Chapter 383 - 382: Aftermath, News from God Kingdom

Tonight, it’s destined to be anything but quiet.

Soon after Li Jing left, the warning alarm that had been howling for nearly half an hour ceased.

The alarm stopped.

A heavy load was lifted off the hearts of the people in the capital.

Although they weren’t sure what had happened, it seemed as they had they hoped: the crisis was resolved, and the rampaging strong one had chosen to leave.

The citizens in the nearby cities also breathed a sigh of relief as the echoing alarm in the capital subsided.

People poured onto the streets, heatedly discussing what had just happened.

The internet, however, exploded.

The local forums in the capital were being flooded at a rate of thousands of posts per second.

All kinds of speculations popped up one after another.

Various conspiracy theories and rumors swept over like a tide.

In this world, there are always those who love to stir up trouble.

In this era of information explosion, there are even more people who would do anything to gain attention.

In just a few minutes, the internet was enveloped in chaos.

The local social media in the capital didn’t idle either, broadcasting various authoritative or non-authoritative reports as soon as possible, along with videos near the Jiang’s residence.

Reporters had already set off.

After all, Li Jing’s brazen visit to the Jiang’s residence wasn’t a secret.

His sudden appearance in the darkness of the night was visible to all.

Any major event happening at the Jiang’s residence is easy to figure out.

Reporters!

For the headline, they wouldn’t even fear death.

As a matter of fact...

When the three Eighth Realm cultivators from the Jiang residence appeared, several reporters daringly rushed to the Jiang residence.

Pity that the Jiang’s residence was not a place they could enter at will.

Although the guard from the Management Bureau tried to resist the invader, it relaxed the surrounding defense on the critical juncture, fully besieging the Jiang’s residence to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos.

Confronted with the Management Bureau in an emergency state, those reporters couldn’t utter a word.

Being barred outside the Jiang residence, they felt helpless.

But that didn’t stop them from setting up their cameras and shooting from afar.

If only they could fly...

Probably some fearless ones would have taken their cameras to the sky for better footage.

Outside the Jiang’s residence, they could only capture sky scenes and couldn’t get the image of Li Jing landing.

Limited footage is not a problem.

The first batch of reporters on the scene were able to capture the standoff between Li Jing and the three Eighth Realm cultivators of the Jiang residence. They also got footage of the arrival of the Director of the Management Bureau, Jiang Liao.

To the modern high-precision cameras, a height of 10,000 meters is not a problem.

With the images of the instigator threatening the military area of the Jiang Residence with his sword barrier, they could write any sort of story, couldn’t they?

Cunning reporters even managed to obtain satellite images of the site, confirming Li Jing had landed outside the house of the former Disciplinary Inspector of the Patrol Bureau.

With such elements, wouldn’t making headlines be easy?

Report after report flooded into the hot search.

The related platforms were in the money as the traffic broke historic records.

Hot search, headlines.

They’re there every day.

But the refresh speed like tonight was unprecedented.

A hot search or a headline could usually stay in the top ten for one day.

Tonight, the hot searches and headlines that made it to the top were replaced by new content every ten seconds or so.

this situation,

It’s not just the capital and its neighboring cities that are paying attention.

When the capital sounded the triple wind alarm, it’s almost immediately known throughout Longyu Country. Blame it on the internet era!

Within a minute, the whole of Longyu knew something big has happened in the Capital.

Just after a minute and a half, the kingdoms in Blue Star that are well-known knew about the emergency situation in Longyu’s capital.

At the point when things were just about to settle down...

Not just the people of Longyu...

The entire world was focused on the capital of Longyu.

The mess Li Jing left behind was indeed significant.

The Patrol Bureau, Administration Bureau and other related departments immediately launched various actions in an attempt to quell the information explosion over the internet, aiming to minimize the impact of the event.

Those with external functions were caught up in dealing with the "friendly inquiries" from other countries.

...

The night was gradually deepening.

The late wind in the capital was pretty noisy.

The Liu Mansion was brilliantly illuminated.

As one of The Seven Great Families, it’s needless to say that the Liu family is quite special.

But after all...

The descendants of the Liu family are all human.

Even when the whole Longyu and Blue Star were curious about what had happened in the capital of Longyu, the descendants of the Liu family were also discussing the event, just like ordinary people.

