518: Chapter 518 Imperial Schemes

Inside the hall.

Li Baixiang sat upright, fiddling with a jade cup, his mind filled with images of Ye Nianrui being poisoned and her cultivation being ruined, just waiting for the good news.

As soon as the Cultivator entered, he fell to his knees with a "thud," his knees hitting the bluestone floor heavily, making a dull sound.

He was trembling all over, his forehead pressed against the ground, not even having the courage to look up at Li Baixiang.

"Young... Young Master... your Subordinate is incompetent and deserves ten thousand deaths!"

His voice trembled; without waiting for Li Baixiang to ask, he recounted everything about the trip to the Northern Frontier in detail, not daring to hide anything:

"The Northern Frontier City Lords Mansion's defenses are tight beyond imagination! There are hidden and open sentries everywhere, and there are no fewer than three Golden Core Cultivators secretly stationed inside! Your Subordinate only has a Foundation Establishment cultivation; under their Divine Sense coverage, I didn't even dare approach the mansion gate, let alone sneak into the inner courtyard!"

"Your Subordinate also tried to bribe the servants, but those servants were all loyal and incorruptible. As soon as they saw my suspicious behavior, they were going to call someone to arrest me! Fearing that I would expose my tracks and ruin your grand plans, I could only return first and ask for your punishment!"

Before he could finish speaking...

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

The expectation on Li Baixiang's face froze instantly, replaced by a towering rage.

He slammed the table, the force from his palm making the cups jump. His expectations vanished, and he felt a surge of anger rush to his head, making his vision go dark and his blood boil.

"Clang—"

He kicked over the long table in front of him, sending fine wine, food, jade bowls, and porcelain plates crashing to the ground in a messy heap.

Li Baixiang pointed at the trembling Cultivator on the ground, his eyes wide with fury, roaring loudly:

"A mere Northern Frontier City Lords Mansion is just a small separatist territory. How dare they have three Golden Core Cultivators? You are clearly afraid of death and retreated, making up lies to deceive me!"

"Your Subordinate wouldn't dare! Every word I said is true; that Golden Core pressure was real. Even if I had a hundred times more courage, I wouldn't dare deceive the Young Master!"

The Cultivator kowtowed repeatedly in fear, blood soon staining the bluestone floor, looking incredibly pathetic.

Li Baixiang's chest heaved violently, his face as pale as a ghost, trembling all over with rage.

He had meticulously planned this poisonous scheme, wanting to quietly ruin Ye Nianrui and sever Situ Jun's arm, making that guy suffer and avenging his previous humiliation.

But in the end, the death-sworn soldier he sent hadn't even touched the edge of the City Lord's Mansion before slinking back like a dog with its tail between its legs!

Failure at the final step!

What alarmed him even more was that if he were slightly careless and left any clues, and Situ Jun realized he was behind it, with that guy's ruthless methods, he would surely seek frantic revenge.

At that time, the Duke Protectors Residence losing face would be a small matter; making a deadly enemy of the Tianqi Dynasty for no reason would bring endless trouble!

"Situ Jun! Ye Nianrui!"

Li Baixiang roared at the sky, his voice hoarse and venomous, almost tearing his throat, the hatred in his eyes nearly overflowing.

He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, his chest aching with rage, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"I don't believe that my Great Yue Duke Protectors Residence can't do anything to you two!"

"Today's humiliation, today's defeat, I, Li Baixiang, will remember it!"

"One day, I will make both of you pay back a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"

...

On the other side, the Tianlong Imperial Capital.

This ancient majestic city was surrounded by Spiritual Qi and spiraling Dragon Qi.

The Qintian Division, as the core center for the Imperial Dynasty to peer into heavenly secrets and monitor the world's Cultivators, had always been the most feared existence by various powers.

And at this moment, on the seventh floor of this strictly guarded institution, inside the Vice Division Master's room.

Yang Ye stood with his hands behind his back by the carved window, his black official robes fluttering without wind, his whole body exuding the cold aura of someone long in a high position.

A flash of spiritual light appeared at his fingertips, and a secret report sound transmission talisman appeared in his hand.

He had already read the contents; seeing the jade talisman now, he couldn't help but feel a slight surge of anger. The force in his hand unconsciously increased, and the jade talisman flashed with light, nearly breaking.

Outside the window, the Tianlong Imperial Capital was as bustling as ever.

Traffic flowed on Vermilion Bird Avenue, people were like a weaving stream, buildings reached the clouds, wine flags fluttered, and the clamor of voices and carriages could still be faintly heard across the palace walls.

A scene of peace and prosperity, with people living in happiness.

But Yang Ye's brow furrowed tighter and tighter, a deep gloom settling between his eyebrows.

The contents of the jade talisman were concise and to the point, each word like a needle piercing his eyes—

"Situ Jun, the City Lord of the Northern Frontier, announced to the whole city the day after his son's full-moon feast that he has officially established Ye Nianrui as his Dao Companion..."

