The Underground Palace Entrance, Shattered by a Single Punch

Lin Changqing walked at the very front of the search party, his footsteps suddenly coming to a halt.

His gaze fell upon an inconspicuous residence deep within the alley.

With its green bricks and grey tiles, the main gate was tightly shut.

It looked no different from the surrounding houses.

However, when his perception swept over the residence, he clearly sensed something amiss.

Everything on the surface of the residence appeared normal.

Yet, deep underground, there was a faint and extremely obscure fluctuation of Spiritual Power, suppressed tightly by something.

Had it been any other Martial Saint, even a mid-stage Martial Saint like the Sixth Ancestor, they might not have detected it.

But Lin Changqing was a peak-stage Martial Saint.

Furthermore, after cultivating the Heavenly Saint Profound Art, his perception was several times keener than other Martial Saints of the same rank.

That suppressed fluctuation was as conspicuous to his eyes as an ink blot on a white sheet of paper.

At this moment.

The Demon Suppressing Division's search party had already reached the entrance of the alley.

Leading the team was Demon Suppression Commandant Zhou Ping, an early-stage fifth-rank martial artist.

Behind him followed twenty Demon Suppression Guards, each holding a torch with swords and blades at their waists.

Zhou Ping glanced at the district map in his hand.

"Search this alley house by house; do not miss a single spot."

"Understood!"

The Demon Suppression Guards dispersed, knocking on doors one by one to conduct their investigation.

Zhou Ping walked personally to the residence at the deepest part of the alley and raised his hand to knock.

Thud, thud, thud.

"Open the door, Demon Suppressing Division search!"

There was silence inside.

Zhou Ping knocked three more times.

"Listen up, those inside! The Demon Suppressing Division is searching by imperial decree. Open the door at once!"

After a long while, a sound of dragging footsteps finally came from behind the door.

Creeeak.

The gate was pulled open just a crack.

A fat, big-eared face appeared in the gap; it was none other than the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Qian Youde.

He was wearing a night robe, his hair was a mess, and his eyes were half-open and half-closed.

His face wore an expression of impatience, as if he had been dragged out of bed by force.

"What is it? What is it? Why all the knocking in the middle of the night?!"

Qian Youde yawned, his tone nasty.

"Do you know what place this is? Do you know who this old man is? Can you afford the consequences of disturbing my rest?"

Zhou Ping cupped his hands in a salute, his tone neither servile nor overbearing.

"My Lord, I am Zhou Ping, a Commandant of the Demon Suppressing Division. We are acting under imperial decree to search the city tonight. Please cooperate and allow us to enter your residence for inspection."

Qian Youde's eyes widened instantly.

He then yanked the gate open halfway and stood in the doorway, thrusting his belly forward.

"Audacious!"

He pointed at Zhou Ping's nose, his spit nearly landing on the other man's face.

"I am the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue! A Principal Third Rank official! You, a mere seventh-rank Commandant of the Demon Suppressing Division—a sesame-sized official—dare to come and search my residence?!"

"I don't care what kind of game your Demon Suppressing Division is playing tonight, but my residence is no place for you to run wild!"

He waved his hand, his tone becoming even more arrogant.

"There is nothing you are looking for in my residence; go search elsewhere!"

Zhou Ping stood where he was, his expression troubled, and the twenty Demon Suppression Guards behind him exchanged glances.

The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was a powerful official in charge of the imperial treasury and grain.

In terms of rank, he was far above their Demon Suppression Commandant position.

Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't dare offend an official of this level even if they were given a hundred times the courage.

But tonight was different.

The higher-ups had issued a strict order: every household, even the residences of powerful court officials, was not to be spared.

Search everything.

Zhou Ping took a deep breath and braced himself.

"Minister Qian, the order to search the entire city was issued personally by His Majesty and is being overseen by Chief Xiao of the Demon Suppressing Division. All city gates have been sealed, and both the Imperial Guard and the Forbidden Army are assisting in the operation."

"This subordinate is merely following orders. I ask that you do not make things difficult for me, Minister Qian."

He emphasized the words "issued personally by His Majesty" heavily.

But Qian Youde did not buy it at all.

"An order from His Majesty?"

He let out a cold snort and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I have received no such order. It is the middle of the night, and you claim to be acting on an imperial decree? Who knows if you are faking it?"

"You want to search my residence? Fine, produce the imperial decree. If you cannot produce it, then get lost!"

Zhou Ping's expression stiffened.

An imperial decree?

The order was a verbal command from His Majesty to Chief Xiao; where was he supposed to get a written decree?

