I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 199 Taiyi Dao, Baiyujing!
Xie An sat beside the long desk, waiting for the Demon-Suppressing Guards to deliver the case details one by one.

Since the case provided by Chen Ah Si was too extensive and even involved the magistrate of Hei Ze County, Xie An ordered four demon-suppressing guards to take the four boat people to different locations for individual questioning, and then collect their statements for comparison.

This can ensure the authenticity of the information to the greatest extent possible.

Even so, there were still inconsistencies in the confessions given by the four people.

Xie An would circle the parts that didn't match each time and ask the Demon Suppression Guard to take it back and inquire again.

After going through this process many times, when the Demon Suppression Guard handed over the final version of the case, Xie An looked through it carefully and found that all the information finally matched up.

call!
Xie An breathed a sigh of relief, opened his arms and stretched.

Dealing with the album case for an entire night is much more tiring than practicing martial arts.

The white fox had already curled up on the small table next to the stove and was fast asleep.

When Xie An saw this, he felt a little envious and a little warm.

During this time, the white fox was always by his side. Although it was not a human, it added a bit of vitality and warmth to Xie An's boring life.

Xie An stood up, moved his arms and legs slightly, and then walked out of the gate.

It was already daybreak, snow was falling heavily, and everything was white as far as the eye could see.

The biting cold wind blew away Xie An's fatigue.

He raised his right hand and opened his palm, letting the snowflakes fall, turn into water to wet his palm, and then slide away along the lines of his palm.

Not long after, Chen Tie came hurriedly on the thick snow.

"Thank you, General Manager. Chen Ah Si is willing to cooperate and lead the way to the Four Fish Gang in Hei Ze County."

Xie An nodded, "Okay."

Chen Tie didn't know Xie An's plan, so he asked, "Brother Xie, are you planning to go to Hei Ze County in person? Even the county magistrate Tian Youguang has joined the Tian'an Gang. I'm afraid the entire Hei Ze County has been infiltrated by the Tian'an Gang. It would be dangerous to go there. Otherwise..."

Xie An said calmly, "There's no rush for this matter. I'm waiting for some news. Brother Chen, please stay here to deal with the aftermath. We need to strengthen patrols in Daze Township. We must not allow any more massacres of villagers to occur."

Chen Tie took the order and left, while Xie An performed a set of health-preserving boxing in the snow, and then returned to the tent to take a rest.

At the beginning of the Chen period, Liu Chun came to report.

Xie An thought there would be a reply, but Liu Chun said there was none.

After sending Liu Chun away, Xie An sat behind the long desk, frowning, thinking to himself: What big thing has happened, and the princess still hasn't said anything? Is she letting me handle it alone?

It's not fair.

Moreover, it involved other counties, and the case involved a county magistrate, so Xie An was under great pressure to handle it, after all, officials protected each other.

And the corpse poison pills have appeared...

Obviously, this is not a trivial matter.

You're leaving me to handle this all by myself? You didn't even give me a handwritten note.

Xie An held his forehead, feeling that it was difficult to deal with.

It's not impossible to do so. Qingwu County is, after all, a fifth-grade demon suppression department, and in principle it can monitor officials from neighboring counties. However, a written letter from the governor of Xuannan Prefecture is required to proceed.

The main reason was that Xie An didn't have a strong desire to serve the court. He was naturally reluctant to take the risk of causing trouble alone.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the door.

As the gate was opened, a demon-suppressing guard wearing a light blue slim-fitting brocade robe walked in.

Xie An lowered his head and focused on flipping through the pages. Without even looking up, he asked indifferently, "What's the matter?"

"General Xie has great authority."

Hearing the familiar voice, Xie An suddenly looked up and saw that the person standing in front of him was not Su Yuqing. Who else could it be?

Xie An was overjoyed and quickly stood up to make room for him, "Princess."

Su Yuqing nodded slightly, and as she sat down at the long desk, she flipped through the pages that Xie An had compiled, revealing a pleased smile. "This case file is very carefully organized."

Xie An said, "This matter concerns the magistrate of Hei Ze County and also involves the Four Fish Gangs. I was worried that Chen Ah Si and the others might have concerns and not dare to tell the whole story. So I double-checked several times. Why did the princess come in person?"

Xie An actually didn't expect Su Yuqing to come, he just needed a handwritten letter from Su Yuqing.

After all, Su Yuqing represented the court in Xuannan Prefecture and was in charge of the general affairs. With Su Yuqing's handwriting, Xie An would be much more convenient.

