Chapter 426: Si Tian Young Supervisor

Li Huowang was currently at the small house with a courtyard that Jixiang had previously left for him. It was undeniably convenient to have such a residence in the capital; at the very least, he didn't need to stay in an inn. The courtyard also provided a secure place for the Black Grand-Eunuch, keeping it out of sight.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his brow deeply furrowed, as he gazed at the desolate, snow-covered street outside. Few people remained on the street because the capital city had imposed an early curfew that day. Li Huowang stood silently by the window, as if in anticipation.

Suddenly, the crisp clatter of horse hooves echoed. A group of burly men, clad in cracked leather, rode their horses, charging into the capital city.

This was already the third such group in recent days. Their distinctive aura and the waist tokens they deliberately displayed made it clear to Li Huowang that these were agents from the Supervision Department, specifically those stationed in the other Six Paths of Daliang. They had all come to the capital after receiving their deployment orders.

Although it was technically only dusk, the sky, heavy with falling snow, was so overcast that it had already become as dark as night.

Not only were there few people, but the entire capital felt like a storm was brewing, weighing heavily on his heart like a massive stone. *Whoosh!* A black bird swooped from the sky, circled widely in the distance, and then landed steadily on the window ledge in front of Li Huowang.

Li Huowang recognized the bird; it was the one that belonged to Sima Lan of the Mohist school, the one that often perched on his shoulder. At this moment, it held a folded piece of paper in its beak.

As Li Huowang unfolded the paper and understood its contents, his expression immediately lit up with excitement. "It's finally about to begin!"

Hearing his master's hurried footsteps descending the stairs, Mantou, who was curled up napping under a chair, instantly became alert. He wagged his tail and approached, but was quickly swatted away.

"Stay home obediently! No matter what you hear later, don't go out and look!" Li Huowang declared as he swiftly mounted the horse in the courtyard. He spurred the horse, galloping towards the Supervision Department's yamen.

As he passed the yamen entrance, guarded by two stone lions, and then used a secret door to access the grand hall that had once been filled with screens, he noticed that all the screens had been removed. The hall was now completely filled with people.

However, whether by design or accident, the oil lamps on the walls were unlit, rendering the entire space incredibly dim.

Even with Li Huowang's exceptional eyesight, he could only discern scattered figures in the gloom, unable to make out their faces. Only by getting very close could he see them clearly.

As he moved through the crowd, Li Huowang felt a strange sense of returning to a school playground.

However, unlike boisterous students, these individuals, some standing, some squatting, emanated various strange auras that made the perceptually sensitive Li Huowang thoroughly uneasy.

The low, indistinct murmurs of the Supervision Department agents intertwined with the oppressive atmosphere of the hall, making everyone present feel a little breathless.

Li Huowang didn't have many acquaintances among the Supervision Department agents in the capital. He looked around and then approached Sima Lan, whom he had met once before. The bird that had delivered his message was now perched back on Sima Lan's shoulder.

This distinctive feature also allowed Li Huowang to find him easily among the crowd. "You're here," the black bird said, turning its head and nodding at Li Huowang.

"Brother Sima, are all these people transferred from the other Six Paths?" Li Huowang asked, glancing around at the gathered individuals.

"Not just them. I heard the department also used its connections to borrow some skilled individuals from the Qingqiu Supervision Department. Heh, the department is truly getting serious this time."

"Qingqiu?" The image of the old lama with the black flock of sheep flashed through Li Huowang's mind. After looking around, he spotted a person wearing a lama's headdress in a distant corner. He couldn't yet determine if it was indeed the person he was thinking of.

"Since everyone is here, what are we waiting for?" Li Huowang asked again. "We are waiting for Lord Junior Supervisor of the Heavens; he is in charge of this matter."

"Oh, so is Lord Junior Supervisor of the Heavens the highest official in the Supervision Department? My apologies, I've always been out in the field and am quite unfamiliar with these internal matters."

"No worries, it's quite common. When I first came to the capital, it also took me a while to understand. Actually, there are five Junior Supervisors of the Heavens in total, but none of them are the highest official in the Supervision Department. The highest official is the Supervisor of the Heavens."

"Supervisor of the Heavens?" Li Huowang carefully considered the title for a moment before asking again, "Then for such a major matter as dealing with the Forgotten Dao, aren't the Lord Supervisor of the Heavens and the other four Junior Supervisors of the Heavens attending?"

"By rights, they should be here, but they've all gone into the palace. Perhaps there's some urgent matter." *Clang!* A crisp gong sound echoed, and everyone present turned to look in its direction.

A soft, moonlight-like glow emerged from an unknown source, illuminating a grand master's chair upon which a person sat precisely.

It was a white-haired old man dressed as a scholar-official. His wide sleeves hung down to his feet. Equally unusual were his large earlobes, which, like heavy pendants, hung down to his shoulders.

This person exuded a powerful aura, sitting there silently with an air of inherent authority. The murmurs in the hall immediately subsided significantly.

At this moment, Li Huowang looked more closely and discovered a neat row of people standing behind the grand master's chair where the old man was seated. Again, due to the dimness, he couldn't distinguish their faces clearly.

"The Supervision Department has summoned you all here today; I presume there's no need for me to explain the purpose, is there?"

As the Junior Supervisor of the Heavens spoke, a terrifying aura instantly descended from him, pressing down like a mountain. The entire hall immediately fell silent. *Thump! Thump! Thump!* Periodically, someone in the crowd would stiffen and collapse directly to the ground.

Just as Li Huowang thought these people had fainted from fear, he saw someone approach them, extend a rusty iron hook, and directly peel back their facial skin. The mahjong patterns beneath their skin confirmed their identity as members of the Forgotten Dao.

They had been summoned specifically to deal with the Forgotten Dao, so it was unexpected to find five Forgotten Dao members attempting to infiltrate their ranks. Yet, on second thought, it made sense; the Forgotten Dao surely knew the Supervision Department intended to deal with them.

The Junior Supervisor of the Heavens' gaze calmly swept over these Forgotten Dao members, as if completely unsurprised.

"Dealing with the Forgotten Dao itself is not difficult; the challenge lies in these deceivers hiding among the populace, refusing to reveal themselves. But it doesn't matter, for the capital city is, after all, *our* capital city, not theirs. They thought they were flawless, but that's merely self-deception. How dare they openly murder a department supervisor! Hmph! Did they truly believe we wouldn't find the time to deal with them?!"