Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

Shen Zhenglan's voice was not loud:

"It is perfectly reasonable for His Highness the Crown Prince to want to vouch for someone."

He remained seated upright in his chair, his white robe flowing like still water. He lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips, and his deep eyes swept over Feng Xun before returning to Jin Wan's entire body, without the slightest ripple.

Everyone was taken aback by these words.

Just as Instructor Tie was about to speak, he was interrupted by Shen Zhenglan's next words:

"But Jin Wanquan has arbitrarily used the resources of the Divine Grace Treasury. Even if His Highness gave the order, the rules of the temple cannot be disregarded."

Exile to the western frontier is acceptable, but they cannot be solely supervised by the imperial family.

He paused, his mental energy subtly spreading out, causing the smile on Feng Xun's face to fade slightly:

"Our temple will send people to accompany us secretly."

Firstly, to ensure he could atone for his crimes through meritorious service; secondly, to prevent heretics from intercepting him along the way and ruining His Highness's grand plan.

A strange glint flashed across Feng Xun's eyes, but he immediately nodded, his smile remaining gentle.

"Lord Shen has considered everything very well; we will do as you say."

Seeing this, Ling Buyu understood.

Shen Zhenglan's move both saved face for the royal family and prevented the temple from completely losing the initiative, so he immediately replied:

"In that case, we shall proceed as His Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Shen have agreed."

"Immediately draft a decree to transfer Jin Wanquan to the imperial family and exile him to the western frontier."

"Thank you for your leniency, Director Ling." Feng Xun cupped his hands, his gaze lingering for a moment as it swept over Shen Zhen.

Jin Wanquan scrambled to express his gratitude, and as the guards helped him up, he secretly glanced at Feng Xun, his eyes filled with gratitude and fear.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Feng Xun left with Jin Wanquan.

His steps were unhurried, his back straight, as if he had only resolved a trivial matter. But as Shen Zhen watched his figure, her fingernails almost dug into her palms.

As the people in the hall gradually dispersed, Qian Hengzhi breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and hurriedly took his leave.

Ye Zhi Qiu walked over to Han Yan, fanning himself with a folding fan, and said with a smile:

"Miss Hanyan, look at His Highness the Crown Prince, he certainly has a grand gesture."

Han Yan glanced at him indifferently, didn't reply, and turned to walk towards Shen Zhen.

Ling Buyu seemed to suddenly remember something and said to Shen Zhen:

"By the way, Xiao Shen, the Divine Grace Treasury has already dealt with the problematic batch of Spirit Dust Liquid!"

He paused, then continued:

"I'll get you a new bottle; you can exchange it at the Divine Grace Treasury later."

Shen Zhen recalled the bottle of Mind Dust Liquid that could trigger his despairing mental power, but his expression remained unchanged as he answered smoothly:

"Thank you, Master."

I noticed something was wrong with that bottle before and disposed of it myself; I was just worried about not having any to use.

"Did you get rid of it? You're quick on your feet, kid." Ling Buyu raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, but didn't ask any further questions.

"That makes things even easier, just go and get a new bottle!"

At this moment, Han Yan had arrived beside Shen Zhen, her voice cold and clear:

"Shen Zhen, don't be in such a hurry."

Our people will be keeping an eye on Jin Wanquan; he can't escape.

Shen Zhen nodded and said, "I know."

Lei Lie patted him on the shoulder:

"Feng Xun's move was risky, but also ingenious. We can't touch him for now, but as long as Jin Wanquan is alive, there are endless possibilities."

Shen Zhenglan slowly walked to his son's side and said in a deep voice:

"Come with me."

Shen Zhen followed his father out of the main hall of the Exorcism Bureau and into a secluded spot. Shen Zhenglan stopped, his back to him, and said in a low voice:

"You were too impulsive just now."

"He might know about Mother's affair," Shen Zhen said through gritted teeth. "I can't control myself."

"I understand how you feel." Shen Zhenglan turned around, the pain in his eyes clearly visible.

"But Feng Xun's identity is special. The royal family and the temple check and balance each other. Without solid evidence, taking action against him rashly will only backfire."

"But Jin Wanquan was taken away by him, are we just going to let it go like this?"

"It's not that simple!" Shen Zhenglan's eyes darkened.

"Feng Xun has to ensure the safety of the gold and prevent it from leaking secrets. This journey will definitely not be peaceful."

Shen Zhen looked up abruptly: "You mean...?"

"He will silence them," Shen Zhenglan said with certainty.

"Jin Wanquan knows too much. Exiling him to the western frontier is just a delaying tactic. Feng Xun will make his move sooner or later."

Shen Zhen's heart skipped a beat, then a resolute glint appeared in her eyes: "I'll go and kidnap him."

"Let's go together." Shen Zhenglan nodded.

"But remember, don't be reckless. What we want is the truth, not just revenge."

Shen Zhen nodded. This was the closest he had ever come to the truth about his mother's sacrifice, and he couldn't afford to miss it.

After the temple agreed to the exile plan, Ling Buyu secretly arranged for two reliable temple spies. He knew Shen Zhenglan wouldn't compromise so easily, and the instructions were simple:

They must lie in wait and monitor, and not make a move unless it is a matter of life and death.

One day later, the exile procession set off.