No one noticed that a figure sneaked into the Liu Mansion and headed directly to the depths.

The figure, of course, was Li Jing.

He had foreseen how much chaos this night would cause and how much attention it would attract on the internet and media.

Just in case...

He purposely made a false move after leaving the Jiang’s residence and flew outside the city boundary before coming back by car.

He spent nearly three hours coming and going.

He had no choice.

Without a permit for flying, he would definitely be detected by Longyu’s air defense network.

If he were to fly with his Bureau permit, his actions would be tracked by the Bureau’s positioning network.

It didn’t matter when he left the city.

But returning, he could only take a car, and also hint to the driver to forget he ever gave him a ride.

Otherwise, he would leave loopholes.

When he arrived near Liu Shi’s residence, Li Jing took a deep breath, looked around to ensure no one was around and finally jumped into the courtyard.

Once inside the courtyard, Li Jing looked around again.

"Son-in-law, are you looking for me?"

Like pearls dropping onto a jade plate, Liu Shi’s voice, as if a ghost, quietly appeared by his side.

Li Jing was indeed looking for Liu Shi.

He didn’t have a choice.

His mother-in-law was inscrutable.

Although she hadn’t yet broken through the Seventh Realm, there were many things about her that he couldn’t fathom.

Even if he turned off the Silent Shadow before he came in.

If it were on, he might not have been able to deceive Liu Shi when entering the courtyard.

On this return trip, Li Jing was prepared to give Liu Shi an explanation.

With Liu Shi’s intelligence.

She couldn’t possibly not realize that he was responsible for the chaos at the Jiang’s residence.

Especially since he had sought Liu Shi’s assistance earlier and she knew that he was investigating Lu Qifei’s death.

All sorts of information was blowing up on the internet, and he had been paying attention to it on his way back.

Not only were he and the Jiang family’s three Eighth Realm members photographed, but Jiang Liao and his daughter, Yini, who had been watching from a height of 10,000 meters, were also clearly visible.

Just this alone was enough for Liu Shi to understand what was going on.

Upon seeing Liu Shi, Li Jing showed an embarrassed smile.

"Mom..."

Just as he started speaking, Liu Shi raised her hand to signal him to stop, and looked at him with a smile.

"You really surprised me tonight. To be honest, I don’t like your style. It’s too much like that person I detest and it easily brings about trouble. However, since you are my son-in-law, I shouldn’t lecture you about anything. Otherwise, Sisi might come to your aid later."

With that, she let out a light sigh.

"A married daughter is like water that has been poured out; one’s bias will always favor outsiders."

Hearing Liu Shi’s sigh, Li Jing looked quite strange.

"Mom, about tonight, did you discuss with Sisi..."

Before he could finish, Liu Shi clicked her tongue.

"Don’t you slander me, I always keep mum."

With that, she continued in a light tone.

"You in your mask and long robe were photographed, and Sisi recognized you at a glance."

"..."

Li Jing.

She recognized him even in that? Well, considering his wife, it seemed reasonable to him.

Perhaps Sisi, who had chosen to be a housewife and not pry into his outside affairs, might not understand much about his actions. But in many other aspects, without a doubt, no one knew him better than Sisi.

With a wry smile, Li Jing was about to explain himself to Liu Shi, but she waved a dismissive hand before he could speak.

"Don’t bother explaining the unimportant things, just tell me, is everything now sorted out?"

Li Jing, hearing this, paused before nodding.

"For now, it’s settled."

"Hmm."

Liu Shi acknowledged, then asked.

"Is there anything I should be wary of? Or anything that the Liu family should be wary of?"

"This..."

Li Jing blinked, replying.

"In the end, it involved a current Guardian God of Longyu Country. The person should now be under the control of a former Guardian God living in seclusion in the Jiang Mansion. I heard that he will be quietly dealt with, and the outside might not hear of this for a short while."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shi was surprised.

"How did a Guardian God get involved in this?"

While speaking, she conjured a tea table and two stools, and took a seat.

"Tell me in detail what happened."

"Okay."

Li Jing sat down as told and relayed all the related information.

What happened tonight shouldn’t be spread. But, not telling Liu Shi isn’t right either, especially since she was involved.

