Chapter 336

Half a month later.

Youzhou, Jiuyou County.

The county office, once dilapidated and resembling a haunted den, has now been repaired to like-new condition.

On the formerly gloomy streets, the former vitality has returned; although the people's faces still show some pallor, their eyes now have light.

Gu Yuan wore a brand-new fourth-rank scarlet official robe, with cloud-goose mandarin squares embroidered on his chest, and at his waist hung a fourth-rank silver seal exuding a rich purplish-red glow.

He sat in the Grand Preceptor's chair, holding a cup of plain tea, his demeanor leisurely.

"A fourth-rank official seal, the authority is indeed much greater."

Gu Yuan sensed the changes in his inner world.

Since receiving this fourth-rank silver seal, the vast fortune of the Great Yin Divine Dynasty seemed to have opened a great door for him.

The roots of the World Tree, following the flow of fortune, had silently spread to every corner of Youzhou Prefecture, and even begun to seep into the central region of the dynasty.

The Heavenly Dao laws of the Great Yin Divine Dynasty, under the suppression of the World Tree, had not even noticed that they were being parasitized bit by bit.

"If we just take one more step up to reach third rank and touch the dynasty's core fortune pool, the Heavenly Dao of this world ought to change its surname."

Gu Yuan's mouth corner twitched slightly.

"Sir! The imperial envoy's ceremonial guard has arrived ten li outside the city!" Old Li, now the steward of the Governor's Office, ran in with a red-faced report.

He now regards Gu Yuan as a deity; who would have thought that this young county magistrate not only survived but rose in a single step to become the lord of Youzhou?

"Understood."

Gu Yuan set down his tea cup, rose, and straightened his robe,

"Open the central gate, welcome the imperial envoy."

Outside Jiuyou County, the road was loess-paved, the streets washed with clear water.

Second Prince Yin Zhen rode in a splendid imperial flying vessel, escorted by hundreds of Imperial Guards, slowly descending before the city gate.

Gu Yuan led a few assistant officials temporarily drafted from the Youzhou Prefecture, standing at the city gate to greet respectfully.

"Your subject, Governor Gu Ziyou of Youzhou, pays respects to the Second Prince." Gu Yuan slightly cupped his hands, performed a standard official salute, but did not kneel.

Second Prince Yin Zhen swiftly stepped down from the vessel; seeing Gu Yuan not kneeling, he was not angry but instead greeted him with a beaming smile, taking hold of Gu Yuan's arm.

"Sir Gu, please dispense with formalities! In Jiuyou County you slew demons and eliminated monsters, rendering unparalleled merit to our Great Yin; the father emperor in the capital sings your praises nonstop! When I came, the father emperor specially instructed that seeing Sir Gu is like seeing a pillar of the state—do not stand on empty formalities!"

The Second Prince possessed a handsome appearance, sword-like brows and starry eyes, a warm and moist demeanor, and his sincere tone made one feel as if basking in spring breeze.

Had it been an ordinary poor scholar, being treated so courteously by such a lofty prince would surely have moved him to tears, vowing to die in loyalty.

But what sort of person is Gu Yuan?

Having seen all kinds of old foxes in the Primeval Immortal Realm, the Second Prince's acting of this level is, in his eyes, riddled with flaws.

"Your Highness overpraises me; I merely fulfilled my duty as a subject."

Gu Yuan withdrew his arm without changing expression, turned sideways, and made a gesture of invitation,

"Your Highness, you are fatigued from travel; please enter the city to rest."

After entering the Governor's Office, the Second Prince dismissed his attendants, leaving only Gu Yuan for a private talk in the rear hall.

"Sir Gu, among sensible people there are no hidden words."

"Sir, although you have been promoted six ranks in succession and enjoy boundless glory, you have also become the target of many arrows. In the capital, those aristocratic clans, especially the Cui family, already regard you as a thorn in the eye and a splinter in the flesh. In Youzhou, you are practically surrounded by danger."

You've just been promoted six ranks in a row, Sir—though your future looks bright, you've also become the target of everyone's ire. The aristocratic clans in the capital, especially the Cui family, now see you as a thorn in their side, a splinter in their flesh. In Youzhou, you're truly walking into danger.

"Sir, though you have been promoted six ranks in succession and enjoy boundless glory, you have also become the target of many arrows. In the capital, those aristocratic clans, especially the Cui family, already regard you as a thorn in the eye and a splinter in the flesh. In Youzhou, you are practically surrounded by danger."

"Oh? I serve the dynasty loyally, with a clear conscience; what is there to fear?"

