109: Pretending to be a special envoy

In the territory of the Northern City Manor, the wind blew like knives all year round.

The Spirit Stone Mine Tunnel guarded by Situ Jun was deeply embedded in the heart of the desolate mountain range, its entrance like the throat of a crouching giant beast.

Deep within the cave, pure Spiritual Qi was imprisoned in the cold rock layers, nourishing the Northern City Manor as well as certain insatiable ambitions.

Situ Jun sat cross-legged in a side cave deep within the Mine Tunnel.

His indigo steward robes were soaked through with moisture.

On the wall in front of him was a map of the Tianqi Dynasty's territory, which also displayed markings for nearby Dynasties, the map shimmering with the faint ghostly light of runes.

The sound of night patrol footsteps outside the cave faded away, and dead silence returned.

Situ Jun suddenly opened his eyes.

In the depths of his weary eyes, a flicker of ghostly blue cold electricity, imperceptible to normal humans, flashed across his pupils—the Eye of Detection.

Frontier Town—City Lord's Manor study.

Bei Batian's face was distorted like a trapped beast as he stared fixedly at a tattered Jade Slip on the desk that emitted a faint, cold light.

This tattered Jade Slip was covered in web-like gray cracks, and a cold, deathly evil Qi was evaporating from it!

The aura of that Jade Slip was clearly the brand of the "Xihua Sect"!

This Jade Slip was something he had obtained by chance; before it was damaged, it was actually an Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique, but after being damaged, the subsequent techniques were incomplete, barely reaching the High Mystery-Grade.

Although it was incomplete, it still attracted Bei Batian, and Cultivating the techniques on it led to Qi Deviation, causing his Qi to reverse into his Dantian.

Although he preserved his Cultivation, he lost his dignity as a man; he did not dare to easily return to the City Lord's Manor in Northern Frontier City, nor did he dare to approach his wives and concubines.

In a magnificent but cold courtyard not far from Bei Batian's study, the figure of a beautiful woman was steeped in loneliness, resting her chin in her hand as she sighed while staring at the koi in the pond.

Her name was Mei Shuang, forty years old, a former concubine of the Zhou Dynasty who had been kept in Frontier Town ever since she was seized by Bei Batian.

But after Bei Batian brought her here, he would berate and insult her at every turn, and he forbade her from approaching any other man.

At the Northern Frontier Spirit Stone Mine Tunnel.

Situ Jun opened his eyes, a flicker of joy flashing in them; his injured Meridians had finally fully healed.

He immediately stood up and quietly left the mining area, heading toward the border of the Zhou Dynasty, which was the place guarded by Bei Batian.

He was going to meet this overlord of the Northern Frontier, otherwise he could never truly stop worrying about Su Yunniang and the others in the Northern City Manor.

Along the way, Situ Jun relied on his Mid Golden Core Stage Cultivation to sweep through everything; whenever he encountered those at the Foundation Establishment Stage gathered in small groups, regardless of whether they had designs on the Spirit Stone Mine Tunnel, he broke their legs without exception.

This resulted in many innocent people being accidentally injured.

Three days later, at noon.

A black carriage pulled by two rare "Wind-Treading Wolves" stopped silently in front of the solemn vermilion gates of the City Lord's Manor.

The carriage had no insignia, only a relief of an extremely eerie, half-bloomed and half-withered strange flower carved on the door, with blood-colored patterns faintly flowing along the edges of the petals.

The Guards were as if facing a great enemy, pointing their halberds and blades toward it.

The carriage door slid open silently. A figure slowly stepped out.

The newcomer wore a voluminous black cloak with the hood pulled low, covering most of his face and only revealing a cold, hard jawline.

The texture of the cloak was strange, as if it could absorb light, and he moved without a sound.

His entire body emitted a faint, heart-palpitating cold aura, as well as the aura of a Golden Core powerhouse!

He ignored the Guards and walked straight toward the main gate.

The Guard leader felt an invisible pressure weighing down like a mountain and could not even muster the thought of blocking him, subconsciously stepping aside.

"Xihua Sect, Special Envoy visiting. Inform City Lord Bei."

The voice came from under the hood, hoarse and low, with a strange rhythm like metal scraping, cold and devoid of any emotion.

