Chapter 1424: Each Has Their Own Agenda

Most of the Golden Flash Plain still belonged to the Yao Kingdom, and outsiders found it difficult to intervene.

King Yao wasn't sure if "Emperor Jiuyou" and the Black Armored Army were new initiatives orchestrated by them.

You Rongzhi considered for a moment before saying, "Actually, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Black Armored Army originated from an unknown power. The Golden Flash Plain has always had its share of emerging forces."

"Why have these emerging forces appeared specifically in the last few months, and why act just before my King's birthday celebration? Ultimately, aren't they targeting us?" Bai Tan sneered, "Without significant vested interests, who would risk assassinating General Xue?"

In the end, all of it was aimed at King Yao.

A vein throbbed in King Yao's temple, but he skillfully suppressed his anger.

You Rongzhi sighed inwardly, observing this. Who said Bai Tan was reckless and impulsive? He merely said what King Yao wished to hear, and his analysis was far from comprehensive.

If one wished to implicate the Qingyang Overseer as the culprit, a thousand or even ten thousand reasons could be found, and each would sound plausible.

The crucial question was: was this truly the case?

After a brief further discussion, King Yao dismissed Bai Tan, retaining only You Rongzhi.

"Given the situation, while apprehending the killer is certainly important, the upheaval caused by Minister Xue's death requires even greater attention." King Yao exhaled a long breath. "And it happened right before my birthday celebration! Whoever the culprit is, they truly chose the perfect timing! Regardless of whether the murderer is connected to the Qingyang Overseer, she will not let this opportunity pass. How do you foresee her making trouble?"

"General Xue was quite... *unruly*. All the issues and conflicts he suppressed during his lifetime might now erupt. The Qingyang Overseer could potentially exploit these situations to provoke Your Majesty."

You Rongzhi continued, "Furthermore, with General Xue's sudden death, his official post is now vacant."

Who would fill Xue Zongwu's position, and who would inherit his military authority?

King Yao's face darkened, and his eyes flickered.

This was the crucial point!

This was the most pressing issue facing the Yao Kingdom and King Yao.

In the Yao Kingdom's capital, at the Secluded Lake Retreat.

The Secluded Lake shimmered, and the Qingyang Overseer had developed a habit of resting by the lakeside. Even with the subtle arrival of early summer, cool breezes flowed gently under the trees, accompanied by birdsong and the scent of flowers.

She sat in a wicker chair, turning pages of documents one by one. The Tianshui City Magistrate stood beside her, leaning slightly forward, barely daring to breathe.

Since his direct superior had been executed by the Qingyang Overseer, the Tianshui City Magistrate had since become exceptionally deferential in her presence.

After reviewing everything carefully, Qingyang asked him, "Is all of Administrator Huang's supplementary information here?"

"Yes, yes, it's all here," he replied.

Qingyang didn't inquire why anything might have been missed before, simply stating, "Very good. If there is any new information..."

The Tianshui City Magistrate quickly interjected, "Your humble servant will certainly bring it to you."

Administrator Huang had been convicted and condemned by the Qingyang Overseer, and it was publicly stated that his execution would take place in five days. However, the Tianshui City Magistrate knew some inside information: the matter was far from simple.

People die, and that's usually the end of it.

Yet, Administrator Huang was already dead, and the Qingyang Overseer continued to search for new information about him, making her true motives intriguing.

Was the Qingyang Overseer unwilling to let go?

He pondered in secret, his gaze falling upon an unusual flowering plant.

He had never seen this type of flower before: its outer petals were grayish-white, the inner ones purplish-red, and its pistil, needle-like, was a vibrant scarlet.

A breeze blew by, carrying a rich, sweet fragrance.

Qingyang did not lift her head but knew what he was looking at. "That's a Phoenix Pomegranate I brought from Lingxu City. Its flowers are fragrant, its fruit is sweet, and it can be used to make wine. You don't have such delicious fruit wine here."

That Phoenix Pomegranate tree had been personally planted by her in the Azure Palace and had been growing for twenty years.

Before the Qingyang Grand Master embarked on her journey to Golden Flash, she specifically requested this Phoenix Pomegranate tree from the Demon Emperor, stating that "'people may change' matters little, as long as 'things remain the same.'" The Demon Emperor sighed and readily granted her request.

The Tianshui City Magistrate could only nod in agreement.

His position was already challenging; any minor official in Tianshui City held more authority than him. His job became several times harder, especially after Beijia dispatched the Qingyang Overseer to the Yao Kingdom.

He was keenly aware of the overt and covert power struggles within the royal court. As the Tianshui City Magistrate, he dared not offend either faction, destined to be caught in the middle.

Qingyang rustled the documents in her hand, about to speak, when He Yang's figure suddenly appeared at the end of the path.

He jogged over and leaned in to whisper a report into Qingyang's ear.

Qingyang's slender brows furrowed, and a look of surprise crossed her face. She immediately waved the Tianshui City Magistrate away.

The magistrate, visibly relieved, quickly departed.

As he left the Secluded Lake Retreat, he felt a wave of relief wash over him, only then realizing his back was clammy and his clothes soaked with sweat.

Facing the Qingyang Overseer was more stressful than facing King Yao himself.

Meanwhile, as Qingyang listened to the intelligence, her face darkened, and the surrounding air grew heavy.

"Xue Zongwu assassinated and killed? When?"

"Three days ago," He Yang replied, then proceeded to report the details.

The more Qingyang listened, the tighter her brows furrowed. Finally, she stood up and paced a few steps.

Xue Zongwu was a powerful, influential official with strong martial prowess, numerous allies, and deep roots. To fall at such a sensitive moment was indeed...

She instantly realized that change had arrived, and with it, opportunity.

