The stolen magic is a bit magical

"Very good, Captain Zhang, take this box and let's set off now to deliver it to His Majesty!"

"Yes!" Zhang Tao took the document. "Sir, are you going to spend the night in Xijiang?"

"Yes!"

Lin Xiaosu's gaze fell upon a city dozens of miles away.

That place is very old; it is Xijiang Prefecture, a prefecture near Ningcheng, the capital of Huzhou.

"My lord, is it time to change the prefect again after entering Xijiang tonight?" Fu Fu asked.

The people around almost burst out laughing.

This girl, she changes prefects all the time, and then she goes on and on again...

But everyone was professionally trained and held back their laughter.

Lin Xiaosu laughed: "Let's not bother with this tonight, let's go!"

Zhang Tao took off and shot towards the capital.

As the captain of the guards, he turned himself into a courier delivering goods between two places, and he became more and more addicted to it.

Most importantly, he wasn't worried at all about anything happening to the people he was protecting.

Because this person's cultivation level is getting stronger and stronger.

Zhang Tao witnessed him dominating the battlefield, his swordsmanship and footwork were beyond Zhang Tao's reach. What was the point of a master like him, a mere captain of guards, protecting him?
In any case, even someone at the Enlightenment Realm couldn't kill him in one strike.

Once they get entangled, the mad wolf will arrive.

Mad Wolf's true combat strength is even greater than his.

With the addition of three thousand troops, it's safe to say that no Wu Gui could possibly kill him.

To kill him, one must be a master of the realm.

If Zhijing were to appear, Zhang Tao's presence or absence would be of no consequence; whether he is present or not would be meaningless.

So he went to the capital with peace of mind, presented the emperor with a large sum of money, and made the emperor happy again...

Zhang Tao is growing to like this man more and more.

He could foresee that this person would face a great storm in the future, and the biggest storm might come from His Majesty.

The only thing Zhang Tao could do for him right now was to keep making His Majesty happy and increase his value in His Majesty's eyes. This money might just buy Lord Su's life—at least it would make His Majesty hesitate and consider things more when weighing whether or not to get rid of him.

Lin Xiaosu led an army of three thousand to Xijiang.

This sparked a revolutionary frenzy in the Xijiang region.

The Qingxuan Sect's stronghold in Xijiang was wiped out overnight. All the property they had seized was either returned to its original owners or, following the example of the Fuyou Mansion, confiscated by the government and rented out to the displaced people at a fair price. All the remaining wealth was distributed to the people.

The people of Xijiang had dreamt for five days and five nights, and on this day, it all came true.

Everyone went crazy, kneeling on the ground and shouting that His Majesty was wise.

People from other prefectures were inquiring everywhere: When would Lord Su go to Hedong Prefecture? When would he go to Qingjiang Prefecture? When would he go to Luoshan Prefecture...?

This is the reaction from the very bottom.

The reactions of ordinary people are the most genuine.

This imperial envoy visited three prefectures, allowing the people of those prefectures to see clear skies and feel the boundless grace of the Emperor, a grace their ancestors had never experienced before. They said, "If only I could visit their prefectures!"

While on the warship, Mad Wolf heard the cries from the people. A voice reached out to Lin Xiaosu: "My lord, have you heard the cries from the people? Countless people from other prefectures are hoping that you will visit their prefectures."

Lin Xiaosu laughed: "The common people are all looking forward to me visiting their residences, while the officialdom and the cultivation world are all hoping that I won't visit their residences. Isn't that strange?"

"What's so strange about that? It's just a conflict of interest between the beneficiaries and the losers!" Mad Wolf said. "There's another strange thing, I wonder if you've noticed it, sir."

"what?"

"The leading official in the government office over there is wearing the robes of a fifth-rank official, not a fourth-rank one!" Mad Wolf said.

Lin Xiaosu raised her eyes and landed on the prefectural government office. She then descended from the sky and landed in the prefectural government office.

A group of officials bowed to him simultaneously.

"He Yunqi, Assistant Magistrate of Xijiang, and Li Sinan, Vice Prefect of Xijiang, greet Lord Su, the Chief Inspector!" said the two fifth-rank officials at the front.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!" a group of officials behind him said in unison.

"Where is the Prefect?" Lin Xiaosu asked.

