In a part of the city far from the bustling districts, a place teeming with ruffians and scoundrels.
Within the grand mansion, a palpable aura of grimness permeated the air. Martial artists in blue, red, and black robes strode with stern expressions, their hurried movements betraying a sense of urgency.
Even the servants within the entire headquarters of the Three Blades Society moved about with their heads bowed, performing their duties with extreme caution, lest they incur the wrath of these formidable individuals from the martial world.
Currently, in a separate courtyard, a group of people sat with heavy hearts, none speaking for a considerable time.
Following Xu Liuqing's suggestion, everyone from the Taoist temple had relocated here. After all, compared to the illusory protection of the遗泽 (yí zé), the heavily guarded headquarters of the Three Blades Society offered a greater sense of security.
Even Zhao Yuansong had not denied this, agreeing that everyone should move here.
“So, all the city guards in Qianyu City have had their minds controlled?”
Amidst the oppressive atmosphere, Xu Qiqi could not help but ask.
As her voice echoed, all eyes turned to Xu Liuqing.
Seeing this, he nodded with a grave expression, “The four city gates have been sealed, allowing entry but not exit. All the guards appear normal on the surface, but they harbor demonic energy within their bodies, their minds having been controlled by demonic arts.”
According to the intelligence gathered by the Three Blades Society, even the city’s guard barracks had become a place where demonic energy festered, radiating a chilling presence from afar.
The entire county town was now under lockdown. The guards at the four city gates and on the city walls were all enthralled by demonic forces. To force one's way out would require the intervention of a cultivator or martial artist of the second realm, or else one would pay a heavy price.
Many would perish attempting to break through!
However, since the enemy had sealed the city gates, they naturally wouldn't want anyone from inside to escape. They would have undoubtedly set up traps at the four city gates to prevent anyone, especially those of the second realm or anyone willing to pay any price, from attempting to breach them.
“We’ve become turtles in a jar now,”
Liao Qiming, a young guard from the Zhao family, muttered to himself.
His words immediately drew a few eye-rolls. While his statement was not incorrect, the analogy was somewhat peculiar.
“The person behind this has truly orchestrated a masterful scheme, laying such a vast plan so silently. What are they truly plotting?”
The middle-aged guard spoke with a grim expression, “The Zhao family, the county yamen, Baiyun Temple, the City God Temple, and the guard barracks…”
Before he could finish, he could only shake his head, utterly unable to fathom what the orchestrator of this grand design was aiming for.
Moreover, judging by the current situation, the other party clearly intended to drop all pretense and unleash all the measures they had put in place.
They didn't even show the slightest regard for the imperial court's authority. If they succeeded, it was likely that not many people in the entire county town would survive.
“The most pressing matter is to rally all available forces within the city and to uncover the enemy’s true intentions.”
Xu Qiqi pondered, then turned to Xu Liuqing.
Seeing this, he offered a wry smile, acknowledging that neither of these tasks would be easy.
Excluding the various gangs and factions, aside from the Zhao family, which had already been wiped out, there were three powerful martial arts sects in the city. However, none of them respected the others, and even in the face of life and death, it would be difficult for them to sincerely submit to anyone's command.
Furthermore, given the complexities of human nature, how could one be sure that the other two sects wouldn't be subtly working behind the scenes?
Even if they managed to break through this crisis, they would likely suffer heavy losses. What would be the difference between that and being wiped out, only to be replaced by other forces, perhaps facing an even more tragic fate?
The best way to address the concerns of these factions would be to find Liu Hongsheng. With his experience as a renowned martial artist, and his subsequent tenure as a constable for over twenty years, and even as the chief constable of a city, his intervention would lend credibility to any unified command.
However, Liu Hongsheng was currently missing. He had likely sensed something of the truth and, trusting no one, had chosen to lie low somewhere within the city.
“We cannot find him for the time being. Liu Hongsheng is seasoned and experienced; even with the combined influence of all three sects, there would be no clue.”
