Hongfu Inn.
The first Heaven-grade room.
A solitary lamp sat on the table, its pea-sized flame flickering slightly in the night wind that seeped through the cracks in the window, casting dancing shadows across the room.
Shen Xiuhan sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, his eyes half-closed, but his mind was churning like a restless tide.
He sorted through the clues from beginning to end.
He finally understood why Linghu Su had been unwilling to protect Hou Yulin.
While Hou Yulin was indeed his pawn, he was ultimately just a deacon of the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion.
His status was limited, and so was what he knew.
Even if he fell into the hands of others, whatever he confessed would only be superficial.
He had no access to the truly critical secrets, so he naturally could not leak them.
On the other hand, although Shen Xiuhan was not in the Huajin Rank and was not one of the Four Prodigies or Seven Elegances, he was still a core disciple of the Star-Plucking Sect. He was a rising star who had mastered sword-glow and was being watched by various factions.
His status, influence, strength, and connections were far beyond what Hou Yulin could ever compare to.
Linghu Su was meticulous in his actions. He would never provoke a core disciple currently in the sect's spotlight for the sake of an insignificant pawn.
The more enemies he made, the more eyes would be on him.
And with more eyes watching, his secrets would be at risk of being exposed.
‘It was not that he could not protect him, but that it was not worth it!’
Shen Xiuhan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep and dark as an abyss.
‘But I cannot simply turn a blind eye because of this.’
The matter concerning Yue Lingsong and Linghu Su was far too significant for him to handle alone.
He had to find a suitable excuse to deliver this information to someone he could trust and who had the authority to deal with it!
Although Shen Xiuhan did not consider himself a righteous crusader who hated evil with a passion, he was never foolish.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.
Leaving fiends like Yue Lingsong and Linghu Su lurking in Nanxiang Prefecture was like burying a toxic mine beneath everyone's feet!
No one knew when it would detonate, nor who it would kill.
Since Shen Xiuhan already knew about this, if he chose to stand by and do nothing, he would only be inviting trouble for himself if the mine detonated and the flying shrapnel hit him.
Therefore, he absolutely could not sit idly by.
Having made up his mind, Shen Xiuhan let out a long breath, closed his eyes again, and immersed himself in adjusting his breathing.
...
The Prefectural Governor's Mansion.
The side hall.
Six bronze beast-head lamps hung on the four walls of the hall. Above the main seat hung a plaque with powerful, elegant brushstrokes that read: “Guardian of Nanxiang.”
Behind the desk in the center sat an elderly man.
He wore heavy, dark iron armor, his hair and beard were grizzled, and his cheekbones were high. Yet, his deeply sunken eyes gleamed with a sharp, hidden light, resembling two bottomless ancient wells.
He sat perfectly straight behind the desk, his back as rigid as a spear. His left hand rested on an unsheathed long saber on the desk, his aged fingers as steady as a rock.
He looked less like a Prefectural Governor and more like a battle-hardened veteran general!
This man was none other than the Prefectural Governor of Nanxiang Prefecture...
Jiang Qiliang!
Below, Gongsun Bei stood with his head bowed, reporting today's events in meticulous detail.
His tone was steady, without any exaggeration or omission, detailing everything clearly from the ambush in the northern suburbs to Zhongli Mo's suicide, and from Ke Duhe's crippling to Hua Ying's escape.
Behind him stood the various Huajin Rank experts who had participated in the hunt for the Nine Anhuai Fiends today.
Gu Dacheng, Lai Zong, Huo Yinglong, and the others stood in their respective positions, holding their breath in concentration, none of them daring to interject.
After listening to the report, Jiang Qiliang remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
“So... the Entangling Silk Fiend escaped, while the other eight fiends were all executed?”
“Replying to my Lord, indeed it is so.”
Jiang Qiliang raised his eyes slightly, sweeping his gaze over the crowd below.
“Do we know the identity of the person who aided the Entangling Silk Fiend's escape?”
Gongsun Bei did not answer, merely turning his head slightly.
