After returning to Anping Demon-Suppression Office, the tight strings finally relaxed a little.
Without a moment's delay, Chu Bai immediately dismissed the assembled Demon-Slaying brigade and ordered Feng Qin to lead a tight defense on the perimeter.
In the check-in room, the agarwood in the incense burner slowly burned. Han Xingmo sat on one side with a pale face. Two capable deputies pressed down on Qi Pan like a dead dog.
Zhang Cheng sat in the main seat and placed the "Brook Water Earl Seal" that was covered with cracks but still emitted a faint golden light on the table.
The golden light flickered in and out of the dim room, reflecting the gloomy faces of several people.
Chu Bai reported all the details of what happened to First-Line Gorge, from locking the river in black fog to Qi Pan diving to destroy the certificate, to Wei Chuan forcibly seizing the seal with a warrant, in detail.
After listening to the report, Zhang Cheng frowned and sighed deeply.
"Mentor."
Chu Bai raised his head and looked sharply at Zhang Cheng, "Then Inspection Office Wei Chuan will kill people to seize the seal as soon as he lands. He behaves in such a domineering manner, and Lord Sima issued orders and pressure from afar, so he is obviously well prepared."
"In your opinion, is it possible that the assassination of Water Earl was the work of Lord Sima Inspection Office?"
The air in the room was slightly stagnant, and Han Xingmo also held his breath and stared at Zhang Cheng.
However, Zhang Cheng thought for a long time and slowly shook his head.
"Assassinating Principal Eighth Rank Water Earl is tantamount to rebellion. That Sima Inspection Office is unlikely to be the real culprit in this case."
Zhang Cheng picked up the cool tea cup and explained in a deep voice, "He had no motive for doing this, either emotionally or rationally.
That Brook Water Earl was directly assigned by Great Wall Prefecture, and there is no conflict of authority with Inspection Office. Assassinating an incoming Orthodox God would do him a lot of harm but nothing good."
"More importantly..."
A flash of light flashed in Zhang Cheng's eyes, "If Foundation Establishment Realm's overhaul had done it himself, with Divine Sense's strength, he could erase all traces in an instant. If it had been that person, he would never have left this divine seal at the bottom of the river, let alone wait for you Chu Bai to lead people to the scene."
Chu Bai nodded slightly, this statement is indeed reasonable.
Foundation Establishment Realm If he wants to silence his mouth and destroy his evidence, he will never leave any room for the petty officials to maneuver.
"Then why did Wei Chuan win the seal today?"
Han Xingmo couldn't help but speak, and pointed at Qi Pan who was lying on the ground in disgust, "And this Qi Pan, as my deputy Water Office, why would you rather risk death than go into the water to destroy the certificate?"
Zhang Cheng looked at Qi Pan with a cold look in his eyes. "This is the weird part of this case. There is another assassin, but Inspection Office is so eager to take over the scene and seize the divine seal. I'm afraid it was a temporary act."
"Perhaps it was immediately after the assassination of Water Earl that Sima noticed some hidden danger or other temptation that was detrimental to him, and then he wanted to forcefully intervene and steer the case in a direction that he could control."
"As for Qi Pan..." Zhang Cheng's eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, "I am afraid that this child was infiltrated by a certain force earlier. He wanted to enter the water to completely destroy him before the divine seal recorded the final truth."
Having said this, Zhang Cheng turned his head and his eyes fell on Chu Bai again, with an unprecedented look and shock in his eyes.
"Let's not care about these for now, but you..."
Zhang Cheng lowered his voice by half a minute, with a hint of surprise in his tone, "Today at First-Line Gorge, facing the Foundation Establishment Divine Sense order descended from the air by Master Sima, how could you not retreat even an inch, and even be able to compete with Wei Chuan of Qi Refining Perfection?"
Although it is just a Divine Sense that the Foundation Establishment monk entrusted in the token, its power is as powerful as Mount Tai.
Han Xingmo As a water school member of Qi Refining Seventh Layer, they were forced to take three steps back and found it difficult to resist.
But Chu Bai not only blocked it, but even nailed it in place like a steel nail at the center of the pressure. This level of concentration of spiritual will and spiritual power is simply unbelievable.
Chu Bai looked as usual and did not show any sense of pride. He just slightly cupped his hands and said eight words calmly:
"Dao Academy secret method, please do not spread it outside."
The main reason is indeed the case. The blessing of Divine Sense brought by Keep One Scripture naturally makes him different from ordinary Qi Refining.
