Lin Changqing folded the Secret Letter shut, a meaningful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Interesting."
He casually handed the Secret Letter back to Lu Jingchen.
"I thought we'd cleaned out all the rats in the Capital City. Turns out there's still a big one hiding."
He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the Capital.
By his reckoning, this fellow codenamed "Ming Yuan" was no ordinary person.
During the Major Investigation the Demon Suppressing Division had conducted in the Capital, Xiao Qianjun had personally overseen the operation, preferring to arrest the innocent rather than let a suspect slip through.
Dozens of officials had been taken down, and even a third-rank official like the Vice Minister of Revenue had lost his head.
Yet "Ming Yuan" had somehow evaded detection.
Either he held a high-ranking, powerful position, one that even the Demon Suppressing Division didn't dare touch lightly,
or he had means that reached the heavens, hiding himself even more deeply than Red Python and Qian Youde!
Either way... it meant this fish would be a far tougher catch than the little shrimp they'd caught before.
Su Wanqing looked grave, a hint of urgency in her voice.
"Saint Venerable, could the 'affairs in the Capital' mentioned in this letter be like the Blood Sacrifice plan during the Flower Deity Festival?"
"Are they plotting another scheme?"
Lin Changqing gave a slight shake of his head.
"With just these few lines, we can't tell who this 'Ming Yuan' really is."
He turned to Lu Jingchen.
"Besides this letter, did you find anything else?"
Lu Jingchen shook his head, looking somewhat ashamed.
"Your Highness, I had men search the entire ancient temple from top to bottom."
"Every other document had been burned in advance. There was nothing left in the brazier but ashes."
"This letter escaped only because it was pressed beneath everything else in a chest."
Lin Changqing nodded, showing no sign of blame. Finding even this one letter had been an unexpected windfall.
He pointed at one of the Demon Suppression Guards.
"You. Make a copy of this letter and send it by fastest horse to Chief Xiao in the northern part of Si Province."
"Tell Xiao Qianjun there's still a big fish hiding in the Capital, codenamed 'Ming Yuan.'"
"During the upcoming purge, have him pay special attention to any clues connected to that codename."
"Whatever it takes, make sure you drag this big fish out."
The Demon Suppression Guard dropped to one knee and accepted the letter with both hands, his voice ringing with resolve.
"This subordinate obeys!"
He turned and hurried toward the woods where the horses were tethered, swung into the saddle, and cracked his whip.
The horse galloped north, its hooves kicking up a trail of dust.
Lin Changqing turned his gaze back to the open ground before the ancient temple.
The Demon Suppression Guards were loading the Spirit Crystals, Pills, and weapons they'd recovered from the temple onto carts, working with practiced ease.
After seven days, they'd all gotten used to the routine.
"That's every Demon Cult hideout in Si Province cleared out."
Lin Changqing clapped the dust from his hands, his tone casual.
"Mission complete: one fourteenth."
Su Wanqing blinked.
"One fourteenth? Saint Venerable, what are you counting?"
"Great Yu has Fourteen Provinces. Si Province is just one of them."
Lin Changqing swung onto Golden Radiance, then reached down and pulled Su Wanqing up behind him.
Once we clear out the remaining thirteen provinces, we can collect the mission rewards!
"Let's go. Next stop—Yong Province."
Golden Radiance threw back its head with a low growl, then shot into the sky, its four hooves wreathed in Golden Thunder.
Lu Jingchen quickly called for the remaining Demon Suppression Guards to follow, and the group headed west toward Yong Province.
In a temporary camp in northern Si Province.
Xiao Qianjun sat in his tent, reviewing the purge reports sent in from the various prefectures and counties.
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All the Demon Cult hideouts in Si Province had been wiped out, at least five days faster than expected.
That was mostly thanks to Prince Wu'an's terrifying efficiency.
A sweep of his divine sense, a shift through the void, a thought to kill, and the job was done.
Other teams took at least half a day to clear a single hideout. Prince Wu'an didn't even need the time it took to brew a cup of tea.
Just as Xiao Qianjun was about to order the camp dismantled so they could head to the next province, urgent hoofbeats sounded outside.
"Report!"
A Demon Suppression Guard dismounted and hurried into the tent.
"Reporting to Chief Commander Xiao! Prince Wu'an has sent an urgent Secret Letter!"
He presented the copied letter with both hands, then repeated Lin Changqing's words exactly.
Xiao Qianjun took the letter and unfolded it.
His expression changed at once.
"Ming Yuan... affairs in the Capital... I trust you'll continue to handle things..."
He murmured the words on the letter, his frown growing deeper.
"'Ming Yuan,' is it?"
He slammed his hand on the table, splashing tea everywhere.
"I personally oversaw the Capital investigation and led the Demon Suppression Guards in searching every household, again and again."
"Dozens of officials were arrested, and that beast Qian Youde was even subjected to death by a thousand cuts. Yet there's still a big fish hiding in the Capital!"
His face turned ashen, his eyes filled with fury and self-reproach.
Not only had this big fish escaped detection, he'd also been secretly in contact with the Demon Cult.
If word got out, where would that leave the reputation of the Demon Suppressing Division's Chief Commander?
More importantly...
He remembered questioning the Red Python Martial Saint's subordinates after the Capital Branch Sect had been wiped out.
Though they all had restrictions in their bodies that would kill them instantly if they tried to reveal anything important,
several of them had acted strangely in the moments before they died.
When they spoke of the Capital's inside man, they'd been even more cautious than when they spoke of Qian Youde.
As if Qian Youde were only a smokescreen, and the real big shot was still lurking deeper in the shadows.
At the time, he hadn't paid it much attention, assuming the Demon Cult disciples were just trying to confuse him.
But now, after reading this Secret Letter... all those strange reactions suddenly made sense!
Xiao Qianjun paced back and forth twice, forcing himself to calm down.
To have stayed hidden during a major investigation he'd personally overseen, this "Ming Yuan" had to be no ordinary person.
Either he held a high position, or he was extremely seasoned and knew the Demon Suppressing Division's investigative methods inside and out!
Whatever the case, they had to drag him out as quickly as possible.
Otherwise, even if they uprooted every Demon Cult hideout in the Fourteen Provinces of Great Yu, as long as this big fish remained hidden within the imperial court,
he would inevitably become a massive threat in the future!
Xiao Qianjun turned to his adjutant and gave an order, his voice sharp as a blade.
"Pass down my orders!"
"From this day forward, carefully examine every document, Secret Letter, and ledger seized during the purges."
"If you find even the slightest clue connected to the codename 'Ming Yuan,' report it immediately. Not a moment's delay!"
"Also, notify the Capital headquarters to investigate every official in the Capital in secret."
"Recheck everyone who slipped through the last Major Investigation. Don't let a single one off the hook!"
"Better to investigate a thousand by mistake than let one slip through!"
The adjutant saluted, accepted the order, and hurried out of the tent.
Xiao Qianjun sat back down and read the Secret Letter once more.
His gaze fell on the twisted Demon Runes used as a signature, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Ming Yuan... No matter how deeply you're hiding, I'll dig you out this time!"
Over the next few days, the entire purge across the Great Yu Dynasty centered on one goal.
Dig out "Ming Yuan."
Lin Changqing led Lu Jingchen and the Demon Suppression Guards in sweeping through the Demon Cult hideouts across Yong Province.
After clearing each one, he personally searched through the seized documents and Secret Letters,
looking for any further clues about "Ming Yuan."
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