Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 992 New Palace Master

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant looked troubled. After a moment's hesitation, he whispered, "Lord Yun, during the days you were away, those two traitors from the White Lotus Sect, Shen Heilian and Chen Ya, roamed near our pass. They somehow startled the stables, releasing a herd of black-footed horses, and even stole two of their fastest riders… Although most of the remaining horses have been recovered, they are all severely frightened and in very unstable condition, requiring a long period of rest. Right now… I'm afraid we can't spare many strong horses and reliable men to escort you to the capital…"

Without enough horses and manpower, Chen Yunyun would face many dangers if she insisted on going to the capital.

Chen Yunyun shook her head firmly again: "I don't need an escort. Just give me a black horse that can still run, that's enough."

She stood up and took one last deep look at Yan Wenxi's peaceful face, her eyes filled with sorrow yet resolute determination.

Not long after, a magnificent but slightly frightened black horse, carrying a simple bag and a cold pottery jar, set off alone with Chen Yunyun from Suichong Pass, embarking on the long road to the capital without hesitation.

Sandstorms swirled behind her, and the future held uncertainties.

……

Meanwhile, in another extremely eerie place where evil spirits gather, at the deepest part of the Molten Heart Cave.

Here, undercurrents surge and the heat is intense, yet strangely, a gigantic, budding black lotus grows.

The lotus petals are as black as ink, as if they can absorb all light, yet strange dark red patterns flow faintly on them, pulsating like blood vessels.

At this moment, the black lotus, which had been silent for countless years, seemed to... loosen its tightly folded petals slightly.

As if nourished by some distant and chilling "nourishment," it is quietly and gradually blooming at an extremely slow, yet irreversible pace.

An indescribable, chilling aura of evil began to slowly permeate the scorching underground.

The underworld was shrouded in a deathly gray haze at dawn.

The residence of Lord Ya Qingli, the "Qingli Pavilion" that once symbolized the highest authority in the manor but now only exudes a cold aura, is now closed with its doors and windows tightly shut. The wind chimes on the eaves make a few weak tinkling sounds in the breeze, as if they are mourning the deceased.

Throughout the mansion, the atmosphere was as oppressive as solidified lead. The people inside kept their heads down and hurried along, afraid of disturbing or being disturbed by something.

Inside the council chamber, however, the atmosphere was completely different.

Several men dressed in different colored robes sat around a circle, the air filled with a strange ease, even tinged with a hint of schadenfreude and mockery.

Several delicate dishes and a pot of warm wine were laid out on the table, clearly not prepared for a memorial.

"Heh, Ya Qingli..." A slightly plump hall master with a shrewd smile on his face took a sip of wine and smacked his lips. "What do you think she's after? Wouldn't it be better for a woman to be well-behaved? She insists on sitting in the position of the manor lord. And even if she sits in it, she always likes to meddle in other people's business."

A tall, thin man next to him, with a sinister look in his eyes, chimed in, "That's right, Hall Master Zhu is right. Since taking office, she's been constantly causing trouble. Today she's checking this hall's accounts, tomorrow she's meddling in that hall's 'private affairs,' and she even has to ask about the bribes the brothers receive. Does she really think she's some kind of upright and just official?"

"Overestimating yourself!" A loud voice boomed as a hall master with a full beard slammed his hand on the table, making the cups and plates rattle. "What kind of place is our Foolish Underworld? It's a quagmire! A dye vat! Does she think she can cleanse this murky water with her little bit of arrogance and so-called 'rules'? What a joke! In the end, she'll only end up getting herself into trouble."

“Exactly,” Hall Master Zhu put down his wine cup, the smile on his face fading, revealing a genuine annoyance. “He caused us no end of trouble while he was alive, and now that he’s dead, he’s left behind such a mess! The Fengtian Prefecture will definitely come to investigate, and we’ll have to rack our brains to deal with it. It’s really… even in death, he can’t let us have peace!”

"Deal with it?" The gaunt, sinister-looking hall master, surnamed Li, sneered. "Those big shots in Fengtian Prefecture are used to being high and mighty. Why would they really care about the life or death of a mere Foolish Earth Prefecture Lord? It's just a formality. We can make up some excuse, bribe some officials, and get away with it. Ya Qingli... ha, she's just a expendable asset. If she dies, she dies. We can just replace her in that position."

"Master Li's insight is brilliant!" The bearded Master Wang immediately chimed in, "Who among the bigwigs above would care about our little temple? Those below will forget about it after a few days of weeping and wailing. But Master Qian..." Upon mentioning this name, Master Wang's voice lowered, and a solemn expression appeared on his face, "His death was indeed suspicious, as if someone was targeting him."

