The night was deep, and the osmanthus grove was shrouded in darkness.
Zhou Wuji pierced the Mystic Yin Mirror with his sword, shattering the mirror and sending countless fragments flying. The millions of runes engraved on the back of the mirror also shattered.
The Ghost Soldier, having nowhere to hide in the Mystic Yin Mirror, emerged from the void.
The Ghost Soldier, uncontrolled by anyone, were violent yet sluggish, instinctively lunging at Zhou Wuji.
Zhou Wuji had already prepared the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword, and as the azure light of the sword flashed, it pierced through the Ghost Soldier's brow.
The Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword pointed directly at the Ghost Soldier Ghost Soldier Yin Spirit, rendering them completely frozen in place.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhou Wuji used his Seven Star Sword to slash repeatedly, cutting the Ghost Soldier into dozens of pieces.
After all, it was Sixth Rank Ghost Soldier; though its form was destroyed, its spirit remained.
Zhou Wuji's hands were like tiger claws, grasping all the shattered clumps and wisps of black energy in his grasp.
He visualized a tiger in his mind, surging his Qi and Blood and qi like a raging fire. Clumps of black qi, under the burning power of his Qi and Blood and qi, turned into specks of ash smoke.
Only at this point did the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment reveal: Slaying Sixth Rank Ghost Soldier can be converted into four taels and one qian of Origin Xuan.
Zhou Wuji pondered for two days but couldn't figure out how to use the Mystic Yin Mirror, so he decided to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs and smashed the mirror to destroy the Ghost Soldier.
Sixth Rank Ghost Soldier can at least provide some Origin Xuan.
The difference between a naturally generated Sixth Rank Ghost Soldier and a Ghost Soldier that has been refined is enormous.
Wild Ghost Soldier are almost impossible to refine; only Ghost Soldier cultivated through Secret Method can be controlled with ease.
That Sixth Rank Devil Cultivator of the Yin Yang Dao must have invested countless resources in this Ghost Soldier.
The Northern Pole Sect also has methods for controlling ghosts and spirits, such as the Five Yin Pouch, which is actually Law Technique for controlling Yin Spirit.
However, these methods are extremely complex and profound, with strict rituals and precepts; they cannot be tamed and refined simply by capturing any Ghost Soldier.
Zhou Wuji merely sighed, thinking that if he could control this Sixth Rank Ghost Soldier, it would be more useful than the Heavenly Puppet in the short term.
Treating it directly as a consumable item is indeed a waste.
Fortunately, since they were all free, I didn't care too much.
The Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment also contains a 4.7 tael Origin Profound Spirit, which is the evil spirit remaining on the Heavenly Puppet.
Two streams of Origin Xuan, each weighing more than four ounces, can greatly enhance his true level.
Zhou Wuji wasn't in a hurry to use it. He planned to accumulate some Origin Xuan and transform it when he received the ordination certificate, considering it a blessing from the Northern Emperor.
In this way, he could gain the attention of the higher-ups in the Lower Court, such as Zhiyuan, and also have a reasonable explanation for his rapid progress in cultivation.
Moreover, two units of Origin Xuan four ounces are very precious. If they are used now, the effect of using Origin Profound Qi weighing over three ounces in the future will be greatly weakened.
There is a Ten Thousand Ghosts Grotto in the Cloud Dragon Lower Court. Even those Seventh-Rank Register Conferral go to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Grotto for trials.
Kill as many Sha Ghost as possible. Use them in an orderly manner according to the level of the Origin Xuan level, and you can maximize the improvement of the true level.
After dealing with the Ghost Soldier, Zhou Wuji returned to his room and was about to wash up and rest when Wuzheng arrived.
"Junior brother, Wu Di is dead," Wuzheng said directly.
Zhou Wuji remained calm despite Wuzheng's piercing gaze. "That rotten man should have died long ago."
Wuzheng felt that Zhou Wuji was too calm, but he couldn't see what was wrong with him.
After all, Zhou Wuji was usually like this, completely indifferent to people or things he disliked.
He didn't want to ask too many questions, so he could only remind Zhou Wuji: " Zhang Yunfeng should be coming over in a couple of days."
"I don't think Zhang Yunfeng is a good person either, junior brother, you should be careful."
