334 Departure, Part Two (Thanks to Alliance Leader Zui Shizhe)

Aloeswood Palace.

Large tables were laden with delicacies from land and sea, with over a hundred dishes arranged densely, colorful and fragrant.

Evening.

Zhang Rongfang officially welcomed General Zhou Yan, the chief investigator dispatched by the Snow Rainbow Pavilion to investigate numerous cases.

Inside the banquet hall.

Zhou Yan is 2.3 meters tall, slightly shorter than Zhang Rongfang, but he is extremely wide, standing up like a wall. Coupled with the black metal head ornament, he gives off a cold, serious, and powerful sense of oppression.

Besides Chen Han, only a few beautiful maids from the Aloeswood Palace accompanied him to greet him.

The spacious banquet hall was only occupied by about ten people, making it feel somewhat deserted.

Of the two groups, only Zhang Rongfang and Zhou Yan were not inferior in height and build.

"Hahaha, I have worked diligently in Citong every day, daring not to slack off in the slightest. Now I have finally received your presence in person, my lord. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief." Zhang Rongfang said with a beaming smile, raising his wine cup.

"Come, Lord Zhou, let me offer you a toast."

General Zhou terms of rank, was a true Third Grade official.

Local levels are automatically calculated one level lower than the levels of the capital and Snow Rainbow Pavilion.

Therefore, General Zhou's position, according to the standards of Citong, should be the Principal Second Rank.

"Zhang Shoujiao, actually, I had already planned to come to Citong because of the Princess Yongxiang case."

After the rebellion of Zhen Ding Wang, I was temporarily reassigned to handle other matters.

Now, Sea Gazing Temple is in trouble again, and with other matters on top of that, I've been pulled back here once more.

Zhou Yan looked at Zhang Ying Daozi appeared to be in his late thirties, and sighed inwardly.

Although he didn't know the other party's martial arts level, he could feel the powerful life force within him just by standing in front of him.

He had only seen such Life Force in a very small number of Civilian Skill masters.

No wonder the person at the Heavenly Treasure Palace is so concerned about this person.

The thought flashed through his mind.

"What does General Zhou mean? What new arrangements have been made for me from above?" Zhang Rongfang understood what he had just heard.

"The Sea Gazing Temple case is of great importance, and as the Citong Guardian, Lord Zhang bears an inescapable responsibility. The subsequent disappearance of several masters from the Western Sect has greatly affected the religious balance strategy in the Citong region."

"Lord Zhang, His Majesty has a secret edict instructing me to deliver it."

Zhang Rongfang's expression hardened, and he immediately knelt down and bowed.

"Zhang Ying, the Citong Guardian, receives the imperial decree."

Zhou Yan remained calm and lowered his voice.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Supreme Being blesses all humankind and proclaims the Sovereign:"

During his tenure Citong Guardian, despite the occurrence of a major case, Zhang Ying diligently performed his duties to the best of his ability, laying a solid foundation for the missionary work of Daoism Daoist Sect Citong and making indelible contributions to the stable development of various industries in Citong.

What follows is a series of records of Zhang Rongfang's many development contributions during his tenure in Citong.

The key issue wasn't the Sea Gazing Temple case. Rather, it was the improved trade and commerce in Citong, which benefited from a more stable situation after internal strife and reduced economic hardship.

Many of these are even specific data and details.

Commercial growth translates to increased trade tax revenue.

That is, more money and resources.

Zhang Rongfang listened to the imperial edict and felt a little bewildered.

The Western Sect Sea Gazing Temple case, which he had been worried about, turned out to be completely insignificant in the eyes of those above.

What the Ling Ting truly cared about was actually his ability to stabilize the situation and the resulting increase in trade tax revenue after the situation in Citong was stabilized.

It seems that the higher-ups don't care at all about how many experts from your Western Sect have died. I'm afraid the grandmasters waiting to Worship God Gods and Buddhas already getting impatient.

