"Not even the accountant of their branch could keep a complete record of goods on this scale," Han Anbo said slowly.
"The Emperor’s birthday is just around the corner, so it’s perfectly normal for the rebels to be moving large quantities of supplies for war. And it’s also perfectly normal that after a sneak attack on this place, the rebels grabbed some valuables and fled, right? The Ministry of Justice from the Demon Sect ruined our great achievement, so we deserve a little compensation. It’s all the Demon Sect’s fault, isn’t it?"
The three were speechless.
The three stood at the entrance in a daze, watching as Li Qingxian went in and out of each cave entrance before finally walking back with a smile.
A smile he couldn’t suppress.
Zhou Henn said, "You didn’t empty the whole place, did you?"
"Am I that kind of insatiably greedy person? Of course not," Li Qingxian said.
Zhou Henn breathed a sigh of relief.
"I left behind everything I can’t use myself or would have trouble selling," Li Qingxian said.
Zhou Henn fell silent.
Zhou Henn turned to face Han Anbo and Zheng Gaojue. "Do you know why Lord Zhou sent me here?" he asked slowly.
In the dim light of the Magical Artifact Lamp, Zhou Henn’s expression grew more fearsome.
Zheng Gaojue looked lost, while beads of sweat formed on Han Anbo’s forehead. "To protect Li Qingxian," he said slowly.
"Right now, Li Qingxian’s life is in danger." Zhou Henn’s hands tightened on the hilts of his blades.
Han Anbo quickly interjected, "If it weren’t for Qingxian, Lord Zhou would have been fine, but Gao Jue and I would certainly be dead. We can never repay him for saving our lives. As for this incident, just count Gao Jue and me out. We saw nothing, and we don’t need a share of anything."
"Yes, yes, yes..." Zheng Gaojue stammered, dazed with fear.
Zhou Henn stared into Han Anbo’s eyes.
Han Anbo sighed softly. "First, we destroy this place. After we leave, we’ll use a Forgetfulness Talisman and a Life Oath Book. A double guarantee."
"Good," Zhou Henn said.
Li Qingxian said, "Uncle Xiaozhou, is that really necessary? We’re all on the same side..."
"At times like this, it’s even more important for us to follow the rules to the letter," Zhou Henn said.
Han Anbo advised, "Li Ke, this is serious. Besides, what if this gets investigated later? If we fall under suspicion, we’ll never be able to clear our names. It’s better to be decisive now and absolve ourselves of any suspicion."
Zheng Gaojue also whispered, "My dad says the Night Guard is different from other organizations. Sometimes, you have to be ruthless."
Li Qingxian nodded helplessly. "Then let’s do it by the book."
Han Anbo looked around. "First, we need to destroy this place. Then, we’ll set up some Spirit Talismans and use a Fate Skill to conceal everything. However, using a Fate Skill has its pros and cons. The pro is that it’ll be difficult for anyone to trace this back to us. The con is that it’ll make people realize that whoever took these things might not be from Nether Mountain."
"That’s true. But we have to use a Fate Skill to conceal our tracks. Otherwise, if the Imperial Court investigates, they could easily find us," Li Qingxian said.
Zhou Henn said, "I’m carrying a Spirit Talisman that can have a Daoist Skill master teleport us away. I’ll contact Lord Zhou in a bit; he’ll arrange for someone from the Daoist Record Department to take care of it."
"Will the people from the Daoist Record Department discover that we were here?" Li Qingxian asked.
"They’ll be locking onto the Spirit Talisman, not this location. The teleportation will leave traces, but it won’t matter as long as the Fate Skill you leave behind erases them," Zhou Henn said.
"Excellent. Lord Zhou Chunfeng has always been dependable," Han Anbo said with a nod.
Zhou Henn took out a Communication Talisman Disc. A moment later, he looked at Li Qingxian. "Lord Zhou says he’ll make the preparations. He wants you to destroy this place as completely as possible and eliminate all traces."
"Right!"
Li Qingxian sprang into action. First, he used a Fate Skill to conceal all of their tracks, including the ones they’d made on their way in.
The Life-Seeking Sect was not only skilled at finding things but also masters of concealing tracks.
Then, he used Spirit Talismans to detonate the ten storehouses within.
