Chapter 535: Wu Yang Palace

"Are you sure nothing was missed during the search?"

Lou Xiu, upon returning to the inner court of the City Guard, immediately summoned his subordinate Tu Bicheng for questioning.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were surprisingly not in the Vermilion Pavilion. The external personnel hadn't seen them leave, and even the internal informant within the Pavilion hadn't, which was already suspicious. If the two had left the Vermilion Pavilion secretly, it wouldn't be just to hide elsewhere in the city; they had most likely left the city itself. He had already ordered controls at all four city gates, so it was unlikely those two could have escaped undetected. Hence his question.

Tu Bicheng replied, "Commissioner, we have our own people stationed at all four city gates, and they understand the importance of this. The city guards might be careless, but with our own people supervising, you can trust they won't be careless; there shouldn't be any omissions."

Lou Xiu retorted, "I don't want 'should'. I want a definite answer. Go and ask immediately if anything was missed!"

"Yes, sir." Tu Bicheng grumbled unwillingly to himself, but outwardly he accepted the order and quickly departed.

He wasn't gone for long; about half an hour later, he hurried back, looking somewhat hesitant. "Commissioner," he said, "I've asked thoroughly. If there was anything missed, it would be this: before dawn, a carriage left the city. It belonged to the City Lord's Manor, and the gate guards weren't authorized to inspect it, so they had to let it pass."

Lou Xiu was taken aback and pressed, "A carriage from the City Lord's Manor leaving before dawn? Why?"

Tu Bicheng gave a bitter smile. "Commissioner, matters concerning the City Lord's Manor are not for a humble subordinate like me to inquire about."

Lou Xiu fell silent. He wanted to investigate, but having just taken office, his overt and covert personnel were not yet fully in place. It was indeed inappropriate to investigate the City Lord's Manor directly, and it was equally improper to report directly to the City Lord. If he were to speak up, the City Lord would surely wonder why he was so keen on "those people's mess."

After much consideration, he dismissed Tu Bicheng and then left the city himself, heading straight for Divine Mountain. Upon entering the mountain gate, he went directly to the Northern Mountain Central Hub, where he met Commander Huang Ye on the second floor.

After reporting the relevant situation, Lou Xiu voiced his suspicion: "I suspect Shi Chun and the other person used the City Lord's Manor carriage to sneak out. It's possible Yin Xu from the Vermilion Pavilion used her connections to help. However, you previously mentioned that the Blazing Fire Sect had used their influence to suspend that kind of business at the Vermilion Pavilion. To clarify this, we might need to start by investigating that carriage from the City Lord's Manor." He had come specifically to gain support from them; otherwise, it would be difficult for him to presumptuously investigate the City Lord's Manor, which would be an act of insubordination.

Huang Ye, standing with his hands behind his back by the window, listened quietly to his report. After a long silence, he eventually let out a strained sound: "That woman Yin Xu was actually a maidservant to the Old Ancestor of Qingqiu..."

Lou Xiu was speechless for a moment. It seemed that after all his talk, this was what the Commander cared about most. Was this the most urgent matter right now? Shouldn't it be finding the whereabouts of those two individuals first? Nevertheless, he could only adapt his response: "I suspect it's false. How could a maidservant of the Old Ancestor of Qingqiu be easily exiled and then become the Western Emperor's lover? I estimate it's a temporary measure to save her life."

Huang Ye tilted his head slightly and glanced at him. "Yin Xu has handled countless guests over the years; she's not someone who lacks discretion, especially not someone who talks nonsense. Can such a claim be made lightly? If she's using the name of the Old Ancestor of Qingqiu to deceive, how could Qingqiu let her off? Even the Western Emperor wouldn't dare protect her then. Are Shi Chun and the other worth her paying such a price?"

Lou Xiu hesitated for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Is her life or death important?" His implication was that they should just mind their own business.

Huang Ye shook his head slightly. "The situation is not as simple as you think. If she truly is a maidservant of the Old Ancestor of Qingqiu, then the current matter could become very troublesome. If she truly intends to help Shi Chun, even we might find it difficult to act rashly."

Lou Xiu hesitated, "Sir, surely it's not that serious? If she insists on getting involved in others' affairs, what can anyone do? The Old Ancestor of Qingqiu can't be unreasonable, can she? This world hasn't reached the point where the Old Ancestor of Qingqiu dictates everything."

Huang Ye snorted. "Do you know who stands behind the Old Ancestor of Qingqiu?"

Lou Xiu was startled, his eyes wide with surprise and uncertainty. "I heard that old demon is unruly, bloodthirsty, erratic, and utterly untamable. Could she really be controlled by someone?"

Huang Ye gazed into the distance and said slowly, "The one in the Land of Exile."

Lou Xiu was greatly astonished. "The Prison Lord?"

Huang Ye, with his hands clasped behind his back, moved away from the window and paced the room. "The Domain Lords who govern various regions have a similar-sounding title, which can be confusing. That's why some people jokingly call him 'The Jailer.' Do you think it's a coincidence that the Old Ancestor of Qingqiu sleeps in the Divine Tomb and doesn't emerge, and that 'Jailer' also restricts himself within the Living Prison? In short, it's a compromise reached during the great turmoil when various forces agreed to a ceasefire."

He turned around, fixed his gaze on Lou Xiu, and said, "If we truly provoke that old monster from Qingqiu, by the time all parties are agitated and sit down to reason, who knows how many people would have already died? They have a powerful backer. What does it matter if you're in the right or in the wrong?"

Lou Xiu was speechless for a moment, realizing the truth in his words; everyone had to weigh the consequences. He couldn't help but hesitate, "So, are we just letting it go?"

