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

Chapter 235 Confrontation

"No..." Cheng Laiyun said seriously, "You have more important things to do."

Gao Heyun frowned.

Cheng Laiyun continued:

"I'm not sure if Yang Qianwan has sent people to watch us, so you should continue heading towards Liangzhou, while I'll secretly return to the capital without alerting them."

"If the Yang family finds out that I did not go to Liangzhou but returned to the capital, they will definitely be prepared, and then it will be difficult for me to expose them."

Gao Heyun pursed her lips.

She was naturally aware of the situation Cheng Laiyun was referring to.

After a long silence, she took a deep breath: "Then... be careful."

Don't worry.

…………

Cheng Laiyun climbed over the wall to enter the Ministry of Works. He didn't use the main gate, so he didn't disturb any guards, and even the gatekeeper who was dozing under the two lanterns at the entrance wasn't woken up.

He crept along the shadows at the base of the wall to the back window of the Minister's chambers, used a dagger to pry open the latch, and silently climbed inside.

There were no lights in the room, only moonlight filtering in through the window, illuminating the neatly stacked official documents on the desk and an inkstone that hadn't been washed yet.

He found a corner, squatted down, and put the giant statue away, even his breathing became light and slow.

The Duke of Dingguo's mansion has been operating in the capital for so many years, with informants everywhere. He couldn't be sure if Yang Shi'en had any people in the Ministry of Works.

He couldn't let anyone know he had returned until he saw Yu Qingzheng.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, footsteps were heard outside the door.

Yu Qingzheng pushed the door open and came in, then closed it behind him. He walked to the table, sat down, picked up the teapot, and poured himself a cup of cold tea.

He was busy all day, first revising the details of the Grace Decree, then issuing documents to promote the integration of land tax and poll tax. He even had dinner in his duty room.

He picked up his teacup and had just taken a sip when his hand suddenly stopped.

The rim of the cup rested on his lips; he neither put it down nor continued drinking.

He remained seated, but his aura shifted in an instant—not explosively, but subdued, so subdued that the air in the entire room seemed to have lost its warmth. "Who is it?" The voice wasn't loud, but it was like an unsheathed knife pressed against the throat, not sharp, but so heavy it made it hard to breathe.

The pressure was so intense that Cheng Laiyun, hiding in the shadows, instantly felt as if he had been hit by a speeding vehicle.

He endured the pressure, quickly stood up from the corner, raised his hands in front of him, and hurriedly spoke:

"Master Uncle, it's me."

When Yu Qingzheng saw his face clearly, his brows furrowed, and the oppressive aura emanating from him slowly receded.

He put down his teacup and looked Cheng Laiyun up and down—he was covered in dust, and his robes were still stained with yellow earth from the pass, clearly indicating that he had been traveling for a long time.

He leaned back in his chair, his tone a mixture of surprise and disdain:

"You little monkey, weren't you supposed to be investigating a case in Liangzhou? What are you up to, sneaking into my study in the middle of the night, hiding like a ghost?"

Cheng Laiyun took a deep breath:

"The situation is urgent, so I'll try to keep it brief."

Then he recounted everything that had happened that day from beginning to end.

It all started this morning when she and Shen Yingyue discussed the flow of spiritual materials at Laiyun Hall, and then moved on to the whole story of Gao Heyun's pursuit of the spirit fox in Langzhou. The spirit-tracking disc was intact, but she never actually saw the spirit fox once.

Speaking of the Spirit Chasing Disc being tampered with, only Mo Sect disciples of the fifth rank or above could tamper with it.

The Mo Clan armor seized from the Suining Marquis's residence originated from the Mo Clan's treasury, and its keeper was none other than Yang Qianwan.

The fox spirit's redemption requires a five-month period of weakness, which is exactly five months after his assassination attempt outside Changle County.

Speaking of meeting Li Xun at the pass this morning, Li Xun personally told me that the Guards of the Imperial Guards were replacing the Supervisory Office in patrolling the Imperial City today.

Speaking of Yang Qianwan's initiative in setting up a scheme to expose the mole who was reselling spiritual materials, he pointed the clues to Liangzhou.

He laid the fragments out one by one on the table, and as he spoke, his voice grew calmer and calmer:

"The Spirit Fox has never left the capital. Those three assassins did not try to obstruct the new policies, but to hold me back and prevent me from sensing the demonic energy that the Spirit Fox unleashed when she performed her redemption ritual in the capital."

"Liangzhou's false clues are all a smokescreen. Yang Qianwan isn't concerned about camaraderie; he's trying to lure me away from the mountain—he's afraid that if I stay in the capital, I'll sense the demonic aura when the spirit fox makes its move tonight."

"The one who truly cooperated with the spirit fox was Duke Yang Shi'en."

"They intend to change His Majesty's fate tonight, install a new emperor, and completely abolish the new policies."

After listening, Yu Qingzheng remained silent for a long time. He picked up the cup of cold tea, took a slow sip, then put the teacup back on the table and tapped the surface of the table three times with his fingers.

