A Wasteland of Broken Walls and Ruins

The Prefectural Office did indeed look very luxurious; compared to other places, it appeared quite grand.

Xu Bai recognized the person standing at the door; in fact, they were quite familiar with each other.

It was broad daylight, the sun was shining brightly, and although it was nearing winter, the winter sun still added a touch of warmth. Under the sunlight, a person was bathed in its radiance, occasionally reflecting a burst of light.

The light was reflected from the top of this person's head, which was bald.

"Benefactor Xu!" A monk dressed in ordinary clothes walked over quickly, his face beaming with joy.

His strength is as deep as the ocean, and it seems he has already reached the third rank.

Xu Bai smiled and said, "Wu Hua."

This monk was none other than Wu Hua, whom he had been separated from for a long time.

Unexpectedly, after so long apart, Wu Hua's strength has improved rapidly; this is evident from his unfathomable aura alone.

In Xu Bai's eyes, Wu Hua was just an ordinary person, unlike the solemnity of a monk he had encountered before.

Once you enter the mortal world, you must find a way to leave it. Now it seems that Wu Hua has already taken the first step and is no different from an ordinary person.

Wu Hua approached and said excitedly, "I was on my way to Soaring Cloud Prefecture on business and happened to pass by this place. When I learned that Benefactor Xu was here, I couldn't wait to come over and meet him."

The excitement on his face was genuine. After all, their relationship was different. Back in Sheng County, they had gone through thick and thin together. He, Xu Bai, and Liu Xu had indeed shared a period of hardship.

Especially Xu Bai. In Wu Hua's mind, Xu Bai was a very Buddhist person and devoted himself to Buddhism. Apart from lacking a bit of Buddhist nature, he was perfect in every other way.

"Soaring Cloud Prefecture?" Xu Bai had originally wanted to try chatting a bit more, but after hearing what Wu Hua said, he was stunned on the spot.

This was his next destination. Wu Hua going there too? With that thought, he temporarily abandoned his plan to reminisce and voiced his doubts.

Wu Hua was also very shocked. He had only come to catch up with old friends and did not know Xu Bai's next destination, so he could not hide the surprise on his face.

The two stood there and talked for a while before Xu Bai understood what Wu Hua's situation was.

Now, Wu Hua is a Sizheng, which is a significant leap in rank compared to before, and his responsibilities have broadened accordingly.

The reason for my visit is that a major incident has occurred in Soaring Cloud Prefecture, so I must rush there to deal with it. Since I was passing through this place, I decided to stop by and visit Xu Bai.

After getting a general understanding of the situation, Xu Bai stroked his chin and said, "Why don't we go together?"

Since they were going the same way anyway, and their relationship was unusual, there was nothing wrong with them walking together.

Wu Hua had been thinking the same thing when he heard that Xu Bai wanted to go to the place he was going to, but he hadn't brought it up yet. Now that Xu Bai had brought it up, he naturally agreed without hesitation.

Ye Zi watched from the side without saying anything, simply standing quietly to the side. She knew that this person must be the young master's friend, so she fully played the role of a maid.

"Benefactor Xu, since we are leaving, let's not delay and get going!" Wu Hua.

He's still the same as before, doing things in a whirlwind, and his personality hasn't changed much; once he finds a way, he'll immediately put it into action.

Xu Bai glanced at the gate but didn't see the prefect there. He already knew this was the case and guessed that the magistrate was just another pedantic scholar who looked down on people like them who came from the martial world.

There wasn't even a proper greeting. At least some people would do something formal, but clearly, not even that was done here.

"That's just how the world is. Many scholars are like that. Don't worry about it," Wu Hua explained, seeing through Xu Bai's thoughts.

Xu Bai, of course, wouldn't care. Everyone has their own principles and thoughts, and he wouldn't easily interfere.

Just don't mess with him. If you insist on applying your so-called principles and ideas to him, then he'll only become ruthless.

"Let's go, let's set off now," Xu Bai said.

The matter here has been mostly resolved. The reason for lingering here is to make more progress. The Bronze Coffin lid is now complete, and Wu Hua happens to be here again. We can go together on the way and have another helper when we reach the next location.

