The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

After saying that, Qu Yang left.

Liu Zhengfeng looked at his departing figure with some surprise, but soon regained his composure and stared blankly at the lake.

After a long while.

Liu Zhengfeng stared blankly into space, muttering to himself.

"Yin'er... Jing'er..."

……

A few days later.

The Shaolin monks finally arrived.

"Master Fang Zheng".

Yue Buqun, along with Master Mo and the others, went to the city gate to greet them.

"Amitabha."

Fang Zheng clasped his hands together and said, "I heard that Alliance Leader Yue has issued a proclamation to exterminate the demons. I hope I am not too late."

Yue Buqun smiled and said, "Abbot Master, your arrival is just in time."

As he spoke, Yue Buqun glanced at Xie Feng standing to the side.

After not seeing him for many days, Jie Feng looked much more haggard than when he was last seen at Mount Hua. It seemed that his entanglement with Ren Woxing had caused him a lot of trouble.

Seeing Yue Buqun looking over, Xie Feng's expression stiffened, but he still cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your help, Alliance Leader Yue. I am deeply grateful."

Yue Buqun smiled faintly: "Chief Jie, you are mistaken. It is the duty of righteous people like us to eliminate evil and protect the righteous path. Ren Woxing has been a menace to the martial world for too long. Everyone has the right to kill him. How can you talk about helping him?"

Yue Buqun made it very clear that his actions were purely righteous and had nothing to do with the grudges between Xie Feng and the Beggars' Sect.

Jie Feng's expression stiffened slightly, but he didn't say anything.

While Yue Buqun was receiving Fang Zheng and others, Jiang Ning was also talking to someone.

"Hero Jiang!"

A commander of the Imperial Guards bowed deeply to Jiang Ning, his expression filled with excitement.

This man was Luo Ding, the Jinyiwei captain who had traveled a thousand miles to Mount Hua to ask Jiangning to save Zhu Houzhao. He had now been promoted to commander of a thousand households.

"Such a grand gesture is unnecessary."

Upon seeing this person, Jiang Ning smiled slightly and asked, "How is Your Majesty?"

Luo Ding quickly replied, "Your Majesty, are you well?"

Then Luo Ding told Jiang Ning in detail what had happened in the capital after Jiang Ning left, which was also what Zhu Houzhao had instructed him to do before Luo Ding left the capital.

Jiang Ning frowned slightly after listening.

Although Jiang Ning had left the capital, Zhu Houzhao's actions against the civil officials not only did not subside, but became even more severe. While Wang Zhi was frantically cracking down on the civil officials, Zhu Houzhao kept sending eunuchs to be placed in the Beijing garrison, using them to sideline the generals and actually control the military power.

Not long after, Zhu Houzhao was assassinated several more times in the palace, but thanks to the all-round protection of the members of the royal family, he escaped unharmed each time.

Without a doubt, these assassination attempts were carried out by the civil official group, with the aim of warning Zhu Houzhao. However, Zhu Houzhao did not restrain himself. Instead, he moved out of the Qianqing Palace and built a Leopard House.

Meanwhile, the conflict between Zhu Houzhao and the civil service group intensified. The capital city appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging, and a major incident could occur at any time.

Jiang Ning nodded after listening.

Although Zhu Houzhao's situation is dangerous, it is still under control.

Jiang Ning was relieved and asked Luo Ding, "Who is the centurion of the Demon Extermination Division of Luzhou Prefecture?"

Luo Ding was taken aback, but then he realized what was happening.

"Does Master Jiang wish to see him? I will summon him now."

No sooner said than done, a member of the Imperial Guard arrived shortly afterward.

"Your subordinate Wu Zhong greets Commander. What are your orders, Commander?"

This Jinyiwei was the centurion in charge of the Demon Extermination Division of Luzhou Prefecture. He rushed over without stopping after hearing that Luo Ding wanted to see him.

Luo Ding nodded indifferently and said, "This is Master Jiang from the Huashan Sect. He has something to ask you. Answer him truthfully."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhong looked up and glanced at it, then quickly lowered his head again.

"Yes."

Jiang Ning sized him up; he had some basic skills, but his martial arts weren't very high.

After looking him over, Jiang Ning asked, "When we arrived in Luzhou Prefecture, someone said he was ordered by the Demon Extermination Division to deliver the documents. Do you know that person?"

Wu Zhong was taken aback. After thinking carefully, he finally remembered and nodded repeatedly.

"I recognize it."

"What's his name?"

"No plan can be devised."

……

"Ah."

For some reason, Ji Wushi suddenly sneezed.

"That's strange, why did I suddenly sneeze? Could I have caught a cold?"

Chapter 701: The Agenda

Puzzled, Ji Wushi temporarily put the matter aside and continued with his business, looking at the person in front of him.

