A Glimpse of Beauty

"Clang!"

The yin-suppressing nail was driven into a crevice in the rocks at the foot of the mountain.

The last wisp of black mist on the mountain path finally dissipated.

The worshipper stepped back two paces: "Your Excellency, the road is passable, but the vegetation on both sides is still tainted with ghostly energy, so it's best not to touch it."

Shi Qijiang raised his hand.

Two array masters led the way, scattering a strip of cinnabar every ten steps, while those behind followed the red marks as they ascended the mountain.

Shi Qijiang's face was very grim as he walked and looked around.

The black mist on both sides of the stone steps did indeed dissipate, but the force that finally broke through the black array did not come from outside.

The formation collapsed from the inside.

This is strange.

If there were such a person in Teruno Munenori, they wouldn't have been trapped earlier...

Filled with doubt, Shi Qijiang quickened his pace.

Suhe practically ran alongside him, looking up at the mountain peak as he ran.

A sliver of cloud was blown away by the night wind, revealing the eaves of the ancestral hall of the Zhaoye sect.

Could Yan Zu be on the mountain?

The probability is very small.

But what if?

Su He and Shi Qijiang, each with their own thoughts, went up the mountain.

They stopped before they even reached the summit.

The main hall's gate, located halfway up the mountain, was wide open.

Lu Guang sat in the hall, his horse slung over his shoulder, looking as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Shi Qijiang first scanned the inside of the hall, then looked at the side doors on both sides.

There were no ghost cultivators or signs of battle.

"Where is that ghost cultivator?" Shi Qijiang asked.

"He's dead."

Lu Guang answered decisively.

Shi Qijiang frowned deeply, his brows furrowing into a deep frown, and asked in a low voice:

Where is the body?

"He suffered a backlash from the formation, leaving only ashes on the ground, which I have already had collected."

"Backlash? What's his cultivation level?"

"City Destruction Realm"

Lu Guang spoke those three words with a firm and powerful voice.

Shi Qijiang sneered, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old? A mere City-Destroying Realm cultivator can move the foundation of the Zhaoye Sect, trap your entire sect, and expect you to send people to wait for me in advance?"

"But that's just how it is."

Lu Guang raised his chin, speaking matter-of-factly: "This ghost cultivator is proficient in formations, and only trapped me for a moment. If Lord Shi doesn't even understand the concept of using terrain to form a formation, ask the formation master you brought later."

The old master strategist behind him lowered his head, pretending not to hear.

Shi Qijiang still didn't believe it, and pointed to the back of the hall: "The last movement of the remaining ghostly energy just now went towards the back mountain. Men, search."

Just as the two guards were about to step forward, the axe handle fell to the ground with a thud.

Lu Guang gripped the giant axe, his face darkening:

"The ancestral hall on the mountain is full of our sect's wounded members who are currently recuperating. If anyone wants to go up and disturb them, I, Lu, will be the first to object."

After only a few words, the atmosphere became extremely tense.

The worshipper behind Shi Qijiang took a half step forward.

Lu Guang didn't even lift his eyelids, but simply gripped the giant axe tighter.

Shi Qijiang raised his hand, signaling his men to relax.

He walked a few steps into the hall with his hands behind his back. When he spoke, his voice suddenly became louder, carrying a strong sense of accusation.

"Sect Leader Lu, how dare you!"

Shi Qijiang shouted, "You knew that ghosts from other continents had entered the mountain, yet you didn't report it and allowed them to stay for half a month. If I hadn't sealed off the city and evacuated the people tonight, and brought men to break the formation in time, how many heads would you have to chop off if the people down the mountain had suffered?"

Lu Guang smiled upon hearing this.

"Lord Shi is quite adept at taking credit for himself."

"you--"

"Lord Shi, do you even know the situation? Why are you questioning my crime?"

Lu Guang leaned back in his chair. "You didn't even know that that damned thing entered Beiyang Prefecture? Tsk tsk, is this how the ruler of a prefecture governs his territory?"

Shi Qijiang's face turned ashen.

Lu Guang didn't give him a chance to speak.

"Our Zhaoye Sect refused the ghost cultivator's offer of service, held him back for half a month, and even sent someone down the mountain to report the impending fall of our sect. In the end, the ghost cultivator died, and our sect resolved the crisis in Beiyang Prefecture. Now, does Your Excellency intend to punish us?"

