Official road, within sight ahead.
Three figures appeared, sitting on horseback, blocking the way of the carriage.
On horseback, two figures resembling Dharma protectors appeared, clad in gray-red robes, their brocade embroidered with strange, ancient patterns. Between them stood a man in a black robe, shrouded in darkness, his features barely discernible.
This person is none other than the Grand Elder of the Celestial God Sect!
Sitting sideways on his horse, he stared expressionlessly at the man in red on the carriage in front of him. Only a pair of gloomy eyes were revealed on his face, which was shrouded in a black robe.
Liu Su also stood on the carriage, looking calmly at the great elder in front of him.
The Great Elder glanced her up and down before saying in a deep voice, "Saintess, where are you going?"
Liu Su said calmly: "Go see the leader."
"The leader has ordered that no one is allowed to disturb his meditation without his permission. Has the Saint forgotten?"
Liu Su raised her eyes and said calmly, "Of course I haven't forgotten!"
"Since you haven't forgotten, why did the Saint disobey the leader's order?"
The Great Elder spoke in a low voice, with a hint of accountability.
Liu Su remained calm, her hands behind her back, her long red dress swaying gently in the breeze, looking cool and beautiful. "This Saint Lady is here to see the Sect Leader. I have something important to report."
The Great Elder said coldly, "Since it is an important matter, it should be reported in advance. Saint Lady, by leaving her post without permission, is she disregarding the rules of our Heavenly God Sect?"
Hearing this, Liu Su raised her eyes, a sneer appearing on the corner of her mouth: "Grand Elder, are you teaching this Saint Maiden how to do things?"
The Great Elder's pupils shrank sharply, and his tone turned cold: "I am reminding you... The assassination attempt on Lin Hengzhong failed, and our sect suffered heavy losses. The leader is very angry!"
"Great Elder, are you blaming this Saint?"
A hint of sneer appeared on Liu Su's face. "Great Elder, have you forgotten who came up with the plan to assassinate Lin Hengzhong? This Saintess did try her best to stop it, but who among you listened?"
Hearing this, the Great Elder's face darkened.
The plan to assassinate Lin Hengzhong was indeed proposed by several elders in their sect, and only after receiving the approval of the leader did they prepare to implement it. They made sufficient preparations for this plan and ultimately chose Liu Su.
Liu Su, the Saint of the Celestial God Cult, possessed a mysterious identity, and because she possessed a mysterious poison from the Miao region, their initial plan was to exploit the Lin Prince's lustful nature, allowing Liu Su to gain access and control him through the poison.
Even if the plan fails, the Prince Lin can be killed!
But the plan eventually went awry.
Lin Hengzhong remained safe and sound, but the Linwang Mansion's revenge had already begun. After their plan failed, the Linwang Mansion began a large-scale hunt for members of the Tianshen Sect in Linjiang City.
In Linzhou, many disciples of the Tianshen Sect failed to retreat in time and accidentally fell into the hands of the Linwang Palace, resulting in heavy losses.
Today, he wanted to hold someone accountable, but he didn't expect Liu Su to push the blame onto him. The Great Elder's face was gloomy, and he wanted to say something, but when he saw Liu Su's cold and indifferent expression, he held back.
He knew very well that the leader thought highly of Liu Su, and if he really broke off relations with her, he probably wouldn't gain any advantage.
In the Celestial God Sect, although the Great Elder holds the greatest power besides the Sect Leader, the Saintess's status often surpasses that of the Great Elder.
This is a struggle within the Tianshen Cult, which is difficult for ordinary people to understand.
The Great Elder's expression gradually cleared after a moment of gloom. He said in a deep voice, "The plan to assassinate Lin Hengzhong was approved by the Sect Leader. You were the one who planned it from beginning to end. If there are any mistakes or problems, shouldn't I ask you?"
Liu Su said calmly, "This Saint Girl will explain this matter to the Sect Leader herself, so there is no need for you, the Great Elder, to remind me."
The Great Elder's face darkened slightly as he snorted coldly, "I'm not here to remind you today. I'm here with the leader's orders."
"The leader's order?"
Liu Su was startled and frowned: "What are the orders, Master?"
"The leader is in seclusion and will not see anyone for the time being."
The Great Elder glanced at her and said, "However, before the leader went into seclusion, he specifically ordered me to come to you and ask you to do something."
Liu Su frowned even deeper, staring at the great elder in front of him, wondering whether his words were credible.
She has always been at odds with the great elder of the Celestial God Religion, and this has long been known to everyone in the Celestial God Religion.
