The remaining text, it turned out, was also a Reincarnator!
Not only a Reincarnator, but even a member of the Blood Oath Alliance!
“Earlier, I heard Senior Song Yuan mention that the Alliance Leader was summoning the elders for something big. It might involve the real world, but since receiving orders, it’s been so long without any contact…”
Yu Wen stepped out of the government office, immediately feeling uneasy: “Could something have gone wrong?”
Although he deeply trusted the strength of the Blood Oath Alliance, he felt even less certain about the tasks from the Pantheon Temple.
If they encountered a mission rated Yellow or higher, which meant near-certain death, the Blood Oath Alliance might suffer heavy losses.
Compared to the distant threat of regional warlords, this was clearly more worrisome. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Recently, he had even become too anxious to visit his newly acquired concubine’s chambers.
“Yu Wen?”
Not far away, Wu Ming lifted the carriage curtain, his eyes flashing with sharp light: “An ordinary member of the Blood Oath Alliance, currently serving as a civilian official under the Dingzhou Governor, and highly trusted!”
With this information alone, and using Gongshu Zhe’s body and voice, Wu Ming had no doubt that if he appeared as Gongshu Zhe, Yu Wen would have no choice but to kneel in submission.
“This is merely one of the Blood Oath Alliance’s most basic pawns… The real big fish is actually… Qi Lin!”
Wu Ming lowered the carriage curtain and sighed: “Unfortunately… the hidden danger remains, so I cannot act yet!”
Qi Lin, the Jiedushi of Pingshan Commandery, was said to be exceptionally brave, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and an effective commander with over ten thousand well-armed troops under his command. He dominated Dingzhou and had fought several battles against the old Ding Marquis, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage.
Fortune tellers had observed that his aura rose majestically into the sky, forming the shape of a qilin, indicating his extraordinary nature.
This regional military governor was also a Reincarnator, and even a member of the Blood Oath Alliance!
“With such leverage, I could easily command him to submit to Wu Zhi, then together we could conquer Dingyuan Commandery. Once four of the seven commanderies are under our control, Wu Zhi wouldn’t need to build up strength slowly anymore and could sweep across Dingzhou. Too bad…”
The idea was naturally excellent, but Wu Ming knew he couldn’t act yet!
Not only Yu Wen and Qi Lin… within Dingzhou, there was even someone suspected to be a Privileged, and he couldn’t kill them either!
“After all, as the hidden mastermind behind the Blood Oath Alliance, the Pantheon Leader must also have this list! If I act now, I would be exposing my position without a doubt!”
“Even rabbits don’t eat grass near their burrows… This time passing through Jiude Commandery, I’ll take a quick look at the state capital, then head out of the province for a long journey. With the vastness of the world, where can’t I go? And I can still carry out my plans…”
The members of the Blood Oath Alliance and the Privileged weren’t exclusive to Dingzhou!
Wu Ming’s plan this time was to travel far and wide, even visiting all nineteen provinces of the Great Zhou if necessary. From the highest heavens to the deepest underworld, he wouldn’t stop until he found the Pantheon Leader’s whereabouts.
“Even if I can’t find them, I must seize as many Privileged as possible. This is a matter of life and death, a grand trend of mutual weakening and strengthening that must be taken seriously!”
Muttering silently to himself, Wu Ming waved his hand: “Let’s go!”
“Alright!”
The coachman in front had no idea why Wu Ming had stopped here, but since he was paid to do his job, he simply assumed Wu Ming enjoyed touring Dingzhou’s scenery. He cracked his whip, and the carriage slowly resumed its journey.
“Strange? Just now I felt a sudden chill, but now everything seems normal again?”
At the same time, Yu Wen wiped the cold sweat from his brow. His face was pale with fear, and he suspiciously scanned his surroundings. Finding nothing unusual, he could only return in low spirits.
…
“Several places checked, mostly consistent with what my divided consciousness saw. It seems highly unlikely that the Pantheon is hiding in Dingzhou…”
This was reasonable. Otherwise, if all significant events in the Great Zhou’s nineteen provinces coincidentally converged on Dingzhou, it would be truly terrifying.
“Earlier, I saw the provincial governor’s mansion and the inspector’s residence. Both exuded a senescent atmosphere with weak fortune. Indeed, the Great Zhou’s heavenly mandate of three hundred years has reached its decline. A time for renewal is approaching…”
As a participant in history, Wu Ming understood the history of the transition between the Shang and Zhou dynasties better than any historian. He knew for certain that the Great Zhou’s heavenly mandate of three hundred years was unchangeable.
“Perhaps… it’s not entirely unchangeable. However, even altering one’s personal fate against heaven’s will is already against heavenly law. Changing the fate of an entire dynasty? Unless a great adept at the level of a celestial immortal or higher intervenes, it’s absolutely impossible. If it were possible for earthly immortals, the Jade Clarity Sect would have done it already!”
“Sir, we’ve arrived at the Supervisory Office of the Sili Commandant!”
At this point, the carriage stopped again, and the coachman’s voice came in.
Essentially, these three major government offices and some famous attractions were must-see places for first-time visitors to Dingzhou. The coachman was used to it.
“Hmm!?”
Wu Ming slightly lifted the carriage curtain and saw a solemn government office. Soldiers stood guard on both sides, and those entering and exiting wore serious expressions, exuding a cold and stern atmosphere.
“The Sili Commandant is directly appointed by the imperial court and can secretly report to the emperor. Although his rank is the lowest among the three, his power is immense. He can investigate based on rumors alone and even supervise financial and military affairs!”
Wu Ming’s expression turned slightly grave.
