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Chapter 515 Protect Him (12,000 words)

Even today, in the western part of Nanjiang Prefecture under the jurisdiction of Zhengzhou South Zhili, the story of "Yan Qiniang" is still being told.

It is said that she was born into a prominent family and was a renowned talented woman at the age of fourteen, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

But on the night of their wedding, Japanese pirates attacked the city.

Her husband was originally the city's garrison commander, but he was afraid of the enemy and fled in panic, abandoning the city and his family.

On the contrary, Yan Qiniang, dressed in her wedding gown and wielding a sword, climbed to the top of the city wall and organized the local militia to repel the repeated attacks of the Japanese pirates, ultimately saving her homeland.

After that, she became a famous female general in the village and the leader of the resistance against Japanese pirates.

He was undefeated in dozens of battles.

However, her former husband colluded with Japanese pirates to betray her, leading to Yan Qiniang and her subordinates being surrounded and attacked by Japanese pirates ten times their size in a naval battle, ultimately perishing in the sea.

But her spirit did not dissipate and became a deity protecting Nanjiang Prefecture.

Merchants often encountered storms on the river or near the sea, and when it seemed that the ship was about to be destroyed and the people were about to die, "Yan Qiniang" would rise from the storm and use her sleeves to protect the merchant ship and save it from danger.

Another group of people encountered a tiger on the road and were unable to escape. Just as they were about to be devoured, a red shadow suddenly appeared from the sky. The tiger let out a mournful howl and fled in panic.

There was also the scholar who went to the capital to take the imperial examination. He was robbed by bandits in the mountains, who wanted to kill him and throw his body into a ravine.

The scholar cried out, "My life is over!"

But then a sword wrapped in red silk appeared, moving like a dragon, clanging and clattering as it slaughtered the bandits.

It remained suspended above the scholar's head, escorting him out of the desolate mountains.

There are many such incidents.

As a result, "Seven Sisters Shrines" were erected throughout the Nanjiang Prefecture.

The incense is burning brightly.

At first, it was just travelers who came to pray for safety.

Gradually, more patients came seeking medicine.

Another woman came seeking a child...

They actually grant every request!
Suddenly, overnight, evil spirits filled the land, and the world seemed to have undergone some kind of "reversal".

Temples and palaces dedicated to various deities have become gathering places for evil spirits!
Even the "Seven Maidens Shrine" was not spared.

Gradually, legends about "Yan Qiniang" causing harm began to circulate...

The once-protective deity of the village has become the biggest evil spirit in the area!

The legends surrounding her became chaotic, with both good and bad aspects, and the time and place were confused, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Ge Bei'er's grandmother had no children, so she prayed for a child at the "Seven Sisters Shrine" and finally gave birth to Ge Bei'er's father.

Therefore, Grandma never believed the rumors outside and firmly believed that "Seventh Grandma" would never fall into depravity and bring disaster to the village.

Ge Bei'er was raised by his grandmother from a young age. His grandmother told him the legend of "Yan Qiniang" over and over again.

In Ge Bei'er's heart, the image of "Yan Qiniang" was incomparably glorious and magnificent.

When he grew older and more sensible, he developed a liking for those chivalrous folk tales.

He had some wealth, so he bought many books of this kind.

He stumbled upon the story of "Yan Qiniang" that had been turned into a storybook by many storytellers. He became very interested and collected almost all the related books on the market.

He continuously researched the life of "Yan Qiniang" and the legends surrounding her death.

The image of "Yan Qiniang" became more and more complete in his mind, and was no longer just a vague legend.

Once he entered the sect, he chose "divine cultivation".

He firmly believes that "Yan Qiniang" is a real person.

Only those who are "divine cultivators" have a chance to find Yan Qiniang.

He never married or had children.

Whether it's his parents or relatives and friends, when asked, he always says that he is engrossed in cultivation and has no intention of starting a family before reaching the sixth level of cultivation.

The truth is, Ge Bei'er felt that no woman in the world could compare to Yan Qiniang.

By the time he turned thirty-five, he had finally become a sixth-rate person.

He then began searching for "Yan Qiniang".

Five years later, he finally found it.

But being only a sixth-rate person, he was unable to subdue "Yan Qiniang".

At this point, "Yan Qiniang" had indeed degenerated into a terrifying evil spirit!

But Ge Bei'er didn't "dislike" it; he felt that the problem lay with the era, not with Qi Niang.

Three years later, he worked his hardest to advance to the fifth rank.

In fact, his foundation was already somewhat unstable when he was promoted to the fifth rank.

It was a risky gamble, because he couldn't wait any longer.

Even though Qi Niang tried her best to suppress her madness, she had already become wicked and was doing more and more evil. Ge Bei'er felt that she could not watch her fall into depravity any longer!
After being demoted to a low-ranking official, he did everything in his power to recruit "Yan Qiniang" as his underworld general.

He was severely injured in the battle.

He couldn't bear to hurt Seventh Sister, but Seventh Sister was already an evil spirit and would show no mercy to him!

Then, Ge Bei'er began to pretend to be a "gentleman" in front of Qi Niang.

I've been pretending for two whole years, but I couldn't resist...

He found an excuse to discuss with Seven Sister: I have a powerful enemy that I can't defeat.

I need your help.

We need to work together perfectly to have a chance of defeating the other side.

If I lose, that bastard will kill my whole family!

Qi Niang shyly agreed.

Therefore, they practiced dual cultivation.

Ge Bei'er truly enjoyed a carefree and joyful life during that period.

