Chapter 328

Qing Province, Huaide Prefecture.

Huanmeng Lake.

This lake was the number one scenic spot in Huaide Prefecture, and many tourists from other provinces would come here for its reputation.

The entire lake covered an area of over 50 square kilometers, with the saying of "one mountain, two pagodas, three islands, four dikes, five lakes," each of which was a famous attraction.

Among them, the "three islands" were Huan Yue Island, Huan Xin Island, and Huan Meng Island.

These three islands were not open to the public, and ordinary boats were not allowed to approach them at all, because these three islands were the sect grounds of the Nightmare Sect, a major sect of the Jianghu.

The Nightmare Sect was one of the few sects in the Jianghu that purely practiced the arts; the sect's founding ancestor was a True Monarch, and at its peak, it had a structure of one True Monarch and five True Persons, making it a top-tier sect of the Jianghu, worthy of the name!

But the current Nightmare Sect had only two True Persons and over a hundred formal disciples.

Although compared to top sects like "one tower, one pavilion, three mountains, four sects, and seven great families," the Nightmare Sect still lacked some strength.

But relying on their art of "Dream Evolution," many sects would send their elite disciples to the island to request the Nightmare Sect to cast spells for them, to evolve dreams for them and hone their martial arts.

Fighting to the death with others in a dream, even knowing it was fake, could still increase experience and exercise one's martial arts.

This was the safest way to cultivate!

In this way, the Nightmare Sect had friendships with many top sects in the Jianghu, had extensive connections, and was well-liked.

On Huanmeng Island, a beautiful woman wearing a light white robe with a crescent-shaped jade pendant at her waist arrived in front of a mansion.

"Greetings, Uncle-Master!"

The two disciples at the door hurriedly bowed upon seeing the woman.

The woman nodded and walked straight in.

Disciples who met her along the way all bowed one after another, calling her "Uncle-Master."

The woman walked into a great hall, where a Dharma image of a woman was enshrined; it was the founding ancestor of the Nightmare Sect.

A man wearing the same light white robe with jade at his waist turned around.

The man had long hair draped over his shoulders, and his appearance was handsome, actually even more moving than the woman before him.

"Uncle-Master."

The man greeted her with a smile.

His name was Ji Longyi, the current Sect Master of the Nightmare Sect and a True Person of the current age.

"Sect Master."

The woman who walked into the hall bowed to Ji Longyi.

The woman's name was Shen Zhen, and she was the other True Person of the Nightmare Sect.

"Just now, I wandered the Dream World and witnessed a sun-fall."

Shen Zhen said.

"Sun-fall?"

Ji Longyi was startled, "Uncle-Master, what do you mean by this?"

Shen Zhen: "I saw a sun in the Dream World."

Ji Longyi was stunned.

As the Sect Master of the Nightmare Sect, he was naturally no stranger to the Dream World.

He was very clear that everyone's subconscious projection in the Dream World reflected the individual's strength to a certain extent.

The subconscious of many animals in a dream was like a candle flame, and the subconscious of ordinary people in a dream was like a lit lightbulb.

Martial arts powerhouses or art experts would have subconscious projections in dreams that were even larger and more conspicuous.

For example, Ji Longyi's own subconscious projection in the Dream World could be as huge as a mountain peak.

But a sun...

"Is it the subconscious of some True Monarch or Martial Saint?"

Ji Longyi asked uncertainly.

Shen Zhen shook her head: "Even for a True Monarch or Martial Saint, even Lin Tianyi, I don't think he necessarily has such a grand projection."

"Then what does Uncle-Master mean?"

"I think it is some top figure breaking through their realm."

"Ah?"

"It's a pity I was too far away at the time and could only vaguely have some realizations."

"Who does Uncle-Master think is breaking through their realm? Lin Tianyi?"

"Last night, that Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi gushed out from Lanling City and flew all the way to the southwest; something major must have happened. Daluo Sect is in that direction; if I were to guess, I think it is True Monarch Qingxu breaking through his realm."

