A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Another hour passed, and Wu Mian was still sitting there, his withered hands crossed on the wooden box, as if he were asleep.

Duan Rong lay on a recliner in the darkness, his divine sense covering the entire Huangpi County, and was also focused on Wu Mian.

Although Wu Mian sat there motionless for an hour, Duan Rong was not in a hurry at all. The most important thing for a hunter in the dark is patience.

After a while, the faint sounds of binding could be heard from the street; it was already past midnight...

Just then, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the southeast city wall of Huangpi County, leaping down like a wildcat under the cover of night.

Duan Rong's divine sense had already covered the entire city, and as soon as the dark figure appeared, he immediately locked onto it with his divine sense.

He was a thin middle-aged man, dressed in a blue robe and wearing a bamboo hat. In fact, judging from his lightness skill and figure, Duan Rong could roughly judge his level of cultivation. However, he still used his divine sense to penetrate Duan Rong's dantian.

"True Qi Realm, First Level".

This level of skill would be considered mastery even in the secular world, especially in the somewhat remote Huangpi County.

The slender figure landed lightly at the foot of the city wall. He glanced up at the streets and alleys. Instead of walking in the shadows under the shops, he darted directly into the crisscrossing alleys and houses, weaving through the dark lanes.

His choice caused Duan Rong, who was reclining on the chair under the big locust tree, to have a slight jolt in his heart. He couldn't help but murmur, "It seems this person isn't the first to come."

The ability to navigate the intricate network of alleyways and houses without getting lost indicates that the person is quite familiar with the terrain and may even be a local.

However, Duan Rong still cannot determine whether this person is the one who is supposed to meet with Wu Mian.

But as the dark figure moved through the alleys, it was approaching the direction of the county government office.

In Duan Rong's spiritual vision, it was even clearer: Wu Mian sat in his study, seemingly in a meditative state, while a dark shadow in the alleyway outside was relentlessly approaching him...

The two scenes, like magnetic poles, imply a connection.

The dark figure darted out from a cluster of houses opposite the county government office, and like a wildcat, swept across the main street in front of the county government office. Then, using its light-footed skills, it circled the high wall of the county government office until it reached the backyard.

They circled around to a spot in the backyard and saw a large beech tree inside the wall. Suddenly, the dark figure leaped up, touched the top of the wall with its toes, and jumped into the backyard of the county government office.

The moment the dark figure leaped into the county government office, Duan Rong suddenly sat up from his recliner, his eyes shining like stars under the large locust tree in the darkness.

At this point, it was almost certain that the dark figure had come to meet with Wu Mian.

It's impossible that it was such a coincidence that Wu Mian was waiting in the study when a master suddenly leaped into the backyard of the county government office under the cover of night.

The dark figure leaped into the backyard, stood in the shadow of the large beech tree, surveyed its surroundings, and then moved towards a certain direction, quickly darting into a dark corridor.

Somewhere in the dark corridor, he leaped through a window that appeared to be closed but emitted a dim light.

The window was clearly ajar, and he jumped open it.

The dark figure leaped into the room, then turned and closed the window. He turned around, and Wu Mian was already standing not far away, clasping his hands in a fist salute and lowering his voice to ask, "Is this the Inspector?"

As Duan Rong sat under the dark locust tree, his eyes flashed even colder when he detected the words "Inspector" with his divine sense.

Before he came, he had also looked through some of the materials and files about the Filthy Blood Cult that Yang Sixuan had sent over. In particular, Ximen Kankan had already read them, and he asked Ximen Kankan to pick out some important ones for him to see.

Through those materials and files, Duan Rong gained a clearer understanding of some of the structures of the Filthy Blood Cult.

The Filthy Blood Cult established branches in various locations, and above these branches were hall masters. Hall masters and branch masters constituted the first layer of the system. The hall masters of each prefecture wielded considerable authority, but they could not proactively contact the main headquarters; in emergencies, they had to make their own decisions. The main headquarters would periodically contact each hall master.

This method is adopted to ensure the safety of the headquarters; even if any branch is wiped out, the headquarters will not be exposed.

The other is the main altar system, with five main altar envoys. These five people are in charge of the halls in various prefectures, and each of them has several patrol envoys under his command. These main altar envoys and patrol envoys constitute the second layer of the system.

In fact, the Filthy Blood Cult must have a third, and highest, system—a system centered around its leader, Fu Yi. Yang Sixuan even deduced that the headquarters didn't even exist. These five headquarters envoys were personally appointed by Fu Yi, the cult leader. Based on the relationship between the branches and the headquarters, branch leaders couldn't proactively contact the headquarters envoys. Similarly, the headquarters envoys couldn't proactively contact their leader, Fu Yi.

