Chapter 131: Zhu Xuanji, Who Observes the Hidden and Settles the People

More than a month ago.

Nandou Kingdom.

Middle reaches of the Crocodile Dragon River.

Xuanlin City.

Both sides of the street were crowded with people.

Guards escorted a mechanism prison carriage, walking slowly.

In the prison carriage, a Golden Core cultivator, heavily bound by iron chains, disheveled, with eyes closed.

The city people saw this person, filled with righteous indignation, while cursing, throwing countless rotten eggs, leftovers, rotten rice, and even stones.

"Smash, smash this corrupt official to death!"

"If it weren't for him embezzling the disaster relief funds, my grandfather wouldn't have starved to death."

"Conscience is really eaten by dogs. As a Golden Core, it’s fine to cultivate alone, but as an official, he absorbs the fat and cream of the people, which is even more hateful than a demon cultivator! This should be the end!!"

The Golden Core prisoner always hung his head, eyes closed, expression like death.

Looking at the noisy scene on the street from afar, Zhu Xuanji sighed faintly and said to a group of people beside him: "It’s about time for me to set off."

The current City Lord of Xuanlin City beside him clasped his fists and saluted: "This time, thanks to Lord Zhu, you took action to find the black sheep. If not, the old man would still be kept in the dark."

Zhu Xuanji smiled lightly and looked at the City Lord deeply: "Lord Su, you should take care of yourself."

After speaking, he turned on his horse and left directly.

The City Lord clasped his fists, watching Zhu Xuanji go further and further, always smiling, with cold light flashing in his eyes.

"Ah, it’s Lord Zhu!"

"Lord Zhu is here."

"Lord Zhu, thank you, thank you for finding out the truth! If it weren't for you, woo woo woo..."

"Lord Zhu, don't go, don't go! Just stay and be our official!"

First one person took the lead, kneeling on the side of the street, followed by the second, the third.

The city people knelt on the ground one after another, crying bitterly, thanking, and begging.

On the same road, Zhu Xuanji and the Golden Core prisoner walked over, and the response they got was completely different.

Zhu Xuanji rode on the horse, smiling, waving his hands constantly.

Under the respectful send-off of ten thousand people, he walked to the city gate, finally looked back at the kneeling people, and the City Lord standing at the end of the street.

"Su family..." Zhu Xuanji sighed, and the gloom in his eyes surged up.

He knew that the real mastermind was the City Lord surnamed Su, but the latter was ruthless and killed people to silence them in time, so the evidence did not fall into Zhu Xuanji’s hands.

Zhu Xuanji could only catch a Golden Core cultivator under the City Lord.

Zhu Xuanji spurred his horse to speed up and soon caught up with the prisoner escort team in front.

The team walked along a country road.

The cultivator in front suddenly scolded: "Who is it? Dare to intercept the imperial escort team, don't want to live anymore?!"

The person intercepting the prison carriage hurriedly begged for mercy, his voice old: "My lords, the villain is definitely not a gangster, but specifically came to thank Lord Zhu."

Zhu Xuanji swept with his divine sense and immediately ordered: "Don't be impatient, I know this old man, he is not an enemy."

He kicked the horse’s belly lightly, rushed to the front of the team, saw a familiar face, and couldn't help but smile: "Old man, we meet again."

The old man bent down, bowed deeply, and said with tears in his eyes: "The old man is ashamed, has no eyes, and does not know the true hero. Once the lord passed by the tea stall, the old man also insulted the lord. If I don't come here to thank and apologize, the old man will never be at peace in his life."

Zhu Xuanji dismounted, came to the old man, and reached out to help the old man up: "Old man, has your field been returned to you?"

The old man cried again, choked up: "Returned, returned. Not just mine, the good fields of our village have all been returned."

"That’s good." Zhu Xuanji nodded.

The old man took out a bag of spirit stones: "Lord Zhu, this is a thank-you gift prepared by our village..."

Zhu Xuanji pushed his hand: "I will never accept it."

"This bag of spirit rice is also from our village..."

Zhu Xuanji laughed: "Old man, I don't look at these."

The old man was a little anxious: "This is just a little bit of our village’s heart, just want to express endless gratitude, Lord Zhu..."

Zhu Xuanji reached out: "Old man, remember the first time we met, I passed by the tea stall you opened at the entrance of the village."

"You saw me dusty, and took the initiative to invite me to sit down."

"I smiled and said, I have no money on me, I can't afford tea. You took the initiative to treat me to a bowl of sugar water."

The old man nodded, wiped a tear: "How can the old man not remember?"

"Lord, you drank the sugar water and asked about the people’s livelihood. I told the lord that Xuanlin City has officials who do nothing, corruption."

"Lord, you were asking for details, but I was an old fool, thinking the lord was protecting corrupt officials, and was so angry that I knocked over the lord’s sugar water."

"Hahaha." Zhu Xuanji looked up and laughed a few times, "As long as you remember!"

He clasped his fists and said: "If I am lucky, can I ask the old man to treat me to a bowl of sugar water again?"

The old man was stunned.

Seeing Zhu Xuanji’s serious and sincere expression, his vision blurred again, tears streaming down his face, nodding repeatedly: "Please, please! The old man is lucky to be able to treat Lord Zhu to tea again."

Zhu Xuanji shook his head: "Don't drink tea, I just want to drink a bowl of sugar water."

The old man took out a storage bag and made a bowl of sugar water for Zhu Xuanji in front of him.