As a result, when the "powerful enemy" arrived, after the battle, Qi Niang discovered that she was no longer "outmatched" because Ge Bei'er could easily subdue her opponent...

But the two of them kept their feelings to themselves and remained deeply in love.

Although Ge Bei'er knew that doing so was dangerous and had always been careful to control it, it happened too many times... and eventually she made a mistake.

That's how it ended up like this.

Lu Chenghuang stared with his bull-like eyes, stroking his beard, and after listening to Ge Beier's story, he smacked his lips.

He couldn't understand.

Lu Chenghuang has spent his life on the battlefield and has never had time for romance.

I just think, aren't all women the same?
"Ahem!" He coughed lightly. "I can't sort out all your troubles. Since you've already made your decision, I'll lend you a hand."

"come."

As soon as the City God shouted, a phantom figure descended from the statue of the clerk beside him.

"grown ups."

Lu Chenghuang pointed at Ge Beier and Yan Qiniang: "Get the paperwork done for them."

The clerk hesitated for a moment: "This matter... is somewhat against the rules."

Xu Yuan secretly grinned.

This is about controlling oneself.

However, since he had brought Ge Bei'er himself, Xu Yuan couldn't just leave her bewildered: "How about this, we can lend you that extraterrestrial stone for another month."

Lu Chenghuang grinned widely, saying insincerely, "Brother, you're overthinking it. We had absolutely no such intention..."

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "Lord City God, please don't refuse. It's settled then."

The City God glared at his subordinates and said, "Hurry up and get to it."

The clerk then took out a document and asked for the birth dates and times of both the man and woman.

Yan Qiniang is indeed over three hundred years old...

After Zuo Dianli finished writing, he unfolded the book in front of Ge Beier and Yan Qiniang so that they could see it clearly: "I'll ask you one last time, have you thought it through? It's not too late to back out now."

The two shook their heads together: "We have no regrets, we only ask that you grant our request."

The clerk then switched to a different pen—a pen that Xu Yuan recognized; it was also a cross-checking pen!
The clerk on the left used his pen to mark a line above the heads of the two men.

He then drew out the souls of the two men, leaving a gray mark on each of them on the book.

This is the same as pressing a handprint in the mortal world.

Then, the Left Clerk bowed to the City God and said, "This humble official will go back for a while."

The phantom sank down and disappeared.

After waiting for a moment, Xu Yuan suddenly saw that a dark silver light, like spring water or blood, gushed out from Ge Bei'er and Yan Qiniang at the same time.

The light merged together, then split in two, each returning to the two people's bodies.

Lu Chenghuang clapped his hands and laughed, "It's done!"

Before long, the figure of the Left Clerk emerged from the ground, waving his chopping pen:
The two illusory marriage certificates fell into the bodies of Ge Bei'er and Yan Qiniang respectively.

The clerk said, "That's settled then."

However, Ge Bei'er's condition did not improve, and Xu Yuan looked at Lu Chenghuang with suspicion.

Lu Chenghuang shrugged: "I'll have to lend a hand, brother."

He came to the two of them, with his hands behind his back and his belly protruding. He circled around them once and then once, carefully observing them before stopping on Yan Qiniang's side. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Yan Qiniang's ear.

Everyone was shocked. Yan Qiniang subconsciously raised her hand—the pale blue jade hand instantly turned bluish-black, and a ghostly claw more than a foot long quickly extended from her five fingers!

But Lu Chenghuang snorted coldly and immobilized Yan Qiniang.

Lu Chenghuang blew a breath.

The air was filled with vibrant colors.

He blew something into the ear of Qiniang, who was being held by him, causing her body to sway and the substance to travel to the hand that Qiniang and Ge Beier were holding.

The "marriage certificate" inside the two people's bodies glowed.

These "things" then passed through both hands and entered Ge Bei'er's body.

Ge Bei'er immediately perked up.
A dazzling light emanated from its body...

Xu Yuan looked at this light and felt that it looked familiar—as if there was a similar light in the deep void!
Lu Chenghuang took another breath, which returned to his abdomen.

Seeing her young lover become younger and his physical condition improve, Yan Qiniang was so happy that she knelt down again with a thud: "Thank you, my lord!"

Ge Bei'er also knelt down: "Your Excellency has shown us, my husband and I, the greatest kindness!"

Lu Chenghuang didn't seem to care much about them, waving his hand and saying, "It's all because of my brother Xu."

The couple went to pay their respects to Xu Yuan again—Xu Yuan was startled and quickly helped them up.

You two are over fifty and over three hundred, and you come to worship me, who is not even twenty. Do you want me to shorten my lifespan?

“No, that won’t do.” Xu Yuan then said to the two of them, “The City God and I still have some matters to discuss. You two seniors should return to the yamen first.”

Yan Qiniang was extremely reserved in front of the City God and the underworld officials, so Ge ​​Beier took her back first.

Walking at night was of course no problem for Ge Bei'er, who had already recovered to her fifth-rate strength.

Lu Chenghuang chuckled and asked, "What is it, brother?"

Bringing the quilt was just an excuse.

Moreover, Xu Yuan had indeed promised to help, so he did it as well.

With Ge Bei'er as a pretext, the negotiations with Lu Chenghuang went much more smoothly.

Xu Yuan then truthfully recounted the situation of those great evil spirits in the turbid realm.

This is something that cannot be hidden.

Otherwise, the City God would think: You're closer to those evil spirits than to me, your brother.