If someone dies here, many people might actually cheer.

After all, it's easier to take over when the position is vacant.

Soon, the imperial edict was read aloud, followed by receiving the edict, bowing, and rising.

Zhou Yan looked at Zhang Rongfang with a complicated expression.

"Lord Zhang, when are you heading to Great Capital? I came here specifically to escort you. Speaking of which, perhaps you'll be promoted when you return this time."

He hadn't expected that Zhang Ying, who was only appointed as the Citong Guardian, would cause the Citong's tax revenue to increase by as much as 30% in such a short period of time.

As the premier port of Great Ling, Citong is also known as the world's premier port.

A direct increase of 30% in trade volume—what does that mean? No wonder the Ling Ting rewarded him, and even His Lower Capital issued an edict praising him.

"Not at all, this was not achieved by my own efforts alone, but with the cooperation of many colleagues and subordinates."

"However, after I step down, I wonder who will take over the position of Citong Guardian? I wonder if General Zhou knows?" Zhang Rongfang asked seriously.

Zhou Yan's expression remained unchanged, but his mind was filled with the scene of when he met Grand Master Yue Dewen on the ice rink years ago.

He immediately decided to do her a favor.

"There are rumors that a high-ranking monk from the Western Sect has come to take over."

Really.

Zhang Rongfang felt a chill run down his spine.

Upon careful consideration, it seems that Emperor Ling of the Ling Court sent someone to summon him back to Dadu, partly because he suspected that he was involved in the cases of many experts from the Western Sect who had disappeared or died.

On the other hand, it also implies subtly maintaining a balance.

Of course, it's too early to say these things now.

We will only know the answer after we return to Great Capital.

"Can we prepare to depart within three days?" Zhou Yan asked.

"Three days? Okay!" Zhang Rongfang nodded emphatically without hesitation.

Fortunately, he had made all the necessary preparations in advance.

In the past few days, most of the people from the Rebel Sect and the Thousand Stone Sect have evacuated.

Only a few locals who were unwilling to leave remained. They knew little of the secrets, and they were well hidden, so they didn't need to leave.

But the main players have all been transferred away.

At this point, he could have simply left whenever he wanted.

"That's good." Zhou Yan nodded. "Three days from now, I will escort you on your journey. This time, we will not use a carriage, but a sedan chair."

"A sedan chair??" Zhang Rongfang blinked, puzzled.

For long journeys, oxcarts are usually used because they are stable and have great endurance.

It's much better than a horse.

But I've never heard of anyone riding in a sedan chair over long distances.

"Lord Zhang, please be prepared. It might be a bit bumpy, but you'll get used to it once you get used to it," Zhou Yan said with a slight smile.

"Uh," Zhang Rongfang thought, somewhat puzzled.

***Three days later. Outside of Citong.

A domed palanquin made entirely of metal rests quietly on the muddy ground.

The sedan chair was entirely black, with simple Taiji Diagram carved on all four sides.

The two sedan chair poles are made of a hard alloy as thick as an adult's arm.

Zhang Rongfang and the other high-ranking members of the Aloeswood Palace were all speechless as they looked at the sedan chair in front of them.

"This sedan chair is so heavy, even without anyone sitting on it, it must weigh over a thousand pounds. Who could possibly carry such a sedan chair?"

The old Daoist priest, who served as the deputy Palace Master, stared in disbelief, pointing at the sedan chair.

"Not only that, but with such thickness and size, it must weigh at least three thousand kilograms."

Zhang Yunqi, standing to the side, had a solemn expression. The marks on his body had long since disappeared with the passage of time. Now he could move freely and disguise himself as an ordinary Daoist priest.

At this moment, he was not looking at the sedan chair, but at the four sedan chair bearers who were waiting quietly to the side.

The four people were expressionless, and their appearances were exactly the same. Even their body types seemed to have been carved from the same mold.

