Slaying demons and eliminating evil, a martial saint among mortals.

Qin Lie still couldn't quite believe it.

"Is the Misty Rain Pavilion truly an institution of the imperial court?"

Xu Qinghe nodded.

"You can understand it that way."

She leaned against the headboard and said slowly, "There are many things in the Great Qian Dynasty that can be dealt with openly."

"If a demon is harming people, you can hand it over to the Demon Suppression Division."

"If someone breaks the law, they can be handed over to the local government."

"When fighting breaks out on the border, the army will naturally step in."

"These things all have rules, and there are corresponding people responsible for them."

Xu Qinghe paused at this point.

"But there are still some things that cannot be dealt with publicly."

"Some people know too much and have a lot of secrets in their hands."

"The imperial court cannot directly convict him, nor can it arrest him and slowly interrogate him in prison."

"There are also some officials who appear to be clean and honest, but have secretly sided with the demon race."

"The imperial court knew he had problems, but could not make it public immediately."

"Because once everything is laid out, more people may be involved, and it may even cause public panic."

Xu Qinghe looked at Qin Lie.

"People like you can't be arrested openly or put on a public trial. Keeping them around will only cause more trouble."

"Therefore, the imperial court needs an organization that operates in the shadows, and the Misty Rain Pavilion is responsible for these kinds of things."

Upon hearing this, Qin Lie gradually understood.

No matter the dynasty, there will always be some things that cannot be handled through normal means.

Some decisions cannot be made known to ordinary people.

At this point, someone needs to step in and resolve these problems.

Ultimately, no matter what happens, the imperial court can always shift the blame onto this organization.

Qin Lie looked at Xu Qinghe.

"That means that, on the surface, Yanyu Tower is an assassination force in the martial arts world."

"I also take orders from ordinary people from time to time."

"This way, I can both earn money and conceal my true identity."

"But their primary task is still to deal with those people that the court cannot publicly punish."

Xu Qinghe nodded.

"That's right, that's exactly it."

"Therefore, the imperial court would also send troops to besiege and suppress the Misty Rain Pavilion in normal times."

"But most of the time, it's just for show."

"We'll actually arrest a few people and take down a few insignificant outposts."

"Let the world know that the imperial court has not turned a blind eye to the Misty Rain Pavilion."

"As for the truly important people and places, they will not be affected at all."

Qin Lie finally understood.

As an assassination organization, Yanyu Tower has existed in the Great Qian Dynasty for so many years, yet it has never been completely eradicated.

The reason is not complicated.

From the very beginning, the Great Qian Dynasty never intended for the Misty Rain Pavilion to disappear.

The matters that are public in the open are left to the various government departments of the imperial court to handle.

Those things that cannot be known to others are left to the Misty Rain Pavilion.

Both have their uses.

Qin Lie remained silent for a while.

Soon, he thought of the assassination attempt he had just survived.

"Since the Misty Rain Pavilion has connections to the imperial court, then the boss that Fushu mentioned must be..."

At this point, Qin Lie didn't continue speaking, but simply raised his head and stared at Xu Qinghe.

Xu Qinghe did not avoid his gaze.

The two of them stared at each other for a while.

Xu Qinghe then spoke.

What do you think?

The answer is quite obvious.

But Qin Lie's doubts only grew stronger.

"Why would the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty protect me?"

Xu Qinghe raised her eyebrows.

"Go ask her, why are you asking me?"

How do I know why she'd protect you?

Qin Lie was speechless for a long time after hearing this sentence.

He opened his mouth, about to ask another question.

At that moment, both of their demon-suppressing tokens vibrated simultaneously.

Qin Lie glanced down.

Only after taking out the Demon-Suppressing Token did they realize that the message came from Lu Chen.

Have everyone gather in the yard immediately.

Qin Lie put away the Demon-Suppressing Token and was just about to remind Xu Qinghe.

When he looked up, he found that no one was in bed.

Looking towards the doorway, Xu Qinghe was already dressed and standing by the door, her disheveled hair neatly tied back up.