Xu Liuqing sighed, “As for the purpose of the person orchestrating this…”
He shook his head, his face etched with helplessness. Even with the combined strength of the three sects, it was proving incredibly difficult to deduce their objective.
The importance of the few locations infested with demonic forces to the county town was self-evident, yet there seemed to be no connection between them, making it difficult to discern the underlying motive.
“I might have already guessed some of their intentions.”
Just then, Ji Yuan, returning from outside, strode into the courtyard and addressed the assembled group.
Everyone turned to look. Following Ji Yuan and his two companions were a young woman and a man and woman with vacant stares.
These were none other than Su Hongzhu, and the senior brother and sister from a renowned sect in Tianhe Commandery, whose minds she had controlled.
In an instant, the people in the courtyard rose, their gazes filled with apprehension as they looked at Su Hongzhu. The potent demonic energy radiating from her, along with her formidable aura, instilled a sense of caution in them.
Su Hongzhu chuckled, covering her mouth. Just as she was about to tease the men, she inexplicably recalled the killing intent that flashed in the eyes of the young Taoist priest before her in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
At that moment, Ji Yuan happened to glance at her. It felt as though a sharp blade had pierced her nonexistent heart.
With a mere shift in her thoughts, she abandoned her initial plan. With a slight smile, she walked to a nearby flowerbed, seemingly admiring the blossoms and leaves.
“This… this person…”
Xu Qiqi raised an eyebrow, looking at her senior brother.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Yuansong explained Su Hongzhu’s identity and stated that they need not concern themselves with her for the time being.
Only then did the expressions of the group relax slightly, yet they still dared not lower their guard entirely. After all, she was a ghost of the second realm, and her true form was that of a 'red-pink skeleton' among ghosts.
If Su Hongzhu were to suddenly attack, even Zhao Yuansong, who was also in the second realm, would likely suffer severe injuries or even death if caught off guard at such close proximity.
“Young Taoist priest, what did you mean by what you said earlier?”
A constable asked, his expression filled with confusion.
His reminder brought it back to everyone’s minds. When Ji Yuan had first entered the courtyard, he had directly stated that he had already guessed the intentions of the person orchestrating the current events.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan, who had just taken his seat, looked thoughtful. He was unsure whether certain matters should be revealed to everyone.
After all, that matter not only involved the past of Qianyu City from over three hundred years ago, but also a monumental secret, and it was deeply connected to him personally.
Seeing his hesitant expression, several constables and Zhao family guards tactfully rose to take their leave, led away by Weng Yang from the courtyard.
Soon, only Ji Yuan and Zhao Yuansong, along with his sister, Xu Liuqing, Shen Lang, and Huixin remained in the courtyard.
As for Su Hongzhu, who was admiring flowers nearby, she was simply ignored by everyone. Whether she overheard them was of no consequence.
“Over three hundred years ago, Qianyu City was renowned throughout the Great Yu Dynasty and beyond for its thousand-mile jade vein.”
After a long period of contemplation, Ji Yuan began to speak.
At that time, the jade unearthed from the thousand-mile jade vein was all of superior quality, and after years of excavation, no flawed, mid- or low-grade jade had ever been found.
High-grade jade was not only a favorite among the wealthy and powerful but also an indispensable material for cultivators, whether for alchemy, artifact forging, talisman crafting, or array formations.
Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that Qianyu City at that time attracted the attention of the entire dynasty.
However, one day, over three hundred years ago, a rogue cultivator from the mountains and wilds, with audacious courage and unknown means, managed to infiltrate the depths of the jade vein.
That rogue cultivator spent decades meticulously excavating the entire thousand-mile jade vein, leaving only the outermost layer. He then managed to find, deep within the vein, a true celestial treasure of immeasurable value—Ten Thousand Year Jade Marrow!
