Bayue Weiban

Chapter 386 Something is amiss

"This place is somewhat unusual; we should come back to investigate later."

Jiang Yunzhou transmitted his thoughts telepathically, sensing several faint, elusive gazes upon them.

The person orchestrating this situation seemed extremely cautious, having placed informants within the City God’s Temple.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded. It was true that certain actions were difficult to undertake under broad daylight and in full view of the public.

The two then left the area and continued to wander the city, appearing like ordinary travelers.

"If I'm not mistaken, there must be someone from the divine path guiding this from behind the scenes,"

While strolling, Jiang Yunzhou transmitted telepathically, "Otherwise, a mere River God wouldn't be capable of this."

The "divine path cultivator" he mentioned didn't refer to a deity with a condensed divinity, but rather a cultivator who had embarked on that path.

And they were at least a third-realm expert, clearly not lacking in their comprehension of the divine path.

Only then could they have rendered a City God and his subordinate spirit officials powerless and missing without leaving many traces.

"Could the demonic path be involved?"

Ji Yuan suddenly thought of Qianyu City. It was the same there, where Shen Lang, a scholar who had fallen into the demonic path, had gradually eroded it over a long period. No one had noticed anything until the very last moment.

If his lifespan hadn't been nearing its end, forcing him to activate his plan prematurely, he wouldn't have been discovered by Zhao Yuansong and the others.

The demonic path's methods of corrupting the divine path were also extremely potent, capable of causing a City God and his subordinates to fall without a sound.

"It's not impossible, but at present, we haven't found any trace of the demonic path."

Jiang Yunzhou replied, incorporating this possibility into his considerations.

When venturing out, one couldn't be too cautious. As the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry.

As they conversed, the two noticed the sky darkening and returned to their inn.

Only after it was completely dark did they each employ their own methods and quietly return to the City God’s Temple.

Under normal circumstances, their actions would have alerted the local deities. However, after a considerable time, everything remained calm and undisturbed.

"Still can't sense the City God?"

Ji Yuan turned to look, and despite the absence of others, he still transmitted telepathically.

After a while, Jiang Yunzhou slowly nodded, his expression somewhat grave. He had already tried several methods but was still unable to detect any divine power fluctuations, let alone the aura of a deity.

This City God's Temple seemed like an empty shell. Within, there were no traces of the divine path, not even anything suspicious.

Of course, the disappearance of the City God and all the spirit officials was itself the biggest suspicion. Beyond that, however, there seemed to be nothing else.

"To leave no trace here, it would at least require nearly a hundred years, or someone incredibly meticulous and skilled to have erased all evidence."

Jiang Yunzhou transmitted telepathically, indicating he leaned towards the former possibility.

As the residence of a deity, and the very site of their spiritual practice, even the most precise methods couldn't leave absolutely no trace. Only the passage of long years could gradually fade everything.

Ji Yuan frowned, instinctively wanting to seize the informants hiding here and interrogate them thoroughly.

Otherwise, after a hundred years had passed, with no clues, where would they even begin to search for the City God?

However, upon further thought, he dismissed the idea. Although the informant was a somewhat skilled demon, its cultivation was only around the first realm, and its position was likely not high enough to know any insider information.

Rather than alerting the enemy, it would be better to find another way.

For the next few days, the two wandered the city, visiting shops catering to cultivators, experiencing the local customs and traditions, and even sampling many local delicacies.

Despite all this, however, two or three pairs of eyes remained fixed upon them. Even when they returned to the inn, the surveillance didn't slacken.

This situation naturally made the two feel the troublesome nature of the matter. They were surprised by the River God's strong control and extreme caution.

After all, the cultivation levels they were currently displaying were only in the mid-first realm, yet it had already drawn such significant attention.

In their private room at the inn, Ji Yuan stood by the window, gazing at the courtyard landscape, but in reality, he was observing the movements of the surrounding informants.

"I have a feeling something is not right here."

He suddenly said to Jiang Yunzhou behind him.

The room had been sealed with sound-dampening talismans and several restrictions were in place, so they had no fear of being overheard.

The concern he expressed was not baseless. He genuinely felt that the situation had exceeded their initial expectations.

"The first point of suspicion: if this River God were truly capable, he only needed to suppress the City God and the others. There would be no need to abduct them along with their spirit officials."

Seeing Jiang Yunzhou in contemplation, Ji Yuan continued to muse, "Doing so would immediately alert outsiders the moment they arrived."

But even if outsiders could be dealt with, how would they handle the inspectors from the Imperial Observatory?

The disappearance of a deity within the territory was a major issue. For an ordinary, obscure shrine, it might be one thing. But concerning a City God, even if they were willing to pay a great price to bribe the inspectors, who would dare accept the bribe and suppress the matter?

"The second point of suspicion: the county magistrate of this city is no ordinary person. Although he possesses no cultivation, he exudes a strong aura of righteousness. He likely has an extraordinary background."

He continued to muse.

And for such a young scholar with an extraordinary background to suddenly take up the post of county magistrate of Linfu County was itself highly intriguing.

Besides these, there were a third, fourth, and even more points of suspicion, each one something they couldn't currently fathom.

"It seems that to understand the situation here, we must meet that young county magistrate."

Ji Yuan sighed, his decision made.

However, even if he were to meet the young county magistrate, it would not be now. It had to be after they had accomplished something and the timing was ripe.

"Have you considered what high position their contact in the prefecture city holds now?"

Jiang Yunzhou suddenly spoke, pointing out a crucial detail.

Based on the information they had gathered so far, their contact in the prefecture city likely held a position among the top few within the Prefectural Governor's mansion. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had the power to conceal the situation here so effectively.

Only the Prefect or two or three of his closest aides could accomplish this. Each of them held a substantive official position granted by the imperial court.

Perhaps they themselves had no cultivation realm, but with a single command, even a sect with hundreds of years of inheritance could be annihilated in an instant.