A Confidante of Beauty

The entire block was cordoned off.

A large number of soldiers from the City Defense Camp gathered to prevent powerful Demon Race from coming to silence them.

Half an hour later.

The sky was getting dark.

Taishi Bai arrived, having already learned what had happened on the way. His face was solemn, and he remained silent as he quickly ascended the restaurant.

Upon entering the room, he saw Long Xiangcen lying on the ground in the center of the house, covered in wounds. A complex and unreadable expression flashed in his eyes before he looked at Taishi Yu standing by the window.

Taishi Yu had washed off the bloodstains and changed into brand-new, magnificent clothes, exuding an air of nobility and arrogance. "Why are you looking at me? The person you brought from Lingxiao City almost killed me because of her. The fact that I spared your life is already an act of brotherhood."

Taishi Bai squatted down and pointed a finger at Long Xiangcen, breaking the seal.

After Long Xiangcen was able to circulate her magical energy, her complexion gradually recovered, and she was no longer as weak as before.

However, he was unable to stand up, as both his legs had been broken by Taishi Yu.

Her eyes were filled with tears, and she looked pitiful. "Cousin, I'm sorry... They planted Death Spirit Fire in me. If I don't obey their orders, I'll burn myself to death... But I swear, I will never do anything to betray you, I will never harm the Taishi Family... I will never... even if it means death..."

Taishi Yu couldn't stand it anymore. "Even at this point, you're still acting like a jerk? If you don't tell the truth, not only Taishi Bai, but even if General Tai Shi and Long Shexin come, you'll still be dead."

Taishi Bai looked at Long Xiangcen: "This matter is already known throughout the city, and every government office will hold you accountable. After tonight, I cannot guarantee your life. Therefore, you must quickly tell me everything you know. Only by capturing Phoenix-born Unicorn-young You as soon as possible can you atone for your mistakes and gain a sliver of hope."

Taishi Yu said, "What other experts are there among the departed spirits? What are their origins? What are their purposes? How many are lurking in Lingxiao City? Don't pretend you don't know. If you keep spouting lies and playing the victim, believe me, I'll throw you into a brothel to work as a prostitute..."

"Don't I know how to ask? You go out first and give me half an hour," Taishi Bai said in a deep voice.

"If you can't get anything useful out of me in half an hour, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Taishi Yu cursed and swore as he left the room and went downstairs.

The last rays of the setting sun have faded.

In the small courtyard on the first floor, lanterns were lit, and martial arts experts from the Imperial Court were guarding the area.

Under the eaves, on the steps.

Li Weiyi and Jiang Ning stood five steps apart, by two pillars, looking at the warm blue sky in the twilight, communicating with each other through the transmission of their spiritual energy.

Li Weiyi said, "When the curtain was lifted, Jiang Ning and Long Xiangcen fought, which was witnessed by many people. When the Luantai authorities questioned you, what was your response?"

"Of course I will respond truthfully! I wasn't there at the time and knew nothing about it. Covering up for Zuoqiu Hongting would only expose my inconsistencies."

Jiang Ning's face was veiled, and her body was shrouded in ethereal light. She stood gracefully, her skin glowing even more alluringly in the night, completely out of place in the turbid world before her.

She shouldn't be confined to the halls of power; she should be high above the heavens.

She said, "Phoenix-born Unicorn-young and Song Muchuan have already been exposed. We can take advantage of this to eliminate all thirty powerful spirit beings who have infiltrated. This will not affect you."

"Since hearing the news from you, I've been in a lot of turmoil these past few days. If we don't eliminate potential threats in advance, it feels like the whole city is full of enemies."

Looking at her ethereal beauty, yet her heart filled with worldly concerns, Li Weiyi couldn't help but chuckle, "To be honest, a peerless beauty like Lord Jiang should be worshipped, elevated to immortality, and made a saint, detached from worldly affairs like a goddess in a temple. You've fallen into a predicament of worrying about the country and its people; everyone in the world has a share of fault."

Jiang Ning frowned slightly, his expression serious. "Those in positions of power should fulfill their duties. Why are you mocking me? My thinking is simple: the current chaos in the world is truly suffocating. With our cultivation and abilities, we will do as much as we can."

