That night, Ji Yuan summoned his natal flying sword and used its divine abilities to move stealthily through the void.
He arrived above Ming Xin Xuan in a single step, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings, but he sensed no one lurking in the shadows.
This was not unexpected; if they were so easily detected, they wouldn't have cause for concern.
After a moment of contemplation, Ji Yuan began to traverse the void, then moved towards the center of the county seat.
Vast expanses of residential districts housed various factions and important figures of the county.
Each mansion was covered by at least several layers of formations, and powerful auras of cultivators and warriors were released without any concealment.
This served both as a warning to any would-be troublemakers and a display of their own strength.
Ji Yuan hovered in the sky, remaining within the void.
He looked down, his gaze falling upon an empty mansion.
After a moment of thought, he stealthily infiltrated the mansion, using his natal flying sword to break through the restrictions and formations without alerting anyone.
As he moved through it, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
Once a prominent figure in the Prefect's mansion, the highly-ranked Chief Clerk.
Now, the entire mansion was empty, appearing incredibly desolate. Many rooms had been vacant for a long time, and only three or five servants remained.
Even here, there was only a single second-realm cultivator responsible for maintaining the operation of the grand formation.
Ji Yuan, unimpeded, arrived outside a brightly lit study. Through a window, he could see a figure poring over books.
He didn't barge in directly. Instead, he materialized outside the void and then let out a soft cough.
In the quiet night, a cough became quite loud, immediately drawing the attention of the person inside.
He could see a reflection in the window as the figure stood up and slowly walked to the door.
Creak!
The study door opened gently, and a middle-aged man, wrapped in thick clothing, walked steadily into the courtyard.
"It's been many years; you've changed quite a bit."
Li Wenqing smiled, showing no hint of surprise.
It seemed he had already anticipated that the person before him would pay a visit.
Ji Yuan was only slightly taken aback by this, then he had a good grasp of the situation.
As one of the former prominent figures in the Prefect's mansion, although he had gradually faded from public view.
And with his advancing age, he had begun to consider retirement.
Regardless, he would undoubtedly still command considerable influence and wouldn't be completely unaware of external affairs.
In recent months, many of the events in the county seat had been related to Ji Yuan.
Furthermore, he had not concealed his identity or whereabouts upon entering the city and in the days that followed, making it not difficult to investigate.
The reason the other party could predict his visit was likely due to some information.
Perhaps someone within the Prefect's mansion was collaborating with the Shen Xuan Sect to conspire against him.
"Who is cooperating with the Shen Xuan Sect?"
Ji Yuan cut straight to the chase without any preamble.
Indeed, there was no need for pleasantries between them.
It was already a good outcome that they hadn't become enemies.
If even one step had been different back then, the final outcome might have been vastly altered.
The Li family would still have been annihilated, but they would have formed an irreconcilable conflict, and given the other party's status and position in the county seat, it was hard to say what might have happened in the end.
"County Assistant Wu Wei."
Li Wenqing did not play coy and directly revealed a name.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's gaze sharpened, as it aligned with his suspicions.
As the County Assistant of Luoxia County, Wu Wei's status and power were second only to the Prefect.
However, barring any unforeseen circumstances, his career in officialdom had reached its peak, with no further advancement possible.
In terms of cultivation, Wu Wei, merely a mid-second-realm cultivator, was clearly inferior to the Prefect, who had already reached the third realm.
In terms of strength, the Prefect had spent over a hundred years managing the county, and while he might not have complete control over everything, he was an undisputed authority in Luoxia County.
The imperial army, whether the city guards or the local garrisons, obeyed his command exclusively.
And in terms of background, Wu Wei, who hailed from a humble scholarly family, had no illustrious lineage.
Due to his limited talent and lack of a strong patron, he had not accumulated much influence before holding official office.
Rising to the position of County Assistant was already the limit for Wu Wei; any further advancement would require a great meritorious deed or the acquaintance of a powerful figure in the provincial capital.
Of course, there was also another possibility.
That was if the current Prefect made some grave error, leading to the suffering of the people and even widespread devastation.
And given the current situation, it would be difficult for the provincial capital to dispatch someone to take over as Prefect. With a little maneuvering, Wu Wei could advance further.
From a single name, Ji Yuan had already roughly deduced the intentions of Wu Wei and the Shen Xuan Sect cultivators.
For the sake of dealing with them, the Shen Xuan Sect members were willing to risk intervening in the power struggle of the Prefect's mansion?
Such an affair, if mishandled, could very well determine the survival of the entire sect.
Even though the Shen Xuan Sect was far away in Chongyuan Prefecture, at least the few individuals present here could not escape if they failed.
The risk and reward for these madmen were completely disproportionate!
"Myriad Soul Yin Ling Banner!"
Ji Yuan's pupils contracted, and he immediately thought of the key point!
The other party not only wanted to reclaim the Myriad Soul Yin Ling Banner they held but also wanted to use the power struggle within the Prefect's mansion to harvest more souls!
These madmen!
"You seem to have already guessed their next plan?"
Li Wenqing raised an eyebrow and then asked.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded and, without hesitation, directly revealed the relevant matters.
He had no reason to conceal much from the person before him, as he was also a direct subordinate of the Prefect.
If not for this, no matter how skillful Li Wenqing's methods were back then, even with favorable timing, location, and people, it would have been difficult to completely annihilate the Li family.
Upon hearing about the Myriad Soul Yin Ling Banner, Li Wenqing found it difficult to maintain his composure.
He let out a deep sigh, his expression becoming extremely solemn, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
This Chief Clerk, who appeared to be a middle-aged man but was in reality very elderly.
A surge of aura emanated from him.
From a common scholar, he transformed into someone imposing in an instant.
"This matter must be reported to the Prefect."
The weariness on his body gradually receded, as if he had returned to his youth.
Although he had considered retirement in recent years and wished to live out his days in the countryside,
Upon hearing of the Shen Xuan Sect's machinations, the aura he displayed made even Ji Yuan look on with surprise.