Gu Yuan put on the guise of an aloof, arrogant, inflexible poor scholar.

"Sir, you are still too young."

The Second Prince sighed, lowered his posture, and his tone conveyed sincere heart-to-heart earnestness,

"The realm of Great Yin is, on the surface, the father emperor's, but in reality half belongs to the clans. Sir, you hold fourth-rank actual power; without a strong backing, you cannot move an inch in Youzhou. They have plenty of ways to hollow you out, even to cause you to die an unnatural death."

Having said this, the Second Prince rose, walked to Gu Yuan's front, and gazed at him with burning eyes.

"I have always respected talented persons. Sir, if you are willing, I wish to become sworn brothers of different surname with you! With me in the capital mediating for you, you can display grand ambitions in Youzhou. When I, as king, possibly take residence in the Eastern Palace, your merit of following the dragon will make the position of Grand Secretary none other than yours."

These words truly laid bare the plot, directly throwing out an olive branch of recruitment, even promising the position of Grand Secretary.

Gu Yuan looked at this worthy prince before him, secretly sneering in his heart.

"Your Highness's great kindness leaves me humbled and startled." Gu Yuan rose, slightly bowed his head, and pretended to be contemplating.

However, at the moment he lowered his head, his divine sense, comparable to that of an Immortal King, silently probed into the Second Prince's body.

Gu Yuan originally merely wanted to gauge the Second Prince's cultivation depth.

But as soon as his divine sense touched the Second Prince's dantian, Gu Yuan's pupils constricted sharply!

Beneath the seemingly normal imperial Purple Astra true qi of the Second Prince lurked a cluster of extremely obscure, extremely malicious gray-black energy!

This energy was wrapped in an exceedingly sophisticated law; if not for Gu Yuan possessing an inner world and having just dealt with the Extinction Source Envoy of Now Faction: Zang Tian Ge, it would have been impossible to detect its existence!

"This is... Extinction Source Power?!"

That gray-black energy, though extremely weak, shares the same essence as the aura of the Now Faction: Zang Tian Ge Immortal Kings Gu Yuan encountered in the Blood Moon Nether Realm, the Heavenly Pivot Source Realm, and the Myriad Medicines Great World!

It is a degenerate law existing purely to pollute the Heavenly Dao and destroy the cultivation civilization!

Why does the Great Yin Divine Dynasty have no cultivation sects?

Why are the Heavenly Dao laws twisted into this deformed officialdom system? Why does the fortune golden dragon sprout black spots? Why do the emperor and the clans allow the Black Mountain Old Demon monster to occupy the extreme yin meridian?

All this is fundamentally not a struggle of imperial power versus aristocratic clans, but a conspiracy of Now Faction: Zang Tian Ge!

The Extinction Source Envoy of Now Faction: Zang Tian Ge has long since infiltrated the upper echelons of the Great Yin Divine Dynasty!

They use this deformed officialdom system to lock the ascent passage of all beings in this world.

They deliberately create fortune black spots, deliberately raise demons, just to, without the knowledge of gods or ghosts, gradually pollute this world's Heavenly Dao origin, ultimately guiding this world toward self-destruction.

Is he a puppet of Now Faction: Zang Tian Ge? Or… is he himself the representative of Now Faction: Zang Tian Ge in this world?

Gu Yuan withdrew his divine consciousness, perfectly masking the murderous intent in his eyes.

He originally only planned to quietly rise in rank, seize power, and also take the system reward's Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Mother Qi.

But now, having run into the Now Faction: Zang Tian Ge's pesky insects, the nature of the matter has completely changed.

"Grandfather tore the celestial king called Apocalypse to shreds in the void; the Now Faction: Zang Tian Ge has surely set its sights on the Gu Family. Since we have encountered their minions here, we should follow the trail and uproot their scheme in the Great Yinyin Divine Court."

Gu Yuan lifted his head, his face breaking into an excited smile that said, "A scholar would die for a confidant."

"Your Highness's generous favor, if I, Gu, were to decline again, it would seem inappropriate."

The Second Prince saw Gu Yuan finally take the bait, and a barely perceptible smugness flashed in his eyes.

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! With Zi Yuan's assistance, this Prince feels like a tiger with added wings! Zi Yuan, rest assured, I will handle the Cui Family myself. What you must do now is quickly establish a foothold in Youzhou. By the way…"

The Second Prince shifted his tone, feigning nonchalance as he asked, "Zi Yuan, when I arrived I heard that the old demon of Black Mountain's magic power reaches the heavens. What immortal methods did you use to slay it? Father Emperor is quite curious about this."