Chapter 121: Divine Covenant
“Deputy Prefect!”
The government official gasped for breath, leaping from the cabin door and sprinting straight to the Deputy Prefect’s side.
“We found Jiang Jian’s records!”
He held a screen in his hand, his expression uneasy.
Before the formation terrace, the Deputy Prefect sat in his chair, lifting his gaze with a frown.
“As a high-ranking official of the prefecture, how dare you shout like this? What decorum!”
The official caught his breath and respectfully handed over the screen: “No, it’s Jiang Jian—he…”
The Deputy Prefect took the screen and interrupted: “Such a prodigy must have at least a Level 5 talent—no matter their origin, it’s irrelevant!”
His fingers slid across the screen, carefully examining the data.
“Earth Citizen: Jiang Jian.”
“Date of Birth: March 15, 3209.”
“Citizen ID: Hidden.”
“Residence: Guangling City, Shadow District, Public Care Zone Seven.”
“Registered Household: Guangling City, Shadow District, Public Care Center.”
“Original Guardian: None.”
The Deputy Prefect flipped through the records, staring at the blank guardian field, his expression darkening: “What is this?!”
“What is his origin?”
“Who was his guardian? Who delivered him to the Public Care Center?”
“The Public Care Law mandates that anyone sent to a Public Care Center for foster care must have complete guardian documentation!”
“Why is there no guardian record for Jiang Jian?”
His voice was low, yet carried a chilling frost.
The official’s face paled slightly, stammering: “This…”
“This what! What’s going on?!”
The Deputy Prefect’s face darkened.
The official sighed and said: “Your Excellency, Guangling City is a poor city. Its Shadow District lies in the farthest corner, and its Public Care Center is chaotic—even…”
The Deputy Prefect asked coldly: “Even what?”
“Even the Public Care Center has been outsourced by the Shadow District to non-citizens.”
The official spoke timidly: “They have no idea how to manage—they turned the center into a mess. As a result, many children from the Public Care Centers have lost their original household records.”
Bam!
“Unthinkable!”
The Deputy Prefect slammed his fist on the table, laughing bitterly with rage: “Do these Shadow District officials even recognize the Alliance’s laws?!”
“How has corruption spread so far in the counties and cities below?!”
As these words fell.
Many officials around them turned pale.
They sensed dimly that across Linjiang Prefecture’s seventeen prefectures and countless counties,
the filth hidden in the shadows was about to face a terrible reckoning.
“Investigate!”
The Deputy Prefect’s voice was icy: “No matter what, find the guardian—and more importantly, the original household records!”
The relevant officials trembled and replied: “Yes!”
The Deputy Prefect raised his head, gazing at Jiang Jian on the holographic screen, his expression complex, letting out a deep sigh.
He knew perfectly well how corrupt the prefectures and counties below had become.
He simply hadn’t cared to act before.
But.
Level 5 talent was far too important.
For officials of the prefecture, Level 5 talent was the ladder to promotion and wealth!
The Earth Alliance had clear regulations.
Whenever a Level 5 talent emerged in any prefecture, after reaching the Spring Source realm, they must be sent to Chang’an Prefecture for training.
Chang’an Prefecture governed seventy surface prefectures and was the central core of the surface world.
Linjiang Prefecture and Hanjiang Prefecture lay at Earth’s remote corners.
Their combined area didn’t even reach one-tenth of Chang’an Prefecture’s.
Every Level 5 talent sent out brought massive rewards to their home prefecture!
The top officials of the prefecture could receive extraordinary promotions!
But all of this had one prerequisite.
The Level 5 talent had to be a human of Earth, with a clean background and clear origins.
Because Level 5 talent attracted massive resource allocation.
Some of those resources even included core assets of the Earth Alliance!
Once, a Jupiter spirit had disguised itself as an Earth human and infiltrated the seventy surface prefectures.
It displayed a Level 6 talent, astonishing everyone.
Later, to help it break through the Spirit Platform realm, Chang’an Prefecture allocated vast spiritual materials—including many core resources.
The Jupiter spirit quietly took those core resources, fled the surface, passed through the Moon, and vanished.
Though that incident had occurred centuries ago,
it still inflicted deep wounds on the seventy surface prefectures.
And brought decades of devastating consequences.
At that time,
Earth’s ring had just undergone shattering and reconstruction.
The seventy surface prefectures were desperate for Spirit Platform cultivators.
So they had recklessly pursued prodigies.
Yet in the end, they had merely served someone else’s interests.
Ever since then,
whenever a Level 5 talent appeared among the seventy surface prefectures, they underwent brutal, exhaustive vetting!
Investigating household records was merely the first step!
“No guardian. No original household record. How am I supposed to submit an application?”
The Deputy Prefect frowned in worry: “I only hope his Earth bloodline verification passes.”
“If the bloodline verification clears the Divine Prayer Temple’s review,
the missing household records become irrelevant.”
Rubbing his throbbing temples, the Deputy Prefect halted his thoughts and turned back to the holographic screen.
Jiang Jian’s terrifying spiritual energy was fully revealed.
With the force of thunder and the sweep of autumn wind, he crushed opponents, eliminating several Hanjiang Prefecture squads in succession.
He also wiped the smiles clean off the faces of Hanjiang Prefecture officials!
“Excellent!”
The Deputy Prefect involuntarily clenched his fists.
“Back when I attended the Divine Gift University, I was just as dominant, invincible!”
Recalling his youthful vigor from long ago,
the Deputy Prefect’s face lit up with a smile again.
But then he thought of himself now—struggling to extend his life, to enjoy a few more years,
scheming and neglecting cultivation,
his smile faded unconsciously.
Suddenly,
an official rushed over, face beaming: “We found it!”
“Speak!”
The Deputy Prefect’s eyes brightened, yet he scolded sternly: “Maintain your dignity! This is unbecoming of an official!”
The official stopped, handing over a screen: “Guangling City, Zhao family!”
“At the Zhao family’s branch temple of the Divine Prayer Temple in Guangling City, I found the covenant document!”
“The Zhao family’s patriarch once signed a Divine Covenant with Jiang Jian’s guardian, arranging a bond between Jiang Jian and his granddaughter!”
“Meaning he not only met Jiang Jian’s guardian—he had direct contact with them!”
The official had run too hard, gasping for breath, finally finishing his report.
The Deputy Prefect sat upright: “Immediately connect to the Zhao patriarch’s communication. I will question him myself!”
The official’s face twisted with embarrassment: “This…”
“This what?!”
The Deputy Prefect’s gaze darkened.
The official said: “The patriarch of the Zhao family has long since passed away!”
The Deputy Prefect stared coldly at him: “And?”
Sweat beaded on the official’s forehead as he whispered, “So the trail has gone cold again.”
“Enough nonsense!”
The Deputy Prefect said coldly, “Someone!”
Immediately, warriors stepped forward: “We are at your command!”
The Deputy Prefect waved his hand: “Strip off his official robes and drag him away!”
The warriors replied: “Yes!”
(End of Chapter)
End of Chapter