The main hall fell silent as the guards whispered among themselves.

Su He was probably the only one in the entire room whose attention wasn't on that damned cultivator.

He looked around as soon as he entered the hall, and finally his gaze settled on Lu Guang.

Su He noticed that when the Sect Master Lu opposite him first spoke, he glanced towards the back corridor.

Extremely fast, as if it were calculating time.

This discovery made Su He even more focused, observing Lu Guang's every move.

Lu Guang suddenly stood up and pulled out a folded piece of paper from under his seat.

"Outside Beiyang City, there is a horse trading company that delivers messages for the Ghost Clan. In Lin'an, there is a cellar that stores black incense used for setting up formations... Does Lord Shi know that our Yan Kingdom has been infiltrated by the Ghost Clan of Beichi Continent?"

"impossible!"

Shi Qijiang instinctively refused, not because he didn't believe it, but because he dared not believe it.

The other party was talking about big moves. If he, the head of the prefecture, really didn't notice, it would be quite a mess if the imperial court found out.

Lu Guang seemed to have anticipated this scene, and his voice became even more steady as he gripped the paper.

"All the evidence is on here. Sir, tell me, is this a major demerit or a major merit?"

"All of this is just your word."

"Then, sir, you followed my evidence and arrested the person. Consider it my assistance to the court in eliminating the spy, and consider it your timely action to make amends for your mistakes."

"What if we can't catch them?"

"Then come back and punish me, Teruno Munechika."

".....good!"

Shi Qijiang remained silent for a moment, then extended his hand.

Lu Guang was about to hand it over when his gaze suddenly fell on Shi Qijiang's back.

Based on his understanding of Shi Qijiang, the person following him most closely should be that advisor.

Who is this young official?

Lu Guang's gaze swept across the area, finally settling on the bronze plaque at Su He's waist.

Upon seeing the words on the bronze plaque, Lu Guang's eyes lit up, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and he stopped extending his hand.

He said, "This gentleman looks unfamiliar; Lord Shi hasn't introduced him yet."

Shi Qijiang frowned; he had already guessed what Lu Guang wanted to do.

Su He stepped forward at this moment, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Su He, a seventh-rank patrol officer, greets Sect Leader Lu."

He paused, then said, "I have come from Chengtian Prefecture on a mission to the Emperor."

Chengtian Prefecture.

In front of the emperor.

Lu Guang's smile widened: "So it's the Imperial Inspector."

Shi Qijiang did not retract his outstretched hand, and reminded him, "Sect Leader Lu, this case is within the territory of Beiyang Prefecture."

Lu Guang said seriously, "The Ghost Clan's spies are involved in several prefectures, including Lin'an and the border. If we only entrust them to the Beiyang Prefecture, it might be too much trouble for Lord Shi. Inspector Su is on a mission to the Emperor; wouldn't it be safer to return and report to the capital?"

The piece of paper spun in mid-air.

It eventually fell into Suhe's hands.

In the past, Suhe might have been more deferential, but now he understands what "competition" means and knows how to "competition".

He needed achievements to win the emperor's trust and gain more resources and power.

Therefore, Suhe calmly accepted the message, read only two lines, then folded it again and said righteously, "I will verify the intelligence and present it to His Majesty. This is my duty."

He glanced at the Prefect in front of him and said, "I suggest that it is more reasonable for the Prefect to oversee the arrests and investigations within Beiyang territory."

Shi Qijiang's expression softened slightly.

At this moment, a formation master hurriedly entered from outside the hall.

"My lord, three places at the foot of the mountain in the Teruno sect have been found to be the cores of the formation, and the yin energy is very strong. I need you to go and take a look."

Shi Qijiang didn't believe the ghost cultivator was dead. Upon hearing this, he summoned two array masters and had the servants of his household follow. As he was leaving, he turned to look at Su He.

"You stay here and find out where the paper came from."

"Yes."

Shi Qijiang's footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Lu Guang's smile faded, and he leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to catch his breath.

"What questions does Su Xun want to ask?"

Su He didn't speak immediately.

He looked at the three locations on the paper again.

The words were newly written, the ink was not yet dry, and all the information was remembered clearly.

This was an unexpected surprise, but that wasn't Suhe's initial purpose in going up the mountain.

