Lin Changqing was at the head of the search party when he suddenly came to a halt.
His gaze fell on an unremarkable residence deep in the alley.
It had gray tiles and blue-brick walls, and its main gate was shut tight.
It looked no different from the other houses nearby.
But when his senses swept over the residence, he immediately felt that something was wrong.
Everything on the surface seemed normal.
Yet deep underground, he could faintly sense an extremely subtle fluctuation of Spiritual Power, suppressed tightly by something.
Other Martial Saints might not have noticed it, not even a Mid Martial Saint Stage expert like the Sixth Ancestor.
But Lin Changqing was at Martial Saint Peak.
And after cultivating the Heavenly Saint Profound Art, his senses were several times sharper than those of other Martial Saints at the same level.
To his eyes, that suppressed fluctuation stood out like a dark blot of ink on white paper.
At that moment.
The Demon Suppressing Division's search party had already reached the entrance to the alley.
Leading them was Zhou Ping, a Demon Suppressing Captain and an early Fifth-Rank martial artist.
Twenty Demon Suppression Guards followed behind him, each carrying a torch and wearing a saber or sword at his waist.
Zhou Ping glanced at the area map in his hand.
"Search every house in this alley. Don't miss a single one."
"Yes, sir!"
The Demon Suppression Guards spread out, knocking on doors one by one.
Zhou Ping walked to the residence at the very end of the alley and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Open up! Demon Suppressing Division search!"
The house remained silent.
Zhou Ping knocked three more times.
"Everyone inside, listen up! The Demon Suppressing Division is conducting a search under imperial orders. Open the door at once!"
After a long while, dragging footsteps finally sounded from behind the door.
With a creak,
the main gate opened a crack.
A fleshy, big-eared face appeared in the gap. It belonged to Qian Youde, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
He wore a sleeping robe, his hair was a mess, and his eyes were half-open.
His face wore the irritated look of someone dragged bodily out of bed.
"What is it, what is it? Why are you banging on the door in the middle of the night?!"
Qian Youde yawned, his tone hostile.
"Do you know what place this is? Do you know who I am? You disturbed my rest. Can you afford the consequences?"
Zhou Ping cupped his fists in salute, his tone neither servile nor overbearing.
"My lord, I am Zhou Ping, a captain of the Demon Suppressing Division. Tonight, we are conducting a citywide search under imperial orders. Please cooperate and allow us to enter and inspect your residence."
Qian Youde's eyes flew open.
Then he yanked the gate halfway open and planted himself in the doorway, belly thrust forward.
"How dare you!"
He pointed at Zhou Ping's nose, spittle almost spraying the man in the face.
"I am the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue! A Principal Third Rank official! You're nothing but a Seventh-Rank captain of the Demon Suppressing Division, a mere speck of an official, and you dare search my residence?!"
"I don't care what your Demon Suppressing Division is up to tonight, but my residence is no place for you to run wild!"
He waved a large hand, his tone growing even more arrogant.
"There's nothing you're looking for in my residence. Go search somewhere else!"
Zhou Ping stood frozen, looking troubled. 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 court's finances and provisions.
His rank was many levels above that of a Demon Suppressing Captain.
Under ordinary circumstances, even a hundredfold increase in their courage wouldn't let them dare offend an official of his standing.
But tonight was different.
Their superiors had issued an ironclad order. Every household had to be searched, even the residences of the powerful and influential.
Not a single one could be spared.
Zhou Ping drew a deep breath and forced himself to speak.
"Minister Qian, His Majesty personally ordered this citywide search. Chief Commander Xiao of the Demon Suppressing Division is overseeing it himself. All the city gates have been sealed, and the Imperial Guards and the Royal Forest Guard are assisting with the operation."
"I'm only carrying out orders. Please don't make things difficult for me, Minister Qian."
He put heavy emphasis on the words "His Majesty personally ordered."
But Qian Youde wasn't buying it.
"His Majesty gave the order?"
He snorted and folded his arms.
"I haven't received any such order. In the dead of night, you say you're acting under imperial orders, and I'm supposed to believe you? Who knows if you're forging an Imperial Edict?"
"You want to search my residence? Fine. Show me the Imperial Edict. If you can't, then get out!"
Zhou Ping's expression froze.
The Imperial Edict?
His Majesty had conveyed the order to Chief Commander Xiao verbally. Where was Zhou Ping supposed to get an Imperial Edict?
