Chapter 245: Patrolling Li Province

Of the Nine Provinces, the prosperity belongs to Li Province.

The thirty-six commanderies under its rule are all stable and peaceful.

Located on the eastern edge, it is an inconspicuous small mountain, yet the ordinary town below is no less prosperous than Li City.

All who come and go possess mighty auras.

Some sell precious herbs, others carry demon corpses on their shoulders; it is plainly a habitat composed of martial artists and cultivators.

The Qi Sect of Li Province.

In terms of strength, it may not be top-tier, but in terms of wealth, it is famous throughout Great Qian.

Relying on offering precious artifacts to the Wumiao and enjoying the protection of the imperial court, almost no one dares to provoke it.

But at this moment.

On the peak of that small mountain, at the edge of a deliberately excavated depression, sits a small thatched cottage.

Outside the cottage, an old man and a middle-aged man play chess.

"Shen Zongzhu's thoughts do not seem to be on the chessboard." The middle-aged man had a pale face without a beard, phoenix eyes, and though he wore a pale green robe looking ethereal, he inexplicably exuded a hint of wickedness.

"When a precious artifact ascends in grade, there is always some worry; let True Person Hu laugh at me." Lin Jingyi smiled somewhat forcedly.

"Oh?"

True Person Hu looked into the smoke-filled depression, playing with words: "The precious artifact is here, yet Shen Zongzhu's thoughts are to the north..."

He drew out his voice: "That seems to be the direction of the Great Qian Imperial Capital."

Hearing this, Lin Jingyi's fingertips trembled slightly; the chess piece in his hand clattered onto the board, spinning round and round.

He quickly adjusted his expression: "True Person is joking."

True Person Hu smiled noncommittally: "Enough, I am somewhat tired today; Shen Zongzhu should go rest as well."

"Then I, Lin, will return first."

Lin Jingyi stood up and walked toward the mountain path, his face growing increasingly grim.

This old fox clearly usurped the name of the Qi Sect of Li Province.

How did I become the one feeling guilty?

He merely wanted to invite the other party to jointly study how to further elevate a supreme-grade precious artifact, to see if they could forge a true magical treasure.

He never expected this fox would dare to interfere in Great Qian's affairs; this violates the rules of Qingqiu.

What exactly was written in that letter sent to Outside Qingzhou?

Lin Jingyi dared not ask, only hoping the person sent to report to the Imperial Capital would move faster, and that the Qi Sect would not get tainted with the bad name of colluding with demons.

The so-called True Person Hu, putting on a long robe and transforming a human face, is the Qingqiu True Person whom even the Wumiao must receive.

But if he takes off the long robe... he is a veritable Demon King.

After Shen Zongzhu left.

True Person Hu casually gathered all the chess pieces back into the jar, and another figure emerged from the cottage.

"Junior Uncle, have the people of the Qi Sect found out?" The two appeared to be of similar age, but the newly arrived person wore a face full of utmost respect.

"What does it matter if they know? What we of Qingqiu do requires no explanation to others."

True Person Hu put away the chessboard, then lifted a teacup to take a sip: "I have a good relationship with your master, and this matter involves the dignity of our Qingqiu; I will make Great Qian give you an explanation... Heh, first a disciple disappears, then a供奉 loses contact; is Great Qian a dragon pool and tiger den, specifically devouring our Qingqiu people?"

"Replying to Junior Uncle, whether it is my junior brother or the供奉 Lord Chimu, both disappearances are related to that young man named Shen Yi."

The young fox demon was somewhat puzzled: "Why send a letter to Outside Qingzhou and freely give them news about a treasure?"

"Since the one surnamed Shen is the Patrol Envoy, we must find a reason to lure him over; the entire Zhen Mo Si of Outside Qingzhou keeps its mouth shut, surely regarding him as a lifeline; whatever happens, they will definitely go to the Imperial Capital to find him."

True Person Hu's smile grew wider: "Of course, also to help an old friend with a favor."

An old friend? The young fox demon looked around in confusion.

Unable to find a figure, he heard a voice first.

"Thank you." A vague and ethereal voice came from afar.

"No need for courtesy; your Xuan Guang Cave fights for life and death at the very front against the Thousand Demon Den, while the Great Qian court instead tries every way to preserve its strength; even I, an outsider from Qingqiu, cannot bear to watch."

True Person Hu bowed slightly in acknowledgment.

According to the intelligence they investigated, Outside Qingzhou was originally on the verge of disaster, yet suddenly became calm and peaceful, which was extremely strange.

That old wolf disappeared without a sound.

Even with Qingqiu's connections, they could not find out the reason among the demons.

This proves Xiaoyue certainly did not die in Outside Qingzhou; as long as it intended to attack the provincial capital, such a huge movement would not go unnoticed by the other demons.

Dying outside... that means Outside Qingzhou has at least one Slain Hunyuan Shen Zongshi.

That letter full of holes was sent merely to test the waters.

Any normal person would absolutely not believe it.

Only a true Slain Hunyuan Shen Zongshi would resolutely come over.

Just then, a dragon roar filled with anger swept down from the sky; even across an unknown vast distance, its majesty remained undiminished.

True Person Hu's expression changed slightly.

He stood up instantly.

"Old friend, no need to worry; this is a matter of Xuan Guang Cave; I will go take a look."

That voice came again.

True Person Hu hesitated for a moment; even though he had coveted the Silver Moon Cold Lotus for a long time, it was not appropriate now to directly refuse the other party's face, so he could only nod lightly and say: "Then I entrust it to you, brother."

An old dragon comparable to a Peak Slain Hunyuan Shen Zongshi is not so easy to deal with.

The other party dwells deep in the Cold Abyss guarding a treasure; only I have cultivated a friendship with it for many years.

With his position exposed, even a fool would know who leaked the news about it.

Better to let others scout the path first.

Thinking thus, True Person Hu walked slowly to the edge of the depression, lowering his gaze to look at the center of the dense white smoke.

The magical treasure is formed, seize the Cold Lotus, swallow the White Dragon... Tsk, a blessing from Heaven, it is meant for me to enjoy.

True Person Hu hummed a little tune, standing there for five days and five nights.

Yet he did not wait for news from his old friend; instead, he first waited for three clouds in the sky.

Among them, that most scarlet streak attracted everyone's attention.

"Hmm?"

True Person Hu raised his gaze to look.

Immediately, a mighty voice enveloped the entire small mountain and the bustling town below.

"The Zhen Mo Si Inspector arrives in person! Disciples of the Qi Sect, follow me to welcome him!"

Above the white clouds, Lin Qingyang bent forward and clasped his fists.

He was once the Qi Sect's most famous genius; with just a single word, every disciple on the mountain recognized him.

"Hah..."

Lin Jingyi stepped out quickly; indeed, he was my own son.

The first thing he did was to clear his relationship with that fox.

This Inspector was welcomed by the Qi Sect, not one who came to inspect on his own initiative.

At the same time, it could also intimidate that fox.

All the disciples on the mountain stopped their work and likewise bowed toward that red cloud in the sky.

"..."

Beside the depression, True Person Hu stood with his hands behind his back, a strange expression appearing on his lips, tinged with mockery.

Young people nowadays have little skill, yet their pretensions are great.

They do not fear crushing their own bodies.

The opponent arrived a bit earlier than he had imagined, but that was not really a problem.

(End of this chapter)