Lu Chenghuang scratched his beard again and asked, "Brother, what are you thinking? Are you going to stand up for those good-for-nothings?"

“Absolutely not.” Xu Yuan immediately denied it: “Firstly, they gave me some benefits, so I came to ask.”

Secondly... after all, this is on my Champa territory, and I want to get to the bottom of this myself.”

We are now in a cooperative relationship.

Moreover, the cooperation has been quite pleasant so far.

Lu Chenghuang hesitated for a moment, his eyes constantly glancing towards the left clerk.

He was undecided and wanted his staff to give him some advice.

The clerk could only cough and say, "If my lord wants to say something, how can I stop him?"

"Hahaha!" Lu Chenghuang laughed and said to Xu Yuan, "Most of the things sold at the old market in Xiaoxi Temple are available in our underworld, and at much lower prices."

I borrowed the flying stone from outer space from my younger brother to make their movements easier.

But my brothers aren't setting up stalls over there to make money; they're looking for something.

He paused for a moment, then said apologetically, "As for what I'm looking for, I really can't say. And it's very likely that if I say it, that thing will be able to sense it."

Xu Yuan frowned, and decided not to press the matter further.

Lu Chenghuang assured him, "Brother, rest assured, if we find this thing, it will only benefit the mortal world and not harm it."

He considered it for a moment, then gritted his teeth and whispered in Xu Yuan's ear, "Perhaps we can wipe out the entire Champa Zhuojian!"

A glint flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes, and his lips moved as if to press for more information—but Lu Chenghuang had already pressed down on his shoulder and whispered, "Brother, we must not say any more. Neither you nor I should discuss this matter further, or we will reveal heavenly secrets!"

Xu Yuan nodded slowly.

I am still deeply moved.

To simply wipe out the Champa slumbering?!

What does this mean?
This means that after two hundred years, our Ming Dynasty is finally about to have a city free from evil spirits!
The reason why evil spirits cannot be completely eradicated in the city is that the mortal realm is right behind the mortal realm, and those evil spirits always find a way to sneak in.

Xu Yuan just couldn't understand why something so important would be at the old market.
Xu Yuan didn't ask about that thing again.

"Brother Lu, how should I respond to those Yin-Yang Pythons?"

The City God then went to see the Left Clerk, saying, "This kind of idea-making is something you advisors should do. I can't come up with any ideas."

The clerk stepped forward and discussed the explanation with Lord Xu.

The next day, Xu Yuan went to Baiyue Pavilion.

Upon seeing the white fox, Xu Yuan's expression turned grave: "This is not a good matter. The underworld officials have a deep-seated prejudice against evil spirits."

Now that this City God has taken root in the mortal realm, he must have some things to do.

The white fox, with its rich experience, immediately made many connections.

Some schemes simply won't fool the naive.

Those who fall victim to this are the well-informed and cunning individuals.

"The City God...is he targeting Zhuojian in Champa?"

The white fox asked.

Xu Yuan shook his head: "I don't know. I went to ask, but the City God refused to reveal anything and kicked me out."

Then, Xu Yuan didn't even drink a sip of tea before getting up to take his leave: "This matter has not been handled well, and I have no face to ask for any benefits. That's all."

Xu Yuan stomped his foot and left.

The white fox immediately contacted the Yin-Yang Python.

The evil spirits were on high alert.

We should pool our wisdom and brainstorm solutions.

But after much discussion, the final conclusion was still the same: "Miss Bai, we'll have to trouble you again."

Helpless, the white fox had no choice but to return to the mortal realm and summon the two little foxes: "Go and invite Xu Yuan over. Tell him that you want to buy information from him for ten catties of the Ghost Earth Cloth and ask him to come and discuss it in person."

Evil spirits are at a disadvantage when facing the underworld.

At least on the land of Huangming, these evil spirits are still at a disadvantage when facing the underworld.

After discussing for a long time, the Yin-Yang Pythons still did not want to start a war with the Yin messengers.

So the first thing to do now is to figure out what that City God Lu is trying to do.

The only option was to ask Xu Yuan to inquire.

The two little foxes were already quite adept at the route—they would linger in front of the main gate of the yamen to let Old Qin see them, and then slip away to the back gate. Soon after, Old Qin would carefully open the back gate, beckon them in, and tell them to hurry up and go inside.

Soon the fox sisters brought back Xu Yuan's reply: "Grandma, that villain said to send the lichen over first. He said that evil spirits have no credibility and he wants money first before doing anything."

The white fox rolled its eyes in exasperation.

However, he strongly agrees with Xu Yuan's statement that "evil spirits have no credibility".

After the arrival of the eerie era, the Five Immortals of the North inevitably merged into the evil forces.

However, they are fundamentally different from evil spirits.

The white fox was also annoyed by those evil spirits that were uncontrollable and had no credibility.

For example, when helping to contact Lord Xu this time, White Fox also took the money first and then did the work.

As expected, upon hearing the news of the turbid room, the Fighting-faced Demon was the first to fly into a rage, shouting that he would teach Xu Yuan a lesson and make him obediently follow orders!

The others remained seated and said, "Alright, then please make your move and teach Xu Yuan a lesson. We'll be waiting for your good news."

The masked ghost immediately deflated, muttering things like, "It's everyone's business, why should I be the only one to take action?" and "I'm not going to suffer this loss."

It refused to admit that it was somewhat afraid that Xu Yuan, in his current state, might not be its match.

The white fox, growing impatient, said, "Alright! It's just a matter of a word. Decide quickly, I need to go back to my business."