"Regarding this matter, I have already sent people to inquire."

Ji Longyi said.

That Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi that spanned thousands of miles last night had alarmed too many people!

"Sect Master, besides seeing that sun in the Dream World, I also saw the holder of the Dream-Entering Token."

"What?!"

Ji Longyi was horrified.

Compared to someone breaking through to above the peak, the news of the Dream-Entering Token moved him even more!

The Nightmare Sect had lost this supreme treasure for nearly twelve years.

For twelve years, the Nightmare Sect had been trying hard to find the whereabouts of this supreme treasure, but it was a pity there wasn't a single clue.

Although they knew that the person who stole the Dream-Entering Token should use it to enter the Dream World.

But the Dream World was too big.

The Dream World was as big as the real world, and perhaps even bigger!

Wanting to find a specific person in the Dream World was no different from finding a needle in a haystack.

That was why Ji Longyi was so astonished to hear that Shen Zhen had found the holder of the Dream-Entering Token in the Dream World.

"That person was near that sun at the time, so I noticed him; he had a special protective cover formed by the Dream-Entering Token, and I could not have mistaken it."

Shen Zhen said with a calm expression.

"And then?"

Ji Longyi hurriedly pursued the question.

Shen Zhen shook her head: "It's a pity I was too far away; by the time I rushed over, that person had already exited the Dream World."

Ji Longyi showed a look of regret, but soon became spirited:

"This is already very good; at least we have finally found a clue to the Dream-Entering Token!"

"Uncle-Master, you speculate that the sun is True Monarch Qingxu; could it be that this traitor has been hiding in Daluo Sect all these years?"

"The imperial court suddenly sent the Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi to the southwest; it must be related to True Monarch Qingxu breaking through his realm. Could something have happened to Daluo Sect?"

"If this is truly the case, it is a great opportunity for us to find our sect's supreme treasure!"

The Dream-Entering Token was too important to the Nightmare Sect; even if it meant facing Daluo Sect, Ji Longyi would not give up!

"Sect Master, I will go to Ming Province in person."

Shen Zhen stated her idea.

Ji Longyi pondered for a moment and nodded:

"That is fine; Uncle-Master, you take the experts from the two islands to Ming Province first. If you truly discover clues, inform me at any time, and I can bring more people to support you!"

The Nightmare Sect purely practiced the arts, but before cultivating to the Possession Stage, the self-preservation ability of an art expert was not strong; if they were not careful, they could even be stabbed to death by an ordinary person with a knife.

To ensure that the sect's disciples had more security when walking in the Jianghu, the founding ancestor of the Nightmare Sect also subdued two martial arts sects, making them vassal sects of the Nightmare Sect.

One was the Yanyue Saber Sect, and the other was the Longxiang Sect.

The former specialized in saber techniques, and the latter specialized in hard-body martial arts.

One attacking and one defending, they could cooperate perfectly.

The formal disciples of the Nightmare Sect lived on Huanmeng Island, while the disciples of the two vassal sects lived on the other two islands.

Ji Longyi asked Shen Zhen to take some experts from the two islands on this trip.

"Good."

Shen Zhen nodded in agreement.

A few hours later, three ships sailed out from the three islands.

Feng Province, provincial capital.

Lu Mansion.

A fat man who was less than 1.6 meters tall, with a big belly and a face full of fat, wore a loose red robe and was sitting in a pavilion.

Under the pavilion, several women were playing music together; one was playing the zither, one was playing the pipa, and two were playing the flute.

Besides this, seven young women wearing thin gauze clothes with graceful figures were dancing.

Beside the fat man, a beautiful woman wearing only a tube top was snuggled in his arms, feeding him grapes.

There was another beautiful woman kneeling on the ground, constantly performing oral service.

This fat man with an enjoyable expression was the Inspection Commissioner of Feng Province, the head of the Lu family—one of the "Ten Great Families"—Lu Wenzheng.

Lu Wenzheng was not a person obsessed with enjoyment, but he would not deliberately treat himself poorly either.

