The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

Huang Tunan helped Chen Yongcheng leave in a hurry.

Xue Zhiwei only breathed a sigh of relief after their figures disappeared outside the door.

"I thought you were really going to kill him."

She turned to look at Zhou Heng.

"I'm not stupid; I won't give anyone a handle against me."

Zhou Heng said calmly.

Although the Imperial Guard had the power of life and death, it was still a very troublesome matter to execute court officials in public without clear evidence.

"So what if we actually killed him?"

Chen Zhaowu said in a huff, "If you ask me, there's definitely something wrong with Chen Yongcheng!"

It's obvious that the temples and monasteries on Mount Tai have been infiltrated by demons, and he actually wants to stop us from investigating?!

"In this world, no one can stop our Guardian Division from pursuing demons!"

"Actually, I also think there's something wrong with him."

Lu Zian chimed in, "Captain Zhou, we met this Taishan Supervisor before in Ningyang County."

At that time, he was all alone, but in just a few days, he has recruited so many guards.

I know the position of Prefect of Mount Tai is lucrative, but it's not so lucrative that he could easily recruit seventh-rank martial arts masters, is it?

Zhou Heng nodded.

A seventh-rank martial arts master is a powerful figure anywhere, and if he serves the imperial court, he can at least obtain the position of captain.

Even if we take a step back and assume that such people would work as bodyguards for money, you couldn't expect to hire them for less than several thousand taels a year.

When Chen Yongcheng was in the capital, he was just a minor official. He finally managed to get the lucrative position of Taishan Supervisor after climbing the social ladder by befriending a big shot.

The Taishan Supervisor was responsible for collecting taxes on Mount Tai, and it would be easy for him to embezzle a few hundred taels of silver.

However, it is far from enough to support a seventh-rank martial artist.

"If I'm not mistaken, that Huang Tunan should be a member of the Tianlang Sect."

Xue Zhiwei suddenly spoke up.

"He just used the Greedy Wolf Saber Technique of the Heavenly Wolf Sect."

"So it was those bastards! I knew that guy surnamed Huang, with his shifty eyes, didn't look like a good person!"

Chen Zhaowu said, "If I hadn't been careless, how could I have let him be so smug?"

Next time, I'll definitely beat him to a pulp!

Seeing Zhou Heng's puzzled expression, Xue Zhiwei explained, "When the Great Ancestor of Great Yue was establishing his dynasty, the Tianlang Sect provided him with great assistance."

After the founding of the Great Yue Kingdom, the Tianlang Sect flourished for a time, until they overestimated themselves and interfered in the succession to the throne. They were subsequently crippled by the newly established Imperial Guard, and now they can at best be considered a second-rate martial arts sect.

Zhou Heng said "Oh," and that meant they were sworn enemies.

No wonder they were looking at them so unfriendly; it turns out there was a reason behind it.

Even though the Imperial Guard had taken action, they only managed to cripple them and didn't completely wipe out the Heavenly Wolf Sect. In a sense, this also proved the opponent's strength.

"Our Guardian Division has been a knife since its inception. Over the years, we have offended countless people. Forces like the Heavenly Wolf Gate, which are hostile to us, are everywhere."

It's just that the Guardian Division is so powerful that it makes them unable to raise their heads.

But if given the chance, they would pounce on the Imperial Guard like hungry wolves and tear off a piece of flesh.

Xue Zhiwei continued, her tone tinged with emotion.

The Great Yue Dynasty, seemingly prosperous and thriving, was actually rife with undercurrents.

Just like Qizhou, it appears calm on the surface, but in reality, countless demons and monsters are lurking in the shadows.

The Imperial Guard has been putting out fires everywhere for years and had already noticed the signs, but unfortunately the current emperor is obsessed with cultivation and has been in seclusion for many years...

"The Jianghu (martial arts world), civil officials, demons and monsters... the Imperial Guard has quite a lot of enemies."

Zhou Heng said, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"The Guardian Bureau possesses countless treasures and supreme power, but beneath these lies endless danger and mountains of corpses."

Xue Zhiwei said earnestly.

Even with their backgrounds, she and Chen Zhaowu had faced countless near-death experiences over the years.

