Chapter 528

Several days later.

The Great Qin Dynasty.

The Qin Wang Palace.

At this moment, the vast palace was utterly silent, appearing extremely empty.

The aging Qin Wang lay upon a throne inlaid with precious gems.

Beside him stood a middle-aged man holding a feather fan—it was Yuwen Feng, the State Advisor.

And not far before them,

stood another man, leaning on a cane, his face pale.

He was none other than Gu Zheng, the Prefect of Yanling Prefecture, who had been severely wounded by Jiang Xiaobai in a single strike, barely clinging to life, then dragged out of Cangwu Mountain by Hu Li!

Now, even after consuming numerous spiritual medicines that had restored much of his body,

it was still only a temporary fix—the massive injuries had drastically weakened his cultivation base, leaving him frail and vulnerable!

Had it not been for the aid of the Xuan Shui Guard, he might not even have escaped the borders of Tiandou Prefecture.

At this moment, Gu Zheng faced the group, his voice weak, detailing everything he had witnessed within the Jiang family of Cangwu Mountain!

Upon hearing his detailed account,

the Qin Wang's expression darkened abruptly.

He had never imagined that the Cangwu Jiang family actually possessed such a hidden card!

And this hidden card far surpassed everyone's expectations, reaching an astonishingly terrifying level!

First, a mysterious Wanxiang had visited Cangwu Mountain; according to Gu Zheng's description, that Wanxiang's demeanor suggested alignment with the Jiang family.

Moreover, that Jiang family elder, appearing as a child, had merely struck out and effortlessly crippled Gu Zheng, who possessed the ninth layer of Sunwheel Realm cultivation base.

Such an extreme disparity clearly indicated the opponent possessed at least Wanxiang Realm power.

And certainly not a newly ascended Wanxiang of first or second layer!

Thinking of this, the Qin Wang's gaze grew even heavier.

Who could have imagined that in Tiandou Prefecture, a remote region where even Sunwheel Realm cultivators were rare, a Wanxiang Zhenjun would emerge?

What he found unimaginable was how the Cangwu Jiang family had acquired so many resources to support one of their own reaching such a realm?

Even more chilling to contemplate was:

If even this childlike Wanxiang Zhenjun obeyed Jiang Daoxuan's orders,

then just how terrifying must Jiang Daoxuan's own power be, as the Jiang clan patriarch?!

How could this possibly be explained as someone merely newly ascended to Sunwheel Realm?

The Qin Wang's eyes flickered with doubt.

He then silently turned to look at Yuwen Feng beside him.

A look of relief crossed his face!

"State Advisor, you truly are a master of divine strategy—you were right all along. The Cangwu Jiang family indeed had problems. Thank heaven we did not act rashly..."

The Qin Wang felt a pang of dread.

Had it not been for the State Advisor's warning,

how could he have ever imagined that a family in such a remote region would produce a Wanxiang Zhenjun?

Thus, he would never have chosen the prudent approach of first offering peace, then resorting to force.

Had he sent Gu Zheng to arrest and interrogate them, the man would surely not have returned.

After all, the Qin Wang had clearly seen: Gu Zheng's injuries were a warning.

At this moment, Yuwen Feng gently waved his feather fan and murmured, "To prevent unforeseen incidents, I naturally considered many factors—but even I did not anticipate the Cangwu Jiang family's strength and depth would reach such a level."

What manner of being is a Wanxiang Zhenjun?

Even across the entire Great Qin Dynasty, their numbers are exceedingly scarce.

Many Starwheel Realm cultivators spend their entire lives without ever seeing one.

Yet why, one after another, do such rare beings appear in this remote Tiandou Prefecture, within this once-obscure Cangwu Jiang family?

At this moment, Yuwen Feng felt profound astonishment.

For him, such a sensation had not come in many years.

And at this moment, hearing Yuwen Feng's exclamation,

the Qin Wang's face grew tense.

He then cautiously asked, "Then now, should we still proceed with our original plan to recruit them?"

Yuwen Feng gave a slight nod.

At this point, this was the best way to handle the Cangwu Jiang family.

Send an official envoy from the imperial court directly to Cangwu Mountain.

Inform them of the court's appointment.

Let this strange Cangwu Jiang family nominate their own candidate to become Prefect of Tiandou Prefecture!

At this moment, Gu Zheng suddenly mustered his strength, nervously saying, "State Advisor, my lord, Jiang Daoxuan is tyrannical—he may not accept the court's appointment!"

"What if he refuses—what then?"

Hearing this, the Qin Wang nodded in agreement.

He then looked at Yuwen Feng, awaiting his advice.

Even he himself now felt great strangeness toward the current Cangwu Jiang family—they often acted in ways defying convention.

Faced with such unpredictability, it was safest to let the State Advisor devise the strategy.

Under the joint gaze of Gu Zheng and the Qin Wang.

Yuwen Feng's eyes held a thoughtful look.

Recalling the intelligence he had recently gathered, he murmured softly:

"If the Cangwu Jiang family truly refuses to accept the imperial court's amnesty, then choose one from among those close to them to become the new Prefect of Tiandou Prefecture…"