Deviation

At East Market Outpost, Zhou Muyun returned with the others.

The three men were detained and thrown into prison, where specialists would interrogate them.

As for the results of the interrogation, Zhou Muyun did not care much.

There were only a few possible outcomes.

They had either wanted revenge amid the chaos, or they had been paid to do the job.

As for who had paid them, naturally, they did not know.

He believed Song Yu's interrogation of the woman named Yan Rou would yield much the same result.

On the way, Lu Ming told him that the Yan Household had been much like the other small and medium-sized families of today.

It was simply that the Yan Household had chosen to resist back then, and the result was naturally its destruction.

This also made Zhou Muyun understand.

Any Aristocratic Clan that could stand firm in the Inner City, especially one of the Four Great Families—

None of them had clean hands.

Their current status had been built by climbing over corpses.

After parting with Lu Ming, Zhou Muyun left the outpost and returned home.

After all, he was merely an attached official and had no need to follow up on what came next.

Undercurrents were surging through the city now. He felt that he needed to stay vigilant at all times, especially at night.

He had to protect his mother and younger sister.

Meanwhile, He Miao returned to his room in East Market.

He lit the incense burner and sat cross-legged, as though waiting for something.

Before long, a constable knocked on the door.

"Lord Market Magistrate, Song Yu of the Song Household has sent someone to deliver something."

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and the constable respectfully placed the item before He Miao.

"Leave. I'll be resting here tonight. No one is to disturb me, understood?"

"This subordinate understands!"

The constable shut the door again and withdrew.

He Miao opened the box with his hand. Seeing what was inside, a smile appeared on his face.

"This Song Yu knows how to handle things. As expected of someone from the Song Household."

Inside the box lay five gold ingots—five hundred taels in total.

"You can't blame me for taking advantage of the situation."

He Miao believed that, as the East Market Magistrate, he had already shown the Four Great Families plenty of respect.

Places of debauchery were naturally full of filthy business. Normally, he simply turned a blind eye.

Even his inspections of Drunken Red Pavilion had always been nothing more than a formality.

Now that something had happened to you, I even helped you get rid of the culprit. Taking a fee for my services isn't excessive, is it?

He casually tucked the gold ingots away, then left the room and shut the door. Deliberately avoiding everyone's eyes, he quietly departed.

That was because he had something more important to do.

As for the interrogation results, he did not care in the slightest.

What was there to ask? Whether it was revenge or someone secretly pulling strings did not matter.

That was the Four Great Families' business. What did it have to do with He Miao?

He Miao walked briskly and soon returned to his residence in East Market.

His residence was far from ordinary. It had three courtyards in front and three behind, no less impressive than the homes of ordinary families.

Why was he so wealthy? It certainly was not from squeezing the common people dry. That would have been far too crude.

Wouldn't it be enough for the families surviving in East Market to pay him tribute?

He returned home the same way, slipping back without alarming anyone.

He Miao tiptoed to the study, gently opened the door, and entered.

The moment he stepped into the study, he headed straight for a chest in the corner.

He came before the chest, unlocked it, and placed the gold ingots inside.

Then he took out a black robe from the chest and put it on.

After locking the chest again, he left the study and vanished into the night.

The World-Saving Sect headquarters was brightly lit and peaceful.

Even at night, many believers remained there to worship without rest.

Some even moved directly into the temple.

Not only did the World-Saving Sect's preachers not drive these people away, they actively encouraged such behavior.

They especially welcomed those who were all alone with no family to rely on.

They not only provided three meals a day, but also helped them strengthen their bodies.

When Outer City residents heard of this, they praised them as living bodhisattvas. The World-Saving Venerable truly saved the world!

Yet no one noticed that these people would always disappear within half a month of moving in.

And since they had originally been beggars and refugees, coming and going was normal for them.

So no one paid it any mind.

Underground, Han Shan still sat steadily before the blood pool.

Thinking about the recent progress of events, he secretly grew expectant.

If the plan succeeded, the elder would surely reward him greatly.

