Chapter 334: Conceal it? Can't conceal it anymore!

Three days later.

Youzhou Prefecture, Inspector's Office.

Youzhou Inspector Cui Yuandao was leaning back in a grand master's chair, with two beautiful maidservants pounding his legs.

He is a distant relative of the Minister of Personnel in the capital, Cui Hong, and also a representative figure of the Youzhou aristocratic clan.

"Let's see, that impoverished scholar named Gu Ziyuan from Qingzhou should have arrived at Jiuxian County three days ago, right?"

Cui Yuandao picked up a cup of ginseng tea and slowly blew on the heat,

"Has the party sent to Jiuxian County to collect the corpses departed? Tell them, if they can't find a whole body, even bringing back a bone or a tattered official uniform will do. I still need to use this to write a memorial to report good news to my clan uncle in the capital."

The Chief Clerk seated below smiled obsequiously and said:

"Sir, rest assured, I yesterday already dispatched three capable hands to Jiuxian County. That Gu Ziyuan is just a weakling with no strength to truss a chicken; even if he stirred some heavenly portent, facing the extreme yin qi of the Black Mountain Old Demon, he's as good as dead. By now, he's probably turned into a puddle of rotten mud in the demon's cesspit."

"Well, handle it swiftly. This kid is an imperial appointee… we must make the show convincing, then say he encountered a major demon attack on his way to office, died in the line of duty, and I did my utmost to rescue him." Cui Yuandao laughed triumphantly.

Just as the two were congratulating themselves, a sudden rush of hooves came from outside the Inspector's Office.

Next, a scout sent to Jiuxian County came stumbling and crawling into the main hall, his face ashen as paper, as if he had seen a ghost, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

"Sir… sir! Something big has happened!" the scout's voice hoarse, his whole body trembling like chaff in a sieve.

Cui Yuandao frowned, displeased, and rebuked:

"What's there to panic about! What kind of conduct is this! Haven't you found Gu Ziyuan's corpse? If not found, not found—just grab any corpse to stand in."

"No… no!" the scout swallowed, terrified, lifting his head: "Gu Ziyuan isn't dead! He's alive and well! It's the Black Mountain Old Demon who died!"

"What did you say?!" Cui Yuandao sprang to his feet, the ginseng tea in his hand smashing to the ground and shattering.

The Chief Clerk also sucked in a breath of cold air and shouted sternly:

"You damned lackey, did you drink too much horse urine last night and spout nonsense? That Black Mountain Old Demon has occupied Jiuxian County for a thousand years; even third-rank officials of the court dare not tread lightly there—how could a newly appointed seventh-rank county magistrate possibly kill it?!"

"Your subordinate dare not utter a single false word!"

The scout, face grim, recounted everything he had seen and heard in Jiuxian County in detail.

"When we three arrived at Jiuxian County, we found that the extreme yin poisonous miasma that had long shrouded the county seat had completely dissipated! Although the townspeople still looked sallow and thin, the deathly aura that the demonic qi had been sucking from above their heads was gone."

"I boldly went to the Black Mountain Manor outside the city, and found… found the manor empty of anyone, nothing but ashes on the ground! The local magistrate, chief clerk, and the heads of the four great families—all vanished without a trace."

"What's more terrifying is… I used the Compass to probe underground and found that the extreme yin vein stretching hundreds of miles… had been exhausted! Not a trace of yin qi remained!"

The scout's words were like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, striking Cui Yuandao and the Chief Clerk until they were charred outside and tender inside.

The extreme yin vein exhausted? The Black Mountain Old Demon reduced to flying ashes?

How is that possible?!

"Where is Gu Ziyuan now?" Cui Yuandao asked, gritting his teeth while suppressing his shock.

"He… he is currently sitting in the main hall of the county office, having the blind doorman named Li Si post a notice at the city gate, saying that the demonic aura in Jiuxian County has been cleared, calling on the displaced people outside to return home and farm…"

Cui Yuandao plopped down into the grand master's chair, his face ashen as death.

He was all too aware of the consequences of this.

The extreme yin vein of Jiuxian County and the Black Mountain Old Demon are a heart ailment of the Great Yin Divine Dynasty, and moreover a tool used by their aristocratic clans to restrain imperial power, extract wealth, and suck blood.

Now, this heart ailment has been physically excised by a low-born county magistrate who took office just three days ago!

This is a tremendous feat! It's a staggering political achievement worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Great Yin Divine Dynasty!

If this achievement is reported to the capital, that Gu Ziyuan whom they regard as a thorn in their side will surely soar to great heights!

"Conceal it! Immediately block the news!" Cui Yuandao, as if waking from a dream, shouted hysterically, "Absolutely cannot let this reach the capital! Detain all relay stations and flying boats in Youzhou Prefecture! Not a single carrier pigeon may fly out!"

However, just as Cui Yuandao's words fell,

Above Youzhou City, suddenly came a lofty dragon's roar!

"—"

This dragon's roar did not come from the capital, but from the direction of Jiuxian County!

Only see a tremendously thick pillar of auspicious energy, shining bright purple-red, shooting up from the county office of Jiuxian County into the heavens. This pillar contains not only the official aura of the Great Yin Divine Dynasty, but also mixed within it an extremely pure and vast power of the people's thoughts!

That is the fervent gratitude and faith of tens of thousands of Jiuxian County's people after breaking free from demonic control. These thoughts converge, directly piercing through the layered blockades of the Youzhou Inspector, transforming into a dragon of auspicious energy that races toward the capital!

Heaven sends auspicious signs, the auspicious energy reciprocates!

Such a phenomenon cannot possibly be concealed by a Youzhou Inspector.

Cui Yuandao despondently closed his eyes.

He knew it was over.

The face of the aristocratic clan was this time ruthlessly trampled underfoot.

……

Great Yin Divine Dynasty, the capital.

Forbidden City, Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Today is the Grand Court Assembly.

Just as dawn broke, civil and military officials had already lined up outside the hall awaiting.

However, today's atmosphere was especially eerie and oppressive.

All officials, whether pure-stream scholars or the core backbone of the aristocratic clans, were whispering among themselves, their faces growing uglier by the moment.

Especially the Minister of Personnel, Cui Hong, whose usual inscrutable smile now darkened as if water could drip from it, with deep-hidden shock and panic in his eyes.

"His Majesty approaches——"

With a loud cry from the old eunuch, the Great Yin Emperor, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, strode majestically up to the dragon throne.

Unlike the lethargic dead air of the officials, today the emperor's face glowed red, his steps were vigorous, and even his originally somewhat stooped back straightened a bit.

"All my beloved subjects, be at ease."

The emperor flicked his sleeve, sat upon the dragon throne, and his piercing gaze swept over the ministers below.

"At today's grand court assembly, I have only one thing to say." The emperor's voice trembled with uncontainable excitement as he slammed the dragon desk.

"In Nine Nether County, the demonic aura has been swept away, the yin meridians exhausted."

"The newly appointed magistrate Gu Ziyuan, in just three days, slew a thousand-year great demon and restored peace to the region!"