For the sake of the Liu family, Liu Shi, who seemed to have stayed out of the fray all this time, must have been quite worried.

A Guardian God being secretly dealt with was not as simple as just being replaced. Many seemingly unaffected aspects would, in fact, be substantially affected.

Spilling all this information to Liu Shi wasn’t such a burden for Li Jing.

Theoretically,

Such information would not be leaked to the outside world.

But the replacement of a Guardian God was impossible to keep under wraps.

It was like trying to paper over a fire.

News of it wouldn’t take a day before causing a citywide uproar.

The key was how Longyu would handle it all.

After hearing Li Jing’s recounting, Liu Shi was silent for a long time.

After a while, she said quietly,

"The Sacred Association did have some influence. Not only does it involve numerous disciples from various sects, but it can reach as far as nine Seventh Realm individuals, and its founder is a Guardian God of Longyu. After this incident, Cao Zimo must be finished, but the Sacred Association won’t be easily dissolved."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing silently nodded in agreement.

Cao Zimo was certainly the founder of the Sacred Association, but the Sacred Association was not just about him.

The other eight elders, including Qian Zhixing, were all Seventh Realm members.

Excluding his extraordinary identity,

The other eight, including Qian Zhixing, were no worse than him.

Now that two of the elders were gone, the Sacred Association wouldn’t easily fall apart.

As he was thinking about this, Liu Shi let out a long sigh.

"You really do know how to stir up trouble."

Li Jing was speechless.

Just as he was about to speak, Liu Shi pursed her lips.

"The dark side of the capital has always been messy, but at least it was hidden and things seemed peaceful on the surface. But you’ve only been here a few times and yet, each time, you cause great chaos. The issues with the Wang and Lu families just got sorted out, and the Demon Beast Union hasn’t been incapacitated yet. Now, the Sacred Association has surfaced, and the capital won’t be able to return to its former state for some time."

Hearing Liu Shi’s words, Li Jing felt wronged.

The unrest in the capital over the past half year was indeed greatly linked to him.

But honestly, you couldn’t blame him for all of it, right?

Nonetheless, he couldn’t deny that,

The capital, which had just finished dealing with the issues of the Wang and Lu families, would be thrown back into chaos once again.

In a sense,

The Patrol Headquarters and Management Bureau, both of which had already known about the existence of the Sacred Association and were in a peaceful period with it,

Would not take any drastic measures before they could eradicate the Sacred Association completely.

But with his recent meddling, the situation had entirely changed.

Never mind other things,

Now that the truth about Lu Qifei’s demise at the hands of an elder of the Sacred Association had been revealed, others might be able to tolerate it, but Jiang Liao certainly could not.

His restraint with Qian Zhixing had already shown a great sense of overall awareness.

After this ordeal, he would undoubtedly show the iron-hand methods of a Director of the Management Bureau.

Especially since Li Jing had not only provided him with two "inside sources", one of whom was a core member possessing a large amount of explosive information.

The operation to strike the Sacred Association would soon be initiated.

The Sacred Association had been growing secretly for many years. With the backing of current disciples from various sects and a Guardian God, it would not fall easily.

"Counter-killing" Longyu would be a fool’s dream,

But resistance was inevitable.

On reflection,

From the moment a current Guardian God of Longyu was implicated, the nature of the situation drastically changed.

It was no longer just about Lu Qifei’s murder, but rather a serious infiltration into Longyu. There would definitely be a major purge within the higher echelons.

Frankly,

The Patrol Headquarters and the Management Bureau refrained from moving on the Sacred Association because they couldn’t uproot it. But a major precondition must be made clear.

Up until now, the Sacred Association was limited to petty moves and didn’t touch upon the essence of Longyu. But it wasn’t as such.

Before this incident, Longyu was unaware of any infiltration.

Now it is clear that the storm will inevitably favor the Sacred Association.

Liu Shi was lost in thought when she stood up.

"You just managed to get away and came here, presumably wanting to take Sisi away. Given the current situation in the capital, it is indeed inappropriate for you to stay here for long as an involved party. She is in the room browsing the news, you can go find her. The situation in the capital will drastically change after tonight, I have to talk to the family head and make some plans," she said.

After finishing, she smirked playfully.

