Yellow Heaven Sect Headquarters
"Star Guardian, what brings you here?" Liu Linmen stepped over the threshold, his expression tightening as he saw the early-morning visitor.
The man before him was a Guardian of the Worshipper Sect.
Ever since Liu Linmen's arrival in Luo River County and his failure to protect several key members of the Worshipper Sect relations between the two sects had soured.
Even the previously discussed merger, where the Worshipper Sect would join the Yellow Heaven Sect as a subsidiary, had become uncertain.
But Liu Linmen couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.
Matters of this scale were decided by higher-ups.
As a mere Incense Master, he had no say in such affairs.
All he knew was that the sect's leadership was deeply interested in the Worshipper Sect's ritual techniques methods that could gather the faith of mortals through ordinary idols and condense scattered divinity in the world.
This was an exceedingly rare art.
And precisely why the Yellow Heaven Sect had sought to absorb them.
Now, with complications arising, Liu Linmen had already been reprimanded by his superiors. He had little desire to further entangle himself with the Worshipper Sect's inner circle.
His only focus now was his duty to heal the sick and spread the faith.
So when he saw Star Guardian, he knew trouble had come knocking.
At the same time, the black-fur-clad figure lowered his hood and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Greetings, Master Liu."
Despite his high status as a Guardian of the Worshipper Sect, he dared not show the slightest arrogance before Liu Linmen.
Because Liu Linmen was not just an Incense Master of the Yellow Heaven Sect he also bore the title of "Heavenly Master."
This title signified his potential to rise into the sect's core leadership and perhaps even claim one of the Earth King seats someday.
Moreover, the Yellow Heaven Sect was a behemoth spanning four or five provinces of Great Xia.
Compared to this colossus, the Worshipper Sect confined to just two prefectures was insignificant.
Even as a Guardian, he was no exception.
"Cut to the chase," Liu Linmen waved dismissively.
"Then I shall be direct." Star Guardian bowed slightly. "I wish to know who killed Altar Master Sun in Luo River County?"
Liu Linmen's eyes flickered.
He knew very well who had killed Altar Master Sun.
But recalling his earlier suspicions about Jiang Ning, he shook his head.
"I don't know."
Star Guardian pressed, "If you do know, Master Liu, I beg you to tell me. Altar Master Sun was carrying a sacred relic of our sect one of utmost importance."
"Assist me in recovering it, and I will owe you a great favor."
"A sacred relic?" Liu Linmen feigned surprise, hesitating briefly before shaking his head again. "My apologies. I truly don't know."
Hearing this, Star Guardian's face darkened.
He didn't believe Liu Linmen was ignorant.
Altar Master Sun had been a sixth-rank Mystic Bone expert few in Luo River County could have killed her.
Especially since she possessed the Divine Descent technique, granting her a near-indestructible body.
Even in death, such a battle would have left noticeable traces.
For someone of Liu Linmen's stature to claim ignorance?
Impossible.
Taking a deep breath, Star Guardian spoke gravely, "Master Liu, even if you don't know the killer, you must have suspicions. Please, share them. That relic is our sect's Divine Embryo."
"The Divine Embryo is vital to us!"
"Even a hint would suffice!"
Divine Embryo?
At these words, Liu Linmen's expression shifted imperceptibly.
Since arriving in Luo River County, he had heard of this.
The Worshipper Sect's idol worship was meant to nurture something called the Divine Embryo.
Now, he understood.
Why does the Worshipper Sect keep sending people back to Luo River County?
Because the Divine Embryo they had been cultivating here was lost still unrecovered.
They were desperate to retrieve it.
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
Then, he slowly shook his head.
"I truly don't know. As for who could have killed Altar Master Sun… the suspects in this county are few, but I cannot recklessly speculate."
"I see." Star Guardian nodded.
Pulling up his hood, he turned and strode out into the snow.
The moment his boots touched the ground, his black fur robes shimmered, their color shifting to pure white blending seamlessly with the snow.
Wanhua Pavilion
At the highest floor of the pavilion…
"Sister-in-law!!"