Among the provincial officials, the provincial governor held the highest rank, followed by the inspector, then various department heads, and finally the Sili Commandant. Yet, no one dared to slight him.
This position, though low in rank, carried significant authority, with flexible powers and the ability to directly mobilize a military unit as long as it was reported afterward.
Therefore, even the provincial governor had to give him some leeway, fully embodying the Great Zhou’s governance philosophy of “using the small to control the great.”
“However, in the declining years of a dynasty, no matter how much the system is patched up, what good will it do?”
Wu Ming smiled slightly. After waiting for a moment, he saw a tall, thin middle-aged man in black walk out of the office. The guards on both sides saluted him, calling him “Thousand-household.”
“He’s out! Li Zongyi, the Thousand-household of the Imperial Bureau of Supernatural Affairs!”
Back in the ghost world, Wu Ming had obtained a badge from the unfortunate Zheng Jun, who was a Hundred-household of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs.
Now, he knew for sure that the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs was indeed established by the imperial court, subordinate to the Sili Commandant in each province, specifically tasked with investigating the Reincarnators of the Pantheon Temple!
After all, the Pantheon Temple had existed for such a long time, leaving behind some traces. If even the Xie family could detect something amiss, there was no reason for the imperial court not to notice!
Once confirmed, the court naturally began investigations. Whether to recruit or exploit them would depend on the situation.
“Just this Dingzhou branch of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs was particularly unfortunate… From top to bottom, they were all infiltrated by Reincarnators. Zheng Jun even managed to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. He was quite a talent indeed!”
Thinking silently, Wu Ming naturally didn’t order the carriage to follow directly, as that would be too conspicuous!
Instead, he took a few more laps around the city, then got off at a tavern, paid the carriage fare.
“Welcome, sir!”
As soon as he got off the carriage, a waiter rushed to greet him with a beaming smile: “Sir, you must be tired from your journey. What would you like to eat? Our chef at Joyful Gathering House is the best in Dingzhou. Our signature dishes include the ‘Mandarin Ducks Gathering,’ ‘Hundred Treasures Stew,’ and the silver fish from the Luo River, which is truly a delicacy unparalleled in the world, and it’s sent as tribute every year…”
…
At night, after a satisfying meal, Wu Ming rented a private room upstairs and hung a “Do Not Disturb” wooden sign. Then, he leisurely jumped out of the window and stealthily made his way toward Li Zongyi’s residence.
As a martial arts master, he could easily hide in the shadows of the alleys, completely undetectable to ordinary patrolling soldiers.
He had already thoroughly scouted the area beforehand, and now arrived at a mansion. The courtyard was cold and silent, with only the occasional barking of dogs breaking the quiet.
Mastiffs are spiritually attuned and can ward off evil spirits. Some wealthy families raised large numbers of them to patrol at night, more diligent than guards, and also effective in suppressing impurities.
Wu Ming scaled the wall and entered silently. As soon as his presence was felt, the mastiffs reacted. In the darkness, several pairs of green eyes approached, some poised to pounce, others ready to roar.
“If I were to be caught by these animals, I’d be utterly humiliated!”
A flash of sharp light gleamed in Wu Ming’s eyes. An invisible wave of pressure surged forth, causing the mastiffs to scatter in fear, running off with their tails between their legs.
Even among wealthy households, few lights were kept on at night. At this moment, Wu Ming quickly scanned the area and identified the location of Li Zongyi’s study, stealthily approaching it.
“Interesting! He actually uses luminous pearls for lighting. His level of luxury is even higher than that of the commandery. I wonder where he got so much wealth…”
Through the paper window, a faint glow emerged, revealing the use of luminous pearls the size of dragon’s eyes for illumination!
“I’ve heard that the provincial governor, the inspector, and even the Sili Commandant’s mansions use magical artifacts that can illuminate like daylight and never go out. The Ten-mile Nightless Street in the capital is a famous sight across the land… However, such excessive luxury, with officials competing to pursue comfort, is also a sign of a dynasty’s decline…”
Illuminated by the luminous pearls, although not as brilliant as magical artifacts, they were naturally far superior to ordinary oil lamps and candles.
Wu Ming glanced through the window and saw that inside was a study. Li Zongyi was reading documents and had not yet gone to sleep.
“Hehe… Not in vain that I’ve been watching for so long. Finally, some clues have surfaced!”
Li Zongyi’s expression was quite excited as he picked up a red brush to make annotations. At the top of the document were two large characters — “Xie Family”!
“I heard earlier that the Xie family’s twin pearls died suddenly, yet they reported it as an illness… And Xie Xiaodi even sought someone to review the records… They don’t realize that every action leaves traces. How can they possibly hide from my discerning eye?”
Li Zongyi had a hooked nose and narrow eyes that seemed to emit a greenish glow. His entire face was cold and stern, with a touch of strictness.
After finishing the document, he decisively declared: “This Xie family must be connected to what the imperial court is investigating. As a Thousand-household of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, this time I’ve truly made a great contribution!”
The emergence of Reincarnators had been untraceable for an unknown period, but even the faintest clues were already alarming.
In response to this, as early as the reigns of several previous emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs was established to monitor the entire realm, seemingly driven by other forces from behind the scenes.
In any case, Li Zongyi only knew one thing: even if the entire nation fell into chaos, the upper echelons’ efforts to investigate these tasks only intensified, which was not typical of an imperial court’s behavior.
However, he understood the gravity of his position and diligently performed his duties, keeping other matters tightly under wraps.
But this time, discovering traces of Reincarnators within the Xie family was indeed a major achievement.
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