Just thinking about the reward for this mission made his heart race!
He was in desperate need of a decent mount.
On his way from Green Province to the Capital City, he had either torn through space to travel on his own or ridden someone else's Dragon Carriage.
A Martial Saint Peak without even a mount of his own? It would be humiliating if word got out.
And according to the system's mission prompt, the target was a branch sect hideout in the Capital City.
The system wouldn't lie to him.
In other words, these people's lair was hidden right there in the Capital City!
That narrowed the search area considerably.
All he had to do was seal off the Imperial City, search every inch of it, and personally scan the area with his senses.
Finding their branch hideout was only a matter of time!
Lin Changqing gathered his thoughts and turned to Xiao Qianjun.
Xiao Qianjun had been about to turn and arrange the interrogations. When he saw Lin Changqing suddenly stop, he hurriedly stopped too.
"Does Prince Wu'an have further instructions?"
"Chief Xiao."
Lin Changqing spoke calmly, but his words left Xiao Qianjun momentarily stunned.
"You don't need to interrogate these men for now. I doubt you'll get anything out of them."
Xiao Qianjun paused.
"Prince Wu'an means..."
Lin Changqing stood with his hands behind his back, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "I'll investigate this matter myself."
Xiao Qianjun furrowed his brows at that.
After a moment's thought, he said, "If Prince Wu'an is willing to take action personally, I would naturally be delighted."
"But if I may be so bold as to say a few words about the interrogation..."
He glanced at the black-clad men being dragged away, his expression turning more serious.
"To be honest, over the past few years, the Demon Suppressing Division has caught quite a few traitors who had thrown in their lot with the demons. But whenever we get close to crucial information, the prisoners suddenly die on the spot, without exception."
"We later discovered that these forces who sided with the demons planted some kind of restriction in their members' bodies."
"The moment a member tries to reveal anything important, the restriction activates automatically and kills them on the spot."
"Though Prince Wu'an captured these men, the restrictions inside them are likely still there. Even if I order them to be interrogated rigorously, we probably won't get anything useful out of them."
Xiao Qianjun sighed as he finished.
"There's almost no chance of prying the location of their lair out of them."
Lin Changqing nodded.
That didn't surprise him.
If the forces that sided with the demons had no way to control their subordinates, they would have been infiltrated until they were full of holes long ago.
"So my point is, we shouldn't wait for the interrogation results."
Lin Changqing looked at Xiao Qianjun, his tone firm.
"Search directly."
Xiao Qianjun's eyes lit up, though he hesitated a moment later.
"Prince Wu'an is right. I was thinking the same thing."
He lowered his voice and began explaining his plan.
"Before these men's movements were exposed, their lair probably hadn't learned that we'd captured them."
"Taking advantage of that window, I was planning to gather everyone in the Demon Suppressing Division and launch a joint operation with the Imperial Guard."
"We'd focus on the villages, manors, and abandoned residences around the Capital City. Their lair couldn't possibly be..."
"Wait."
Lin Changqing raised a hand to stop him.
"You're looking in the wrong direction."
Xiao Qianjun froze.
"What does Prince Wu'an mean?"
"Their lair isn't outside the Capital City." Lin Changqing fixed his gaze on Xiao Qianjun and spoke each word distinctly.
"It's inside the Capital City."
Xiao Qianjun's pupils contracted slightly.
Inside the Capital City?
That judgment was far beyond anything he had expected.
He had worked for the Demon Suppressing Division for many years and had caught countless demon spies and human traitors.
Based on past experience, forces that sided with the demons usually established their lairs in secluded places outside the city.
They might hide in secret caves deep in the mountains or underground chambers in remote villages.
But establish their lair inside the Capital City?
This was the very seat of the emperor, where the Demon Suppressing Division Headquarters was located, and patrols roamed day and night.
Moreover, experts abounded in the Capital City. Even the Ninth-Rank Martial Saints stationed here weren't limited to the one publicly known figure, the Boundless Saint Emperor.
To establish a branch sect lair here... Wouldn't that be asking for death?
Xiao Qianjun hesitated, choosing his words carefully.
"Prince Wu'an, forgive me for speaking frankly."
"The Capital City is heavily guarded, with patrols day and night, and the Demon Suppressing Division Headquarters is right here."
"If they really established their branch sect's lair inside the Capital City, wouldn't that be... a little too audacious?"
He paused, then asked, "Does Prince Wu'an already have a lead?"
Lin Changqing shook his head.
"No."
Xiao Qianjun stared at him.
"Then..."
"Instinct."
Lin Changqing looked utterly calm, yet spoke with the certainty of a man stating something already confirmed.