Fine wine, delicious food, beautiful women.

He loved them all!

A middle-aged man wearing a black coat suddenly walked quickly into the pavilion and handed a letter to Lu Wenzheng with both hands.

Lu Wenzheng took the letter carelessly and opened it to take a look.

The next second, his expression changed drastically, and he kicked away the beauty who was kneeling on the ground serving him.

He made a gesture, and the beauties beside him and everyone under the pavilion dispersed quickly.

After reading the contents of the letter carefully, Lu Wenzheng's eyes narrowed into a line.

This letter recorded the latest intelligence from Ming Province, including Daluo Sect's rebellion and True Monarch Qingxu's death.

It also included intelligence on Li Fei, the person Lu Wenzheng had asked the Lu family's intelligence personnel to focus on.

"Did the National Teacher order Pan Tianhao to take people to intercept and kill the people from Daluo Sect? Does the person taken include Li Fei?"

Lu Wenzheng asked.

"The National Teacher did not specifically mention Li Fei; I suppose it should include him, after all, there is a serious shortage of manpower over there now."

The person who arrived said.

"Good, have Pan Tianhao send Li Fei and his group out separately."

"Yes."

"How are the people prepared before?"

"They can be mobilized at any time."

"Follow the fifth plan set before, but modify it; find a way to borrow Daluo Sect's knife, do you understand what I mean?"

"This subordinate understands."

"Go."

The middle-aged man retreated quickly.

Lu Wenzheng sat in the pavilion, his expression changing constantly.

Back at the Zheng Lan Hall, Duan Qi, a member of the Zhige Pavilion, had taken the initiative to propose letting Li Fei investigate the "lost Longevity Pill" case, and gave Li Fei the opportunity to reopen the investigation into the Shangguan Xiao case.

This made Lu Wenzheng very angry when he found out.

Duan Qi was a person of the Lu family, and this move was indeed to eliminate a hidden danger for the Lu family.

But in Lu Wenzheng's view, this move was very stupid.

They should never have given Li Fei even the slightest opportunity to reopen that case!

Therefore, after Li Fei took people to Daluo Sect, Lu Wenzheng had his own staff team plan multiple schemes.

Some even included assassinating the Imperial Envoy!

Lu Wenzheng had even prepared the manpower in advance, but he could not find a suitable opportunity, and he had not expected Xiang Yunshu to return to Lanling City with Li Fei and the others.

Just when Lu Wenzheng thought there would be no more opportunities, such a huge variable occurred overnight.

Xiang Yunshu was no longer by Li Fei's side, and that cabinet member Luo Shi was also dead.

This made Lu Wenzheng decisively choose to take action!

In the current Ming Province, the death of an Imperial Envoy was no longer a big deal, and it was easier to cover up.

A peerless genius, one who had established great merit and was highly likely to be reused, and who was determined to be his enemy—Lu Wenzheng did not intend to give the other party the opportunity to continue growing.

Li Fei and Lu Wenxing both thought that Pan Tianhao, the Chief of the Zhige Department of Yi Province, was a person of the First Imperial Prince; in reality, the other party was a person of the Lu family.

"Come here."

Lu Wenzheng shouted.

A subordinate quickly arrived in front of him.

"Call the Duan Mansion; after it gets through, tell Cabinet Elder Duan that I have an important matter to discuss with him."

Lu Wenzheng said.

He wanted to get in touch with Duan Qi in the Imperial Capital.

Pan Tianhao was indeed not a person of the First Imperial Prince, but Lu Wenzheng felt that it was necessary to drag the First Imperial Prince into the water in this matter.

Killing an Imperial Envoy was, after all, not a small matter, especially since Li Fei had just established great merit.

Therefore, Lu Wenzheng had to find a few more people to share the risk together.

"Go prepare the car; I am going to Hongyi University in a while."

Lu Wenzheng continued to instruct.

Dragging in a powerful Imperial Prince, he felt it was still not enough.

He also had to drag in a university president!

Begging for monthly votes.

(End of chapter)