But Chief Commander Xiao had issued an ironclad order: every household had to be searched, not a single one overlooked.
If Zhou Ping simply left, he couldn't bear the consequences if Chief Commander Xiao blamed him later.
But Qian Youde standing before him was also someone he couldn't afford to offend.
The man was a Third-Rank official, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
Unless Zhou Ping actually found something here today, he was stuck.
Zhou Ping was caught between a rock and a hard place.
The Demon Suppression Guards behind him watched him, waiting for him to decide.
The torchlight flickered in the night, casting everyone's faces in shifting light and shadow.
The standoff continued.
Qian Youde stood in the doorway, belly thrust out, looking utterly unafraid.
Zhou Ping remained where he was, unable to leave or stay.
Neither side was willing to give an inch.
Zhou Ping gritted his teeth and turned to murmur to a Demon Suppression Guard behind him.
"Go report to Chief Commander Xiao. Tell him the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is blocking us here, and ask him to decide what to do."
When something like this happened, the right thing to do was ask the boss.
"Yes, sir!"
The Demon Suppression Guard turned and ran.
Zhou Ping cupped his fists toward Qian Youde again. "Minister Qian, I've sent someone to ask my superior for instructions. Until his orders arrive, I can't leave this place. I ask for your understanding."
Qian Youde snorted but didn't close the gate, continuing to block the entrance.
"Then you can wait as long as you like."
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Good thing he'd managed to intimidate them.
If he could stall a little longer, the Red Python Sect Leader's arrangements would be fully in place. Then it wouldn't matter if they came in to search.
The Underground Palace entrance had been sealed beneath layer upon layer of suppression, and the Black Ancient Mirror concealed it as well.
Forget these Fourth- and Fifth-Rank Demon Suppression Guards. Even an Eighth-Rank Grandmaster wouldn't find it.
As for a Ninth-Rank Martial Saint...
Qian Youde's heart skipped a beat.
No.
The Capital City was so vast. The Prince Wu'an wasn't a god. How could he happen to search this very place?
He tried to reassure himself over and over.
But at that very moment,
an overwhelming Saint's aura descended from above, so immense it left everyone breathless.
The surrounding space warped, and a rift soundlessly tore open above their heads.
Violet-gold light poured through the rift, illuminating the entire alley.
A figure stepped out of it.
Black robes, black hair, hands clasped behind his back.
It was Lin Changqing.
Zhou Ping and every Demon Suppression Guard present dropped to one knee in unison when they saw him.
"Greetings, Prince Wu'an!"
Their voices rang out as one, filled with reverence from the depths of their hearts.
The moment Qian Youde saw Lin Changqing, his pupils contracted sharply.
Prince Wu'an?!
Why had he come in person?!
It was over. Could the arrangements in the Underground Palace fool a Martial Saint at his peak?
Hadn't the Red Python Sect Leader said that even a Ninth-Rank Martial Saint couldn't detect the Black Ancient Mirror?
Could it really be trusted?
Those useless Black Hawk fools. They could have followed anyone, but they just had to follow this walking calamity.
They hadn't managed to recruit him. Instead, they'd brought a wolf to their door.
Qian Youde cursed the ancestors of every Black Hawk member for eighteen generations in his heart, but still forced his face into a smile uglier than a grimace.
"P-Prince Wu'an, I am Qian Youde, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. I didn't know you were coming, so I failed to welcome you properly..."
He bowed in salute.
His movements were as stiff as a rusted iron gate.
Lin Changqing glanced at the kneeling Demon Suppression Guards and said calmly,
"Rise."
"Thank you, Prince Wu'an!"
Zhou Ping stood, the troubled look on his face gone in an instant.
Now that Prince Wu'an had arrived, the matter was easy to handle.
If the sky fell, Prince Wu'an would hold it up.
Lin Changqing's gaze settled on the gate of the residence. He'd sensed something wrong with the place from the very start.
The suppressed fluctuation of Spiritual Power here was denser than anywhere else nearby.
Some treasure concealed it well, but it couldn't hide from the senses of a Martial Saint at his peak.
"What are you standing around for?"
Lin Changqing looked at Zhou Ping, his tone calm.
"Send people in to search."
Zhou Ping's eyes lit up, and his back straightened at once.
"Yes, sir!"
He waved a hand, and the Demon Suppression Guards behind him started toward the gate.
Qian Youde panicked and instinctively reached out to block the entrance.