Their current situation may seem extremely dangerous, but it is actually just the daily routine of the Demon-Slaying Captains of the Guardian Division.

Zhou Heng knew before that the Imperial Guard Division was an extremely dangerous place.

His father struggled his whole life, but only managed to become a centurion of the Imperial Guard, never even reaching the rank of Demon Slayer Captain.

The Guardian Division's system starts with new recruits as Imperial Guards, those who make meritorious contributions are promoted to centurions, and above centurions are the Demon-Slaying Captains who can stand alone. Only then can they be considered the backbone of the Guardian Division.

Even so, his father ultimately died young due to injuries sustained while slaying demons, at less than fifty years old.

The reason Zhou Heng's father was unwilling to take Shen Chong to the capital back then was because it was dangerous.

but--

A mysterious smile appeared on Zhou Heng's lips. Dangerous, huh?

The greater the risk, the greater the reward.

We were already penniless; if we didn't work hard, how could we appreciate the view from the top?

"Qizhou has always been peaceful, so the Gongwei Division has a weak presence in Qizhou, and has always been only under the command of Commander Han."

"The fact that the department sent us to investigate Xiaoyao San this time might not be without a hidden agenda."

Xue Zhiwei continued, a thoughtful look on his face, "Now it seems that it's not just our Guard Division that has made the move, but others as well."

Otherwise, the people of the Tianlang Sect would not serve as guards for a mere Taishan Supervisor.

As long as we return defeated, the Imperial Guard will not be able to extend its reach into Qizhou.

Their goal is probably to prevent us from uncovering the truth.

"Just to suppress the Imperial Guard, are they going to allow demons and monsters to harm the people?"

Lu Zian was both shocked and furious. After all, he was just a lowly undercover agent and had never encountered anything like this before.

"Do those high-ranking officials in the court really not treat ordinary people like human beings?"

His fists were clenched, and his eyes blazed with fury.

Xue Zhiwei simply shook her head. Sometimes, the struggle for power and profit is more dangerous than facing demons and monsters.

"The infighting within the imperial court is none of our business. We are merely lowly demon-slaying captains."

Zhou Heng said calmly, "Our mission is to slay demons and monsters, nothing more."

If a person doesn't act like a human being, then they are a demon; kill them.

"Well said!"

Chen Zhaowu clapped his hands and said, "Why worry about all that? If the Heavenly Wolf Sect and that Taishan Supervisor dare to stop us, then don't blame us for showing no mercy!"

Xue Zhiwei sighed, speechless. Zhou Heng was talking about focusing on the path ahead, but all you could say was kill.

"Now that it's been proven that there might be problems with the temples and monasteries on Mount Tai, is it possible to ask the authorities to send people to surround Mount Tai?"

Zhou Heng asked thoughtfully.

"no."

Xue Zhiwei shook her head and said, "The department doesn't have that many people to mobilize, and Qizhou is a sensitive place. Unless there is solid evidence, it's not convenient for the department to send too many people over."

"The Great River Gang, the Lu Family, and the Wofo Temple—aren't these enough evidence?"

Zhou Heng frowned slightly.

"The problem is that we have already wiped out these three places. As for the fact that the money from the Dajiang Gang flowed into the temples and monasteries on Mount Tai, that is just our suspicion and not conclusive evidence."

Xue Zhiwei shook her head and said, "It's none of anyone's business if the Dajiang Gang donates incense."

If this were to be told to others, it could be considered evidence.

"Just who in Qizhou is so feared by the Imperial Guard?"

Zhou Heng frowned and said that he also understood Xue Zhiwei's unspoken message: there was a reason why the Gongwei Division's power in Qizhou was so weak.

"King Qi, Zhao Yuanji."

Xue Zhiwei said softly, "He is His Majesty's fourth son, and he was enfeoffed in Qizhou."

He had always disliked the Imperial Guard and had repeatedly submitted memorials suggesting its abolition, arguing that it was arrogant, domineering, and lawless.

The department doesn't want to clash with him, so unless absolutely necessary, it won't easily send too many people to Qizhou.

"So, we need solid evidence, otherwise we're left with just the four of us?"

Zhou Heng pondered for a moment and said, "So, when Commander Han said something about 'heaven responding to heaven and earth,' was he just bragging?"