Chapter 961: Suppression

In Dongli County,

the clear sky stretched endlessly above as the bright sun shone. A grayish-blue falcon soared over the rolling mountains, suddenly diving down and landing like lightning in a valley town.

Caw!

In a study within a large residence of the mountain town, a white-clad man stood at his desk, brush in hand, when his gaze sharpened.

In the next moment, the falcon flew in through the open window, landing steadily in front of him and calling out twice.

The white-clad man set aside his brush, reached out to hold the falcon close, and then unfastened a small metal tube tied to its leg.

Twisting off the cap, a scroll of silk paper fell out.

The white-clad man did not open the scroll immediately. Instead, he opened a nearby food box, taking out several pieces of fresh beef and fragrant flowers to feed the falcon.

After stroking the falcon, which was happily devouring its meal, he finally unfolded the scroll of silk paper.

Inside, the paper was densely filled with text, and the white-clad man’s expression grew serious after just a glance.

By the time he finished reading, his face had darkened.

The falcon, now full, sensed the tension from the white-clad man and tucked its head in, letting out a low call.

The white-clad man closed his eyes to contemplate for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, “Immediately summon Elder Pang and Elder Sun; we have an important matter to discuss!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice from outside the study responded, “At once!”

The white-clad man sat down in his chair, his expression shifting continually.

After a brief moment, a dignified-looking elder and an elegant middle-aged man arrived together.

“Greetings, Master!”

The two greeted the white-clad man in unison.

“No need for such formality.”

The white-clad man waved his hand and then handed over the scroll of silk paper. “This is a red message just sent from Taiping County; you should both take a look.”

The dignified elder took the scroll first. Upon seeing the five red seals marked on the paper, he was taken aback.

His organization had a strict communication protocol, and a red message indicated that the intelligence was related to the Blood Guard. The five seals represented a matter of utmost urgency, the highest level of confidential document.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been directly delivered into the white-clad man’s hands!

After reading the document, the elder was momentarily speechless before passing it to the elegant man beside him.

The elegant man frowned deeply while reading and finally couldn’t help but voice his thoughts, “Is this news from Taiping County accurate? A sixteen-year-old fifth level martial sect master seems too extraordinary.”

“There is no doubt about it!”

The white-clad man exclaimed decisively. “I already have a considerable amount of information about this person.”

“Ling Zhiyuan, the legitimate son of the Zhang family in Anyang, Jingnan County. His father died due to family disputes, and he has now established himself independently, changing his name to Wang Chen. He is a fifth level martial sect master, Qiandu of the Blood Guard, and has just been promoted to Grand General of Demon Suppression!”

“Huang Jue, the Protector, died at this person’s hands, so his strength is undeniable.”

The dignified elder and elegant man exchanged glances.

“This person’s talent in martial arts is so exceptional that it is rare to see in a century. If he is allowed to grow…”

The white-clad man spoke in a deep voice, “He will surely hinder our great cause and is a great enemy of the Qianlong Society!”

“Then kill him!”

The dignified elder replied without hesitation, “The red message says that Wang Chen has already been summoned by the Daye Emperor. We should send someone to intercept and kill him on the way.”

A sixteen-year-old fifth level martial sect master could easily achieve the rank of seventh-tier Martial Saint in the future.

“I think the same.”

The white-clad man nodded, “The problem is, who should we send?”

The refined man pondered for a moment before responding, “The journey from Taiping County to the imperial capital is at least eight thousand li and passes through the Ten Thousand Mountains. We can send a message to the Qianfeng Bandits and instruct them to capture Wang Chen at all costs.”

“The leaders of the Qianfeng Bandits are both fifth level martial sect masters, with over thirty fourth-level martial generals, plus hundreds of elite members. Surely, they can take down a young martial sect master!”

The dignified elder hesitated for a moment. “While the Qianfeng Bandits can certainly handle this person, I fear that their success would provoke the Great Liang court’s full-scale pursuit. This force took a long time to develop…”

If Wang Chen perished in the Ten Thousand Mountains after being ordered to meet the emperor, it would be a shocking event that would infuriate the Daye Emperor, putting the Qianfeng Bandits in great danger.

The reason the Qianfeng Bandits could thrive in the Ten Thousand Mountains is largely that they have not crossed the bottom line of the Great Liang court.

If they draw the Daye Emperor’s wrath, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“It’s fine.”

The white-clad man replied, “We have invested so many resources into the Qianfeng Bandits for a purpose; they are not meant to be mere carefree mountain kings. Besides, so what if the Great Liang court pursues us? It would be a chance to pressure their two leaders!”

“Let’s do it this way.”

He clapped his hands and said, “Elder Pang, relay my orders: the Qianfeng Bandits must do everything to take down Wang Chen. He must not leave the Ten Thousand Mountains.”

“Otherwise, there will be severe punishment!”

The dignified elder felt a chill in his heart and immediately bowed, “I will obey!”

The white-clad man waved his hand, signaling for them to leave.

He picked up his brush again.

However, looking at the unfinished painting on the desk, he lost all interest in completing it.

For some reason, the left eyelid of the president of the Qianlong Society suddenly twitched, giving him an uneasy feeling.

He threw down the brush on the table and stepped over to the window.

He saw dark clouds gathering in the once clear sky, as if a storm was approaching!

At the same time, far away in Donglu Prefecture City, Wang Chen was about to embark on his journey to the imperial capital.

He had just received the holy decree yesterday and needed to set off today to avoid missing the opportunity to meet the emperor, lest a good situation turn bad.

This trip to the capital was rushed; Wang Chen couldn’t take Xi Jun with him to Daye. As such, he entrusted her care to Yao Peng.

Xi Jun was originally from the Yao family, so it would be like returning home.

This way, Wang Chen would not have to worry about her safety while he was away from Donglu City.

“After I meet with the emperor, I will come back and take you away from here.”

Wang Chen understood well that after this audience with the emperor, the chances of him returning to his post in Donglu Prefecture were very low.

Even if the Daye Emperor did not speak in his favor, the Yiluan Directorate would arrange for him elsewhere.

The Yiluan Directorate belonged to the inner palace and was the supreme authority of the Blood Guard.

So, Wang Chen was unsure of where he would end up; staying in Daye was also a strong possibility, but he would have to wait until everything settled down before taking Xi Jun with him.

“Mm.”

Xi Jun, in his arms, nodded obediently, looking into Wang Chen’s eyes, her affection deep and tender: “I will wait for you.”

Wang Chen felt a warmth in his heart and couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her.

He released her only when she was nearly melted in his embrace, laughing heartily as he stepped out the door.

Riding his yellow horse, Wang Chen set out on his journey once more.

As he dashed through the street, he looked back at his residence.

He saw Xi Jun still standing at the doorway, looking delicate like a little grass in the wind.