"Prefect Zhang is in Shangqiu. Please stay here first, and I will go to Shangqiu immediately to welcome him back," said Assistant Prefect He Yunqi.

An official behind him added, “Your Excellency, our Xijiang Prefecture is a bit different from other prefectures. Our Prefect is so engrossed in the countryside that he doesn’t really manage affairs. When high-ranking officials from the court come to Xijiang, it is always the Assistant Prefect who receives them.”

"Nonsense!" Tongzhi He Yunqi interrupted directly: "Families have family rules, and countries have national laws. The Prefect is the head of the prefecture. How can he overstep his authority?"

The official suddenly knelt down: "This humble official misspoke! Please forgive me, Your Excellency!"

His back was completely soaked.

Lin Xiaosu waved his hand gently: "Since this is the custom, I will follow it. There is no need for you, Assistant Magistrate, to go to Shangqiu to welcome the Prefect. I will rest first, and when I need to contact your officials, I will summon you."

"As you command, Your Excellency!" The prefect and his entourage accepted the order.

"Let's go!" Lin Xiaosu moved her feet, stepped into the air, and landed on the tallest restaurant.

That was where he stayed.

Upon reaching the top of the restaurant, Fufu, acting like the mistress of the house, went to arrange dinner and accommodation for her young master (the husband who had not yet "entered the family").

Mad Wolf stood on the rooftop, guarding Lin Xiaosu.

This job originally belonged to Zhang Tao, but since he went to the capital to deliver packages, she naturally took over and became his personal bodyguard tonight.

Lin Xiaosu sat in a pavilion on the rooftop.

Mad Wolf plopped down on the ground.

This may seem impolite, but it's the most polite way to handle the specific situation because she's so tall, nearly ten meters. If Lin Xiaosu were to stand and try to talk to her, her neck would really get sore.

"My lord, what are your plans for dealing with the officialdom in Xijiang?" Mad Wolf transmitted his voice.

In officialdom, this is the difference between how Xijiang handled things and how the other two prefectures did.

In the previous two prefectures, Fuyao and Linjiang, he communicated with His Majesty on the spot and changed two prefects on the spot.

Tonight in Xijiang, this procedure was not followed because the prefect was not present.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "You have already noticed the key point in the officialdom of Xijiang. What greets us is not the prefect, but the assistant prefect and his colleagues from Xijiang."

What does this mean?

"This shows that the situation in the officialdom of Xijiang is different from other places..."

Lin Xiaosu's story begins here...

Zhang Yiran, the prefect of Xijiang, would be just another face in the crowd in today's officialdom, seemingly not doing very well.

However, if we push the timeline back twenty years, he is no simple man.

He was the top scholar in the imperial examination that year!

Back then, when he rode through the streets of the desolate capital, drawing crowds of thousands, what a spirited and exhilarating moment he was! His poems and essays spread throughout the land, what a captivating and romantic figure he was! Three hundred noble families and countless powerful forces vied to extend olive branches, hoping to forge a marriage alliance with him, what an honor that was!

However, over a long period of time, this person became increasingly destitute.

Why did he end up in such a sorry state?
It was because he rejected Zhou He's kindness.

Zhou He was a first-rank official, the Grand Master of the Left, and the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. When Zhang Yiran became the top scholar in the imperial examination, he took the initiative to send someone to offer his daughter to him in marriage.

This is a tremendous life event that many newly appointed top scorers will encounter: the day their names are inscribed on the golden list, the day they are favored by the emperor.

But he refused.

The reason given was that he already had a wife. During his years of hard study, she never complained about his poverty and accompanied him through the most difficult and longest period of his life. If he were to abandon his wife after becoming successful, he would be worse than an animal.

This historical record is widely circulated among the people and has even been incorporated into paintings, poems, and articles.

His reputation was at its zenith, but he met his demise in officialdom.

He was sent down from the Hanlin Academy to become a fourth-rank Sima in Huzhou, and then from a fourth-rank Sima to a fourth-rank Prefect. It seems that his official position is rising, but his career path is declining. This is a typical case of a promotion in name only.

More importantly, he had no real power in Xijiang Prefecture; everyone treated him as a mascot in the officialdom.

Why did this situation arise?
It is related to Prefect Song Yuncang.

