At that moment.
In a secluded manor outside Qingcheng City.
Two men sat facing each other in the hall.
One was a young man in a blue robe, the other an older man in brocade robes.
A hint of official authority showed in the older man's bearing, while the young man exuded a ruthless, sharp-edged air of violence.
Anyone from Qingcheng City who saw the older man would recognize him at once. He was none other than Qingcheng City's lord, Cheng Yang.
"Commander Yan, I came here mainly to ask you something. Was Qin Hao of the Qin family attacked by your people?"
Cheng Yang asked in a low voice.
"Qin Hao was bait I put out. Why would I attack him?"
"If not for him, how would the Blood Demon Flower ripen? How else could I draw out Zi Hanyue of the Cold Moon Sect?"
The young man in blue flatly denied it.
"Then who attacked him? His arm was severed outright. That wound looks like they meant to kill him."
Qingcheng City Lord Cheng Yang furrowed his brow slightly.
"I'm looking into it too, but it may have something to do with Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower."
"I haven't been able to uncover anything about Bai Tianyu's identity. He's very mysterious."
The young man in blue replied.
"Could Bai Tianyu be a member of the Cold Moon Sect?"
City Lord Cheng Yang asked.
"The Cold Moon Sect has no saber expert like him. It probably wasn't them. Ling Tianhe likely found an ally in secret. The world is vast, and there are always hidden masters out there."
The young man in blue shook his head.
"Commander Yan, the Yang family from the commandery city has sent people here, and Mu Qingxue of Zitan Palace is on her way too. Add Changhen Palace and the Cold Moon Sect to the mix, and Qingcheng City may descend into chaos!"
City Lord Cheng Yang looked at the young man in blue.
Though the young man looked quite young, the current situation in Qingcheng City had been entirely orchestrated by him.
He was Yan Shu, the fourth son of Yan Yu, the Northern Commandery's chief commander in Lingnan Commandery, and a Commander himself.
The Great Zhou Dynasty had four Suppression Bureaus—Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern—and Lingnan Commandery fell under the Northern Commandery's jurisdiction.
He had come here to capture Zi Hanyue, the Cold Moon Sect's Saintess.
He had set this whole scheme in motion to draw her out.
"So what if things get a little more chaotic, as long as I can capture Zi Hanyue? Or are you unwilling to cooperate with me, Lord Cheng?"
"How could I be, Commander Yan? As Qingcheng City's lord, assisting the Northern Commandery in capturing remnants of the previous dynasty is my duty."
Cheng Yang hurried to assure him.
"Good. I was worried you might back out, Lord Cheng."
The young man in blue looked at Cheng Yang.
"How could I? I'll certainly help you see this through, Young Master Yan. There's just one thing I don't understand. Qin Hao told everyone it was a Fifth-grade Lotus Platform."
"But the treasure is a Blood Demon Flower, not a Fifth-grade Lotus Platform. Won't the truth come out?"
Cheng Yang hurriedly asked.
"Don't worry. The Blood Demon Flower looks somewhat like a Fifth-grade Lotus Platform, but they require different nourishment. Aside from a specific growing environment, a Fifth-grade Lotus Platform needs to be bathed in Buddhist light. The Blood Demon Flower, on the other hand, only needs a large number of corpses and Void Nether Stones."
"Unless it's fully matured, anyone who hasn't seen a Fifth-grade Lotus Platform before won't be able to tell the difference."
The young man in blue explained.
"Now that something has happened to Qin Hao, a lot of things will probably come to light. The Fifth-grade Lotus Platform he advertised will be talked about too."
"Once word gets out, those people will all make their move. Keep a close watch for me. The moment you hear anything about Zi Hanyue, notify me."
The young man in blue said.
"I've already arranged for people to keep watch. But, Young Master Yan, since Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower has experts, its intelligence network is probably even sharper than the agents under my command. Do you think we should work with Ling Tianhe?"
"Ling Tianhe may have found an ally in secret, but it must have cost him dearly. If you help him, Young Master Yan, perhaps you could claim a share of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower's profits."
"His intelligence network might be able to help you too."
Cheng Yang said.
"There are some things we mustn't touch. Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower belongs to a powerful figure in Zitan Palace. If we lay a hand on it, neither of us will leave alive."
"But we can pay Ling Tianhe to help us."
The young man in blue replied.
From his words, it was clear that Yan Shu understood where the risks lay.
Hearing him, Cheng Yang nodded. "Then I'll head back to the city first and meet with Ling Tianhe."
With that, he rose, clasped his hands in farewell to the young man in blue, and left.
Outside the courtyard.
An ordinary carriage was waiting there.
Cheng Yang climbed aboard and told the driver to return to the city.
Inside the carriage.
A scholar dressed like a personal secretary sat with him.
"My lord, what does Commander Yan think of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower's business?"
The scholar asked.
"He's very cautious. Not tempted in the slightest. Let's go back first."
Cheng Yang replied.
He hadn't come here because of Qin Hao. Qin Hao was merely an excuse.
His real aim had been to use Yan Shu to seize Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower, but Yan Shu was too cautious and wanted no part of it.
"Have you found any leads on Zi Hanyue?"
Cheng Yang then asked.
"We haven't found a single clue. According to the information Yan Shu provided, Zi Hanyue has been here for two years!"
"That's no ordinary matter. Zi Hanyue is the Cold Moon Sect's Saintess. She couldn't have come here just to live. She must be after something."
"That's also why I suggested you seize Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower, my lord. If we take it over, we might be able to discover why she came here."
The scholar said.
"Put that on hold for now. Yan Shu is right. We can't afford to offend that person from Zitan Palace."
Cheng Yang waved his hand.
After they left.
The young man in blue stepped out of the hall, his hands clasped behind his back.
An older man in a brown robe stood beside him.
The old man was somewhat gaunt, but his hands were much larger than an ordinary person's.
They had a faintly dark hue. From their appearance, it was clear that he was no stranger to martial arts.
"Elder Yan, why do you think Cheng Yang suddenly became interested in Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower?"
The young man in blue asked, gazing across the courtyard with his hands still clasped behind his back.
"Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower has considerable wealth hidden away. Cheng Yang has always been greedy, so it's only natural he'd want to get his hands on it."
The old man beside him replied.
He thought little of Cheng Yang, the lord of Qingcheng City.
"If that's all he wants, then fine. What worries me is that he may have some other motive."
The young man in blue said gravely.
"Send our people into the city. I want to know about anything that happens there as soon as it does."
The young man then ordered.
"Yes. I'll see to it."
The old man turned and left.
"Zi Hanyue, once I capture you, perhaps I'll learn why you came here."
"I wonder if it has anything to do with what I suspect."
The young man in blue murmured to himself.
Meanwhile, at Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.
In the end, Ling Tianhe didn't give up the Void Nether Stone mine, but he planned to secretly sell some of the Void Nether Stones to Lei Ao and his men.
Su Chen had already learned what he wanted to know.
He didn't linger there.
After dealing with Lei Ao's matter, Ling Tianhe quickly found the information on the Blood Demon Flower and handed it to Su Chen.
"So the Blood Demon Flower resembles a Fifth-grade Lotus Platform. No wonder everyone thought it was a Fifth-grade Lotus Platform at first."
Su Chen set the documents down.
He could now confirm that the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform people had been talking about was actually the Blood Demon Flower.
"The Blood Demon Flower can also improve one's aptitude. Now that I know about a treasure like this, I can't let it slip past me!"
"I should go investigate and see how far along it is."
Su Chen thought.
Before you continue