Wu Hua also had a fast horse, which was tied to a tree not far away. After hearing Xu Bai's agreement, he pulled the horse down and prepared to leave with Xu Bai.

Xu Bai didn't waste any time; the two of them didn't say much, mounted their horses, and left.

Ye Zi rode on one horse, the Fourth-Rank Puppet rode on another, Wu Hua rode alone.

Without lingering or packing, the group soon rode away on their fast horses.

Silence returned, and Xu Bai didn't linger after leaving. He headed towards his next destination as quickly as possible. The wilderness was very dark and quiet, and apart from the sound of Xu Bai's horse's hooves, there was no other noise.

The two places are quite far apart, and it will take some time to get there.

During this time, the two also talked from time to time, mainly about the issue of Wu Hua.

After all, it had been so long since they last met. It was as if they had endless things to talk about. Xu Bai gradually understood why Wu Hua had improved so quickly. Since returning to the temple last time, he had found his former teacher.

The teacher answered many questions for Wu Hua, Wu Hua through continuous contemplation, Wuhua finally realized his own weaknesses. Leaving aside matters of the heart, he had not yet seen through the nature of desire.

So ever since that day, Wu Hua has been indulging in various places and his strength has been improving rapidly, but he is still far from being able to transcend the mortal world.

"If I could completely break free from this barrier, perhaps I could become stronger or reach a higher level. Right now, I'm still somewhat lacking in ability," Wu Hua.

As Xu Bai rode his horse, he laughed and said, "To have your strength in one's lifetime is already quite remarkable."

This statement has no other meaning than pure praise, and it's the truth. Reaching the third rank among the younger generation is indeed something to boast about.

Wu Hua sighed, her eyes filled with resentment as she looked at Xu Bai.

Xu Bai was so startled by the gaze that he almost fell off his horse.

Before he could say anything, Wu Hua spoke up.

"Compared to Benefactor Xu, I am truly far inferior. Benefactor Xu has no roots or roots, yet he has managed to reach this level. It makes me feel quite ashamed!"

These words were the truth, without a trace of falsehood. Wu Hua spoke from the bottom of his heart, after all, he had indeed witnessed too many miracles in Xu Bai.

"You little rascal, I didn't expect you to learn to lie in such a short time. Aren't monks supposed to not lie?"

"Of course, this humble monk never lies. Benefactor Xu's progress in strength is simply unbelievable. There are countless eyes in the Capital City watching him now." Wu Hua was an excellent horseman, and as he spoke, he rode his horse without affecting his speed at all.

Xu Bai pondered in secret.

In fact, he had already anticipated this outcome, since he had already thought about what the result would be the moment he agreed to the emperor's request.

However, it didn't really matter to him. This step was bound to come sooner or later anyway. With a cheat system, it would be extremely difficult to avoid revealing himself and to greatly accelerate his cultivation.

"Let's not talk about that anymore. Tell me what's going on next?" Xu Bai asked.

Upon hearing this, Wu Hua's expression immediately became very serious, and he spoke solemnly.

"A bloody incident has occurred in Soaring Cloud Prefecture, and it is an extremely tragic one."

"The Gao Family of Soaring Cloud Prefecture are martial artists, but unexpectedly, they all disappeared overnight, or rather, vanished without a trace."

"Only dense bloodstains were found on the wall, which suggests that someone must have poisoned the place."

The Gao Family, martial arts masters, bloodshed.

Xu Bai didn't know any of this, so he couldn't figure out any clues. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly raised his hand and conjured a golden compass in mid-air.

Since he didn't know, he figured he might as well do the math. He had the ability, and it wouldn't hurt to do the math.

After this scene unfolded, Wu Hua was the most shocked. He was stunned on his horse and almost fell off.

"Benefactor Xu, how come you have cultivated so many more abilities? I told you before that if you had focused on cultivating just one, you would have already become an astounding genius by now." Wu Hua's expression was very bitter.