A young woman in a goose-yellow dress, her delicate face flushed from the cold, spotted Lin Qingyi's smiling figure and rushed over with uncontained delight. Behind her, a tall young man of noble bearing followed with affectionate indulgence.
Lin Qingyi's eyes lit up with equal surprise and joy as she saw the approaching girl. She opened her arms to embrace the yellow-clad maiden. "Little Seventeen! What brings you here?"
While affectionately ruffling the girl's hair, she glanced at the young man behind her. "And Eighth Highness, you've come too?"
The young man smiled warmly. "Greetings, cousin-sister-in-law. Seventeen and I were traveling, and when she mentioned wanting to visit you, I accompanied her."
"I see," Lin Qingyi nodded, then looked down tenderly at the girl nuzzling against her chest like a kitten. This was the Seventeenth Princess of Great Xia - though of imperial blood, she'd been practically raised by Lin Qingyi since childhood and shared an unusually close bond with her.
Noticing Lin Qingyi's earlier question, the girl looked up with a mischievous grin. "Hehe! I was at Uncle Zhu's estate when I saw the letter you sent to Sister Xiaojin, so we came together to visit you!"
"And where is Xiaojin now?" Lin Qingyi asked, puzzled.
The princess pouted. "Sister got called back by her father midway."
A faint frown crossed Lin Qingyi's brow as she thought to herself: "So that plan has failed."
The observant princess reached up to smooth Lin Qingyi's creased forehead. "Is sister-in-law worrying about that matter? About finding a husband for Sister Xiaojin?"
Lin Qingyi sighed. "Your Sister Xiaojin is gentle, graceful, and perfectly mannered. It's time she married a suitable match."
The princess's eyes sparkled with sudden excitement. "Sister-in-law, is this Jiang Ning you described truly as remarkable as you claim?"
"More so, if anything," came the firm reply.
At this, the handsome Eighth Prince behind them showed keen interest. Having read Lin Qingyi's letters describing Jiang Ning, his curiosity had been piqued - indeed, it was partly why he'd agreed to accompany his full-blooded younger sister to this remote county.
Men of true talent, especially those rising from humble origins, always commanded his respect. In his view, such individuals possessed far greater potential than the polished scions of noble houses when given proper opportunities.
Meanwhile, the princess in yellow clapped her hands excitedly. "Sister-in-law! Since Sister Xiaojin isn't available - I'm here! Let me meet this paragon of yours!"
"You?" Lin Qingyi looked at the beaming royal teenager and immediately shook her head. "Not. Your status is far too exalted."
"Sister-in-law~~" The princess clung to Lin Qingyi's arm, swinging it back and forth like a pendulum. "Please let me go! I've never been matchmade before! If you praise this man so highly yet refuse to let me meet him, you're playing favorites with Sister Xiaojin over me!"
Faced with such artless wheedling, Lin Qingyi threw a helpless look at the young man now deliberately studying the ceiling. "Eighth Highness, perhaps you could talk sense into your sister?"
The prince maintained his gentle smile. "Cousin-sister-in-law, Seventeen isn't entirely wrong. Why not let her meet the young man? I too would like to see this exceptional youth you hold in such high regard."
His eyes twinkled as he added, "Should fate indeed intertwine their paths, there's no reason your protégé couldn't become an imperial consort."
"Brother !" The princess stomped her foot and launched herself at him like an angry kitten. "Stop spouting such nonsense this instant!"
With practiced ease, the prince sidestepped her assault.
"What a generous brother you are," Lin Qingyi remarked dryly, watching this royal sibling squabble.
Still effortlessly evading his sister's flailing attempts, the prince called out, "Seventeen will marry someday regardless. Better I help evaluate her prospects now!"
"Brother!! Enough!!"
Outer City
As Jiang Ning led his team beyond the city walls, his brows furrowed almost immediately.
Ahead, huddled under a crumbling eave, a family of four shivered violently two adults and two children.
The parents looked gaunt, their lips blue from the cold, their age indiscernible beneath layers of exhaustion. The children, though slightly better clothed, were just as pale, clinging to each other for what little warmth they could share. The older child appeared to be around seven or eight, while the younger was no more than five or six.
Noticing Jiang Ning's gaze, Feng Jiuge spoke up.