This arrangement was made to ensure the safety of the upper echelons, and it also delegated power to the head altar's envoys and the various halls, achieving two goals at once.

The reason why the Filthy Blood Cult has existed for so many years without being eradicated is due to the ingenious design of its organizational structure.

Destroying a branch or a hall is nothing more than a minor setback. Even capturing a head altar envoy would only cause widespread chaos. For the Filthy Blood Cult, it wouldn't even amount to a serious injury.

Duan Rong was quite amazed when he saw Yang Sixuan's analysis of the three-tiered system of the Filthy Blood Cult in the pavilion of the Court of Judgment.

This guy named Fu Yi is definitely a genius.

By using barriers between upper and lower levels to ensure the absolute safety of the upper level while delegating the power of on-the-spot decision-making to the lower levels, it is truly a brilliant design!

Upon hearing the word "Patrol Envoy," Duan Rong realized that the Patrol Envoy belonged to the system of the Headquarters Envoy. In other words, as long as he insisted on this Patrol Envoy, he could find out who the Headquarters Envoy was behind him.

Because each patrolman needs to report to the head altar's Dharma Master after completing his mission.

Duan Rong originally didn't intend to make such a big deal out of it; he just wanted to destroy a hideout and report back to the sect. But he didn't expect that the person who came to meet Wu Mian would be a patrolman from the Filthy Blood Sect.

The slender figure turned around, suddenly pulled out a token, and held it up in front of him.

Wu Mian glanced at the token under the lamplight, then knelt down and said, "Your subordinate greets Your Excellency the Inspector!" In truth, the fact that this person had come at this hour already spoke volumes about his identity, and the token was merely further proof.

The man took off his straw hat, revealing a thin face. In the lamplight, his cheekbones were high and his eyes were deep-set. He glanced at Wu Mian, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Lord Wu, in this Huangpi County, you are the most important person in the county. Get up."

Wu Mian clasped his hands in greeting, stood up, and said, "Before Your Excellency the Inspector, I dare not address you as such."

The man laughed and said, "Actually, I was originally from Huangpi County. In a way, you are my local official."

Wu Mian said, "There's this connection too." "Yes," the man said, "Actually, I often come to Huangpi County and have seen you several times from afar, but since nothing has happened, we've never met."

Wu Mian said, "It is my bad luck that I only met you today."

The man said, “Lord Wu, there’s no need to be so modest. I’ve been coming to Huangpi County often for the past year or so, all because of the Wutong Temple.”

Upon hearing the words "Wutong Temple," Wu Mian's heart skipped a beat, and his expression changed slightly. He knew very well that although the Wutong Temple had been built, its incense offerings had always been meager.

The man noticed Wu Mian's expression and smiled, "Lord Wu, there's no need to be nervous. The poor state of the incense offerings at the Wutong Temple is none of your concern."

Upon hearing this, Wu Mian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The man continued, "The matter of the Five Gods Temple was originally an experiment by the Holy Church. After all, the Five Gods have no foundation of faith among the people of Qingzhou. Even if some legends and stories are spread among the people, it will be difficult to gain believers in a short period of time."

Wu Mian said, "Your Excellency, this method is indeed not easy to achieve results."

The man nodded and said, "Lord Wu, I have come here regarding the Blood Spirit Mushroom. The main headquarters originally had a special team responsible for procuring rare medicinal herbs, but a few days ago, they suddenly added a few more herbs that they urgently needed, and these were all quite difficult to find. The main headquarters had no choice but to delegate the matter to the various branches and sub-branches, hoping that whoever could obtain them would be rewarded accordingly. Unexpectedly, this Blood Spirit Mushroom is actually found in Huangpi County."

As Wu Mian brought over the wooden box from the desk, he said, "It's a coincidence. My brother-in-law's ancestors were in the medicinal herb business. This Blood Lingzhi was a prized possession of their shop that they've kept for many years. I'd only heard my sister mention it before, and then I remembered it after receiving a secret letter from the head of the hall a few days ago."

"That was indeed a coincidence." The man said with a smile, as he opened the wooden box. Upon closer inspection, he saw a blood-red Ganoderma lucidum inside. Although it was dried out, a faint, strange medicinal fragrance still wafted out the moment the box was opened.

The man praised him and said with a smile, "Lord Wu, you have done a great service this time."

Wu Mian clasped his hands and said, "I dare not take credit. I only ask that Your Excellency inform the Chief Dharma Master of the main altar so that I and my son may meet."