Zhu Xuanji held the coarse pottery bowl and drank a large mouthful, very happy: "Good, good sweet water!"

The guards watched this scene and said nothing.

Saying goodbye to the village elder, Zhu Xuanji continued on his way.

No one robbed the prison, and the road was calm.

Entering the capital, he hadn't rested yet, and was immediately summoned by the King.

He met the King, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and saluted, and said loudly: "The minister went to Xuanlin City, investigated the details of corruption, and fortunately did not disgrace the mission..."

Slap.

The King of Nandou slapped the table and scolded: "Zhu Xuanji! You entered the capital, handed over the prisoners, don't think about coming to see me to report, must I summon you?"

"Fortunately did not disgrace the mission? Hehe."

"Before you set off, how did I explain to you?"

"As a result, you went to Xuanlin City, still going your own way, throwing my explanation behind your head. You still fortunately did not disgrace the mission? Do you think I want to summon you to praise you?"

"The minister dare not." Zhu Xuanji smiled bitterly.

The King of Nandou sighed: "Zhu Xuanji, Zhu Xuanji... you are a member of the royal family, don't you know the weight of the Su family in my country?"

"You caught the Golden Core subordinate this time, making the Su family lose face. Several old ministers of the Su family have already submitted resignation letters, saying that the Su family’s reputation cannot be destroyed."

"I let you investigate the case, not let you stir up the court!"

Zhu Xuanji raised his head, his expression serious: "The King’s words, the minister dare not agree. The minister thinks that the various great clans in Nandou Kingdom have already had a trend of being intertwined and unable to be dropped. The Su family and others hold multiple immortal cities, and many people hold important positions in the court, squeezing out newcomers and holding government affairs."

"If this continues, they will become a major crisis for my Nandou Kingdom."

"As a royal family, we should support new clans and newcomers more, reshape the new atmosphere of the court, take care of the common people, widely recruit talents from the people, and check and balance the old great clans."

The King of Nandou snorted coldly: "Nonsense! In the past, the Retired Emperor opened up the territory, how much did the Su family sacrifice, how can such founding merits be blamed and treated thinly? If it spreads out, how will talents from outside look at my country?"

"Others gave you a title, calling you 'Zhu Xuanji who observes the hidden and settles the people', are you really proud of this?"

Zhu Xuanji lowered his head: "The minister dare not."

The King of Nandou sighed: "Forget it."

"Perhaps it is my expectation of you that is always too high. Your handling this time is actually much better than before."

"Your secret report, I have already read it."

"The City Lord of the Su family cannot escape the relationship, and everyone in the court knows it."

"But this matter stops here, and the Golden Core cultivator is beheaded at the vegetable market to make an end."

Zhu Xuanji took the initiative to ask for the task: "The minister is willing to serve as the executioner!"

The King of Nandou shook his head: "The court is unstable, you are a member of the royal family, you must think for me."

"Your identity, serving as an executioner, is it the meaning of the royal family? Is it my meaning? How can the court and the people not think wildly?"

"Don't stay in the capital, go out."

"Just right..."

The King of Nandou took out a memorial from a corner of the table and threw it to the ground, throwing it to Zhu Xuanji: "You get up and see."

Zhu Xuanji: "Yes."

He slowly got up and reached out to grab it.

An invisible force took the memorial on the ground and fell into his hand.

Zhu Xuanji unfolded the memorial and read it quickly: "Lava Immortal Palace?"

The King of Nandou: "Not bad."

"This is the former palace of the Three Sects Masters, which was built together when he and the Retired Emperor were in love. It was originally buried in Fire Persimmon Mountain, suppressing volcanic riots and changing evil land into blessed land."

"Originally, it had to suppress the earth fire in the mountain for more than a hundred years, but now it has come out."

"There must be something strange in this."

"In this trip, you must investigate the cause of the Lava Immortal Palace’s birth."

"This Immortal Palace contains the mechanism inheritance of the Three Sects Masters, you should meet this standard. As for whether you can get the inheritance, it depends on your personal fortune and ability."

"Your trip to Xuanlin City, although you have merit, you also have faults. I have difficulties, I don't reward you, and I don't punish you. You go to the Lava Immortal Palace and see if you can get the inheritance yourself."

"The minister thanks for the reward!" Zhu Xuanji thanked, "The minister has mechanism art attainments, which is also due to the cultivation of the royal family. The minister will go to the Lava Immortal Palace and will definitely do his best to find out the truth."

The King of Nandou nodded: "I have three instructions for you."

"First, the Three Sects Masters and the Retired Emperor of my royal family have a deep relationship. It can be said that my clan can establish a country, much relying on the power of the Three Sects Masters. Its merits and influence can almost be counted as the national teacher of my country."

"In his later years, the Three Sects Masters arranged the Lava Immortal Palace in Fire Persimmon Mountain, with deep intentions, which cannot be guessed. You must not be reckless on this trip, follow the nature, and do not disturb the painstaking efforts of the Three Sects Masters."

"Second, the Retired Emperor had no imperial order that year, relying entirely on the Three Sects Masters to cast the divine ability Life-Thread for him, and then he had the benefit of people."

"After the Retired Emperor, no one in my Zhu family has obtained the inheritance, and the Life-Thread has become a swan song."

"One of the focuses of your trip is this divine ability. If possible, strive for it with all your strength!"

"On the other hand, if you find that others have mastered this divine ability, eliminate them with all your strength and kill them in the cradle in advance!"