"Senior brother, I also feel that Zhang Yunfeng harbors ill intentions towards me."
Zhou Wuji seized the opportunity to ask, "I have no prior acquaintance with him and have no grudge against him, so what is the reason for this?"
"The main issue is the conflict between the Lower Court and the Zhang Household; their relationship has deteriorated significantly in recent years."
Wuzheng but sigh when he talked about this.
The Zhang Household controlled the government, the army, freight, trading companies, and vast tracts of fertile land. With money, land, people, and goods, they could be considered the overlords of Yunyang Prefecture.
The Zhang Household is so powerful because they are a branch of the Zhang Household of Chunan.
The Zhang Household Chunan is Aristocratic Clan with a history of over a thousand years. In each generation, members of the family have held important positions in the central government. Over the course of a thousand years, almost everyone in Chu Province has the surname Zhang.
Such Aristocratic Clan would be a thorn in the side even for the emperor.
Therefore, the emperor also used all sorts of means to weaken the power of the Aristocratic Clan.
Since the various sects of Daoism were supported by the imperial court and received salaries from it, they naturally had to work for the court.
The ancestral home of the Northern Pole Sect is located on Purple Tenuity Peak of Immortal Capital Mountain in Chu Capital, and the entire Northern Pole Sect preaches and spreads its teachings in Chu Province.
For this reason, the Northern Pole Sect also assumed the important task of supervising the Zhang Household of Chunan.
The Northern Pole Sect did not completely side with the imperial court and maintained relations with the Zhang Household Chunan.
The Zhang Household was fully aware of this, and on the surface, they maintained a harmonious relationship with the Northern Pole Sect, allowing the two sides to coexist peacefully.
In recent years, however, the situation has changed. The emperor has grown old but has yet to appoint a crown prince. Undercurrents are swirling in the court, with various factions vying for power. The emperor no longer has the energy to suppress the powerful Aristocratic Clan.
On the other hand, the Northern Pole Sect has not produced First Rank expert in decades, relying entirely on its leader, Zhou Xuan'an, to support it.
The Heavenly Master's Manor is jointly managed by the seven sects of Daoism. Zhou Xuan'an has to guard the ancestral temple, so no one in the Heavenly Master's Manor can speak for him, and the influence of the Northern Pole Sect is gradually declining.
Seeing the decline of the Northern Pole Sect, the Zhang Household Chunan became more powerful in all aspects.
Wuzheng was actually not clear about the overall situation in the court; he had only heard his master, Yizhen, briefly mention some of the situation.
He could only tell Zhou Wuji what he knew.
Zhou Wuji and his master, who were guarding the Hidden Dragon Temple, were completely unaware of the situation of the Northern Pole Sect, let alone the situation in the imperial court.
Only after hearing Wuzheng's words did he realize that the Northern Pole Sect was actually in a rather dire situation.
He asked, "Putting aside the fact that the seven sects of Daoism are all of one mind and share the same origin, why is our Northern Pole Sect being bullied?"
Wuzheng shook his head. "I don't know the specifics. However, our sect is divided into seven branches, and the infighting is fierce. Not to mention the other sects."
Zhou Wuji nodded; that made sense.
When there are many people, factions will naturally emerge.
People come together for mutual benefit, and groups separate for mutual benefit; it's nothing more than that.
He then asked, "What's the situation with the Zhang Household in Yunyang Prefecture?"
"They just want to crush our sect because they see it declining day by day. However, the Zhang Household will definitely do things step by step and proceed cautiously."
"I've heard that the Zhang Household is behind Golden Leaf Temple's ability to establish itself in Yunyang Prefecture, with the aim of inciting Golden Leaf Temple to fight against our Lower Court."
Wuzheng thought for a moment and said, " Zhang Yunfeng is an important figure in the Zhang Household. She probably sees your extraordinary talent and is afraid that you will become a threat to the Zhang Household, which is why she is targeting you."
Zhou Wuji clapped his hands. "I see. Senior brother has keen eyes and saw through Zhang Yunfeng's sinister intentions at a glance."
He said, "There is no love without a reason, nor is there hatred without a reason."
Judging from the situation in the Zhang Household and the Lower Court, it's quite reasonable for Zhang Yunfeng to want to kill him.