Song Yuncang and Zhang Yiran were both Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). Zhang Yiran was the top scholar, while Song Yuncang was only a Tongjinshi. What is a Tongjinshi? It means that someone was not admitted to the imperial examinations, but because the court needed officials, a few people with relatively good scores in the back row were granted the title of "Jinshi" and enjoyed the same treatment as Jinshi.

This person is not good at studying, but is very good at climbing the social ladder.

So, more than twenty years later, he became a second-rank prefect, while the top scholar he once looked up to was now a prefect under his command.

This person has been suppressing his former idol for a long time. He rejects all of Zhang Yiran's suggestions. Other prefectures receive preferential treatment in terms of resources and good things, but everything goes wrong in Xijiang Prefecture.

Over time, the officials of the prefecture also figured out the trick.

So, in Xijiang Prefecture, the only way to advance is to go against the prefect!

As a result, these officials went against the prefect one by one.

The prefect couldn't get anything done, and the officials he wanted to get rid of were all promoted...

So what can this prefect do?
That's why he was so engrossed in rural life, taking his first wife, whom he had brought from a humble dwelling, with him, and neglecting political affairs.

Therefore, although it appears that the prefect is in charge of Xijiang at present, it is actually the assistant prefect who closely follows the prefect Song Yuncang who is in charge.

Lin Xiaosu was talking about these things on the rooftop, and Kuanglang was dumbfounded.

She finally realized that going to Jiangnan was not just a "trip". This official had done a lot of research before going to Jiangnan. He seemed to have a comprehensive understanding of the officials in various prefectures and counties in Jiangnan.

She let out a soft breath: "Just now, that official said that when high-ranking officials from the imperial court come to Xijiang, it is always the deputy prefect who receives them. It turns out that what he said was true."

"That's true, but did you notice that the prefectural magistrate sternly reprimanded that sycophantic official? That's also true!" A mysterious smile played on Lin Xiaosu's lips.

"The scolding was real? No way? He probably likes hearing that kind of talk," said Mad Wolf.

Although she didn't pay much attention to officialdom, as the leader of a branch of the Zhen Tian Pavilion, she was not unfamiliar with it. Holding a high position and wielding great power in officialdom was something everyone was proud of. How could she not like this topic?
"Whether you like this kind of topic or not depends on the time and the person!" Lin Xiaosu said. "In the past, he would certainly like people to treat him as the master of Xijiang, but tonight, he is eager to distance himself from the relationship. He sincerely hopes that I will treat him as a scrap."

Mad Wolf's eyes flashed: "Because Xijiang has been in such a mess in recent years, he is worried that he will follow in the footsteps of the previous two prefects. He urgently needs this Prefect Zhang to be the scapegoat."

“Yes, that’s the irony of it all!” Lin Xiaosu said, “When things are peaceful and prosperous, they all sideline Zhang Yiran, but when it comes to taking responsibility, Zhang Yiran is the obvious scapegoat!”

"So... your Xijiang Prefecture's handling of this matter will be completely different from the previous two prefectures! You will do everything in your power to protect this Prefect Zhang!" Mad Wolf finally truly understood the story Lin Xiaosu had just told...

Lin Xiaosu slowly shook her head...

He shook his head!

Mad Wolf's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that this top scholar had ultimately failed to escape the downhill path of life?

Does this mean that in his life, there was never a lowest point, only an even lower one?

This is really unfair.

After all, the tragedy of this top scholar's life began because he did not abandon his wife who had shared his hardships. This quality is something that Kuanglang admires very much, and it is also the most touching knot in Kuanglang's heart throughout his life.

It all stemmed from her father, Li Yafu, the head of the Military Hall.

Li Yafu initially got together with his mother, but later, for the sake of his political future, he abandoned her and chose the daughter of a court official who was more helpful to him as his wife, taking a completely opposite path to this top scholar.

The fact that she has never called this man "father" over the years is clear evidence that she does not approve of the "father" approach.

That's why she began to have some respect for this principled and conscientious top scholar.

Lin Xiaosu said, "You need to have a broader perspective when looking at problems. You should understand that the problem in Xijiang is not Xijiang itself, but the higher-ups!"

Mad Wolf's heart pounded.

She truly understood.

The problem in Xijiang has nothing to do with the prefect, nor with whether he protects the prefect or not; it comes from the prefect Song Yuncang.

