"The Nether Son has come here. Do you really think he’d do so without a Third-Grade protector? Nether Mountain has already sent assassins after me. If a Third-Grade finds me, they’ll come straight for me, won’t they? In any case, without Third-Grade protection, I’m not going. Whoever wants to can go right ahead. Worst case, I’ll just ditch this official’s uniform and defect to the Black Lamp Department," Li Qingxian said languidly.
Fei Yan stared at Li Qingxian for a long moment before saying, "A few days ago, you captured that Ge Dynasty traitor from the Imperial Prison Department, exposing the Netherworld Lord’s moles in the Divine Capital. Even if we maintain secrecy, it won’t be long before the Netherworld Lord finds out. Every one of those three Netherworld Lords is a figure of immense power. If we can’t eradicate the Nether Mountain Sub-Branch, I fear you’ll be in grave danger."
"I’ll be fine. If a Netherworld Lord really comes after me, I’ll just run to the Black Lamp Department. If worse comes to worst, I’ll join a Fate Sect. With my abilities, all the major powers will be fighting to recruit me," Li Qingxian said.
"What if we dispatch a Third-Grade and they steal all the credit?"
Li Qingxian said, surprised, "I’m a Fate Master, not an immortal. I can only promise to find the general location of the Nether Mountain Sub-Branch. As for whether we can defeat the Nether Son’s group or beat the Ministry of Justice to the punch, that’s not something I can decide alone. I’ve already done my best. As a mere Lower-Grade official, I’ve been frequently Observing the Situation and gathering clues from assassins, putting us far ahead of the Ministry of Justice. The rest is up to Duke Lu’s resolve."
The two eunuchs, Fei Yan and Jing Guan, exchanged a look, their brows furrowing.
Han Anbo smiled. "Suppose a certain Third-Grade eunuch from the Grand Imperial Court is traveling on business, happens to pass by our unit, and joins us. If we encounter nothing, he can simply continue his journey west. But if we should stumble upon a rebel stronghold, even if he doesn’t personally intervene to destroy it, he can still protect our troops. That in itself would be a great merit."
Everyone’s eyes lit up. Fei Yan said, "One moment."
As he spoke, Fei Yan took out a Communication Talisman Disc.
A moment later, Fei Yan smiled. "Haha, this is our Qi Fortune at work, and nothing can stop it. Eunuch Yui of the Internal Factory happens to be heading north. It would be no trouble for him to take a detour and be delayed by a few days."
Jing Guan exclaimed, "You mean Yui Qingchen, Eunuch Yui?"
"Of course it is. With him here, it’s one thing if the rebels don’t have a Third-Grade. But if they dare deploy one, they’ll get to witness Eunuch Yui’s Celestial Star Chaotic Prison Palm."
"Is Eunuch Yui very strong?" Li Qingxian was genuinely unfamiliar with the affairs of the Inner Court.
"Strong is an understatement. Eunuch Yui is the foremost Third-Grade in the Inner Court. It’s just that he has a lazy temperament and rarely takes the lead, only acting when absolutely necessary, so he isn’t widely known. Let’s put it this way: among all the Third-Grades in the world, even if Eunuch Yui isn’t in the top ten, he’s guaranteed a spot in the top twenty."
"I see. As long as Eunuch Yui is coming, I’ll enter Changg Mountain. Oh, and since both the Ministry of Justice and Nether Mountain have Fate Masters, they will likely sense Eunuch Yui’s arrival. Please ask him to wait outside the city first. I’ll go out and use a Fate Skill to conceal his presence, and then we can enter the city together," Li Qingxian said.
"Once Eunuch Yui arrives, when can you set out?" Fei Yan asked with a smile.
"Immediately!" Li Qingxian declared.
"Excellent!"
「At midnight.」
Li Qingxian led his men out of the city to welcome Yui Qingchen. He then used a Fate Skill to conceal their presence before they all entered the city together.
「The next morning.」
The joint forces of the Internal Factory and the Patrol Bureau set out.
The mighty force of over three thousand men split into three columns, exiting through the West Gate of Beichang County and entering Changg Mountain to begin their search.
On the surface, the allied army appeared to be searching haphazardly. In reality, their elite troops were all concentrated in the Central Army, where Li Qingxian was stationed. The other two columns, while appearing to veer left and right, actually remained within a twenty-li radius of the Central Army, ready to provide reinforcements at a critical moment.
Learning that the Patrol Bureau’s joint forces were on the move, the Ministry of Justice had no choice but to quickly follow them out of the city.