He really didn't expect that Xu Bai would even have the ability to perform algorithms. This was beyond his expectations. After all, he had talked to Bai about the drawbacks of multiple cultivations before, and thought that Xu Bai not listen to him, but he also became more and more involved.

"I couldn't resist and repaired a few more, it's no big deal," Xu Bai said with a smile.

Wu Hua was speechless; this wasn't the real problem, the real issue was far too serious.

But he knew that these things wouldn't work after he tried to persuade him, so there was no way to continue trying to persuade him. After all, he knew Xu Bai's temper; he was the type who would respond better to gentle persuasion than force.

Xu Bai gave a perfunctory reply and then stopped talking. He used Wu Hua as a clue and began to perform divination.

After about half an incense stick's time, Xu Bai waved away the golden compass in front of him, his brows furrowed tightly.

Wu Hua was slightly taken aback and asked, "Benefactor Xu, have you divined something interesting?"

He noticed Xu Bai's unusual behavior and couldn't help but feel puzzled, so he asked directly.

Xu Bai said, "It seems I'll have to get involved in this as well."

He just did some calculations and suddenly realized that this matter was actually related to him, but he didn't figure out the intricacies of it; he only knew that it was connected to him.

But he only needs to speculate a little to figure out the reason.

Since he was connected to the assassin, and he happened to be on his way to the Upper Capital, the only possible culprits were those who assassinated him.

If that's the case, then this is a potential breakthrough point. Unexpectedly, he already had a clue before even reaching Soaring Cloud Prefecture, which was truly surprising.

Seeing that Xu Bai spoke mysteriously and did not reveal the reason, Wu Hua did not ask any further questions.

But one thing he was certain of was that with Xu Bai involved, things would be much easier for him.

If someone else were to help him, Wu Hua wouldn't be so comfortable, since even if someone else were to help him, it might not be as effective.

But Xu Bai is different. He knows better than anyone who Xu Bai is, and he also knows that Xu Bai's strength is far more complex than it appears on the surface.

Fighting opponents of higher levels was as easy as drinking water for Xu Bai, so Wu Hua felt relieved and much more relaxed.

Wu Hua asked instinctively, "Benefactor Xu, is this considered a business deal?"

Xu Bai shook his head and joked, "If you want to treat it as a business deal, I won't mind."

Wu Hua quickly waved his hand, indicating that he was just joking.

And so, the two chatted as they made their way toward their final destination. Unfortunately, the journey was far too long. They had planned to rest at Shadow Courier Station along the way, but they didn't get to rest for long before setting off again.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Not long after we set off again, something unusual happened in the sky. We were traveling at night, but dark clouds were gradually appearing on the far horizon, eventually covering the entire sky.

The thunder rumbled incessantly, the air was stifling like a steamer, and there was a sense that a storm was brewing.

"It looks like it's going to rain heavily." Ye Zi raised her long neck and looked at the dark clouds in the sky. "Young Master, we need to find a place to take shelter from the rain."

The heavy rain didn't actually have much of an impact on the people present, since everyone was an expert. However, most of the mountains were muddy, and if it rained, the mountain paths would become very slippery, making them unsuitable for horses.

The person is fine, but if the horse is injured, then they will have to travel on foot.

There's no such thing as being hasty; sometimes it's better to proceed gradually. Xu Bai and the others didn't think much of it and soon found a dilapidated little temple in a mountain forest, which was just the right place to take shelter from the rain.

The small temple is dilapidated, located deep in the mountains and forests. It looks unrepaired and exudes an aura of decay.

Fortunately, there were still a few tiles on the roof that could serve as shelter from the rain.

Inside the small temple is a clay Buddha statue, which has been neglected and covered with a thick layer of dust.

Xu Bai had just stepped into the temple when a torrential downpour struck, the rain lashing through the woods and accompanied by muffled thunder, creating a sense of oppression.

"It looks like this rain will last for a while," Wu Hua said, looking at the sky not far away.

Xu Bai took the dry rations from Ye Zi, handed one to Wu Hua, and said, "It's a rare moment of free time."

I've been rushing around these past few days without much rest. Now that the rain is going to last for a while, it'll be a good time to take a break.

