79: The real mastermind is actually in the capital?!

It was late at night.

Li Dong had just finished a round of Cultivating the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art. Spiritual power surged within his body, and faint sounds of thunder could be heard.

That trace of Purple Firmament Divine Lightning power, though weak, was exceptionally overbearing, increasing his confidence in dealing with evil by several points.

Just then, a specially made Jade Slip for communication vibrated slightly. It was Inspector Zhou's encrypted signal.

"So late?" Li Dong picked up the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.

"South of the city, abandoned canal dock, Third Pier. Come quickly, and come alone." Inspector Zhou's voice was brief and urgent.

Li Dong frowned slightly. Abandoned canal dock? That place was a mixed bag of people and very remote. Inspector Zhou choosing to meet there indicated the matter was extraordinary.

He didn't delay, changed into an inconspicuous night suit, and quietly left his residence.

The night wind carried moisture, feeling slightly cool on his face.

The abandoned canal dock was quiet, with only a few broken wind lanterns swaying in the breeze, making creaking sounds. Under the moonlight, the shadows of the piers stretched long on the murky water.

Li Dong's figure was like a ghost, arriving at the Third Pier in a few leaps.

At the end of the pier, a figure stood with his back to him, facing the water. It was Inspector Zhou.

"Lord Zhou." Li Dong spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching Inspector Zhou's ears.

Inspector Zhou slowly turned around. His face appeared somewhat pale in the moonlight, but his eyes were still sharp.

"You've come, kid." His voice carried a hint of fatigue.

"You called me so urgently, what happened?" Li Dong asked directly.

Inspector Zhou looked at Li Dong, his gaze complex. "You, kid, are truly a troublemaker, but also someone who can handle things. This stagnant water in the Prefecture, stirred by you, has certainly caused some ripples."

Li Dong didn't respond, waiting for him to continue.

"Luo Yi and the Lin family have been like rabid dogs lately." Inspector Zhou sighed. "Although Lin Xiaotian has been suspended, the Lin family's Foundation is still there. They are actively trying to get Lin Yunzhi out of the Surveillance Division's prison. Luo Yi is also pressuring me, both openly and secretly, using many tactics."

"Can they get Lin Yunzhi out?" Li Dong asked. With both human and material evidence, if they could still overturn the case, then the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division was too corrupt.

"Difficult." Inspector Zhou shook his head. "The evidence is conclusive, and the entire Prefecture is watching. Luo Yi wouldn't dare to openly bend the law for personal gain. But they won't give up easily; they'll definitely find other ways to retaliate."

He paused, "Especially against you."

Li Dong didn't mind. "I'll be waiting."

Inspector Zhou looked at him, both appreciative and worried. "I've verified the core experimental data chip you sent me. The contents inside... are shocking."

"Can that thing bring them down?" This was what Li Dong cared about most.

"I have already sent some key information from the chip through some covert channels to certain individuals in the Demon Suppression Headquarters in the capital," Inspector Zhou said, his tone not relaxed. "However, the water in the capital is much deeper than it is here. The information sent up is like a stone sinking into the sea; we haven't seen any waves yet."

"Limited effect?" Li Dong caught the key point.

"Mm." Inspector Zhou nodded. "Luo Yi and the Lin family's influence in the Prefecture is just the tip of the iceberg. The people behind them have far greater and more secretive power than we imagined. Now that the Lin family has suffered such a major setback, their behind-the-scenes forces will certainly not sit idly by and are looking for an opportunity to strike back."

He looked at Li Dong, his expression becoming serious: "They might even have started to target me. I've recently felt like someone is secretly watching me, and there seem to be some unusual movements within the Surveillance Division."

Li Dong's heart tightened. Inspector Zhou was also a high-ranking official in the Prefecture Surveillance Division. For him to feel threatened, the other party's background was probably not small.

"Sir, you mean..."

"What I mean is," Inspector Zhou's voice dropped even lower, almost only audible to the two of them, "the 'Forbidden Experiment' the Lin family conducted, and Luo Yi's involvement in it—they might just be pawns, or rather... executors."

"Pawns?" Li Dong chewed on those two words.

"Yes, pawns!" Inspector Zhou's tone was firm. "Think about it: things like the Soul-Devouring Demon Flower, and human experiments of that scale—could the Lin family of a mere Prefecture, or a Demon Suppression Division Commander of a Prefecture, have the guts, the ability, and the channels to touch such things on their own? If there weren't powerful figures behind them giving their nod, providing protection and resources, they wouldn't dare even with a hundred times the courage!"

Li Dong fell silent. Inspector Zhou's words were like an alarm bell ringing in his heart. Although he had thought that there were people behind the Lin family before, he hadn't expected the water to be so deep.

"Then the mastermind..."

"Is far higher in rank than Luo Yi!" Inspector Zhou said, word by word. "It might even involve the capital! It could be some powerful Deputy Commanders within the Demon Suppression Headquarters... or even higher-ranking figures!"

"Deputy Commanders?!" Li Dong's pupils contracted slightly. A Deputy Commander of the Demon Suppression Division was a true behemoth, a figure whose stomp could shake the entire Great Xia Dynasty!

If that were truly the case, then the hornet's nest he had poked was far too large.

No wonder Inspector Zhou said the capital was like a stone sinking into the sea; how could figures of that level be easily shaken by a few pieces of evidence?