"P-Prince Wu'an! There's truly nothing suspicious in my residence! It's the middle of the night. There's no need to trouble you all..."
He hadn't finished speaking when
Lin Changqing's gaze fell on his face, and his lips parted.
"Get lost."
It was only a simple word, but Qian Youde felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him from head to toe.
The chill in that word nearly froze the blood in his veins.
He stood there, trembling uncontrollably.
Zhou Ping and the Demon Suppression Guards filed past him into the residence. He didn't dare stop them.
Lin Changqing watched Qian Youde coldly.
The more he resisted letting them in, the more it proved something was wrong.
This man's reaction had been strange from the very start.
An ordinary court official might complain after being woken in the middle of the night, but he wouldn't fight this desperately to stop a search.
At most, he'd grumble a little before letting them in.
But what about Qian Youde?
First, he'd tried to use his official rank to intimidate them. Then he'd insisted they couldn't search without an Imperial Edict.
Now, even with him, the Prince Wu'an, right here in person, Qian Youde had still dared to block the entrance.
That wasn't how a normal official would act.
There was definitely something fishy about this residence!
Just then, another figure shot into view from outside the alley.
It was Xiao Qianjun, who had rushed over after receiving the message.
He landed beside Lin Changqing and glanced at Qian Youde, who was blocking the doorway and trembling all over. His brow furrowed.
"Prince Wu'an, I heard there was trouble here."
Lin Changqing nodded.
"This old geezer won't let us search."
Xiao Qianjun looked at Qian Youde, his gaze turning a little colder.
He had already heard the Demon Suppression Guards' report on the way over.
The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a third-rank official, was blocking the doorway and refusing to let them search.
Tonight, His Majesty had given a strict order, and Prince Wu'an was personally overseeing the operation.
They had to search—even the residence of a prince, let alone that of a Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
But when he swept his senses over the residence, his brow furrowed again.
Everything inside appeared normal.
There was no demonic aura, no devilish aura, and no unusual fluctuations of spiritual energy.
There were no signs of cavities or hidden chambers underground, either. 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 were a savior.
Although Xiao Qianjun was the Chief Commander of the Demon Suppressing Division, he had always acted impartially and was at least easier to talk to than Prince Wu'an.
And judging by Xiao Qianjun's expression, he clearly hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Qian Youde plucked up his courage and said coldly,
"Chief Xiao! Your Demon Suppressing Division has made a huge commotion tonight, turning the whole Capital City upside down. I'd like to ask: did you find anything at all?"
"I may be a third-rank official of the imperial court, but you came to search my residence without evidence or cause. If word gets out, how am I supposed to show my face at court?"
"I'll remember what happened today."
"Another day, I'll go before His Majesty in person and accuse you, Xiao Qianjun, of abusing your authority and harassing a court official!"
Xiao Qianjun's brow furrowed even more. He really hadn't found anything unusual.
Just then, Zhou Ping hurried out and cupped his fists as he reported,
"Reporting to Prince Wu'an and Chief Commander Xiao: I've led the men in searching the entire residence. We haven't found anything suspicious."
At that, the weight finally lifted from Qian Youde's heart.
The Red Python Sect Leader's arrangements really were impressive.
They had even fooled the Demon Suppressing Division's search team.
The panic vanished from his face, replaced by the arrogant expression of someone who had the right on his side and wouldn't let anyone forget it.
"You heard him, didn't you? They found nothing!"
He puffed out his belly, his voice rising several notches.
"Chief Xiao, your men turned my residence upside down and found nothing. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Xiao Qianjun fell silent for a moment.
Since they hadn't found anything, there was no point in continuing to argue here.
His Majesty had said that anyone who disobeyed could be executed first and reported afterward, but surely he couldn't just kill a third-rank court official without any evidence.
He was about to ignore the man and leave with his people.
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 wasn't a trace of mirth in Lin Changqing's eyes.
They were as cold as a winter lake, fathomless and still.
Lin Changqing stepped forward and patted Qian Youde on the shoulder.
Qian Youde instantly felt as if a mountain had come down on his shoulder.
"Don't be in such a hurry, Minister Qian."
Lin Changqing's tone was casual.
"We've searched the rooms in your house, but we haven't searched the basement."
Qian Youde's face turned deathly pale.
His pupils suddenly contracted, and he looked even more terrified than when he'd seen Lin Changqing tear through space earlier.
The basement?
How could his house have a basement?!
