329: They started fighting as soon as they met.

Inside the Quiet Garden.

Zhang Bai looked at Feng Ming and Lu Qianqian, saying smugly, "Well? Do you believe me now? Don't you envy me? I don't even have to fight for the top ten to attend the Investiture Ceremony."

"You're dying of envy, aren't you? Tsk tsk!"

Hearing this, Lu Qianqian rolled her eyes and snapped, "Oh, look at you acting all high and mighty. You've even developed a sense of superiority from using the back door. How shameless!"

Zhang Bai didn't mind and said smugly, "So what if I used the back door? You want to, but can you?"

"Just go ahead and be green with envy."

Lu Qianqian huffed, her face full of disdain. "I might not have a back door to use, but I can let my next generation use one. Isn't that more impressive than you?"

Hearing this, Zhang Bai immediately became indignant. "I can use it, and my next generation will have even less of a problem. I think you're just jealous."

Lu Qianqian wanted to retort, but Feng Ming quickly stopped them: "No, what's wrong with you two? You start bickering the moment you meet. Aren't you tired?"

"Especially you, Zhang Bai. Didn't you like Qianqian before? What's the situation now? Why don't you have any gentlemanly grace anymore?"

Zhang Bai chuckled and quickly said, "Look at what you're saying. I've already acknowledged you as my big brother, so there's naturally no chance with her. Since there's no chance, why should I bother acting like a gentleman? It's exhausting!"

"I despise you!" Lu Qianqian snorted. "Hypocrite! Bah!"

Feng Ming saw the two about to start bickering again and was somewhat speechless, so he quickly changed the subject. "By the way, aren't we going to the Imperial Capital? Why did the old man call us to the Quiet Garden? Even Jiang Bing is here."

Zhang Bai smiled and said, "You wouldn't know this, but to go to the Imperial Capital, you have to leave from the Quiet Garden!"

"Jiang Bing is the leader this time. Since Jiang Yan was ousted, he is now the acting family head of the Jiang Family. He's leading the team to the Imperial Capital to get acquainted. After all, he'll be the spokesperson for the Jiang Family in the future, so someone in the Imperial Capital needs to know him."

"As for leaving from the Quiet Garden, it's because the only Teleportation Formation in all of Liang Province is right here!"

"The only one?" Feng Ming frowned; he really hadn't known about this.

If that was the case, then this King Haoyue was quite interesting.

"Exactly!" Zhang Bai nodded. "This is the cultivation world; you didn't think there were really no Teleportation Formations, did you? It's just that these things are strictly controlled. If King Haoyue discovers a private one, the entire clan will be executed!"

Feng Ming already had a suspicion, and it turned out to be true.

Lu Qianqian was puzzled: "Why?"

"Because of security, of course!" Zhang Bai explained. "In the entire Haoyue, there are only nine known Teleportation Formations, corresponding to one for each of the Nine Provinces."

"It's not that Haoyue can't afford to build them, but it's safer this way. Normally, even the Provincial Governors don't have the authority to use these nine Formations; they can only be used with authorization from the Bright Moon Dynasty."

Feng Ming nodded upon hearing this. Previously, when Huangfu Mo rushed to Qingyang City, he didn't have the authority to use it. But when Jiang Qinghe reported the discovery of an evil cultivator, the Demon Extermination Division arrived and could use it after receiving authorization.

He hadn't thought much about it before and didn't know there was such a connection.

Now that he understood a bit more, Feng Ming became a little more wary of King Haoyue.

Zhang Bai continued, "The nine Teleportation Formations can send people to each other, but that also requires the Bright Moon Dynasty's consent. For example, Feng Ming, if you were to take office in another province, you could apply for a transfer; otherwise, you'd have to travel slowly."

"The Teleportation Formations within the Imperial Capital's range are also very remote. It takes us a month to travel to the Imperial Capital for the investiture and back. The half-month journey there is almost entirely wasted on the second half of the trip."

"The Teleportation Formation can send us directly to the Imperial Capital's vicinity, but from the Imperial Capital to the Imperial City, it still takes half a month of travel."

