I meet all the requirements for becoming a god in this world!

Chapter 233 Return to the capital, quick!!

Cheng Laiyun returned to the Imperial Household Department and pushed open the door of Laiyun Hall. Shen Yingyue was sitting at her desk, looking through the transportation route map of that batch of spiritual materials.

She looked up at him, said nothing, but pointed with her pen to a stack of documents on the table—the first batch of approvals for the nationwide implementation of the land tax reform, waiting for his signature.

"Let's put it aside for now."

Cheng Laiyun walked to the table and placed the confession that the Mo family had just delivered in front of her:

"The mole in the treasure vault has been caught. The buyer is a grain merchant from Liangzhou. Senior Brother Yang set a trap to lure him out, and he was caught red-handed."

"That grain merchant uses the name of a grain store, but he actually buys everything—spiritual materials, armor, pills, he doesn't refuse any of them."

Shen Yingyue picked up the confession and scanned it, raising an eyebrow slightly:

"Liangzhou".

"The one who lives in Liangzhou is the King of Liang."

"So I have to go."

Cheng Laiyun pulled out a blank document from the table and began to write an official document on the implementation of the new policies in Liangzhou: "The new policies are about to be implemented nationwide. If the person who assassinated me is not found, the local princes and gentry will follow suit."

"If they dare to send someone to assassinate me today, they will dare to send someone to assassinate any local official who implements new policies tomorrow."

"This case is no longer a personal grudge; it's a sword hanging over the head of the new policy. This trip to Liangzhou is ostensibly to inspect the implementation of the new policy, but in reality, we need to find out the grain merchant's background and see who's really behind him."

Shen Yingyue folded the confession and tucked it into her sleeve. She stood up and patted the jingling cloth bag at her waist.

How many people should each person bring?

Cheng Laiyun's pen never stops:

"You, me, Hai Wuyai, Zhu Yuanzhi, and a few others will stay at Yuntang to keep an eye on the situation in the capital. The rest of you will remain on duty as usual."

"Liangzhou is only a hundred li from the capital, a day's journey by fast horse. Including the time for investigation, the round trip will take at most two or three days. The documents for merging the poll tax into the land tax will be approved when I return."

Shen Yingyue responded and turned to go out to make the arrangements.

Cheng Laiyun stamped the completed official document with the seal of the Regent's Office, stood up, straightened his official robes, and strode towards the door.

He had just stepped out of the threshold of Yuntang when he bumped into someone.

Gao Heyun was still dressed in that black, close-fitting outfit, with a long sword at her waist and her hair neatly tied back. She stood under the eaves, her back ramrod straight, carrying a leather water pouch in her hand, looking as if she had just come from Feihe Hall.

Her complexion had fully recovered, and her phoenix eyes remained sharp. She glanced at Cheng Laiyun and spoke in a flat tone, as if she were remarking on the pleasant weather:

"Are you going to Liangzhou?"

Cheng Laiyun paused in his steps: "The information is quite accurate."

"I knew about the transfer order of the Regent's Office as soon as it was issued."

Gao Heyun hung the water pouch on her waist, walked up to him and stopped, tilting her head slightly to look into his eyes. Her tone was as cold as ever, but she pronounced each word clearly:

"You go to Liangzhou to investigate clues about the spirit fox, and I'll go too."

"Your wound—"

"It's all done." Gao Heyun interrupted him, her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed:

"We are already engaged, what harm would it do for me to go with you?"

Cheng Laiyun was silent for a moment.

He knew Gao Heyun's personality; once she made up her mind, no one could stop her. "Okay, let's go together." Cheng Laiyun nodded, took two steps, then stopped and looked back at her.

"But you have to promise me one thing—once we get to Liangzhou, no matter what you find out, you're not allowed to rush in alone."

"You promised me last time, and you'll do it again this time."

Gao Heyun had already walked past him towards the stable, without turning her head, only casually tossing out a sentence:

"understood."

Cheng Laiyun watched her retreating figure, shook his head, and strode after her.

As the group exited the gates of the Imperial Household Department, Hai Wuyai and Zhu Yuanzhi were already waiting at the entrance. A prisoner transport vehicle was parked nearby, containing the Mo Clan steward who had been smuggling spiritual materials.

Cheng Laiyun mounted his horse, shook the reins, and was about to leave the city when he saw a group of people standing at the city gate in the distance.

The group of people, dressed in the standard black official robes of the Regent's Office with bronze badges hanging from their waists, numbered about seven or eight. The leader, also on horseback, was leaning against the shadow of the city gate, seemingly waiting for someone.

The man was lean with high cheekbones and a faint old scar below his left eye.

Cheng Laiyun knew him—Li Xun, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of the Imperial Household Department, whom he had met before at the yamen.

My impression of him is that he's not a talkative person, but he's quite efficient, though he doesn't smile much. We weren't exactly close, but since we worked in the same government office, we would exchange a few pleasantries when we met.