The western frontier is far away, mostly desolate mountains and wilderness, making it a good place to take action.

Shen Zhen and Shen Zhenglan, dressed in black, concealed themselves on either side of a canyon that the group would inevitably pass through, their presence completely hidden.

Shen Zhen lay prone behind the rock, his eyes fixed on what was below.

The canyon path was narrow, with only three figures winding their way forward.

Jin Wanquan was being escorted by two royal guards, his face full of fear, glancing back from time to time, clearly sensing that something was wrong.

The two guards were expressionless, with swords at their waists, but their eyes were always fixed on Jin Wanquan, revealing a hint of impatience and coldness.

As the group traveled to the middle of the canyon, they suddenly heard a slight rustling of branches and leaves coming from the dense forest on both sides.

The escorting guards stopped abruptly, exchanged a glance, and placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Jin Wanquan was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost collapsed:

"Did you...did you hear that? There's a sound!"

The guard ignored him, only staring into the dense forest: "Who's there?"

Before the words were finished, five dark figures darted out of the forest, all with their faces covered by black cloth, short blades gleaming coldly in their hands, and their mental energy fluctuations chilling.

Without uttering a single word, the leader of the men in black simply gestured with his eyes, and the five of them surrounded Jin Wanquan like ghosts.

The royal guards escorting them offered no resistance; instead, they retreated to the side, clearly indicating that it was premeditated.

Jin Wanquan was terrified, but the oppressive feeling of death made his mind clear instantly. He had no enemies, and the only secret he knew was that he was delivering the Nianchen Liquid to the heretics on behalf of Feng Xun.

Feng Xun was protecting him because he was afraid the temple would interrogate him and reveal the deal! Fear mingled with anger, and with his last ounce of strength, he cried out:

"Feng Xun, you're so vicious! I didn't say anything! Let me go!"

The man in black ignored him completely, and with a sharp psychic force, he thrust his short blade toward his chest.

Upon witnessing this sudden change, the temple's undercover agents immediately deduced that it was a cover-up and were about to take action.

Just then, two dark figures darted out like lightning.

Shen Zhen landed in front of Jin Wansheng, his face covered by black clothes, only revealing a pair of eyes burning with impatience.

He was surrounded by a faint white aura, but he did not make a move, simply because his opponents were all high-level spirit mediums.

The real killer move came from Shen Zhenglan beside him.

The black clothes also concealed Shen Zhenglan's face, leaving only a pair of deep, dark eyes.

He didn't draw his sword, nor did he even move his feet; he simply raised his right hand and gently pressed it down with his palm facing down.

An invisible force of thought suddenly spread out. It did not have a violent impact; instead, it felt very gentle. However, that seemingly gentle force of thought instantly and precisely suppressed the five men in black.

The five men in black sent by Feng Xun were at least third-level Divine Masters, with the leader reaching the peak of the fourth level. Their mental energy fluctuations were cold and powerful.

Faced with this invisible force, their movements froze instantly, their short blades hovering in mid-air, and even breathing became difficult.

"Who is it?"

The leader of the men in black roared, trying to use his psychic power to break free of the restraints, but the psychic power in his body was like frozen water; no matter how he tried to activate it, it only circulated weakly in his meridians.

Shen Zhenglan did not answer.

With a gentle flick of his fingers, the invisible mental force suddenly tightened.

"Click—"

Several crisp sounds rang out as bones broke, accompanied by the sound of psychic energy being forcibly shattered.

The five men in black groaned, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. The short blades in their hands fell to the ground, and their bodies slumped limply, too weak to even struggle.

From beginning to end, Shen Zhenglan only moved one hand and made one movement, without even releasing any external aura.

This was a level of power that third or fourth-tier cultivators could not comprehend, yet it deliberately restrained the oppressive aura that a sixth-tier Divine Suppressor should possess, achieving overwhelming dominance with only 50% of its strength.

The two royal guards standing to the side were already frozen in fear, their hands on the hilts of their swords, but they didn't even have the courage to draw them.

They had witnessed high-level Divine Enchanters fighting, but they had never seen such effortless skill, as if the black-clad assassin before them could crush an ant with a flick of his wrist.

"Walk."

Shen Zhenglan's voice was low and hoarse, and he deliberately changed his tone. He reached out and lifted the limp Jin Wanquan with his mental power, then turned and rushed into the depths of the canyon.

Shen Zhen followed closely behind, giving the two guards a cold glance as he passed by.

The chill in his eyes sent a shiver down the spines of the guards, who dared not stop him.

Only when the two dark figures disappeared at the end of the canyon did the two guards snap out of their daze, looking at each other with nothing but fear in their eyes.

"Quickly...quickly go back and report to His Highness!" A guard's voice trembled.

"But...but we don't know who kidnapped Jin Wanquan!" another guard exclaimed anxiously.

"They were all masked and dressed in black, their strength...it's terrifying!"

"I can't worry about that now! I'll report it first!"

The two dared not linger, and without even bothering to deal with the men in black on the ground, they turned and ran towards the capital.

In the shadows, two temple agents, tasked with lying in wait and monitoring, had already witnessed the dramatic turn of events.

The moment Shen Zhenglan made his move, they had already confirmed his identity through a unique method and followed the original instruction to "lie dormant," without revealing themselves.

The two retreated silently, preparing to secretly report to the temple.