He looked up at Cheng Laiyun, his gaze devoid of its usual disdain and teasing, replaced by an extremely rare solemnity.

"You have no evidence."

He wasn't questioning Cheng Laiyun; he was simply stating a fact:

"Those three assassins are dead. The Marquis of Suining died in the imperial prison. The signatures on the twelve sets of armor are not Yang Qianwan's. The Spirit Tracking Disc has been tampered with—can you prove that Yang Qianwan did it?"

"He's not the only Mo Sect disciple of rank five or above. As for whether that Liangzhou grain merchant has a direct connection with Yang Shi'en, you can't provide any concrete evidence right now."

"These clues together are indeed suspicious, but none of them can definitively prove Yang Shi'en guilty."

"He is a Duke of the highest rank and a military officer of the third rank. He just helped the Mo Clan out of a predicament in the court, and his reputation is at its peak."

"You're accusing him of treason based on a single logical chain—His Majesty won't believe it, and neither will the ministers in the court."

"That's why I came to find you." Cheng Laiyun looked into his eyes:

"Master Uncle, do you believe me?"

Looking at his serious expression, Yu Qingzheng suddenly smiled. It wasn't the usual helpless smile born of exasperation, but a smile tinged with pride, the smile of an elder looking at a younger person.

He slammed his teacup down on the table, stood up, and patted non-existent dust off his robes.

"You are my grand-nephew and also a disciple of my Mo Sect."

"You've pieced together all the clues, and you've done so logically and convincingly. I have no reason not to believe you. Let's go."

Forehead?

Cheng Laiyun paused for a moment, then asked, "Where to?"

"Go see Zhang Linzheng. You little monkey can't show your face right now, so I'll give you a ride."

After Yu Qingzheng finished speaking, he made a hand seal with his right hand, and a faint blue light shone from his fingertip.

The light spread from their fingertips, enveloping the two figures. Then, the air in the entire study suddenly contracted, as if someone had ripped this small space out from between heaven and earth.

Cheng Laiyun felt a blur before his eyes, his foot slipped for a moment, and when he regained his footing, he was already standing in another room.

In the back hall of the Regent's Office, Zhang Linzheng's bedroom.

Zhang Lin was sitting at his desk reviewing documents, a chess piece in his hand—he had a habit of setting up a chess puzzle on the board while reviewing documents, alternating between the chess piece and the official documents. Hearing a noise, he looked up and saw Yu Qingzheng and Cheng Laiyun appear out of nowhere in the room. His hand holding the chess piece paused slightly, then he put it down, leaned back in his chair, and glanced back and forth between Yu Qingzheng and Cheng Laiyun.

He didn't ask Cheng Laiyun why he didn't go to Liangzhou, nor why he didn't use the main gate. He simply gestured towards the chair next to him and said two words:

"Sit down and speak."

Cheng Laiyun did not sit down.

He repeated what he had just said to Qingzheng from beginning to end, this time faster and more concisely, presenting each clue and its connection in the most direct way.

Zhang Linzheng didn't interrupt him at all, but just leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, one tap after another.

After Cheng Laiyun finished speaking, he didn't ask for evidence or details, but only asked one question:

"Can you sense where the spirit fox is right now?"

Cheng Laiyun smiled wryly:

"Ever since I noticed something amiss today, my talent has been active... but I haven't sensed any demonic aura from the spirit fox."

Zhang Linzheng remained silent.

Yu Qingzheng also fell silent. The bedroom remained quiet for a long time, with only the candlelight occasionally flickering and making a faint crackling sound.

They all knew very well that if the Heavenly Eye could not sense the location of the spirit fox, then all of Cheng Laiyun's deductions were just that—deductions.

To accuse a high-ranking duke of treason based on a single logical chain—not only would Emperor Jianye not believe such a thing, but even they themselves felt it lacked weight.

Zhang Lin remained silent for a long time, then stood up and straightened his robes:

"Cheng Laiyun, the clues you just mentioned—the Suining Marquis's armor, the fake battle formation in Langzhou, Yang Qianwan's diversionary tactic, and the troop rotation of the Weilin Army—each of these can be taken individually and given a reasonable explanation for Yang Shi'en."

"The rotation of the Imperial Guard was ordered by the Ministry of War. I saw the order in my own eyes this afternoon in the Imperial Study. It was stamped with the official seal of the Ministry of War. The process was compliant and the procedures were complete."

"The mole in the spiritual materials resale case was deliberately exposed by Yang Qianwan. If he were truly guilty, why would he investigate himself?"

"The Spirit Chasing Disc has been tampered with, but he's not the only fifth-rank Mo cultivator capable of doing so. These are all just speculations; without concrete evidence, they're insufficient to impeach a super-rank Duke."