"Calm times have their own advantages, and chaotic times have their own benefits. Opportunities are fleeting. The Liu family has been struggling on the verge of death for so many years, we must seize this opportunity," she said.

In between her words, Liu Shi’s figure turned into a bubble and quietly disappeared, leaving a sentence in Li Jing’s ear.

"Alas! I am of old age and just about to retire, but still need to worry about all these things, it’s really annoying! I’m not sure when I can finally take a break and enjoy spending time with my grandchild and granddaughter."

"..."

Li Jing.

Nothing else matters that much.

It’s mainly because Liu Shi’s somewhat complaining tone, ending with her wanting to hug grandchildren, makes him feel a bit awkward.

As the son-in-law.

He couldn’t pretend that he hadn’t heard that.

The problem is, he and Liu Sisi haven’t thought about having children yet, they couldn’t satisfy the mother-in-law’s wishes.

However, considering that Liu Shi is currently the only successor in the Liu family and not even one person in the entire Liu family could reach the Sixth Realm to serve as a guardian, she would not be able to "retire" smoothly anytime soon, which slightly relieved Li Jing’s mind.

Taking a long breath, Li Jing got up and entered the room.

Just as he had entered.

He saw Liu Sisi curled up on the sofa in the living room downstairs, scrolling through videos on her phone.

From the audio playing, it was easy to tell that she was watching videos about the "mysterious man", which was him.

On the other side.

Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Liu Sisi subconsciously turned her head.

Seeing it was Li Jing, her eyes lit up, then she suppressed a certain emotion.

"Are you done with your chores?"

Liu Sisi knew Li Jing well, but didn’t he understand her too?

From the look in her eyes just now, it was clear that she was brimming with curiosity.

Seeing that Liu Sisi, just like before, chose to suppress her curiosity and only casually asked if he had finished his work, Li Jing felt slightly moved and gave a warm smile.

"It’s done. We need to leave."

"Leave?"

Liu Sisi paused and then nodded upon understanding, she got up and asked.

"Have you informed my mom?"

"I have just spoken with her and told her that we are leaving."

Li Jing smiled.

"Okay."

Liu Sisi responded, saying.

"I’ll go upstairs and pack up a bit, wait for me. We’ll head to Jianghai shortly."

As Liu Sisi turned around and was about to head upstairs, Li Jing stopped her.

"Sisi, wait a moment."

?

Liu Sisi stopped and looked back.

"We’re not going back to Jianghai."

Li Jing began.

???

Liu Sisi.

"If we’re not returning to Jianghai, then where are we going?"

"To the Northern God Country."

Li Jing replied.

Before he could continue speaking, Liu Sisi frowned, puzzled.

"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time...? We can’t even stay in Longyu anymore and need to flee the country? Will we ever be able to return?"

"..."

Li Jing.

Liu Sisi never interferes with what he does outside, which makes him feel at ease.

However, he felt.

Sometimes he should tell her a bit more.

His wife was understanding and clever, with a bit of a vivid imagination too.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Li Jing said.

"I assume you’ve heard about my suspension from the Patrol headquarter. I don’t know when I’ll be reinstated. However, I will soon have work from the Management Bureau."

Saying that, he continued.

"A few days ago, there were spatial fluctuations in the Northern God Country suspected to be the opening of a Secret Realm Passage. They are currently verifying it. You should remember the agreement between the Northern God Country and me, as well as Jianghai Management Bureau, which allows me to personally participate in one of their Secret Realm explorations. We will have to go there sooner or later. We won’t be in Jianghai for more than a few days anyway. I don’t need to worry about the team affairs, so it would be better for us to go to the Northern God Country earlier. Before any definitive news from the God Country, we can enjoy some sightseeing first."

Hearing these words, Liu Sisi blinked twice as if trying to digest the information, then she asked, her eyes shining brightly.

"Are you... taking me on a vacation?"

"Yes."

Li Jing smiled.

Upon receiving his confirmation, Liu Sisi beamed with joy.

"Wait! I’ll go upstairs and come down right away!"

With that, she swiftly started to head upstairs.

Just as she stepped on the stairs, she paused and turned back, furrowing her brows.

"To go to the Northern God Country, I think we might need to go back to Jianghai first to arrange passports and visas, and then buy airplane tickets."

