The bright moon hangs high in the sky.
Zhang Zhiqing, dressed in a scholar's robe, stood on the top floor of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion, closing his eyes to carefully perceive the surroundings.
Within his "sea of consciousness," Zhang Zhiqing remained Heaven-Observing Pavilion, but above his head had transformed into a magnificent star map.
The star map shows the central Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions. Ninety-nine percent of the stars within are as fine as dust, and even when they occasionally twinkle, they are completely invisible.
There are only 511 positive stars, which are extremely bright and remain visible at all times.
Throughout history, those Heaven-Observing Decree would study and compile star charts, and could determine the holder's situation from factors such as position, size, color, and brightness.
At the very center of the star map is the " Purple Forbidden Enclosure," which is the Heavenly Palace of the Heavenly Emperor and corresponds to the imperial power and supreme artifacts on earth.
Among them, the Five Stars of the Northern Pole, the Six Stars of Gouchen, and the one star of the Celestial Emperor are the most noble, totaling twelve stars. Only the most supreme and important human artifacts are qualified to shine in this position!
It typically consists of: Heaven-Obscuring Arm, Heaven-Obscuring Hat, Heaven-Obscuring Armor, Heaven-Obscuring Belt, and Heaven-Obscuring Underpants...
At that very moment, the " Crown Prince Star," representing the "Heir Apparent of the Heavenly Emperor," emitted a seven-colored glow!
The rosy glow was like a sage descending to earth, its radiance almost obscuring the entire sky, even eclipsing the few dark gold stars nearby that represented divine weapons!
Under normal circumstances, the position of a star determines the quality of a weapon, and its brightness determines the skill level of the wielder.
But how can mundane things rival the majesty of the sun and moon?
Therefore, whenever a famous soldier from the "Covering the Sky" series appears, his brightness is so great that it can literally cover the sky, hence his name!
However, to prevent light pollution, this item will only produce a full-screen effect when the player wears it for the first time; the brightness will quickly return to normal levels thereafter.
As for why it is called the Crown Prince Star instead of the Crown Prince Star, the " Seat of Taiyi," it is because the best locations in the Purple Forbidden Enclosure are all occupied by the famous soldiers of the Zhetian faction, and the Heaven-Obscuring Conical Hat of the Cloud and Rain Tower is right next to it.
If it weren't for the fact that this thing is indeed limited in its effectiveness and only a few people wear it, the Twelve Divine Weapons would probably all be relegated to the Four Symbols and Twenty-Eight Mansions...
When Zhang Zhiqing saw this strange phenomenon of colorful clouds, he knew that some unlucky person had either blown up a stove or licked something disgusting.
He carefully observed the brightness, wanting to see which fellow Daoist was so lucky, which was also one of his great pleasures.
The colorful glow quickly returned to its lowest brightness; any lower and it would be invisible.
Therefore, the holder's skill level is probably just barely above the top Third Rank.
At the same time, the " Mouth King Star " representing Duan Lianshan, the leader of the Autumn Mountain Sect, went out almost simultaneously and did not appear in any other position.
This scene suggests either that all personal magical artifacts have been removed, or that the warlord is dead...
Duan Lianshan, a renowned soldier of the Shrouding the Heavens faction who had just entered the Third Rank, was dead...
Zhang Zhiqing Observing the Stars at Night, pondering them for a long time before finally opening his eyes and looking at Wu Yi beside him:
"It must have been Ye Xingge who killed Duan Lianshan. Send someone to investigate what happened."
"Ah?"
Upon hearing this Wu Yi was somewhat puzzled as to why this brat was going to kill Duan Lianshan again, but he was quickly taken aback and exclaimed in surprise:
"If Duke Zhang can see this, could it be that this young man has already Gold List?"
Old Master Yan, who had initially been somewhat puzzled, realized what was happening upon hearing the voice and his eyes widened in surprise:
"Brother Zhang, aren't you being old-fashioned? This acting is so realistic! Wu Yi, quickly add Ye Xingge's name to the list."
Zhang Zhiqing frowned and said unhappily:
"This boy was already on the Gold List; why would I, Zhang, need to cheat?"
Old Master Yan raised his hand and pointed:
"Do you think I don't know your character? I didn't ask you to spend any money, and I gave you a brilliant idea, so why didn't you use it?"
"Remember this, from now on, if anyone asks, just keep this look on your face. Don't give yourself away. Only outsiders will believe it. Even the Emperor, the Cao family, and the Cao Clan Wang Clan will be more than willing to take things..."
"..."
Zhang Zhiqing couldn't bring himself to show the auspicious seven-colored clouds in his mind to outsiders. Seeing that Old Man Yan didn't believe him, he was too lazy to explain and sat back down on the chessboard.
"Alright, let's continue playing chess."
Seeing that Ye Xingge's matter was settled, Old Master Yan originally intended to continue forward to slay the dragon.
But when he looked up, he saw that old scoundrel Zhang had made his move right away, and even delivered a divine strike.
I reckon he wasn't just stargazing, but also took the opportunity to think long and hard about how to break the deadlock!
Hey?
Old Master Yan only came to offer advice for the sake of the promising younger generation. Now that the resources issue is resolved, he has no interest in continuing this kind of "business game."
If we get upset again later, I won't be able to sleep when I get back.
Old Master Yan was too lazy to bother with this and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Zhang Zhiqing was greatly disappointed, and then raised his hand and pointed:
See? They can't take a joke.
"Well..."
On the other side.
Changle Street, Jade Immortal House.
The street outside the building was still crowded with people, but the main gate was closed, and several men in embroidered robes were standing guard outside.
Inside the lobby, Dong Baoquan's body, covered with a white sheet, lay on the ground; the tavern owner and patrons who had given false testimony were also squatting on the ground, trembling.
