Chapter 73

Qingyu Daoist was thinking in the room about how to help Yu Tongguang restore his shattered fate.

Reforging one's fate is not impossible.

As long as Yu Tongguang holds his current position, weathers the crisis, he can summon a high-ranking person to step forward and restore his fate.

But in an instant his expression changed; he hurried out of the room, only to see someone already charging in at the gate of the commandery governor's residence.

"Yu Tongguang, get out here!"

From afar, Qingyu Daoist heard Gu Chengyan's voice coming from the gate.

Bang!

At the same time, the gate was accompanied by several personal guards flying backward.

At the gate, several figures strode in first; leading them was the Gu family head, Gu Chengyan, wearing embroidered armor and holding a great sword, his hair standing on end with rage.

Beside him was the Commandery Supervising Censor Yao He, who at this moment furrowed his brows, his expression solemn and heavy.

Next were Qi Yi, Yu You, and a youthful figure clad in blue brocade, standing together with the heads of the other three great families; a name flashed in Qingyu Daoist's mind.

Zhang Jian.

He is a young man who has recently been the talk of the Phoenix Sun Commandery inside and out.

He is also a practitioner skilled in the arcane arts.

He is also the key figure who prompted the Qi family's change of attitude; the commandery governor's residence had long taken note of him, and Qingyu Daoist had originally prepared to act against him, but due to successive incidents at the residence, he had not yet done so.

"Everyone!"

Qingyu Daoist was about to speak when Gu Chengyan loudly cut him off: "Shut up, Qingyu Daoist, you demonic cultivator, you have no right to speak before us Phoenix Sun officials and elders!"

"Yu Tongguang, don't shrink back into silence—get out here!"

Just as Gu Chengyan's words fell, a gloomy, angry voice sounded from one side of the corridor:

"Who dares to cause trouble before the commandery governor's residence? Do you intend to rebel?"

Seeing the master appear, Gu Chengyan's already blood-red eyes filled with terrifying fury, and he snorted angrily:

"Rebel?"

He raised his great sword, pointing it at Yu Tongguang.

"Yu Tongguang, let me ask you: did you send men to pose as bandits and rob the imperial tribute ship—are you trying to rebel?"

"Yu Tongguang, Governor Yu, please explain this to the Gu family and the many commandery officials present."

At this moment, Gu Chengyan's eyes flared. I had thought his scheming wouldn't go this far, but the loss on the tribute ship was not only the wealth the Gu family had painstakingly gathered, but also the tacit understanding he had formed with many officials of the Ministry of Revenue.

The Gu family also lost many of the capable individuals they had painstakingly trained, and their vitality was greatly injured.

Of course, Gu Chengyan is now more eager to clear his name, seize the chance to vent his anger, and hopes to completely implicate Yu Tongguang.

If they cannot pin the blame on Yu Tongguang, the guilt of losing the tribute while in the Gu family's hands is something the Gu family cannot bear; their centuries-old prestige might then collapse.

Hearing this, Yu Tongguang's heart jolted, but his expression remained unchanged as he demanded, "What? Accusing us of looting the tribute ship? Gu Chengyan, have you gone mad?"

Gu Chengyan could no longer be bothered to engage in a war of words with Yu Tongguang; the evidence was overwhelming, leaving Yu Tongguang no room to quibble.

He merely sneered at this point:

"Yu Tongguang, as the commandery governor you do not think of sharing the emperor's worries, but instead rack your brains to eliminate rivals and fabricate charges; now you have gone so far as to madly seize the Gu family's tribute ship, intending to frame them. The evidence is as solid as a mountain, and Supervisor Yao, as well as the many scholars and officials of Fengyang Commandery, can all testify—you have no way to quibble!"

"Will you surrender today and be escorted by us to the capital to answer for your crimes, or do you wish to resist, be captured by our combined forces, and then be sent to the capital? The choice is yours!"

Hearing this, Yu Tongguang shouted furiously, "How dare you! The governor's residence will not tolerate your lawlessness!"

His gaze involuntarily flicked to the nearby Qingyu Daoren, who, after returning, had slapped his chest and assured him there would be no counter-evidence, not a trace left!

Qingyu Daoren is his confidant; he has always trusted him in his duties, so there should be no problem.

