Infinite Mask Game.

Chapter 321 The Great Plague Is Coming
In the study, Gu Fuhui and Wei Miao stood obediently in front of the mahogany table, waiting, while Lu Shaoqing flipped through their memorials with an indifferent expression.

He only mentioned the "prophetic poem," implying that they should investigate it as soon as possible, and then dismissed them.

The emperor reviewed memorials to gain timely and comprehensive control over the situation inside and outside the capital. With his eyes and ears open, he had his subordinates to handle various matters for him. All he needed to do was give general instructions.

Wei Miao and Gu Fuhui walked side by side in the alleyway between the palaces, both of them looking quite serious.

Competence is the best form of self-respect. The best way to win Lu Shaoqing's favor is to complete the tasks he assigns brilliantly. Both of them understand this, so they are willing to put aside their differences and discuss cooperation properly.

The two only had conflicts due to their different stances; they didn't actually have much hostility towards each other in their personal relationship.

"The prophetic poem seems to me more like a provocative declaration." Gu Fuhui doesn't like beating around the bush and speaks his mind directly. "Someone deliberately spread this poem, and their intentions need to be verified."

Wei Miao: "On the one hand, it's to create momentum, and on the other hand, it's probably to test the waters and see how many people will be tempted to join in."

At least those in the martial arts world are very interested in this, whether it's to watch the excitement, to make a name for themselves, or perhaps even to take advantage of the chaos.

She continued, "Both the martial arts world and the imperial court will take action. For potential enemies, chaos makes things easier."

“Yes, once the person behind the scenes really makes a move, chaos is inevitable.” Gu Fuhui agreed with her judgment and analyzed, “Judging from the content of the poem, the first two lines are easy to understand. He wants to start a plague in the capital.”

The two men agreed that the incident would be centered in the capital. Provoking trouble in the capital posed the greatest threat to Lu Shaoqing.

Wei Miao shook her head: "We can't defend against it, we can only deal with it as it comes."

While preventing and controlling the epidemic is difficult, it is much easier to infect people with the disease.

Gu Fuhui: "I have already sent someone to invite Yang Zi, the leader of the Mingding Sect, to the capital. He should arrive in about two days."

The Mingding Sect is one of the most renowned sects in the martial arts world, with medical clinics throughout the land and enjoying an extremely high reputation. Its members are skilled in cultivating and processing herbs, and their spiritual power can heal people.

Martial arts can be categorized into four main types based on their application: Swiftness, Powerful Assault, Sealing and Defense, and Harmony. There are also some niche techniques that are difficult to classify.

Martial arts that excel in speed, those that are aggressive and destructive belong to the category of "powerful attack," those that are conservative and defensive belong to the category of "sealing and defending," and those that have healing and recovery properties belong to the category of "pleasure and harmony."

If a martial artist's inner demons align with their martial arts, their training will be twice as effective. For example, inner demons such as timidity and pity are well-suited to the Joyful Martial Arts.

The Mingding Sect's inherited deity is the Heavenly Venerable Jici Jiuku, whose inner demon traits include a fondness for charity, conservatism, excessive optimism, and naivety. The inner demons induced by each deity's image generally share similar traits, and the types of martial arts practiced by the favored warriors are also roughly fixed.

The members of the Mingding Sect mostly practice Yuehe martial arts and practice medicine in the martial arts world, earning them an excellent reputation. The sect leader, Yang Zi, is a medical master who has saved countless lives throughout his life.

If there is a major epidemic in the capital, he will definitely come to lend a hand.

Gu Fuhui had already made arrangements.

He said, "But the meaning of the next four lines of poetry is ambiguous. 'The Purple Star falls into a trap' goes without saying, but the meaning of 'a wicked dragon is born' is hard to understand."

Ziwei, the star of emperors, when it falls into a weak position, signifies the decline of imperial power.

Wei Miao pondered for a moment and said, "Ziwei symbolizes the Emperor, so could the evil dragon also symbolize a person?"

Following this line of thought, Gu Fuhui asked, "The person behind it all?"

The next moment, he overturned this idea: "No, if the mastermind wanted to obtain the Mandate of Heaven, he would not describe himself as a wicked dragon."