Of course, if the other party comes in person, Chu Bai is not sure whether he can still fight.
Zhang Cheng was slightly startled, and then showed a look of sudden realization.
"That's it." Zhang Cheng nodded and stopped asking, "Dao Academy Foundation Depth is profound. You have this secret method of protecting yourself. It's your destiny."
Then, everyone turned their attention to Qi Pan.
Zhang Cheng snorted coldly, and Foundation Establishment Realm's Divine Sense was photographed like a substantial giant wave.
He did not use torture, but the absolute coercion at the life level made Qi Pan, who was already seriously injured, feel his liver and gallbladder burst, and his eyes almost squeezed out of his eye sockets.
"Qi Pan, my patience is limited. Under Law Net, no one can keep secrets."
Zhang Cheng's voice was low, and every word was like a heavy hammer hitting Qi Pan's broken Dao Foundation, "Tell me, who asked you to move that seal ribbon?"
Qi Pan opened his mouth, and his whole body twitched violently due to extreme fear.
Under the scrutiny of Foundation-Building Cultivator, his poor will melted like lingering snow under the scorching sun. Finally, he let out a desperate roar and opened his mouth hoarsely.
"Yes... it's Ye San..." Qi Pan explained intermittently, "Two years ago... my subordinate was seriously injured on a patrol, and Dao Foundation almost collapsed. It was them who rescued me overseas and gave me Pills and exercises to extend my life... From then on, I can only listen to them."
He coughed violently and spit out blood. "This time... they taught me a secret method called God-Eroding Qi-Transforming Art, asking me to destroy the divine seal before it was taken over by Prefectural City. As long as the seal is destroyed, they will allow me to leave the country... Who would have thought, Chu Bai would appear halfway..."
Hearing this, Zhang Cheng's originally frowning brows did not relax, but instead furrowed deeper.
"This person does not have direct contact with Inspection Office."
Zhang Cheng pondered for a moment and looked at Chu Bai, "If he was the nail planted by Inspection Office Wei Chuan, then First-Line Gorge, Wei Chuan When the Foundation Establishment order is used to block the whole place, the first thing should be to silence him, and we will never let him be brought back to Demon-Suppression Office alive."
Han Xingmo also nodded after hearing this, and the fear in his heart was slightly reduced.
As long as there was no internal strife within the government like Inspection Office, there might still be room for change.
However, Chu Bai was not satisfied with this answer. He walked up to Qi Pan, stared at the other person's dilated pupils, and threw away the biggest doubt in his heart:
"Qi Pan, you said they taught you the secret method of destroying the seal and ribbon. But I don't understand. Since those people have the ability to assassinate Principal Eighth Rank Water Earl at First-Line Gorge, their strength must be far greater than yours."
"Since they want to destroy the evidence, why didn't they take action when they killed someone? Why did they have to leave a flaw and then go to a lot of trouble for you, the insider, to fix it?"
If the assassin has the ability to make the gods fall in an instant, destroying the seal with one more move is just a matter of convenience.
Qi Pan laughed miserably and shook his head, his eyes full of confusion. "I don't know... I really don't know."
"They just explained that the seal is extremely difficult to be destroyed by external forces, and it must be guided by a specific spell to completely destroy its spirituality. The death order I received... is to extinguish the golden light at all costs before Law Net is completely frozen and recorded."
The Zhang Cheng interface asked, "What is the origin of that Rogue Cultivator force?"
Qi Pan took a deep breath, with some inexplicable awe in his tone. "That is an organization that has existed for decades. What its specific name is, I am not worthy of knowing at this level. They rarely move in the towns covered by Law Net, and most of them are dormant in the barren mountains or at the end of the water veins."
"Among the people I have met, there are at least three Qi Refining Late-Stage... and, judging from their tone, the strongest person behind the scenes is probably a major cultivator who has entered the realm of Foundation Establishment."
Chu Bai felt a chill in his heart.
Formed decades ago, it rarely operates within the Law Net range, and has Foundation Establishment in charge.
Putting this information together, he instantly thought of the person [Primordial Origin, Beneficent Waters True Spirit] Zhang Cheng mentioned before.
The Dharma Dissemination Rebellion decades ago indeed left a large number of wild cultivators in Qingzhou who were not recognized by the imperial court and were even hostile to the imperial court.
"A force outside Law Net dares to attack Edict Investiture Orthodox God."