Li Xun saw Gao Heyun from afar, immediately dismounted, and quickly went to greet her, bowing respectfully.

"Inspector Gao!"

Gao Heyun reined in her horse and nodded to him:

"Inspector Li, what is this?"

Li Xun pointed to the group of inspectors behind him, his tone tinged with helplessness:

"Don't even mention it. Today I was supposed to lead a patrol of the imperial city, but the palace temporarily transferred a group of Imperial Guards to replace us. I was ordered to lead a team to patrol outside the city."

He sighed as he spoke:

"Patrolling the imperial city is a proper job, but what's the point of patrolling outside the city? What can you possibly find out in this desolate wilderness?"

Gao Heyun responded but didn't say anything more.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Li Xun led his men to continue along the official road towards the city outskirts.

Cheng Laiyun, mounted on his horse, watched Li Xun's retreating figure. He felt a certain quality about the man that made him uneasy, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The group had traveled more than thirty li outside the capital in just two hours.

Cheng Laiyun and his party left the capital and headed southwest along the official road.

Liangzhou is separated from the capital by only Changle County, a journey that can be completed in half a day by fast horse.

Lai Yun had traveled this route many times before, but this time when he passed through Changle County, he still unconsciously slowed down his horse.

Five months ago, he came to Changle County to pilot the land tax reform, and the county town impressed him with its drab appearance.

Pedestrians walked with their heads down, shop assistants shouted listlessly, and the notice wall in front of the county government office was covered with official documents urging the payment of poll tax, one after another, old and yellowed.

Changle County has changed. Several old farmers squatted together on the ridge of the field, smoking their pipes. One of them, with a loud voice, was gesturing and talking about how much tax he had paid this autumn, while the others laughed and scolded him for bragging.

Several lines of people were queuing up in front of the county government office. Some were there to transfer land ownership, some were there to inquire about the new tax law, and a few young people were excitedly walking out with newly approved land reclamation documents in hand.

The tax-collecting notices posted on the notice wall had long been removed, replaced by a red paper notice with black characters announcing the new tax rules for each household after the land tax reform.

A crowd had gathered around the notice, and a scholar was loudly reading it to those who couldn't read.

As Cheng Laiyun rode on his horse and looked at all this, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.

He recalled how, five months ago, when he left Changle County, he was assassinated at the pass and nearly died on this road. Passing through the county town, ahead lay the pass where Changle County bordered Liangzhou.

Two watchtowers have been built on the hillsides on both sides of the pass. Several rows of neat tents stand under the watchtowers, and figures move between the tents. The sound of armor plates clashing can be heard from afar.

Only when you get closer can you see that the guard post at the pass is a troop of forest guards.

The Imperial Guard is one of the most elite imperial guards of the Great Yuan Dynasty, directly under the command of the Ministry of War, and is responsible for protecting the capital region.

That's why we were able to see Wei Linjun here.

This is because Changle County was a very important place for the promotion of the new policy of "integrating land tax into poll tax".

Therefore, Changle County must not afford to make any mistakes before the new policy is extended nationwide.

This also shows the importance the imperial court attached to Changle County.

The guards in front of them numbered about a hundred, each clad in heavy black armor, with long swords at their waists, and stood as straight as pines.

The leading captain stood beneath the watchtower, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his gaze sweeping over the pedestrians on the official road like that of a hawk.

Behind him stood two rows of armored soldiers, motionless, their breathing seemingly synchronized.

Cheng Laiyun noticed that there was a hidden sentry post every ten steps between the tents, and the chevaux-de-frise outside the tents were arranged in a staggered manner, effectively blocking all possible paths that could be bypassed from the hillside to pass through the pass. This kind of arrangement could not be taught by an ordinary general.

"The Weilin Army truly lives up to its reputation."

Cheng Laiyun reined in his horse and exclaimed in sincere admiration:

"The defenses at the pass are impeccable, the sentry posts are precisely positioned, and the soldiers are in high spirits; it's clear they've been rigorously trained for years."

Gao Heyun rode beside him, following his gaze to the troop of guards, and said in a calm tone:

"The Weilin Army was under the command of Duke Yang Shi'en."

"The old Duke himself was a third-rank military officer who led troops his whole life. His strict discipline of the army was well-known throughout the entire Great Yuan Dynasty."

"From captains to soldiers, the Imperial Guards are assessed every three months. Those who fail are dismissed without exception. The group you see here should be the most elite scout battalion in the Imperial Guards, specifically responsible for the defense of key passes around the capital."

When Cheng Laiyun heard the name "Duke Yang Shi'en of Dingguo", his eyebrows twitched slightly.

He had a good impression of Yang Shi'en.

When Qian Min impeached Yu Qingzheng in the imperial court, Yang Shi'en stood up to help the Mo Clan out of the predicament. He spoke in a way that was neither humble nor arrogant, thus giving Qian Min a chance to concede while also saving face for the Mo Clan.

