The Demon Suppression Guards came to their senses as if waking from a dream, drawing their swords and rushing into the mine.
Their movements were countless times more agile than usual.
After witnessing Prince Wu'an's strength with their own eyes, everyone was as fired up as if they'd been injected with chicken blood.
With a powerhouse like him leading them into battle, what was there to fear?
Su Wanqing sat on Golden Radiance's back and watched Lin Changqing return, her eyes filled with admiration.
The scene just now had been a little bloody, but she knew those Demon Cult disciples deserved to die.
Besides, she had been by Lin Changqing's side for so long that she had grown somewhat used to scenes like this.
"Saint Venerable, you're incredible! You took care of dozens of people with a wave of your hand. I wish I could be even half as powerful as you someday."
"What cultivation level are you at right now? Take your time." Lin Changqing swung onto Golden Radiance's back and answered casually.
Su Wanqing was currently a peak fifth-rank martial artist. That was quite impressive among the imperial princesses, but she was indeed nowhere near his level.
Before long, Zhou Zheng hurried out of the mine.
His face was alight with excitement, and he held a stack of documents that hadn't been completely burned, along with a parchment map.
"Prince Wu'an! Your Highness!"
He ran up to Golden Radiance, dropped to one knee, and raised the documents and map high with both hands.
"Your subordinate found classified documents deep inside the mine that they hadn't managed to destroy!"
"They contain detailed records of the locations of several other Holy Demon God Sect branch outposts in the prefectures and counties of Si Province!"
"With this map, we won't have to painstakingly search anymore. We can follow it straight to each location and wipe them out one by one!"
Su Wanqing's eyes lit up at once.
"Really? That's wonderful!"
Lu Jingchen added,
"Reporting to Prince Wu'an, besides the map and documents, your subordinate also found quite a few resources in the mine."
"They filled three entire storerooms. I did a preliminary count."
"There are 150,000 mid-grade Spirit Crystals alone, as well as seven eighth-rank spirit herbs and twenty bottles of seventh-rank Pills."
"And about fifty swords and other weapons, all between third and fourth rank."
"There are also some armor and protective gear, but not much, and the quality is ordinary."
"Mm, it's not a small haul. This was, after all, an established branch sect."
Lin Changqing nodded.
To him, these things were no more than a few melons and dates, but to ordinary martial artists, they were already a considerable fortune.
"Send someone to notify the local Prefectural Army. Have them load everything onto carts and escort it back to the Capital City."
"Whether it goes into the national treasury or to the soldiers on the front lines, let the Ministry of Revenue decide how to distribute it."
Lu Jingchen hurriedly cupped his fist.
"This general obeys!"
He immediately sent two Demon Suppression Guards galloping to the nearest city, Guangji Prefecture, to report the news.
Lin Changqing took the parchment map from Zhou Zheng and unfolded it for a look.
Seven or eight red circles had been marked on it in cinnabar.
Each circle represented a Holy Demon God Sect branch outpost.
They were scattered among several prefectures and counties in southern and western Si Province.
Some were hidden in ancient temples in desolate mountains, some beneath abandoned manors, and some in remote caves.
Their locations were all well concealed, but with this map, not one of them would escape.
Lin Changqing tucked the map into his robes, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Ten Limit-Breaking Pills for taking down just one outpost, and it's only one of the Holy Demon God Sect's branches in Si Province."
"We need to hurry and deal with the remaining outposts."
He patted Golden Radiance's neck.
Golden Radiance raised its head and let out a low growl, then launched into the sky on four hooves wreathed in Golden Thunder.
Su Wanqing sat in front of him, excitedly pointing to the next target on the map.
"Saint Venerable, where are we going next?"
Lin Changqing glanced at the map.
"We'll start with the nearest and take them down one by one."
Golden Radiance stamped its hooves and flew toward the next target.
Lu Jingchen hurried after them with fifty Demon Suppression Guards, using their movement techniques. Their golden figures left a long trail beneath the setting sun.
Meanwhile.
Yan Province, the Prefectural Governor's Mansion.
A Spatial Rift silently tore open in front of the mansion gates, and a woman in a scarlet dress stepped through.