None of the major evil spirits spoke.

They all used various kinds of eyes to examine the yin-yang python.

The Yin-Yang Python snorted coldly, "What are you looking at me for? Don't even think about making me take the blame!"

These same people had previously ganged up to accuse him of colluding with Xu Yuan and being afraid of him.

Now they want me to be the one to propose giving money first—if any problems arise in the future, I'll still be the one to take the blame.

Do you think I'm stupid?

The white fox rolled its eyes and got up to leave.

Finally, one of them spoke up: "Vote."

this is a good idea.

Because it is a secret ballot.

Everyone will try to erase their own presence, so that in the future it will be impossible to find out who voted for and who voted against.

The voting results came out quickly, and it was unanimously agreed: give them the money!
The lichen is extremely precious in the mortal realm, but it is everywhere in the turbid realm.

The situation is similar to that of the ghost paper.

The mysterious lichen is actually something that grows from the blood of evil spirits that died in the turbid world.

Its appearance is similar to that of lichens in the human world.

Once it reaches the mortal realm, with a little processing, it becomes a precious "material".

Both alchemy and craftsmanship can benefit from this.

Since living people cannot enter the mortal realm, only some people collude with evil spirits to smuggle things out of the mortal realm, which is why the "production" is "extremely low" for the mortal realm.

If ten catties of the strange lichen were transported to the Northern Capital, each catty would be worth around five thousand taels.

The white fox returned with ten catties of strange earthenware and immediately sent two little foxes to deliver it to Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan then followed the two little foxes over.

The white fox relayed the requests of the others from the turbid realm: "We would appreciate it if Lord Xu could make another trip and find out the true attitude of the City God."

Xu Yuan was quick to take the money and get things done: "Alright, I'll give it another try."

After waiting another night, he visited Baiyue Pavilion again, still with a solemn expression: "I've found out."

Before speaking, Lord Xu first complained: "In order to clarify this matter for you, I almost fell out with the City God and took a huge risk."

The white fox didn't believe a word of his words, but she couldn't expose him and had to coax him: "My lord, you've worked hard. I will definitely relay the truth to those people and try to give you some more compensation for your hard work."

Xu Yuan nodded and said, "The City God's attitude is very firm; he wants to wipe out all the evil spirits in the city!"

"Huh?" The white fox was dumbfounded: "So ruthless?"

"Lu Chenghuang came from the military and was once a general by His Majesty's side. He has a very strong and unyielding character."

The white fox quickly sent Xu Yuan away and went to the turbid room.

After explaining the situation, Doumian Gui was still furious, his seven orifices emitting billowing black smoke. He leaped thirty feet high, his rage uncontrollable: "If he wants to fight, then let's fight!"

"Do you really think we're pushovers?!"

The other heads ignored it.

But no one bothered to verbally attack it anymore—the situation was dire, and nobody was in the mood for it.

After shouting for a while, the masked ghost also got bored, and the scene immediately quieted down.

After a while, Yin Yang Python tentatively suggested, "Why don't we let Xu Yuan mediate? We can discuss whatever City God Lu wants."

The reason why everyone is hiding in the filthy world of Champa is because of the large amount of worldly dust generated by the hundreds of thousands of people living in the city.

As long as vulgarity persists, everyone can improve every year.

As a result, everyone joined forces and drove away many evil spirits that came to Champa to seize territory.

If war breaks out, they will be at a complete disadvantage.

"Let's give it a try first." The evil spirits quickly reached a consensus.

It would be best to avoid war if possible.

Even the masked ghost that jumped the highest just now is now silent.

The white fox returned with ten pounds of strange earthenware.

The procedure was already quite familiar. The two little foxes, carrying the mysterious lichen, first strolled around the entrance of the government office, then entered through the back door and brought Xu Yuan back to the White Moon Pavilion.

Xu Yuan frankly admitted, "Ten kilograms of creeping lichen is not enough. If you want my help to mediate, you need a hundred kilograms."

The white fox ran back and forth, eventually going to the turbid realm.

The evil spirits didn't care about arguing anymore, since things like the creepy lichen just grow on the ground in the turbid world anyway.

Even if you dig them all up, it doesn't matter. Just kill a few little evil spirits and water them with your blood, and they will grow back on their own.

Xu Yuan obtained 100 jin of the Strange Earth Cloth, waited another night, and then returned to the White Moon Pavilion with the Strange Earth Cloth, returning the items intact to the White Fox: "The matter is too difficult to handle, I don't have the ability, so I'll return the money to you."

The evil spirits were completely enraged upon receiving the news.

They didn't know what to do.

They talked all at once, but none of them came up with a feasible solution.

The white fox had been watching from the sidelines, and only spoke up after they gradually quieted down: "You bunch of idiots, Xu Yuan is trying to raise the price on the spot!"

A word to awaken the dreamer.

The evil spirits started cursing Xu Yuan for being unethical again.

The white fox didn't interrupt; it just listened from the side.

After these irritable evil spirits finished venting their anger, the white fox spoke again: "If you don't want to, I'll go back first."

"Don't leave yet," the evil spirits said in unison.

Then came all sorts of hesitation and reluctance, wanting to agree but not wanting to take the blame.

After nearly an hour of procrastination, all the evil spirits finally agreed and granted the white fox authorization to talk to Xu Yuan first.

The white fox returned with another hundred pounds of strange earthenware.

Then send two little foxes with 100 jin of strange lichen to invite Xu Yuan.

