Evil Extermination Division

Why me?

It wasn't just others who were confused; Liang Yue himself was equally bewildered. Compared to those wealthy patrons, his painting was already doing well if it wasn't being ridiculed. How could it possibly be chosen?

There was an inexplicable feeling of being predetermined.

Compared to the so-called "sincerity," he even more believed it was because he was handsome.

But no matter what, since they had chosen him, he couldn't very well refuse.

Liang Yue could only follow the maid's guidance to a quiet room within the Fragrant Garden, under the envious and resentful gazes of the crowd.

In the quiet room, sandalwood incense wafted, and a screen stood between them. Behind the screen sat that graceful figure.

Warm red candlelight, a beauty seated.

With a hint of trepidation, Liang Yue walked around the screen and saw a stunningly beautiful figure. In surprise, his pupils slightly contracted.

As beautiful as a celestial being was not an exaggeration.

Behind the screen was a spacious wooden couch with a small table on it. The woman seated at the end of the table wore a peach-pink wide-sleeved silk dress with gold patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs. She wore a glittering gold hairpin in her hair, which was styled in a cloud-like bun. The peach-pink and crimson gold reflected off a fair and radiant face.

With such vibrant colors, even the slightest blemish on her cheek would be extremely noticeable, but this woman not only held up to it but was also set off to be as bright and fiery as a flame. Her eyes, like cut water, flowed with emotion, her nose bridge had a slight hump, and her lips were painted crimson. Every feature was perfect.

However, what surprised Liang Yue wasn't her beauty, but the fact that he had seen this face before.

This person was none other than the Traveling Official of the Evil Extermination Division, Wen Yifan!

How could Miss Wen, whom he had seen on the street that day, become a musician in this Mystic Sound Pavilion?

The white clothes and white sword of that day, the fiery red dress of today – the style had changed, but the peerless beauty and the faint, indifferent divine light remained. Such a radiant face, without a trace of expression, immediately brought to mind the phrase, as beautiful as a peach blossom, as cold as frost.

Changing clothes once made a world of difference.

"Sit." Wen Yifan raised her hand and pointed to the opposite side.

"Miss Wen..." Liang Yue sat down cautiously, looked around, and asked, "What's going on?"

He certainly didn't think the other party was working a part-time job after getting off work. His first thought was that the Evil Extermination Division might have some secret mission in this Mystic Sound Pavilion.

Indeed, he heard Wen Yifan reply, "I'll tell you slowly. Don't look too flustered. There are still people outside, don't reveal any flaws."

"Okay." Liang Yue nodded gently. Although his eyes were clear, his posture immediately relaxed, as if he were truly here to meet a beautiful woman.

"What are you doing here?" Wen Yifan asked first.

If it were anyone else, they would probably be stunned to hear this.

This was a brothel. What else could one be doing here besides looking for good girls?

But Liang Yue immediately understood. The other party must have seen that his clothes and demeanor didn't resemble those of a scholar or refined gentleman seeking pleasure, and he had a righteous air about him. He must have come here for another purpose.

"With your salary as a Subordinate Guard, it's unlikely you're here for entertainment, is it?" Wen Yifan added.

"..." Liang Yue was silent for a moment, then replied, "Our neighborhood hasn't been very peaceful lately. I'm accompanying my colleague to gather some information."

"Very good." Wen Yifan nodded, asking without any hesitation, "Then can you help me with something later?"

You need my help?

Liang Yue hesitated slightly. In his eyes, this Miss Wen was synonymous with immense power. What could she possibly need his help with?

However, he quickly agreed, saying, "Miss Wen, what do you need my assistance with? Please feel free to speak."

Since she had asked, she must believe he was capable, and he didn't need to overthink that point.

Wen Yifan gave him a look of satisfaction, then asked, "Do you know the origin of the Evil Extermination Division?"

"Is it to eliminate Nine Yang spies?" Liang Yue replied.

There were many rumors circulating about the origins of the Evil Extermination Division.

According to legend, after the Battle of Heavenly Gorge twenty-six years ago, the Nine Yang tribe was defeated and willing to pledge allegiance to the Yin Dynasty. At that time, the Yin Dynasty was weary from prolonged warfare, and its southern border was unstable, so it agreed to end the war.

The Yin Dynasty won a Pyrrhic victory in this battle, suffering heavy losses, and both sides entered the period of peace that continues to this day.

However, the Nine Yang tribe harbored ambitious intentions. Unable to defeat the Yin Dynasty in open warfare, they began a secret and massive espionage plan shortly after the peace treaty was signed.

They sent thousands of elite spies into the Nine Provinces, secretly learning about and undermining the Yin Dynasty.

After decades of infiltration, some of these spies operated businesses, some entered various academies, some joined martial arts sects, and some even became high-ranking officials in the imperial court. They existed in various guises, searching for any weaknesses within the Yin Dynasty's territory. Given the opportunity, they would bare their fangs, instigating officials, stealing secrets, and inciting rebellion.

Anything that could cause chaos in the Yin Dynasty was their target.

Moreover, their organization was extremely tight-knit. Sometimes, even if some spies were exposed, it wouldn't affect the actions of the others. It wasn't until ten years ago that the Yin Dynasty fully understood this vast infiltration plan.