Upon hearing this, the man's expression suddenly turned cold, and he said, "Lord Wu, didn't your son Wu Xiang meet you at the dilapidated temple in the suburbs just a year ago?"

Suddenly, tears streamed down Wu Mian's face. He knelt on the ground, choking back sobs, and said, "Your Excellency, my Wu family has only had one son for three generations. I can only see him once a year. How can I be at ease?"

The man said, "Lord Wu, please get up."

Wu Mian remained kneeling and refused to get up.

The man sighed and said, "As you know, Wu Xiang has contracted a terminal illness, and only the Filthy Blood Divine Art can save him. His illness hasn't completely disappeared yet; only by diligently cultivating at the main altar can he fight off its spread. If you want to see him now, won't you be interfering with his practice?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Mian's expression finally softened slightly.

The man then stepped forward, helped him up, and said, "In a few years, when Young Master Wu Xiang's terminal illness has completely subsided, he will return to reunite with you. At that time, you will be a loving father and a filial son, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Wu Mian wiped away his tears and asked, "May I ask, Your Excellency, when will my son's fatal illness be completely cured?"

The man said, "The Bloodstained Divine Art is not easy to cultivate; it takes several years."

"How many years?!" Wu Mian's eyes dimmed instantly.

"How about this?" the man suddenly said. "I'll go back and have Wu Xiang write a letter home, and have your hall master deliver it to you."

Wu Mian clasped his hands and said, "Your subordinate thanks you, Your Excellency!"

The man waved his hand and said, "Lord Wu, time is of the essence, so I shall take my leave now. The main altar will keep a record of this matter concerning the Blood Spirit Mushroom for you."

"Yes, sir," Wu Mian said. "Your subordinate respectfully sees off the Inspector."

The man gave a soft "hmm," then walked to the window, opened it, and jumped out.

As soon as he leaped out of the window, his figure disappeared into the dark corridor.

Wu Mian walked over and stood by the window. The night air blew in, and the tear stains on his face were still wet, and the wind made him feel a chill. He was originally a very upright person, but for his son, he had actually fallen so low as to work for the Filthy Blood Cult. Whenever he thought of this, his heart ached...

Duan Rong sat under the dark locust tree, "looking" at Wu Mian, who was standing in the cold wind by the window, lost in thought. Wu Mian's temples were almost completely white, but Duan Rong knew that as long as Wu Mian still had any use, the Filthy Blood Sect would not let his son return to reunite with him.

Moreover, this person himself clearly did not want to cultivate the Filthy Blood Divine Art and bring harm to the people, but for his son's life, he kept tearing himself apart...

Duan Rong sighed and withdrew his divine sense from Wu Mian. He no longer wanted to witness such a tragedy, and the focus was no longer on Wu Mian.

Now, his focus is on the Bloodstained Blood Cult's patrolman who was carrying the Blood Spirit Mushroom and darting through the alleyways of a residential area. As long as he keeps a close eye on this patrolman, he can follow the trail and capture another head altar envoy.

If a head altar envoy were handed over, Zhu He would likely be able to bring down Yang Sixuan directly within the Elders' Council.

Twenty or thirty years have passed, and both of the Grand Altar's envoys were captured by Duan Rong. How can Yang Sixuan continue to serve as the head of the Judgment and Clan Affairs Department?
Doesn't this prove that his abilities are limited and his virtue is unworthy of his position, and that it is time for him to step down to a more capable person?

Duan Rong himself had no interest in the position of Director of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, but since Zhu He wanted to take it, he didn't mind helping his master.

Moreover, the large fish in front of us seems to have already been caught in the net.

The man weaved through the alleyways of the residential area, getting closer and closer to the southeast city wall. But Duan Rong remained seated under the dark locust tree, motionless, locking onto the man with his divine sense.

The inspector quickly arrived at the foot of the city wall. He hid in the shadows, looked around, and seeing that no one was around, he used his lightness skill to leap over the city wall.

He landed lightly outside the city, and then dashed off to the fields beside the official road not far away.

Beside a tree in the field, he untied a chestnut horse that was tied there.

He carried the wooden box containing the blood-red lingzhi mushroom in a bundle, slung it over his back, mounted his horse, and rode off on the official road, raising a cloud of dust as the sound of his hooves echoed far into the night.

Just as this man kicked up a cloud of dust on the official road, a dark shadow suddenly streaked across the night sky of Huangpi County, heading towards the official road where the sound of horses' hooves echoed in the darkness... (End of this chapter)