Huang Ye continued to pace. "We don't need to investigate ourselves. We can let Yin Xu prove her own innocence."

Lou Xiu cupped his hands. "Please enlighten me, sir."

Huang Ye explained, "Regardless of whether Yin Xu helped them escape, we'll cast suspicion on her. We'll discreetly let the Blazing Fire Sect know that Yin Xu helped the two escape. The Western Emperor made a promise to the Blazing Fire Sect regarding this matter. Once the Blazing Fire Sect finds out, they will surely approach the Western Emperor, who will then be compelled to clarify the situation to provide an explanation. Also, regarding the matter of her being the Old Ancestor of Qingqiu's maidservant, how could the Western Emperor not demand an explanation from Yin Xu? We simply need to wait for the outcome."

Lou Xiu's eyes lit up. He cupped his hands again, offering another compliment, "Your wisdom, sir, is remarkable." After lowering his hands, he asked, "Have the developments in Dazhi City been clarified?"

Huang Ye replied, "It was still the Blazing Fire Sect causing trouble. They discovered three of Shi Chun's subordinates from the Bright Mountain Sect in Dazhi City. The massive commotion was likely a conflict that occurred during their pursuit. The specific details are unknown, but all of the Blazing Fire Sect's pursuit teams have disappeared, implying they were all annihilated."

"The Blazing Fire Sect's lost Grade Five artifact confirms that an opponent at the Heavenly Immortal realm was involved. Currently, it's unknown whether a third party intervened or if it was a helper on Shi Chun's side. There's suspicion that the Bai Clan was involved, but the Bai Clan only has one expert at the Heavenly Immortal realm, and that person was on the mountain when the incident occurred."

A Heavenly Immortal realm expert? Lou Xiu shuddered at the thought, but then he muttered, "Shi Chun still has people in Dazhi City? Sir, could Shi Chun and his group be behind the Huang Yingying incident in Dazhi City?"

Huang Ye said, "That's no longer important. The most crucial thing is whether Shi Chun and his group managed to leave before the exit of Jukuzhou was sealed. However, judging by the timing, his three subordinates likely didn't have enough time to escape. The current situation is somewhat muddled and has escalated to the level of Heavenly Immortal realm experts clashing. The instruction from above is to proceed with caution."

Wu Jinliang, also on Divine Mountain, was relatively at ease. Although he was "hidden away" and dared not meet outsiders, he still retained basic freedom. He had no awareness of being under house arrest, proclaiming his love for sparring in cultivation matters and pestering Grandma Qi to spar with him. Given Grandma Qi's status and position, she would never engage in physical sparring with him and naturally refused.

However, the big fellow Wu was incredibly persistent, acting as if he would go crazy and "starve to death" if she didn't indulge him. Left with no choice, Grandma Qi had her clansmen accompany him for sparring. Chu Jingting, Lao Changtai, and Xiao Sheng sat idly in a corner of the cultivation room, bored, watching Wu Jinliang play.

They had long noticed Wu Jinliang's habit of seeking out others to spar with; everyone in the Bright Mountain Sect had indulged him. Anyway, they couldn't leave or run away, and since they were idle, they might as well watch.

*Thud*, Wu Jinliang, who had been knocked to the ground, flipped over and got back up, then suddenly waved his hand. "No more fighting, no more fighting, let's take a break."

The Bai Clan man who was sparring with him looked at Wu Jinliang with curiosity. He found Wu Jinliang to be surprisingly resilient. Logically, the force of his attacks, aimed at someone of a high martial arts realm, should have been enough to injure them, yet this person would repeatedly get back up as if nothing had happened after being knocked down. Could someone so tall also have such thick skin? Moreover, he had an outlandish request: he asked him to use a variety of different moves to hit him. This was the first time he had encountered such an absurd demand; he began to suspect if Wu Jinliang was a masochist.

Wu Jinliang, who had requested a pause, made no secret of pulling out his master-subordinate talisman, stepping aside to check it. It was a message from Shi Chun. After reading the message, Wu Jinliang grinned. He turned around and shouted, "I want to see your Grandma!"

At this time, Grandma Qi was meeting a visitor, though 'visitor' might not be the right word, as it was Bai Qiru, who had been expelled from the family. Given the significant commotion outside Dazhi City, the two shop assistants stating they wouldn't return to the rice shop, and the person having already been rescued, she guessed that her grandmother had personally intervened. This made her realize that something was amiss; it seemed things were not as her grandmother had told her. She had come today to demand an explanation. Her entire life was being used as repayment for a favor, but the reality seemed to be different. She too had once loved someone, but she had given him up for the sake of repaying her clan's debt. How could she not demand an explanation for this?

Looking at her stubborn granddaughter kneeling before her, Grandma Qi remained silent for a long time. Eventually, she walked to the door and instructed those outside to withdraw, forbidding anyone from approaching. After clearing the area, she walked over and sat down in front of Bai Qiru, asking softly, "Girl, have you heard of 'Wuyue Palace'?"

Bai Qiru, who had been kneeling with her head bowed, paused slightly, then slowly looked up and tentatively replied, "Is it that mysterious place where the Empress originated?"

"Get up and speak," Grandma Qi said, offering a dismissive gesture, a look of helplessness on her face. "Wuyue Palace was first discovered by a group of people. Inside Wuyue Palace, there are six mystical books, or perhaps they could be called the six books of the realms. After that group entered, six individuals each gained a unique opportunity. Among them was Huang Yingying's ancestor, Jin Zhan, who obtained the Demon Scroll from the six, titled 'Northern Dipper Demon Book.' There was also the one who later became the Demonic Ancestor and killed Jin Zhan; he obtained the Demonic Tome."