As dusk began to fall on the streets and alleys of Fengjing, the bluestone slabs of Zhuque Street still radiated the warmth of the daytime.

Along Chenweifang, a string of crimson lanterns illuminate the street under the shade of locust trees, while the old man making sugar paintings taps his copper spoon on the bluestone slabs, producing a clear and melodious sound.

A burly man in a bamboo shirt stood in front of the pancake stall, watching the golden crescent moons float in the oil, the dough wrapped around shrimp paste stretching out in the hot oil.

With a light flick of his iron ladle, the vendor placed twenty-four delicate dumplings onto the lotus leaf, drizzled with fragrant vinegar and freshly picked perilla leaves, their aroma wafting through the air.

Picking them up with bamboo skewers and putting them into their mouths, the crispy and fragrant flavors burst in their mouths. They exhaled hot breaths as their hands kept moving, one after another.

By the time we sat down at the Hu merchant's grilled food stall, we had already eaten half of it.

I ordered a signature lamb rib dish and asked the lady next to me for two servings of crystal melon jelly, pushing one of them to the next table.

"Don't be shy, it's my treat."

The man, without even raising his head, was eating heartily; he was none other than Jiang Wuyai, the head of the Tianyan Sect.

A figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere at the next table, saying, "Senior brother, you're in high spirits."

Jiang Wuyai waved his hand, "After cultivating for a long time, I sometimes miss the lively atmosphere of the streets and alleys."

The merchant was sprinkling cumin on the sizzling lamb ribs, the spicy aroma mixed with the smell of charcoal fire forcefully assaulting his nostrils.

The wonton stall at the far west end is the most lively, with an old earthenware pot simmering with rich pork bone broth all day long, and the silvery-fish-like noodles swimming in the rising steam.

A little boy in a red bib stood on tiptoe, clinging to the edge of an elmwood table, watching his mother put shrimp paste into a blue-and-white porcelain bowl.

Suddenly, the clinking of ice cups echoed through the long street as a boy selling shaved ice dumplings hurried along, pushing his elm cart.

A few notes of a pipa drifted from the deep alley, mingling with the rising and falling cries of "Freshly fried sugar-coated pancakes!" and "Hot quail dumplings!", composing a noisy, bustling folk tune.

"Why aren't you doing it? I remember you used to love this. Are you afraid I'll poison it?"

Chu Xinglan remained unmoved, and the passersby seemed not to see her or notice Jiang Wuyai's unusual "talking to himself".

"As my senior brother said, that was in the past. Now, fourteen years have passed, and people cannot remain unchanged."

Chu Xinglan raised an eyebrow; a plate of delicate dumplings had just whetted her appetite.

Since the roasted lamb chops would take a while, he decided to enjoy the chilled melon custard instead.

It's sweet and sour, and icy cold, which is nice after eating fried food, but it gets a bit greasy if you eat too much, and it doesn't really suit his taste.

He untied the gourd from his waist, tilted his head back, and took a swig of spicy and stimulating liquor.

"Junior sister has been in the palace for a long time and has eaten all kinds of exquisite food, so naturally she looks down on such common street food."

"I suppose you haven't come to reminisce with me? What brings you here?"

Chu Xinglan raised her head and looked directly into his eyes.

To be honest, she never understood why Jiang Wuyai had gained the territories' approval.

Her senior brother was, in a strict sense, a man of strong character: a true villain with genuine feelings.

For example, right now, the dignified sect leader of Tianyan Sect is speaking in a sarcastic and sarcastic tone to his own junior sister, with whom he has cultivated together since childhood.

He has never concealed his greed for the Heavenly Plate Dao and the first-grade realm of sorcerers.

With his territory under his control, it wouldn't be difficult for my senior brother to completely disappear from this vast city of Fengjing.

Even if Chu Xinglan were to take action, it would still take a great deal of effort to pinpoint the location.

However, only a short time has passed since I received His Majesty's letter.

In fact, his whereabouts had always been under the surveillance of the Xuanji Guard. During this period, he was simply walking around the streets and alleys, as if he wanted to measure the land of Fengjing with his own feet.

But Chu Xinglan knew that he had been trying to use the earth's compass to sense the location of the celestial compass.

Judging from the results, it seems that nothing was gained.

Chu Xinglan was too lazy to bother with petty complaints, so she took out the document and handed it to the person opposite her.

Jiang Wuyai was no fool. Back when the late emperor was in power, he held a similarly extraordinary position in the palace and recognized the document as an imperial item at a glance.

He took out a piece of coarse linen to wipe his hands, then took the book and quickly opened it to read.

Bang! A dozen breaths later, Jiang Wuyai slammed it hard onto the table, staring intently at his junior sister opposite him, his presence carrying a hint of thunder and lightning.

"What's the meaning!"

"The literal meaning." Chu Xinglan ignored his anger.

"One is at the third rank, and the other is at the half-step third rank, stirring up trouble in the flood-stricken areas."

They assassinated the imperial heir and spread rumors, intending to create a major internal rebellion.

"It could absolutely not be the work of the Heavenly Evolution Sect!" Jiang Wuyai's words were resounding and unwavering.

“Junior sister should know that all I seek is cultivation. If I were greedy for power, things would not have been peaceful when I left Fengjing fourteen years ago.”

"My senior brother also said that things have changed and people are no longer the same. So many years have passed, who knows?"

But the person who secretly intervened was indeed a sorcerer, that much is undeniable.

According to Xuanji Guard, the other party has mastered the art of mind control and the formation that reverses Yin and Yang.

All sorcerers in the world originate from the workings of Heaven; this is undeniable.

Jiang Wuyai suddenly stood up, pointed at the other person's nose and cursed, "I admit to nothing!"

When your master passed away and the Tianyan Sect was expelled from Fengjing, how many people left? Don't you know?

Thirty percent of our generation have left, and who knows who they're working for now.

"They cause trouble outside, are we going to pin the blame on my Heavenly Evolution Sect?"

Chu Xinglan shook her head. "It's no use for Senior Brother to get angry. I'm just responsible for delivering the message."

It turns out that His Majesty's letter stated that if the Tianyan Sect could not find out who was responsible within a month, the court would classify the Tianyan Sect as a demonic sect.

They mobilized the troops stationed in Jincheng and Yanyuntai to encircle and suppress the sect, and issued a bounty order in the martial arts world.

All practitioners of the Tianyan Sect's sorcery should be killed by everyone.

"Chu Xinglan! Don't forget you're also a cultivator from the Heavenly Evolution Sect!"

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