"So," Inspector Zhou looked at Li Dong, a hint of solemnity in his eyes, "although you've gained fame for saving the Prefecture, you've also become a thorn in the side of certain people. The real black hand in the capital has probably already set their sights on you."

"Set their sights on me?" Li Dong, instead, laughed. "What do they want to do? Send people to the Prefecture to kill me?"

"That's not impossible." Inspector Zhou said seriously, "For those big figures, crushing you is no more effort than crushing an ant. Although the Prefecture is temporarily safe, you can't stay here forever. I suggest you temporarily leave the Prefecture, find a place to hide, or find a way to seek more powerful protection."

"Hide?" Li Dong shook his head. "Lord Zhou, do you think I can hide? If I just leave, what about my parents, my sister, and those in Mu Shi County who trust me? Will those black hands let them go?"

He countered, his tone calm, yet revealing an undeniable determination.

"Escaping is not the solution. There's only a thousand days of being a thief, but no thousand days of guarding against a thief. Only by truly hurting them, scaring them, and even uprooting them, can I truly be safe."

Inspector Zhou looked at the young man before him, momentarily lost in thought. He had seen too many people retreat in the face of power and danger, but rarely had he seen someone like Li Dong, who, knowing there was a tiger on the mountain, still headed towards it.

"You, kid..." Inspector Zhou gave a wry smile. "I knew you'd say that."

"Then you called me here today not just to warn me, right?" Li Dong asked.

"Naturally not." Inspector Zhou took out a Jade Slip from his embrace and handed it to Li Dong. "Inside are some brief pieces of information I've collected over the years about the factional struggles within the Demon Suppression Headquarters in the capital, as well as background information on a few important figures you might need to pay special attention to. It's not much, but it should give you a preliminary understanding of the situation in the capital."

Li Dong took the Jade Slip; it felt cool to the touch. This item was more precious than ten thousand taels of gold.

"The capital..." Li Dong murmured to himself, his eyes deep. "It seems this Prefecture is just a small pond."

He suddenly realized that his true battlefield, perhaps from the very beginning, was not in the Prefecture, but in that distant and mysterious capital. That was the core of this conspiracy, the source of all the darkness.

"Your path is still very long." Inspector Zhou patted him on the shoulder. "The water in the capital is a hundred times murkier and a hundred times more dangerous than in the Prefecture. That is the true Dragon's Den and Tiger's Lair."

"I understand." Li Dong nodded, carefully putting away the Jade Slip. "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

"No need for thanks." Inspector Zhou waved his hand. "I'm also doing this for my own self-preservation. Luo Yi and the Lin family falling benefits me too. Moreover, I don't want to see the Prefecture truly thrown into chaos by those scoundrels."

He looked at the distant lights of the Prefecture city and sighed. "I will do my best to maneuver here in the Prefecture, to restrain Luo Yi and buy you some time. But for the capital, the help I can provide is very limited. The path ahead will mainly depend on you to forge your own way."

"Kid, remember, staying alive is more important than anything. Only by living is there hope." Inspector Zhou finally admonished.

"I, Li Dong, have a tough life." Li Dong grinned, his smile carrying a hint of wildness.

Inspector Zhou looked at him, nodded. "Go. Be careful."

Li Dong said no more, cupped his fists at Inspector Zhou, and with a flash of his figure, disappeared into the night.

Inspector Zhou stood on the pier for a while longer, the night wind rustling his robes.

"The capital... Deputy Commanders..." He muttered to himself, his eyes filled with worry. "Can this kid really overcome this challenge?"

He shook his head, and his figure gradually merged into the darkness.

As for Li Dong, after leaving the canal dock, he did not immediately return to his residence.

He found a secluded corner and immersed his Divine Sense into the Jade Slip Inspector Zhou had given him.

"The Demon Suppression Headquarters in the capital has one Commander, four Deputy Commanders, twelve Captains... Factions are numerous, led by the forces behind the First Prince, the Third Prince, and the Seventh Princess, constantly vying with each other..."

"The son of the Minister of War, current Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, suspected to be connected to the forces behind Luo Yi..."

"The Vice Minister of Revenue, a distant relative of the Lin family, possibly acting on behalf of the Lin family in the capital..."

Although the information in the Jade Slip was brief, it outlined a corner of the intricate power network in the capital.

"Indeed, behind every scoundrel who acts tyrannically in the provinces, there stands a powerful figure in the capital." Li Dong felt a surge of emotion after reading it.

"Deputy Commanders..." He thought of that term again.

It seemed that if he wanted to completely resolve the troubles with the Lin family and Luo Yi, and even uncover the truth of the "Forbidden Experiment," he would ultimately have to confront those behemoths in the capital.

"Immense pressure." Li Dong rubbed his temples. "But, that's what makes it interesting, isn't it?"

He put away the Jade Slip and glanced in the direction of the Prefecture city.

"Luo Yi, Lin family... your accounts are not yet settled. And the black hands in the capital... sooner or later, I will personally go and meet you all!"

He took a deep breath. In the night wind, there seemed to be a hint of the domineering aura of the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art.

The most urgent task at hand was still to improve his strength.

Late Foundation Establishment Stage!

He had to reach the Late Foundation Establishment Stage as soon as possible to have more capital for self-preservation and counterattack.

As for the capital, that would be his next, and inevitably, a grander and more perilous battlefield.