She was tall and slender, with long, flame-red hair falling to her waist. Her beautiful face was touched with a heroic air.
It was Lin Que.
She had restrained her Saintly might, but her aura of long-held authority still made the guards at the gates stare in surprise.
"Who goes there?!"
Several guards instinctively drew their swords.
Lin Que raised a purple-gold token. The words "Prince Wu'an" were engraved on it.
"I come by Prince Wu'an's order to oversee the suppression of the Demon Cult within your province."
"Have your Inspector come out to see me."
The guards exchanged glances.
Someone sent by Prince Wu'an?
Though they were far away in Yan Province, Prince Wu'an's name had already spread across the entire Great Yu Dynasty.
A twenty-year-old peak Ninth-Rank Martial Saint, who had slain the Demon Cult's leader with a single sword strike and subdued a Pureblood Qilin... Every one of those deeds was the stuff of legends!
"Please wait, my lord!"
The guards didn't dare delay. They hurried inside to report.
A moment later.
The Inspector of Yan Province hurried out to greet her.
His surname was Zheng and his given name was Yuanli. He was a civil official in his eighties, with a cultivation level at the Seventh-Rank Grandmaster realm, but his cultivation kept him looking young.
"May I ask who you are, envoy?"
Lin Que showed him the token again and replied in an even tone.
"I am Lin Que, a Vermilion Bird Guard under Prince Wu'an. I have come to Yan Province on my lord's orders to suppress the Demon Cult's strongholds within its borders."
"Please give me your full cooperation, Inspector Zheng."
Zheng Yuanli took the token and inspected it carefully, confirming that it was genuine.
He hurriedly bowed, his manner respectful.
"So you are an envoy under Prince Wu'an. I failed to welcome you properly. Please forgive me."
"Please come inside, and we can discuss things in detail."
Lin Que nodded and followed Zheng Yuanli into the Prefectural Governor's Mansion.
After taking their seats in the reception hall, Zheng Yuanli ventured to ask,
"May I ask what position you hold under Prince Wu'an, Lady Lin? And how do you plan to carry out the suppression operation in Yan Province?"
Lin Que lifted her teacup and took a sip.
Then she stopped suppressing her aura. A vast Saintly might burst from her.
Scarlet Spiritual Power flowed around her, making her seem like a phoenix reborn in flames.
The pressure of an early Ninth-tier Martial Saint poured out without restraint, enveloping the entire reception hall.
Zheng Yuanli's teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
His legs went weak, and he slid straight off his chair, dropping to his knees.
"A-a Ninth-Rank Martial Saint?!"
His voice trembled.
There wasn't a single Martial Saint in all of Yan Province.
Now a Ninth-Rank Martial Saint had suddenly appeared, and she was an envoy under Prince Wu'an.
How could he not be shocked?
Lin Que withdrew her Saintly might, her tone still calm.
"Inspector Zheng, there's no need to panic. I'm only here to carry out my lord's orders."
"You only need to mobilize the local Demon Suppressing Division Branch and garrison troops to assist me. I'll handle the rest."
Zheng Yuanli clambered to his feet and nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes! I'll give you my full cooperation! My full cooperation!"
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his thoughts churning like a surging river.
If even one of Prince Wu'an's subordinates was a Ninth-Rank Martial Saint, just how powerful was Prince Wu'an himself?
Green Province.
Lin Wu likewise showed his token and credentials, then went to see the Inspector of Green Province.
The Inspector of Green Province reacted much like Zheng Yuanli.
First came shock, then respect, and finally, full cooperation.
Lin Wu was honest and steady, and handled matters methodically.
After coordinating with the Inspector of Green Province, he immediately began planning the suppression operation.
He, too, unleashed the might of an early Ninth-tier Martial Saint, nearly making the Inspector of Green Province drop to his knees.
Of course.
Though the two Inspectors were shocked,
after Lin Que and Lin Wu left, they both did the same thing.
They dispatched urgent messengers to gallop to the Capital City.
They wanted to confirm with the court that the envoys under Prince Wu'an had truly come with orders.
After all, they had never seen Prince Wu'an's token before. What if someone had forged it?
Still, they only dared to make discreet inquiries.