The fox sisters, though frail, were each carrying a heavy bundle weighing fifty pounds, panting heavily and drenched in sweat...

Finally, Xu Yuan sat down in the White Moon Pavilion again.

After much back and forth and repeated probing, the white fox finally figured out Xu Yuan's bottom line: thirty catties of strange lichen every month.

I can't guarantee it will work out.

If you agree to this price, I will go and persuade City God Lu.

We've reached an agreement that you'll pay monthly from now on.

If we can't reach an agreement, we won't take a single penny.

The white fox made another trip to the turbid realm.

Putting aside Xu Yuan's demands, she first secured the benefits of her own efforts in traveling back and forth.

Then Xu Yuan's price was mentioned.

These evil spirits were naturally enraged once again, cursing Xu Yuan for his wolfish ambition and exorbitant demands. The white fox finally couldn't hold back any longer. With a bang, it transformed into a six-zhang-tall, three-tailed fox in the turbid space, screaming, "Shut up! Will arguing solve anything?"

"If you're really that capable, go and fight City God Lu to the death!"

"If you don't have the courage, this is the best I can get for you. Stop arguing and agree quickly!"

"If you keep causing trouble, I'm not going to take care of you anymore!"

……

The white fox returned from the turbid lands of Champa and ordered its two cubs to tell Xu Yuan, "They have agreed."

Xu Yuan smiled inwardly, thinking, "I'm not afraid you won't agree."

This time, it was truly a case of getting something for nothing, creating enemies out of thin air, and getting thirty pounds of strange lichen every month for free.

My own and Lord Wei Shiqi's business now has another valuable product.

Xu Yuan silently sensed the situation, but the business law remained completely unresponsive.

Lord Xu complained, "This isn't business?! That's going too far..."

Xu Yuan deliberately delayed for several days before going to Baiyue Pavilion, looking exhausted, and said to Baihu, "It's all done."

"This time, I really tried my best, presenting the City God with two precious auspicious items, before I finally managed to persuade him..."

The white fox secretly rolled its eyes, but its face was beaming with a smile: "Thanks to you, sir."

Xu Yuan added, "The underworld messengers will set up stalls in the old market for a few more days, but you can tell them to rest assured that the City God will restrain them from causing trouble."

And they're cheap now, but they'll return to normal prices in three months at most.

The white fox looked bewildered: "Are they still going to set up stalls at the old market?"

Xu Yuan said, "The City God also has his pride. Now that the underworld officials have gone, they can't just turn back like that, can they? If word gets out, people will think that the City God is afraid of evil spirits."

So once you've gone there, you can't turn back.

However, from now on, it will just be some business dealings; even the City God needs money to bribe officials and grease palms in the underworld.

The white fox asked, "But... how can we be sure that what you're saying is true? If the City God still wants to conquer the Chaotic Realm, wouldn't that catch us off guard?"

Xu Yuan glanced at him and said, "If you don't believe me, I'll take you to see the City God tonight and let him promise you personally."

"This... is not necessary." After all, it was an evil spirit, and the white fox felt guilty and dared not go to see the City God.

Xu Yuan then said, "Don't you trust my reputation?"

White Fox felt that Xu Yuan had no credibility whatsoever.

But White Fox herself doesn't have much credibility.

The white fox went to the turbid realm and told the great evil spirits, "Xu Yuan has persuaded City God Lu to stay."

"To verify the truth, I took a huge risk and personally went to the City God Temple with Xu Yuan to ask the City God Lu to promise me personally that he would not wage war against the Chaos Realm!"

The evil spirits all breathed a sigh of relief.

They all praised the white fox for its "hard work and great achievements".

The white fox took the opportunity to demand some more benefits.

As for whether Xu Yuan was telling the truth or lying... it would be best if he was telling the truth, so that everyone could live in peace from now on.

If Xu Yuan lied, it wouldn't matter to the white fox.

Anyway, she doesn't live in the turbid room.

These evil spirits are the ones who die when something goes wrong.

The white fox had ample time to escape in Yangjiang.

When the time comes, all these great evil spirits will be killed by the City God, and no one will seek revenge against the White Fox.

In the chaos of Champa, the great evil spirits celebrated wildly, and a "great crisis" vanished without a trace.

……

Xu Yuan's "business law" has finally been promoted to the fifth rank.

The first batch of grain was finally loaded onto a ship in Luocheng and set sail for Beidu.

Mr. Cao and Mr. Lan both advised His Highness to return together this time.

But His Highness remained unmoved and refused to leave.

And Murong Zunlong's case has finally been exposed!
The Mountain and River Administration and the Grand Canal Administration were shaken!
The Grand Canal Administration directly dispatched Wang Zhonghe, the "Southwest Route River Affairs Director," with a battalion of elite river soldiers to Luocheng to investigate the "truth."

The Shanhe Division has been strictly forbidden from interfering!

Sui Wuhan was so angry that he cursed Song Weiming in the General Headquarters.

When Wang Zhonghe arrived in Luocheng, he first captured Gu Yao.

The case is complicated in some ways, but not in others... Anyway, there are only a few suspects.

Xu Yuan was inevitably dragged into it.

Although Xu Yuan is a suspect, there is no direct evidence pointing to him.

Moreover, the crucial point is that both Murong You and Jia Yuan were instilled with paranoia by Xu Yuan.

They insisted that Song Weiming had plotted against my young master!
In this case, Wang Zhonghe first investigated Song Weiming and Gu Tongzhen.

They quickly uncovered all of the two men's movements before the incident.

