That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

Jiang Jingming shook his head seriously.

I almost forgot about Miss Xie. Her father is the captain of the Beijing Security Brigade, the most loyal and patriotic man in the world, and a super idol to countless scions of noble families.

"Jingming is so boring!"

Xie Yunqi pursed his lips and sighed in disappointment:

"I was even thinking that if you really wanted to rebel, you should take me with you! Then we could work together from the inside and drag that old emperor off the throne!"

Jiang Jingming stood with one hand on his hip, looking at the rebellious Miss Xie with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"Then may I ask, where has the emperor wronged you? Didn't he already bestow upon you the title of Lady Mingzhao?"

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Sailing Against the Current

"That makes sense."

Thinking of this, Xie Yunqi stuck out his tongue sheepishly.

"Well, there's nothing we can do then! Lady Mingzhaojun can only tearfully throw you, this traitor, into the imperial prison!"

Although the current emperor's methods of governing the country are somewhat harsh, he can be considered a diligent and wise ruler.

Although unifying the five continents was the late emperor's great achievement, as the saying goes, conquering the world is difficult, but maintaining it is even more difficult.

The fact that the capital is now located in Zhongzhou, while the other provinces, though far from the emperor's reach, remain law-abiding and willingly submit to imperial rule, is enough to demonstrate that the current emperor is competent.

Xie Yunqi thought that it was just that he had a bad temper and was always ready to dismiss or demote people.

Master Wen was such a good person, all he wrote was "The Strategy to Stop War," yet he was actually let go.

However, upon closer reflection, the people's adoration for the late emperor likely influenced the current emperor's mindset, making him determined to achieve similar feats to prove that he is no less capable than his father.

But there were no more battles to fight; his father had conquered the entire country for him.

Thus, the emperor could only turn his attention to the perpetually turbulent world of martial arts.

During the reign of the previous emperor, the Divine Capital Guard was merely the imperial guard system of the capital, hardly interfering in the affairs of the martial arts world. It was only after the emperor succeeded to the throne that it was transformed into the leader of the Righteous Alliance, shifting most of its energy to controlling the martial arts world.

Ten years ago, during the battle between good and evil, although the Divine Capital Guards had not yet had time to make a move, the people still cheered at the defeat of the Demonic Sect's Du Yue.

Regardless of the truth, it is still a meritorious achievement.

Therefore, the emperor would definitely side with Chen Sha's faction and completely eradicate the demonic sect, which would elevate this achievement to an even higher level.

Before leaving the capital, Xie Yunqi felt there was nothing wrong with it, since she hated the Duyue Sect anyway.

I hate them so much, I hate them for killing that quiet boy.

But she's becoming increasingly confused.

She realized that she had no idea what kind of people the Duyue Cult was. Were they really the kind of demons depicted in storybooks?

Haven't I seen enough demons and monsters along the way? But they weren't members of the Crossing Moon Cult.

Thinking of this, Xie Yunqi lowered his eyes, feeling his mind was in turmoil and he couldn't sort it out no matter what he did.

What are you thinking about?

Jiang Jingming looked at the noisy girl who had suddenly quieted down and reached out to tug at her braid.

"pain!"

Xie Yunqi turned her head and glared at him fiercely, but the pain passed quickly, and her chaotic thoughts remained chaotic.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about something."

She said sullenly.

Looking at her fluttering, curled eyelashes, Jiang Jingming suddenly understood why Fang Zhiyi could always see through what he was thinking.

Perhaps, like the young lady, he is someone whose thoughts are written all over his face.

After thinking for a moment, he looked directly into Xie Yunqi's eyes and slowly spoke:

“I know what you’re thinking, Miss. How about this? Let’s investigate everything. If the massacre was really committed by the Duyue Cult, then they might really be the evil group that’s been rumored to be.”

Jiang Jingming tapped the frost on her back, feeling a chill on his knuckles, and continued:

"Then, since you, young lady, aspire to be the world's number one female knight-errant, you must naturally rid the people of evil and wield your sword to uphold justice. The reason for drawing your sword against them shouldn't just be that they killed your friend. How about that?"

Xie Yunqi stared at him intently for a long while, then blinked.

"it is good."

She nodded slowly but firmly, feeling her chaotic thoughts drift away like a dark cloud.

"So it's settled then? I'll tell you a secret when the truth comes out."

After saying this, Jiang Jingming suddenly smiled.

The secret is that he was the friend who was killed, and it's unclear whether this is good or bad news for the young lady.

"What secret? What secret?!"

Xie Yunqi opened her eyes wide with curiosity and tugged at his sleeve:

"I need to know now!!!"

Jiang Jingming, of course, wouldn't do as she wished, and slowly lifted his foot to walk forward.

"If you want to know, then investigate the case properly. Look, Ah Qing has already reached the top of the mountain, while Miss is still trailing behind like a snail."

"!!!"

Xie Yunqi exclaimed "Ah!" and hurried forward a few steps, brushing against the weeds that reached his waist.

Then, realizing something was wrong, she snapped out of it and grabbed Jiang Jingming:

"Tell me first! What's the secret? Hey, you're not just kidding me, are you?"

"No, there really is a secret."

Jiang Jingming looked at her intently, his expression suggesting he wasn't lying.

Xie Yunqi felt a little flustered by his gaze, so he loosened his grip on his sleeve and mumbled an "okay."

Jiang Jingming drew Wujiu and casually swung it. Wherever the blade passed, the overgrown weeds were all cut down, and when the wind blew, they flew everywhere.

Several rods rode with the wind and caught up with Aqing, who was in the lead.

She turned around in the clear sky, her high ponytail fluttering gently in the wind.

In such unknown and dangerous moments, Aqing always walked ahead of him.

