Control

(Brothers, give us some strong recommendations!)

At this moment, a young Goth couple emerged from the luxurious central tent. The woman had a large belly, clearly pregnant.

The young man approached Qi Bei with a smile and performed a noble salute of the Golden Leaf Dynasty. "I am the manager of this caravan. I apologize for the conflict that just occurred. If you like this area, we will move immediately."

Qi Bei's gaze playfully appraised the Goth couple. Both had expressions of appeasement, appearing easy to talk to.

"This area is quite spacious. You don't need to move; just make do and squeeze in," Qi Bei said.

"No need, thank you for your kindness, sir. We will move now." After saying this, the young Goth began directing the entire caravan to move downstream.

Sir? Qi Bei's eyes flickered. He figured they must have overheard Tie Tou calling him Lord earlier.

Did they back down so submissively just because I'm a noble?

"Lord, this caravan seems a bit suspicious," Huo Lie whispered in Qi Bei's ear.

"Don't worry about it for now. Have the brothers keep a close eye on them," Qi Bei said calmly.

"Yes, Lord." Huo Lie nodded.

Soon, the Goth caravan retreated downstream, and Qi Bei's group set up camp.

By now, the sky was completely dark. Piles of bonfires and magical lamps were lit, making the place resemble a small village.

Qi Bei reclined on a chair in his tent, tapping his fingers on the armrest, lost in thought.

"Xiao Jiu, Thirteen." Qi Bei suddenly looked up and called out.

Two shadowy figures, like ghosts, instantly appeared before Qi Bei and respectfully said, "What are your orders, Master?"

"Infiltrate the Goth caravan and investigate anything unusual. Whatever you find, do not alert them," Qi Bei instructed.

"Yes, Master." Xiao Jiu and Thirteen vanished like ghosts once more.

Qi Bei stood up, stretched, and murmured, "It's about time we set off."

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Lanhe Town was a very prosperous small town.

A river flowed through Lanhe Town, and due to the blue sand at the bottom reflecting the light, the river water appeared a beautiful azure blue, which was its claim to fame.

Lanhe Town had fallen asleep by midnight. Unlike big cities, nighttime entertainment had not yet become widespread. Apart from a few casinos and brothels that were still lit, the rest of the town was shrouded in dim darkness.

In front of the archway at the entrance of Lanhe Town, Marquis Lanling waited anxiously, his heart in his throat, unable to find peace.

On one hand, Marquis Lanling hoped to latch onto this powerful individual and soar to great heights.

On the other hand, Marquis Lanling worried that his guess was wrong and that this powerful individual would simply eliminate him.

Just then, Marquis Lanling sensed something and suddenly looked up. He saw a mysterious figure, completely shrouded in a black robe, standing not far away like a specter.

"Are you Marquis Lanling?" the mysterious figure asked in a sinister tone.

Marquis Lanling trembled. He felt an extremely faint, yet terrifying aura locking onto him.

Marquis Lanling had already assumed this mysterious person was the peerless expert who had killed Venerable Wutian and rescued Nan Wuya. He had no intention of resisting and immediately bowed extremely respectfully, trembling, "Cassif greets Senior. May I know why Senior has summoned this junior?"

Qi Bei, disguised as the mysterious figure, was very pleased with Marquis Lanling's reaction. He deliberately didn't reply, instead continuing to activate the trace of dragon energy generated by the Divine Dragon Transformation.

In the deathly silence, fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Marquis Lanling's forehead. His will had already collapsed, and under the pressure of Qi Bei's dragon energy, he found it difficult to even breathe.

With a "噗" sound, Marquis Lanling could no longer bear the torment. His knees buckled, and he knelt down, trembling, "Senior, Cassif is willing to be your dog. Whatever you want me to do, I will do it?"

"Heh heh heh, is that so? I intended to kill you, but considering you still have a modicum of usefulness, I will accept you as my dog." Qi Bei chuckled sinisterly and walked up to Cassif.

"Thank you, Senior... no, thank you, Master." Marquis Lanling dared not move.

"Close your eyes," Qi Bei commanded.

Marquis Lanling obediently shut his eyes tightly, afraid that even opening a sliver would lead to his utter destruction.

Qi Bei's dragon-transformed Dragon Claws pressed against Marquis Lanling's forehead. A trace of golden inner force surged into his brow, settling in his Heavenly Aperture.

Marquis Lanling felt the cold, sharp claws touch his forehead, followed by a strange energy entering his mind, swirling around. He knew this was a method for the mysterious expert to control him.

After a short while, Qi Bei withdrew his Dragon Claws. This world had no concept of meridians or acupoints. This could be considered his unique method, and he believed that even experts of Heaven Grade or Saint Grade might not know how to break it.

"Get up," Qi Bei said calmly.

Marquis Lanling obediently stood up, not daring to wipe the sweat from his face.

"What is that old fellow Venerable Wutian plotting while holed up in the Golden Leaf Imperial Capital?" Qi Bei asked.

"Master, I truly don't know. I only know he is searching for something, and Nan Wuya seems to have what he wants," Marquis Lanling replied cautiously.

Qi Bei's thoughts raced. Venerable Wutian was looking for the Nine Nether Chapters. Was it just because he knew Marquis Lanling was a registered disciple of Dreamy Sea that he used him to lure out Nan Wuya? Then what about the Necromancer who caused such a stir in the Imperial Palace and Xiaoqing, the maid beside Princess Ruixue?

"What was that incident with the Necromancer in the Imperial Capital last time? Was it orchestrated by Venerable Wutian?" Qi Bei asked.

"I don't know, Master. Perhaps it was done by Venerable Wutian's other subordinates," Marquis Lanling replied.

Qi Bei frowned, his aura suddenly becoming sharp.

Marquis Lanling trembled. He felt the trace of energy in his mind begin to surge, causing him splitting headaches.

"Then, who else in the Imperial Capital is under Venerable Wutian's control?" Qi Bei asked.

Marquis Lanling breathed a sigh of relief. He knew a few of them and quickly rattled off a list of names, afraid that if he said he didn't know any more, Qi Bei would just end him.

Elder Weir of the Mage Guild, the head of the Fox Family, the deputy commander of the Imperial Palace Guards...

Qi Bei silently noted down these names. These individuals held considerable power and could potentially be useful in the future.

However, a shadow still lingered in Qi Bei's mind. If the matter of the Necromancer and the maid Xiaoqing wasn't a move orchestrated by Venerable Wutian, then another dark force might be hiding within the Golden Leaf Dynasty. What were they trying to achieve by kidnapping Princess Mingyue?

The clues Qi Bei had so far were far from enough to piece everything together.