Su Yuqing closed the album and said, "You did a great job. You completed the half of the information I had."

Xie An immediately came to the long table and asked, "Is there still half a piece of information?"

Su Yuqing said, "A few months ago, the Nanyang Demon Suppression Division sent me a message saying that the remnants of the Changsheng Cult who were stranded in the Nanyang Prefecture had disappeared. I was wondering where they had gone... Combining with the information you provided, I can confirm that Tian'an Bang is the Changsheng Cult. They used corpse refining techniques to control monsters and slaughter the village in order to remove Chen Tie, Zhao Qing'er, and the others from their positions and remove the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division."

I see……

No wonder corpse poison pills appear.

It turned out that the headquarters of the Changsheng Sect had moved here.

This makes perfect sense.

After all, the Corpse Refining Hall is just a branch of the Changsheng Sect.

After a while, Xie An finally sorted out all the clues and asked, "Who is Tian Anbang's Heavenly Father?"

"The former imperial master, Guang Chanzi. He is the father of the high priest Jin Haier and the younger brother of the former fairy queen Jin Xiaotang."

Guang Chanzi...

Xie An had seen this name on the big bronze bell.

did not expect……

"That is to say... Li Hao has colluded with the Changsheng Cult."

"It's the King of Huainan."

Xie An was silent.

I didn't expect this would lead to such a big incident.

Previously, it was said that a handwritten letter from the eldest princess would be enough, but now it seems that this is no longer possible.

After a long moment of silence, Xie An asked, "What are the Princess's plans next?"

Su Yuqing spoke calmly, "I originally thought we had to wait for the King of Huainan to rebel before we could take action. Now it seems that the King of Huainan is anxious. We can proceed in two steps. First, find evidence of collusion between Li Hao and Guang Chanzi. Second, find evidence of collusion between the King of Huainan and the Five Elder Demons of the Changsheng Sect. As soon as I have evidence, I will immediately go to the capital to persuade the royal family and several important officials of the court. Then I will notify the other governors and take action against the King of Huainan.

If we can find evidence in advance, we can avoid a war and save lives. It will truly be a great merit that will benefit the world. Xie An, I need your help."

Xie An gazed deeply at the stunningly beautiful woman in front of him, admiring her clear thinking while also lamenting the complexity of the court.

Emperor Jingtai clearly had the idea of ​​reducing the power of the feudal lords, but he could not act rashly. He still needed to find evidence.

It can be seen that the King of Huainan had many cliques and factions in the court.

If there was no concrete evidence that the Prince of Huainan had the intention of rebellion, Emperor Jingtai would have had to endure it.

On the one hand, he was unable to convince important officials and royal relatives.

On the other hand, although the King of Huainan was a king of the opposite sex, his specific position was similar to that of a provincial governor.

Daqian had thirty-six prefectures, and prefectural governors probably numbered over thirty. If Emperor Jingtai forcibly reduced the power of the Prince of Huainan without any evidence of rebellious intentions, not only would it be unjustifiable, it would also easily cause unrest among the other prefectural governors.

As a result, the foundation of the country was shaken.

If evidence is found that the Prince of Huainan is colluding with the Five Old Demons and the Changsheng Sect of the previous dynasty, then the reduction of the power of the princes will be justified, and the governors of other states will have no choice but to respond and will not be disturbed.

The general trend of the world is such that a single move can affect the entire body.

In order to reduce the power of the Southern Province, the eldest princess made arrangements here and waited patiently for more than twenty years.

Xie An was somewhat moved.

The tea was ready. Xie An filled Su Yuqing's cup and took a sip himself. "My ability is humble. I wonder how I can help the princess."

Su Yuqing said, "Go catch Guang Chanzi."

puff!
Xie An spat out a mouthful of tea.

No matter how calm he was, he was still shocked.

You want me to catch Guang Chanzi?

The imperial teacher of the previous dynasty.

He must be a martial arts master.

This is too dangerous.

Su Yuqing couldn't help but smile. "It's mainly because it's not convenient for me to show up right now, but I will stay by your side and assist you."

Xie An breathed a sigh of relief.

This is more like it...but the difficulty and risk are also what Xie An is unwilling to face.

"So, I'm just showing up?"