"Alright, as you wish. But we have to wait until Long Xiangcen confesses everything and reveals that she was the one who leaked the information," Li Weiyi said.

Jiang Ning, taciturn and always exuding an aloof air, said, "Zhuang Yue's list contains 212 people. Over the past month, I've eliminated most of them, with 92 being the most suspicious. Finding the exact 30 from those 92 won't be easy."

"I'm a bit better than you. I can narrow down the suspects to fifty people and take them all down."

Li Weiyi pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and quietly handed it to her. "Just say that you received a secret report a month ago, and that the Luantai (the imperial secret service) had already noticed some clues. You've been investigating secretly... the credit is yours."

Jiang Ning accepted it.

She felt that, given her close relationship with Li Weiyi, there was no need for thanks; they were like comrades-in-arms with perfect understanding, pursuing the same goal.

She was eager to leave immediately, saying urgently, "After what happened today, these people must have gone into hiding. If we act quickly, we might be able to catch some of them."

"No rush. The people from the Jiu Li Hidden Gate have been keeping an eye on them. If they've gone into hiding, ask Chen Chuan for the latest information," Li Weiyi said.

Many of Jiang Ning's worries vanished, her beautiful eyes brightened, and a rare smile that could captivate the world appeared on her face, "Is this why you summoned so many Hidden Gate experts to Lingxiao City? To mock my concern for the country and its people? Aren't you the same? You're still the same as before, just refusing to admit it! I'm in a position to do my job. And you? You take on responsibilities that aren't yours?"

Li Weiyi stood tall and straight, his eyes sincere. "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. Just as you said, do what you can. Perhaps it won't change anything, but at least you'll have a clear conscience."

"What a fine saying! The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. This is the kind of responsibility that martial arts practitioners should have."

Jiang Ning looked at him, her beautiful eyes lingering on him for a long time. "Two years ago, your words, 'The heavens are dead, the yellow heavens shall rise,' infuriated me greatly. You were a complete traitor. I will do everything in my power to help you break free from the control of this cult."

"By the way, the Imperial Court is almost certain that the cult's headquarters is in the Underground Immortal Mansion. The Second Palace Master has already left the city to persuade all sides to take the initiative and destroy it, so as to prevent the future situation where the Yin Shi Zhong Dao and Twenty-Eight Prefectures fall into ruin, becoming a zombie country filled with rice corpses."

Jiang Ning noticed that Li Weiyi's eyes showed no joy, but rather a deeper seriousness. Seeing through his thoughts, she asked, puzzled, "What are you worried about?"

With the Second Palace Master gone, Lingxiao City will inevitably Kongxu.

The Second Palace Master's lobbying efforts to attack the Rice Cult's headquarters may force the Rice Cult to launch an attack prematurely.

Demon Race has been doing all along is forcing the Rice Cult to take action as soon as possible. The secret of the Rice Cult's headquarters in the Underground Immortal Mansion was leaked by them.

Li Weiyi had initially thought there would be at least two more months, but given the current situation, war could break out at any moment.

When a storm is coming, even ants and insects sense it first.

He said, "I've heard that some ghost cities and Bone Mansion in the Netherworld of the Departed, as well as the Demon Race, are gathering large armies, with their target being the Western Territory. War has also broken out in the Eastern Sea. At this critical juncture, does the Imperial Court have the capability to fight on three fronts, including attacking the Rice Sect's headquarters?"

Jiang Ning gazed at the sky, at the ever-appearing stars, and sighed softly, "This kind of grand strategy is a contest between the transcendent, not something we juniors can see clearly or help with. All we can interfere with is the immediate, smaller situation."

"The transcendent beings stand atop the mountain, able to see the undulating peaks and the colors of the vegetation at a glance. From a strategic perspective, there is nowhere to obstruct their view."

"But they can't see the hidden dangers beneath the dense forest, and they don't have the energy to explore every corner."

"Disaster is like a spark that ignites in dry grass. By the time a wildfire breaks out, it may be too late to put it out."

"What's even more terrifying is that wildfires aren't confined to one place; they can be found all over the world. In that case, even someone as extraordinary as Chao Ran can only frantically try to stop them, ultimately powerless to do anything but watch helplessly as everything is reduced to ashes."