Qingyang sneered faintly, "When King Yao hears this news, he will most likely attribute the deaths of these two to me."

She would actually be blamed for someone else's actions? "Hah! Fools!"

"No one knows the origin of this group of people."

"Precisely because no one knows their origin, it makes it appear more as if I orchestrated it. In King Yao's view, which opponent is stronger than me? Who benefits more from Xue Zongwu's death than I do?" Qingyang stood with her hands clasped behind her back, gazing at the blooming Phoenix Pomegranate flowers. "Is this 'Emperor Jiuyou' truly so capable? Interesting."

"Mangzhou is currently investigating how many external groups were present in the city that night," He Yang reported. "Given that King Yao's birthday celebration is imminent, this is a massive undertaking."

Since Xue Zongwu was killed at Xiaotao Mountain Villa, the culprit was most likely residing in Mangzhou.

Qingyang then asked, "You mentioned earlier that two strangely shaped demonic beasts held back Qi Yunsheng?"

"Yes," He Yang replied, "one was a yellow tiger with a hinged tail, and the other a giant porcupine that could curl into a ball. Both demonic beasts were killed by Qi Yunsheng, and their bodies were taken by the Mangzhou county government for examination. Our agents also managed to observe them and noted that the body proportions of these two strange creatures seemed somewhat disproportionate."

"Disproportionate?"

"They appeared to have been forcibly pieced together. The hinged-tail tiger's tailbone even showed traces of artificial grinding."

"Disproportionate demonic beasts, forcibly pieced together... hmm..." Could it be...?

Qingyang found the entire affair strange, no matter how she considered it.

The Black Armored Army, always proclaiming to act on behalf of Heaven and bring peace by eliminating evil, surely couldn't be the people she knew, could it?

Those individuals were certainly incapable of doing anything good.

Yet, those peculiar demonic beasts sounded very much like their handiwork.

She instructed He Yang, "Send a letter for me to Central Golden Flash."

She needed to confirm something.

"Understood."

He Yang waited for further instructions, but Qingyang had fallen into deep thought.

If the killer's assassination of Xue Zongwu was not for revenge, then it was clearly with ulterior motives, perhaps even involving her in their scheme.

The feeling of being secretly observed and exploited was unpleasant, and she strongly disliked it. However—

Xue Zongwu's death was indeed a significant opportunity.

To neglect a heaven-sent opportunity would be to invite blame; how could she possibly miss it?

"Xue Zongwu was indeed on my list; I didn't expect someone to act faster than me," she mused. "And more brutally, taking his life directly. The vacancy left by his death must certainly be filled."

King Yao was not one to be trifled with, so she needed to act quickly.

"Besides Administrator Huang, I need you to find information on these individuals as well," Qingyang said, reciting a long list of names.

If anyone else had been present, they would have been utterly shocked to hear it, but she merely smiled softly. "These are all the major and minor cancers of the Yao Kingdom. Now that Xue Zongwu, their protective umbrella, has finally fallen, I shall assume my duties as Overseer and cleanse the Yao Kingdom of its poisons, clear its stagnation, and heal its wounds."

He Yang noted each name down.

He knew that when the Palace Master acted, it would be with thunderous force.

King Yao's birthday celebration was certainly going to be lively this time.

After He Yang withdrew, she suddenly felt a premonition. She personally closed the doors and windows, then took out the small statue again, placing it on the long table against the wall before lighting incense.

The Heavenly God was seeking her again.

Red Hut, on the outskirts of Lanchuan City, Peiguo.

A brown-backed shrike landed on the window frame. The gatekeeper boy offered it a black crystal the size of a grain of rice. The shrike spat out a rolled-up note, swallowed the crystal, flapped its wings, and flew away.

The boy, holding the note, walked through the hall and corridor, entered the underground secret chamber, and finally reached his master.

As he moved, strange sounds echoed throughout the chamber, like ghostly wails or beastly roars.

The master of the Red Hut impatiently tapped the table. "Quiet!"

After two dull thuds, the entire secret chamber fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Only then did the master of the Red Hut take the note from the boy's hand, unfold it, and begin to read.

As he read, his eyes narrowed, and his expression grew increasingly solemn.

"General Xue Zongwu of the Yao Kingdom and Qi Yunsheng of Qingnie Mountain killed by the leader of the Black Armored Army?"

"The killer even used my hinged-tail yellow tiger and pillbug porcupine?"

He tossed the note aside, stroked his chin, and muttered to himself, "What is going on?"

Who was Xue Zongwu? He was a powerful figure in the Yao Kingdom, holding military authority and serving as King Yao's trusted general. Qi Yunsheng, on the other hand, was the head of the Qi family in Mangzhou, a family that had prospered for sixty or seventy years and was considered one of the Yao Kingdom's long-established noble houses.

This immensely powerful father-in-law and son-in-law, however, had both died in Mangzhou, on their own territory.

The letter stated that although a dragon-head totem had appeared at Xiaotao Mountain Villa, the Yao Kingdom still harbored doubts as to whether the killer was indeed Emperor Jiuyou.

On this point, the master of the Red Hut could confirm.

Because his two demonic puppets had been taken by the Black Armored Army at Greenery Mountain Villa!

How strange. From Greenery Mountain Villa to Mangzhou was a long journey by both water and land. If the two demonic puppets were disobedient, how could the Black Armored Army have transported them so far without attracting attention along the way?

Why were they allowed to attack Qi Yunsheng and his son-in-law?

The taming and control of demonic puppets differed fundamentally from those of demonic beasts, a concept ordinary people could scarcely imagine.

Furthermore, the master of the Red Hut had always found it strange: why would the Black Armored Army capture the hinged-tail tiger and pillbug porcupine?