The reason for this was naturally that Liu Su's presence had threatened the Great Elder's status. Consequently, the two of them had formed separate factions within the Celestial God Cult, confronting each other and engaging in secret rivalries. Furthermore, the Celestial God Cult was in turmoil.
Liu Su came to Beijing this time to meet the leader.
Her plan to enter the capital this time was very low-key, and not many people knew about it. Unexpectedly, the Great Elder would appear and stop her halfway.
Don't let her go to see the leader?
Was it really the leader's instruction, or did he make his own decision?
The thought flashed through his mind, and Liu Su's expression remained calm. Given the Great Elder's courage, he probably wouldn't dare to falsely preach the Master's orders.
Liu Su collected his thoughts and said calmly, "What are your instructions, Master?"
The Great Elder looked at her expressionlessly: "The leader has ordered you to go to Xunyang County and kill a few people..."
"Xunyang County?"
Liu Su frowned. She had just passed through Xunyang County not long ago. Was she going back now?
Go to Xunyang County to kill people?
Xunyang County, as an important area within Yanzhou, connects Linzhou in the south and the capital of Zhongzhou. It is considered the most important transportation hub of the Daning Dynasty and has an extremely important geographical location.
but……
When did their Tianshen Sect ever place a pawn in Xunyang County?
Why would the leader suddenly let her go to Xunyang County when she was fine, and kill her...
Thinking of this, Liu Su's heart skipped a beat.
"How many?"
The Great Elder, however, remained expressionless: "Leave no one behind, and eradicate them completely."
“…”
Chaoyang County.
West of the city.
Several carriages left the city quietly and low-key from the west, heading west.
There were many strong men dressed in coarse linen clothes around the carriage, following the carriage in a low-key manner. After leaving the city, they quickly left the official road and turned into the small road next to it.
"Be careful, be alert, and don't make any mistakes!"
"After this trip, let's go to the brothels in Xunyang County. Who knows, we might even sleep with a few girls..."
"Cheer up, everyone."
In the crowd, Xie Yongan, who had dressed up in disguise, was blending in with the crowd, teaching a few strong men who were still asleep a lesson, feeling very disappointed with them.
These small gangs are simply unreliable. They spend their days drinking, gambling, or visiting brothels. If they weren't capable of handling some small tasks, we would have gotten rid of them long ago.
At this critical juncture, no accidents can happen!
The carriage swayed along the path westward, stumbling along the way, and occasionally the sobbing sound of a woman could be heard coming from inside the carriage.
Xie Yongan was annoyed by the call and felt more and more uneasy.
One of the two women he caught last night escaped from prison, which made him extremely uneasy. Those two women knew these secrets, and if anything went wrong, he would be in big trouble.
Looking ahead, Xie Yongan could only pray in his heart. After this trip, all the evidence was destroyed, and even if they investigated, they would definitely not find anything. After this, after a year or two, everything would be fine.
Xie Yongan kept comforting himself in his heart, while reminding the people around him to cheer up.
…
Chaoyang County, County Government Office.
Night falls.
Wang Shi, the magistrate of Chaoyang County, sat in front of a chair, looking out the door from time to time, with a bit of uneasiness and worry in his eyes.
Why haven’t you come back yet?
Is it already dark?
Why is there still no news?
Did something happen?
Wang Shi was feeling particularly uneasy. Ever since the incident yesterday, he had a feeling something was going to happen. Especially since a lot had happened in the past few days.
I heard that some people had accidents in some small towns in the south a while ago. I also heard that the prince of Linzhou in the south was going to the capital to marry the princess. Calculating the time, he should have arrived in Yanzhou by now.
Doesn’t this mean that…
Wang Shi took a deep breath and gradually calmed down.
No.
They had no grudges against the Prince of Lin, so why would he bother with them? Besides, the Prince of Lin wasn't a good person...
Comforted in his heart, Wang Shi breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Xie Yongan never came back, which made Wang Shi feel uneasy.
"Someone come!"
Soon, a constable appeared outside the door: "Sir? What's wrong?"
"Is Xie Yongan back?"
"No, sir."
Wang Shi frowned. "Any news about the woman who escaped from prison?"
"Not yet..."
Wang Shi became increasingly uneasy. Finally, he could no longer sit still and stood up. "Let's go and take a look at the cell."
In a dim cell.
Wang Shi walked through the cell corridor and came to the door of the room.
I looked up and saw the woman in the bamboo hat sitting in the cell, cross-legged on the ground, with a cool and elegant temperament.
Wang Shi's eyes narrowed, and he could tell at a glance that this woman was different.
Just as Wang Shi appeared, the woman in the bamboo hat on the ground slowly raised her head and looked at Wang Shi.