The four of them, simply standing there, gave off a sense of heaviness, like stone statues.

Although he was injured and still recuperating, he still had the keen eyesight of Three Voids.

It was immediately apparent that these four sedan chair carriers were absolutely terrifyingly skilled.

"Lord Zhang, there's no need to worry. With the help of the Walker carrying our sedan chair, what would take an ordinary person two months can be covered in just five days."

Zhou Yan, standing to the side, answered seriously.

"But this sedan chair can only carry one person at most, my entourage and the rest of you." Zhang Rongfang frowned as he examined the size and volume of the sedan chair.

"The palanquin for the Walker is a privilege reserved for members of the royal family. This time, it was a royal decree that His Majesty granted Lord Zhang this opportunity to ride in it. To be honest, even I am not qualified to ride in this palanquin," Zhou Yan explained earnestly.

"So, I'm the only one who can do it?" Zhang Rongfang confirmed the system.

"Not bad." Zhou Yan nodded.

Zhang Rongfang squinted as he sized up the four Walker.

They discovered that there was no blood under their skin at all; instead, there were countless tiny Spirit Thread!

However, it wasn't a pure silver Spirit Thread; rather, it was a silvery-black one, which appeared extremely dull and lacked any sense of dynamism.

The four of them had empty eyes, devoid of any emotion, as if they were dead.

"May I ask where the destination is, Great Capital? I'd like to return to the Heavenly Treasure Palace first, but I don't know..." he asked in a deep voice.

"The destination is to be decided by the Walker himself, not by me. However, it will definitely be within the territory of Great Capital. Please rest assured, Lord Zhang."

He immediately stepped aside and gestured for him to proceed.

Zhang Rongfang picked up his luggage, looked at him, and then at the crowd behind him.

Zhang Yunqi, Zhang Zhenhai, Sun Chaoyue, Chen Han, and the rest of the people from the Aloeswood Palace.

"I'll go ahead first, and you can get there as soon as possible," he instructed.

"Rest assured, Daozi. I will definitely bring the person to safety." Zhang Yunqi clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.

"Please." Immediately, Zhang Rongfang walked to the front of the metal sedan chair, opened the door, and turned to sit inside.

The sedan door closed.

The four Walker immediately stepped forward, lifted the sedan chair poles, and carried them on their shoulders.

"General Zhou, until we meet again."

Zhang Rongfang opened the window and bowed to Zhou Yan with clasped hands.

"No need for that. I will follow behind," Zhou Yan said in a deep voice.

"Oh, right." He seemed to remember something and added, "The Walker will never stop until he reaches his destination, so Lord Zhang will probably stop after arriving at the Great Capital Palace."

"You will first pay your respects to His Majesty, and then you may return to the Heavenly Treasure Palace. There is no need to worry."

Zhang Rongfang felt a chill run down his spine.

But before he could reply, the sedan chair suddenly swayed slightly, and everything outside the window began to rush past.

The speed increases rapidly from a standstill.

In the blink of an eye, the entire sedan chair began to race forward at a speed comparable to that of Three Voids Expert.

He experienced only slight shaking and trembling along the way, and even with the windows closed, he couldn't feel that he was moving at such a high speed.

The scenery outside the window blurred rapidly, and without careful observation, it was impossible to recognize the passing views.

Zhang Rongfang took a deep breath; this was his first encounter with the true essence of the Ling Ting.

Novelty, shock, wariness. A mix of emotions.

"General Zhou, couldn't we stop briefly when we pass by the Heavenly Treasure Palace?" he asked.

"Lord Zhang, stop asking questions. Take him directly to the Imperial City for an immediate audience. This is His Majesty's decree." Zhou Yan ran behind him, speaking as if he were strolling on flat ground, completely at ease.

"Really?" Zhang Rongfang's heart sank.

He originally wanted to exchange information with his master first, but now that Mud Mist Pavilion is truly...

Zui Shizhe

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