Until a reply came from the court, they continued to cooperate fully.
After all, the other party was a genuine Ninth-Rank Martial Saint.
If they provoked her, even if the token were eventually proven fake, they might not live long enough to receive the court's reply.
At the same time.
Xu Province, the Prefectural Governor's Mansion.
Lin Hu stepped through a Spatial Rift and strode toward the mansion gates.
He wore a white martial outfit that day. Broad-shouldered and powerfully built, he looked every bit the tough guy.
His short white hair stood on end, his features were rugged, and his gaze was sharp.
He didn't look like someone to trifle with.
But Lin Hu didn't release his Saintly might right away.
He planned to begin with courtesy and resort to force only if necessary. He just needed to explain things clearly.
When the guards at the gates saw a burly man charging toward them, they hurried forward to stop him.
"Stop! Who are you? Trespassing in the Inspector's residence is a serious crime!"
Lin Hu stopped and raised his token.
"I come by Prince Wu'an's order to oversee the suppression of the Demon Cult within your province."
"Have your Inspector come out to see me."
The guard took the token, turned it over and over in his hands, then returned it to him.
"Wait here. I'll go report this."
Quite a while later,
the mansion gates opened again.
A middle-aged man in purple official robes strode out.
It was the Inspector of Xu Province, Sun Tai.
He looked to be in his forties, with a lean face and high cheekbones.
His narrow, triangular eyes were half-lidded as he looked Lin Hu up and down.
When he saw Lin Hu in an ordinary white martial outfit, without any attendants or ceremonial retinue,
the corner of his mouth curled into a barely perceptible sneer.
"You claim Prince Wu'an sent you?"
Sun Tai clasped his hands behind his back, his tone arrogant.
"This official hasn't received any notice from the court."
"You say you're an envoy, but do you have an official document from the Ministry of Personnel? Do you have credentials issued by the Demon Suppression Division Headquarters?"
Lin Hu furrowed his brow.
"I don't have any documents. I only have Prince Wu'an's token and credentials."
He held up the token again.
Sun Tai didn't even look at him. He gave a cold snort.
"A token? It wouldn't be hard to forge one."
"How am I supposed to know you weren't sent by the Holy Demon God Sect as a spy?"
"These days, there are plenty of people impersonating imperial envoys and swindling their way around. I've caught no fewer than eighty or ninety of them."
"I've heard that whole story so many times I'm sick of it."
He swept his hand and barked at the guards beside him.
"Men! Seize this impostor posing as an imperial envoy!"
The dozen or so personal guards behind him drew their swords in unison and surrounded Lin Hu.
But they hesitated noticeably.
The white-haired man before them had no discernible cultivation, but with his build and bearing, he clearly wasn't someone to trifle with.
And more guards from around the Prefectural Governor's Mansion, having heard the commotion, were hurrying over.
A nearby adviser leaned close to Sun Tai's ear and spoke in a low voice.
"My lord, we'd be wise to proceed with caution."
"If he really is an envoy sent by Prince Wu'an, then attacking him so rashly would be unwise..."
"If Prince Wu'an blames you afterward, my lord, you..."
Sun Tai turned and gave him a cold look.
"Are you telling me how to do my job?"
The adviser's face changed. He quickly lowered his head.
"I wouldn't dare, my lord. I only..."
"If you wouldn't dare, then shut up."
Sun Tai cut him off, his voice icy.
"I say he's a fake, so he's a fake."
"I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong. It's not your concern."
He ordered the guards again.
"Why aren't you moving? What are you waiting for?"
The guards gritted their teeth and charged at Lin Hu, forcing themselves to press forward.
Lin Hu stood where he was, watching the guards rush toward him, then glanced at Sun Tai.
His instincts told him something was wrong with this Inspector.
He hadn't released his holy might or displayed any of his strength.
If the other man truly had doubts, he could have simply driven him away or detained him for questioning.
But this Inspector had gone straight to ordering his arrest, and under the most serious charge of all: being a criminal in disguise.
That reaction... was far too extreme. It was almost as if he feared something.
Lin Hu's lips curled slightly.
Interesting.
This Inspector... had a problem!
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