His "basement" was the underground palace of a Holy Demon God Sect branch!
How could Lin Changqing know?!
Impossible. It was impossible!
The Red Python Sect Leader had sealed the entrance to the underground palace beneath three layers of seals, and the Black Ancient Mirror was concealing its aura.
The Demon Suppressing Division's men had searched the place for ages and found nothing.
Even Xiao Qianjun, an Eighth-Rank Grandmaster Peak, hadn't sensed a thing.
How could Prince Wu'an know?!
He was guessing. He had to be guessing!
Qian Youde forced down his panic and squeezed out a smile uglier than crying.
"Y-Your Highness must be joking. My humble home doesn't have a basement... I've lived here for many years and never heard of any basement..."
His voice trembled. Everyone could hear it.
Lin Changqing ignored him.
An overwhelming holy might burst from his body.
An invisible force locked Qian Youde in place. He couldn't move so much as a finger.
Qian Youde's eyes widened. His mouth hung open, but not a sound came out.
"Seize him."
Lin Changqing gave the order calmly.
Zhou Ping immediately led the men forward, bound Qian Youde hand and foot, and dragged him aside.
Lin Changqing then waved to all the Demon Suppression Guards around them.
"Everyone, leave the residence and wait outside the alley. No one is to come near without my order."
"Understood!"
Zhou Ping immediately led all the Demon Suppression Guards out of the residence.
Xiao Qianjun stood where he was, completely at a loss.
A basement?
He had swept his senses through the area several times. Beneath the residence was clearly solid earth and rock.
Where was there any sign of a basement?
He hesitated, but couldn't help asking,
"Prince Wu'an, about the basement you mentioned... This subordinate is slow-witted. When I searched with my senses just now, I didn't detect one. May I ask where the entrance is?"
Lin Changqing didn't answer. He simply started walking into the residence.
Xiao Qianjun hurried after him.
They crossed the front courtyard, passed around the screen wall, and came to a secluded study in the back courtyard.
The study was small, with simple furnishings.
A few bookshelves, a desk, and several paintings hanging on the walls.
It looked like an ordinary study.
Lin Changqing walked to the very back and stopped before a stone wall.
The wall looked no different from its surroundings.
It was built of bluestone, its surface rough, with a landscape painting hanging on it.
Standing behind Lin Changqing, Xiao Qianjun looked at the wall and swept his senses over it again.
He still found nothing.
He was about to ask a question.
Lin Changqing raised his right hand and clenched his fist.
The moment his fist closed, the surrounding space gave off a faint hum.
Violet-gold light gathered around his fist, growing brighter and more dazzling by the second.
The entire study lit up as if it were broad daylight.
A violent holy might erupted from Lin Changqing, and the air around them twisted fiercely.
Xiao Qianjun's expression changed, and he instinctively took two steps back.
The pressure was too strong.
He felt as if he were standing beside the mouth of a volcano on the verge of erupting.
Lin Changqing threw a punch.
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening crash shook the heavens and earth.
The entire stone wall exploded like a sheet of paper.
Rubble flew everywhere as clouds of dust billowed.
The whole residence shook violently, and roof tiles rattled down from above.
Xiao Qianjun swept his sleeve to deflect the flying stones, then looked up behind the wall.
He froze.
Behind the stone wall was a dark passage that sloped downward.
Strange, blood-red spiritual patterns covered the walls on either side, giving off a faint glow.
A thick demonic aura surged from the depths of the passage, mingled with the stench of blood and decay.
The aura was so intense that even he, an Eighth-Rank Grandmaster, felt his heart clench.
Xiao Qianjun's eyes widened.
He looked at the passage, then at Lin Changqing.
His jaw nearly hit the ground.
There really was a basement?!
And the entrance was right under his nose. He'd swept his senses over the place several times, yet hadn't noticed a thing!
This concealment technique was simply beyond belief!
"Prince Wu'an..."
Xiao Qianjun's voice was filled with incredulous shock.
"There really is another world beneath the ground? I searched the place with my senses several times, but didn't detect anything unusual at all!"
He paused, admiration filling his voice.
"Prince Wu'an, your eyes are truly sharp. I'm in awe!"
Lin Changqing withdrew his fist and brushed the dust from his hand, his expression calm.
"It's nothing. Their methods are just a little more impressive than I'd imagined."
He looked into the depths of the passage, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Come on, Chief Xiao."
"Let's go down and see how much filth this pack of rats is hiding underground."
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