The Shakeup in Beiyang Prefecture

Beiyang Prefecture Government Office.

Lobby.

Suhe had been waiting for two hours, and the tea in front of her had gone cold.

He is currently acting as an inspector, and his official robes have been changed to those of a seventh-rank official. However, the Prefect of Beiyang is still a proper regional official. Let alone making him wait for two hours, if he really wants to say that he is busy with official duties, it would be reasonable to leave him waiting for two days.

So he didn't urge them, nor could he urge them.

Suhe took out several copies of documents from his bosom and laid them out on his lap one by one.

Suhe has been working almost non-stop for the past month.

Centered on Changluo County, he not only investigated the cases recorded by the imperial court, but also the things passed down orally among the people.

The investigation continued all the way to Beiyang Prefecture, where the clues on the paper suddenly became more numerous.

The official records of the government office document a battle that took place in the city of Kuaicheng.

The sect leader of Zhaoye Sect, Lu Guang, and the prefectural governor, Shi Qijiang, got into a dispute, and both sides backed down.

The few sentences were written in a steady, even style, as if it were just an ordinary conflict.

Suhe, however, heard a different version of the story from the foot shop and the storytellers in the south of the city.

On the day of the great battle, Lu Guang's old wounds had fully healed. He first overpowered Shi Qijiang, and then publicly performed a grand salute to the crowd. Some said it was a kowtow, while others said it was just a bow. The rumors were all mixed up.

But one thing is certain: he did call her "senior".

Su He could then be certain of one thing: Shi Qijiang knew far more than what was written in the official documents.

Just then, footsteps came from behind the hall.

Suhe put away the copy and stood up.

Shi Qijiang entered through the side door, wearing a scarlet official robe, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

He walked up to the head seat and sat down. He first picked up the patrol order on the table, then looked up at Su He.

"I heard from the servants that Inspector Su rushed all the way from the capital just for a few idle words at a teahouse?"

"This humble official dares not make a decision based on gossip."

Su He bowed and said, "I only wish to verify three things with Your Excellency."

"explain."

"First, has the old injury of Lu Guang, the sect leader of Zhaoye Sect, truly healed? Second, on the day of the great battle, was there a gray-clad man with loose hair and long sleeves in front of the mountain gate? Third, why were these two matters not included in the official report?"

After Suhe finished speaking, she kept her head down, maintaining a very proper attitude.

Shi Qijiang picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"I did not see the gray-clad man you mentioned. As for Lu Guang, his injuries have indeed healed."

Shi Qijiang said, "But if Lu Guang deliberately puts on a show to cover up the truth of his recovery and uses an unknown person to scare away the government office, what will the higher-ups think after this government office includes this in official documents?"

This statement is full of flaws, yet it holds up. In official circles, this is the kind of statement a tough nut to crack, and it's impossible to overturn it with a simple "I don't believe it."

Suhe did not respond immediately.

He astutely realized that Shi Qijiang meant it wasn't written into the official document, not that it wasn't reported.

So it was submitted separately? To whom was it submitted?

A breeze swept through the lobby, causing the wooden signs hanging on either side to bump against each other slightly.

Shi Qijiang picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"The Su Xun Case".

"Your humble servant is here."

"The waters of the imperial court are deeper than the moat outside Chengtian Prefecture. The token in your hand does carry some weight, but there are places where the token cannot float."

"I have learned your lesson and dare not overstep my authority."

Su He put away his pen, bowed his head, and asked no further questions.

A few words of warning were enough; if he still couldn't understand, he would have wasted his time in prison.

"Inspector Su, please continue with your work."

Shi Qijiang served tea to the guests as they were seen off.

Just as the teacup touched his lips, a pinch of ash fell from the beam and landed right in the tea.

Shi Qijiang looked up.

The next instant, the entire hall shook violently, the tables and chairs rattled, and most of the tea was spilled.

Su He reached out and pressed down on the corner of the table, and a dull tremor came from the blue bricks under his feet.

Before the first blow had even stopped, the second one had already arrived. Dust fell from the beams in large swaths, and someone outside the door lost their balance and bumped their head against a pillar.