"The right to interpret it is in the hands of others; making guesses out of thin air is just a waste of energy." Wei Miao didn't dwell too much on the meaning of the poem; the poem was just a reference for their investigation. "But the last sentence reveals his ambition."

Eliminating evil and wickedness, changing the world. "Heaven" can be seen as the Mandate of Heaven, and "Sun" represents the monarch. The implications of subversion and transformation are obvious.

"To eradicate evil and eliminate wickedness... it seems that you and I both fit the criteria of this phrase." Wei Miao smiled knowingly.

The Imperial Observatory and the Bureau of Imperial Ceremonies were never seen in a positive light; the dark and bloody stereotypes were indelible. People outwardly appeared fearful and respectful, but behind their backs, they would mostly curse them as "lackeys of the imperial court."

While they were indeed ruthless, the two institutions existed primarily as the emperor's front men, tasked with handling thorny issues that couldn't be resolved through conventional means.

The reason of "eliminating evil and treachery" was used by Lu Shaoqing during his uprising, directly targeting the core ministers around Lu Kaiyi. Now, Wei Miao also seems to have become a target of the reformers' purge.

Gu Fuhui sneered: "That depends on whether the person behind it has such ability."

After agreeing to share information, the two were still some distance from leaving the palace.

Wei Miao brought up another matter: "How did the Superintendent of Justice ultimately handle the case of the prefect's assassination?"

Two weeks ago, the prefect of Xunjing City was assassinated, alarming the central government. A prefecture-level administrative region is equivalent to a prefecture-level city in reality. The prefect was a fourth-rank official, in charge of the administration of the prefecture, and was an important local official, a person with a name and status in the system.

He died in an assassination attempt by martial arts practitioners, which crossed the line for the imperial court.

The Imperial Observatory and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau jointly investigated and discovered that a Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the martial arts world) force called "Eight Liang" was also involved.

Eight Taels is the largest assassin organization in the martial arts world, with an unknown leader and a long history. The organization's name comes from a popular anecdote in the martial arts world, supposedly representing the price the original leader charged for his first job. Those who hire a killer have one chance to pay only eight taels of silver out of a hundred.

The assassins are referred to by code names and are scattered throughout the martial arts world. They are divided into three levels: gold, silver, and bronze, and their overall strength should not be underestimated.

Eight Ounces possesses a complex intelligence and communication system. After a buyer places an order, the contact person finds a suitable assassin to carry it out. The success rate is extremely high, and the company has an excellent reputation.

Given equal skill, the bounty on someone from the imperial court is much higher than on someone from the martial arts world. Eight Liang does not accept assassination attempts on the emperor or officials of the third rank or higher; this is a tacit understanding between the imperial court and Eight Liang.

However, although the assassin was a member of the Eight Liang Clan, he was not acting because of the bounty, but because of a past personal grudge. Therefore, the Eight Liang Clan did not provide any protection for him after the assassination.

The matter was of great importance, so Gu Fuhui personally took action to apprehend him and only returned to the capital yesterday. Pei Wenwei, preoccupied with preparing to break through to the Seven Sects, entrusted the matter to his subordinates and did not interfere much, but the whereabouts of the Imperial Observatory were entirely under his control.

“He resisted fiercely and was killed on the spot,” Gu Fuhui replied calmly. “He has an adopted daughter, the daughter of an old friend. Although she helped him resist arrest, she was not unforgivable. After injuring her, he intentionally let her go.”

"Oh? Although it's a reasonable approach, but..." Wei Miao smiled gently, "Isn't Supervisor Gu afraid that one day he'll suffer the consequences?"

Gu Fuhui glanced at her without any surprise and replied, "Cutting weeds and eliminating roots is your style. I only ask to have a clear conscience."

He was originally from the military, a former cavalry general, and sometimes more stubborn than steel bars, with his own principles.

Ultimately, it was because he believed the other party posed no threat. The Seven Families rarely possessed abundant compassion.

"The supervisor is broad-minded and has a grand vision; I can't compare to him."

Gu Fuhui knew that the other party was not taking these words to heart at all, even though the tone sounded very sincere.

After leaving the palace, the two will soon go their separate ways.

Wei Miao suddenly asked, "Who do you think it could be?"

Gu Fuhui met her gaze, knowing what she was asking. His eyes were deep as he uttered the name that was not convenient to mention in the palace: "The former emperor, Lu Kaiyi."