Chapter 101

“Then what do we do?” Su Huchen asked.

“Do nothing,” Bao Junyi scoffed. “I’ll gather more elite families and Zongmen elite disciples currently in Xiancheng!”

“By the way, don’t forget to invite City Master Xu,” Su Huchen added.

“Cough, cough, cough!” Bao Junyi nearly choked on his own saliva. “You… you little rascal, you’re devious.”

“Can I be blamed? This is too big for either of us to handle,” Su Huchen protested. “Besides, City Master Xu may have just taken office, but he’s been in Xiancheng for over a decade.”

“You’ve got some brains after all,” Bao Junyi suddenly laughed. “Fine, don’t worry—I’d have invited him even if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

Su Huchen quietly exhaled in relief inside his heart.

If Bao Junyi was willing to summon City Master Xu, then City Master Xu must be fine.

He knew Bao Junyi’s background—before returning, his Master had specifically warned him: don’t provoke Bao Junyi under any circumstances.

Bao Junyi was from the Neijian Office.

The Neijian Office was the inspection department responsible for rooting out spies, traitors, and disciplinary violations among disciples.

If the Zongmen suspected City Master Xu was in danger, they wouldn’t have summoned him for this operation.

But with such chaos erupting in Xiancheng now, someone must be held accountable.

City Master Xu has been in Xiancheng for over a decade—the Zongmen must investigate him.

“I heard City Master Xu only recently took office. So who was the former city master? I don’t believe he noticed nothing about the chaos here?” Su Huchen grumbled.

“The former city master was Ma Jue. He was caught by the Neijian Office for bribery and corruption,” Bao Junyi said. “You know how the Zongmen works—the Patrol Office handles minor fish like spies, traitors, and low-level disciplinary offenders.

Big fish require the Neijian Office to act.

They’d long suspected him of wrongdoing, so they took the opportunity of the city master transition to send us here one by one to clean things up.

Who knew cleaning up would uncover a fish this big?” Bao Junyi grumbled—he himself was stunned.

“I remember the city master when I left was Sima Xuan. Later I heard a new city master took over—probably this Ma Jue.”

“Yes, Ma Jue was originally Sima Xuan’s deputy. Sima Xuan was poisoned by a hidden spy, and Ma Jue stepped in as acting city master,” Bao Junyi said coldly.

“Cough, cough, cough!” Su Huchen immediately realized. “This Ma Jue either colluded with the spy or was turned into a puppet.”

“Exactly,” Bao Junyi said. “Things that weren’t obvious before are clear now. Ma Jue is definitely compromised. He’ll never leave the Neijian Office’s prison alive.”

“Sima Xuan’s death was suspicious too,” Su Yunhu added.

“The elite families of Xiancheng are also compromised,” Bao Junyi said bluntly. “If they weren’t, Sima Xuan wouldn’t have been poisoned.”

“Wait, Old Bao—you’re saying some elite families here betrayed the Zongmen ?” Su Huchen was stunned. “These families have fought alongside the Zongmen for at least three hundred years. How could this happen?”

“Human greed is bottomless—who knows which family went mad? But your Su family isn’t under suspicion. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been recalled to do this work,” Bao Junyi reminded him.

Since its founding, the Su clan had been on an upward trajectory.

Even with heavy casualties in battle, they always had successors.

New generations consistently produced outstanding heirs.

There had never been a threat of interruption in Purple Palace, Golden Core, or Nascent Soul cultivators.

The chance of such a family betraying the Zongmen was negligible—hence why Su Huchen could be sent back under the pretense of severe injury requiring recovery.

In truth, Su Huchen wasn’t seriously injured—he was deliberately recalled to do dirty work.

But publicly, they had to claim his foundation was damaged and he needed to recuperate, which was why he returned.

“City Master Sima Xuan of Xiancheng cannot die in vain,” Bao Junyi said meaningfully.

Su Huchen’s heart tightened again.

Bao Junyi meant the mastermind behind Sima Xuan’s poisoning must be found.

Su Huchen nodded solemnly.

“Then let’s go. Before I recall reinforcements, let’s settle the Blood Crimson Spider matter first,” Bao Junyi said.

“Old Bao, you’re a Purple Palace cultivator—won’t that make the Blood Crimson Spider uneasy?” Su Huchen asked anxiously.

Bao Junyi gave him an annoyed look.

“I heard the Blood Crimson Spider your clan raised already devoured a female worm and molted once. It shouldn’t fear a Purple Palace cultivator much now—after all, if it can’t win, can’t it just run?”

Frankly, if it wanted to flee, I might not catch it,” Bao Junyi said.

“It grew up? I only just learned that. I didn’t expect you to know so fast, Old Bao?” Su Huchen exclaimed.

“It’s a Blood Crimson Spider—do you think I wouldn’t pay attention to its news?”

“And you know it’s rejecting the worm crystals we gave it—too small, too few?”

“Cough, cough, cough!” Bao Junyi looked up, startled. “What did you say?”

“The little Blood Crimson Spider is on strike. It says the worm crystals we give it are too small and too few. It thinks once it grows bigger, it can just eat the nest outright—why should it lead us there to fight over food?” Su Huchen complained bitterly. “You said when it was young, a few worm crystals would keep it working. These ten tiny crystals I have? You gave them to me. Now the Blood Crimson Spider despises them.”

“Cough, cough, cough,” Bao Junyi laughed awkwardly.

He hadn’t expected this!!

The records in the Zongmen said other Blood Crimson Spiders were easy to pacify when young.

Why here, it didn’t work at all!

“So what does it want?”

“Little Blood says it wants a new division of spoils—it must get enough good food. But I have no authority to decide that. This is your call, Old Bao,” Su Huchen said.

Bao Junyi immediately looked pained.

“Giving too much is impossible. We need rewards for our work, and more compensation if someone dies. We must take the lion’s share of the nest’s gains.”

“Little Blood says there might still be a female worm in the nest. If we capture another, could we give one to the Blood Crimson Spider?” Su Huchen asked.

“No. Female worms are vital to the Zongmen . The Sect Master has issued a strict order: any captured female worm must be surrendered to the Zongmen . Your Blood Crimson Spider eating one by accident is forgiven—but if it gets another, both it and your Su family will be punished,” Bao Junyi snapped.