The Guard leader trembled all over; the three words "Xihua Sect" were like a clap of thunder!

He scrambled and rushed into the manor.

A moment later, the heavy vermilion gates swung wide open.

Bei Batian actually came out to greet him personally! Dressed in fine clothes, his face was covered in an unprecedented, almost fawning smile, though deep in his eyes were hidden uncontrollable fear and a hint of wild joy.

"I did not know the Special Envoy was visiting! Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner! I beg for your forgiveness!"

Bei Batian bowed deeply, adopting an extremely low posture.

This Special Envoy was naturally Situ Jun in disguise, an idea he had come up with on a whim to make it easier to investigate Bei Batian's background.

Looking at the powerful middle-aged man before him, Situ Jun's eyes flickered, and he sighed in his heart.

He had finally met the Lord of Northern Frontier who had worried him for months, Bei Batian.

He took a deep look at Bei Batian, and the Eye of Detection opened accordingly:

[Name: Bei Batian]

[Age: 150 years old]

[Identity: City Lord of Northern Frontier City]

[Cultivation: Mid Golden Core Stage]

[Favorability: 20]

[heavenly luck value: 6000]

[Recent Evaluation: Liu Xuaner's disappearance has frustrated his plans to curry favor with Zhuang Xian, and the flaws in his Cultivation Technique have left him unable to perform sexually. He is currently planning to send his concubines Jiang Ya and Mei Shuang to the Xihua Sect in exchange for a healing Medicinal Pill.]

Seeing this information, Situ Jun's breathing couldn't help but quicken slightly; he had never understood why Bei Batian disliked returning to the City Lord's Manor and interacting with his wives, and the reason turned out to be a cultivation mishap.

Furthermore, Bei Batian's heavenly luck value was also too high; even after he had stripped so much of it away, there was still 6000 left. If he hadn't stripped it, wouldn't his Aptitude have allowed him to ascend to the Nascent Soul Stage?

Seeing that the 'Special Envoy' remained silent, Bei Batian couldn't help but smile awkwardly and say:

"Special Envoy, please come inside."

Although he didn't understand why this "Special Envoy" was being so cold, he didn't dare to be the least bit negligent, and he even faintly hoped the other party could solve his predicament.

The "Special Envoy" nodded slightly, and under the shadow of the hood, Situ Jun steadied his breathing.

As he stepped forward, his black cloak brushed over the threshold, and the cold aura made the Guards standing on both sides shiver involuntarily.

Inside the luxurious study, sandalwood smoke curled up, but it could not suppress the thick aura emanating from Bei Batian.

He personally served the spirit tea, his posture almost humble.

"I wonder what instructions the Special Envoy has for visiting my humble manor?" Bei Batian asked tentatively, his heart pounding wildly.

The "Special Envoy" did not touch the cup of tea.

He sat as still as a statue, and the hand under the black cloak slowly rose, revealing pale, slender fingers.

Between his fingertips, he held a flat black box that was neither metal nor jade.

On the lid of the box was also carved that eerie Xihua Sect insignia.

"I wouldn't dare give instructions."

The hoarse, cold voice rang out.

"I have a friendship with Saint Zhuang Xian. Hearing that you work for him, I brought some cultivation Medicinal Pills while passing through the northern lands. However, I have discovered that your Cultivation has gone awry, and your Meridians are severely damaged."

Bei Batian's expression changed, cold sweat poured down, and the last trace of his calm demeanor vanished completely!

The other party could actually directly sense the backlash from his Cultivation Technique! This was definitely a true high-level member of the Xihua Sect!

"The Special Envoy is wise!"

Bei Batian's voice trembled, and with a thud, he actually fell to one knee on the ground:

"Subordinate... Subordinate accidentally obtained an Incomplete Manual and Cultivated improperly, resulting in damage to my Dantian and lower yin... lower yin Meridians! I beg the Special Envoy for mercy, save me from my hidden ailment!"

At this moment, he no longer had any of the dignity of a City Lord, looking like a drowning man clutching at a straw.

The "Special Envoy"—Situ Jun—sneered in his heart, his Eye of Detection clearly "seeing" the fear and greed deep within the other's Soul.