Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Zheng Yuanlang's pupils contracted slightly.

There aren't many people with the surname Dongfang in Xuantian Imperial City. The most famous one lives in the eastern district of the city, with the words "Weeping Blood Marquis's Mansion" hanging at the gate. It's the residence of Dongfang Wudi, the commander of the Northern Border Camp and the current Grandmaster of the world, and the husband of the current Princess.

Could it be such a coincidence?

He suppressed his surprise and doubt, keeping a straight face, and simply nodded: "Since you were sent by the commander's office, settle in first. I'll assign you your duties as a squad leader tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, sir."

Dongfang Weiwo clasped his hands in a fist salute again and followed the servants of the branch office to his residence in the backyard.

Zheng Yuanlang watched the boy's figure disappear at the end of the porch, remained silent for a moment, and then turned to look at Han Tieshan.

"Commander Han, just who is this young officer from the East?"

Han Tieshan shrugged: "Lord Zheng, it's not that I'm unwilling to tell you, it's just that I genuinely don't know. The commander only gave one instruction—'Arrange for him to go to Qinghe City as a minor officer, treat him as usual, no special treatment needed.'"

Zheng Yuanlang frowned.

No special treatment needed. That statement itself says a lot. If it were just an ordinary newbie, who would specifically tell them "no special treatment needed"?

"Alright." He sighed, putting away the transfer order on the table. "I'll take the man. Commander Han, please convey my thanks to Commander Qian."

Han Tieshan cupped his hands in farewell and turned to take his leave.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back towards the backyard.

"Lord Zheng."

"Um?"

"Regarding Zhou Tie's case, the Qianhu Office's opinion is... not to investigate it further for the time being."

Zheng Yuanlang's eyes suddenly sharpened: "What do you mean?"

Han Tieshan did not answer directly. He lowered his voice and said, "This is not something a lowly centurion like me could know. Lord Zheng only remembers that Zhou Tie died in the line of duty, and the case file has already been closed."

After saying that, he lifted the curtain and went out.

Zheng Yuanlang stood in the study, looking at the swaying curtain, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

He also felt something was off about Zhou Tie's case.

A commander at the Acquired Divine Power Realm, leading five subordinate commanders, was pursuing a gang of ruthless bandits on the outskirts of the Cangmang Mountains—a task that should have been a sure thing. The strongest monsters on the outskirts of the Cangmang Mountains were only at the Acquired Realm, and the bandits weren't much stronger either.

But Zhou Tie died.

He died under mysterious circumstances. Even his body was never fully recovered.

Who carved those incomprehensible runes on the cliff face?

Why is the Qianhu Police Station preventing a thorough investigation?

He thought about it for a while, but ultimately suppressed these questions. Having worked in the Zhenfu Division for over a decade, he understood one thing very well—

Sometimes it's better not to know than to know.

at the same time.

About forty miles southwest of Qinghe City, there is an abandoned mountain god temple.

The temple wasn't large. It consisted of a main hall and two side rooms. Over the years, it had fallen into disrepair; most of the roof tiles were broken, revealing the rotten beams underneath. Half of the courtyard wall had collapsed, and the weeds had grown to waist height, rustling in the night wind. Even a beggar wouldn't bother to set foot in such a place.

But tonight, a light shines in the mountain god's temple.

The light was dim. It shone through the broken windows of the main hall, appearing from the outside as a faint, yellowish hue. Unless one deliberately approached, one would not notice that anyone was there.

Inside the main hall, three people sat around an oil lamp.

Seated at the head of the table was an elderly man with gray hair. He wore a dark gray robe, had a thin face, and a sinister gaze. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, with his fingertips occasionally peeking out—his nails had an unusual bluish-black tinge. It was a mark left by practicing some kind of insidious and vicious cultivation technique.

Opposite the old man was a middle-aged woman. She appeared to be in her forties, still possessing a certain charm. She wore a deep purple dress with a silver chain around her waist. Her appearance was exceptionally well-preserved, but the fine lines around her eyes and her overly sharp gaze betrayed her true age. Her cultivation level wasn't particularly high, around the Acquired Blood Transformation Realm. However, a faint yet eerie aura emanated from her, making one feel quite uncomfortable.

The third man leaned against the shadows in the corner, his face obscured. Only a tall, imposing silhouette was visible. He crossed his arms and remained silent. His breathing was heavy and slow, like that of a slumbering wild beast.

"Old Ghost".

The middle-aged woman spoke first. Her voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping.

"When will we finally find that thing? The higher-ups are getting impatient."

The old man, known as "Old Ghost," did not answer immediately. He took out a black jade slip from his sleeve and placed it beside the oil lamp. The jade slip was engraved with dense patterns and faintly glowed with a dark red light, as if it had been cast from some special material.

"What's the rush?"

His voice was dry and hoarse, like two withered leaves rubbing against each other.

"That thing has been buried in the vast mountains for tens of thousands of years. What difference does it make if it's a few days earlier or later?"

"The difference is huge."

The middle-aged woman gave a cold laugh.

"Zhou Tie, that dog of the imperial court, is dead. But before he died, he carved warning talismans on the cliff face. Although the people from the Zhenfu Division couldn't understand them, the rubbing has already been sent to the provincial government. In case the people from the Xuanjingtai intervene—"

"A suspended mirror platform?"

The old man scoffed, his tone full of disdain.

"No matter how far the reach of the Suspended Mirror Platform extends, it can't reach the depths of the Cangmang Mountains. Besides, even if they came, what could they do? Without the Holy Sect's secret techniques, even immortals couldn't open the entrance to that place."

The middle-aged woman paused for a moment, seemingly weighing the credibility of her words.

That being said...

His tone softened somewhat.

"But Zhou Tie's last strike damaged your very soul. In your current state, can you still open that entrance?"

The old man's eyes darkened.

Zhou Tie's strike did indeed cost him dearly. Although the commander of the Zhenfu Division was only at the Acquired Divine Strength Realm, his desperate attack before death burned away all his vital energy and soul. The power of that strike was almost identical to a full-force attack from a Xiantian Realm expert. He had been careless for a moment, and the blade's energy had struck his very soul.

It hasn't fully recovered yet.

"Ten more days."

"Old Ghost said in a deep voice."

"Within ten days, I will be able to recover enough to activate the secret technique. At that time, you and Tie Nu will come with me into the depths of the Cangmang Mountains. We will retrieve that item and leave. We will not linger in Qinghe City for even a moment longer."

The middle-aged woman nodded, then asked, "What exactly is that thing?"

The old man glanced at her, his gaze carrying a hint of warning.

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't. We just do what our master tells us to do. A good job gets you a reward, a bad one—"

He didn't finish speaking.

The middle-aged woman's expression had changed slightly.

The burly figure leaning against the corner remained silent. His breathing grew heavier, like a ferocious beast chained up, suppressing its bloodlust.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered.

The shadows of the three people were cast on the mottled wall, distorted and eerie.

The night wind outside the window howled through the broken window frame, as if something was weeping in the darkness.

The old ghost put away the black jade slip and stood up.

"Let's go. Don't cause any trouble before I recover. The Zhenfu Division lost a captain, so they shouldn't send anyone into the mountains anytime soon. But in the meantime, you all need to behave yourselves."

The middle-aged woman and the burly figure stood up one after the other.

The three extinguished the oil lamp and quietly left the mountain god temple.

They disappeared into the night.

The temple was plunged into darkness again.

Only the wind was still howling.