Wang Shi saw a pair of bright eyes through the veil.
But for some reason, Wang Shi felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Deja vu?
Where have you seen me before?
"Who are you?!"
Wang Shi spoke coldly and questioned.
The woman in the bamboo hat didn't say anything, but just looked at him calmly.
"My Lord is asking you a question, don't you hear me?"
The jailer next to him scolded.
She still didn't respond.
Wang Shi stared at her eyes, and the more he looked, the more familiar they seemed to him. He must have seen them somewhere.
But for a moment I couldn’t remember that familiar feeling.
He even had a premonition... Was this woman coming for him?
"Do you think you can get away with it by not saying anything?"
Wang Shi suppressed his uneasiness and snorted coldly, "You are suspected of murder, the evidence is irrefutable. If you don't confess honestly, you will bear the consequences!"
No matter who he is, just kill him first!
Wang Shi, feeling uneasy, immediately had the intention to kill!
Just then, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door.
"Sir, something bad has happened, something bad has happened!"
A figure walked quickly into the cell and whispered something into Wang Shi's ear. Immediately, Wang Shi's face changed drastically, becoming extremely gloomy and ugly.
"How did they get discovered? Who did it?!"
"Yes, it's a woman..." The person who came was panting and looked embarrassed.
"woman?!"
Wang Shi seemed to realize something and suddenly turned his head to look at the woman in the bamboo hat in the cell. His eyes instantly became fierce: "It's you?"
"Is he your accomplice?!"
"Who the hell are you?!"
Wang Shi's eyes were filled with anger and fear.
He became more and more certain that the woman in the cell was coming for him!
This feeling is right!
Who the hell is she?!
Inside the cell, the woman in the bamboo hat seemed to finally react.
She slowly stood up, looked at Wang Shi outside the cell across the cell, and then slowly took off her hat.
Beneath the bamboo hat, there is a delicate and beautiful face.
Cool and unparalleled, stunning and stunning!
It was totally out of place in this dim cell, forming a sharp contrast.
But when Wang Shi saw the true face of the woman in the bamboo hat, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
familiar!
It's really familiar!
A sense of familiarity came over him, but he couldn't remember when he had seen such a beautiful woman.
If you have seen it, how could you not have an impression of it?
"Who are you?"
Wang Shi stared at her coldly with an unfriendly look.
"My last name is Jiang."
The woman in the bamboo hat opened her red lips and spoke softly.
As if talking about a very ordinary little thing, his eyes were calm: "The Jiang family that was framed by you and tragically wiped out more than ten years ago..."
At this moment, the world is quiet.
Wang Shi's pupils shrank sharply, and he froze in place, his whole body cold, terrified, and in disbelief.
Jiang, Jiang family?!
A surname that is both strange and familiar!
He almost forgot!
But at this moment, it is so deeply familiar!
Jiang family?!
The Jiang family of Xunyang County in the past?
The former governor of Xunyang County?!
Wang Shi shuddered and stared at her intently: "You, are you from the Jiang family?"
"No, you are a remnant of the Jiang family?!"
After a brief moment of shock, Wang Shi's eyes instantly turned fierce, "How dare you come back?!"
"Back then, your Jiang family colluded with foreign nations and sold out the country for personal gain. Your entire Jiang family was executed, and you, a remnant, luckily survived... God spared your life, but instead of hiding, you dared to come back?!"
"court death!"
Wang Shi realized that the woman in front of him was the one from the Jiang family who came to seek revenge!
No matter who she is!
All the people in the Jiang family must die!
Must die!
"This man is the descendant of a traitor and deserves death. Come, execute him on the spot!"
Wang Shi's eyes were fierce and he gave the order coldly.
The constable behind him approached quickly and drew the long knife from his waist.
“Snap!”
A crisp sound was heard.
The door lock fell to the ground and the cell door opened.
Inside the cell, Zhiyuan walked out slowly.
One step, two steps, three steps...
On the ground behind her, several unconscious constables were lying on the ground, their lives or deaths unknown.
In front of him, Wang Shi was pale and trembling all over, his eyes filled with fear: "You, what on earth do you want to do?!"
He stepped back repeatedly, his eyes filled with horror.
"As the chief official of Chaoyang County, you secretly provided protection for the evil forces, engaging in extortion and trafficking of women. The evidence is irrefutable, and each charge is enough to get you killed dozens of times!"
Zhiyuan looked at him expressionlessly: "Do you want to live?"
Wang Shi was trembling all over, almost paralyzed and unable to stand: "You, you..."
"If you want to live, I'll give you a chance!"
“…”