"New... Bureau Chief?!"
Yuan Xing's eyes widened round. He seemed unable to accept that answer.
"Hmph!"
Sheng Yuzhou suddenly snorted coldly.
"Yuan Xing, do you think I'm deceiving you... or that this gold token bearing the words 'As Though I Were Present' is fake?!"
"This subordinate... n-no, I wouldn't dare!"
Yuan Xing could only drop to his knees, lowering his head deeply.
"Forget it."
Sheng Yuzhou's tone was somewhat lazy. "The past is the past. I can't be bothered to concern myself with it. From now on, I'll be responsible for the entire Evil-Slaying Bureau's operations, and I'll also take command of matters here in the Great Xiye Kingdom. Do you have any objections?"
"How would I dare?"
As Yuan Xing listened to Sheng Yuzhou speak, he could sense his high spirits. That tone was unmistakably the Lord Sheng he knew—the Thousand-Household Commander Sheng, the Chief Envoy Sheng.
"By the way, Bureau Chief... this subordinate presumptuously wishes to ask: before you disappeared, you had been with the Crown Prince the entire time. Then... His Highness the Crown Prince now—"
"Hehe, why are you asking that?"
A strange light shone in Sheng Yuzhou's eyes. Yuan Xing went cold all over and desperately kowtowed.
"This subordinate deserves death, deserves death!"
"Enough!"
Sheng Yuzhou waved a hand.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is naturally safe and sound. He merely went to handle a confidential matter at His Majesty's command. This journey even turned misfortune into fortune, allowing him to forge divine-manifestation-level mana. From now on, our Great You has one more divine manifestation expert. This is a blessing for the court."
Yuan Xing's entire body jolted. This was earth-shattering news. He had never expected that the Crown Prince truly was not dead, and had even returned to the Great You Dynasty.
"Th-the Crown