395: interrogation

His gaze fell upon Mysterious Clarity Master, his expression shifting slightly.

As the State Preceptor of Tianqi, Mysterious Clarity Master was a Nascent Soul Cultivator personally certified by the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty. His status was special; he was a Cultivator of the divination lineage, and he had always maintained a low profile with a good reputation, making him far superior to ordinary Loose Cultivators.

"Oh? Imperial Advisor, please speak."

Li Zhong's tone softened slightly, and the murderous Qi surrounding him retracted a bit.

Mysterious Clarity Master said in a deep voice:

"Daoist Ming Ya's Immortal Cave is the ruin of a mighty expert. Its core Restrictions are bizarre and unpredictable, containing turbulent Spatial Power and ancient remnant arrays. Ordinary Cultivators wouldn't dare to set foot there lightly. My trip to the Southern Border this time was originally to investigate, but I happened to encounter several foreign Nascent Soul Cultivators there as well. Among them were Elder Yin Gu of the Xuan Yin Sect and Village Elder Gongsun of the Poison Scorpion Cult. These two were ambitious. To fight for the Legacy treasures in the core of the Immortal Cave, they were the first to ignore the Imperial Dynasty's prohibition and forcibly unsealed their Cultivation. This triggered a chain reaction of the Immortal Cave's Restrictions, leading to its collapse and the ensuing chaos."

He paused and continued:

"Withered Bone Ascetic of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect, Widow Ya of the Poison Scorpion Cult, Manager Mo Chenggui of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce, Elder Luo Yu of the Xihua Sect, and the Loose Cultivator Bai Qingtian were also inside the Immortal Cave at the time. They were all forced to unseal themselves for self-preservation to escape the cave with their lives. It was by no means an intentional violation of the Imperial Dynasty's laws. Furthermore, after exiting the cave, these five immediately sent word to the Qintian Division to report the matter in detail, not daring to show the slightest negligence or concealment."

Li Zhong listened expressionlessly, his brow furrowing slightly. His aura grew even heavier, making it impossible to tell whether he believed it or not.

After a long while, he finally spoke coldly with an unquestionable authority:

"Whether it was unintentional will be judged by the Imperial Dynasty's Qintian Division; it is not for us to decide. Everyone involved whose Cultivation showed fluctuations must undergo an investigation by the Qintian Division. Where are Withered Bone Ascetic, Mo Chenggui, Widow Ya, Luo Yu, and Bai Qingtian now?"

Mysterious Clarity Master calculated inwardly, but his face remained calm as he slowly replied:

"Fellow Daoist Withered Bone Ascetic was seriously injured during the cave's collapse and has returned to the Ten Thousand Gu Sect for secluded meditation to stabilize his injuries. Manager Mo Chenggui has returned to the Royal Capital and is busy coordinating supplies from the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce to aid the tribes and towns in the Southern Border affected by the war and the cave collapse, as a sign of remorse and compensation. Fellow Daoist Widow Ya led the injured Disciples of the Poison Scorpion Cult back to their Sect for healing, and Fellow Daoist Luo Yu did the same. As for Fellow Daoist Bai Qingtian, his injuries are severe, and he is still in the Southern Border receiving treatment."

Li Zhong remained silent for a long while, an imperceptible trace of wariness flashing in his eyes.

Daoist Ming Ya was a mighty Cultivator, and his secluded Immortal Cave containing ancient remnant arrays and Spatial Power was understandable.

If it was truly as Mysterious Clarity Master said, then this matter was not entirely the fault of the Tianqi Dynasty and these Cultivators.

However, the laws of the Imperial Dynasty were strict. Unsealing one's Cultivation without permission was a serious crime. As a sky patrol commander, he could not simply take one person's word and close the case hastily.

"The truth of the matter will be investigated thoroughly by my people; there is no room for falsehood."

Li Zhong spoke slowly, his tone brooks no doubt as he continued:

"Mysterious Clarity Master, send word immediately to Withered Bone Ascetic, Bai Qingtian, and Mo Chenggui, telling them to come to the Royal Capital at once for investigation. If things are truly as you say and they were forced to unseal themselves, I may show leniency and not pursue their crimes of violating the law. At the same time, I will arrange for Cultivators from the Qintian Division to re-Seal their Cultivation so they may strictly abide by the Imperial Dynasty's laws."