Xiao Qianjun's expression grew complicated in an instant.
Instinct?
He was going to turn the entire Capital City upside down based on instinct alone?
If that judgment proved wrong, they would waste their efforts searching inside the city and miss the window to investigate outside.
By the time the people at the other lair realized what was happening, they could destroy the evidence and move their people. Finding them after that would be difficult.
But Xiao Qianjun couldn't say that outright.
The man before him was Prince Wu'an, a Ninth-Rank Martial Saint Peak, someone he couldn't afford to offend.
Xiao Qianjun's lips moved, his reluctance impossible to hide.
Lin Changqing wasn't annoyed by his expression. He simply asked, "What, you don't believe me?"
His tone was mild.
But Xiao Qianjun heard an unquestionable confidence in his words.
That wasn't the tone of someone making a wild guess.
It was the tone of someone who knew exactly what he was doing and had absolute confidence in his judgment!
Xiao Qianjun looked up and met Lin Changqing's eyes.
He took a deep breath and clenched his teeth.
He'd take the gamble!
He had no more reliable leads of his own. Rather than search blindly outside the city, following the usual approach, he might as well trust Prince Wu'an this once.
Even if the judgment proved wrong, with Prince Wu'an's cultivation and status, Xiao Qianjun wouldn't be the one left holding the bag if the sky fell.
"I wouldn't dare!"
Xiao Qianjun clasped his fists and bowed, his tone resolute.
"If Prince Wu'an has made this judgment, I'm willing to take the gamble. We'll do as you say. Everyone in the Demon Suppressing Division will be sent to search the Capital City!"
He straightened and added, "However, this is a matter of great importance. Making such a commotion in the Capital City will require us to seal the city gates and call in the Imperial Guard and the Royal Forest Guard."
"Even as Chief Commander of the Demon Suppressing Division, I don't have sufficient authority to order a deployment on this scale. I must first meet His Majesty and report the matter."
Lin Changqing nodded.
"Go ahead."
Xiao Qianjun didn't dare delay. He turned and hurried out of the headquarters.
His figure became a blur in the night as he raced toward the Imperial Palace at full speed.
Night had fallen deep.
But Su Gan, the emperor of Great Yu, was still awake.
The Imperial Study was brightly lit. Su Gan sat behind the Dragon Desk, reading through the last stack of memorials.
He rubbed his brow, picked up the ginseng tea beside him, and took a sip.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall.
"Your Majesty! Xiao Qianjun of the Demon Suppressing Division requests an audience!"
Su Gan set down his teacup, his brows drawing together.
If Xiao Qianjun had come at this hour, there had to be an emergency.
"Let him in."
Xiao Qianjun hurried into the Imperial Study and dropped to one knee.
"Your Majesty, I have urgent military intelligence to report!"
"Speak."
Xiao Qianjun didn't waste words. He recounted everything that had just happened, from beginning to end.
Members of the Holy Demon God Sect had followed Prince Wu'an and been captured on the spot by him.
There were eight of them: one Eighth-Rank Grandmaster and seven Seventh-Rank Grandmasters. All had been crippled.
They had been locked away in the Demon Suppressing Division's death-row prison.
Then he told the emperor of Prince Wu'an's judgment—that the branch sect's lair was hidden inside the Capital City.
He also explained that Prince Wu'an intended to take part in the search himself.
Su Gan's expression grew darker as he listened.
When he heard that the Holy Demon God Sect had even offered Prince Wu'an the position of sect leader to recruit him, he suddenly clenched the armrest of the throne.
The veins on the back of his hand stood out.
"What a Holy Demon God Sect!"
Su Gan's voice was cold as ice.
"I thought they were only operating in secret in the border provinces. I never imagined they'd reached their hands into the Capital City. And if that weren't enough, they dared to target Prince Wu'an."
He slammed a hand onto the Dragon Desk.
"Do they think Great Yu has no one to defend it?!"
Xiao Qianjun lowered his head, not daring to respond.
Su Gan took a deep breath and suppressed his fury.
He knew this wasn't the time to lose his temper.
The most urgent task was to find the branch sect's lair as quickly as possible, before their people realized what was happening.
He looked at Xiao Qianjun, his voice firm.
"Xiao Qianjun, hear my decree."
"Your servant is here!"
"I command you to take full charge of this matter! You have complete authority over the Imperial Guard and the Royal Forest Guard for now. Seal every gate of the Capital City immediately. Don't let even a single fly escape."
"Deploy every Demon Suppression Guard from the Demon Suppressing Division Headquarters to conduct a carpet-style search of the Capital City."
"Have the commanders of the Imperial Guard and Royal Forest Guard cooperate with you fully. Anyone who disobeys is to be executed first and reported afterward."