As long as Song Yuncang remains in the position of prefect, no matter how much you try to protect him, it will be useless.

Under Song Yuncang's suppression, Zhang Yiran has no chance of ever getting ahead.

Even if he escapes this calamity, he will only ever be a humble countryman.

He was pointing the finger directly at the prefect!

This finger strike is truly extraordinary.

The prefect was a high-ranking official of the second rank.

You, Lord Su, are only a fourth-rank official.

Four levels apart!

When you go down to the south of the Yangtze River, you can manipulate things at will. For a prefect of the same rank as you, encountering you is like encountering a ghost. However, there are rules in officialdom. For a mere fourth-rank official like you to try to become a second-rank official is simply like throwing an egg against a rock.

Don't assume His Majesty will always listen to you.

The reason people followed your lead was because the prefect you were targeting held no weight in His Majesty's eyes.

As for the second-rank prefect, he was the head of a prefecture and had deep roots in the court. A single move by him could have far-reaching consequences, and His Majesty dared not act rashly.

Fufu came over: "Dinner is ready."

After Lin Xiaosu finished dinner, she went into the bedroom, drew all the curtains, and then jumped up and threw herself into Lin Xiaosu's arms: "Brother Su, let me touch you..."

"Huh? They've come to take my soul again?" Lin Xiaosu was speechless.

"No...it really isn't, dear brother, you'll know if you touch it, there's a really, really big surprise..." Fu Fu whispered excitedly in his ear.

Lin Xiaosu's finger followed the direction of the finger, but as usual, it veered off course. Fufu trembled all over and cried out familiarly, "Behind you, behind you, you bad brother, I'll bite you..."

Upon touching it from behind, Lin Xiaosu's heart raced: "The seventh one is emerging!"

"Um, my mom... um, no, my eldest sister would be absolutely dumbfounded if she knew I'd sprouted a seventh spirit tail..."

Yes, Fu Fu, on the seventh day of his journey to Jiangnan, sprouted his seventh spirit tail.

The seventh spirit tail may seem like just one more, but it is of extraordinary significance. It means that the door to creation that Lin Xiaosu opened for her was not just about stimulating her to grow a spirit tail, but rather it still retains its continuity. Her spirit tails will continue to grow one after another.

The nine-tailed prodigy that the entire Qingqiu Fox Clan has been dreaming of has finally become a reality!

This is a momentous event of epoch-making significance for the entire Qingqiu.

This is something Fufu herself is also looking forward to. She told Lin Xiaosu, panting, "At this rate, in two months at most, I can really give you my body... Good brother, aren't you happy?"

"happy!"

"Then kiss..."

"No, you're too alluring, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist and will shatter Qingqiu's hopes," Lin Xiaosu said. "I'd better go into seclusion!"

He tossed Fufu onto the bed and plopped down on his own.

This sitting down marked the start of the biggest project on his path of cultivation...

Batch after batch of Yuan Crystals were sent into the spatial turbulence, transforming into energy that permeated his entire body. His internal true qi was continuously compressed, and his internal true essence was continuously increasing...

From the sacral region to every cell in the body, replenishing little by little, bit by bit...

The string that leads to enlightenment is drawing ever closer, inch by inch.

This is like the meticulous and thorough preparations for a rocket launch. The rocket is only missing the final step: ignition!
Lin Xiaosu didn't rush to light the fire. He examined his entire body, from the top of his head to his sacrum, every meridian, every cell...

On the same night, Ningcheng, the capital of Huzhou, had already fallen asleep.

The city is shaped like a crescent moon, embracing a lake named Moon Lake.

In the center of Moon Lake lies an island called Moon Gazing Island, where pavilions and towers stand—the renowned Huzhou Heart Pavilion, a landmark of the entire Great Wilderness.

Heart Pavilions are scattered throughout the world. There are eight Heart Pavilions within the Great Wilderness Kingdom (seven remain after the Heart Pavilion in the capital was destroyed). Lake Pavilion is considered to be of a relatively large scale because it is the only pavilion in Jiangnan. Pavilion Master Lei Zhentian is no longer as relaxed and carefree as before. He stands in a pavilion with a gloomy face. Opposite him is a figure that is both real and illusory. The outline of this person is clearly Night Lord.