Using the Ten Thousand Year Jade Marrow as the core, and refining it with the superior, and even top-grade, jade from the thousand-mile vein, supplemented by all his wealth accumulated over three to four hundred years, he ultimately forged an earth-shattering spiritual treasure.
On the day the spiritual treasure was completed, it triggered a celestial phenomenon, drawing the attention of numerous powerful beings who had been lurking in the vicinity of Qianyu City, all of whom now launched a fierce assault to seize the newly emerged spiritual treasure.
It was during that conflict that the once prosperous Qianyu City was largely destroyed, with hundreds of thousands of lives lost. Even after three hundred years of recovery, it remained a third-tier county town, unable to reclaim its former glory.
Xu Liuqing’s expression grew solemn. Although he was one of the leaders of the Three Blades Society and had resided there for nearly a decade, he had never heard of this secret history.
The local records of Qianyu City mentioned very little about the calamity over three hundred years ago, vaguely referring to a natural disaster that occurred once in a thousand years. Only cultivators understood that this so-called natural disaster was the result of a conflict between several powerful individuals.
However, the reasons for their conflict, and Ji Yuan’s claim that someone had forged an earth-shattering spiritual treasure using the thousand-mile jade vein, were things that even the high-ranking members of the three sects had never heard of.
This was a true secret, likely unknown even to the successive county magistrates. Only powerful individuals at the commandery level or higher might have had a hint of it.
“But what does this have to do with the current situation?”
Jiang He asked doubtfully.
If the person orchestrating the current events was after that earth-shattering spiritual treasure, even setting aside the passage of so much time, considering the multitude of powerful beings who vied for it back then, it was likely already taken by one of them.
“What if that spiritual treasure was never taken by anyone?”
Ji Yuan sighed, his gaze complex as he looked at the people before him.
As his words fell, the group nodded instinctively, then their expressions drastically changed.
Although they didn't know how Ji Yuan had learned of such a secret, if that earth-shattering spiritual treasure had indeed never been claimed, then the current intentions of the person orchestrating these events would become crystal clear.
“For over three hundred years, countless powerful beings, as well as numerous sects and factions within the Great Yu Dynasty, have investigated this place more than once, but all have returned empty-handed.”
Ji Yuan’s eyes flickered as he spoke, “That person has been secretly plotting for at least a century, likely aiming to sacrifice the entire city’s population through some demonic means to lure out that spiritual treasure that even powerful beings could not find.”
This was also why they had controlled the City God Temple, the county yamen, and the military barracks. By doing so, they could dismantle the greatest resistance forces and, by leveraging this power, implement the lockdown of the county town.
Of course, this approach also facilitated the person’s own covert machinations and schemes.
As for why the Zhao family and Baiyun Temple were targeted, it was likely to facilitate the slaughter of the city's populace. Otherwise, even ten cultivators of the second realm working together would not be able to massacre an entire county town in a short period.
“If that is the case, then it is likely that many factions and forces within the city have already been infiltrated to varying degrees.”
Xu Liuqing mused.
Only now did he understand why Liu Hongsheng had chosen to lie low within the city, not contacting any forces, and not daring to reveal himself.
This chief constable had clearly recognized his own importance in the current situation and, relying on his years of experience, had likely deduced that the various forces within the city had already been infiltrated.
If he were to reveal himself, he would likely face the full might of the hidden enemy. They would not allow someone like him, who could unite the city's forces, to live.
“I wonder how many people within the three sects have been controlled, and how many core members?”
For a moment, Xu Liuqing felt a great sense of dread.
This feeling of the enemy being in the shadows while they were exposed was not the most distressing. What was truly unbearable was not knowing who among them had already been secretly controlled by the enemy.
“Perhaps it’s more than just control; it’s also possible that some have willingly fallen, reaching some kind of agreement with the other party.”
Ji Yuan said with a complex expression.
In his opinion, the county magistrate Yuan Yongcheng, like Master Wuhai of Baiyun Temple, had likely willingly fallen and succumbed to the demonic path, being drawn by resources.