Xiao Qianjun's heart tightened. He clasped his fists firmly.
"This servant obeys!"
Su Gan added, "As for Prince Wu'an, do whatever he says. You are to cooperate fully. Make no mistakes."
"This servant understands!"
Su Gan waved a hand.
"Go. I'll wait here in the Imperial Study for your good news."
Xiao Qianjun rose and hurried out of the Imperial Study.
The moment he left the hall, he activated his movement technique, speeding toward the palace gates like a bolt of lightning.
A short while later.
The Demon Suppressing Division Headquarters blazed with light.
Every Demon Suppression Guard on duty had been urgently summoned, filling the entire front courtyard in dark, crowded ranks.
They all wore black fitted uniforms and carried swords at their waists. Their expressions were grim, and every one of them was an elite martial artist of the Third Rank or higher!
Xiao Qianjun stood on the steps, his voice ringing across the courtyard.
"All personnel, listen up! Effective immediately, every gate of the Capital City is sealed! No one may enter or leave without orders from me or Prince Wu'an! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
"Each team will search its assigned area street by street and alley by alley. Report any suspicious people or locations at once. Do not act on your own!"
"Imperial Guards and Royal Forest Guard have been ordered to assist with the operation. All units, move out!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Demon Suppression Guards answered in unison, then surged out of headquarters like a rising tide.
Meanwhile.
Heavy thuds echoed from every gate around the Capital City as they closed at once.
Squads of Imperial Guard soldiers ran to seal all twelve gates.
Swords slid from their scabbards, bows were strung, and firelight reddened the city walls.
The Royal Forest Guard marched out from the Imperial Palace and took over security on all the main streets.
The people in the streets were politely asked to return home, and every shop was shut.
In less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the entire Capital City had become an iron barrel.
The Demon Suppression Guard, the Imperial Guard, and the Royal Forest Guard all moved at once.
They split into dozens of search teams and began a sweeping search from every direction in the Capital City.
Every alley, every residence, every shop—all had to be searched.
The operation was massive, its scale staggering.
In the night.
Torchlight illuminated half the Capital City.
At the very front of the vast search party.
Lin Changqing walked ahead with his hands behind his back.
Three people walked beside him.
Xiao Qianjun, Chief Commander of the Demon Suppressing Division; Chen Zhan, commander of the Imperial Guard; and Han Yue, commander of the Royal Forest Guard.
The latter two were both late-stage Eighth-Rank Grandmasters, among the top experts in the entire Great Yu Dynasty.
Yet now, they followed behind Lin Changqing with utmost respect, barely daring to breathe too loudly.
Lin Changqing paid no heed to their nervousness.
His senses had already spread to their full extent, enveloping the entire Capital City.
The perception of a Martial Saint Peak was like an invisible tide, flowing through every street and every residence.
It pierced walls, the ground, and every obstruction.
Every breath of life and every ripple of Spiritual Power within the Capital City appeared clearly in his mind.
The people whispering at home, soldiers rushing through the streets in search of suspects, rats and stray cats hiding in the shadows—even earthworms deep underground...
Nothing escaped him.
As he walked, he checked each place in turn.
His pace was neither hurried nor slow. Every step landed firmly on the bluestone road.
Behind him, Xiao Qianjun and the two commanders held their breath, not daring to disturb him.
Meanwhile.
In the western part of the Capital City, deep in an inconspicuous alley.
There stood an unremarkable-looking residence.
Gray bricks, dark roof tiles, a tightly shut gate, and not even a sign above the entrance.
Compared with the mansions of the wealthy merchants in the Capital City, this place was shabby and utterly forgettable.
But no one knew that deep beneath the residence lay a vast Underground Palace.
The palace had three levels, each several zhang high.
The walls were covered in strange, blood-red spirit patterns that glowed faintly.
At that moment, in the deepest part of the Underground Palace.
A tall figure paced back and forth through the main hall.
He wore a dark red robe. A hood obscured most of his face, leaving only a thin pair of lips visible.
The aura around him was cold and uncanny. He was unmistakably an Early Martial Saint Stage expert.
This man was the leader of the Holy Demon God Sect's Capital Branch Sect, codenamed Red Python.
Behind him stood several martial artists with equally formidable auras, all core members of the Branch Sect.
In a corner of the main hall, a middle-aged man in court robes, fat-cheeked and big-eared, huddled against the wall.
Qian Youde, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
He oversaw part of the Great Yu Dynasty's taxes and provisions, one of the most lucrative posts in the bureaucracy.
This third-rank official, who usually strutted about the court with great authority, was now curled up in the corner, cold sweat streaming down his forehead like rain.