She turned and glanced at Qin Lie.

"Didn't the order to assemble already come down? Why are you still standing there?"

"Stop dawdling, hurry up."

After saying that, she opened the door and walked out.

Qin Lie stood there, stunned.

How can this woman get dressed so quickly?

He quickly stood up from the bedside, then bent down to straighten his disheveled clothes. After confirming that there were no obvious problems with his body, he hurried out of the room.

When he walked into the courtyard, he found that Lu Chen and Li Hu were already waiting.

Xu Qinghe stood to the side, her expression natural, showing no sign that she had just been lying on the bed wearing a thin veil.

Li Hu first looked at Xu Qinghe.

Then he looked at Qin Lie, who had just come out of Xu Qinghe's room.

His facial expression suddenly turned strange.

"You just told me you had something urgent to do."

"So your so-called urgent matter was just running to Qinghe's room?"

Qin Lie was just about to explain.

Xu Qinghe spoke first: "Li Hu, you have no idea."

"This kid not only got into my room, but he also insisted on crawling onto my bed."

Li Hu's eyes widened in surprise.

"What! You even went to Qinghe's bed?"

He glanced at Qin Lie, then at Xu Qinghe.

"You two..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Lie immediately interrupted him.

"Don't talk nonsense. Xu Qinghe and I are completely innocent. We have absolutely no relationship."

"I just went to talk to her about something."

"She was unreasonable and dragged me to the bedside with chains."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu's expression became even more ambiguous.

"Using chains? You two are really something else."

Qin Lie opened his mouth.

For a moment, I didn't know how to explain it.

Xu Qinghe stood to the side with her arms crossed, a slight smile on her face, showing no intention of explaining for Qin Lie.

It was obvious that she just wanted to stand there and watch the show.

Lu Chen raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

"Alright, enough of this nonsense, we have serious business to get on with."

Hearing Lu Chen speak, the group quieted down.

Although Li Hu kept his mouth shut, his eyes still held a very obvious smile when he looked at Qin Lie.

Lu Chen glanced at the group before speaking, "We just received news from Duanfeng Pass."

"The city walls and the array base have been almost completely repaired; now all that's left is to return the Zhenguan Seal to its place."

Upon hearing this, Qin Lie's expression also became serious.

Lu Chen continued, "They originally said that we could get there within seven days."

"But Qin Lie's business is already finished, right? Let's head over there ahead of time. The sooner the Zhenguan Seal is returned to its place, the sooner Duanfeng Pass can regain its full defense."

"If the demon race attacks again in the next few days, we can lend a hand if we stay there."

Qin Lie nodded without hesitation.

"No problem, I've taken care of everything, and I'm ready to leave anytime."

Li Hu, who was standing to the side, immediately looked dejected after hearing this.

"No way?"

"Qin Lie and I just rushed back from Heishan Town yesterday, and we haven't slept much for a day and a night."

"We just arrived in Dongxuan City today, haven't even had a chance to touch a bed, and now we're heading to Duanfeng Pass?"

"Can't you let someone rest for a while?"

Lu Chen glanced at him.

"You have the nerve to say you're tired? How did you two even get back from Black Mountain Town?"

Li Hu instinctively replied, "On horseback."

"That'll solve it, won't it?"

Lu Chen looked at him.

"The horse was exhausted after a day and a night."

"You're sitting on horseback, what's so tiring about that?"

"If you walked all the way back from Heishan Town on your own two legs, and now you're telling me you're tired, I definitely won't have any objections."

After hearing this, Li Hu's eyes immediately showed a hint of resentment.

"Riding a horse is tiring too; my back hurts, my legs hurt, and my butt hurts."

Lu Chen completely ignored him.

Seeing that complaining was useless, Li Hu could only wave his hand.

"Alright, alright, you're the boss, whatever you say goes, I'll listen to you."

Qin Lie looked at Lu Chen.

"When are we leaving?"

Lu Chen answered very decisively.

