I attained immortality through meditation in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Just as hope was gradually rekindling in the Murong family, inside the Duke of Anguo's mansion...

Inside the study, Li Shengde and his core cronies, including Imperial Censor Wang, sat around a mahogany round table.

The table was laden with tea and snacks, but no one touched them.

All eyes were on Li Shengde.

"That old scoundrel Murong Qiming was utterly terrified and completely defenseless in court today!"

Imperial Censor Wang spoke first, offering flattery.

"Your Excellency is brilliant. With this strategy, the Murong family has no chance of recovery."

Li Shengde gently stroked his beard.

"How could his little tricks possibly fool me?"

"It's nothing more than a cornered beast fighting back."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"So, are all the details of the sacrificial ceremony for Heaven prepared?"

His gaze swept over the crowd.

A man dressed in a tight-fitting outfit stepped forward, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Reporting to the Duke, everything is in order."

"Those formations have all been handed over to elite guards for close protection to ensure their absolute safety."

"During the ceremony, they will all activate simultaneously with just a single command from me."

Li Shengde nodded.

"Very good. Those assassins... make sure they can be activated successfully."

"And after things were exposed, they knew how to end their own lives."

"No one must be left alive."

He didn't want to leave any clues that could lead to his capture.

"Don't worry, Your Excellency, they have all undergone special training."

"He was utterly loyal to the Duke and had long been prepared to die."

The man in the tight-fitting clothes reiterated his assurance.

Imperial Censor Wang picked up the conversation and laughed.

"As for the witnesses who will testify against Murong Qiming, they have also been arranged."

"We found several merchants who had grudges against Murong Qiming, and also bribed several habitual criminals."

"Make them all tell the same story and, at the grand ceremony, accuse Murong Qiming of colluding with evil spirits and plotting a rebellion!"

"And these too."

Another man, who looked like a scholar, took out a stack of evidence from his bosom and presented it to them.

"These are forged letters between Murong Qiming and the cult, as well as some magical artifacts that appear to be evil."

"At that time, with just a little guidance, His Majesty will surely be furious, and the Murong family will be doomed."

Li Shengde took the evidence, glanced at it, and smiled.

"Very good, very good!"

……

After parting ways with Murong Qiming, Zhao Zian turned around and returned to the guest house that had been arranged for him.

The courtyard was quiet.

As soon as I pushed open the door, a beautiful figure immediately chased after me from behind.

"Mr. Zhao, my father..."

Murong Qingxue returned with Zhao Zian.

"Don't worry, it's alright now."

Zhao Zian took her slightly cool hand and led her to sit down at the table.

"Sitting idly by and waiting to die has never been my style."

"Instead of waiting for them to make their move, let's go and see what kind of show they've prepared."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Zian closed his eyes slightly.

His divine sense enveloped half of the capital city.

His divine sense swept over the many walls of the city and reached the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

However, just as it was about to touch the outer wall of the mansion, a resistance came!

hum!

His consciousness seemed to have struck a giant net, only to be bounced back by a force.

It even attempted to erode the divine consciousness in the reverse direction.

There's a formation!

Zhao Zian immediately severed the extension of his divine sense and opened his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Murong Qingxue sensed the instantaneous fluctuation in his aura.

"The Duke of Anguo's mansion is protected by a powerful formation."

"It seems that old fox Li Shengde is indeed planning something big, and he has taken precautions without leaving any gaps."

Even the divine sense of a Golden Core cultivator couldn't penetrate it, demonstrating the thoroughness of their preparations.

Murong Qingxue's heart jumped again.

If even Zi'an couldn't find out, doesn't that mean they were still completely unaware of Duke Anguo's conspiracy?

Zhao Zian's lips curled up slightly.

"Just because divine sense can't get in doesn't mean... other things can't get in either."

"noob."

A flash of white light appeared, and the little fox materialized on the carpet.

"What are you doing? She's sleeping soundly."

"We've got work to do."

Zhao Zian pointed in the direction of the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

"Do you see that house?"

"There's an annoying cover outside, could you go check it out for me?"

"That old man surnamed Li inside is plotting something bad with someone."

Little White tilted its head.

"No problem."

"But what are the benefits?"

"After it's done, I'll make you beggar's chicken for three days, with a different flavor every day."

"make a deal!"

The little fox cried out excitedly, and its entire body suddenly became ethereal.

Xiao Bai's figure transformed into a streak of light, easily passing through the layer of gray-black array light curtain.

The mansion is patrolled by guards every three steps and sentries every five steps, with secret passages and mechanisms everywhere.

But in Xiaobai's eyes, these defenses were useless.

Soon, it arrived outside Li Shengde's study.

At this moment, in the study, Li Shengde was making final confirmations with several trusted confidants.

Little White huddled under the eaves outside the window, straining its ears to hear the conversation inside.

It was simultaneously transmitted to Zhao Zian, who was far away at the Murong Mansion.

……

Inside the guest room, Zhao Zian sat upright with his eyes closed.

A three-dimensional picture, accompanied by clear dialogue.

"Lord Duke, the nine blood-drawing arrays for the sacrificial ceremony have all been set up."

A hoarse voice reported.

"Each of them is guarded by one of our nine most elite bodyguards at the foot of the nine steps of the Circular Mound Altar in the Temple of Heaven."

"The activation code will be the phrase 'May Heaven grant blessings and eternal protection to the Great Qian Dynasty' from the sacrificial text of the grand ceremony."

"As soon as Murong Qiming utters this phrase, the nine assassins will simultaneously activate the great formation using their own life essence!"

Blood-Guided Array? Using human blood as a guide?

In Zhao Zi'an's mind, Li Shengde's old face appeared, and he nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good. Tell them that once it's done, their families will be treated well by the Duke's mansion."

"But if things change, they know what to do."

"Don't worry, Your Excellency. They are all orphans without parents, and their only family is the Duke's Mansion."

"For the sake of the Duke's great cause, he has long since disregarded life and death."

Another voice rang out; it was Imperial Censor Wang.

"Lord Duke, the perjury has also been completely eliminated."

"We bribed a purchasing manager at the Murong residence and slipped the forged letter, supposedly from him to the leader of the Moon Worship Cult, into a hidden compartment in his study."

"At the same time, several magical artifacts with cult-like characteristics were also mixed into the offerings for this sacrificial ceremony."

"At that time, all we need to do is have the Imperial Guards search him on the spot, catch him red-handed, and he won't be able to deny it!"

"And those witnesses were also given the 'obedience drug'."

"We guarantee that during the ceremony they will only say what we've taught them, every word dripping with blood and every sentence piercing the heart!"

Li Shengde burst into laughter.

"Excellent! Excellent! The steps are perfectly linked, flawless!"

"I'd like to see how that old scoundrel Murong Qiming will face this heinous crime in three days!"