"Commander, a wave of refugees from other prefectures have flooded into Dongling County. Some have ended up here in Luo River."
"You're saying these people are among them?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Yes." Feng Jiuge nodded. "And they're not alone. The outer city is full of refugees like this not just here, but across Dongling County."
"The months-long drought earlier this year wiped out harvests in many regions. Only those near the Luo River could irrigate their fields and salvage some crops. That's why our county is still holding on."
"But other prefectures weren't so lucky. That's why these refugees have poured into Dongling, seeking survival."
"Families like this one are everywhere in the outer city. Given how harsh this winter is… most won't make it."
Xie Xiaojiu, walking beside them, sighed in agreement. "They really won't."
Jiang Ning's voice was calm. "Has the Magistrate done anything?"
Feng Jiuge shook her head. "There's little he can do. Harvests have been poor for years, and this year was the worst. Even Dongling City's granaries are nearly empty, let alone ours."
"Everyone's struggling just to survive. Who has the means to help undocumented refugees?"
"The fact that they haven't been driven out of the city is already an act of mercy."
Just then, Xie Xiaojiu spoke hesitantly. "Commander… should we help them?"
Jiang Ning glanced at the family in the distance, then wordlessly retrieved four strips of dried meat from his Spatial Ring.
"Give them these."
"Yes, sir!" Xie Xiaojiu took the meat and hurried toward the family.
Moments later, the four refugees knelt in the snow, kowtowing fervently toward Jiang Ning and Xie Xiaojiu. The wind carried their tearful thanks.
When Xie Xiaojiu returned, her expression was somber.
"Commander… they've traveled hundreds of miles, only to end up living under bridges. It's heartbreaking."
Jiang Ning's voice was quiet. "In times like these, there are too many who suffer."
With that, he continued forward.
The outer city was familiar territory to Jiang Ning especially this road connecting it to the inner districts. He had walked it countless times during his days training at the martial hall, and every brick, every face, every struggle was etched into his memory.
But now, after so long, he noticed many new faces and far more refugees crowding the streets. Some were families, others pairs of survivors, but most were alone, with nothing and no one left.
After passing through several more streets, Jiang Ning suddenly halted.
Ahead, a narrow alley was packed with people, yet the crowd moved in eerie order.
"What's going on there?" he asked.
Xie Xiaojiu answered promptly. "That's the Yellow Heaven Sect distributing their blessed talisman water, Commander."
Jiang Ning nodded in understanding.
As part of his duties, he regularly reviewed intelligence reports submitted to the Inspection Bureau. Given their role, the activities of the Yellow Heaven Sect were naturally a priority.
Those reports had mentioned the sect's talisman water a supposedly miraculous concoction.
According to the records:
A single bowl could ward off the cold, making the drinkers feel as though they were sitting by a furnace for hours.
It could stave off hunger, leaving one full for half a day.
It even purportedly cured minor ailments.
Jiang Ning neither dismissed nor accepted these claims.
In his past life, he would have scoffed.
But in this world?
Stranger things had happened.
This so-called talisman water might very well be real and it was one of the Yellow Heaven Sect's most effective tools for recruiting followers.
After a glance, Jiang Ning motioned for the team to proceed.
Their destination, according to Feng Jiuge's intelligence, was a compound in the northeastern corner of the outer city a gathering place for blind, deaf, and disabled beggars.
It was also suspected to be a property of the Black Tiger Gang, which was backed by the Liu Family, one of Luo River County's two major powers.
But what interested Jiang Ning most was Feng Jiuge's mention of a high-ranking Worshipper Sect member hiding there.
If true, capturing such a target would yield substantial Contribution Points to the Inspection Bureau's system for quantifying merit.
In the Bureau, Contribution Points were everything.
They could be exchanged for silver, used to purchase restricted resources, or even spent to directly promote one's rank.
It was an extravagant path to advancement but a straightforward one.
As for the hideout itself…
What Jiang Ning truly hoped to find was the idol once enshrined in the City God Temple.
According to higher-ups, that idol was still hidden somewhere in Luo River County.
Finding it would grant him 50,000 Contribution Points.
And that?
That was a prize worth pursuing.
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