Jiang Jingming looked at her from afar, but it was too far away to see the expression on her face.

The Tingpu Villa is just ahead. He and Aqing traveled thousands of miles through mountains and rivers just to reach that place.

Having escaped death row and escaped capture, it seems we're finally a little closer to the answer.

Just when things should have been in full swing, Jiang Jingming suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.

It's as if the answer to that riddle is sealed with some ancient curse. You painstakingly unravel it, only to find not the answer you sought, but a curse that destroys everything.

He thought that Aqing was standing too far away. In the past, when he felt flustered or confused, he could always turn around and see her quiet profile.

Jiang Jingming couldn't help but quicken his pace. The mountain wind blew from all directions, and Wujiu trembled slightly at his waist.

Xie Yunqi charged forward like he was on steroids because of that secret. Lu Zhao, who was originally struggling to climb to the second position, felt the lion-like momentum behind him and immediately gritted his teeth and climbed up with all his might.

Fang Zhiyi was left behind at the very end, her steps light and graceful, like a noblewoman enjoying her leisure time.

Jiang Jingming, preoccupied with his own thoughts, didn't speak to her and strode forward.

Fang Zhiyi fell half a step behind him and suddenly spoke softly:

Even if you're rowing against the current, the boat will eventually reach the place the current wants it to go. So why not go slower?

"..."

Jiang Jingming was slightly taken aback and turned to look at her.

Fang Zhiyi, unusually, did not laugh, but simply stood quietly in the wind.

Her gaze fell on the wind, seemingly drifting aimlessly.

Jiang Jingming wanted to ask her why she said that, but he felt there was no point in asking, because even if he did, she wouldn't answer.

She had said everything she wanted to say, right there in that ambiguous remark she just made.

Jiang Jingming suddenly felt that the curse mark on the answer to the riddle had loosened again, and he was just a small boat that could not be rowed no matter how hard he tried, and could only drift with the current.

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Listening to the Waterfall

Cuiwei Mountain.

"Jingming, don't you think there's something strange about this place?"

Lu Zhao drew his sword and parted the intersecting leaves and branches. The further he went, the more uncertain he felt.

As soon as you enter this mountain, you feel an eerie stillness, as if even the wind has stopped.

"coward!"

Xie Yunqi was making a lot of noise, but he was actually very cunning and squeezed between Jiang Jingming and Fang Zhiyi, while keeping a considerable distance from Lu Zhao, who was leading the way.

That way, if any ghouls or something similar were to pounce, she could escape with lightning speed.

Every time the group walked a certain distance, Aqing would draw his knife and make a mark on the tree trunk.

This way, if you get lost, you can easily find your way back and avoid getting completely lost.

The rain, which had just stopped, gradually picked up again. The sound of rain falling in the dense woods should have been quite noisy, but there was only an eerie silence overhead.

Lu Zhao coughed, and to bolster his courage, decided to talk about something else to distract himself.

"Speaking of which, the reason why Tingpu Villa is named this is because there is a wonder in Cuiwei Mountain. Three naturally formed waterfalls are outside the villa, cascading down like the Milky Way. Sitting in the pavilion inside the mountain, you can hear the sound of the waterfalls booming like thunder, and everyone who sees it is full of praise."

"Living in a place like this, wouldn't it be so noisy it'd drive you crazy?"

Xie Yunqi pursed his lips, clearly not very interested.

Although the young lady enjoys lively occasions, she also prefers festive decorations. While the sound of the waterfall may seem spectacular at first, it would likely become tiresome after a while.

"The Listening Waterfall Villa is much bigger than Miss thinks. The only place where you can clearly hear the sound of the waterfall is in the pavilion on the villa's viewing platform."

Lu Zhao shook his head. After being summoned back to his post, he had inquired about many things related to Tingpu Villa with his colleagues.

Although I haven't been to the site yet, I already have a basic understanding of the terrain.

"Tingpu Manor is surrounded by mountains on all sides. The only entrance and exit is the manor gate. The mountain road is narrow and closed. If you take a wrong step, you will fall off a cliff and never be found. Therefore, Tingpu Manor is closed to the outside world and rarely receives outside guests. The grooms who are responsible for transporting food to them are paid several times more than the market price."

"In that case, perhaps this is why no one from the Shun family escaped from the murderer's clutches; there was only one way out."

Jiang Jingming imagined the murderer standing at the doorway, holding a large, cleaving sword and sneering.

As I thought about it, I felt that this was done by that old devil Jiang Wuwang, since it was hard to imagine anyone else having such combat power besides him.

If it were him, it would be perfectly reasonable for him to leave such a morbidly humorous signature in blood.

"Yes, it really is a hopeless situation to think about."

As Lu Zhao spoke, he shook his head and sighed.

More than a hundred people were brutally murdered; it was an inhumane massacre.

To my recollection, even the Imperial Guard rarely takes on such outrageous unsolved cases.

Moreover, those who died were not ordinary people who were powerless to even kill a chicken, but a group of elites from a sect.

"Sister Fang, do you think there might be poisonous insects hiding among the leaves of these flowers, plants, trees, and trees?"

Xie Yunqi held Fang Zhiyi's hand, while the dog furtively looked around.

They appear vigilant, but that's only an appearance.

“Originally, it was unlikely. Although Gu worms are nothing in a place like Cenzhou, they are rarer and more precious than gold, silver and jade in Zhongzhou. If they could crawl all over the place here, many people would probably risk their lives to catch them and sell them for money.”

Fang Zhiyi lifted her skirt, smiled nonchalantly, and looked up at the raindrops that had gathered into a stream:

"In addition, after leaving the breeding tank, Gu worms generally need to find a host as soon as possible. Gu worms are difficult to survive on their own and must attach to something."

"That's good, that's good!!!"