“Dongxuan failed to observe properly, Bapan was ruined by arrogance, and Qingxuan truly embodies the danger of Su Ze.” Lei Zhentian breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's right!" Ye Jun said, "If it were just a warship formation, we could still break his formation. However, this boy's mastery of formations is extremely bizarre. He only needs thirty-six Enlightened Bodies to construct such a large formation. These thirty-six Enlightened Bodies can disguise themselves, become invisible, appear and disappear unpredictably, and are flexible and mobile, making them impossible to defend against."

"Exactly! The most terrifying thing about this kid is that he's impossible to guard against!" Lei Zhentian said, "What's your plan?"

"The dog emperor's plans for this trip to Jiangnan were not originally this grand. We all underestimated this man surnamed Su. It was he who gradually made the situation so dire. He is actually the true mastermind behind this trip to Jiangnan!" Ye Jun said.

"I have an idea!" Lei Zhentian's eyes flashed.

"I have the same idea as you!" Ye Jun said, "However, this boy is in the military camp, with two great masters, Zhang Tao and Kuang Lang, by his side. I cannot get close to him. I need to think of a way to lure him out alone!"

Lei Zhentian did not explicitly state his thoughts.

Ye Jun did not say it explicitly.

However, based on their conversation, it is clear that their plan at this moment is to hunt down Lin Xiaosu!
It was Lin Xiaosu who suggested that His Majesty go on a trip to the south.

His Majesty's original intention in traveling to the south of the Yangtze River was absolutely not so wild.

This news came from the imperial court; it is absolutely true.

Things have come to this point not because of His Majesty, nor even because of the trip to Jiangnan, but because of this imperial envoy named Su Lin.

His every step, not to mention shaking the entire Jiangnan region, even deeply shocked His Majesty. Now, everyone has been dragged into this abyss step by step, and there is no turning back for anyone.

Including His Majesty himself.

Therefore, the real key person is Lin Xiaosu.

If we kill him and stir things up in the imperial court, this army heading south will be leaderless and ultimately come to nothing.

However, killing this imperial envoy would be incredibly difficult.

He was a master himself. He had personally killed four or five masters of the Enlightenment Realm. Even though these masters were suppressed by the formation when he killed them, he was able to kill them with one strike, which fully demonstrates that he was a master of the same level as Kuanglang and Zhang Tao.

Such experts could withstand a single blow from Wu Gui.

With the three masters together, it would be impossible for any one of them, Wu Gui, to assassinate him.

Because you can't kill with a single blow.

If an assassination attempt fails to kill the target in one strike, it will lead to encirclement by a large army.

Therefore, assassination is extremely difficult.

That's why Ye Jun said that they had to find a way to lure him out.

As long as he breaks away from the main force, Lei Zhentian can easily kill him, and so can Ye Jun.

"Luring him out won't be easy either!" Lei Zhentian said. "This kid is very shrewd. He knows that there are countless people in Jiangnan who want to kill him. How could he be willing to risk his life alone?"

“Things are not absolute. After the destruction of Dongxuan, he once traveled around with his concubines. However, we did not have a contingency plan at the time and missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Ningcheng, the capital of Huzhou, is an elegant place. He may travel there again. As long as we keep an eye on him, we will surely find an opportunity.”

Lei Zhentian slowly shook his head: "Faced with someone like this, we can't gamble that he'll make a basic mistake. However, we can create opportunities. For example, he might visit Zhang Yiran in Shangqiu tomorrow..."

Ye Jun's eyes suddenly lit up!

Lei Zhentian stared into his eyes: "You also think tomorrow is a good opportunity?"

"No!" Ye Jun interrupted him: "You just said that he wouldn't make any silly mistakes, but that's probably not true. He left the inn alone."

"Alone?" Lei Zhentian exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes! Alone!"

"Zhang Tao isn't here either?"

"Zhang Tao has gone to the capital and won't be back until tomorrow morning!"

"A golden opportunity!" Lei Zhentian exclaimed. "Find out where he went immediately! Right now!"

"Don't worry! 'Shadow's' tracking ability is unmatched in the world. No matter how masterful his Yin-Yang Steps are, 'Shadow' can still find him..." Ye Jun also smiled.

His name is Ye Jun, and he is the Dark Night King.

Darkness is his domain.

His shadow was the absolute ruler of the darkness. (End of Chapter)