

On the way back, the two of them were still chatting and laughing; why is one so eager to drive the other away now?

Could there be something unknown going on here?

But she was a clever woman after all, and did not dwell too much on this point. Instead, she said, "In that case, Hanyue will take her leave now, Young Master Wang."

Go on!

Wang Bo inwardly praised the other party, patted the horse's rump, and set the horse in motion.

Only after watching the carriage depart did Wang Bo step into his own residence.

At this moment, the night was deep and still, but Wang Bo discovered that within his own mansion, heavy breathing sounds were everywhere. These breathing sounds were hidden in the rockeries, in the pond water, even on the rooftops, and in other unseen places.

Wang Bo made a rough count; there were at least several hundred people.

Good heavens, Wang Bo had not expected that his own residence would harbor hundreds of uninvited guests.

These people had concealed themselves thoroughly; they were clearly not good people.

If anyone else had discovered this, they probably wouldn't even have entered the door and would have retreated immediately.

But Wang Bo, bold and skilled, relying on his steel-like body impervious to blades and bullets, did not take this group seriously at all and swaggered all the way back to the main hall.

By this time, the main hall had long been filled with numerous ambush soldiers, hidden behind the screens on both sides.

There were even several people hiding on the crossbeams above the main hall.

Wang Bo discovered that the mansion's main hall had become a dragon's pool and tiger's den—a place of extreme danger.

But he did not look around, as if completely unaware, and strode straight into the hall, where at a single glance he saw a red-haired man sitting in the center.

Behind the red-haired man stood a row of officials from the Court of Judicial Review, and among them was the Chief Justice Yuchi Zhenjin, whom Wang Bo had met a few days earlier.

Wang Bo glanced at Yuchi Zhenjin, then at the red-haired man.

He suddenly realized that the Yuchi Zhenjin he had seen that day was very likely an impostor.

The red-haired man now sitting before him was the real Yuchi Zhenjin.

At this moment, Wang Bo suddenly recalled a detail: in the Detective Dee films, Yuchi Zhenjin was indeed a red-haired man.

And not just his hair—even his eyes had a bluish tint.

"Chief Minister of the Court of Judicature, Yuchi Zhenjin?" Wang Bo probed.

The red-haired man nodded. "Correct, it is I, this official."

"Then who is he?" Wang Bo pointed at the fake Yuchi Zhenjin.

"The Court of Judicial Review, Zhang Zhicheng!"

Wang Bo let out an 'oh'—no wonder the Yuchi Zhenjin he saw that day seemed so brainless; it turned out he was a fake, and even that aggressive demeanor of his was all an act.

“So, what business does someone from the Court of Judicial Review have with me?” Wang Bo asked curiously.

The red-haired man, the real Yuchi Zhenjin, said, “Wang Bo, I have a case on hand that concerns you. I wish to bring you back to look into the matter. Are you willing, or not?”

"And if I say I'm willing?" Wang Bo probed.

"Then please, after you."

I'm not willing.

"That's not up to you." Yuchi Zhenjin sneered coldly.

Wang Bo said calmly, "Then shouldn't you tell me what case this is, and how it involves me? I haven't killed or set fires, nor have I committed rape or plunder. To arrest me out of the blue like this—that doesn't seem right."

Yuchi Zhenjin said, "Fine, then this official asks you: you once defeated Zhao Wuyan with a single punch inside Shuyuxuan—is this true?"

Yes.

"Then can you tell me, where did you acquire this martial skill of yours."

Wang Bo did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Has the Court of Judicial Review now extended its reach so far that it even concerns itself with martial arts training?"

Yuchi Zhenjin's face was cold. "The Court of Judicial Review naturally doesn't have such broad authority, but your situation is different. Last year at the Swallow Tower, you fought over a woman and got your head cracked open, then recuperated at home for half a year. Yet this year you've displayed a set of top-notch hard martial skills, which is utterly baffling."

Wang Bo said with sudden understanding, "Your Excellency has seen through my secret, haven't you?"

Yuchi Zhenjin gave a cold snort and demanded, "Speak, where is the demon pearl?"

The demon pearl?

What demon pearl?

When did the Di Renjie world ever have a demonic pearl?

Although a Fengmo clan appeared in *Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings*, that group of Fengmo were merely humans skilled in illusion arts, and have nothing to do with the demonic pearl, right?

Yuchi Zhenjin saw Wang Bo's blank expression, which did not seem feigned, and his heart sank. Could it be that the man truly had nothing to do with the demon pearl? If so, would he not have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor?

No, it absolutely cannot be so.

Perhaps the other party is putting on an act.

Yuchi Zhenjin quickly caught on, his expression growing even more severe. "I see you won't shed tears until you see the coffin. Since you insist on not speaking, men, seize him!"

At Yuchi Zhenjin's command, the people hiding behind the screen swarmed out and surrounded Wang Bo.

At the same time, the people hiding outside also rushed out and surrounded the hall.

These men were not officials of the Court of Judicial Review, but armored soldiers wearing helmets and carrying weapons and shields.

They might even be the most elite imperial guards of the Great Tang!

Though Wang Bo knew there were many people lying in ambush in his home, he never imagined they would be a group of imperial guards.

"Yuchi Zhenjin, you really think highly of me, to use so many people to arrest me. I am somewhat curious, though—why are you arresting me?"

"You know perfectly well why," Yuchi Zhenjin said coldly.

"You mean, the Demon Pearl?"

“Exactly.”

"But I really don't know anything about any demon pearl," Wang Bo said, feeling wronged because he truly didn't know about it. "Yuchi Zhenjin, can you tell me what this demon pearl is?"

Wang Bo was very curious.

Yuchi Zhenjin said with a cold, mirthless smile, “Still playing dumb with me? What the Demon Pearl is—don’t you know better than any of us?”

"Who says so?"

"If not for the aid of the Demon Pearl, how could you have acquired such supreme hard-body skills?" Yuchi Zhenjin demanded.

Wang Bo looked astonished. "Just because I know martial arts, you suspect I'm connected to the Demon Pearl, and you've even set up such a grand formation? Is this Demon Pearl really that formidable?"

Yuchi Zhenjin's expression grew ever more stern, as if a layer of frost had formed upon it. "It seems you won't shed tears until you see the coffin," he said. "Men, seize him! If he resists, kill him without mercy!"

The surrounding imperial guards immediately raised their shields, drew their swords, and advanced step by step, closing in on Wang Bo.

Wang Bo thought for a moment, raised his hands, and said, "Don't bother, I surrender!"

Yuchi Zhenjin: ...

The Imperial Guard: ...