A small line of text at the end made his heart sink even further:

"The woman Ye Nianrui has the same name as the behind-the-scenes manager of the 'Cultivator Pavilion.' After investigation, this woman just returned to the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty from the Tianlong Imperial Capital and is very likely the behind-the-scenes manager of the 'Cultivator Pavilion.'"

Yang Ye slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with churning undercurrents.

Ye Nianrui.

This name had finally completely emerged from the layers of mist.

To trace the background of the Cultivator Pavilion, the Qintian Division had spent months of painstaking effort.

From the Cultivator Pavilion's strange supply channels, they traced it to the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce, then to the Xihua Sect, and all the way into the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The more they investigated, the more alarmed the Qintian Division became—

The Cultivator Pavilion seemed like an ordinary shop, but its connections spanned several Dynasties. The breadth of its involvement and the depth of its power were far beyond imagination.

If Ye Nianrui truly were the person behind the Cultivator Pavilion...

Then her relationship with Situ Jun could never be a simple Dao Companion relationship.

And Situ Jun, who had barely cleared his suspicion not long ago, would have the label of "extremely suspicious" stamped on him once again.

"Vice Division Master."

Behind him, a respectful and cautious voice sounded.

A Silver Armored Envoy bowed, his gaze lowered, not daring to look directly at Yang Ye's back, and said softly:

"Your Subordinate has one thing he doesn't understand."

"Speak."

Yang Ye's voice was indifferent, without a hint of emotion.

The messenger weighed his words carefully, fearing to offend this deep-thinking Vice Division Master:

"Even if Ye Nianrui is the person behind the Cultivator Pavilion, so what? The Cultivator Pavilion is just a shop, conducting legitimate business, never violating the Imperial Dynasty's laws, let alone committing any acts of rebellion..."

The implication was that such a large-scale investigation was really not worth it.

Yang Ye was silent for a long time, then slowly turned around and paced back to sit at his desk.

On the large red sandalwood desk, a thick stack of files was spread out, each marked with the word "Top Secret"—all intelligence regarding Situ Jun, the mysterious Tribulation Crossing Cultivator, and the Cultivator Pavilion.

He slowly flipped through them one by one, his gaze changing from sharp and cold to complex and difficult to read.

On the files, Situ Jun's life was crystal clear.

This person had risen in just a few short years, from a servant in the City Lord's Mansion with no cultivation who was trampled on by others, all the way up against the heavens. Now, he was publicly declared to be at the Golden Core Peak.

He suppressed the Northern Frontier rebellion, recruited talents from all directions, expanded the city, and befriended various major surrounding powers, turning a desolate and impoverished border town into a thriving place, showing the posture of a regional hegemon.

What alarmed Yang Ye even more was—

Under his command, there were Golden Core Stage fierce generals like Zhu Changpo and Tu Xiong who were wholeheartedly loyal;

Mo Chenggui of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce was assisting with all his might;

There were secret dealings with Jianghu Sects like the Xihua Sect and the Poison Scorpion Cult;

Even the Dao Companions by his side all had extraordinary identities and shocking backgrounds:

The wife of the former Northern Frontier City Lord and Princess of Tianqi, Li Danying;

The former Empress of Tianqi, Jiang Yan;

The former Noble Consort of Tianqi, Xia Wei;

Now, there was another behind-the-scenes manager of the Cultivator Pavilion—Ye Nianrui.

With such a lineup and such connections, if one said it was just a coincidence, Yang Ye wouldn't believe it even if he blinded himself.

This person... was definitely not an ordinary man.

"Vice Division Master."

The Silver Armored Envoy stepped forward again and reported in a low voice:

"The Southern Region Inspection Division is still waiting for news, asking whether to continue investigating the Cultivator Pavilion's background. Also... regarding Ye Nianrui, should we send people to monitor her secretly?"

Yang Ye raised his hand and pressed down slightly, stopping his next words.

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath of turbid air.

Outside, the bustle of the Imperial Capital was still at its Peak, with voices, carriages, and the cries of vendors interweaving into a vivid and prosperous scene.

But in Yang Ye's heart, an incredibly difficult weighing was taking place.

Initially investigating the Cultivator Pavilion was just out of curiosity about its strange rise.

But now, the clues led all the way to the Northern Frontier of Tianqi, to Situ Jun, and even to the mysterious Tribulation Crossing Cultivator. Everything had changed.

He could almost be certain that Situ Jun was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

That mysterious Tribulation Crossing Cultivator who had disappeared for many months and whom the entire Heavenly Dragon Dynasty could not find was very likely Situ Jun.

Even if he wasn't, the suspicion on Situ Jun was enough to put him at the top of the list.

And more importantly—

The passage to the Immortal Realm was about to be unsealed.

The Imperial Dynasty needed a large number of top experts to guard the passage and maintain the order and peace of the continent. At this moment, it was absolutely inappropriate to fall out with a suspicious person like Situ Jun.

Once Situ Jun was identified as a suspect, then investigating the Cultivator Pavilion and monitoring Ye Nianrui would become redundant actions, and might even offend Situ Jun, this hidden 'Tribulation Crossing Cultivator,' leading to a great disaster.