Finally, he crafted a Spirit Talisman imbued with a Fate Skill that would automatically conceal all traces after they were gone.
With everything set up, the four of them began to chat idly.
Li Qingxian frowned. "The Ministry of Justice is so ruthless. Aren’t they afraid they won’t be able to handle the fallout?"
"They’re capable of something as heinous as what happened in the Dead Demon Land. What else would they be afraid of?" Zhou Henn sneered.
Han Anbo said, "As long as the Ministry of Justice pretends not to know we were here and insists they were just killing rebels, there’s nothing we can do. At best, it’ll just turn into endless bickering."
Zheng Gaojue thought for a moment. "My dad says that ever since the major factions joined the Imperial Court, the Imperial Court hasn’t been the same."
Han Anbo shot Zheng Gaojue a look. "Don’t say things like that in front of outsiders."
"Yes, Uncle Han, but none of us are outsiders. Besides, the Imperial Court has already changed. Who knows what it will become in the future," Zheng Gaojue said.
"Loose lips sink ships," Han Anbo said.
"Listen to Brother Han," Li Qingxian said, glancing at Zheng Gaojue.
"Yes," Zheng Gaojue said, obediently lowering his head.
Zhou Henn sighed softly. "The kid’s right. The Imperial Court has been different for a long time. Your Grade Levels are low, so you haven’t seen much. But as you get promoted and your official positions rise, you’ll see more and more. Then you’ll understand that the changes in the Imperial Court go far beyond what you can imagine."
"Why is it changing? And in what direction?" Li Qingxian asked in quick succession.
Zhou Henn shook his head. "No one can say for sure. We’ll just have to take it one step at a time."
After chatting for a while, the four grew tired. Li Qingxian took out bedding from his Qiankun Bracelet, and they all lay down.
The cave fell silent.
"Qingxian, get up."
In a daze, Li Qingxian heard someone call his name and quickly opened his eyes.
Zhou Henn and Han Anbo were already on their feet. Zheng Gaojue was still sitting on his bedding, rubbing his eyes.
Zhou Henn took out a Spirit Talisman. "In a quarter hour, the people from the Daoist Record Department will teleport us out of here. Make your final preparations."
Li Qingxian nodded and began to set up the Spirit Talismans.
Before long, the Spirit Talisman in Zhou Henn’s hand began to emit a faint red glow.
"Stand by me and grab my clothes!" Zhou Henn commanded.
The other three hurried forward and grabbed onto his clothing.
The red glow from the Spirit Talisman suddenly expanded, enveloping them all.
With a flash of red light, the four of them vanished.
On the walls, one Spirit Talisman after another ignited. Soon, the entire cave was engulfed in a raging fire.
Before long, the flames slowly died out. Then, waves of Fate Skill energy swept through the cave.
Every trace that Li Qingxian had ever been there was erased.
At the foot of the mountain, in a temporary camp, a squad of Factory Guards, Shen Xiaoyi, and the others stared silently ahead. Daoists from the Daoist Record Department stood on a hastily constructed Array. With eight people at the eight cardinal points, a pillar of red light shot up from the Array on the ground.
An instant later, the red light dissipated, and Li Qingxian, Zhou Henn, Han Anbo, and Zheng Gaojue appeared within the Array.
Zhou Henn cupped his fist. "Many thanks to our colleagues from the Daoist Record Department."
Li Qingxian and the others echoed his thanks.
The eight Daoists asked a few simple questions, then summoned dozens of Yellow Turban Warriors. They left the spot to join the Puppet Cultivators in excavating the mountain.
Li Qingxian’s gaze fell on Shen Xiaoyi.
It was now noon, and the warm sunlight fell on Shen Xiaoyi. Despite their continuous travel and lodging in the mountain forest, he was completely clean, not a speck of dust on him. His skin was as clear and bright as the first time Li Qingxian had seen him.
Shen Xiaoyi gave a slight nod.
Li Qingxian swallowed the thanks that almost escaped his lips and simply nodded back.
Qiu Ye breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it! Master Xiaoli is blessed with great fortune; he wouldn’t get into trouble."
Qiu Ye looked toward Zhou Henn, his eyes filled with respect. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Zhou Henn."
"Is your father in good health?" Zhou Henn asked.