Although the court immediately began a purge, these spies had infiltrated too deeply. Any organization within the court could potentially harbor their informants, and action plans were often known in advance. After several years of effort, the results were still minimal.

After Left Prime Minister Liang Fuguo took office, he proposed a plan to introduce Mystic Sect Immortal Officials.

Mystic Sect cultivators lived in seclusion, cultivating on immortal mountains, and were few in number. They were an organization that Nine Yang spies could absolutely not infiltrate. If their help could be enlisted, there would be an absolutely clean sharp blade.

In the past history of the Yin Dynasty, Mystic Sect cultivators had been invited down from the mountains and respectfully referred to as "Immortal Officials." However, that was due to the rebellion of the Four Seas demon races, and they were invited to eliminate the demon plague in the Nine Provinces. In this regard, Qi Refiners were more professional.

Inviting Mystic Sect cultivators to deal with the Nine Yang tribe had never happened before, and it was unknown if they would be willing to help.

Liang Fuguo personally ascended Three Purities Mountain Jade Capital Peak to meet the contemporary Master Chen Yandao of the Xuan Palm and ultimately invited down Chen Yandao's personal disciple, Chen Su.

Chen Su accepted the heavy responsibility of Immortal Official and recruited personnel from the Mystic Sect Eight Veins, forming the current Evil Extermination Bureau, which has only been in existence for two and a half years.

Officials like Wen Yifan, whose rank is "Traveling Official," do not have formal official ranks because they are temporarily helping the court and will eventually return to the immortal mountains beyond the clouds.

Seeing that Liang Yue knew about this, Wen Yifan didn't waste any more words on the topic and continued, "Yu Wenlong, whom you saw a few days ago, is the highest-ranking spy we've uncovered in the court in the past two and a half years. He should have a lot of secrets, but he died the night he entered the Evil Extermination Division."

"Died?" Liang Yue was a little surprised.

The Evil Extermination Division should have many ways to prevent prisoners from committing suicide. If Yu Wenlong still died under such circumstances, could it be that the infiltration capabilities of the Nine Yang spies were so terrifying that they had already infiltrated the Evil Extermination Division, which had only been established for two and a half years?

"Yes, he died from poisoning." Wen Yifan didn't say much more and continued, "We didn't get any information from him, but his return itself indicates a problem."

"That's right." Liang Yue frowned in thought. "He had already escaped, but he insisted on expending so much effort to return to the Divine Capital. There must have been something he had to do. Was it to inform his accomplices that he had been exposed? No, their organization must have a way to know who has had an issue. He returned because there should be something more important, and this thing might only be known to him! Even his accomplices don't know... or can't get it."

"You are very smart." Wen Yifan seemed a little surprised by how quick-witted this Subordinate Guard was and followed up, "Our guess is the same, but the lead on Yu Wenlong is broken. We investigated all his movements in Dragon Abyss City. Besides official interactions, the person he interacted with most closely was a lover of his in the Mystic Sound Pavilion, named Phoenix Butterfly."

"Oh..." Liang Yue suddenly understood. "Miss Wen, you came here to get close to that Phoenix Butterfly?"

"Yes." Wen Yifan said, "I've been at the Mystic Sound Pavilion for two days and haven't seen her interact with any suspicious people. She shouldn't be a Nine Yang spy. However, I secretly infiltrated her Water Ripple Courtyard and searched, but I didn't find anything that might be related to Yu Wenlong. I suspect that Nine Yang spies might also be watching Phoenix Butterfly. If the Evil Extermination Division directly contacts her, it might alert the enemy."

"Phoenix Butterfly hasn't left her room these past few days, making it difficult for me to get in touch with her personally. Originally, I had a plan for today: select one of our people to be the subject of a discussion, then have them argue and use that as an excuse to send him to Water Ripple Courtyard to talk with Phoenix Butterfly and see if we could find any clues."

"But just now, while playing the zither, I infused my spiritual sense into the music and scanned the entire hall. I discovered two suspicious individuals who seemed to be watching our person. I was afraid he had already been exposed. If he were to contact Phoenix Butterfly again, it would still alert the other party. It just so happened that I saw you at that moment. Because you rendered meritorious service during the capture of Yu Wenlong, it's impossible for you to be colluding with Nine Yang spies, which is why I wanted you to help me complete this task."

Wen Yifan slowly recounted, explaining clearly the process by which she chose Liang Yue.

However, Liang Yue looked up, somewhat bewildered. "Me?"

He inexplicably felt a weight on his shoulders.

Could he really handle such a significant matter concerning the undercurrents between the Yin Dynasty and Nine Yang?

"Don't worry, wear this Following Jade Talisman on you. I can hear every word you say, and if necessary, I can directly transmit sound to your spiritual sense to tell you how to respond." Wen Yifan handed over an exquisite white jade talisman, on which complex array patterns were engraved.

Liang Yue took it. The small jade talisman felt cool to the touch, as if it carried a fragrance.

Was this the legendary immortal artifact?

He held it, then suddenly remembered something. He took out a handkerchief from hisbosom and handed it over, saying, "The handkerchief Miss Wen used to give me the medicinal pills last time, I've washed it clean. I was just thinking of returning it to you when I saw you again. I thought there would be little chance, but I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Wen Yifan lowered her eyes and glanced at the neatly folded handkerchief in his palm. She shook her head and said, "No need, you can keep it."

Good morning.