I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

The following day, at the city lord's mansion.

Morning light streamed through the carved window into the study, spreading out dappled patches of light on the floor.

On the desk lay a stack of newly delivered official documents, the top one being a request for the expansion of Chuyang City's market area, the ink still wet.

Yan Shuming didn't look at the official documents; in his hand, he held an unsigned letter.

The letter was found by the gatekeeper at the entrance this morning. It was weighed down by an ordinary blue stone, with no spiritual energy fluctuations and no markings.

The envelope was made of ordinary Xuan paper, with no wax seal, no stamp, and even the creases were random, as if the writer didn't care whether it would be opened midway.

Yan Shuming pulled out the letter paper, his gaze falling on the tiny characters in the calligraphy.

The handwriting is neat and the strokes are smooth, but there is no personal style to be seen. It is as if it has been practiced on purpose, or as if all characteristics have been deliberately erased.

The letter contained very little, only a few hundred words.

The letter detailed the evidence that Han Guang, the manager of the Bloodthorn Forest, was suspected of reselling spiritual items.

The timing, quantity, and destination of the accounts, as well as the flow of spirit stones in several transactions, were all clearly recorded.

These are not ambiguous accusations, but irrefutable data, every single one of which can be traced and every single number can be verified.

"Bloodthorn Vine?"

Yan Shuming narrowed his eyes.

The Bloodthorn Vines produced in the Bloodthorn Forest are one of the greatest benefits he enjoys as the city lord here.

Those vines and fruits bring him an extra income of hundreds of thousands of spirit stones every year.

Now, someone is actually touching his things?

He carefully read through the numbers in the letter.

Han Guang always falsely reported only a small amount of production, accounting for only about 10% of the total output.

But little by little, over ten years it can add up to a considerable sum.

What angered him even more was that the spiritual items he had embezzled were actually resold to Burning Bone City, or even further afield, and he was completely unaware of it.

This is his territory!

But... who sent this letter?

What is his purpose?

Yan Shuming remained silent for a moment, then placed the letter on the table and tapped the surface lightly with his fingers.

"Zhang Mo," he called out.

Deputy City Chief Zhang Mo walked in from outside the gate with steady steps and bowed respectfully.

"What are your instructions, Master?"

"Go check the accounts of Bloodthorn Forest." Yan Shuming's voice was calm, yet tinged with coldness: "Don't make a fuss, check it quietly."

Zhang Mo was slightly taken aback, but did not ask any further questions.

He had followed his master for decades and knew his master's temperament.

Ask what you should ask, and don't ask what you shouldn't ask.

"Yes."

He accepted the order and left, closing the door without making a sound.

……

Three days later, Zhang Mo returned to the city lord's mansion with a thick stack of account books.

The ledgers were stacked together, reaching half a foot in height. Each one was yellowed and brittle, exuding the smell of old paper and ink.

These have all been backed up in the city lord's mansion formation.

The search wasn't difficult.

Zhang Mo's expression was not good; it wasn't fatigue, but rather a solemn look.

"Master, there are indeed problems with the accounts of Bloodthorn Forest."

He placed the account book in front of Yan Shuming and turned the pages to show him, explaining as he went, speaking slowly but clearly.

"In the past decade, the production registration of Bloodthorn Vine has not matched the actual number of spiritual plants. According to the records, the number of Bloodthorn Vine harvested each year has not fluctuated much, but in fact, there have been several years in which the spiritual plants have grown particularly well and the yield has been much higher than in previous years, but this has not been reflected in the accounts."

He turned to one of the pages, pointed to a line of numbers at the top, and continued:

"The person who could tamper with these accounts couldn't be a low-level clerk; they don't have that authority. The one who could do this must be Han Guang himself, or at least someone who instructed him to do so."

Yan Shuming took the account book and flipped through it page by page.

He didn't speak, but his brows furrowed more and more deeply.

"but,"

Zhang Mo paused for a moment: "We haven't been able to trace his route for selling the stolen goods yet. The accounts only record the quantity produced, not where they went."

"There is one thing. He has regular dealings with the owner of a general store in the west of the city, surnamed Meng. This person's store is on that old street in the west of the city, selling spiritual herbs and low-grade pills. On the surface, there is nothing special about it."

Yan Shuming put down the account book.

Just like what was described in that letter!

His gaze fell on Zhang Mo's face.

"Has anyone investigated the background of that person surnamed Meng?"

"I checked." Zhang Mo's voice lowered a few decibels.

"On the surface, he is just an ordinary rogue cultivator, in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, running a general store. He has lived in Chuyang City for more than ten years, with average neighborly relations and no special social interactions."

"But when I sent people to follow him secretly, I discovered that he would contact some unidentified people every once in a while."

Some of these people lived in the suburbs, some stayed in inns within the city, and some even came from Burning Bone City. Their meetings were brief, lasting only a few words before they parted without a trace.

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "There are also many... customers who shouldn't be there, who frequent his shop."

Yan Shuming's gaze grew increasingly deep.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, the rhythm a few beats faster than before.

He is not a fool.

How could a small grocery store owner possibly attract so many unidentified people so frequently?

This doesn't seem like an ordinary smuggling ring.

It's more like an intelligence organization.

"Don't make a fuss." Yan Shuming stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and looked at the blurry outline of the Fulong Mountains in the distance.

"Keep an eye on that guy surnamed Meng, find out who's around him, and don't touch Bloodthorn Forest for now. Wait for my orders."

"Yes!" Zhang Mo accepted the order and withdrew, his steps much faster than when he arrived.

……

For the next two weeks, the city lord's intelligence system operated at full capacity.

Zhang Mo mobilized all available personnel to track, monitor, and investigate day and night.

The Shadow Hall had been operating a network in Chuyang City for over a decade, but the City Lord's Mansion also possessed its own intelligence network.

One, two, three... one secret contact point after another was locked down, and one spies after another were identified.

Meng Yan's general store, the mill on the outskirts of the city, the cave dwelling area in the south of the city, the inn in the north of the city...

Those seemingly inconspicuous places are all hiding the shadow of the Shadow Hall.

The identities and locations of the dozen or so undercover agents were all recorded.

Zhang Mo even discovered several spies who had infiltrated the lower-level officials of the city lord's mansion.

Some of them were clerks, some were menial workers, and some were ordinary guards in patrol squads.

These people usually keep a low profile, but when needed, they can deliver the most lethal information at crucial moments.

Two weeks later, Zhang Mo placed a thick list in front of Yan Shuming.

The list was densely filled with names, positions, addresses, and activity patterns, and each entry had been cross-verified at least three times to ensure accuracy.

Yan Shuming stared at the long list, his face turning ashen.

His fingers slowly slid across the list, his gaze growing colder with each name he passed.

He never imagined that so many spies were hiding right under his nose.

These people had been lurking in Chuyang City for over a decade, and he was completely unaware of it.

Even those close to them have their people.

Isn't this going too far?

What are they trying to do?

Yan Shuming put down the list and looked out the window.

"Let's get started."

His voice was calm, yet carried a chilling killing intent: "Tonight, take them all down."

……