Yet Chief Xiao had issued a strict order: every household must be searched, and not a single one could be missed.

If he just left now, he would be unable to bear the consequences when Chief Xiao held him accountable later.

But the man before him, Qian Youde... he could not afford to offend him either.

The man was a third-rank official, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Unless, of course, he actually found something today.

Zhou Ping was caught in a dilemma.

The Demon Suppression Guards behind him were all watching him, waiting for his decision.

The light of the torches flickered in the night, casting shifting shadows across everyone's faces.

The situation reached a stalemate.

Qian Youde stood in the doorway, chest puffed out, looking entirely unbothered.

Zhou Ping stood his ground, unable to advance or retreat.

Neither side was willing to yield a single step.

Zhou Ping gritted his teeth, turned his head, and whispered to a Demon Suppression Guard behind him.

"Go quickly and report to Chief Xiao. Tell him we have encountered obstruction from the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and request his decision."

When encountering such a situation, going to the boss was the right move.

"Yes!"

The guard turned and ran.

Zhou Ping cupped his hands toward Qian Youde. "Minister Qian, I have already sent someone to request instructions from my superiors. Until those orders arrive, I cannot leave this place. I ask for your understanding."

Qian Youde snorted coldly and did not close the door, continuing to block the entrance.

"Then you can wait as long as you like."

He breathed a secret sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that he had intimidated this group.

As long as he could stall for a little longer, until the arrangements for the Red Python Sect Leader were fully completed, it wouldn't matter if he let them search.

The entrance to the Underground Palace had been sealed tight, and with the concealment of that Black Ancient Mirror, it was secure.

Never mind these fourth or fifth-rank Demon Suppression Guards; even an eighth-rank Grandmaster would not be able to discover it.

As for a ninth-rank Martial Saint...

Qian Youde's heart skipped a beat.

That wouldn't happen.

The Capital City was so vast, and that Prince Wu'an was not a god; how could he possibly happen to search here?

He comforted himself repeatedly in his heart.

However, at that very moment.

A majestic, suffocating aura of a Saint descended from the sky.

The surrounding space distorted, and a rift tore open silently above their heads.

Purple gold light shone from the rift, illuminating the entire alley.

A figure stepped out from the rift.

Dressed in black robes with black hair, he stood with his hands behind his back.

It was none other than Lin Changqing.

Zhou Ping and all the Demon Suppression Guards present dropped to one knee in unison as the newcomer arrived.

"Greetings, Prince Wu'an!"

Their voices were uniform, filled with awe from the bottom of their hearts.

The moment Qian Youde saw Lin Changqing, his pupils constricted violently.

Prince Wu'an?!

How could he have come in person?!

It's over, it's all over. Could the arrangements inside the Underground Palace possibly deceive a peak Martial Saint?

Didn't the Red Python Sect Leader say that the ancient mirror could remain undetected even by a ninth-rank Martial Saint?

Was he even reliable at all?

That bunch of trash from Black Hawk—of all the people to tail, they had to go and tail this god of plague.

Not only did they fail to recruit the target, but they had also invited a wolf into the fold.

Qian Youde cursed Black Hawk's ancestors down to the eighteenth generation in his heart, yet his face twisted into a smile that looked worse than a funeral.

"Yo-Your Highness Prince Wu'an, this humble official is Qian Youde, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. I was unaware of your arrival and failed to welcome you properly..."

He bowed in salute.

His movements were as stiff as a rusted iron gate.

Lin Changqing glanced at the Demon Suppression Guards kneeling on the ground and spoke indifferently.

"Rise, all of you."

"Thank you, Prince Wu'an!"

Zhou Ping stood up, the look of distress on his face vanishing instantly.

With Prince Wu'an here, the matter would be easy to handle.

If the sky fell, Prince Wu'an would be the one to hold it up.

Lin Changqing's gaze fell upon the gate of the residence; he had felt that something was wrong with this house from the very beginning.

The suppressed fluctuation of Spiritual Power was denser here than anywhere else in the vicinity.

Although it was well-concealed by some kind of treasure, it could not hide from his perception as a peak Martial Saint.

"What are you standing there for?"

Lin Changqing looked at Zhou Ping, his tone flat.

"Send your men in to search."

Zhou Ping's eyes lit up, and he straightened his back instantly.

"As you command!"

With a wave of his hand, the Demon Suppression Guards behind him prepared to charge through the gate.

Qian Youde panicked, instinctively reaching out to block the entrance.

"Yo-Your Highness Prince Wu'an! There is truly nothing suspicious in this humble official's residence! It is the middle of the night, there is no need to trouble everyone..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Changqing's gaze landed on his face, and his lips parted slightly.

