Chapter 536: The Rules Have Changed Now

"Dig!"

Following the clues provided by Wu Si'an and the others who had turned informant, Shen Yu arrived at He Yuan's residence.

In truth, there was no need for those Black-Clad Guards to start digging; his Super Perception had already sensed the sins buried deep beneath.

Within the vast garden of the residence, hundreds of flowers vied for beauty, yet beneath these flowers lay skeleton after skeleton. There were men and women, the oldest among them likely no more than fifteen or sixteen years of age.

At such a tender age, they had died here, only to be hastily buried in the garden to serve as fertilizer for these gorgeous flowers.

It appeared that He Yuan had not been doing this for just a day or two.

Truly, like father, like son; if the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones will be askew. For this alone, He Yuan deserved to be sliced into a thousand pieces.

It is truly baffling how such a person could become a Governor of a region, and remain in that position for so many years.

Could it be that no one in the imperial court noticed, or were they all blind?

"My Lord, besides this, I also know that He Yuan routinely controlled many gangs, making them do many unspeakable things for him."

"Extortion, forcing good women into prostitution—He Yuan stopped at nothing for his own selfish gains. He is unworthy of being a Governor!"

Speaking of this, Wu Si'an could not help but sigh softly, "Power corrupts the heart. Back in the day, He Yuan was a world-renowned incorruptible official, known for his loyalty and integrity!"

"But later, from the day he became the Xichuan Governor and held absolute power, he began to change. He became insatiably greedy and demanding!"

"Furthermore, I know that a large number of children go missing in Xichuan every year. It is not just because of He Shaoxiu; He Yuan has actually been doing it in secret as well."

"The reason no one noticed is that He Yuan acted covertly and never repeated his actions in the same place, so very few traces were left behind."

"Xichuan is vast; as long as he didn't leave traces in the same place, his deeds were naturally hard to detect. But I know, because many of the children were sent by him into Tingfeng Pavilion!"

"Moreover, much of the ill-gotten wealth He Yuan obtained through corruption was also sold through Tingfeng Pavilion!"

"Tingfeng Pavilion?" Having grasped the key point, Shen Yu then asked, "What kind of place is that?"

"It is a place that sells rare items; it contains all sorts of treasures, but the prices are exorbitant."

"Tingfeng Pavilion does not care about the origin of the items they receive, so many people place their unspeakable goods there for consignment!"

While watching the skeletons being dug up from the garden, Wu Si'an whispered, "These are the pieces of evidence I have carefully collected after years of enduring humiliation!"

"He Yuan has committed countless evils, but since he is the Governor, I have been powerless despite my intentions. I could only silently record his crimes, waiting for the day to bring him down!"

"If not for the arrival of Lord Shen, I truly do not know how much longer He Yuan's evil deeds would have continued, or how many more innocent people would have been harmed by him!"

Watching this performance by Lord Wu, Shen Yu could not help but sneer inwardly. He had to admit, these people were quite good at acting; not a single one among them was clean.

Now they were just shifting the blame, claiming they had been enduring humiliation and were forced to go along with it—who were they trying to fool?

As for "enduring humiliation," that was just talk; if they really wanted to report him, there were plenty of ways to do so.

Although He Yuan was the Governor, he did not have absolute control over Xichuan.

"Wu Si'an, what does Tingfeng Pavilion want with so many children?"

"That, I do not know. Tingfeng Pavilion wants many things, far more than just children."

"I seem to recall He Yuan mentioning that the mountain bandits and thieves he kept under his command were often doing so to fulfill bounties from Tingfeng Pavilion."

"As long as Tingfeng Pavilion makes a request, no matter what it is, He Yuan will find a way to snatch it and send it up!"

"Oh?" Raising an eyebrow slightly, Shen Yu became interested: "What is the background of this Tingfeng Pavilion, that it can make a dignified Governor obey them so completely?"