"If no one has any objections, let's go now."

"The sooner the Zhenguan Seal is returned to its place, the sooner Duanfeng Pass can resume its defenses."

They all nodded.

They then returned to their rooms and quickly tidied up their belongings.

Before long, the four of them led their horses away from the courtyard and drove out of the city gate of Dongxuan City.

There were no unexpected incidents along the way.

At first, Li Hu kept complaining that he hadn't slept well.

One minute she's saying she can't even open her eyes, the next she's complaining that her whole body aches.

After traveling for most of the day, he was too lazy to even complain anymore.

He lay directly on the horse's back, loosely gripping the reins with both hands to control the horse's direction.

His head swayed gently with the horse's running motion.

Qin Lie glanced at him twice.

"Aren't you sure you won't fall like that?"

Li Hu didn't even raise his head.

"Don't worry, I won't fall even if I'm asleep."

"If you have so much free time, you might as well keep an eye on the road for me."

Qin Lie ignored him and continued to urge his horse onward.

However, his mind never truly calmed down throughout the journey.

The words Xu Qinghe had just said kept replaying in his mind.

The Misty Rain Pavilion is a hidden force within the Great Qian Dynasty.

The "boss" mentioned by Fushu is very likely the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty.

But this led to new problems.

Why did the Empress order him to be protected?

He had never met the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty before, nor had he done anything that could attract her attention.

However, the other party was able to stop the assassination attempt by Yanyu Tower and even sent people to protect him secretly.

There must be some reason he doesn't know about.

There's also Xu Qinghe.

Why did she want to kill the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty one day?

What exactly happened between the two of them?

What kind of hatred must have accumulated for Xu Qinghe to say such a thing so seriously?

Xu Qinghe clearly knew the answers to these questions.

But Qin Lie also knew that even if he went over and asked her now, she most likely wouldn't tell him.

If you press the issue too hard, you might get another beating with the Soul-Sealing Book.

Thinking of this, Qin Lie looked back.

Xu Qinghe followed behind on horseback.

She has returned to her usual quiet self.

His face was expressionless, and the redness in his eyes had almost completely disappeared.

"Why have you been staring at me the whole way?"

Upon hearing Xu Qinghe's question, Qin Lie immediately looked away.

"It's nothing."

Xu Qinghe glanced at him but didn't press the matter further.

Qin Lie then realized that she should be gradually returning to normal.

After the redness in her eyes faded, she returned to her usual quiet demeanor.

Qin Lie was a little curious.

What exactly happened to make Xu Qinghe enter that red-eyed state?

The last time was after a battle, and this time it has lasted for such a long time again.

Could it be related to the Soul Sealing Book, or to her cultivation level?

Qin Lie thought for a while, but couldn't come up with a solution.

He simply gave up and continued on his way.

The group did not stop along the way.

After a whole day of travel, we finally arrived near Duanfeng Pass before evening.

When they were still some distance from the city gate, Qin Lie could already see the Great Qian flag being raised again on the city wall.

The flag was being blown about by the wind.

When I left a few days ago, there were collapsed city walls everywhere in Duanfeng Pass.

The city gate was also severely damaged.

Now, rows of wooden frames have been erected next to the damaged city wall.

Many soldiers stood on it repairing the bricks and stones, while others carried timber and stones from below, continuously sending them to the city wall.

There were also many horse-drawn carriages coming and going near the gate.

The carts were loaded with food, weapons, and supplies needed to repair the city walls.

These supplies were likely sent from the surrounding cities.

Duanfeng Pass has only just reopened, and so far no one dares to come here, and there aren't many people inside the pass either.

But compared to a few days ago, it's completely different now.

Soldiers were busy repairing the city walls, and carriages were constantly coming and going.

People were talking everywhere, and others were running around.

This fortified town, which had been silent for many years, has finally begun to stir again.

Several people rode into the fortress.

Not far inside, Qin Lie noticed a stone tablet next to the road.

The stone tablet stands inside the city wall, and the surrounding soil has not yet been fully compacted.