Luo Xuanqing stood beside the corpse, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, her expression dignified.
Ruan Jinyu, dressed in a black brocade robe, stood beside Chen Xiaobao, examining the confession and other documents. Her venomous eyes, devoid of any desire for merit, now held a hint of magnanimity.
"This case is crystal clear; there's nothing to review. Lord Luo can simply award Ye Xingge a commendation."
Luo Xuanqing clearly disagreed.
After all, Ye Xingge had already offended the Cao Clan. If the Inspection Bureau didn't follow suit and offend them too, how could it be called a brotherly department that "shares the good fortune and the bad"?
" The Inspection Bureau has its own laws and regulations. Does Lord Ruan perhaps intend to emulate the Changyong County and neglect his duties?"
"..."
Ruan Jinyu, however, did not want to.
But if we continue the investigation, we'll have to go to the general's mansion and arrest all the stewards and managers for questioning, and even General Cao Xiong will have to come and explain.
He handled the matter perfunctorily and hastily closed the case, which would definitely be reported by his brother's department, but he was impartial and incorruptible, and even the General's Mansion couldn't investigate.
Realizing that Xiao Bao had brought another huge disaster upon himself, Ruan Jinyu handed the complaint to Chen Xiaobao:
"This matter is entrusted to you for investigation. Bring all relevant personnel in for questioning. If anything is overlooked, you know the consequences if you are blamed by your superiors."
Chen Xiaobao was fully aware of the consequences— Commander Ruan would definitely be whipped into a whirlwind by Duke Zhang!
To ensure his superior wouldn't suffer, Chen Xiaobao immediately accepted the order and prepared to use Commander Ruan's name to arrest people at the General's Mansion!
But Commander Ruan also had a bit of luck; before Chen Xiaobao even stepped out the door, he heard the sound of wind breaking outside:
" Duke Wu has ordered that Duan Lianshan's death may be related to Ye Xingge, and that the commanders should immediately search for him to prevent any mishaps."
"Um?"
Luo Xuanqing was pondering how to deal with the pressure from the Cao Clan after killing Dong Baoquan when he heard this and looked bewildered.
"How did he manage to kill the leader of the Autumn Mountain Sect again?"
Ruan Jinyuan frowned as well. "This matter isn't finished yet, can't he take a break?"
Chen Xiaobao replied, "By the way, Lord Ye just said he had an important case to handle, so I guess he went to deal with this."
Luo Xuanqing took a deep breath; he really couldn't keep up with this kid's pace.
He went on a dangerous adventure at the Forgetful River Mouth and instead of waiting patiently for his aloof female boss's reward, he turned around and began devouring people all over the city!
Will I, as an official, affect the speed at which you draw your sword?
You could at least have said hello first...
Despite his complaints, Luo Xuanqing was genuinely worried that something might happen to the kid, so he quickly left and headed to the next crime scene...
Meanwhile, at the Wujian Inn.
Ye Gucheng, dressed in white and carrying a sword, stood on the roof of the three-story inn, gazing at the majestic capital city that was gradually "becoming chaotic," a hint of "this moment is just like that moment" flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, from the inn's lobby below, the Hedong of the sister-in-law could be heard:
"What is he doing provoking the Cao Clan again? Last time he went to Forgetful River Mouth alone and caused trouble, and he didn't even tell us when he came back..."
"Alas, Xingge has grown up; she should be carrying out orders..."
" Heaven-Observing Decree treating my son like a donkey? Making him do all the dirty and hard work... Hey, has something happened in the city again?"
"I'll go find out... it seems Pu'an Temple was vandalized, and someone died..."
"Could this be Xing Ge's Xingge again?"
"Uh... it shouldn't be that bad... right..."
Yingtian Ward.
Willows sway gently along the riverbank, and several stone bridges span the two sides, where passersby can be seen occasionally.
Ye Xingge wore a bamboo hat, with a small package hanging on his shoulder containing the breastplate, mask, and other items he had just acquired. The Fate-Robbing Saber was wrapped in black cloth and hung at his waist.
After finishing, Ye Xingge originally intended to continue chasing He Lin.
But He Lin lived up to his reputation as a member of the Return to Origin Cult; he betrayed his teammates with remarkable efficiency, disappearing without a trace after killing them.
However, once they know his identity, Mountains and Rivers Association easily find his whereabouts, and this person won't be able to hide for long.
Ye Xingge originally wanted to report this matter, but given his background, it was impossible for him to know He Lin, and if he did report it, it would be difficult to explain the source of the intelligence.
Therefore, he only told the yamen runners about the general situation and then turned back. While walking on the road, he kept studying his physique.
The effects of the Fate-Robbing Saber were immediate, and Duan Lianshan was ranked in the Third Rank, more than ten places higher than He Lin. With such an opponent, the Fate-Robbing Saber's response was naturally not disappointing.
Ye Xingge wasn't sure of the exact amount, but killing two people should have increased his skill by at least two years, and his physical abilities had indeed improved significantly.
Correspondingly, he had been training his whip for nearly two years, but had not yet tested its frost-covered blade...
Ye Xingge wasn't sure how to describe his current feeling, but it was definitely one of confidence and fierceness!
He felt like there was a cow in front of him...
He could even sell himself! Order ten of the wildest women, and he'd still be confident he could leave with a toothpick in his mouth!
After pondering this for a moment, Ye Xingge took out the two famous weapons he had just acquired and examined them.
The Mouth King Armor needs no further explanation; its massively protective chest armor makes it virtually impervious to blades and spears against opponents of armor Second Rank or lower.
However, the downside is that this nail polish is a bit bulky and not suitable for everyday wear.
Moreover, the name was truly outrageous, like the "Master of Ventriloquism" costume; he was even embarrassed to call out to it just now...
As for the faceplate...