"There’s no need for that."

Li Jing shook his head and took out the Special Situations Bureau ID card.

"I have this, we can fly there directly."

Suddenly seeing him pull out the Special Situation Bureau’s card, Liu Sisi’s eyes widened.

If it had been earlier.

Seeing the Special Situations Bureau’s card, she might not have recognized it.

As the daughter of the Liu family.

Liu Sisi has indeed seen more than ordinary girls.

But she herself was more inclined to be a commoner.

The God Country Special Affairs Bureau.

Of course, she had heard about it, but she would not have the opportunity to get in touch or understand it.

However, her situation has changed now.

She was the secretary officer for the Action Advisor of the Heavenly King Group under Jianghai City Management Bureau.

As the saying goes.

If you hold a position, you should consider its responsibilities.

Working at the Management Bureau, she certainly needed to gain a deeper understanding of the institutions in other countries that exist in the same form as the Management Bureau, in order to cope with any official matters that may arise in the future.

Recognizing the card in Li Jing’s hands as the Special Situations Bureau’s and realizing the fairly high rank indicated on it, Liu Sisi was slightly stunned.

How come Li Jing has the Special Situations Bureau’s card?

Not to mention that he is from Longyu.

He is clearly working at the Management Bureau, isn’t he?

However, being accustomed to things happening around Li Jing, she quickly resumed her normal demeanor.

After a brief moment of astonishment, she responded affirmatively, nodding her head and quickly running upstairs.

...

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Early morning.

Capital of Longyu Country.

In the office of the Director of the Administration Bureau, Jiang Liao was busy examining a classified file.

Three days had passed and the events of that night had concluded successfully.

Cao Zimo was subdued by the former Guardian God Bai Liang. Before he could even comprehend the situation, he was trapped in subspace and his Seventh Realm cultivation level was reduced to nothing, rendering him incapable.

Having been a Guardian God, Cao Zimo, of course, had his unique strengths.

His proficiency in witchcraft further proved his exceptional abilities.

However, compared to Bai Liang, the former Guardian God, his capabilities seemed trivial.

The two Guardian Gods, although they served only fifty years apart, were entirely different.

Setting aside Bai Liang’s terrifying mid-Eighth Realm cultivation level.

He had served as the Guardian God of Longyu one hundred fifty years ago.

He had seen an age of relative chaos.

Longyu two hundred years ago was not as peaceful as it was now.

Back then.

The Guardian Gods would carry out significant operations, directly competing against Guardian Gods of other, or even hostile, countries.

The outcome of the Guardian Gods directly affected the national interest.

It wasn’t like the present, where everyone would generally exercise restraint and avoid confrontation if possible, often sugar-coating the truth.

In simplest terms.

Bai Liang had extraordinary combat experience.

Even if he were only at the Seventh Realm, Cao Zimo could never match up against him.

Cultivation has never been solely about realm levels.

Those who engage in petty political intrigues all day are not the same as those who confront their peers head-on for the sake of national interest.

Setting aside such matters.

Cao Zimo, who has lost his cultivation, is currently in custody of the Patrol headquarter awaiting trial. His trial will be disclosed to the public.

The replacement of a Guardian God can’t possibly be kept from the public.

The higher-ups of Longyu, after various considerations, took into account Jiang Liao’s feelings, giving him a clear picture, letting everyone know the crimes committed by Cao Zimo.

However, this put some pressure on Jiang Liao.

Cao Zimo’s trial will be completely public.

The disciples of the sects can be avoided from discussion, but the Sacred Association inevitably will be brought into light.

By then, the public will know about the existence of this group.

Before that, he must harshly suppress the Sacred Association, using all available information at hand.

He is not aiming to completely destroy the Sacred Association, but at least to bring it to its knees.

This will be a "report card".

A "report card" for the people of Longyu, as well as for everyone in the world.

Let everyone understand.

One who dares to offend Longyu will face consequences.

Jiang Liao will be kept overwhelmed handling this matter.

But he is willing to do so.

Worth mentioning is.

Not only is Jiang Liao concentrating on this, he also has other arrangements to make.

Li Jing caused a great disturbance, openly defying the authority of Longyu, which can be said to have made Longyu the laughingstock of various countries.