Meanwhile, one of Wang Zhong's patrolmen found a letter in Song Weiming's inn room.

The letter fell into the crack of a table against the wall.

It is speculated that Song Weiming left in a hurry and left it here.

The letter was written in imitation of Murong Zunlong's handwriting, and its contents were full of slander against His Majesty the Dragon King of the Grand Canal!
The officials of the Grand Canal Bureau were furious; to them, this was blasphemy!
If it weren't for the fact that it was important evidence, it would have been burned to ashes on the spot.

But why did this letter end up in Song Weiming's guest room?
Upon learning this, Jia Yuan and Murong You immediately recalled their previous guesses!
Murong You, with a clear and sharp mind, shouted at Wang Zhong in the courtroom, "Your Honor, this is a forgery by Song Weiming!"

"He committed such a heinous act, framing my young master, all to harm him and allow his Song family to ascend to the rank of a Dragon Transformation Family!"

Wang Zhonghe and the others immediately realized what was happening!

If this case is about Song Weiming murdering Murong Zunlong, what people can't understand is: why would Song Weiming do such a thing?

Now it seems reasonable.

But Wang Zhonghe wasn't stupid. How could such an important letter be left behind in the inn?

Therefore, no conclusions were drawn hastily, and the case continues to be investigated.

On the other side, Gu Yao was subjected to severe torture as he was interrogated about Gu Tongzhen's whereabouts.

Gu Tongzhen is truly the key figure.

If we can find Gu Tongzhen, all the questions in the case will be answered.

But no matter how they tortured him, Gu Yao wouldn't confess.

Gu Yao was also a sixth-rate cultivator. He was beaten until his skin was torn and bleeding, and there was not a single patch of intact skin on his body.

He was truly innocent, because he genuinely couldn't confess.

This situation does not involve "forced confession." Even if Gu Yao couldn't bear it, it wouldn't be enough to just shout "I confess!" and admit guilt.

So the investigation reached this point, and then got stuck again.

Unable to continue his investigation, Wang Zhonghe began to expand the scope of his investigation.

Xu Yuan is the first one to be mentioned!

……

In the Northern Capital, Lord Wei Shiqi and the Grand Secretary had a secret confrontation during the morning court session today regarding the selection of the Provincial Governor of Qin Province.

Both sides have their own candidates, and each candidate can be said to have "advantages".

Regardless of whether you have an advantage or not, as long as someone speaks up for you in court, you have that advantage.

Why are local officials so often dismissed from their posts simply because of an impeachment?

It was because no one in the court spoke up for him.

If the emperor of the Ming Dynasty wanted to be comfortable, he had to be the referee, not the player.

He sat high on the dragon throne, judging the struggle between court officials and eunuchs.

The infighting among the various factions within the civil service.

No matter when, the emperor would simply give a command: "Let's have a court discussion," and that would signal the start of the competition.

You acted within the rules.

I will decide who wins and who loses.

Wei Shiqi won by a narrow margin today.

The candidate for Grand Secretary had previously protected his fellow villagers and allowed his wicked servants to harm people.

The sudden revival of this case has put the selection of the Grand Secretary in a very passive position.

However, they never completely defeated their opponent.

His Majesty only gave him a "to be discussed later" verdict.

On his way back to the mansion in the carriage, Wei Shiqi kept thinking about His Majesty's "to be discussed later".

After much deliberation, there was only one conclusion: His Majesty was not satisfied with his choice of personnel.

Wei Shiqi is now facing a dilemma.

Should we go along with His Majesty's wishes and recommend his candidate?

Most of the cabinet ministers of the Ming Dynasty still cared about their reputation, but the scholars of the Ming Dynasty were particularly sharp-tongued and sarcastic.

Even if one becomes the Grand Secretary, if one is labeled as a "Grand Secretary of the Imperial Censorate" or a "Clay-Sculpted Grand Secretary," one will be infamous for eternity.

Therefore, one cannot blindly flatter His Majesty.

But if you flatter His Majesty, he will reward you handsomely…

Lord Wei Shiqi was very conflicted.

Even after arriving home, they were still unable to make a decision.

After getting out of the car and entering the study, an old servant brought the master ginseng soup to refresh him.

The old steward then sorted out the visiting cards from his subordinates that day; the master would only glance at these cards when he had a spare moment.

The old butler specially selected a few important ones and placed them on the table.

“Master,” the old butler said, “two other messages have also come back.”

"Speak," Wei Shiqi nodded, sipping his ginseng soup.

The old butler specifically mentioned it, so it must be some important news.

"Young Master met Luo Bei on the way and was dragged back to Southern Jiaozhi by him."

Wei Jinyuan was halfway back to Beidu when he encountered Luo Bei, a "master of three schools," in Hubei.

For some reason, they turned back with Luo Bei and went to Jiaozhi again.

Wei Shiqi thought for a moment and said calmly, "Then let him be."

Luobei, who combined the three gates, was extremely famous in Huangming Zhengzhou.

He remained in his hometown and did not go to Beidu.

But everyone says he is the number one young talent in Jiangbei during the Ming Dynasty.

However, Luo Bei is involved with complex forces.

He was well aware of this, so he did not enter the two capitals and did not associate much with the sons of officials or the descendants of the imperial family.

The old steward said that Wei Jinyuan was taken away by Luo Bei, which means that Luo Bei took the initiative to befriend his son this time.

While there are certain political risks for Wei Shiqi, it also means opportunities.

As the second-in-command, he cannot simply seek stability under the current circumstances.

