Chapter 164: [144-145] Executioner approaches, kill without error (Seeking monthly tickets, recommendations, and subscriptions)_4
“Starfire Army?” Zhou Ye was baffled.

Pei Jinye kept silent, standing by the side, hardly noticeable.

He certainly knew that the other party wasn’t the culprit behind Xie Zuxin’s murder. However, he was surprised that Qiu Hezi revealed the person’s background.

Especially this Starfire Army.

In the entire Federation, they had quite a reputation.

When the Old Gods Association broke away from the Federation, the commander of the Starfire Army, who was as close as brothers to the first chairman of the Old Gods Association, was naturally assumed to be an insider.

During the investigation of that commander, a disturbance involving a hundred thousand Starfire troops shocked the government and the public.

In the fifty years that followed, with Star Ring’s intervention, the entire hundred thousand Starfire Army was disbanded and reorganized, with the high-ranking officers either dead or retired.

The Starfire Army of the Federation was gone, but a civilian Starfire Army was born.

They claimed they wanted to build a society that truly belonged to human beings.

Yet, over the years, their influence within the Five Continents was nowhere close to that of the Old Gods Association.

“What the hell is the Starfire Army? When did Chief Xie even provoke such an organization?” Zhou Ye said in confusion.

Qiu Hezi shook his head and didn’t say much, “You’ll know once it’s been investigated.”

The operation ended.

When Zhou Ye returned, he was beaming with joy. Pei Jinye asked him what happened, and he replied in a hushed but joyful tone, “The chief said everyone who participated in the operation would get credit. Though I withdrew midway and rejoined, it doesn’t affect my merit.”

Pei Jinye offered a soulless congratulations, “Congratulations.”

“Haha, thanks, same to you.” Zhou Ye seemed to revel in it, not caring at all whether the person from the Starfire Army was the murderer of Xie Zuxin.

“Are you heading back to base later?” Zhou Ye asked.

“Is there something else happening later on?” Pei Jinye replied with a question.

“There should be…” Zhou Ye thought for a moment then said confidently, “No, there isn’t. The chief just sent a notice saying the mission is over and everyone should go home. We’ll discuss merits and rewards tomorrow.”

“Then drop me off at the station later…”

Before Pei Jinye could finish, Zhou Ye interjected, “Why go to the station? I can take you home directly. There’s no transport at this time.”

The other teammates in the car nodded, “It’s just right that I’ll be going to Liuhe Road later. I’ll drop you off first, then myself. Zhou, you’re a lifesaver, ha.”

“It’s no trouble at all.”

Twenty minutes later.

At the entrance of the residential complex.

Pei Jinye waved, watching Zhou Ye and the other teammates drive away.

The feeble streetlight seemed frail under the night sky.

As soon as Pei Jinye turned around, he sensed something was amiss.

The scenery around him shifted in an instant.

The dim corridors were devoured by endless darkness.

Pei Jinye narrowed his gaze.

He had been dragged into a different dimensional space, not an illusory realm.

“Pei Jinye?”

A familiar yet strange woman’s voice came through.

The voice grew closer from afar.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Yang Qingdan, Xu Tian’s senior apprentice sister.”

Pei Jinye recognized her as soon as he heard her voice.

Yang Qingdan, Second Rank Judge of the Central Continent Judgement Office, was far superior to Xu Tian in both strength and social status.

In Xu Tian’s memories, this Senior Sister Yang had a relationship with him that was both as a mentor and a friend.

Her coming to him directly raised a great deal of vigilance in Pei Jinye.

He looked up.

A silhouette emerged from the darkness before him.

Her appearance could be rated as seven or eight out of ten, not traditionally beautiful but with a touch of exotic charm, she gazed at Pei Jinye with a cool demeanor.

“Nice to meet you,” Pei Jinye said with a straightforward look.

“You don’t seem surprised by my arrival,” Yang Qingdan said, scrutinizing Pei Jinye with a crisp voice, “You probably don’t know, but I’ve been aware of your existence for a month now.”

Pei Jinye narrowed his gaze.

Of course, he was aware.

Xu Tian had mentioned his name a month ago during an unauthorized direct contact with Yang Qingdan.

Over the course of a month… Xu Tian had broken protocol for such direct conversations seven times.

Each conversation mentioned Pei Jinye, each filled with doubt about the ordinary high school student from Da Peng City.

Even the most recent one… about four days ago, didn’t forget to hint at his Senior Sister Yang to initiate an internal investigation.

Pei Jinye had considered that she might come.

But…

This arrival was far too swift.

“Too much has happened recently, and even if someone were to tell me the world is ending right now, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Pei Jinye said calmly, as he slyly accessed the attribute panel, “But aren’t you Judges rather idle?”

Yang Qingdan seemed not to hear his question at all, or perhaps she heard but didn’t care, as she said on her own, “Xu said your Talent is Psychic Class, yet it seems your physical condition is stronger than that of Transcendents in the Body Technique System… Honestly, I’m curious… Are you really Psychic Class or are you Body Technique?”

Pei Jinye’s expression remained unchanged, “Madam Judge, if you suspect me, please follow procedure. According to the usual style of Mr. Xu you just mentioned, he’s a person who talks nothing but order. I wonder what it feels like to break the rules like this? Double standards, is it?”

He cast an Appraisal Technique.

Her spiritual power was as high as 25, a bit of a problem.

Yang Qingdan was not angry, “I’ve been watching you for a day, and although I haven’t found any issue with you, your maturity is wholly uncharacteristic for someone your age.”

Pei Jinye’s face was as undisturbed as ever.

Yang Qingdan said, word by word, “When I just received the news of Xu’s death yesterday, I wondered what made the small Da Peng City capable of making Judges lose two Third Rank Judges, as well as one reserve. But after seeing you, I even thought… Is Xu’s death related to you?”

Suddenly, Pei Jinye looked up, “Do you want to know? I could tell you.”

Yang Qingdan took a step forward.

She was eager to hear what this unarmed high school student had to reveal, but what she never expected was

He dared to make a move against her!