"Scram."

It was a simple word, yet Qian Youde felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over him from head to toe.

The chill contained within the word nearly froze the blood in his veins.

He stood rooted to the spot, trembling uncontrollably.

Zhou Ping and the Demon Suppression Guards filed past him, and he didn't even dare to stop them.

Lin Changqing watched Qian Youde with cold eyes.

The more he tried to prevent them from entering, the more certain it was that something was amiss.

This fellow's reactions had been abnormal from the start.

A normal court official, even if woken up in the middle of the night, would not fight so desperately to block a search.

At most, they would grumble a few times before letting them in.

But this Qian Youde?

First, he tried to use his official rank to pressure them, then he insisted that they couldn't search without an imperial decree.

Now, even with Prince Wu'an himself present, he still dared to reach out and block the door.

This was no longer the reaction of a normal official.

This residence... definitely had something to hide!

Just then, another figure darted in from outside the alley.

It was Xiao Qianjun, who had arrived after receiving the news.

He landed beside Lin Changqing and frowned as he looked at Qian Youde, who was trembling while blocking the doorway.

"Prince Wu'an, I heard there was some trouble here."

Lin Changqing nodded.

"This old fellow won't let us search."

Xiao Qianjun looked at Qian Youde, his gaze turning colder.

He had already heard the details of the situation from the Demon Suppression Guard who reported to him on the way.

A Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a third-rank official, was blocking the door and refusing to let them search.

His Majesty had issued a strict order tonight, and Prince Wu'an was personally overseeing the operation.

Never mind a Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; even a prince's mansion would have to be searched.

However, when he swept his senses across the residence, his brow furrowed once more.

Everything in the residence was normal.

There was no demonic aura, no fiendish energy, and no unusual fluctuations of spiritual energy.

There were no signs of underground cavities or secret chambers; it looked like an ordinary official's residence.

Xiao Qianjun began to wonder if Prince Wu'an was being overly cautious.

Qian Youde looked at Xiao Qianjun as if he had seen a savior.

Although Xiao Qianjun was the Chief of the Demon Suppressing Division, he had always been known for acting impartially, and at the very least, he was easier to talk to than that Prince Wu'an.

Moreover, judging by Xiao Qianjun's expression, he clearly hadn't discovered anything unusual either.

Emboldened, Qian Youde said coldly.

"Chief Xiao! Your Demon Suppressing Division has caused such a massive stir tonight, turning the entire Capital City upside down. I would like to ask: have you actually found anything?"

"I am a third-rank official of the imperial court, after all. You come to search my residence without any evidence; if this gets out, how am I supposed to hold my head up in court?"

"I have noted today's events."

"I will personally see His Majesty another day and report you, Xiao Qianjun, for abuse of power and harassing court officials!"

Xiao Qianjun's brow furrowed even tighter; he truly hadn't discovered anything unusual.

At this moment, Zhou Ping stepped out quickly, cupped his hands, and reported.

"Reporting to Prince Wu'an and Chief Xiao, my men have searched the entire residence and found nothing suspicious."

Upon hearing this, the heavy stone in Qian Youde's heart finally fell to the ground.

The Red Python Sect Leader's arrangements were truly formidable.

They could even deceive the Demon Suppressing Division's search team.

The panic on his face was swept away, replaced by an arrogant expression that refused to let the matter drop.

"Did you hear that? You found nothing!"

He puffed out his chest, his voice rising several notches.

"Chief Xiao, your men turned my mansion upside down and found nothing. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Xiao Qianjun remained silent for a moment.

Since nothing had been found, there was no point in continuing to tangle here.

Although His Majesty had said that those who resisted could be executed first and reported later, he could not simply kill a third-rank court official without any evidence.

He was just about to ignore the man and take his people away.

Just then.

Lin Changqing, who had been silent all this time, suddenly smiled.

But to Qian Youde, that smile was more terrifying than anything else, because there was not a hint of warmth in Lin Changqing's eyes.

They were as cold and bottomless as a frozen lake in winter.

Lin Changqing stepped forward and patted Qian Youde on the shoulder.

Qian Youde instantly felt as if a mountain had pressed down upon him.

"Don't be in such a rush, Minister Qian."

Lin Changqing's tone sounded very casual.

"You've finished searching the rooms in your house, but you haven't searched the basement yet."

Qian Youde's face turned deathly pale.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he looked even more terrified than when he had seen Lin Changqing tear through space earlier.

The basement?

Since when did his house have a basement?!

His house's "basement" was the Underground Palace of the Holy Demon God Sect branch!

