Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 824 - 824 0508 Almost Impossible to Break_1

Chapter 824: Chapter 0508 Almost Impossible to Break_1 Chapter 824: Chapter 0508 Almost Impossible to Break_1 Chapter 0508: Almost Impossible to Break Through

Qi Tian pushed the portrait of Emperor Zhi Wu in front of Wang Hui and asked, “Take a close look at this portrait and think carefully, have you ever met someone who resembles this man?”

Although Emperor Zhi Wu was only the previous generation’s emperor, he had abdicated quite early, with a history stretching over a hundred years. Since Wang Hui wasn’t a cultivator, he was only about forty or fifty years old, and it was not certain that he knew what Emperor Zhi Wu looked like. In fact, although Wang Hui knew of Emperor Zhi Wu, his impression of the emperor’s appearance was very vague. When he saw the portrait Qi Tian took out, it seemed familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he had seen it.

Wang Hui thought hard, but to no avail. He could only shake his head and say, “I’m very sorry, Master, but I really don’t have any recollection of the person in this portrait.”

“Think about it some more,” Qi Tian insisted.

Realizing that the person in the portrait was important to Qi Tian, Wang Hui gave it some thought and said, “Master, I haven’t been transferred to Three Gods City for long, just over three years but not yet four. I’m not particularly familiar with the locals here. However, among my subordinates, there are a few who are from Three Gods City. The youngest is over thirty, and the oldest is over sixty. They might be able to help you. How about I call them over for you?”

Upon hearing this, Qi Tian nodded repeatedly. To find someone, it was indeed necessary to rely on local officials familiar with the area. He said, “Alright, send someone to invite them quickly.”

Wang Hui didn’t dare to delay and promptly sent his subordinates to call them. In no time, several local officials were summoned by his aides.

Wang Hui told them, “The reason I’ve called you here is to answer the Master’s questions. You must answer truthfully. If you answer well, there will be a reward. Answer poorly or deliberately conceal something, and the consequences are not something you can afford to bear.”

Qi Tian’s fame was now at its zenith throughout the Great Zhao Nation, and even these intermediate and lower-level officials were well aware. They repeatedly assured that they would tell everything they knew without holding back.

After Wang Hui had finished speaking, he asked them to approach Qi Tian one by one to be interrogated. This was also to prevent them from conspiring together and served as a form of protection.

The first few were younger in age, and looking at the portrait Qi Tian had shown, they were all puzzled. On the third official’s turn, however, he recognized the portrait. But he didn’t recognize someone who looked like Emperor Zhi Wu; instead, he recognized the emperor himself in the portrait. This was quite rare as the society wasn’t as informationally advanced as on Planet Earth. For an emperor who ruled over a hundred years ago, very few people could identify his portrait.

Qi Tian was curious as to why this small official named Hu Lingfeng could recognize Emperor Zhi Wu at a glance. This wasn’t a mandatory requirement imposed by the Great Zhao Emperor, and there was no tradition of avoidance regarding the emperor in the Great Zhao Nation. It was quite abnormal for a low-ranking official to recognize Emperor Zhi Wu.

Facing Qi Tian’s questioning, Hu Lingfeng gave his answer. One year, while on official business, he came across the portrait of an ancestor in a small family’s ancestral hall in the countryside. That ancestor in the portrait looked exactly like Emperor Zhi Wu. Curious, he asked about it and learned from others that the one depicted was indeed Emperor Zhi Wu.

Qi Tian was moved. He promptly inquired if Hu Lingfeng still remembered the time and place of his official trip. Hu Lingfeng nodded repeatedly, the event leaving a deep impression on him; after all, not everyone would dare to openly claim their ancestor was an emperor.

Qi Tian quickly called Gao Jinmei and Deng Chuanliang to take Hu Lingfeng with them to investigate the situation immediately. Once there was news, they were to contact him at once.

After Gao Jinmei and the others had left, Qi Tian continued to interrogate the remaining local officials. When he questioned the oldest among them, the old man told Qi Tian that he had indeed seen someone who looked very much like the person in the portrait. He even told Qi Tian who that person was—a Sect Leader of the Refining God Sect named Wang Wenshui, one of the most powerful cultivators in the sect.

When the old man was younger, he had seen Wang Wenshui on more than one occasion. But for the past thirty to forty years, he had not seen him, and the Refining God Sect seldom came to Three Gods City anymore.

Qi Tian was overjoyed. He asked the old man for many specific details, and the old official told Qi Tian everything he knew. He was a lonely old man whose son’s family, along with his spouse, had perished in a landslide while on a trip years ago, leaving him alone. He was not afraid of future reprisals.

The information the old official provided to Qi Tian was incredibly valuable, saving Qi Tian a lot of time. Qi Tian was very grateful. He immediately fulfilled his promise, not only awarding the old official ten thousand taels of gold but also giving him some Rejuvenating Pills. After taking them, not only could the old man expect to extend his lifespan significantly, but his vitality would also be restored. With such benefits, the old official could remarry and have children, continuing the lineage of his family.