Li Weiyi understood this principle perfectly. He pondered to himself, what were Kirin Zhuang and Qingluan doing at this very moment? What kind of open and covert struggles were the transcendent and Longevity Realm Giants of the world engaged in?

Clearly, the Imperial Court alone cannot be a match for the Demon Race.

With the Western Territory Sea to protect and the West to defend, how many extraordinary individuals remain in Lingxiao City?

This is an unsolvable situation!

Even though Li Weiyi revealed the crisis in Lingxiao City and all the Imperial Court experts rushed back, the result was that Lingxiao City was saved, but the eastern and Western Territory were completely lost. It was just that the collapse went from a sudden crash to a gradual defeat.

The outcome is unchangeable.

Turning Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain into a meat grinder for Demon Race and cults is the only chance for humanity to turn the tide.

Taishi Yu entered the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the two of them. He noticed something amiss and chuckled, "Everyone in the world is saying that Fairy Yu is the confidante of the Jiu Li Hidden Person, and that she had an extraordinary experience in Lizhou and Qiuzhou. One wields the Startled Feather Sword to kill enemies, while the other can control the opponent's Seven Mysterious Insects."

"Li Weiyi, Fairy Yu is quite aloof and doesn't give face to anyone. Even someone as handsome and dashing as me has never received the slightest bit of her favor. But she, who is usually so businesslike, didn't throw you into the Luantai prison. It's clear that you are different from others in her heart."

"How about we cancel the marriage with Zuoqiu Courtyard and join the Imperial Court? I'll ask my father to go to the Jiang family and propose marriage on your behalf."

Li Weiyi laughed and said, "I am someone whose ancestral field has been destroyed, and my path in martial arts is already dead. I'm afraid the Jiang family wouldn't even consider me."

"If you want to talk about romance, don't drag me into it." Jiang Ning moved to a distance, behind the gate of the courtyard, leaving the two of them alone.

Taishi Yu used his spiritual energy to transmit his voice, asking, "Was it Tang Wanzhou who made the move?"

Li Weiyi knew he was asking about the daytime attack, and there needed to be a reasonable explanation. "It was her! But I assure you, her purpose in entering the city was not to cause trouble for the Imperial Court."

Taishi Yu nodded. "I believe you! I've met her once. She's a woman with immense personal charm, magnanimous, and her sense of right and wrong and her overall perspective are rarely matched by men. You're quite something. Tang Wanzhou is another unapproachable type, yet she actually looks at you with such admiration. It almost makes me a little jealous."

"Please don't misunderstand, Young Master is devoted to martial arts," Li Weiyi said.

"Thump! Thump..."

Taishi Bai came downstairs, his brows furrowed, and looked at Taishi Yu: "She doesn't know much, but she told me two things."

"First, thirty powerful undead individuals, using the Soul Merging Secret Technique, have infiltrated the bodies of thirty Imperial Court Dao Seed Realm experts and entered Lingxiao City, intending to create chaos at a crucial moment."

Taishi Yu's expression changed drastically, and his scalp tingled. "Thirty... how could there be so many? Moreover, they used the Soul Merging Secret Technique, so it's impossible to detect them in a short time."

Taishi Bai continued, "Secondly, the Demon Race army and the Departed Spirit Army attacked the Western Territory border around the Lantern Festival. This is roughly the same timeframe calculated by the Imperial Court."

"She was unaware of the specific arrangements, and given her cultivation level, it was impossible for her to be aware of them."

"Brother Yu, can you help me save her life? I was wrong this time; I misjudged people and brought trouble upon the Taishi Family."

Taishi Yu found it hard to refuse the title "Brother Yu," and said, "Clean up the trouble in a short time, arrest those who should be arrested, and kill those who should be killed. That would be a great achievement. Then, when you make your request, the higher-ups might give the Taishi Family some face. But how do we investigate thirty undead experts who are all in hiding? And right now, they may already be hiding even deeper."

Jiang Ning walked over, glanced at Li Weiyi, and took out a list. "I received a tip a month ago and started investigating this matter. We've identified fifty people so far, but further verification is needed."