Pang Ban’s smile was warm and approachable, not the least bit imposing, but the natural insight shimmering in his gaze made others uneasy from head to toe. In any case, Jiang Cheng never dared to meet his eyes; even when facing him, he couldn’t help but lower his head.

This wasn’t fear, but the innate intimidation arising from disparities in Cultivation Realm. Jiang Cheng understood this well. Precisely because of this, he revered the leader of Xuanqing Guard all the more.

"I believe..." Jiang Cheng paused briefly, swiftly glanced at Liao Chengfeng seated up front, then continued, "I believe we should seize the momentum and wipe out both the Wen Family and Jingbei Army in one fell swoop."

"One fell swoop? Heh." Pang Ban neither affirmed nor denied, pressing further, "Do you have a plan?"

"On October 12th, the Empress will celebrate her seventieth birthday. At that time, all major Cultivation Races, Governors of the Four Directions, and government officials will assemble in the Imperial City. I feel this would be an opportunity to control the Wen Family’s leaders and the Jingbei Army faction, then deploy Xuanqing Guard from other regions to investigate the Jingbei Army and the Wen Family."

Jiang Cheng was well-prepared, but instead of detailing minutiae, he only laid out the general direction.

When dealing with targets like the Wen Family and Jingbei Army, "speed" was most vital. If you let them react, you’ll find yourself entangled in their intricate webs, unable to move, ultimately achieving nothing.

"Using the Empress’s birthday celebration..." Pang Ban’s smile faded. He leaned back in his chair, right hand tapping gently on the armrest.

Today was August 25th, still over a month before October 12th, so there was time for careful preparation. However, moving against the Jingbei Army required approval from the one in the palace. Thinking of how that one had recently treated Xuanqing Guard... Pang Ban felt some hesitation in his heart.

"Leave the dossier here. I’ll deliberate before saying more. If there are any further developments, you can record them and report directly to me. Next time, if your business remains this matter, come straight in—no need to wait. I’ll inform those outside to let you in."

"Yes."

...

Pang Ban’s ambiguous stance frustrated Liao Chengfeng, but what recourse did he have? He dared not force Pang Ban’s hand, and could only resign himself to being "bound" to Jiang Cheng, ever deeper in Pang Ban’s camp. Moreover, though Pang Ban hadn’t made his position clear, he showed genuine interest in the matter, perhaps intending to speak with Your Majesty before making a decision?

Liao Chengfeng’s patience with Jiang Cheng, the troublemaker, had worn thin. After leaving the Commander’s Office he didn’t bother speaking, merely waved Jiang Cheng back to Fengri City, saying, "Report any changes as they happen."

As always, Jiang Cheng was respectful; but only after returning to Fengri City Thousand Households Station did he allow himself a smile. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

At last... at last he’d made his mark before Lord Pang and was remembered. As long as Lord Pang chose to "go with the flow," he could not bypass Fengri City Thousand Households Station—meaning Jiang Cheng would be indispensable. This was the opportunity Jiang Cheng had painstakingly sought, even if it meant offending Liao Chengfeng.

With a good start, he had to keep the momentum. He immediately drew a blank Order and quickly wrote...

The Order soon arrived in Li City, where Tang Qingyuan and Shen Hao read it one after another.

"Looks like we’ll have to wait for instructions from above. Sir, do you think they’ll target the Wen Family or the Jingbei Army?"

"Not sure. I think the Wen Family is more likely—after all, compared to the Jingbei Army, the Wen Family is a soft target."

"Hmm, I think so too. But the Jingbei Army’s smuggling of arms isn’t a small matter; if it’s ignored..."

"Stop. That’s not for us to decide. Just do our part. I trust those above won’t let those pests off the hook—it’s only a matter of timing."

The two were unaware that the plan above was not simply a matter of picking between the two.

"Keep a close eye on Wen Renhai—no mistakes can be allowed. Also, regarding the attack on the dungeon, we need to put on a show publicly. Whether inside or outside the city, raise vigilance to the highest level. Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance from the Garrison—they won’t dare refuse at this critical juncture. Same goes for the government office."

Shen Hao nodded in agreement. He had already instructed Zhang Liao and Wang Jian to do just that.

Still, it was frustrating. Wen Family’s matron Qin Yurou, so intimately connected to the dungeon assault, was right here in Li City, but they didn’t dare lay a finger on her—at least not until clear orders came from above.

Meanwhile, some who didn’t understand the situation were scared witless by Xuanqing Guard’s actions. Not just in Li City, but across the dozen cities under its jurisdiction, everyone was panicked; garrison soldiers and governmental officials were patrolling with murderous intent all day, arresting every petty thief for interrogation, and those caught fighting with knives were dragged off and executed—who cares if you’re innocent? The government office itself feared being accused of negligence and getting targeted by Xuanqing Guard. Word was that Shen Shaxing from Li City Black Banner Battalion had bloodshot eyes these days—who’d dare risk getting unlucky?

For a while, the whole Li City Guard Station jurisdiction underwent a harsh crackdown, and security everywhere was swept clean.

The common folk were anxious about being caught up in it, yet delighted to see all the second-tier thugs and vagrants vanish from the streets.

The Shopkeeper at North City Inn had cried several times already; governmental officials came for inspection three times a day—more punctual than meals. The Xuanqing Guard even stationed one Warrior and three Soldiers here, not just checking every staff member daily, but inspecting every person coming and going, even searching all the guest rooms. At this rate, would the inn ever see any business again?

Still, the Shopkeeper’s sole consolation was that an out-of-town master-and-servant pair had yet to leave, perhaps due to the city gate restrictions. That pair was now the only pride left in North City Inn.

After finishing today’s routine inspection, Wen Shiliu went to the kitchen and carried the meal into the room—the mistress lately refused to see anyone else.

"Madam, it’s time to eat."

"..."

"Madam, you haven’t eaten in two days. If you keep this up, your body won’t hold out."

"Take it away."

"Madam..."

Wen Shiliu was genuinely worried. Qin Yurou was not a Cultivator; despite having decent health, she was only an ordinary person and not young anymore. Going hungry for two days was no trivial matter.

"Why are you still here?"

"Madam, please eat a little. If this isn’t to your taste, we could go home; the family can prepare something you like..."

"Qin San, I won’t call you Wen Shiliu anymore. Do you really think I could ever return to the Wen Family?"

"Huh? Madam, the young master, third miss, and fourth young master are all at home—you can return. Even if this time..."

Once again, Wen Shiliu’s words were cut off by Qin Yurou. Qin Yurou trembled as she rose from her chair, and Wen Shiliu hurried forward to support her.

"Qin San, tell me, who do you think killed Ren Hai?"

"This..." For a moment, Wen Shiliu didn’t know how to answer.