Suhe's mind was filled with the image of that man in gray.

Sect Master Lu's old injury healed overnight, and he even performed the senior's salute in public. In addition, Yan Zu's pace was also up to par.

So... could Lu Guang be worshipping the Yan Ancestor?

Could it be that the formation tonight wasn't broken by that person either?

Adding to that the look in Sect Leader Lu's eyes just now...

Once Su He had the answer and then considered the process, he saw many things more clearly than Shi Qijiang.

Even if all of this is just speculation, Su He wants to test it out.

If you ask directly, the other party will definitely deny it.

Su He's mind raced, then he closed the paper and uttered a startling statement:

"Sect Leader Lu, has that senior already left?"

Lu Guang's eyes snapped open, and his hand on the broken axe tightened abruptly.

It was just a fleeting moment.

The next moment, he regained his composure: "What do you mean?"

Suhe didn't ask any further questions, because that was enough.

Lu Guang stared at Su He for a long time, then suddenly smiled: "The younger generation is truly formidable."

"Does Sect Leader Lu's words mean he's admitting it?" Su He's eyes gleamed.

Instead of answering, Lu Guang asked, "When Su Xun sought him out for his case, was it to invite him, or to take something?"

"Neither."

"A mission to the Emperor is certainly not to catch up with old friends."

"I'm here to investigate an old case from the history books."

Su He said calmly, "I need to find that person, verify their identity, and present the evidence. I have no orders to arrest them."

Lu Guang tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair without saying a word.

An old case in history books.

The secret mission before the emperor.

These few sentences, when put together, make it impossible to guess the specifics, but the matter is certainly not insignificant.

Lu Guangyuan thought that Senior Shen was just highly skilled, but now he realized that Senior Shen's affairs had actually reached Chengtian Prefecture and even the Emperor's desk.

Lu Guang remained silent for a long time before loosening his grip on the axe handle.

"He just left. These things are from him. He also helped me with my injuries."

Su He paused slightly, then hurriedly asked:

"They came from that direction."

"have no idea."

"What's your name?"

"have no idea."

Lu Guang said in a deep voice, "That's all I can tell you."

Suhe nodded and didn't press him further.

The hall fell silent as the two men pondered their situation.

A moment later, Suhe got up and took his leave.

Lu Guang did not stop him.

Su He then began to walk around the Zhaoye Sect, trying to find any clues left by the Flame Ancestor.

As we walked, we unknowingly came to a corridor.

Outside the corridor were vast forests, and the night wind blew in through the broken window, causing his sleeves to flutter incessantly.

Suhe walked to the end, grabbed the railing, and gazed into the distance.

At first, he just wanted to feel the night breeze and relax his tense nerves.

Then...

He saw a gray figure.

"???!!!"

Su He rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and then rubbed his eyes again, his energy flowing freely into his eyes.

That's right!

The figure walked along the path at the foot of the mountain; from the mountaintop, only a rough outline could be seen.

Her black hair hung down her back, and she walked slowly, occasionally being obscured by the shadows of the trees, only to reappear in the moonlight moments later.

Suhe's fingers tightened little by little.

Old paintings in the files.

Statements given on the street.

Those repeatedly mentioned features: eyebrows, figure, and clothing.

One by one, they were peeled off the paper and fell onto that person.

At this moment, the gray-clad figure at the foot of the mountain stopped.

Suhe's heart also paused for a moment.

The man turned around.

I looked over from half a mountain away, through the wind-blown withered grass and layers of tree shadows.

Suhe opened her mouth.

No sound.

It felt like something was suddenly squeezing my chest, making it impossible to breathe.

He gripped the railing, his knuckles taut and white, and all the things he had suppressed for five years surged up at once.

He didn't cry when people thought he was crazy.

He didn't cry when he was suspended from his post and imprisoned.

He didn't cry when the whip fell from the rack.

But at that moment, his eyes suddenly felt incredibly hot.

Down the mountain, the man turned around again and continued walking into the distance.

Suhe took a step forward and missed.

He rolled down the hillside, spinning more than ten times before crashing into a tree and coming to a stop.

Suhe felt no pain. He gazed at the towering tree above him, only one thought in his mind:

I wish I could fly.

------

I missed it because I was watching the World Cup final, but I'll finish the other chapter later this afternoon.