"That's about what I mean." Su Yuqing said, "As long as we catch Guang Chanzi, we can follow the clues to find out Li Hao, and then we can catch Li Hao. Then we can follow the clues from Li Hao to find out the King of Huainan. In addition, you are on good terms with Master Huang, and Master Huang must know about the collusion between the four old monsters and the King of Huainan. If you dig it out, the overall situation in Nanzhou can be settled." Xie An held the teacup and suddenly understood Su Yuqing's intention.

No wonder she was hiding in Qingwu County and never went out after staying in Xie Mansion.

The purpose was to create confusion for Li Hao and the King of Huainan, making the King of Huainan believe that Su Yuqing was always in Nanyang Prefecture. This would allow Li Hao to act recklessly in Qingwu County. After all, Li Hao could never imagine that anyone in Qingwu County would dare to arrest him, let alone that someone in Qingwu County could capture Guang Chanzi.

However, Xie An felt that the King of Huainan also had spies in Nanyang Prefecture, and the intention of these spies was nothing more than to keep an eye on the eldest princess. As for how the eldest princess hid from those spies... Xie An had no idea.

As for Master Huang being ambushed and hunted by the four old demons, it is very likely that Master Huang knew about the collusion between the four old demons and King Huainan.

Su Yuqing even included this.

After careful consideration, Xie An felt that the eldest princess's strategy... was feasible.

This woman is amazing.

However, Xie An did not answer, but fell into deep thought, looking embarrassed.

Xie An knew his own importance and irreplaceability. Naturally, he wanted to negotiate for benefits. However, Xie An couldn't ask for these benefits directly, otherwise it would seem that this general manager was too unprofessional.

Xie An didn't ask for it directly, but the princess had to give it to him.

Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a waste of risk?
Xie An felt that as long as he showed his embarrassment, the princess would definitely understand what he meant, given her intelligence...

Sure enough, Su Yuqing smiled and said, "From the first time I met you, I knew that you were determined to seek immortality. You don't have much interest in the affairs of the court."

Xie An did not refute, but poured tea for Su Yuqing.

Su Yuqing said slowly, "Xie An, since we are facing an important matter, I will get straight to the point."

Xie An said: "Please give me some advice, Princess."

Su Yuqing said, "I came to Nanzhou to reduce the power of the feudal lords. In fact, my father was against it, and so were the royal family members. Many people in the court were not optimistic about me. But I came anyway. I wanted to come here, and I wanted to do something for this land. And my master supports me. He trusts me and believes I can do it. But I have encountered many obstacles along the way. It is rare to find someone like you to help me."

Xie An said, "Forgive me for asking, but the eldest princess has been dormant for over twenty years since she came to Nanzhou. Is there any other reason?"

Su Yuqing looked at Xie An seriously and asked, "Why do you ask that?"

Isn't the reason I just gave enough?
I think about it myself...

Xie An said, "Princess, you know how dangerous it is to capture Guang Chanzi. We also have to capture Li Hao and face the King of Huainan and the Four Old Demons. For an ordinary person like me, the risks and pressures we have to face are enormous. Since you are being straightforward, I also want to know the princess's true intentions."

If this were their first time together, Xie An would never have dared to ask such a question of a princess. But Xie An and the princess had been together for seven or eight years, even living and eating together. They were superiors and subordinates, but also friends.

Xie An knew the eldest princess, and the eldest princess also knew Xie An.

Only then did I dare to ask.

Su Yuqing picked up the teacup and took a big gulp. "Secular women are often bound by constraints and have a low status. Royal women are naturally glorious in front of outsiders, but in front of the emperor and his relatives, aren't they also humble?

Thirty years ago, Daqian fought a war with the Sixteen Kingdoms of Northern Liang and lost. To repair relations, my father proposed a marriage alliance. Since I was the eldest of the princesses, I was naturally the first candidate for the marriage alliance.

Beiliang is a desolate land, populated by barbarians. I didn't want to marry into Beiliang, and even less to marry someone I disliked. So I made a pact with my father: if I reduced the power of the Huainan King, I could avoid Daqian's policy of marriage alliance.

The century-long agreement between Dayinshan and Daqian is the end of the agreement, and it is also the deadline agreed upon by my father and me."

Xie An was even more moved after hearing this.

Unexpectedly... even such an outstanding female hero Su Yuqing could not escape the fate of the imperial family.

Isn’t this world like a web of despair?
The net caught everyone.

Everyone is struggling bravely in this web.

And Xie An also has a network.

After a long while, Xie An lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry, I brought up the princess's sad past again."