Moreover, he was only an Eighth Rank Daoist priest, without even an official ordination certificate from the imperial court, so killing him was no big deal.
Neither the imperial court nor the Lower Court can do anything to the Zhang Household because of this.
"As long as Junior Brother is careful, Zhang Yunfeng won't dare to act recklessly."
Wuzheng over to warn Zhou Wuji to be careful. With Zhou Wuji's alertness and superb Swordsmanship, as long as he was on guard, he would not be harmed by Zhang Yunfeng.
Zhou Wuji thanked him repeatedly, and said sincerely, "I will listen to my senior brother and will not run around recklessly, nor will I give bad people any chance!"
Wuzheng knew Zhou Wuji was bold and ruthless, but he couldn't take those words seriously.
He hesitated for a moment but couldn't help but remind him, "Junior brother, Zhang Yunfeng is, after all, a centurion of the Pacification Office, and an important figure in the Zhang Household. Don't fight him."
"It would be a real problem if something happened to Zhang Yunfeng ----"
Zhang Xinhu was a collateral branch of the Zhang Household, and no one in Yunyang Prefecture cared whether Zhang Xinhu lived or died.
Wu Di was a Seventh Rank general, which was a very minor official position in the Zhenfu Pacification Office.
This incident was another case of insubordination by subordinates in Jin Chuan, and even if the Pacification Office investigated, they wouldn't be able to trace it back to Zhou Wuji.
Zhang Yunfeng is different. If something happens to her, regardless of whether the Zhang Household has evidence, it will be a big problem for Zhou Wuji.
"Senior brother, I understand." Zhou Wuji had already sentenced Zhang Yunfeng to death in his heart, but he wouldn't take action now.
After so many things happening in a row, he needs to behave himself.
It's not too late to deal with Zhang Yunfeng after he advances to the Seventh Rank.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Zhang Yunfeng led a team to Siming County.
He led his men directly into the garrison, and the first thing he did was to examine Wu Di's body.
Zhang Yunfeng wasn't good at these things; after a quick glance, she could only tell that Wu Di had been beheaded with a swift blade.
He looked at Chen Dagou beside him, "Mr. Chen, what are your thoughts?"
Chen Dagou had rough, purplish-red skin, wore a turban on his head, a black short brown robe, and barefoot in hemp shoes.
This man was burly, with very large hands and feet. Although he was not tall, he looked like someone who had done manual labor for many years. He had an old-fashioned appearance, but he was very strong.
In particular, this person's eyes had more white than black, and he seemed to be looking at people with a slanted gaze, which made him appear very sinister.
Chen Dagou leaned closer to examine the body, even taking a careful sniff, all the while muttering to himself.
The Ironclad Guard around them all looked rather grim and instinctively retreated to the side.
Zhang Yunfeng, however, did not take it seriously. Chen Dagou was a master of the Five Dragons Gang and was proficient in witchcraft.
The art of witchcraft is said to have been passed down from High Antiquity and has been practiced in places like Chu Province and Yun Province. Its methods are evil, bloody, and extremely powerful.
Zhang Yunfeng brought Chen Dagou along because she knew he was skilled in witchcraft and sorcery, and wanted him to help her figure out how Wu Di died.
After fiddling with Wu Di for a while, Chen Dagou said to Zhang Yunfeng with some helplessness, " The Yin Spirit have all been destroyed. I can't tell whose method this is."
"This person died with a broken sternum. The attacker must have practiced some powerful martial art to be able to injure someone through armor. This level of martial arts should already be at the Seventh Rank."
Zhang Yunfeng frowned. It was unlikely that Jin Chuan had reached the Seventh Rank rank, nor would he possess such a powerful palm strike.
This is indeed strange!
He then asked Chen Dagou, "Can you find Jin Chuan? He's the murderer."
"Too much time has passed; the killer's presence has dissipated, and they can't be found."
Chen Dagou shook his head. After two or three days, all traces and smells had disappeared. Even with the tracking White Snake Gu, it was useless.
Zhang Yunfeng was slightly disappointed. He then asked, "If the murderer were right in front of you, would you be able to recognize Zi?"
"That's something we can try." Chen Dagou knew how formidable Zhang Yunfeng was, and he didn't dare to speak too confidently.