"Has the earth dragon turned over?"

Someone shouted in surprise.

Shi Qijiang has already walked out of the lobby.

Su He grabbed the copy and followed him out.

The sun was still high overhead, and the sky above the city was bright, except for the distant mountain, which had darkened at some point.

Black mist rose from the foot of the mountain, climbed up the mountainside, and then converged in all directions when it reached the top.

Under the bright blue sky, it was as if someone had brought a black bowl and turned it upside down on Teruno.

Shi Qijiang only glanced at it for two breaths before turning around and shouting:

"Close the gates of Linshan City!"

"Your Excellency, there are still some people who haven't entered the city yet."

"Therefore, open the side gate first to let people in, then close the gate half a quarter of an hour later. The city patrol officers will go outside the city to drive people away, and no one is allowed to linger within three miles of the main road!"

He tore off the official seal from his waist and threw it to the clerk who had rushed over.

"Send another fast rider to the neighboring prefecture to report the news. They must travel in two separate routes and not go the same way."

The orders were issued one by one.

The government office quickly sprang into action, with runners rushing to various locations, the gatekeeper ringing the bronze bell, and neighing sounds echoing from the stables in the backyard.

Just as Shi Qijiang was about to speak again, a person suddenly burst into the gate of the mansion.

"Fu Zun!"

Shi Qijiang recognized the clothes; they belonged to a disciple of the Zhaoye sect.

The disciple took a couple of breaths.

"This disciple has been ordered by the sect leader to guard the city. If there is any abnormality at the mountain gate, I will report it immediately."

"Say something important."

"A Northern Tribe Ghost Cultivator named Nie Chenzhou has come to the mountain. He had been urging the sect leader to join the Northern Tribe Continent. It seems he has already made his move. I only saw the black array sealing the mountain, and I don't know anything else."

Shi Qijiang's face gradually darkened.

"Lu Guang, that idiot!"

He kicked away the bench blocking his way.

"Bringing in outsiders and daring to use all the disciples on the mountain to test their courage? Do they really think they have nine lives?"

After Shi Qijiang finished cursing, he turned to look at the registrar:

"Move the troops from the Eastern Camp, select three hundred elite soldiers, and have all the servants from the camp accompany them. Also, have the formation master carry the mountain-locking flag."

The registrar hesitated for a moment, then whispered in the prefect's ear, "Your Excellency, we can deliberately refuse to rescue them and take this opportunity to destroy the Zhaoye Sect..."

Shi Qijiang gave him a cold look.

"You're a fool too! Lu Guang's conflict with this prefecture is merely a matter of self-interest, but the Northern Tripod Ghost Cultivator's act of sealing off the mountains in Beiyang Prefecture is tantamount to endangering our nation. Can't you distinguish between what's important and what's not?"

The registrar quickly bowed his head: "This humble official will go immediately."

Shi Qijiang added, "We are leaving the city today only to capture the Northern Demon Cultivator. Anyone who dares to pass on the military order as a rescue mission for Zhao Yezong will be given twenty lashes by this prefect."

People from the government office were running out in droves.

Shi Qijiang donned his armor, which was worn over his official robe. As he walked, he said, "Array masters are not allowed to enter the array once they reach the outside of the mountain. They should only set up the Mountain Locking Flag. That ghostly aura doesn't seem to be something that a City Destroyer Realm expert could create. No one should be reckless. Until the state reinforcements arrive, we should only surround the area, not attack it."

He walked down the stone steps and suddenly stopped.

"Regarding the Su Xun case, you will remain in the residence."

Su He continued walking: "The person I'm investigating is very likely on the mountain."

Shi Qijiang glanced at him and said, "If something really happens, I might not be able to save you."

"Your humble servant understands."

The gates of the mansion were wide open.

Dozens of riders charged up the main street, their hooves echoing eastward. Soldiers from the garrison were rushing from their camp, and the battle lights on the city walls lit up layer by layer.

Su He mounted his horse and followed Shi Qijiang out of the mansion.

In the distance, the black mist enveloping the Zhaoye Sect sank another layer down.

The outline of the mountain is no longer visible.