How could he have known?!

Impossible, it was impossible!

The entrance to the Underground Palace had been sealed tight with three layers of seals by the Red Python Sect Leader, and there was also that Black Ancient Mirror to mask its aura.

The people from the Demon Suppressing Division had just searched inside for ages and found absolutely nothing.

Even Xiao Qianjun, a peak eighth-rank Grandmaster, hadn't detected anything amiss.

How could Prince Wu'an possibly know?!

He was guessing; he must be guessing!

Qian Youde suppressed the panic in his heart and squeezed out a smile that looked worse than a grimace.

"Yo-Your Highness is joking. How could my humble abode have a basement... I have lived here for so many years and have never heard of any basement..."

His voice was trembling; anyone could hear it.

Lin Changqing ignored him.

The holy might on his body erupted.

An invisible force pinned Qian Youde to the spot, leaving him unable to move even a single finger.

Qian Youde's eyes widened, his mouth agape, but he couldn't make a sound.

"Take him."

Lin Changqing commanded indifferently.

Zhou Ping immediately led his men forward, hog-tied Qian Youde, and dragged him to the side.

Lin Changqing then waved his hand at all the surrounding Demon Suppression Guards.

"Everyone, withdraw from this residence and wait outside the alley. Without my command, no one is to approach."

"Understood!"

Zhou Ping immediately led all the Demon Suppression Guards out of the residence.

Xiao Qianjun stood where he was, feeling somewhat confused.

A basement?

He had scanned the area with his perception several times just now; beneath this residence was clearly solid earth and rock.

Where was there any sign of a basement?

He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking.

"Prince Wu'an, about the basement you mentioned... this official is dull-witted. When I probed with my perception just now, I didn't discover any basement. May I ask where the entrance is?"

Lin Changqing did not answer, simply striding toward the interior of the residence.

Xiao Qianjun hurriedly followed.

The two passed through the front courtyard, rounded the spirit wall, and arrived in front of a secluded study in the back courtyard.

This study was not large, and the furnishings inside were simple.

A few bookshelves, a desk, and a few paintings hanging on the walls.

It looked like an ordinary, unremarkable study.

Lin Changqing walked to the very back of the study and stood before a stone wall.

This wall looked no different from the others around it.

Built of bluestone, the surface was rough, and a landscape painting hung upon it.

Xiao Qianjun stood behind Lin Changqing, looked at the wall, and scanned it with his perception once more.

He still found nothing.

He was just about to open his mouth to ask.

Lin Changqing raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.

The moment his fist tightened, the surrounding space emitted a faint humming sound.

Purple Gold light condensed on his fist, growing brighter and more dazzling.

The entire study was illuminated as if it were broad daylight.

Violent holy might erupted from Lin Changqing, causing the surrounding air to distort violently.

Xiao Qianjun's expression changed, and he instinctively took two steps back.

That pressure was too strong.

He felt as if he were standing next to a volcano about to erupt.

Lin Changqing threw a punch.

"BOOM!!!"

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering roar erupted.

The entire stone wall of the study exploded like a sheet of paper.

Debris scattered everywhere, and dust filled the air.

The entire residence trembled violently, and roof tiles clattered as they rained down.

Xiao Qianjun waved his sleeve to deflect the flying rubble and looked toward the space behind the wall.

Then, he froze completely.

Behind the stone wall was a dark passage extending downward.

The walls on both sides of the passage were carved with eerie, blood-colored spirit runes that emitted a faint, ghostly glow.

A dense aura of a Demon surged from the depths of the passage, mixed with the stench of blood and rot.

The intensity of that aura was enough to make even an eighth-rank Grandmaster like him feel a palpitation of the heart.

Xiao Qianjun's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

He looked at the passage, then back at Lin Changqing.

His jaw nearly hit the floor.

There really was a basement?!

And the entrance had been right under his nose; he had scanned the area with his perception several times, yet he hadn't detected a thing!

Such a method of concealment was simply inconceivable!

"Prince Wu'an..."

Xiao Qianjun's voice was laced with incredulous shock.

"This... there really is a hidden world beneath us? I scanned this place repeatedly with my perception just now and didn't sense anything unusual at all!"

He paused, his tone filled with admiration.

"Prince Wu'an's eyes are like torches; this subordinate is thoroughly impressed!"

Lin Changqing retracted his fist and brushed the dust off his hands, his expression indifferent.

"It's nothing. Their methods were just slightly more clever than I had anticipated."

He looked into the depths of the passage, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

"Let's go, Chief Xiao."

"Let's head down and see exactly how many shameful things these rats have hidden underground."