We are all cultivators. Although the Prime Minister is old, he can still live for many more years.

"Any more news?"

The old steward chuckled, “It’s nothing serious, but I think you should be interested.”

"We opened a business together with the Zhu family and Xu Yuan, do you remember?"

Wei Shiqi nodded.

He still remembers it, as it happened not long ago.

Moreover, Xu Yuan had a close relationship with the disciples of the Imperial Censor.

Otherwise, a mere law officer from southern Jiaozhi would not be worthy of the Vice Minister remembering his name.

"I remember..." Wei Shiqi recalled, "that kid somehow found a way to reliably supply ghost mulberry bark?"

"Yes," the old steward chuckled, "a message just came in that he used Princess Ruicheng's fleet to deliver one hundred catties of creeping lichen, and said that he would provide thirty catties every month from now on!"

Wei Shiqi raised his white eyebrows, revealing a look of surprise.

There are two important pieces of information in the old shopkeeper's words. One is that there are thirty catties of strange lichen every month.

Another one is that Xu Yuan got on Princess Ruicheng's side.

Either of these two pieces of information, combined with the previous business name, would be enough to make the Vice Minister remember the name Xu Yuan.

Then, considering the recent political situation... Wei Shiqi suddenly remembered something, called over his student, and asked him to find an official document for him.

Knowing that the master had important business to attend to, the old steward quietly withdrew.

The student brought the official document, and Wei Shiqi opened it and took a look.

This is an official document from the canal administration.

When Wang Zhonghe went to Luocheng to investigate the case, Xu Yuan was indeed mentioned.

If it weren't for today's news, Wei Shiqi wouldn't have bothered with Xu Yuan.

but now……

Wei Shiqi tapped the name "Xu Yuan" on the document with his finger... Thirty catties per month, 150,000 taels.

After deducting costs, I can keep 40%.

With the addition of Gui Sangpi and other things, he could earn over a million taels a year!
Even if it's just for the money, we have to protect Xu Yuan.

……

Wang Zhonghe acts decisively and efficiently.

Having decided to investigate Xu Yuan, they immediately invited Ma Tianshou over.

He inquired in detail about Xu Yuan's whereabouts in Luocheng during that period from Ma Tianshou.

Ma Tianshou was deeply worried—Xu Yuan left without saying anything to Ma Tianshou, and Ma Tianshou never expected that he would be involved in such a big matter.

This time, Ma Tianshou truly felt he couldn't cover it up anymore!
Upon returning to the Exorcism Division, I immediately informed my old friends at the General Administration.

This matter was also described as a "crush" between the Canal Administration and the Mountain and River Administration against the Purification Administration.

Xu Yuan humiliated Shanhe Si.

The Shanhe Division failed in its attempt to regain its position, so it asked the Grand Canal Administration to intervene.

The message has been sent out, but there has been no response from the General Administration yet.

The old man also sent someone to inform Xu Yuan.

Let him prepare in advance.

Once Wang Zhonghe has set his sights on Xu Yuan, he's like a hunting dog—once he's got his jaws on, he won't let go!

For the past few days, people from the Bureau of Purification have been secretly watching the area around the Grand Canal Office.

Every move must be reported to the elder immediately.

However, for several days in a row, the canal office remained quiet.

Ma Tianshou had already prepared himself for the possibility that Wang Zhonghe would come to him again to "cooperate with the investigation."

Wang Zhonghe, however, remained inactive.

Just as the old man was feeling uneasy, the Grand Canal Administration suddenly made a move.

Wang Zhonghe led all his men westward, except for Luocheng!
The old man was increasingly baffled by the report.

After Wang Zhonghe had been gone for a day, news came first from the headquarters: Don't worry, a big shot has spoken up for him.

They didn't tell Ma Tianshou who this "big shot" was.

Finally, the news gradually began to spread:

Someone spotted Song Weiming in Siam, and Wang Zhonghe led a group to capture him.

All investigations into Xu Yuan have been halted.

Before leaving, Wang Zhonghe personally told the Grand Canal government that the case was very clear and that they should continue to investigate along the lines set by Song Weiming and Gu Tongzhen.

In other words, Xu Yuan will no longer be investigated.

Wang Zhong and his subordinates offered a "reasonable" explanation for the key piece of evidence—the letter forged by Song Weiming that blasphemed the Dragon King of the Grand Canal.

The back of the letter has some stains.

So it may just be a "draft".

Song Weiming should have written another letter to frame Murong Zunlong.

The draft was not taken seriously and was thus left behind at the inn.

That seems quite reasonable.

But this is merely a deliberate attempt to confirm Song Weiming's suspicions.

Those above want a certain outcome, and those below strive to achieve it.

Ma Tianshou finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiang Qinghuai was sent to Champa again.

When Xu Yuan found out, he nonchalantly told Xiang Qinghuai, "It had nothing to do with me anyway."

Wei Shiqi reacted faster than Xu Yuan had anticipated.

Xu Yuan had pinned his hopes on Wei Shiqi for this matter.

Ma Tianshou's portion was insufficient.

Princess Ruicheng… Xu Yuan didn’t want to owe her a favor, it would be difficult to repay.

As for the faction of the Imperial Censor, they never interfered in matters of the court.

Can't count on it.

Even without the matter of the City God Lu, Xu Yuan would still take the initiative to negotiate with major evil spirits such as the Yin-Yang Python.

However, in that case, Xu Yuan would be in a very passive position.

The evil spirits will definitely make exorbitant demands and fleece Xu Yuan.

