Ten Directions Sword Master

"A burglar-catching station?"

Yu Ziqi's expression was solemn. Such distinctive attire as a silver-clad cavalryman could only be found in the thief-catching department under the Privy Council in the territory of Great Chu.

The silver-clad captains were all at the Foundation Establishment stage, and there were no fewer than a hundred of them. The few in the front row even had cloud patterns on their sleeves and silver fish belts around their waists.

Even though Wu County is the core of the Great Chu and the area where the thief-catching forces are most concentrated, its scale is still quite terrifying.

It is estimated that the main force that can be mobilized in the county has all arrived here.

"The Four Academies' exploration of the secret realm has been approved by the Deputy Privy Councilor. What is the Bandit Suppression Bureau planning to do?!"

A fierce glint flashed in Li Xunzhen's eyes, but he showed little panic.

Even if these silver-clad captains possessed combined attack techniques, it was wishful thinking for them to capture the three cultivators at the Spirit Refinement stage.

The process of refining the spirit involves the convergence of inner and outer forces, causing changes in the world and rendering one no longer human.

Those geniuses on the Human Ranking could only unleash their secret techniques by exhausting their inner strength, but they only grasped two or three parts of the essence of a casual strike from them.

If we really let loose and kill all the silver-clad captains in front of us, it wouldn't take more than thirty breaths.

Considering that those few silverfish wielders might be able to hold out for a couple more moves, let's estimate the timeframe.

But the fact that the Bureau of Criminal Investigation has made such a large-scale move suggests that someone at a higher level has spoken out. Could this indicate that the imperial court is dissatisfied with the monopoly of this secret place by the four Confucian academies?

Such situations are common among major sects and aristocratic families.

The four academies are ultimately related to Yingtian Academy, and there have always been differing opinions in the court.

Why have the four Confucian academies deployed troops to block the path of their exploration of the secret realm?

Master Qingming stepped forward from the crowd, his expression calm, his voice resounding throughout the entire venue.

Because of the previous academy's existence, Yuelu Academy held a slightly higher status than the other four academies, and it was always the academy that represented the outside world.

More than a hundred lightly dressed riders in silver robes stood still on their horses, but no one answered; only the sound of horses could be heard.

"You think you can intimidate us with a bunch of Foundation Establishment juniors? Once the secret realm ends, we'll all leave with our disciples, and we'll see who dares to stop us!"

The four major academies are all the lords in their own territories, and being ignored by a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators inevitably made Daoist Qingming look rather embarrassed.

"Why be angry, Taoist priest? Someone will come and explain to you."

A faint voice drifted over, and a white line rapidly drew closer, arriving before the silver-clad light cavalry had even finished speaking.

Dressed in feathered robes and wearing a tall crown, he was as elegant and refined as a noble young master from a prominent family, engaged in philosophical discussions.

"Gu Jingyi!"

Li Xunzhen gritted his teeth and spat out the person's name.

Gu Jingyi, a direct descendant of the Gu family of Kuaiji, once ranked fifth on the list of successful candidates in his youth. Several years after he was removed from the list, he opened his spiritual platform and achieved the refinement of spirit.

He is only in his early thirties and holds the title of Goldfish Envoy of the Privy Council's Thief-Catching Office, responsible for maintaining order in the southeast.

The goldfish envoy surnamed Gu who clashed with Li Xunzhen last time was this very person.

Judging from Li Xunzhen's changing expression, the claim that they were evenly matched might be untrue.

"A mere Crimson Fire Secret Realm has attracted Young Master Gu's attention. Have we violated the laws of the Great Chu?"

Master Qingming was moved; the situation changed drastically when Gu Jingyi appeared.

Officially speaking, the Goldfish Envoy, as the highest-ranking official in the Bureau of Thieves after the Chief Clerk, already possesses absolute authority.

To a large extent, it can represent the meaning of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, or even the Privy Council.

Gu Jingyi's identity as a direct descendant of the Kuaiji Gu family, one of the five great families, aroused Qingming Dao Changsheng's suspicion that the Gu family might be behind it.

The southeast has always been regarded as the private territory of the Lu and Gu families, and even the royal family has to give way to it.