"This, I do not know either. I only know that He Yuan is quite infatuated with the mistress of Tingfeng Pavilion. She is beautiful and stunning, and He Yuan has always regarded her as his private possession!"

"Whenever something involves Tingfeng Pavilion, He Yuan always raises his hand high but lets it fall gently. He even favors Tingfeng Pavilion when his own son comes into conflict with them!"

"I have also heard that Tingfeng Pavilion has considerable influence. It seems their connection helped He Yuan gain a firm foothold in Xichuan back then."

"After He Yuan became Governor, he returned the favor. With He Yuan backing them, no one dared to interfere with Tingfeng Pavilion."

"Their actions became increasingly arrogant. At first, they only sold unspeakable goods, but later they began offering high bounties for things they wanted."

"As long as they get what they want, Tingfeng Pavilion asks no questions about the process and pays the full bounty!"

"Is that so? That is quite interesting!" Giving Wu Si'an a deep look, he suspected that the man had brought up Tingfeng Pavilion to him with malicious intent.

This fellow looked honest, but in reality, he was a venomous snake that could bare its fangs at any moment.

"Let's go, to Tingfeng Pavilion. I would like to see just how powerful this place is, to be able to command a Governor at will!"

After standing there for a while, Shen Yu led the way toward Tingfeng Pavilion, with Wu Si'an following.

Whether this fellow wanted to use him as a blade to kill someone else or had some other motive, Shen Yu did not mind playing along.

If Tingfeng Pavilion truly was a den of iniquity, then Shen Yu would not mind wiping it out while he was at it.

"Who are you people? This is Tingfeng Pavilion; you are not allowed to enter while armed!"

When they arrived at Tingfeng Pavilion and were about to enter, they were stopped by the Huwe at the door, who reached out to take their swords.

The Black-Clad Guards beside Shen Yu naturally could not hand over their swords and immediately drew them. Seeing this, the Huwe at the door also drew their weapons, and it looked like a fight was about to break out.

Seeing this, Shen Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and gave Wu Si'an a subtle look.

Tingfeng Pavilion was so famous that Wu Si'an could not possibly have been unaware of their rules. Yet he had not mentioned it from start to finish, as if he had completely forgotten.

This attempt to use him as a blade was far too obvious!

"Insolence! You dare to stop Lord Shen? Stand down at once!"

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, the gates of Tingfeng Pavilion suddenly swung wide. A woman of about twenty years old walked out gracefully, and the moment she appeared, she seemed to capture everyone's gaze.

Seeing this woman, the people beside Shen Yu could not help but be stunned, their faces showing signs of infatuation. Only Shen Yu stood there with an unchanging expression.

He admitted that this person indeed held a fatal temptation for ordinary people; every quality that could stir human desire seemed to be found in her.

She was gorgeous yet pure, as if she embodied all that was beautiful, and her peerless appearance was enough to make anyone lose themselves.

It was no wonder He Yuan was so deeply lost in such a gentle trap; unfortunately, Shen Yu was no ordinary man.

"My Lord has come from afar, and I have failed to welcome you properly. May I ask what brings you to my Tingfeng Pavilion?"

"I heard that your Tingfeng Pavilion is full of unspeakable things, and someone reported you, so I have come!"

"My Lord!" Standing before Shen Yu, the woman appeared extremely well-behaved.

"I wonder who reported my Tingfeng Pavilion. Our pavilion is a tall tree that catches the wind, so it is inevitable that we attract jealousy. But in truth, we are law-abiding people. I truly hope you can examine the facts clearly, My Lord!"

"Is that so? But how is it that I, this official, have heard that your Tingfeng Pavilion does not ask about the origin of treasures, nor the reasons behind them, and as long as they arrive at your Tingfeng Pavilion, you will accept them?"

"This, this is indeed the rule of my Tingfeng Pavilion, but..."

"There are no 'buts'. From now on, the rules have changed. Since I, this official, have come, things must be done according to my rules!"