Chapter 111 Overwhelmed with tasks, the celestial birds and spirit beasts remained in the sacred mountain...
The celestial birds and spirit beasts still roam freely in the sacred mountain, but the disciples who usually roamed the mountain were almost nowhere to be seen. They were all locked in their residences and dared not go out without orders.
The protective array of the shrine opened silently and closed just as quietly. The ordinary people in the market below didn't even sense anything unusual.
The chaos at the Divine Palace that night quickly subsided after Wu Chen took control of the Divine Official Seal. After some discussion with the elders, Wu Chen quickly made a decision and implemented it. Everyone was busy as bees, while Lu Qing remained secluded in that secret room, not appearing in public for several days.
Wu Chen assigned the tasks he had decided on and then went to the secret chamber. Lu Qing sat casually in a chair, rapidly flipping through a notebook. After finishing it, she snorted coldly, tossed it to the ground, and went to another notebook. She only read the beginning of that one before tossing it into her pouch at her waist. Then she stood up, grabbed a stack of notebooks from the shelf, and continued reading.
Qi Ying picked up the journal she had dropped on the ground and put it in a box to the side.
Wu Chen walked to her side and covered the notebook with his hand. "Still reading? It's been several days, and you haven't had a proper rest."
Lu Qing looked up, her eyes slightly red and unfocused. "Almost done. Not much left. Have you finished your work outside?"
Wu Chen took the note from her hand, carefully placed it face down on the table, and then poured her another cup of hot tea. "All done. All direct descendants of the Zou family have been imprisoned. Those confirmed to be involved have had their cultivation crippled and have been sent to the Cold Prison. The rest are being investigated one by one."
Lu Qing pinched her brow and snorted, "If it weren't for your sake, I would make them regret ever being born. Locked up in a cold dungeon, with no worries about food or clothing, and with relatives and friends secretly taking care of them, they're dreaming." She thought for a moment, then suddenly sneered, "Otherwise, I have a better idea. Send them to Xiyuan to be flower farmers. The grievances will have their source, the debts will have their debtors, they'll earn their own living, and it'll save you from making things difficult."
Wu Chen didn't immediately reject the idea. He thought about it and found it increasingly interesting. Confining the Zou family members in the Divine Palace would inevitably attract gossip and malice, disturbing everyone's peace. Destroying their cultivation, punishing them, and then sending them to Xiyuan to repay their debts would solve the problem at its root. "I'm just afraid Madam Luo will find it troublesome." He could almost imagine Qi Wu's reaction upon learning of this. She probably wouldn't even lift an eyelid, casually saying, "Drag them away and give them to Da Huang and the others for a midnight snack."
“If it were anyone else, she probably wouldn’t have the patience to entertain them. But if it’s someone from the Zou family, she’ll definitely be very patient.” Lu Qing had been looking at these notes day and night for the past few days, and she was quite angry.
Wu Chen nodded. "Let me think about what to do. Also, we should let Madam Luo know."
Lu Qing nodded. "I'll send her a message in a bit." After a moment of silence, she pointed to the notes that Qi Ying had put away and asked, "What are you going to do with these things?"
Wu Chen frowned as he looked at the notes. "Those are the most direct evidence of the Zou family's secrets. Keep them safe in case they come in handy later."
Lu Qing did not object. She reached out and picked up the notebook that was turned upside down, turned to the next page, and said, "Look."
Wu Chen glanced at it, "...Fuxian Lake...?! This is..." He quickly flipped through the pages and soon understood, "This is a spirit fruit from a certain generation..."
Lu Qing nodded. "Even Zou Boyu is probably not the first person to know about the Spirit Fruit. The Zou family has been researching the Spirit Fruit for generations, trying every method imaginable, from steaming and frying to boiling and baking. If it weren't for this secret room, even Qi Wu wouldn't know the whereabouts of those Spirit Fruits. Now that we've obtained them without any effort, I really have to 'thank' the Zou family's ancestors for eight hundred generations!"
