Patrol Captain

Outside the hall, a junior officer's tense and urgent words struck like a thunderbolt.

Inside the hall, the expressions of the assembled generals changed, and they all turned their gazes toward one of the men present.

The First Mountain General, Yun Tiansheng of the Yun Family.

Yun Tiansheng's resolute face changed, and he suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt.

Is there something sinister about the Yun family?
He was about to clasp his hands in greeting and address Chen Yuan, who was seated at the head of the table, when he saw Chen Yuan turn his gaze to him. There was no suspicion in Chen Yuan's eyes; he simply said slowly:

"sit down."

"To lose composure before even knowing the reason is a major taboo in the face of battle."

"As for the truth of the matter, I will personally investigate and find out."

“You will all stay here and wait for my return.”

Chen Yuan spoke calmly and slowly, his eyes flashing with golden light. As soon as he finished speaking, the figure sitting in the main seat vanished into thin air without leaving any trace.

The generals showed no outward signs of surprise, but inwardly they began to speculate. In contrast, Yun Tiansheng sat down, his expression gradually returning to calm.

With the general taking action, the truth behind this will surely become clear. Although he has some doubts and worries, he has always trusted the Yun family and the general's judgment.

West City, Fanyangfang, Yun Family.

A figure galloped up on horseback, then dismounted.

"Young Master Ji is back!"

When the gatekeeper saw the visitors, he came down, clasped his hands in greeting, and then sent a servant to take the horse reins.

The person who came was Ji Wuming, who had just returned from his trip.

Ji Wuming thanked him, and then the gatekeeper asked, "Young hero, have you had breakfast?"

"Your family just sent someone to deliver a meal to your sect's disciples, but the time has probably been missed. If you haven't eaten yet, please feel free to give the order, and we will send someone to prepare another meal."

The manager offered a few kind words with a smile.

"Thank you, sir, but no need. Has anyone asked me where I went?" Ji Wuming said politely, then lowered his voice, seemingly casually, but his eyes were glancing around as he asked.

The butterfly has disappeared.

"No," the manager replied.

Ji Wuming nodded without saying anything, and entered the Yun residence with heavy thoughts in his heart.

He dared not gamble whether the butterfly was an illusion or not.

The warning signs he received during his spiritual practice told him that what he had just done was the safest course of action.

I hope that the message I sent to that flag bearer can be delivered to Yunding Mountain as soon as possible.

He believed that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the junior officer would rush to Yunding Mountain after hearing the message.

The person who received the news will likely arrive as soon as possible.

He then estimated the time, circled around the southern part of the city, and returned to the Yun residence at this time.

Next, Ji Wuming went straight to the guest quarters of the Yun residence.

When he arrived, the fellow disciples of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect were in the courtyard, some wiping their swords and others sparring. Upon seeing him, they all rushed towards him.

"Senior Brother"

"Senior brother, where did you go? I heard from the servants that you went outside to watch the excitement without taking me with you. You're really not loyal."

"Yeah yeah."

Is it lively outside now?

"."

Everyone was talking at once, making a ruckus and playing around. They were lively and energetic, and it was clear that Ji Wuming, the chief disciple, was well loved by his fellow disciples.

Everyone assumed their senior brother had gone out for a stroll. Ji Wuming had no interest in joking around with his fellow disciples; he simply glanced around the courtyard and asked:
Where is Master?

“Master was invited to have breakfast by someone sent by the Yun family head, and he hasn’t returned yet. He’s probably still catching up with old friends,” a junior brother replied.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wuming felt a sense of unease. He was worried about his "master's" condition and also concerned about the situation inside the Yun Manor. He said, "You all stay put. I'm going to find my master."

After saying that, he left.

The junior disciples noticed that Ji Wuming was walking a little faster and were a bit confused. "Why does Senior Brother seem a bit strange?"

On his way to find "Qingyangzi", Ji Wuming turned a corner and suddenly felt the scene change before his eyes. He found himself in a completely unfamiliar corridor.

His face paled in surprise, his expression instantly tensing. He drew his longsword from his back, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. "Who dares to cause trouble in broad daylight?"

"Turn around!" A somewhat familiar voice rang out behind Ji Wuming.

But then Ji Wuming suddenly turned around, and with a sharp clang, the long sword behind him slashed backward.

"when"

A clang of metal clashing.

Two fingers suddenly clamped down on Ji Wuming's longsword, the blade groaning and unable to move.

Ji Wuming followed the gaze upwards and saw a figure standing there, dressed in a black python robe with golden eyes, looking up at him like a towering mountain.

This imposing presence, aura, and gaze... Having encountered Ji Wuming quite a few times, Fang Xuan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He had thought it was an evil spirit, but evil spirits and illusions could not imitate this person's aura.

"Ji Wuming pays his respects to General Chen!" Ji Wuming dropped his sword and hurriedly bowed.

"Speak, what exactly happened that made you, the swordsman of Shu Mountain, so tense that you sent someone to Yunding Mountain?" Chen Yuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He flicked the long sword between his fingers, the tip of which was embedded in the wall beside him. Then, he lowered his eyelids and looked at Ji Wuming.

Ji Wuming straightened his expression and quickly recounted the incident of exchanging clothes with "Qingyangzi" that morning. He also mentioned some suspicious points he had sensed, such as a butterfly following him, which is why he sent someone to deliver a message to Yunding Mountain instead of going there himself.

Chen Yuan listened without uttering any further words.

"Your master, Qingyangzi, glanced at it briefly when he came and found nothing unusual."

"If what you say is true, and someone has tampered with it, then it means that something is obscuring the secrets of heaven and trying to deceive the heavens. This means that the person who did this is not weak and has been scheming."

As he continued, Chen Yuan's tone became cold and icy.

After saying that, he turned to the side, facing a certain direction, and flicked his sleeve.

Suddenly, a mirror appeared out of thin air, and the image in the mirror shifted, revealing a pavilion.

Under the pavilion, Yun Chuxiong, Qingyangzi, Sect Leader An, and Yun Fangting were all present, seemingly chatting.

Chen Yuan tore open his third eye between his eyebrows, and then, with a flick of his sleeve, he passed right through the mirror.

In the inner courtyard of the Yun residence, under a pavilion, Yun Chuxiong was speaking when, in the next second, the curtains around him suddenly froze.

Then, the space shifted, and the scene before the four suddenly changed.

The pavilion is still the same pavilion, but the surrounding lake scenery is gone. The sky is full of stars, and there is a giant tree overhead, shining with silver light.

A golden light shot out like lightning, landing on Qingyangzi, whose face still held a smile, freezing his smile completely on his face, rendering him unable to move.

The remaining three were immediately startled.

"Fellow Daoist Qingyangzi."

"Who?"

Then the curtain flipped open, and Chen Yuan's figure appeared out of thin air under the pavilion.

The group looked surprised when they saw Chen Yuan.

"General Chen?"

"This is?"

"Then we'll have to ask him!" Chen Yuan turned his gaze to "Qingyangzi". (End of Chapter)