Sympathy is sympathy, pity is pity. But Xie An did not get too excited about this and agreed to Su Yuqing outright.

Su Yuqing quickly adjusted her mood and said, "Xie An, you are lucky. In fact, I envy you."

Xie An was embarrassed by what he said. "I am just a commoner, I started from humble beginnings. Thanks to the princess's kindness, I have achieved what I have today. What is there to envy?"

Su Yuqing asked, "Do you still remember the token of the Taiyi Taoist leader?"

"remember."

"Do you still remember the inscription on the back?"

"Taiyi Dao, Bai."

"Do you know what this white means?"

"What's the leader's name?"

"Indeed, Bai is the most feared character in Daqian. Even my father's name has to be placed under Bai. Even my master can't do that," Su Yuqing recounted. "My master, Ye Nantian, is Daqian's only martial saint. He's also my father's sworn brother. Back then, my master's martial arts reigned supreme, yet Daqian still has to rely on the Daoist sect to barely maintain its rule. Do you know why?"

The more Xie An listened, the more surprised he became.

Yes.

Tianbao did not have a Martial Saint, but Daqian did.

But according to Su Yuqing, this Martial Saint is not from Taoism, so why does Daqian still rely on Taoism?

Can't the Martial Saint control the current world of Daqian?
"Why?"

Su Yuqing smiled bitterly, "Because my master once fought Taiyi Dao Bai, and ended up...losing. From then on, Daqian had to respect Taoism as the state religion and Taiyi Dao Bai as the state master."

what?
Even the old Martial Saint couldn't defeat this Taiyi Daobai?
This is too scary.

and many more……

It seems like I have become Taiyi Dao Bai's direct disciple?

This……

Xie An's head was a little confused.

I originally thought that this token was a gift from the eldest princess, but now it seems that it is not that simple.

Logically speaking, the eldest princess's master was a martial saint of the dynasty and could have refused the marriage. However, Ye Nantian was the sworn brother of Emperor Jingtai, and it was obvious that he was on the side of Emperor Jingtai, so there was nothing he could do.

But this Taiyi Daobai is even more powerful than Ye Nantian...

Su Yuqing seemed to see Xie An's confusion. "Are you surprised that Taiyi Daobai would let you be his personal disciple?"

Xie An understood.

Today, the eldest princess came to give me instructions so that I could help her pacify Nanzhou.

"Please enlighten me, Princess."

Su Yuqing said: "Because of the Immortal Box. You got the Immortal Box."

Xie An took a deep breath.

Scalp numbness.

This means Yuhe had already determined that she had obtained the Immortal Box and informed Su Yuqing. Su Yuqing then wrote to Taiyi Daobai in the capital, confirming her identity as a direct disciple.

Wei Haoran and Zhao Qing'er had previously mentioned that they had also begged to become direct disciples of the Taiyi Dao, but had failed. Even Prince Bao's intervention was of no use.

Countless clues flashed through Xie An's mind.

I didn't expect that by some accident, I would end up with such a terrible background.

I don’t know whether it is a blessing or a curse…

"So, Old Man Bai knows me?"

Phew.

Su Yuqing suddenly smiled and said, "If she knew you called her old lady, she would definitely beat you up."

Xie An: “…”

Su Yuqing said, "Taiyi Dao Bai is a woman. I don't know her age, but she looks very young. Thirty miles outside the capital, there is a mountain called Yujing Mountain, which is also the headquarters of Taiyi Dao. This mountain did not exist before, but because she came, the mountain also came."

Building a mountain with bare hands?

Isn’t this the method of immortals?
"what is her name?"

"She is the only one who can suppress the Martial Saint in this world, Taiyi Dao, Baiyujing."

Xie An tightly grasped the token in his arms, and his little heart seemed to be pinched by an invisible hand.

He was thousands of miles away, yet he took a woman who suppressed a martial arts saint as his master!?
Su Yuqing showed envy, "At first I also wanted to be Bai Yujing's disciple, but she said I had no fate with immortality and was not interested in immortality. She recommended me to Ye Nantian. That's why I envy you."

Xie An had no way of being humble.

It is indeed enviable...

It would be fake to be more modest.

Su Yuqing said, "That's why I pay special attention to you. I won't force anything on you. If you are willing to help me pacify Nanzhou, you can be granted the title of Duke. A second-rank official. After entering the capital, you'll have plenty of time to find your destiny."

(End of this chapter)