Lu Qing used the most vicious language to humiliate the Zou family, and Wu Chen couldn't say anything. Moreover, Lu Qing had always been extremely restrained in handling this matter, which was somewhat similar to his style of doing things.
"I want to go and see, what if they left behind descendants? Since those families were able to sell them, they probably won't treat their bloodline any better." If she hadn't not yet finished reading the notes, she wished she could sprout wings and fly there to find out for herself.
Wu Chen thought for a moment, "I'll need some more time here. If you really can't wait, have Qi Ying accompany you first, and I'll be there shortly."
Lu Qing was somewhat surprised, "Actually, you don't need to come with me. I can manage on my own."
“No.” Wu Chen rejected the idea decisively. “Rivers can capsize boats, and streams can drown people. No matter why these families sold the Spirit Fruit in the first place, they don’t want this matter to be exposed. Especially the Zou family, who have already been implicated because of this. No one can predict what they might do. I understand the evil in human nature better than you do.”
Qi Ying, who was eavesdropping nearby, wanted to speak but dared not interrupt: "Can we all wait a couple of days until we're settled in our positions as priests before we go out? Besides, the people from Zhan Yantai and Jin Manlou will probably be coming to settle scores soon. If our master leaves now, and we can't rely on the Divine Attendant Yu, do you think those elders can win an argument? If they were good with words, they wouldn't have been suppressed by the Zou family elders for so many years."
Lu Qing thought for a moment, "I'd like to borrow a few people from you. We've already got news about several Spirit Fruits, and Fuxian Lake is the only one mentioned in the notes as having given birth there. I can't go there all by myself at once. Could you help me pick a few reliable people to inquire in other places and adapt to the situation? As for Fuxian Lake, I'll go there personally as soon as I've finished reading all the remaining notes."
Wu Chen nodded. "Don't worry, I'll arrange it right away."
Lu Qing smiled, wanting to say something lighthearted, but she was indeed very tired. Wu Chen reached out and pinched the back of her neck a few times, and Lu Qing felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. Her head tilted to the side, and she fell against Wu Chen.
Wu Chen picked her up and instructed Qi Ying, "Take everything here back to Nukun Peak, including the bookshelves, dismantle them and inspect them thoroughly. After emptying the place, ask Elder Xu to come over. If there are any formations or mechanisms, open them no matter what. I want this place to be so clean that not even a speck of dust can be hidden."
Qi Ying readily agreed.
Wu Chen glanced at the secret room again, unable to hide his disgust. If it weren't for the numerous matters that had befallen him these past few days, and the need for a thorough search, he truly wouldn't want to stay in Zhanghua Terrace for even a moment longer.
Wu Chen carried Lu Qing and flew back to Nukun Peak on his sword. Just as he dropped Lu Qing off to rest, Elder Yu and the others arrived one after another.
Wu Chen mentioned that he wanted to leave for a while, but the elders cried out and refused to let him go. "These are turbulent times, with internal and external troubles at the same time. The disciples of the Winter Hunt are already on their way back. How are we supposed to explain this to them and calm their hearts? If you don't show up, none of us will be able to get anywhere. Furthermore, letters from Zhan Yantai, Jin Manlou, and some other aristocratic families have arrived, demanding an explanation. If you leave at this time, none of us dare to say anything out of turn."
"Yes, this is just the current difficulty. Even if we get through them, given Zhan Yantai's personality and the fact that a daughter of the Zou family has married out, who knows what trouble he might cause." The elder, who knew Zhan Yantai's nature well, was worried.
"Also, your inauguration ceremony should be held in a grander manner, especially at this time, to stabilize people's hearts. If you rush off, who knows what kind of speculations will be made outside."
Wu Chen sighed inwardly, suddenly understanding why Yu Jitang would rather die than become a priest.
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 11:03:05 on September 27, 2020 and 12:46:39 on September 28, 2020!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Repigon 1;
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Someone just passed by with 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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