Pausing, a hint of wariness flashed in his eyes again, and his tone softened slightly:

"As for Widow Ya and Luo Yu, as well as the Poison Scorpion Cult and Xihua Sect behind them, I will personally pay a visit to their old Sect Leader and old Sect Master to verify the situation in person."

Hearing this, Mysterious Clarity Master breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally settling.

He quickly cupped his hands again and bowed in gratitude:

"Thank you for your understanding, Commander Li. I will send word to the three of them immediately and order them to come to the Royal Capital without delay."

Li Zhong nodded slightly and said no more. The Black Iron Armor around him flashed, and he flew back to the sky patrol warship.

On the deck, the soldiers who had come with the warship remained solemn, their pressure not diminishing in the slightest, as if the conversation just now had never occurred.

After Li Zhong left, Li Xuan hurried forward and asked urgently:

"Imperial Advisor, does Commander Li Zhong's intention mean he will no longer make things difficult for my Tianqi Dynasty?"

Mysterious Clarity Master shook his head, his gaze solemn:

"It is still unknown. Commander Li Zhong only spoke to me about the unsealing; he did not mention the matter of Undergoing Tribulation. We should just cooperate fully. Let's wait until those three Fellow Daoists arrive at the capital for investigation before discussing anything else."

Hearing this, although Li Xuan was still uneasy, he knew what Mysterious Clarity Master said was true. He could only nod and lead Mysterious Clarity Master to the side hall to wait.

While the Tianqi Royal Capital was filled with rising winds and scudding clouds and the people were in a state of panic, the Tianqi Southern Border tens of thousands of miles away presented a completely different and peculiar scene.

Since the collapse of Daoist Ming Ya's Immortal Cave, the Ten Thousand Gu Sect and the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce had spared no expense, investing massive amounts of manpower, materials, and wealth to push forward the reconstruction of the Southern Border.

Muddy Official Roads were leveled and smoothed, and merchant caravans laden with grain, medicinal herbs, cloth, and farm tools shuttled between the mountains and villages of the Southern Border, delivering urgently needed supplies to every affected tribe and town.

In the past, the Disciples of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect had always been arrogant and domineering, acting ruthlessly. The people of the Southern Border avoided them and even harbored grievances.

But this time, they had completely changed their ways. Wearing their Sect robes, they rolled up their sleeves and personally helped the people clear ruins, build houses, and reclaim wasteland, without a hint of pretension.

Furthermore, Disciples within the Ten Thousand Gu Sect who were skilled in medicine took the initiative to set up temporary medical sheds to treat injuries and detoxify the commoners, distributing Medicinal Pills with a humble attitude, a far cry from their former selves.

The caravans of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce were even busier. They not only ensured the supply routes remained unobstructed, continuously transporting resources from the Great Zhou, the Northern Border, and the Royal Capital to the Southern Border, but also opened temporary shops in various towns to sell daily necessities like grain, salt, and farm tools at fair prices. They even distributed food for free to the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled, a complete departure from the typical profit-seeking nature of merchants.

Many Southern Border tribes who had originally hated the Ten Thousand Gu Sect to the bone and were wary of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce found their hostility and wariness gradually softening after receiving such substantial help.

They might still have many doubts, not knowing why these two major forces had suddenly changed their attitude, but survival was, after all, the top priority.

At this moment, outside a village destroyed by the fighting of Cultivators, Withered Bone Ascetic was personally overseeing his Disciples as they reclaimed fertile land.

He was tall and had a fierce, menacing face with bulging flesh. A hideous string of Skull Prayer Beads hung around his neck, and he still emitted a faint Evil Qi, though his aura was much more restrained than in the past.

"Move faster! Dig harder!"

Withered Bone Ascetic's voice was like a booming bell, making the eardrums of the surrounding Disciples vibrate:

"The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go back to the Sect for dinner and good wine! If you miss the farming season and leave these mud-legs with no way to survive, I'll be the first to hold you accountable!"

The Disciples under him didn't dare to be lazy. Each of them exerted their full strength, swinging hoes to reclaim the wasteland. Sweat dripped down their faces and soaked their clothes, yet no one dared to stop and rest.

They all knew that Withered Bone Ascetic had a fiery temper and used ruthless methods. If they displeased him, the consequences would be unimaginable.