Perhaps he might even use this opportunity to step into a realm above the Blood Exchange Realm.

When the heads of those families had first come to him, every one of them had held their heads high, disdainful and aloof.

But once they had truly tasted the benefits, they had swarmed forward like hyenas.

Han Shan found it utterly laughable.

But that was precisely what he needed. If these people were not greedy, how could his plan proceed?

"Han Shan, what are you thinking about that has you so happy?"

At that moment, an ill-timed hoarse voice rang out.

A black-robed figure stood on the other side of the blood pool.

"You haven't come for a month. I thought you weren't cooperating with my Blood Demon Sect anymore."

Han Shan restrained his smile and replied irritably.

"I've been busy, unlike someone who hides in this rat hole all day long."

"If I'm a rat, you're no better. You're a sneaky little rat who hides its head and tail!"

Han Shan gave no ground, his words as sharp as needles.

He had not been idle lately. Cultivating beside the blood pool had greatly increased his strength.

He had long wanted to repay the humiliation he suffered last time.

"Enough. I don't want to waste time arguing with you." The black-robed figure changed the subject and asked, "Were you behind all the recent disturbances in the city?"

Weren't you the one who started insulting me? Han Shan grumbled inwardly.

But when he thought of how he still needed the person before him to complete the plan, he put aside his other thoughts.

He still knew what mattered more.

"That's right. Aren't the small families of Yunlin County mine to toy with as I please?"

Han Shan wore a mocking expression, looking down on them completely.

"You do have some skill." The black-robed figure rarely offered praise before continuing, "Do you need my cooperation?"

Han Shan's eyes shifted as he sneered. "Of course. Didn't you want Blood Pills from my Blood Demon Sect? If you don't cooperate, how am I supposed to refine them for you?

"You only need to ensure that the waters of Yunlin County grow murkier and murkier. I'll handle everything else myself."

"Fine. Since you remember our agreement, I will uphold my end as well!"

The black-robed figure seemed to have heard the answer he wanted and turned to leave.

But Han Shan stopped him. "How long has Zhang Ming been in seclusion after obtaining that thing? If nothing happens to him, this will be difficult to handle!"

Without turning back, the black-robed figure merely answered lightly, "It should happen within the next couple of days. Just wait for the news!"

Watching the black-robed figure's departing back, coupled with that smug tone—

Han Shan really wanted to rush over and punch him.

Back then, he had brought a group of sect disciples to Yunlin County, but one disciple had suffered deviation during cultivation and nearly exposed their whereabouts.

The black-robed figure had sought him out on his own and said that he could help.

However, he wanted Blood Pills as payment.

Han Shan did not know how the man had learned that he had come here to refine Blood Pills, but he felt that he could agree for now.

Later, the black-robed figure proved truly useful. Not only had he helped them successfully establish themselves in Yunlin County, he had also provided a great deal of intelligence about the city.

As for the Blood Pills, they were refined from the vital blood of Blood Exchange Realm martial artists.

According to the black-robed figure's intelligence, all the Blood Exchange Realm martial artists in Yunlin County combined could likely produce only ten Blood Pills.

The elder wanted eight, leaving exactly two for the black-robed figure.

But why did he have to give them to him?

At this thought, a cold and sinister expression appeared on Han Shan's face.

Once this is done, it will be your day of death!

The autumn air was crisp, and the morning sun brought a trace of warmth to the autumn dawn.

Zhou Muyun boarded the carriage that had come for him and soon arrived at the Leng Household's herbal shop in West Market.

He slowly stepped down from the carriage and saw a row of people standing before the herbal shop.

Upon seeing Zhou Muyun descend, the leading old man smiled and was just about to step forward to greet him.

But at that moment, several voices came from near and far.

Everyone who heard them changed expression dramatically, while a storm surged in Zhou Muyun's heart.

How could something like this happen at such a critical moment?

Those voices were frantically repeating:

"County Commandant Zhang Ming suffered deviation during cultivation while in seclusion last night and has been seriously injured! The Military Adviser has escorted him out of the city overnight to Skycloud Prefecture for treatment!"