Chapter 337: He Killed Himself

The probing has arrived.

Gu Yuan sneered inwardly. He knew the Second Prince's true concern was not the death of the Black Mountain Old Demon, but the disappearance of the Extreme Yin Vein.

That was a crucial node they used to pollute the Heavenly Dao.

"Your Highness, you are unaware."

Gu Yuan deliberately showed a look of lingering fear,

"How could I, a lowly official, have any divine means? That day I went to Black Mountain Manor, thinking I would surely die. Who would have thought that the Black Mountain Old Demon, having cultivated some evil art, went into qi deviation, causing the underground yin veins to surge, and ultimately self-destructed, killing himself. I merely got lucky and managed to save my life."

"Qi deviation? Self-destruction?"

The Second Prince narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at Gu Yuan's eyes, as if trying to see whether he was lying.

But Gu Yuan's soul was immensely strong; his disguise was flawless—not even a true Immortal King descending could spot any flaw, let alone a puppet seeded with a spell.

"I see, Ziyuan is indeed a person of immense fortune."

The Second Prince withdrew his gaze, smiling as he patted Gu Yuan's shoulder.

But Gu Yuan could clearly feel that the gray-black energy within his body had just produced an extremely faint fluctuation.

"It seems the people behind him don't fully believe my words." Gu Yuan thought to himself.

But it doesn't matter.

The fish has already taken the bait; now it's just a matter of whose line is thicker and whose rod is harder.

"Your Highness, I have just arrived in Youzhou and am worried about lacking capable aides. Might I trouble you to lend a few experts?"

Gu Yuan took the opportunity to make the request; since he was pretending to defect, he had to act the part—proactively asking for personnel would actually dispel the other's suspicions.

"Haha, that's natural. This time I brought a unit of elite Imperial Forest Army troops; I'll leave them in Youzhou for your command."

The Second Prince readily agreed, which suited him perfectly, allowing him to justifiably plant spies around Gu Yuan.

Soon.

Outside the Inspector's Office in Jiuyou County.

Second Prince Yin Zhen stood before the splendid imperial flying vessel, tightly gripping Gu Yuan's hands, his warm, jade-like face full of reluctance.

"Ziyuan, this heavy burden of Youzhou I now entrust entirely to you."

The Second Prince sighed heavily,

"As for the capital, you can rest easy; with me there, those stubborn old fogies of the Cui family won't stir up any trouble. Just go ahead and act—if you can gain a firm foothold in Youzhou, that will be a great achievement."

Saying this, the Second Prince waved his hand, and several heavily armored Imperial Forest Army soldiers behind him immediately lifted up a dozen or so heavy redwood crates.

When the lids were lifted, inside were neatly stacked the Great Yin Divine Dynasty's unique qi-luck spirit stones, century-old rare medicinal herbs, and several implements flashing with the light of official Dao.

"These are the foundation bestowed by Father Emperor, and also a token of my personal regard."

The Second Prince pointed to a burly martial officer standing nearby,

"This is Deputy Commander Zhao Rui, a fifth-rank military officer. These fifty elite Imperial Forest Army troops under his command are all veteran fighters. I will leave them all in Youzhou to serve as your personal guard. With them around, any local magnates thinking to strike at you will have to think twice."

Gu Yuan gazed at Zhao Rui, whose chin was slightly lifted and eyes hinting at a touch of arrogance, then at the fifty Imperial Forest Army troops whose vigor surged like dragons; a faint, almost imperceptible smirk flickered in the depths of his eyes.

What personal guard? In plain terms, they were stationed beside him to monitor him, and even to undermine him at critical moments.

"I, your subject, thank Your Highness for your great favor."

"Haha, Ziyuan, you overstate it. I remain in the capital, awaiting your good news."

The Second Prince was very pleased with Gu Yuan's attitude, laughed twice, then turned and boarded the flying vessel.

Accompanied by the roar of the formation patterns, the huge imperial flying vessel rose into the air, turning into a streak of purple-gold light that sped toward the capital.

Standing on the deck of the flying vessel, the Second Prince looked down at the shrinking Jiuyou County below; the warm smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by an extremely cold, indifferent expression.

He closed his eyes slightly, feeling the pulse of that mass of gray-black energy deep in his dantian.

"The master's scheme must not fail; though the Extreme Yin Vein is destroyed, as long as we can fully control this Gu Ziyuan, the qi luck of Youzhou remains."

"As for Zhao Rui… he will stay by Gu Ziyuan's side, playing the role I need. When the time comes, using his death will make Gu Ziyuan wholeheartedly loyal—a man with sage-like talent, coupled with that tremendous merit, it will be time to drive the elder brother from his position."

"But… after returning, I still need to see the Empress Dowager once, to borrow her influence, so as to ensure everything goes smoothly."

……

Inside the Inspector's Office.

Seeing the Second Prince off, Gu Yuan turned and walked back to the main hall.

Following behind him were Zhao Rui and the fifty fully armed Imperial Forest Army troops.

No sooner had he entered the hall than Zhao Rui's respectful expression vanished.

He swaggered over to a chair at the side of the hall, sat down without removing his sword, crossed his legs, and regarded Gu Yuan with a condescending, scrutinizing gaze.

"Lord Gu."

Zhao Rui spoke with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, his tone betraying the arrogance of a capital official facing a local magistrate,

"Although the Second Prince has left us here to protect you, the defense and regulations of this Inspector's Office must still follow our Imperial Forest Army's ways."

"Starting today, I will personally take charge of guarding the inner court. Sir, whenever you wish to see someone or process a document, you had best inform me first."

"After all, Youzhou is not peaceful; if you were to meet with any mishap, I, as a subordinate, could not bear the responsibility."

These words were no longer a hint but a blatant declaration.

In name it was protection; in reality it was house arrest combined with being sidelined.

A fifth-rank military officer daring to order around a fourth-rank inspector—this could only be relying on the Second Prince's influence.

Old Li stood in the corner, too frightened to even breathe.

Although he knew his own grandfather's methods were heavenly, these were the Imperial Forest Army from the capital, representing the emperor's face!

However, Gu Yuan did not explode in rage as Zhao Rui had expected, nor did he swallow his anger in silence.

He simply walked calmly to the main seat, sat down, lifted his teacup, gently skimmed off the foam on top, and didn't even glance at Zhao Rui.

"Have you finished speaking?"

Gu Yuan took a sip of tea, his tone as bland as if he were asking about today's weather.

Zhao Rui furrowed his brow, a nameless anger rising in his heart:

"Gu Yuan, I, as a subordinate, am thinking of your safety; you had better see the situation clearly. Although you are a fourth‑grade regional inspector, in our eyes you are merely a piece in the Prince's hand…"

"Noisy."

Gu Yuan set down his teacup and spat out two words.

The next breath.

"Hum—"

The space inside the hall fell into absolute stillness without any warning!

Zhao Rui's arrogant expression froze instantly on his face; he was shocked to the point of despair to discover that his fifth‑grade military officer's qi and blood, even his soul, were completely frozen at this moment by an incomprehensible terrifying power.

He couldn't move a single finger, nor could a single thought turn.

Those fifty Imperial Forest Guards were likewise like clay and wood statues, frozen stiff in place.