"L-Lord Sect Leader, what on earth is going on?!"
Qian Youde's voice trembled.
"Why has the Demon Suppressing Division suddenly sealed off the Capital City? Have we been exposed?"
Red Python stopped pacing and gave him a cold glance.
"What are you panicking for?"
His voice was hoarse and low, like sandpaper scraping against stone. "I just received word that the men sent to follow Lin Changqing failed."
Qian Youde's face turned deathly pale.
"T-They failed? Will they tell them about this place...?"
"Impossible."
Red Python cut him off.
"They all have restrictions planted in their bodies. If they try to reveal any vital information, they'll die on the spot. The Demon Suppressing Division's methods can't break the restrictions of my Holy Sect."
He paused, his tone turning darker.
"But what I can't understand is, how did they learn that the Branch Sect is in the Capital City?"
Red Python turned to the core members behind him.
"Judging by the way they sealed off the city, their target is clear: the Branch Sect within the city."
"That means they're certain our headquarters is inside the Capital City. This isn't a feint. They're coming at us in earnest, determined to drag us out."
One of the core members said quietly, "Lord Sect Leader, could the news have leaked from Protector Black Hawk's side?"
"Impossible."
Red Python flatly denied it.
"I raised Black Hawk myself. He would never betray the Holy Sect, even if it cost him his life."
He paced a couple of steps, his voice growing darker still.
"Besides, even if they were investigating, they should have searched outside the city first. Why seal off the Capital City right away, with such a clear target?"
"It's as if..."
He stopped, his gaze turning icy.
"It's as if someone told them we were right here."
Silence fell over the main hall.
Everyone could feel how grave the situation was.
A sudden thump came from the corner.
Qian Youde slumped to the floor, his legs limp as noodles.
"It's over... This time, it's really over..."
He tugged frantically at his collar, sweat soaking through his court robes.
"Lord Sect Leader, you don't understand. The Demon Suppressing Division has already reached the western part of the city! They're only two streets away! They're searching every home, leaving no one alone!"
"At this rate, they'll be here in less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense!"
"This happened so suddenly, there isn't even time to move! If they find us, with the evidence and the culprits together..."
His cheeks quivered violently.
"I-I've been undercover in the court for so many years, secretly providing the Holy Sect with so much intelligence and money. If it all comes to light, given His Majesty's temper, my entire clan will be doomed!"
He lunged at Red Python's feet and clung to his leg.
"Lord Sect Leader! Please think of something! You're a Martial Saint. You must have a way, don't you? Take me with you, please!"
"Get lost."
Red Python kicked him away, his eyes full of disgust.
He turned to the core members behind him and lowered his voice to a whisper.
"Have everyone destroy all confidential documents at once. Burn every account book, list, and Message Talisman that hasn't been moved. Don't leave behind a single sheet of paper."
"Add three more layers of seals to the Underground Palace entrance. Pile on every concealment treasure we can use. I'll guard the entrance myself and take a gamble that they won't find it."
He paused, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
"Vice Minister Qian."
Qian Youde jolted and scrambled onto his knees.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"You'll go up and open the gate as usual. You're a third-rank court official, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Your official status protects you. Without hard evidence, they won't dare do anything to you."
Red Python stared at him, his voice cold.
"Remember, if you dare give yourself away even slightly..."
He left the threat unfinished, but the frigid killing intent made Qian Youde's entire body shake.
"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"
Qian Youde kowtowed like pounding garlic, then scrambled toward the Underground Palace's exit.
Red Python watched him go, a cold smile flickering in his eyes.
He knew the fat fool was so terrified he was about to wet himself.
But it didn't matter.
As long as he could make it through tonight, once the storm passed, he would find a way to squeeze out every last bit of value from that useless man.
He turned toward the entrance to the Underground Palace and formed hand seals.
Blood-red spirit patterns flew from his palms, merging into the stone door at the entrance.
The light on the door grew dimmer and dimmer.
Gradually, the door blended into the surrounding wall.
From the outside, no one could tell there was a door there at all.
Red Python then brought out the Branch Sect's ultimate concealment treasure: a palm-sized Black Ancient Mirror.
It floated in midair, radiating a hazy gray light. Everything within its glow had its Spiritual Power fluctuations concealed.
The auras of all three levels of the Underground Palace vanished completely from perception.
After completing all this, Red Python sat cross-legged behind the stone door, closed his eyes, and prayed silently.
I hope this lousy mirror and those spirit patterns can hold off the people outside.
Especially that man... the Ninth-Rank Martial Saint Peak Prince Wu'an, who had most likely rejected the Holy Sect's offer to recruit him.
Before you continue