He looked at Cheng Laiyun, his tone as calm as if he were talking about a trivial matter unrelated to himself, but every word carried weight:

"However, you've connected all these clues together, along with the fox spirit's talent and background—I believe you. I'll go to the palace now and speak to His Majesty."

"Zhang Xiang," Cheng Laiyun paused for a moment, then called out to him, swallowing hard.

"If the spirit fox doesn't make a move tonight, if my guess is wrong—" "Then it's because I misjudged him."

Zhang Lin interrupted him, his tone still calm:

There are no bets in the world where you can only win and never lose. Some things are worth the gamble.

He turned around and walked towards the door.

Just then, the third eye mark between Cheng Laiyun's eyebrows suddenly twitched.

A faint, almost imperceptible demonic aura swept past the edge of the Heavenly Eye's perception, as if someone had lit an incense stick far away, and the wind had blown the first wisp of smoke to his face.

He almost instinctively closed his eyes, golden light shone brightly between his brows, his third eye was fully open, and his divine sense spread out in all directions like an invisible net.

The demonic aura was extremely faint, concealed by layers of something, but as the barrier continued to operate, gaps appeared, and it was in these gaps that the Heavenly Eye detected it!

There was no doubt that it was the aura of the spirit fox. That aura carried a sense of oppression he had never felt before, stronger, heavier, and more dangerous than when they fought in the Imperial Study last time.

The enhanced talent of Redemption is being cast!

He suddenly opened his eyes, the golden light still lingering in his pupils.

"The Imperial City!! I sensed it! It's inside the Imperial City." Zhang Linzheng and Yu Qingzheng's expressions changed drastically.

Their auras exploded simultaneously, and the two figures reacted almost at the same instant.

The inscription on Yu Qingzheng's sleeve lit up, and Zhang Linzheng's robes moved without wind, seemingly about to soar into the sky and rush straight towards the imperial city.

Cheng Laiyun stepped forward to block the doorway, his hands gesturing as if pressing down, and spoke extremely quickly:

"Wait! The Duke of Dingguo is a third-rank military officer with extremely strong combat power. He also has 30,000 guards under his command. If we confront him head-on, we may not be able to gain the upper hand."

"Even if we manage to break in, once a fight breaks out, His Majesty is still in the palace—swords have no eyes, and no one can guarantee that His Majesty won't be harmed."

Yu Qingzheng abruptly stopped in his tracks, his gray eyebrows furrowing together.

He had seen all sorts of storms in his life, but the person standing in front of him now was his most prized disciple from the Mo Sect, and he had to hear this.

Zhang Linzheng also stopped his attack, turned around and looked at Cheng Laiyun, his extremely dark and deep eyes shining brightly in the candlelight:

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Find outside help," Cheng Laiyun uttered three words, then said a name, "Xie Yuheng."

Yu Qingzheng and Zhang Linzheng exchanged a glance, their eyes lighting up simultaneously. Xie Yuheng—the current imperial tutor, whose Confucian and Taoist cultivation was unfathomable, had stood in the court for nearly fifty years, and even the Jianye Emperor had to show him the respect due to a disciple.

No one truly knows how high his cultivation level is, but everyone knows one thing:

Thirty years ago, the late emperor once said in public, "With Yuheng here, the sky of the Great Yuan Dynasty will not fall down."

More importantly, Xie Yuheng was one of the earliest supporters of the new policy of merging the poll tax into the land tax. Back then, he was the first to stand up and endorse Cheng Laiyun's decree of grace in the imperial court.

He believed that the journey would bring good fortune.

If there is anyone in the capital who can single-handedly restrain Yang Shi'en, it is him.

Zhang Linzheng nodded without uttering a word of nonsense. With a swift movement of his right hand, he captured the jade paperweight on the desk.

He pressed the paperweight against the corner of the table, and a very faint light pattern appeared on the surface of the jade, sending out a message silently.

He straightened up, his voice regaining its usual calm and steady tone:

"Grand Tutor Xie is currently in seclusion on the back mountain of Qingyang Academy. I have already sent him a message. He will go directly to the palace."

He paused, then looked at Cheng Laiyun:

"Can you still sense the location of the spirit fox?" Cheng Laiyun closed his eyes, and the golden light between his brows shone again.

A moment later he opened his eyes, the golden light in his pupils even brighter than before:

"It's still in the imperial city, in the same location. The demonic aura is getting stronger; it has already begun casting its spell."

"Then we can't wait any longer."

Yu Qingzheng turned around and faced the direction of the imperial city:

"Zhang Linzheng, you and Cheng Laiyun are to be transferred from the Regent's Office to enter the palace directly under the pretext of protecting the Emperor."

"If you encounter any obstruction from the Imperial Guard along the way—Cheng Laiyun has a token that reads 'As if I were personally present,' and anyone who blocks your way will be killed without exception."

"I will first go to the outskirts of the imperial city to check Yang Shi'en's defenses and see where the Weilin Army's troop rotations are weak."

After he finished speaking, his figure flashed, turning into a pale blue afterimage, and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.