Behind him, Lai Zong took a step forward and spoke respectfully, not daring to be vague in the slightest.
“Reporting to the Prefectural Governor, this person's cultivation and skills are quite remarkable, making him an outstanding expert even among those in the late-stage Huajin Rank. His martial arts style is unfamiliar and does not seem to originate from Nanxiang Prefecture or its surroundings. After repeated discussions, we still have no leads at the moment...”
Jiang Qiliang's expression remained unchanged as he spat out a few words:
“Continue the investigation. We must root out these two rats of the demonic path.”
“Understood!”
The three of them acknowledged in unison.
Jiang Qiliang listened to the rest of the detailed reports one by one before slowly supporting himself against the desk to stand up.
His heavy armor emitted a low metallic grinding sound with his movements. He looked down at the crowd, and a sliver of a smile finally appeared on his stern face.
“That you garrisons, clan leaders, and geniuses have exerted yourselves for my safety this time is something I have noted. Various rewards will be delivered to your respective residences within three days.”
With that, he picked up a cup of tea from the desk and held it high above his chest.
“I shall use tea instead of wine to express my gratitude to you all.”
The crowd below cupped their hands in unison, responding resoundingly,
“My Lord, you are too polite!”
...
Once everyone had been sent off, silence returned to the side hall.
Jiang Qiliang slowly sat back behind the desk, and a hint of unconcealable fatigue finally surfaced on his majestic, awe-inspiring face.
Looking at Gongsun Bei, who was the only one remaining in the hall, he let out a bitter laugh and said,
“My life is already drawing to its close, yet there are still people coveting it. Gongsun... do you think I should be happy or sad?”
Gongsun Bei stood quietly in place, remaining silent.
“Sigh...”
Jiang Qiliang was not surprised either, shaking his head in self-mockery.
“I heard someone has fallen?”
Gongsun Bei nodded slightly, his tone flat.
“Zeng Qiyuan of Bixia Villa. The head of the Zeng clan has already taken his corpse back to their residence.”
“Qiyuan...”
Jiang Qiliang thought for a moment and sighed.
“He was the lad who just arrived last month, wasn't he... It had barely been a month since he broke through to the Huajin Rank. What a pity!”
He tapped his withered fingers against the desk before saying,
“Tomorrow, take a 【Five Elements Qi-Refining Pill】 from my private treasury and send it to the Zeng residence as a small token of my regard... By the way, how is Qingluo doing?”
“She is severely injured.”
Gongsun Bei's voice still lacked much emotion.
“Her upper dantian is completely shattered. Her cultivation will be stuck at the mid-stage Huajin Rank, and she will never have a chance at the late-stage Huajin Rank in this lifetime.”
The hall suddenly fell into silence, save for the faint crackle of the flame licking the wick of the bronze lamp.
Jiang Qiliang fell silent for a long time, his gaze complex. Only after a while did he slowly speak.
“She is a proud and stubborn girl.”
“To one day break through to the Gangjin Rank, she even dared to climb into the bed of an old man like me with one foot in the grave... How is this outcome any different from taking her life directly?”
“It is fate, it is destiny. It is not something you or I can control.”
“Indeed... Forget it, forget it.”
Jiang Qiliang waved his hand, brushing those thoughts aside. He then raised his old, cloudy eyes to look at Gongsun Bei.
“Your journey to the imperial capital was supposed to keep you there until the middle of next month. Yet you returned today. Did some unexpected event occur on the way?”
Gongsun Bei said,
“I ran into 『Daoist Master Guanyun』 in the imperial capital. She brought me back to Cangzhou along the way, which is why I happened to make it back in time for today's events.”
“Ah, a Daoist Master of your 『Guanhua Sect』...”
Jiang Qiliang understood and asked no further, merely looking up at him.
“Do you have anything else?”
“Yes.”
Gongsun Bei paused, his perpetually flat tone finally carrying a trace of an imperceptible ripple.
“My Lord, your Nanxiang Prefecture has produced an extraordinary genius...”
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