With just Chen Kuang on his own, there was no way he could infiltrate the base of the Soil True Officials without anyone noticing.
Even Qi Sibai would find it difficult.
But with Chen Kuang's excellent eyesight, combined with Qi Sibai's formidable skillset, they managed it.
Though he liked to say the Heavenly Observatory Division was different from other sects that specialized in divination and cosmic arts, the truth was, Qi Sibai's greatest strength was precisely that.
The so-called Arts of Heaven and Earth encompassed everything from mechanical contraptions, formations and wards, to fortune-telling methods.
According to him, these disciplines were developed only after the decline of the Heavenly Observatory Division, as a means to more accurately interpret fate when it became too vague to see clearly.
And it was precisely because of his mastery of these that Qi Sibai earned his spot as #34 on the Canglang Evaluation.
It was the classic tale of someone picking up a "side hustle" to make ends meet, only for the side gig to flourish so much that it outshone the main one.
Pei Xiu, despite having secretly looked into Chen Kuang's appearance before, was affected by the Mist-flower Aura, leaving his impression of the young man vague and indistinct.
So when he suddenly saw this blindfolded youth appear inside their headquarters, his first instinct was: an enemy has invaded!
He was ready to fight!
But then, the young man calmly raised a hand and held out a small wooden token.
Etched on it was a single character: "正".
The moment Pei Xiu saw that, his pupils shrank because he now suddenly realized who this person was.
There was only one person in the entire organization authorized to carry that token.
The one who General Huo had personally entrusted with the task of escorting the Liang Kingdom's former royal mother and daughter out of the country.
The illusion in his mind instantly shattered. The vague impression of the man's face immediately became crystal clear.
Pei Xiu's expression changed dramatically, and he bowed deeply.
"Subordinate Pei Xiu, Grade B operative, greets the Official Lord."
Soil True Officials, as expected, were a palace-founded organization.
Pei Xiu, despite being a cultivator, referred to himself as a subordinate and used proper imperial court etiquette from the Liang Dynasty.
That detail stirred something strange within Chen Kuang.
Huo Hengxuan... that old bastard never struck him as the kind to be overly obsessed with protocol.
Liang had already fallen. The ruling structure was in ruins.
But Pei Xiu's first instinct was still to bow and address him by title.
This meant one thing:
In this organization, order and etiquette weren't just rules, they were deeply ingrained beliefs.
And if one were to ask: in the royal court of Liang, who placed the greatest importance on hierarchy and propriety?
Only one person came to mind.
Someone who had been beheaded at the very beginning of it all.
The most honored person in all of Liang, once upon a time.
Was he the true founder of the Soil True Officials?
If there was such a powerful organization operating underground...
Why had they chosen to stand by and watch Liang collapse?
A new question took root in Chen Kuang's mind but for now, he had no answer.
He let Pei Xiu rise and stated his reason for coming.
"A fisherman's daughter at South Wharf?"
Pei Xiu frowned. "That'll be difficult to investigate."
"Most of the fishing communities there are under the Canal Guild's control. Many of them are undocumented, without formal registration. The Canal Guild colludes with the Prefectural Governor to prevent them from registering as residents of Jishao Prefecture."
"As a result, they're effectively prisoners, bound to a lifetime of fishing labor at the harbors, with no rights and no names."
"There are thousands of fishermen down at South Wharf. Every person has a different background. And if you're looking into a daughter of one of them..."
Chen Kuang interrupted, "That's why I want you to assign the task to Chen An."
"He knows her. He'll find a way to get close."
Tie Baiyuan, having vanished for years and still clinging to delusion, might lose his mind again if anyone brought up the past. And no one knew what consequences that could bring.
Better to let Chen An, someone with personal ties, handle it.
Pei Xiu nodded, then said, somewhat awkwardly, "Speaking of which... Official Lord, Chen An previously requested our help in investigating your identity..."
"I didn't dare act on my own and have held off on giving him an answer. What would you like us to say?"
Chen Kuang thought for a moment. "Just tell him you couldn't find anything."
Pei Xiu bowed again. "Understood."
Poor guy, he thought, mentally lighting a candle for Chen An.
Last time he came in a panic, deeply worried.
If he now heard that even the mysterious Soil True Officials couldn't uncover the truth, he'd probably panic even more.
Pei Xiu then said, "Also, I have an intelligence report. Official Lord, please take a look."
He flipped his hand and presented a scroll filled with dense, handwritten notes.
Chen Kuang unrolled it. Pei Xiu explained as he read:
"The Jishao Prefectural Governor has teamed up with the Zhou Kingdom's Enlightenment Envoy. Under the pretense of starting anew, they intend to restart the ritual sacrifice to the Eastern Court Lake Dragon King. And this time... it's a human sacrifice."
Chen Kuang's expression froze.
Lake Dragon King... wasn't that his senior brother, the one buried in that lake?
No one even knew where the guy was now.
But if they were going to attempt another ritual sacrifice...
Wouldn't that be reliving the very event from years ago that got his senior brother beaten by Xi Mengquan for no reason?
If his senior brother remembered, he'd probably die of rage on the spot.
Chen Kuang continued reading. The more he saw, the grimmer his expression became.
Turns out, the Prefectural Governor and the Enlightenment Envoy didn't actually care about summoning the Dragon King.
The real goal was just to eliminate dissidents.
Under the guise of a ritual, they would select those most opposed to Zhou rule, especially former Liang loyalists who had rejected the "reeducation" efforts, and offer them as the "sacrifices."
In this way, they could eliminate all threats under the guise of piety, solidifying their hold on power.
The Enlightenment Envoy had only been in Jishao Prefecture two days and after just one night at the Prefectural Governor's mansion, they had already reached such a seamless understanding and hatched this scheme.
This could only mean one thing:
It had been planned for a long time.
Yet Chen Kuang couldn't figure out whether it was the Prefect or the Envoy who had taken the lead.
"No wonder Fan Chuan was acting like a rabid dog today. Fan Hailong must be in on this too, probably even one of the core participants."
"And if Fan Hailong wants to consolidate his power, then naturally he needs to eliminate anyone who could threaten his position."
"And the Chen family, rising in influence over the past few years, is the perfect target."
"Especially Chen Ning. She's already become a beacon for young scholars. That makes her a threat."
"What a cunning plan! Three birds with one stone!"
Chen Kuang sneered.
A truly vicious trap.
"But now that I know about it... don't even dream of succeeding."
He inhaled deeply and carefully rolled the scroll back up.
As it happened, he already intended to have the Chen family replace the Canal Guild.
Pei Xiu added, "There's one more matter. Liberty Mountain's 'Walking Library' Lin Eryou and his page have arrived at the Prefectural Governor's residence."
Chen Kuang and Qi Sibai were both surprised.
"What are they doing there?" Chen Kuang asked.
Pei Xiu shook his head. "They just arrived today. I don't know yet."
...
In the Prefect's hall, Lin Eryou was smiling as he bowed politely.
The Prefect waved his hands frantically, "No need for such formality, Immortal Master! I dare not accept such courtesy!"
Lin Eryou straightened up. The Prefect asked, "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"
"Oh, I'm not here to issue orders." Lin Eryou shook his feathered fan with a smile.
"I've simply come to deliver a message that you cannot afford not to hear."
The Prefect blinked. "Oh?"
Lin Eryou smiled.
"I know the whereabouts... of the Liang Nation's former royal mother and daughter."