Unlike the Patrol Bureau, the Ministry of Justice first dispatched a large number of Demon Cultivators to scour the mountains far and wide. Their main force then split into two groups, maintaining a distance for mutual support as they advanced cautiously into the mountains.
Although Changg Mountain’s highest peak was no more than five hundred meters tall, the range itself was a sprawling series of rolling hills covering a vast area. Aside from a few quarries, there were no paths, forcing the troops to climb slowly.
Ten li into the mountains, Li Qingxian stopped. He snipped off a corner of the late Liu Shida’s robe, mixed it with a pinch of dirt from one of the man’s shoes and a few strands of his hair, and once again performed the Life-Seeking Skill.
Once the skill was complete, white clouds churned within Li Qingxian’s eyes. A Child Immortal-Seeking Bee flew out, leaving a faint golden trail in its wake that marked the path Liu Shida had taken.
The Child Immortal-Seeking Bee reached the peak of a small hill. Suddenly, a hundred-zhang-tall black banner flew in. With a gentle flutter, it snatched the bee and vanished without a trace.
Li Qingxian pointed to where the Child Immortal-Seeking Bee had vanished. "They’re in that direction. And there was a Chaotic Banner interfering, so I’m sure of it. However, we can’t head straight there, or they’ll know they’ve been exposed and retreat ahead of time. Right now, they must still think our search is doomed to fail, just like all the others."
After a brief discussion, the group followed Li Qingxian’s advice and slightly altered their course.
Changg Mountain was a range of overlapping peaks. An entire day passed, and the expedition had only managed to cross two small hills.
The moon set and the sun rose. On the afternoon of the third day, Li Qingxian once again used his Life-Seeking Skill, only to find the Child Immortal-Seeking Bee vanished abruptly after flying just two li.
Li Qingxian realized they were closing in on the Nether Mountain Sub-Branch’s main lair.
Just as Li Qingxian was contemplating their next move, a commotion suddenly erupted from a short distance away.
"What’s going on?" Li Qingxian’s gaze pierced through the ranks of his own troops, focusing on the woods ahead.
He saw Night Guard scouts accompanied by a lightly-equipped party of over twenty people who looked to be from an Escort Agency.
The atmosphere in the column changed in an instant. Many men gripped the hilts of their weapons.
Li Qingxian focused his gaze and, to his surprise, recognized three people.
A Night Guard shouted, "We’ve captured a suspicious group! They’re lying, claiming to be from the Liuyang Duke Mansion. They’re likely Nether Mountain spies in disguise!"
"Young Master Li! It’s me, Qiu Ye! The Eighth-Grade Official Seal I’m carrying is real! We’re here to survey the mines!" someone shouted from afar.
Li Qingxian called out, "They are indeed from the Liuyang Duke Mansion! That man is Young Master Qiu Ye of the Liuyang Duke Mansion, and the other two are from the Jiangnan Trading House. They are absolutely not Nether Mountain spies."
The Factory Guards relaxed their hands on their weapons, and some of them stepped back, melting into the crowd.
Li Qingxian walked over. Qiu Ye’s face was filled with gratitude. He cupped his fists and said, "Thank you for your timely help, Brother Li. We would have been in grave danger otherwise. Who would have thought we’d run into the Factory Guards searching the mountain while we were here to survey the mines."
Li Qingxian, dressed in a simple, unranked green robe, smiled. "You’re too kind, Brother Qiu. I’m just a minor figure here, but... are you certain you haven’t been colluding with Nether Mountain?"
Qiu Ye’s face was a mask of exasperation. "Brother Li, please, don’t joke around. Nether Mountain is mostly composed of forces from the Old Dynasty and the Old Country. Weren’t their ancestors all killed by the Founding Princes? The lines of the Founding Princes, like ours, have a feud with Nether Mountain as deep as the sea."
Li Qingxian chuckled. "That’s also why I believed you. Brother Shen, you shouldn’t have been unable to avoid us."
Shen Xiaoyi said with resignation, "I can’t keep a Fate Skill active at all times. Besides, with you involved, I doubt I could have avoided you even if I had."
"Greetings, Young Master Li." Shen Xiaohua gave a demure curtsy, her eyes crinkling in a warm smile.
Li Qingxian smiled back at Shen Xiaohua before his expression turned serious. "This operation is far from ordinary. I’m not the one in charge, so I can’t say how they’ll decide to handle you. I hope that for the time being, you won’t make any sudden moves. And I do mean *any*."
Li Qingxian’s gaze swept past his three acquaintances to the people standing behind them.