"That's true." Wu Hua touched his bald head, walked to a spot, sat down cross-legged, and took out a book to read.

While watching, I was also taking notes.

Xu Bai had almost developed a professional habit of glancing at the progress bar subconsciously to see if there was one, but unfortunately, no new progress bar appeared.

He looked at Wu Hua, who seemed very excited, and asked, "What are you looking at now, that makes you so red-faced?"

Wu Hua, "These are some insights I gained from my time in the mortal world. When I have nothing to do, I will take them out and review their contents in order to consolidate my current level of understanding."

My thoughts?

Xu Bai revealed a strange smile.

He knew how Wu Hua entered the mortal world, which meant wandering around the Spring Rain Pavilion. He knew exactly what the notes left behind would contain.

Unexpectedly, Wu Hua had this quirk: when he had nothing to do, he would take out the things he had seen at the Spring Rain Pavilion and look at them.

Wu Hua, of course, had no idea what Xu Bai was thinking. She was still watching intently, seemingly mesmerized.

Ye Zi poured Xu Bai a glass of water.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet, under Xu Bai's command, took out the Heavy Sword Method and handed it to Xu Bai.

The progress bar is now almost halfway through, but unfortunately, it's still a long way from being complete.

Xu Bai did not give up this rest time. In his opinion, this was the most comfortable time to work on the progress bar, with no one to disturb him and no worries.

He still had fifteen copies of the Nameless Saber Scripture Nameless Saber Scripture left to finish, so he needed to hurry up and finish them as soon as possible.

However, judging from his current speed, Xu Bai estimated that even if he arrived in the Capital City, he wouldn't be able to complete all the books' progress bar perfectly.

Unless something unexpected happens along the way, this is still a possibility.

"Does this count as planting a flag for myself?" Xu Bai wondered.

Ye Zi sat next to Xu Bai, rested her head on Xu Bai's shoulder, hugged her knees with both hands, and closed her eyes in deep thought.

For some reason, the longer she spent with the young master, the more she did those kinds of things, the more her strength increased.

Ye Zi was unaware that Xu Bai possessed a body-strengthening technique; she simply felt that her life was becoming increasingly relaxed.

Outside the temple, heavy rain was falling, accompanied by thunder, while inside the temple, the environment was quiet, creating a stark contrast.

Just as everyone was doing their own thing, a series of hurried footsteps sounded, and more than a dozen martial arts practitioners entered the temple.

In such heavy rain, even wandering martial artists need to take shelter, and this temple naturally becomes their place of refuge. These martial artists, carrying their own different weapons, look travel-worn and weary.

The leader thought there was no one in the temple, but he was surprised to see Xu Bai and his two companions after they entered.

Those who roam the martial world naturally know the rules of the martial world, so they stopped not far from the entrance and did not choose to go closer.

In such unfamiliar situations, getting too close is actually not a good idea, so they didn't talk much and each rested there.

Xu Bai glanced at it briefly, then continued working on the progress bar in his hand.

There was nothing unusual about him; he was just an ordinary person from the martial arts world, and he didn't exhibit any unusual behavior.

It was all a coincidence; everyone had gathered together to avoid the rain.

These Jianghu people are also very particular. One of them went out, and after a while, he came in with some firewood and lit a fire in the temple.

The firelight at night revealed a sense of human presence.

The temple was no longer quiet; the group of martial arts practitioners began to whisper among themselves.

Xu Bai and the others were all experts, so they naturally heard the conversation.

"We're almost at Soaring Cloud Prefecture, everyone must stay alert."

"Hey, of course, it's not easy to get a chance to repay a favor."

"The Gao Family is known for their righteousness and has countless friends in the Soaring Cloud Prefecture arts world. I don't know why they would suddenly send a message to people they know, asking us to gather there."

"Who cares? I owe the Gao Family a favor from back then, and now it's time to repay it."

Xu Bai listened intently, stroked his chin, and began to ponder.

Although they were complete strangers, Xu Bai became interested as soon as the group mentioned the Gao Family.

He roughly sorted out what these people said and obtained some useful information.

