Li Wenqing, a mere mortal, now exuded an aura that would make even cultivators of the third realm cast a glance of awe.
He might not have been a good official dedicated to the nation and its people.
But he would not allow anyone to harm the populace and bring devastation to a region!
"Lord Li's integrity is commendable!"
Ji Yuan bowed respectfully, his expression solemn.
With his cultivation level, he could naturally tell that Li Wenqing's words were sincere, a true outpouring of emotion, not just a superficial pretense.
"How do you wish me to cooperate?"
Li Wenqing's eyes flickered as he immediately inquired.
Since the other party had arrived late at night, he surmised they already had a plan and were not merely seeking information.
Ji Yuan smiled faintly. Dealing with intelligent people was indeed easier, saving much trouble.
He did not leave the premises that night.
The two conversed late into the night in the study, even debating multiple times before finally settling on a workable plan.
The next morning, Ji Yuan quietly departed, vanishing into the void.
Li Wenqing stood in the courtyard, gazing up at the clear sky, watching the white clouds drift by.
An old man approached him from behind, his expression seemingly hesitant, but he ultimately remained silent.
"I know what you mean."
After a long silence, Li Wenqing sighed. "The Shenxuan Sect is powerful, and Wu Wei is a ruthless individual."
"However, some things can be observed, while others cannot be allowed to pass."
"I became an official to overthrow the Li family, to avenge my mother, and also to prove myself."
"But those matters are done. It's time to use the little strength I have to do something."
This decision meant he might no longer be able to retire peacefully.
But it seemed that didn't matter. When he embarked on this path, he had already prepared himself for utter ruin.
The current outcome was far better than he had anticipated back then.
Half an hour later, a carriage slowly set off. Li Wenqing sat within, heading towards the Prefectural Governor's mansion.
Meanwhile, Ji Yuan quietly returned to the Mingxin Pavilion and found everyone gathered.
Apart from Qian Nishang, Elder Hong Tian, Cui Yinghong, Shangguan Wuxiang, and Lin Yubai were all present.
"What's wrong?"
He raised an eyebrow, sensing something was amiss.
The expressions on their faces were grave, and they remained silent, creating a heavy atmosphere.
"The identities of those rogue cultivators have been investigated."
Elder Hong Tian sighed, his face filled with a complex emotion.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan slowly pulled out a chair, sat down, and poured himself a cup of spiritual tea.
"Those who attacked us earlier were actually people from the imperial court,"
Hui Yinghong said with displeasure.
Those extremely weak cultivators of the third realm were originally rogue cultivators but were later incorporated into the imperial court.
Because they had broken through by force, their actual combat power was very limited.
However, their cultivation levels were still there, and they could be quite intimidating if they didn't act.
Furthermore, as long as their targets were cultivators below the third realm, they could still maintain an overwhelming advantage.
Thus, such individuals were utilized by the imperial court as spies, forming a specialized organization.
Their purpose was to roam the territories of the Great Yu Dynasty, collecting intelligence from the cultivation world.
Ostensibly, each of them was merely a rogue cultivator or a common unaffiliated practitioner, trying to befriend cultivators from all directions.
The Shenxuan Sect, however, had found one of them and fabricated some lies, deceiving these third-realm cultivators who had pledged allegiance to the court.
"They are all spies from the Chongyuan Prefecture, so we had no information about them,"
Qian Nishang couldn't help but sigh.
If they were strong cultivators from Chongyuan Prefecture, they might have put in some effort to gather intelligence.
But for mere rogue cultivators, no one had the time.
"In that case, the Shenxuan Sect's actions become clear."
Ji Yuan nodded, a rough guess forming in his mind.
Regardless of what means the other party had used to lure these individuals from afar to attack them in Lingyang Prefecture,
The fact that all of them had perished here would make certain matters extremely troublesome.
Qian Nishang further reported that the Prefectural Governor's mansion had sent a message last night, inquiring if they had exterminated a group of cultivators.
The described appearance and the cultivation techniques matched the rogue cultivators who had attacked them.
"Now, people from the imperial court have arrived at the Prefectural Governor's mansion from Chongyuan Prefecture."
Shangguan Wuxiang stated.
These individuals did not belong to any prefecture within Chongyuan Prefecture, nor were they affiliated with the prefectural city.
They were directly under the imperial court, loyal to the high officials in the capital.
Although their rank was half a level lower than a local prefect, their status was considerably higher.
Now, an organization called the Supervisory Division had sent personnel to the Prefectural Governor's mansion in Luoxia Prefecture.
And there were reports that they had contacted their colleagues in Lingyang Prefecture and would jointly exert pressure here.
"If I'm not mistaken, they likely believe us to be members of the Wangsheng Tower."
Ji Yuan chuckled lightly, already guessing their intentions.
It seemed the Supervisory Division of Chongyuan Prefecture had an intricate relationship with the Shenxuan Sect.
At the very least, one of their influential figures must have had some unsavory connections with it.
Otherwise, how could a few fabricated words deceive more than ten cultivators into traveling such a long distance to ambush them?
"The political maneuvering will be handled by the Prefectural Governor,"
Ji Yuan pondered, then said with a grave expression, "What we need to do is deal with the people from the Shenxuan Sect."
If they could capture one or two, it would be excellent, serving as evidence to expose certain hidden matters.
If such an opportunity did not arise, they would have to find a way to kill them all.
Allowing even one Shenxuan Sect member to escape would become a significant trouble for them.
Especially since Ji Yuan and Mingxin Pavilion would constantly have to guard against them plotting something out of resentment in the shadows.
"Once the Shenxuan Sect cultivators are eliminated, the Supervisory Division will naturally choose to withdraw,"
Elder Hong Tian nodded slightly.
Without the backing of the Shenxuan Sect, how would a few members of the Supervisory Division dare to confront them?
After all, over ten cultivators under their command had perished in one go.
Not to mention the scale of Mingxin Pavilion, coupled with the reputation of the Jiuxuan Gate.
Even the Supervisory Division of Lingyang Prefecture would not willingly antagonize them unless absolutely necessary.
"However, it seems Chongyuan Prefecture is in for major changes!"
Lin Yubai couldn't help but exclaim.
Even the Supervisory Division had been bribed by the Shenxuan Sect and turned into a tool for their wickedness.
It was hard to imagine the extent to which this sect had infiltrated Chongyuan Prefecture.
And the current situation suggested that there must be high-ranking figures within the Shenxuan Sect who had already defected to or collaborated with the Wangsheng Tower.