Bayue Weiban

Chapter 409 The Key Lies Here

As the thought surfaced in his mind, Jiang Yunzhou disregarded everything else and immediately employed his divine methods.

In just a few breaths, gentle divine light enveloped the entire county yamen, and before astonished gazes, his figure was already suspended in mid-air.

Before long, the county magistrate Zhang Qingyang and three military officers rushed over. Upon learning of the cause and effect, they breathed a sigh of relief, but also couldn't help but frown.

If, as the Nine Xuan Sect disciples claimed, the City God was likely hidden within the county yamen, it would mean that a past county magistrate had long ago become corrupted by greed.

And if even the county magistrate was manipulated, it was imaginable how deeply Linfu County had been infiltrated, with likely many unknown matters still lurking.

After a long while, the divine light that had enveloped the county yamen dissipated. Jiang Yunzhou then, with the utmost speed, descended before the largely collapsed courtroom.

Ji Yuan and the others hurried over, only to see him using divine power to clear the debris from the ground.

Soon, an open space was cleared. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Jiang Yunzhou slowly pressed his hand forward. Then, divine power converged, and the ground where the courtroom had stood began to open a hole, bit by bit.

A complex and profound array pattern flashed and vanished, directly shattered by the powerful divine force. Immediately, a faint divine aura emanated from the opening beneath the courtroom.

Witnessing this, everyone's hearts were greatly shaken, never expecting that there was indeed another world hidden within the county yamen!

Jiang Yunzhou was the first to enter the underground passage, followed closely by Ji Yuan and Lin Yubai. County Magistrate Zhang Qingyang, seeing this, led the military officers beside him to follow.

No one could have imagined that beneath the courtroom of the county yamen, a secret chamber was hidden, and that it even imprisoned the City God who had been missing for a hundred years, along with his subordinate spirit officials!

"Audacious!"

A military officer let out a cold snort, anger already rising in his eyes.

Harm innocent people, abduct deities, and manipulate the government – there seemed to be nothing the mastermind dared not do!

"It seems the River God's sudden outburst was a command to silence them," Ji Yuan said in a deep voice, his mind forming a general guess.

It was likely that the City God held some crucial clue, and with the current situation becoming increasingly unfavorable to the mastermind, they could only resort to extreme measures and issue a kill order.

However, the other party probably didn't expect that while the ritual was at its critical juncture, a peak third-realm existence was hidden within the county yamen. Otherwise, with the River God's cultivation and realm, he would have been able to slaughter everyone present and erase all traces.

Under their gaze, Jiang Yunzhou employed his methods to remove the restrictions on the City God and his spirit officials. However, the deities did not awaken, remaining in a deep slumber.

It was understandable. After being away from their statues for a hundred years, with no incense or votive offerings to nourish them, it was already a testament to their strong cultivation that they could maintain their forms without collapsing.

Without any delay, they escorted the unconscious City God and spirit officials back to the City God Pavilion.

Furthermore, County Magistrate Zhang Qingyang immediately mobilized his remaining manpower to spread the news throughout the city, calling upon the populace to contribute incense and votive offerings.

Prior to this, Ji Yuan had led the way in lighting three sticks of incense, sending forth a portion of pure incense and votive offerings, which stabilized the aura of the City God and spirit officials, preventing them from appearing like flickering candles in the wind as they had when first discovered.

Simultaneously, after careful consideration, Zhang Qingyang ordered the county yamen to be moved to the City God Pavilion, partly to protect the still-unawakened City God, and partly because the current yamen was largely destroyed and could no longer be used.

"For a hundred years without the slightest trace of incense or votive offerings, the City God's essence has been nearly depleted," Jiang Yunzhou said solemnly to everyone after placing the deities into their respective statues.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned grim, unable to imagine what the City God and the other deities had endured during these hundred years.

They also realized that with their essence nearly depleted, even with sufficient incense and votive offerings to nourish their divine bodies and weakened souls, it was likely that the City God and the others would not be able to hold on much longer.

"We can only hope that they awaken for a moment before their demise, to reveal what they know." Zhang Qingyang gazed at the statues and murmured to himself.

At his words, no one blamed him for being cold-blooded or utilitarian; the same prayer arose in their hearts.

The demise of the City God and his spirit officials seemed an unchangeable certainty. Now, all they could do was hope that they would awaken before then, to reveal the clues they held about the mastermind.

It was now certain that the City God must have possessed critical intelligence. Otherwise, given his current state, the mastermind would have had no reason to forcibly intervene and completely eradicate him.

After all, even without external interference, the City God likely wouldn't have lasted more than a month or two, and it was unlikely anyone would have guessed he was imprisoned beneath the courtroom of the county yamen.

Everything would have happened silently, with no one noticing.

Yet the mastermind still chose to act, secretly lifting the seal on the River God and causing half of the county yamen to be destroyed.

If Jiang Yunzhou had not been present, the other party might have succeeded!

Criminals who committed evil deeds such as harming innocent people, manipulating officials, and imprisoning deities could not be allowed to escape. They must be brought out from the shadows.

Moreover, even if they were willing to ignore it, the mastermind would likely not cease their actions easily. Matters here could attract the attention of the imperial court at any moment, and the mastermind would certainly need to handle everything properly before then.

Otherwise, without them doing anything, their superiors would unleash their wrath and erase them from this world.

"I implore all of you for your assistance!" County Magistrate Zhang Qingyang took a deep breath, then cupped his fists towards everyone and earnestly requested.

Hearing this, Ji Yuan and the others exchanged glances, then slowly and solemnly nodded. In truth, even if Zhang Qingyang had not spoken, they would have continued in their own way until everything was revealed.

From this day forward, the incense offerings at the City God Temple gradually increased. Under Zhang Qingyang's deliberate arrangements, the story of the River God being manipulated by villains and committing all sorts of wicked deeds was rapidly spread.

And at the end of this tale, it was clearly stated that the City God, now recovered, held clues to the villain's identity, and that once he received sufficient incense and votive offerings to awaken, he would be able to bring the perpetrator to justice.

As a result, a large number of people who revered the River God began flocking to the City God Pavilion to offer incense, making the area's incense offerings unprecedentedly prosperous, reaching a level comparable to the River God Temple and the Water God Temple.

As days passed, the City God Pavilion saw an increase in both overt and covert forces. Even the three hundred elite soldiers stationed outside the city received special permission to enter the city and were arranged both inside and outside the City God Pavilion.

Even more so, some wandering heroes spontaneously gathered around the City God Pavilion, discreetly observing all the incense-offering citizens and commoners who came and went.