Zhang Yunfeng whispered a few words in Chen Dagou's ear, and Chen Dagou nodded repeatedly.
Wu Di's body was placed on a straw mat, and this porcelain was placed in the middle of the garrison's main hall.
Fortunately, the weather was still cold, and the corpse, though smelling, was not too bad.
By noon, experts from all sides of Siming County had arrived, including Li Cheng'an, Yang Shuling, and others, as well as Inspector Zhang Huai and even County Magistrate He Yulin.
When Zhou Wuji accompanied Wuzheng to the hall, they saw that it was filled with people.
Only County Magistrate He Yulin sat beside him. This man in his thirties had a refined appearance, but his skin was dark. He sat there covering his nose with a handkerchief, his face showing disdain.
Wuzheng led Zhou Wuji to pay their respects to the county magistrate first. He Yulin also nodded politely and exchanged a few pleasantries.
Although Wuzheng disliked Zhang Yunfeng, he still took the initiative to greet Zhang Yunfeng.
Zhang Yunfeng nodded slightly without speaking, his gaze fixed on Zhou Wuji.
Two months later, Zhou Wuji appeared with a handsome face, bright eyes like stars, a headscarf tied around his head, a blue Daoist robe, and a long sword at his waist. His demeanor was calm and unrestrained, sweeping away the dejected air of his previous serious injuries and near death.
Zhang Yunfeng was surprised to find that Zhou Wuji's appearance was surprisingly good, and his demeanor and bearing were exceptionally elegant and refined.
"What a formidable person!"
He secretly praised Fu Ju, but his murderous intent grew stronger.
Whether it's Daoism or Buddhism, the most important thing in spreading the teachings is to have a good appearance and demeanor.
A person like Zhou Wuji, who could simply stand there and casually recite some scriptures, possessed a convincing charm.
If Zhou Wuji, the Cloud Dragon Lower Court would definitely see a significant boost in influence.
"The more outstanding Zhou Wuji is, the faster he must be eliminated."
Zhang Yunfeng harbored murderous intent intent, but outwardly remained calm and raised her voice, saying, "I invited you all here because you, the flag officer Wu Di, died suspiciously."
He pointed to Chen Dagou beside him and said, "I've invited a special expert who can identify the murderer's aura from the corpse."
Everyone's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. How could they discern the killer's aura?
What if this burly and sinister-looking man makes random accusations?
Everyone knew the Ironclad Guard' methods, and immediately realized that Zhang Yunfeng was trying to use this opportunity to cause trouble.
Anyway, no matter who the idiot points out, Zhang Yunfeng can bring that person back to the Ironclad Guard for detention and interrogation.
If that fool comes up with a large sum of money, there will be absolutely no way he can escape!
Wuzheng also frowned, as he was very worried that Zhang Yunfeng would take the opportunity to cause trouble for his junior brother Wuji.
There are so many people here, and everyone is reluctant to speak up, but he always stubbornly insists on standing up and opposing.
Regardless of what others thought, Zhang Yunfeng said to Chen Dagou, "Mr. Chen, please."
Chen Dagou, with a rough appearance and simple clothes, came out, muttering to himself. His eyes had turned completely white, and his hands and feet moved as if in a rhythmic dance, jumping around Wu Di's corpse.
Seeing this, everyone was even more surprised and suspicious, and they all felt that Chen Dagou's stupidity was due to a legitimate reason.
Chen Dagou suddenly jumped in front of Zhou Wuji, stared straight at him with wide eyes, pointed at Zhou Wuji Zhou Wuji, and shouted, "It's you!"
Although Zhou Wuji was somewhat prepared, he was still annoyed.
He killed Wu Di entirely with the Heavenly Puppet Treasure, but the other party was foolish and shameless, directly framing him. He lacked any auxiliary skills, which was too much!
Just as Zhou Wuji was about to speak, Tongji Sword Intent sensed something amiss. He instantly activated the Six Yang Dharma Eye and saw a large, white snake appear on Chen Dagou's body.
The giant serpent was ethereal and elusive, seemingly composed of mist.
With his Six Yang Dharma Eye, he could see that the vast white serpent was composed of countless tiny, dust-like insects.
The giant snake swayed and lurched, then suddenly opened its massive jaws and lunged at Zhou Wuji.