29 The Matter Wasn't Over Yet!

The moment Li Xian entered Baihua City and came into contact with Jiang Nanxing, he sensed the hostility Jiang Nanxing felt toward him. From then on, he began plotting in his mind.

At first, he'd planned to kill him outright and be done with it.

But that would cause too much of a stir. A group of people from the Yunzhou Demon Suppressing Division and the Prefectural Army had just died; if the pacification commissioner of the Baihua City Demon Suppressing Division died too, then even if Li Xian wasn't the murderer, he'd still be dragged down with him.

So this approach would put him in the spotlight. It was highly inadvisable.

That left one option: have one of his own people step in.

And that person's rank couldn't be lower than Jiang Nanxing's.

As it happened, the Cao Gang had one of their own in Baihua City.

That was Jiang Beinian, the highest-ranking official in Baihua City: the Lord Prefect.

As for why a Lord Prefect would be one of the Cao Gang's own, well, it was one of those things known to Heaven and Earth, you and me.

After becoming a Hall Master of the Cao Gang, Li Xian had gained access to more information about the organization and had met more of its people.

Jiang Beinian was one of them.

So as soon as Li Xian arrived in Baihua City, he sent someone to contact Jiang Beinian. The two had already made their connection.

He knew Jiang Nanxing wouldn't let the matter rest, so after discussing it with Jiang Beinian, he'd set this trap and invited his prey right in.

And Jiang Nanxing had indeed taken the bait.

When he saw Jiang Beinian step off the boat, the expression on Jiang Nanxing's face was a sight to behold.

Shock, panic, confusion...

But he quickly regained his composure.

"Why is Lord Jiang here too?"

Jiang Beinian replied coldly, "This is Baihua City, and I'm its prefect. Why shouldn't I be here?"

Jiang Nanxing gave a dry laugh to hide his embarrassment, then went along with him.

"That's true."

Jiang Beinian looked at Brother Xin and Wan Cai in the distance. "What's going on with those two Cao Gang brothers? Have they done something wrong? Why are you treating them like this?"

Jiang Nanxing hurriedly signaled to his men. "Heh, it's nothing. I just wanted to ask them about the deaths of the people from the Yunzhou Demon Suppressing Division and the Prefectural Army."

His men understood and immediately released Brother Xin and Wan Cai.

Jiang Beinian smiled. "Speaking of this matter, I think the Prefectural Office should take over the case. What do you think, Lord Jiang?"

Jiang Nanxing's expression changed.

If the Prefectural Office took the case, it would be swept under the rug, and the truth would never come to light. The dead colleagues from the Yunzhou Demon Suppressing Division would never rest in peace.

But Jiang Beinian had caught him with a handle in front of him. If he refused, Jiang Beinian could report him to his superiors. With Dagan's strict laws, Jiang Nanxing was afraid he wouldn't be able to get out of it.

"I agree with Lord Jiang. Let your people at the Prefectural Office handle this case."

Jiang Beinian smiled with satisfaction. "Lord Jiang is a man of principle."

A man of principle, my ass. I'm being forced into this!

Jiang Nanxing cursed furiously in his heart.

"Then I won't keep you, Lord Jiang. Let's go!"

Given the situation, he didn't want to stick around and make a fool of himself. He just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Take care. I won't see you out!"

After Jiang Nanxing left, Li Xian welcomed Jiang Beinian aboard the boat.

"Thank you for stepping in, Lord Jiang. Otherwise, who knows how many of our brothers would've fallen victim to Jiang Nanxing this time!"

Jiang Beinian smiled. "You're too polite, Hall Master Li. We're all on the same side. There's no need for such formalities."

"Of course, of course."

As he joked with Jiang Beinian, Li Xian slipped a stack of banknotes into his sleeve.

Jiang Beinian discreetly felt how thick the stack was, and his smile instantly grew even brighter.

"Hahaha, Hall Master Li, you're a fine-looking young man. The more I look at you, the more promising you seem. Ah, what a shame. If I had a daughter, I'd want to marry her off to you."

"Lord Jiang, you're quite the joker."

At that moment, their relationship had reached new heights.

The rest went much more smoothly.

With Jiang Beinian pulling the strings, the Baihua Prefectural Office smoothly took over the case.

After a series of meticulous interrogations, on-site investigations, and reconstruction of events, the case of the deaths of the Yunzhou Demon Suppressing Division and the Prefectural Army was officially closed.

The closing statement read:

"A group from the Yunzhou Demon Suppressing Division and the Prefectural Army were escorting a grain ship along the canal from Yangzhou to Baihua when they were attacked by a large swarm of Pig Dragons, demonic evils. Zhu Bizhen, General Banner of the Yunzhou Demon Suppressing Division, led her team in a valiant fight against the enemy. In the end, she sacrificed her life to ensure the grain ship escaped safely. Their sacrifice was truly heartrending!"

Even if someone tried to overturn the case years later, they'd be powerless in the face of such irrefutable evidence.

In short, the case was closed. That was that.

In any world, power and status brought people countless conveniences.

And the fundamental reason Li Xian could gain power and status was the strength he himself possessed.

Only overwhelming strength could serve as a pass to the summit of the world.

Being merely a Mid-fourth Grade Martialist was nowhere near enough.

Having tasted the benefits, Li Xian felt his desire for strength surge once more.

He wondered whether the merit he'd earned for escorting the grain ship this time would be enough to exchange for the next part of Crimson Sun Nine Songs.

If he cultivated this technique to its highest level, could he break through Mid-fourth Grade and reach the legendary Upper Three Ranks of the Martialist Realm?

Li Xian didn't think the chances were high.

Martialists of the Upper Three Ranks had practically undergone a complete transformation, transcending the mortal world.

A single inner cultivation Mind Method was nowhere near enough.

He wondered if the Cao Gang had even more advanced techniques.

He'd have to ask around once he got back.

After staying in Baihua City for several days, Li Xian and the others boarded a ship for the return journey.

After this trip, with people from Yunzhou having died aboard his ship, the ship's captain probably wouldn't travel to Yunzhou again.

He hadn't decided where to go next.

"Whatever. I'll just follow orders from above. The Cao Gang has such a huge business here. There's bound to be some use for these old bones of mine."

The captain seemed quite optimistic.

He felt that after this trip, he could consider himself one of Li Xian's people.

With a Hall Master of the Cao Gang backing him, there'd be no shortage of benefits in the future.

And the fact that the captain and his men had endured Jiang Nanxing's brutal torture without revealing what had happened that night proved they could stand up to a test.

In other words, the people aboard this ship were Li Xian's own team.

With the voyage successfully completed, Li Xian set off for home.

Before he left, Jiang Beinian came to the dock in person to see him off.

For the prefect of a city to come see him off in person showed Li Xian how much face he was giving him.

"Jiang Nanxing is vindictive and never lets anything go. He won't just let this matter rest. Be careful, Brother Li."

Before Li Xian left, Jiang Beinian took his hand and quietly whispered in his ear.

Li Xian's eyes narrowed.

It wasn't over yet—and things were getting more and more interesting.