Zhang Cheng sneered, but a hint of worry flashed across his eyes, "It seems that this Great Wall Prefecture is really going to be in trouble."
He turned to look at the seal in Chu Bai's arms, which still had a faint golden light. "Since it cannot be destroyed, it means that this seal must contain the truth that they are afraid of being known to the world. Chu Bai, be optimistic about this thing. Since the other party failed to destroy it on the spot, next... they may be even crazier."
The atmosphere in the duty room was solemn, and a strong stream of water vapor suddenly appeared in the air.
Immediately afterwards, a stream of blue light rushed along the corridor, and the slightly feminine figure of Shi Guanchao appeared at the door.
As early as when Zhang Cheng broke the ban, Han Xingmo had already sent out a cry for help through the Water Office token, but Shi Guanchao's escape speed was ultimately slower than Zhang Cheng's full-speed burst.
Shi Guanchao As soon as he entered the door, he didn't bother to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and his eyes swept over the cracked gold seal.
Seeing Yin Shou's presence, his tense face instantly relaxed, and he smiled in front of Zhang Cheng.
"Zhang County Commandant, you really went there in time! By intercepting this Divine Dao Seal and protecting the character of the Immortal Dynasty Orthodox God, you have accomplished a great feat!"
Shi Guanchao spoke with joy and even walked forward impatiently.
For him, the boss of Water Office, if Water Earl completely falls, it will not only lose face, but also lose Divine Authority; now that the seal ribbon is back, Water Office has the trump card to regroup.
However, when he actually walked to the case and Divine Sense felt the seal carefully, the smile on his face gradually became a little stiff.
"This..."
Shi Guanchao stretched out his hand and gently stroked the ferocious crack on the seal with his trembling fingertips.
In his perception, although this seal ribbon still retains some spirituality, most of it Divine Path Origin has been lost due to being eroded for too long.
That faint golden light is like a candle swaying in the strong wind, which may be extinguished at any time.
With the seal in such a state, even if Water Earl can be revived, his moral character will probably fall by half. If he is lucky, he can maintain his fighting power. If he is not lucky, he may only be able to maintain his status of Qi Refining Mid-Stage.
For people like Shi Guanchao who want to expand their power in Water Office, this seal is really "tasteless to eat and a pity to throw away."
But the matter has come to this, and he has no choice. If he can't even revive, he Shi Guanchao can't explain to Prefectural City.
"Brother Zhang, please protect me."
Shi Guanchao stopped joking and his expression became more solemn than ever.
He took off his Water Office chief seal from his waist, which was Principal Seventh Rank Official Seal representing Anping County water conservancy Divine Authority.
Shi Guanchao Spiritual energy surged all over his body, and circles of blue ripples rippled with him as the center. Behind him, a bottomless ocean illusion vaguely emerged in the void, exuding a ghostly, pure but vast aura.
This is Foundation Establishment Dao Foundation of Shi Guanchao--[Pure Netherwater].
"Water Office decrees, Anping river basin, all spirits listen!"
Shi Guanchao shouted in a deep voice and suddenly suspended the boss Official Seal above the broken Water Earl seal.
At the same time, strands of the power of [Pure Netherwater]Dao Foundation, as pure as hair, followed the pull of Official Seal, like spring rain moistening things, and slowly penetrated into the cracked bronze seal.
The originally dark seal trembled slightly, and the Shinto Principles of the Dao that had dried up inside it began to struggle to reconnect with the nourishment of this homologous water system Dao Foundation.
"Brook Water Earl, the spirituality is still there, if you don't return now, when will you wait?!"
Shi Guanchao's eyes are wide open, and his tongue is full of spring thunder.
Suddenly, the water vapor in the entire value room condensed into fog, and the bronze seal burst out with a dazzling golden light.
Under the gazes of Chu Bai and Zhang Cheng, the golden light gradually gathered and twisted above the seal, and vaguely condensed into a vague, illusory figure wearing aqua blue divine robes.
Although his aura was extremely weak and even his body was a little blurry, the majesty of the Shinto that belonged exclusively to Great Zhou Orthodox God finally descended into this small room again.
Chu Bai stood behind Zhang Cheng, Divine Sense locked on the shadow.
"This is the god commanded by Great Zhou?"
In the check-in room, the rich water vapor almost condensed into beads, and Shi Guanchao was surrounded by blue light. It was Foundation Establishment Dao Foundation [Pure Netherwater] operating at full capacity, maintaining the shaky spirituality above the divine seal.