Firstly, they had received favors from the Gao Family, and from their words, it was clear that the Gao Family had many friends and connections in the martial arts world.

These people rushed over because they had received favors from the Gao Family, and the Gao Family suddenly sent them a message asking them to gather in Soaring Cloud Prefecture.

According to them, it wasn't just this group of people who came; there were others as well.

"It seems they are unaware of the Gao Family's complete disappearance," Xu Bai thought to himself.

That makes sense, after all, it's normal to not have a general idea of what's going on when you suddenly receive information and rush along the way. Who would care about other news while on the road? Wu Hua coughed lightly and winked at Xu Bai, meaning he should go and take a look.

Xu Bai didn't care; Wu Hua had his own ideas, so he would just do them.

Wu Hua walked up to the group of people and uttered a Buddhist chant.

The group of martial artists were quite surprised; they didn't know why Wu Hua suddenly approach them.

The leader, however, had sharp eyes and immediately noticed the plaque hanging from Wu Hua's waist; it was the plaque of the Bureau of Surveillance.

The Director of Justice is different from the Clerk of Justice. Although there is only a difference in rank, the Director of Justice has far more authority over a wide range of matters.

The leader is a Jianghu person, and these people are also Jianghu people. In the final analysis, they are still under the supervision of the Supervisor.

Normally, if anything went wrong, the Bureau of Surveillance would come looking for them. So, Wu Hua's sudden appearance caught the group off guard.

"Sir, what brings you here?" the leader asked, though puzzled, with neither servility nor arrogance.

If they have made a mistake and are confronted, they may panic, but if they have not made a mistake and are confronted, they are not flustered at all.

Since they did not know Wu Hua's name, the leader simply addressed him as "Sir".

"I apologize for disturbing you so suddenly. May I borrow your letter to take a look?" Wu Hua said, pressing his palms together.

Hearing this, the leader became even more confused and asked, "Has something happened to the Gao Family?"

Wu Hua nodded and said, "The entire Gao Family has disappeared, and there are only bloodstains on the walls, so I'm here to investigate this case. You may have clues, but you don't know them yourself."

While Wu Hua was speaking, Xu Bai raised his finger and turned the compass made of golden light. After a while, he waved his sleeve and the compass disappeared.

These people from the martial arts world have no connection whatsoever, so they can't be counted, which proves that they were not involved in this matter.

However, Xu Bai became interested when Wu Hua mentioned that letter.

Those in the martial arts world were visibly taken aback upon hearing this.

Without hesitation, the leader took out the letter and handed it to Wu Hua.

Since something has happened, there's nothing more to say. Just hand over the letter honestly to avoid getting burned.

This is the way of the martial arts world: sometimes they are heroic and magnanimous, while other times they can only seek to protect themselves.

Wu Hua took the letter from his hand, walked to Xu Bai's side, and opened the letter in front of Xu Bai.

Xu Bai glanced at it briefly. The content was very simple, just asking them to Soaring Cloud Prefecture. There was no purpose or reason given, just the simple content.

He used his Feng Shui Calculation Scripture again, examining the compass, but still found no information. However, he did notice something different.

"The handwriting above is very messy, clearly written in a panic."

"That's right, I noticed that too." Wu Hua nodded and said, "It seems that he must have experienced something before this, something that was terrifying enough to make him so flustered."

Ye Zi interjected, "It wasn't just fear; he foresaw the consequences, which were likely to be terrifying enough. That's why he wanted to change the outcome and hastily wrote this letter."

Xu Bai nodded, carefully considering the matter in his mind.

At this moment, the leader came over, feeling that he still had to say something, at least to clear his name.

"My lords, it is like this: the Gao Family has made many friends in the martial arts world, and I estimate that he has sent this letter to many people this time."

"Our group actually comes from three different places, and we only came together after we met along the way."

The leader didn't know how to address Xu Bai and the others, but seeing that Wu Hua was getting along well with them, calling them "Xu Bai sir" was always the right thing to do.

The rain outside had subsided slightly, gradually turning from a light drizzle to none.

Xu Bai arrived at the door, looked at the gloomy weather outside, and said, "Looks like we need to hurry up. This is getting more and more interesting."