This cost will have to be borne by Master Xu himself.

But Xiang Qinghuai also brought the old man's advice: "You still need to be careful."

The elder has already received the news; the Murong family has sent people.

When has the Hualong family ever suffered such a great loss?
Wang Zhonghe is investigating, and they won't just let it go.

As for the Murong family, they don't need evidence.

But Wei Shiqi's words would eventually make them think twice and not dare to act too recklessly.

Xu Yuan added, "I didn't do it. The Murong family can't find the culprit, so they insist on pinning the blame on me?"

Although Xu Yuan appeared flawless from beginning to end, Xiang Qinghuai had a feeling:
As expected of my young master Xu!

Xiang Qinghuai recalled... He didn't know when it started, but anyone who offended Xu Yuan never had a good ending.

Those from afar include Fu Shuanghui, Fu Chongjiu, and the Crown Prince's Consort.

More recent examples include Wei Jinyuan, Xu Bo, Song Weiming, and Murong Zunlong.

Of all these, Wei Jinyuan had the best ending.

But Xiang Qinghuai knew about Xu Yuan's cooperation with Lord Wei Shiqi, and a thought inexplicably popped into his head: Could it be that Wei Jinyuan sacrificed his own father in order to get himself a better ending?
Xu Yuan noticed that his elder brother's expression was becoming increasingly strange, and couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing," Xiang Qinghuai quickly shook his head.

The two exchanged a few more words when Ge Bei'er's voice rang out from outside the door: "Lord Xu—"

Ge Bei'er has fully recovered her strength!
This truly surprised His Highness and Mr. Cao.

Despite being a fifth-rate cultivator, Ge Bei'er was still a key figure under His Highness's command.

Her Highness is indeed very favored, but she is, after all, a princess, and her approach of recruiting many retainers is aimed at those with "a wide variety of abilities".

It has some of the meaning of Lord Mengchang back then.

These retainers have a saying: They cheer for the Empress!

When should we cheer? Of course, when His Highness and Miss Jinxi are facing off.

On the contrary, His Highness dares not recruit too many of those with great strength.

Therefore, His Highness has only a few truly powerful cultivators at his disposal, namely Mr. Cao, Mr. Lan, and Mr. Wenqi.

Now there are more quilts made of kudzu.

Moreover, Ge Bei'er was originally a person waiting to die, and only regained her strength after being saved by Xu Yuan.

No one could say anything they wanted to say.

With a capable person to share the workload, Mr. Cao and Mr. Lan felt much more relaxed.

His Highness has been very pleased with himself these past few days, often saying to people, "Coming to Jiaozhi this time was the right decision."

Looking at her, Mr. Cao sighed inwardly: Why do you have to hide it?
Instead of saying that coming to Jiaozhi was the right decision, just say that you have good taste in Xu Yuan.

If His Highness really said that—Mr. Cao found that he really couldn't refute it.

They would also have to give a thumbs up and chime in, "Your Highness certainly has excellent taste."

Xu Yuan invited Ge Beier in: "Senior, is there something you need?"

"Of course I'm fine." Ge Bei'er said, beaming. "His Highness must have something to ask you."

Xu Yuan touched his nose, and Ge Beier urged him, "Let's go quickly, don't keep His Highness waiting."

If you wait too long, His Highness will lose his composure and rush over to find you.

Xu Yuan followed Ge Bei'er to the courtyard where His Highness was staying. His Highness was standing in the courtyard looking westward.

Over there, the three newly purchased houses have already been demolished.

Your Highness and the Exorcism Division are full of martial arts practitioners who are strong but not smart, such as Lang Xiaoba and Ji Shuangqiu, who have contributed a lot!
Ignoring other buildings for now, His Highness ordered that a five-story building be constructed first, near the office of the Exorcism Bureau.

It has now been built to three stories.

We'll soon be able to overlook the entire Exorcism Bureau.

But now there's a less than pleasant omen: lately, geese have been frequently circling that building...

Upon seeing Xu Yuan arrive, His Highness said, "I heard that Wei Jinyuan has returned."

He came with Luo Bei.

Xu Yuan asked in confusion, "Luo Bei? Who's that?"

……

A painted boat sped along the canal.

Although these ships are beautiful, luxurious, and comfortable inside, they are actually not suitable for long voyages at all.

However, this ship is clearly a work of artisans and cannot be judged by conventional standards.

Luo Bei was dressed in fine clothes.

With a face as fair as jade and eyes as black as lacquer, he truly possessed the elegant and refined appearance of a gentleman.

This is also the point on which he is most criticized:
Beautiful clothes and delicious food.

Because there's really nothing else to criticize.

Looking closely at him, it seems that this is the only flaw he has.

Wei Jinyuan was overshadowed by him—but Wei Jinyuan had no intention of competing with him.

He felt that no matter who it was, even if it was Luo Bei, going to Nanjiaozhi would just be handing over Xu Yuan's head.

When he met Luo Bei, he had already told Luo Bei everything about Xu Yuan, without exaggeration or concealment.

But for some reason, Luo Bei became even more excited!
They dragged him to Jiaozhi.

At this moment, Luo Bei, standing at the bow of the boat, looked at the rolling river and the Champa gradually rising on the horizon, and could not suppress the excitement in his heart.

"I had already given up hope, but I never expected that such a life cultivator would emerge in the southern lands."

"My deadly technique has finally found a use."

Everyone says he is a genius of three disciplines, but he is actually a genius of four.

(End of this chapter)