The surface also bears very obvious chisel marks, indicating that it must have been erected not long ago.

Qin Lie slowed his horse down and looked at the stone tablet.

It is covered with many names.

Row after row, with hardly any gaps.

Qin Lie quickly realized what was happening.

These names should all belong to the soldiers of the Duanfeng Camp who died in the battle of Duanfeng Pass.

He pulled on the reins, bringing the horse beneath him to a stop.

He then dismounted and walked to the front of the stone tablet.

Qin Lie raised his hand, his fingers slowly tracing over each name.

Not long after, he saw that familiar name.

Li Tiezhu.

There was no official title or record of any achievements after the name; there was only a line of very simple small characters.

The garrison at Duanfeng Pass died in battle on the city walls.

Li Hu also dismounted from his horse and walked to the stone tablet.

He stared at Li Tiezhu's name for a long time.

His initially tired expression gradually became serious.

"Is this my ancestor?"

Qin Lie nodded.

"Yes, this is your ancestor."

Li Hu raised his hand and gently touched the name on the stone tablet.

Qin Lie, standing to the side, continued, "His name has been recorded."

"As long as Duanfeng Pass still exists, people will see this name."

"What he did will be passed down through generations."

Li Hu didn't speak, he just stood there, looking at the name on the stone tablet.

Lu Chen sat on horseback and watched quietly for a while.

After a moment, he finally spoke.

"Let's go."

Their mission is complete.

"We'll have to continue with the rest."

Qin Lie and Li Hu nodded.

The two of them remounted their horses.

Then the group urged their warhorses on and headed toward the center of the fortress.

Li Xuance has been staying at the former garrison commander's residence for the past few days.

Duanfeng Pass has just been unsealed. The city walls need to be repaired, the formations need to be fixed, and military supplies need to be allocated.

The supplies delivered from various places every day are different, and the soldiers and formation masters in the city also need to be arranged in a unified manner.

In the end, all these matters had to go through Li Xuance.

When Qin Lie and his group arrived outside the garrison commander's residence, several soldiers were carrying a wooden box out of it.

The wooden crate was packed full, and the lid wasn't even properly closed.

Qin Lie glanced inside and saw stacks of military registers.

Some of the military registers were yellowed and had burn marks on the edges.

These must be old items that were just found in various places in Duanfeng Pass.

Lu Chen dismounted and walked up to the gatekeeper.

"Please go in and inform them."

"Lu Chen, the Demon Slayer of Dongxuan Town, has come with Qin Lie and the others to return the Town Seal."

Upon hearing the words "Zhen Guan Yin" (镇关印), the soldier's expression immediately became serious.

"Please wait a moment, everyone."

After saying that, he turned and strode into the garrison commander's residence.

Not long after, Li Xuance came out from inside.

He was still wearing the same clothes Qin Lie had worn when he last saw him.

His clothes were covered in dust, and his eyes showed obvious signs of fatigue; it was clear he hadn't had much rest in the past few days.

However, upon seeing Qin Lie and the others, he immediately quickened his pace.

"Why are you back so soon?"

"Didn't we agree before we left that we just needed to return the town's seal within seven days?"

"It's only been a few days?"

Qin Lie dismounted.

"I have taken care of everything, and there is nothing else I need to do in Dongxuan City."

"I thought Duanfeng Pass was short-handed right now, so I came over ahead of schedule."

At this point, he patted the spot in his pocket where the Zhenguan Seal was placed.

"The sooner the Town-Suppressing Seal returns to its place, the sooner the Wind-Severing Array can be restored. We can't wait until the seventh day to come, can we?"

After listening, Li Xuance did not speak immediately, but instead looked at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen nodded.

"That's exactly what I mean. The situation at Duanfeng Pass is not completely stable yet."

"The earlier we arrive, the more help we can get."

Upon hearing this, Li Xuance finally smiled a little.

"There's no harm in coming early."

"You've come at the perfect time."

"Gu Qianji just sent someone over this morning to tell me."