Qingyu Daoren's heart also gave a jolt; meeting Yu Tongguang's gaze, he suddenly recalled something.

He had sunk the Gu family's tribute ship on White Water, confident of success, but this all presupposed no supernatural intervention; he had considered every angle, yet the sudden escape of the White Water Dragon Lord was not in his calculations.

Qingyu Daoren's heart kept sinking.

Those nearby also turned their gazes to Yao He; Yao He, helpless, gave a dry cough, looked at Yu Tongguang, and advised.

"Commandery Governor Yu, what the Gu clan chief said is correct; the evidence is as solid as a mountain, and both the personal testimony and material evidence of the troops from your governor's residence who attacked the Gu family's official ship are present!"

"Yu Tongguang, now lay down your weapons, bind your own arms, and accompany this official to the capital to plead guilty; perhaps the court, considering your many years of frontier service, will show you leniency!"

Hearing Yao He's convincing words, Yu Tongguang felt a chill run through his body; a sliver of hope still lingered in his eyes as he glanced at the nearby Qingyu Daoren, whose face was as grim as still water.

But in an instant, a command flag appeared in his hand, transforming into a white‑mist tornado that violently swept toward the people gathered in the courtyard.

A figure instantly appeared beside Yu Tongguang.

"Lord, you must leave first; no matter what, be sure to preserve your useful self!"

Qingyu Daoren rarely used such a tone when speaking to Yu Tongguang.

"Qingyu, what are you doing!"

At this moment, Yu Tongguang fixed his eyes firmly on Qingyu Daoren.

Qingyu Daoren's eyes were entirely calm, and he merely spoke softly.

"Fifteen years ago, Qingyu was nothing but a lost cause dog; fortunately, the General took notice and gave him a foothold to establish himself. Today, with his crippled body, he repays the General's kindness in one fell swoop. The General harbors great ambitions and still has a chance to make a comeback; please take care of yourself from now on!"

As he spoke of taking care, he waved his hand and his form suddenly flashed into the thick mist, thereafter ceasing to urge Yu Tongguang, for he knew Yu Tongguang well—Yu Tongguang was tenacious and would not easily seek death.

In the borderlands where war rages, Yu Tongguang has faced death many times, yet each time he has broken through, relying on this will to survive.

"Qingyu!"

Witnessing this, Yu Tongguang clenched his teeth inwardly, knowing that Qingyu Daoren was using his own power to secure him a sliver of chance to live.

As long as he escapes the governor's residence, exchanging the treasure in his hand for the protection of the Cavern Spirit Observatory is not difficult.

Moreover, there is still a chance to make a comeback.

In the white mist, his visage shifted slightly, and he hastily retreated, preparing to burst out of the governor's residence while the mist lingered.

At this moment, at the gate, a group of people gazed upon the sky‑filling white mist, their faces already changing color.

Gu Chengyan even shouted: "Sorcery, he really is a heretical cultivator—don't let him get away!"

Zhang Jian raised his head, his gaze toward a direction deep in the white mist, but his keen spiritual sense had already locked onto Yu Tongguang's qi.

"Want to escape?"

Thinking of the opportunity inside the giant turtle's mouth, Zhang Jian's eyes flashed with a fierce hue; the spiritual power in his hand flowed, activating the Wind-Commanding Technique, but as the technique just took shape it encountered the intertwining dragon-tiger qi that lingered above the governor's mansion, instantly altering his expression slightly.

The wind gathered by the Wind-Commanding Technique was suddenly disturbed and collapsed.

He glanced toward the direction where the Azure Jade Daoist was; the Wind-Commanding Technique in his hand could not even condense, so how could the Azure Jade Daoist cast any technique under the suppression of the dragon-tiger qi?

"Is it a magical artifact? Magical artifacts have an outer casing, making the technique structure more stable?"

In the moment of thought, although the dragon-tiger qi interfered with the trajectory of his technique formation, his internal spiritual power and vital essence were unified, thus unaffected.

In that moment, Zhang Jian still decided to capture the leader first, to seize Yu Tongguang first.

His figure instantly sank into the depths of the governor's mansion, following the qi locked by his spiritual sense, his body like a clear breeze, and in an instant he saw Yu Tongguang hurriedly fleeing.