Most welcome

"How would the Demon Race infiltrate human society? By playing at gods and ghosts? They might fool a few commoners, but they could never put down roots among the gentry, much less build up any influence."

"To put down roots, they need handsome profits."

"Those who live by the mountains live off the mountains; those who live by the water live off the water. That is precisely the trade of mountain demons and water demons. Most of these illegal mines are probably small ones. Could they have been opened with guidance from mountain demons?"

"And so a number of local gentry and gangs colluded with them for these immense profits."

"And with Prince Qi colluding with the Demon Race, their interests aligned. For illegal gold mining to remain hidden for so long, with even officials such as the prefect involved, it could not possibly be the work of a few officials acting on their own. After all, this is a grave crime. Without a powerful backer to rely on, even a prefect would not dare take such a risk for money."

"First, the Demon Race colluded with local gentry and gangs over illegal mines, then joined forces with Prince Qi, each supporting the others. That would explain everything."

With members of the Demon Race concealed among them, not only would the investigation become more difficult, but dealing with the gangs afterward would be harder as well.

At this thought, Cen Rubai hesitated, but his trust in Su Ziji ultimately prevailed. "Young master, since this matter involves both gangs and the Demon Race, I fear the ten armored soldiers accompanying us will be far from enough. There is someone I could recommend to you."

"The friend who went with you to investigate the gold mine in secret?" Su Ziji smiled as