Later, he learned that Yang Shi'en's eldest son, Yang Qianwan, was the last disciple of his second master's uncle. Just based on this lineage, Yang Shi'en could be considered half one of his own. Coupled with seeing the military bearing of the Weilin Army today, he felt even more strongly that this old duke was indeed a remarkable person.

With strict military discipline, a righteous family tradition, and a reliable heir like Yang Qianwan, it's no wonder he has been able to stand firm in the court for so many years.

He put aside his thoughts and spurred his horse to continue onward.

After passing through the pass, the mountains on both sides of the official road gradually flattened out, and ahead was a wide, gentle slope covered with waist-high wild grass, which was blown down in layers by the autumn wind, like a golden wave.

Cheng Laiyun, mounted on his horse, glanced at the gentle slope and suddenly reined in his horse.

He recognized the place—five months ago, he and Xu Jiayin were ambushed and killed by three assassins in this very spot on their way back to Beijing from Changle County.

Two horses were smashed to pieces by boulders, and Xu Jiayin's clothes were splattered with horse blood. The three assassins were well-trained and worked in perfect coordination, preferring disfigurement to revealing their identities. He almost died here in that battle.

"This is it."

Cheng Laiyun pointed to the gentle slope and said in a flippant tone:

"Five months ago, those three assassins made their move here. Two blocked the front and rear, while one charged straight in. Their coordination was flawless."

Gao Heyun did not speak.

Cheng Lai turned to look at her and found her gaze fixed on the gentle slope, her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, as if she were measuring something. She wondered where she might have stood, and how she would have reacted if she were in her shoes.

After a moment, she withdrew her gaze from the gentle slope, her tone still as indifferent as ever, but with a subtle deepening in her voice:

Highly trained assassins would rather be disfigured than reveal their identities. Such assassins are not something an ordinary noble family could produce.

She paused, then turned to look at Cheng Laiyun, a faint, cold glint flashing in her phoenix eyes:

"The reason you survived that time wasn't because you were lucky, but because you were ruthless."

Cheng Laiyun smiled, shook the reins, and continued walking forward.

He knew what Gao Heyun meant by "ruthless enough"—she had seen him risk his life before.

The two rode side by side across the gentle slope. Gao Heyun's gaze lingered for a long time on the wild grass that had been blown flat by the wind, before slowly turning away.

Cheng Laiyun glanced at her sideways and suddenly spoke:

"Last time at Feihetang, you told me about Langzhou. At that time, your injury had just healed, so I didn't have time to ask you in detail."

"Now's the perfect time—what exactly happened during your pursuit of the spirit fox in Langzhou?"

Gao Heyun was silent for a moment: "I have the Spirit Tracking Compass of the Mo Clan hanging on my waist. It has been guiding us since we left the capital. The Spirit Tracking Compass is infallible. It locked onto the demonic aura of the spirit fox and led us all the way towards Langzhou."

"After arriving in Langzhou, the pointer of the Spirit Tracking Compass suddenly began to waver, sometimes pointing to the west of the city and sometimes to the east, as if a spirit fox was circling back and forth in the same place."

"The troops were divided into three groups to surround all the abandoned temples west of Langzhou City, gradually tightening the encirclement. Just as they were about to close in—"

She paused, her fingers tightening slightly on the reins:

"A succubus suddenly appeared, not from the front, but from the mountain wall behind us. It had been lying in ambush on the mountain wall for a long time, waiting until we were all inside the encirclement before making its move."

"He directly attacked my sea of ​​consciousness with his natal demonic energy, and I didn't even have a chance to draw my sword. If it weren't for my grandfather's protective artifact blocking it for me, I would have died in Langzhou."

When she said the last sentence, her tone remained as calm as ever.

After a moment of silence, he asked:

"Could the spirit-tracking disc be broken?"

"No." Shen Yingyue suddenly spoke up, her voice firm and unwavering:

"Later, Lady Gao specifically asked me to help her investigate the spirit-tracing compass."

"I can confirm that the Spirit Tracking Disc is perfectly normal and not broken." Cheng Laiyun frowned.

He reined in his horse, turned around, and looked at Gao Heyun:

"Since the Spirit-Tracking Disc wasn't broken, it must be that the spirit fox was too cunning... But it was severely injured when it escaped from the Imperial Study, so it shouldn't have been able to lead you all the way to Langzhou..."

Gao Heyun met his gaze, her eyes calm:

"It can only be said that the spirit fox may not be as weak as imagined."

"I chased it from the capital to Langzhou, and with the help of the Spirit Chaser, I didn't even get to see its face."

Cheng Laiyun's pupils suddenly contracted.

He suddenly grabbed Gao Heyun's reins, bringing both horses to a stop; his voice was like a sharp sword.

"During the pursuit, you never encountered the spirit fox?!"

next moment.

As if suddenly remembering something, he abruptly looked up in the direction of the capital!

His voice was urgent: "Back to Beijing!!"

"quick!!"