The moment "Master Qian" was mentioned, the brief moment of relaxation in the hall froze.

The hall masters exchanged glances, each seeing the apprehension and a hint of barely perceptible fear in the other's eyes.

The lord of the manor is a consumable, a nanny, but the hall master is not. The lord of the manor serves the hall master. The hall master is the most important person in the Foolish Land Manor. As a result, the hall master died, so naturally everyone was in danger.

The intensity of the fighting and chaos that erupted last night still leaves them with lingering fear.

Moreover, Master Qian is the strongest person in the manor besides the manor lord. If something happens to him, the other masters will definitely not be able to withstand it either.

"Regarding Master Qian's matter..." Master Zhu rubbed his hands, trying to dispel the chill, "The new Lord of the Prefecture will take care of it. That's his 'welcome gift,' and also his 'trouble.' We just need to do our job and 'explain' Ya Qingli's death clearly."

“Yes, yes!” Hall Master Li nodded. “With the new prefectural lord here, this hot potato has been handed over to him. We’re happy to have some peace and quiet…”

Before the words were finished, the heavy doors of the council chamber were suddenly pushed open, and a chilling, murderous aura rushed in, freezing the remaining smell of alcohol and idle conversation in the chamber.

Two guards, dressed in dark, close-fitting attire with five silver stars embroidered in a ring on their chests, stood like two guardian deities on either side. Their eyes were sharp as eagles, and they exuded an aura of iron will and sharpness. Just their presence alone made the several hall masters in the hall feel breathless.

Immediately afterwards, a figure slowly stepped in.

The newcomer was also dressed in black, but the fabric was more exquisite and the style was more imposing.

He had no star pattern on his chest, but on his left shoulder he wore a palm-sized badge, neither gold nor jade, with a dark starlight flowing around it—in the center of the badge were five closely surrounding brilliant stars.

His face was cold and stern. He was about forty years old, with a jawline as sharp as if carved by a knife and an axe. His eyes were as deep as a cold pool, and he looked at people without any emotion, as if he were looking at a group of ants.

"Five...Five-Star Team Leader?!" Hall Master Zhu exclaimed in shock, nearly dropping his wine glass.

He recognized the terrifying significance that badge represented.

Both Hall Master Li and Hall Master Wang turned deathly pale instantly, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on their foreheads.

They had considered that Fengtian Prefecture might send someone, since their prefectural lord had died, but at most they would only send an ordinary steward or a small captain from a certain star team.

Who would have thought that the star leader of the Five-Star Team would arrive!

Fengtian Prefecture, one of the eight major branches of the imperial court, holds a superior position and its strength is unfathomable.

Its structure is tight. Under the Lord of the Prefecture, there are five star teams, each led by a powerful and high-ranking star captain.

Each star team is further divided into thirty elite squads, each with varying numbers of members, but all comprised of the best of the best. Those who become star elders are invariably pillars of the court, figures whose mere presence shakes the entire capital!
Such a person is someone that even the hall masters of the Foolish Underworld wouldn't have the right to look up to on a normal day.

Now, he personally came to this foolish underworld, which can't even touch the threshold of the "Eight Meridians", just to investigate the death of a lord.
An immense pressure and an invisible fear instantly gripped the hearts of everyone present.

They hurriedly got up, scrambling out of their seats, bowing deeply, barely daring to breathe.

"This humble servant, Zhu Ming, the Hall Master of the Underworld, pays his respects to Lord Xing!" His voice trembled uncontrollably.

The leader of the Five Stars Team, named Leng Cun, had a gaze as sharp as an icicle, slowly sweeping over the group before finally settling on the person in the main seat.

He didn't say anything, but walked straight over and sat down with a flick of his sleeve.

His posture made it seem as if he were the true master of this place.

A guard silently served a cup of hot tea.

Leng Cun picked up his teacup, gently stirring the floating leaves with the lid. The rising steam did nothing to melt the icy coldness on his face.

"Ya Qingli, how did she die?"

The voice was not loud, but it was like an ice bead falling onto a jade plate, carrying an undeniable majesty and a chilling coldness.

The hall was deathly silent. The hall masters looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion and fear.

"Reporting to Lord Xing," Zhu Ming, the most senior hall master, forced himself to speak, "The lord of the manor... the lord of the manor... the cause of death... the cause of death has not yet been determined..."