"The base of the great formation is basically connected."

"He's waiting right now at the center of the formation."

Li Xuance looked at Qin Lie again.

"Now that you're here, let's send the town seal over first."

"Once the Zhenguan Seal is returned to its place, the grand formation can begin its final adjustments."

Qin Lie nodded.

"no problem."

"I came here specifically for this matter."

Li Xuance did not delay any longer.

"Come with me."

The men handed the horse over to the soldiers outside the garrison commander's residence.

They then followed Li Xuance, walking along the road in the fortress.

When Qin Lie rode his horse into the city earlier, he noticed that there were many more people at Duanfeng Pass than in the past few days.

Now, walking around the city, you can see things much more clearly.

Large quantities of newly transported formation stones were piled up on both sides of the road.

These stones are of varying sizes.

Some have already been carved with basic array patterns, while others have simply been cut into fixed shapes and need to be sent to the corresponding locations for further processing.

Several array masters dressed in gray robes were squatting on the ground.

They used specialized tools to painstakingly repair the broken patterns between the stone slabs.

Some areas are not severely damaged; all that is needed is to reconnect the broken lines.

Some of the array bases were so severely corroded by demonic energy that the entire stone slab had become useless.

The only way to build this kind of base is to dig it all out and then put the new base in.

After the new array base is placed, it must be recarved according to the original array patterns.

Even a single mistake in carving can affect the operation of the entire formation.

Therefore, after each section is repaired, a formation master will come over with a small formation plate to inspect it.

Once the array plate is placed on the ground, the pointer on it will slowly rotate along the array patterns.

Only after confirming that this section of the array is completely connected and without any problems will they continue to repair the next section.

Qin Lie followed for a while, then asked, "Where is the core of the new Wind-Breaking Formation located?"

Li Xuance raised his hand and pointed to the center of the pass.

"It's right over there."

"All the array patterns in the entire Broken Wind Pass will eventually converge there."

He explained as he walked.

"The array patterns on the city walls are mainly responsible for defending against attacks from outside the pass."

"The array bases laid inside the pass are responsible for transmitting power."

"The place that truly controls the entire formation is the formation's core in the center of the fortress."

Qin Lie nodded.

The group continued forward and soon arrived at the center of the fortress.

There used to be a palace here that occupied a large area.

The palace has now completely collapsed.

The fallen bricks, stones, and timber were cleared to the side, leaving only a patch of freshly leveled land.

There are still some marks of varying depths on the ground.

A temporary wooden shed was erected in the center.

A dozen soldiers stood around the wooden shed, each holding a weapon and guarding their respective positions.

There were piles of array stones and spirit crystals next to him, as well as many array materials that Qin Lie had never seen before.

Some were packed in wooden crates.

Some were placed directly on the ground with different slips of paper attached to them to indicate their purpose.

Several array masters kept going in and out of the wooden shed.

Everyone's face showed obvious signs of fatigue.

Before some people could even put down their tools, they carried another array plate and went inside.

Upon seeing Li Xuance approach, the soldiers guarding outside the wooden shed immediately stepped forward and saluted.

"Greetings, City Lord."

Li Xuance nodded.

"Is Gu Qianji still downstairs?"

The soldier immediately replied, "Lord Gu has been in the stone chamber at the center of the formation the whole time."

"I just led a few array masters to re-examine the main array plate."

"It hasn't come out yet."

Li Xuance did not ask any further questions.

"understood."

After saying that, he led Qin Lie and the others into the wooden shed.

In the center of the shed, there is a stone staircase leading downwards.

The sides of the stone steps have clearly been reinforced recently.

Some sections are still supported by the newly installed wooden beams.

In the corners of the walls and along the edges of the steps, you can also see pebbles and dirt that haven't been cleaned up.

Just as the group reached the stone steps, Qin Lie suddenly stopped.

He felt the Zhenguan Seal in his arms vibrate slightly.

Qin Lie looked down.

Even through the clothes, a faint light could be seen shining through his arms.