Feng Ming instantly understood the deeper meaning: If the Provincial Governors rebelled and tried to force a coup, the fastest way would be to use Teleportation Formations. But with only nine in the Nine Provinces, it greatly limited the number of people who could participate in a coup.

Even after reaching the Imperial Capital, the half-month journey to the Imperial City gave King Haoyue ample time to respond.

Conversely, if King Haoyue wanted to suppress a rebellion, he could use the Teleportation Formations to arrive in any province instantly. He might even have a Teleportation Formation in the Imperial Palace that only he could use.

To put it bluntly, it was easy for King Haoyue to destroy anyone, but for anyone to destroy King Haoyue, it was as difficult as climbing to the heavens. This was the reason for the strict control over the number of Teleportation Formations.

"This King Haoyue is too cautious!" Lu Qianqian clicked her tongue.

Feng Ming, however, didn't think much of it. To consolidate power, what wouldn't those in high positions do?

When he had chatted with Wu Qingyue before, she had used sheep in a pen as a metaphor for the citizens of the Bright Moon Dynasty.

She even warned Feng Ming that even the master of this Dynasty could not be fully trusted.

Now, hearing about the layout of the Teleportation Formations, this feeling grew stronger. Weren't all the people of the Bright Moon Dynasty like sheep confined in a cage?

Life and death were entirely at King Haoyue's whim.

While they were chatting, Jiang Qinghe finally appeared. With a wave of his hand, a Formation appeared out of thin air.

Jiang Bing stepped forward and said, "Once we enter the Teleportation Formation, we will immediately arrive in the vicinity of the Imperial Capital. From the Imperial Capital to the Imperial City, it's a half-month journey. It's not like Liang Province there, so follow my arrangements for everything. If there's nothing else, prepare to depart!"

Everyone nodded. As they were lining up to enter the Teleportation Formation, there was suddenly a loud "bang," and the ground shook as if something had exploded.

Jiang Qinghe frowned and looked in one direction. Soon, a subordinate ran over: "My Lord! There was an explosion in the direction of the Black Mountain Mine. People have been sent to investigate!"

"Black Mountain Mine?" Feng Ming was startled. That was the mine where Huangfu Jing had been sent. An explosion occurred shortly after Huangfu Jing went there, and not even his body was found. He didn't expect a second explosion to occur after so long.

"You all depart. The Black Mountain Mine hasn't been operational since the last explosion. This should be a secondary collapse; there won't be any new casualties," Jiang Qinghe said.

Jiang Bing nodded and called out, "Don't worry about that. Going to the Imperial Capital for the investiture is the priority!"

After saying that, he was the first to step into the Teleportation Formation, and Zhang Bai and the others followed one after another.

Feng Ming looked toward the mountains, feeling inexplicably uneasy. Lu Qianqian comforted him, "Let's go. It's just a secondary collapse. It's impossible for anyone to still be alive in there."

"Yeah." Feng Ming nodded and entered the Teleportation Formation with Lu Qianqian. The group vanished instantly, heading for the Imperial Capital.

"As soon as there's news from the Black Mountain Mine, notify me immediately," Jiang Qinghe ordered as soon as everyone had left. The subordinate complied and departed.

No one knew that at the moment of the Black Mountain Mine explosion...

A Black Shadow rushed out at extreme speed. The mine was only a two-day journey from Liangzhou City, and no one noticed.

Two days later, the Black Shadow slipped into Liangzhou City silently. At this time, the Formations in the Trial Grounds had not yet been repaired.

Another day passed, and the Black Shadow had successfully entered the Trial Grounds.

Moreover, his goal was very clear: Yin Feng Valley.

Three days later, inside Yin Feng Valley.

The Black Shadow finally stopped. Before him lay a decomposing corpse; it was Huangfu Rui.

The Black Shadow knelt before the corpse, kowtowed once, and then began to burn the body.

The fire burned the corpse to ashes, but it revealed a bluestone slab underneath, with two lines of words carved on it:

"The one who forced me into this place: Jiang Shuwan!"

"The one who killed me: Huangfu Yunyan!"