Chu Bai stood on one side, his eyes slightly focused, and the [Golden Eye Illusion-Breaker] technique secretly activated. Subtlety-level Divine Sense accurately captured the changes in the illusory shadow in the sky.
He secretly sighed in his heart, this Shinto Orthodox God is indeed very different from ordinary monks.
What the monks cultivate is spiritual power, and what they practice is Spell Arts. They can move mountains and reclaim seas with every movement of their hands and feet, seeking their own great power; while Orthodox God cultivates "Divine Authority" and accepts the "wishes of all living beings."
Just like the Brook Water Earl in front of us, if it were in the realm of the Three-Bath River where he was enshrined, with the blessing of Great Zhou Law Net and water veins, even if it was the same Principal Eighth Rank, it would be stronger than the ordinary Qi Refining Perfection.
But once he left the divine realm and was in a place like this Demon-Suppression Office, where officials were so solemn and the laws were strict, this Orthodox God was like a fish out of water or a tiger pulling out its teeth. He was extremely weak.
"Condensation!"
Shi Guanchao gave a low drink, fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and the boss Official Seal in his hand made a final roar.
Finally, the messy golden light completely converged and turned into the phantom of a middle-aged man with a pale blue gauze robe and a pale face.
He closed his eyes tightly and hovered above the broken seal. Although his breath was still sluggish, the outline of the god was completely stable.
"This is the limit."
Shi Guanchao withdrew Spell Power, his face a little pale. He breathed a long sigh of relief and shook his head at Zhang Cheng: "The divine seal was too damaged, and most of its origin was lost. I have tried my best to revive its remaining soul to this point."
"It doesn't matter, as long as you can speak."
Zhang Cheng looked serious and stepped forward slowly. He did not rush to ask, but first took out the Anping County Lieutenant Divine Authority Principal Seventh Rank Official Seal from his arms.
Under the infusion of Spell Power, a mirror-like stream of light rose above Official Seal.
"This is 'Merit-Recording Mirror'. Everything said here will be reported to Great Wall Prefecture Merit Office and Heavenly Mandate Bureau."
Zhang Cheng looked at the divine figure, and his voice was calm and majestic, revealing an undoubted credibility, "Brook Water Earl, I am Anping County, Lieutenant Zhang Cheng. I was attacked on the way to take office. Who was the real culprit? What happened at that time? Please tell me in detail, and I will seek justice for you."
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the room held their breath.
Han Xingmo clenched his fists tightly, Qi Pan looked ashen, and Chu Bai locked Divine Sense on every move of that divine figure.
I saw the Water Earl divine figure slowly opening its eyes.
However, those eyes did not contain the disaster or overwhelming hatred that everyone expected.
They were a pair of clear, empty, even somewhat dazed and childish eyes.
He looked at Zhang Cheng blankly, then at Shi Guanchao, and finally his eyes fell on the broken divine seal, as if he didn't recognize the world in front of him at all.
"Who am I?"
The divine shadow spoke, his voice hollow but boring, like a newborn baby learning to talk.
Zhang Cheng frowned, Official Seal's light grew brighter. "You are Great Zhou Edict Investiture Principal Eighth Rank Brook Water Earl. Don't panic, think back, in First-Line Gorge, who cut off your Divine Ship? Who broke your divine seal?"
Water Earl Shenying tilted his head and showed an extremely weird and innocent smile.
He circled around the broken seal and murmured to himself, "I am Great Zhou Edict Investiture Principal Eighth Rank Brook Water Earl."
"I am Great Zhou Edict Investiture Principal Eighth Rank Brook Water Earl."
"What nonsense is he talking about?!" Shi Guanchao's face changed, and regardless of his manners, he stepped forward and Divine Sense roughly swept the divine shadow.
After a long while, Shi Guanchao lowered his hands dejectedly, his eyes full of disbelief.
"The memory is all gone..."
He turned his head and looked at Zhang Cheng and Chu Bai, with a chill in his voice. "Although this Water Earl has been a priest for a hundred years, its spirituality still exists.
But His Divine Soul... seems to have been lost. Although He now bears the person of Water Earl, it is as if he was reborn and does not remember anything."
Zhang Cheng looked at the stupid god in Official Seal's stream of light, his face so gloomy that he almost shed tears.
"Most of the memory of cause and effect has been lost."
Zhang Cheng looked at Chu Bai, his eyes full of solemnity. "The remaining spirituality can only maintain its rationality, but it cannot remember what happened before."