"Alright, go back now. When you get back, tell Elder Du that as long as you serve the court loyally, the court will not go back on its word. As for his concern that the Three Corpse Brain God Pill might take effect after he rebels against Ren Woxing, I can tell him very clearly that poisons like the Three Corpse Brain God Pill make people like walking corpses, and the court will never allow it to exist. After Ren Woxing dies, the court will search the Demon Cave for an antidote to cure the poison in your bodies. But you can rest assured that even if they can't find it, the court will send imperial physicians to study this poison with all their might and find a way to cure it."

"Thank you, sir."

The man quickly replied.

Ji Wushi nodded and said, "Go back now, and also tell Elder Du not to forget to persuade more people to abandon darkness and embrace the light."

"Yes."

The man said respectfully, and then left.

Watching the man's departing figure, Ji Wushi's smile slowly faded.

During this time, he was not idle either. While secretly sending people to create panic in Ren Woxing's camp, he also kept sending people to try to turn the Demonic Sect's high-ranking members against him. Although the Demonic Sect's high-ranking members had all taken the Three Corpse Brain God Pill and were not likely to betray Ren Woxing, Ji Wushi still wanted to try. Fortunately, he finally found a breakthrough.

This man was a confidant of an elder of the Demonic Sect. Elder Du was a clever man. He clearly understood that Ren Woxing was making a last-ditch effort. Under the combined attack of the righteous path and the imperial court, Ren Woxing was doomed. Not wanting to be buried with Ren Woxing, he immediately sought his own way to survive. Coincidentally, Ji Wushi was also looking for a breakthrough. The two hit it off immediately. Elder Du secretly served the imperial court, hoping to survive in the subsequent battle between the righteous and demonic sects.

Progress has been made in winning over the high-ranking members of the Demonic Cult, and Ji Wushi is preparing to return to the Demon Extermination Division to report.

As dusk approached, Ji Wushi happened to encounter someone on his way to the Demon Extermination Bureau.

Upon seeing this person, Ji Wushi's pupils contracted slightly, but quickly returned to normal, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Master Jiang, what a coincidence!"

Ji Wushi took the initiative to greet him.

Jiang Ning smiled and nodded slightly.

Watching Jiang Ning's departing figure, Ji Wushi's heart pounded violently.

For some reason, he felt a sense of panic when he saw Jiang Ning just now, as if Jiang Ning was about to kill him in the next second. But this feeling came quickly and went even faster, and Jiang Ning did not make any move, as if the feeling just now was just an illusion.

Is it really just an illusion?

Ji Wushi's heart was racing, but he still tried to keep his expression straight as he walked toward the Demon Extermination Division.

Jiang Ning did not stop, his expression calm.

He had already learned Ji Wushi's identity from Wu Zhong.

Logically, Jiang Ning should have killed Ji Wushi without hesitation after learning his past identity, even though he was now considered a member of the imperial court. However, when he saw Ji Wushi, Jiang Ning did not act immediately, but instead thought about what the other party would do later.

For some unknown reason, the other party left the demonic sect and later became a wandering doctor who saved lives and sometimes stood up for the weak, saving many people.

If these are not enough to make Jiang Ning release Ji Wushi, then the fact that an evil person can do good does not mean that his past sins have disappeared. If Ji Wushi had also indiscriminately killed innocent people like other members of the demonic sect, Jiang Ning would not have let him go.

However, Ji Wushi is a very strange person. When the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigated his past, they found that although he had a background in the Demonic Sect, he had never done anything heinous. It's not that he had never killed anyone, but it was all due to grudges and feuds in the martial arts world. Apart from that, he had never killed innocent civilians.

So, strictly speaking, although Ji Wushi had a background in the Demonic Sect, unlike other members of the Demonic Sect, he voluntarily left the sect and became a wandering doctor, saving lives until recently when he accidentally saved a Jinyiwei centurion surnamed Li, and entered the Jinyiwei through the latter's introduction.

Jiang Ning arrived at the door of Yue Buqun's room.

Boom boom boom!

"Enter."

Yue Buqun's voice came from inside.

Jiang Ning pushed open the door and entered.

"Master."

"It's Ning'er."

Upon seeing that it was Jiang Ning, Yue Buqun stopped pondering and gestured for Jiang Ning to sit down.

"You met with the Imperial Guards from the capital. Is there some unrest in the court?"

Seeing Jiang Ning take his seat, Yue Buqun asked.

Jiang Ning then explained what had happened.

Upon learning that things had gone relatively smoothly with Zhu Houzhao, Yue Buqun nodded slowly.

The emperor and Jiangning are on good terms now, and it's beneficial for Mount Hua if the emperor is safe.

"By the way, Master."

Jiang Ning brought up the matter of Ji Wushi.

"Um……"

After hearing Jiang Ning's words, Yue Buqun's expression didn't change much. He glanced at Jiang Ning and said, "You didn't kill him?"