The Gao Family was connected to him, which he had calculated before. Now that the entire Gao Family has mysteriously disappeared, it must be related to the person who assassinated him.

"You should all go back and not get involved in this matter," Wu Hua said to the group of martial artists, following behind Xu Bai.

Things are already chaotic enough; he doesn't want the situation to get any more chaotic. It's better to let these people go back.

The leader watched Xu Bai and his group walk away, gritted his teeth, and finally said, "Let's go, the farther away the better."

This is a situation they can't get involved in; it's best for them to leave.

At this moment, a martial arts figure retorted, "But the Gao Family treated us so well back then. Now that they're in trouble, it's just not right for us to leave them."

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent. People in the martial arts world valued morality. They had indeed wanted to leave before, but now that this martial arts person had brought it up, it would be inappropriate for them to leave.

Everyone has to save face.

Another martial arts figure quietly approached the door, preparing to leave.

Everyone turned their attention to that direction, puzzled.

Someone who knew him was even more puzzled and asked, "Aren't you usually the most loyal and righteous person? Why do you want to leave now?"

The martial artist, who was about to leave, paused, then turned around and looked at them with an expression as if they were idiots, saying, "You bunch of fools, do you really think that we can handle something that even the Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder couldn't?"

Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder moment those four words were uttered, everyone present gasped in surprise.

They suddenly remembered that there was a man with a black knife tucked into his waistband, and even the head of the Bureau of Surveillance had been talking to him in a friendly manner.

Legend has it that the Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder always carries a black sword, so this must be Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder.

The man who had initially been so stubborn, talking about loyalty and honor, suddenly fell silent and quietly packed his belongings.

He muttered to himself as he tidied up.

"Forget it, the Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder is here, it's better not to get involved."

Everyone fell silent and followed his example, packing their things and soon leaving one by one. They all went in different directions, but they had one thing in common: they were all heading away from Soaring Cloud Prefecture.

After leaving the temple, Xu Bai and his group headed towards Soaring Cloud Prefecture.

They were not far from Soaring Cloud Prefecture, and after traveling for several days, they finally Soaring Cloud Prefecture.

Soaring Cloud Prefecture has changed significantly compared to the previous Wind Flower Prefecture, and its local customs and traditions have also changed drastically.

The most significant difference is that Soaring Cloud Prefecture is far more prosperous than Wind Flower Prefecture.

That makes sense; the closer one gets to the emperor's doorstep, the wealthier one becomes—that's common sense.

"Shall we find a place to rest first, or go straight over and take a look?" Wu Hua asked.

Xu Bai looked around and noticed that the people coming and going all carried a sense of sorrow.

It must be something bad that happened to the Gao Family. The news of hundreds of people disappearing here for no reason has spread. There are no secrets that don't get out, so the people naturally feel worried.

"Let's go take a look first."

Now that we have a clue, we should go and find it.

Xu Bai doesn't have procrastination issues; on the contrary, he has some obsessive-compulsive tendencies. If he has a clue, he feels uncomfortable if he doesn't go and check it immediately.

Wu Hua nodded and walked ahead.

Finding the Gao Family was actually quite simple; they just asked any ordinary person on the road. After getting the information, the group didn't stop and continued on their way to their destination.

When they arrived at their destination, they were all stunned to see the empty mansion in front of them.

The mansion's gates were wide open, but the inside was empty and desolate.

Hundreds of people disappeared without a trace, leaving no one behind. When the story circulated among the people, it was considered a taboo, so no one passed by here for fear of bringing bad luck.

The group didn't hold back and headed towards the Gao Family, soon arriving at the empty courtyard.

"Hey, this magistrate is quite decisive. Knowing that I was coming, he didn't even leave anyone to guard me." Wu Hua said with slight dissatisfaction.

These days, some people become officials just for the sake of being officials. As for matters that are clearly the Bureau of Surveillance, the magistrate simply doesn't bother with them to avoid getting into trouble.

Xu Bai did not answer. He raised his right hand and gently drew a line in the air, and a golden compass appeared.

He felt that he should be able to find clues here.