"Still no investigation?" Leng Cun didn't even lift his eyelids, merely blowing away the tea foam. "A whole night has passed, and you still can't find the cause of death? Is the Underworld full of useless people?"

The cold questioning made the hall masters break out in a cold sweat.

"My lord, please calm your anger!" Li Feng hurriedly said, "Last night, a drastic change occurred within the manor. Hall Master Qian tragically perished, leaving the manor in chaos and short-handed. Furthermore, the Manor Master's... the Manor Master's death was... quite bizarre, and it's difficult to..."

"Enough." Leng Cun interrupted him, setting down his teacup with a soft thud that struck everyone's hearts like a hammer blow. "I have no interest in excuses. One month."

He raised his icy eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Within a month, the Foolish Underworld must give the Fengtian Prefecture a clear explanation. The cause of Ya Qingli's death, the cause of Master Qian's death, the reasons for the chaos in the prefecture and the capital last night, and all those involved must be investigated and reported. Otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the chilling murderous intent in his unspoken words caused the temperature in the hall to plummet.

However, upon hearing the words "one month" and "an explanation," the tense nerves of the several hall masters relaxed slightly.

It's just an explanation!
It's not about a thorough investigation or holding someone accountable; it's just about getting a satisfactory explanation!

This was almost exactly as they had predicted. It seems that the higher-ups in Fengtian Prefecture weren't really that concerned about Ya Qingli's death.

The so-called investigation was nothing more than a formality to silence public opinion.

After all, in the eyes of the truly powerful figures in Fengtian Prefecture, a mere lord of the Foolish Underworld was no different from a expendable resource; his death was no big deal, not worth making a fuss about. As for Hall Master Qian, although troublesome, since a new lord was about to take office, it was naturally something the new lord should worry about.

"Yes! Yes! We will do our utmost to investigate this matter thoroughly within a month and give Fengtian Prefecture and the court a satisfactory explanation!"

Zhu Ming, Li Feng, and Wang Meng bowed and agreed immediately, their tone even carrying a hint of barely perceptible ease.

Leng Cun glanced at them coldly, his eyes seemingly seeing right through them, carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery.

He said nothing more, got up and left. Two guards followed closely behind, disappearing silently out the door as they had come, leaving only the hall masters still in shock and the cup of tea that had not yet cooled down in the council hall.

"Phew..." Wang Meng let out a long sigh, slumped into a chair, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "That scared the hell out of me... the star leader of the Five-Star Team! This pressure..."

"Alright, it's good that she's gone." Li Feng breathed a sigh of relief, sat down again, picked up his wine glass and took a sip to calm his nerves. "It seems we guessed right. The higher-ups just want an explanation, not really to dig deeper. Ya Qingli... Hmph, she's dead, so be it."

Zhu Ming nodded, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "If that's the case, then things are much easier. Find a suitable 'cause of death,' find a few 'scapegoats,' write a decent report, and the Fengtian Prefecture will be able to explain it away. As for Hall Master Qian..." He paused, "...we'll see how the new prefectural head handles it when he arrives. We just need to cooperate."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Wang Meng immediately perked up. "Speaking of which, has Lord Xing revealed anything about the new prefect? ​​Or is it still as originally planned, to let that..."

Zhu Ming immediately picked up his wine cup, a smile plastered on his face: "Lord Xing, please wait! We dare to ask you, sir, about the matter of the newly appointed Lord of Yudi Prefecture... have the court made a decision yet? Or is it still..."

Leng Cun, who had already reached the door, paused slightly but did not turn around. He simply tossed his hand behind him.

A golden light flashed, and a scroll landed steadily on the main table in the council hall.

"The appointment letter is here. Do your job well." Leng Cun's cold voice came, and his figure had already disappeared outside the door.

The hall masters exchanged bewildered glances and quickly gathered around the main table. Zhu Ming carefully picked up the scroll, untied the silk ribbon, and unfolded it. Inside, there was only a simple appointment and an unfamiliar name, with no mention of any background or origin.

"It seems it's settled," Li Feng said in a low voice. "But this new prefect isn't that guy..."

An airdrop signifies the unknown and unease.

Ya Qingli was already close to abdicating, and it would have been natural for that guy to take over, but... Fengtian Prefecture changed the person at the last minute...

This……

Suddenly unsure of their situation, the group felt somewhat uncertain.

"Who cares if it's a dragon or a worm," Wang Meng scoffed. "As long as it doesn't cause trouble like Ya Qingli. Let's just do what we need to do."

(End of this chapter)