But this can also be used to their advantage.

Although it’s unknown how Li Jing managed to intimidate three Eighth Realm cultivators, and the parties involved didn’t provide detailed explanations, they were adamant in claiming that Li Jing was a Ninth Realm master, and they even asked him numerous times about his acquaintance with such a formidable existence that practically should not exist in this world.

As to how strong Li Jing actually is, Jiang Liao is clueless.

But he knows that Li Jing entered the Seventh Realm not long ago.

The Ninth Realm...

Alright!

Let’s just assume he is in the Ninth Realm!

Let the whole world know that he, Jiang Liao, knows a Ninth Realm cultivator.

A non-existent Ninth Realm cultivator emerged from Longyu which is directly linked to him, the Director of the Administration Bureau.

Once this news is released, what would be the reaction of the nations around the world?

An attempt to suppress them collectively is foreseeable.

But the idea of suppressing Longyu collectively from the west has been there for more than a day or two.

Releasing the news that Li Jing is a Ninth Realm cultivator will not affect the overall situation where Longyu is suppressed by the western collective.

But it will make them wary...

Isn’t that more comfortable?

The classified file that Jiang Liao was viewing at the moment was a plan to release the news that Li Jing was a Ninth Realm cultivator.

While he was engrossed in it, there came two light knocks from outside the office door.

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Liao looked up.

"Come in."

As he responded, the office door was pushed open and Jiang Yini, dressed in a uniform bearing the logo of the Jianghai City Management Bureau, walked in.

Seeing his daughter, Jiang Liao was taken aback and asked puzzled.

"Yini, are you leaving for Jianghai?"

"What else? Stay in the capital for the New Year?"

Jiang Yini rolled her beautiful eyes, walked over to the sofa and sat down, saying.

"The Northern God Country just sent me a message, stating that they have confirmed the detected spatial fluctuation is the opening of a Big Secret Realm."

Upon hearing the confirmation from the Northern God Country, Jiang Liao raised an eyebrow.

He had been busy dealing with the Sacred Association and releasing the message to the outside in these few days, and had no time to pay attention to these matters.

Before he could speak, Jiang Yini grumbled discontentedly.

"Li Jing, that ungrateful soul, ran off to the Northern God Country early in the morning, even took Liu Sisi, the one who actually gets things done, with him. The Heavenly King Group is practically without a leader, so I, as the Bureau Director, have to rush back. After Cao Zimo’s trial, I will come back."

Hearing his daughter’s series of complaints, Jiang Liao, with a smile and a tilt of his head, thought for a moment and said.

"Participating in the exploration of the God Country’s Secret Realm is no small matter, the headquarter here needs to focus on suppressing the Sacred Association, and for the time being, does not have too much effort to support the Jianghai Management Bureau. The trip to Northern God Country is further delegated to Li Jing to lead the team, thus parachuting a leader to the God Country’s capital is not quite suitable. After everything is arranged properly, Yini, you personally make a trip there to assist Li Jing."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yini furrowed her brows.

Parachuting a leader to the capital of the God Country.

Isn’t it still parachuting if she, as a leader, goes there?

Moreover.

Why is it that when she goes there, it’s not as a leader, but to assist?

Doesn’t she, as the Bureau Director, need some face?

However, the chance to enter the Big Secret Realm, she doesn’t mind sacrificing a little dignity.

As a director of the regional Management Bureau, considering the overall management and safety aspects, her chances to enter the Secret Realm are limited.

Even when she does, she hardly has the opportunity to participate in the exploration, usually stationed in the back.

However, with Li Jing present.

These are not problems, right?

Li Jing is incredibly strong and exceptionally capable.

Once she’s there, she can entirely relax.

For this trip, their exploration team from Longyu can’t exactly have a so-called "back", because they can only send one exploration team, not needing anyone to hold the fort in the rear.

Jiang Yini glanced at her father and reluctantly nodded her head.

Though she knew her father’s attitude towards Li Jing had undergone some subtle changes, the present was a rare opportunity.

She has been at the late stage of the Fifth Realm for some time, and couldn’t seem to breakthrough the bottleneck to enter the Sixth Realm, reckoning that she needs to polish her abilities before she can progress.

...