Could it be that the actions of the four Confucian academies in exploring the secret realm at someone's doorstep have displeased a certain important figure in the Gu family, which is why Gu Jingyi came to knock on their door?

"This must be Daoist Yu Ziqi. Last year, I accompanied my grandfather to meet the True Man Dan Ding. His demeanor still inspires longing in me."

Gu Jingyi skipped over Li Xunzhen and didn't answer Qingming Daoist's question, but spoke to Yu Ziqi instead.

"The true master is evergreen... I am now the vice dean of Bailu Academy, and there is no need to mention the past."

Yu Ziqi, who had been indifferent and calm all along, showed emotion upon hearing this honorific title and made a Ziwu hand seal.

"Master Qingming says the four academies haven't violated the laws of the Great Chu, but in my opinion, that's not necessarily true!"

Gu Jingyi withdrew her gaze, gave a cold laugh, and stood with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Just wait and see. We'll know in a few days. If I'm wrong, I'll personally come to apologize to you."

Master Qingming and the others exchanged glances, a possibility flashing across their faces, and a look of anxiety crossed their eyes.

"Gu Jingyi came alone, likely through the Gu family's own intelligence channels. However, this is mostly speculation, without concrete evidence... Otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have come alone. The four elite constables of the Thieves' Bureau are scattered across various locations, but it wouldn't be a problem to borrow three to five Refinement Realm cultivators from the Martial Arts Bureau."

Master Qingming transmitted his thoughts to the two of them in a secret voice.

"Wu County is teeming with powerful figures; hastily transferring a few from friendly families would suffice... This shows that the Criminal Investigation Bureau is also gambling, not daring to offend us too much, so they've pushed forward this noble young master, Gu Jingyi."

Even if the intelligence is wrong, what can our disciples, who are officials in the court, do to him if they launch a counterattack? At worst, we can resign and return to Kuaiji to be his noble sons.

Li Xunzhen tugged at his beard, his expression troubled: "The key lies with Yingtian. Did they use the exploration of the secret realm as a pretext for illegal activities...? If they're caught and there's evidence of them gathering intelligence, we'll be in a passive position!"

"It's alright. At most, we'll hand over those two Yingtian disciples; it won't have much of an impact... Anyway, aside from this secret realm, we've practically cut off all contact with Yingtian Academy."

Master Qingming looked at Yu Ziqi and asked.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, what do you think?"

"I'm just wondering, if Gu Jingyi's information is true, would Yingtian Academy really risk so much, even betraying the Four Academies Alliance, just to gather some intelligence?"

Yu Ziqi gazed intently at the hill.

"Could Yingtian be hiding an even bigger plan in some secret realm, or somewhere else we can't see?"

……

Nebula Hall.

Lu Li was disappointed to find that there was no option to heal his body before entering the Compass World.

He had never activated the Nebula Compass when he was unwell; he only used this function after he had left the Compass World with his severely injured body.

This led to the fact that this limitation was only discovered today.

"Then we can't choose the Northern Wei world. Three months have already passed, and my fabricated story could be exposed at any time. There's also the descendant of that grandmaster who died at He Zheng's hands... If we go in now, it will be the start of the Yuanlong Conference, a time of great uncertainty and uncertainty."

Lu Li ruled out the seclusion talisman as his first destination and subconsciously shifted his gaze to the Great Kang World.

Just before confirming, it paused again.

"When I left, I caused a ruckus at the Incense Sect's stronghold, played tricks on that sect leader, and stole the Immortal Mirror fragment. If I go back now, I probably won't be able to focus on healing... The Incense Sect, the Misty Rain Pavilion, and the demon possessed by the Nine Yin Rakshasa—who has the time to heal and improve their strength?"

"On the contrary, in the world of the floating islands, although there are many powerful people, the islands have their own order. Without missions, there is no need to scheme and climb up, or be forced to create danger. Hiding in the city is actually safer."

"Furthermore, the floating island offers the best chance; if one can obtain a elixir, one's injuries can be healed instantly."

After careful consideration, Lu Li made his final choice in front of the Nebula Hall.