Yuhang Commandery

The official roads of the East Riverlands were not as wide as those in the north.

Dense rice paddies and mulberry groves lined both sides. A breeze swept over the golden grain, sending waves of wheat-yellow rippling toward the edge of sight.

Clop, clop, clop—

A party of more than ten riders galloped down the muddy road.

The white horse at their head was especially magnificent. A single horn rose from its forehead, and it left a blur in the darkness as it pulled two horse-lengths ahead of the others.

Xie Tinglan crouched over his horse's back, eyes narrowed on the silver-white figure ahead. His feelings were a tangled mess.

As the personal disciple of Lu Jingchun, commander of the East Riverlands Regional Office, he had reached Perfect Core Formation at twenty-two. He considered himself a prodigy in his own right.

Even compared with Zhang Daoxuan of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, he had only lost out in age.

Had he been the same age as Zhang Daoxuan, reaching Ink-Point Perfection would have been no great feat.

Then he had seen Inspector Jiang from the capital.

Only seventeen, and already at the Ink-Dot Middle Realm.

"So this is the Head Office's foundation..."

Xie Tinglan tightened his grip on the reins and sighed inwardly.

"Whoa—"

Ahead, the white figure suddenly reined in her horse.

Cloud Dapple let out a long neigh, raised its forelegs high, pawed twice at the air, and came to a steady stop.

Xie Tinglan hurriedly pulled on his reins. The dozen or so riders behind him stopped in perfect unison.

"Inspector Jiang?"

Xie Tinglan rode a couple of paces forward. "What is it?"

Jiang Yuechu did not turn. She simply gazed ahead.

"What lies up ahead?"

Xie Tinglan paused, then caught on. He took a parchment map from his robes