The next morning.
"Li Ming, the Prefectural Governor's Office sent an invitation, wishing to invite you to a meeting, and also included a few gifts..."
Lu Tian knocked on Li Ming's door early in the morning and handed him a valuable gold note.
The inscription above, written in a flamboyant style, reads "To Wang Ming, Prefect of Cangyang County."
"Wang Ming? The Prefect of Cangyang? He is the head of Cangyang County, but he's not under my jurisdiction. Why would he send me gifts and ask me to come for a chat?"
Li Ming's eyes flickered, somewhat puzzled.
In the Great Xuan Dynasty, the head of a prefecture was called the Prefect, and the head of a state was called the Governor, both of whom were equivalent to regional historians.
Although the prefect was only a fourth-rank official, he wielded real power.
They were in charge of the political affairs of a prefecture and could also mobilize troops for suppressing bandits and quelling rebellions...
However, he held the position of Divine Arrestor, a status comparable to that of a governor.
Of course, one doesn't need to care about an invitation from a mere prefect.
"Wang Ming is a graduate of Xuandu Academy. He did not take the path of becoming a government official in the capital, but was instead sent out to other places. Although his martial arts skills are not outstanding, he is excellent at handling government affairs, and therefore he has won the appreciation of several high-ranking officials in the court."
Those high-ranking officials were on the Crown Prince's side, so this person could also be considered part of the Crown Prince's faction.
Lu Tian naturally knew the Cangyang County official very well, and quickly told Li Ming about his past and background.
"Moreover, Wang Ming has been a diligent and conscientious official all these years and has never made a mistake. He is a rare good official... However, I did not expect that he would send you a lot of money in order to curry favor with you."
Lu Tian was somewhat incredulous, but then frowned and said:
"Clearly, there's something fishy about this... Of course, it's also possible that I'm overthinking it. After all, you're currently a favorite of the Crown Prince, and if he can be on good terms with you, it would greatly benefit his career."
"Didn't you say the other party gave you some gifts? I don't know where they are?"
Li Ming sensed something was wrong and said seriously.
The fact that the other party was openly engaging in this bribery made him feel somewhat uneasy.
Not long after, Lu Tian delivered several large boxes to Li Ming's room. Upon opening them, the room was immediately filled with golden and silver light, dazzling the eyes.
"Is this Lord Wang really so unscrupulous?"
Even though Li Ming was in a very good mood, he was speechless for a moment when faced with the several boxes of gold and silver that were shining brightly.
Logically speaking...
While bribery and gift-giving are not uncommon, is the normal procedure to target someone's preferences and then bribe them without leaving a trace?
Although this was the first time he had encountered such a situation, he had seen many scenes in movies and TV dramas in his previous life, and the methods of the gift-givers were quite sophisticated.
Lu Tian seemed to have thought of something as well, and with some doubt in his heart, he started fiddling with the boxes of gold and silver.
Finally, the hidden secret was discovered.
At the very bottom of the last box of gold and silver, a note can be seen pressed underneath.
Upon seeing this, Lu Tian quickly pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Li Ming:
"It seems that Lord Wang has sent some news."
Li Ming frowned, sensing that things were gradually exceeding his expectations.
He picked up the note, examined it closely for a few moments, and his expression became slightly serious.
He then handed the note to Lu Tian to read.
After reading it, Lu Tian also looked tense and gritted his teeth, saying:
"The Blood God Cult again?"
"It's truly a persistent ghost."
Prefect Wang Ming's gift-giving was merely a pretext; his real purpose was to tip off the enemy.
The other party pointed out directly that this invitation was actually a trap set by the Blood God Cult.
The enemy has already set up the Blood Prison Formation in the city, and the first envoy of the Blood God Sect, Xue Lingyi, has already laid an ambush in the prefect's mansion. If Li Ming goes there, he will be attacked from both sides.
"If it's the Blood Prison Formation... then that's going to be difficult."
A look of horror flashed in Lu Tian's eyes, then he explained:
"This formation is exclusive to the Blood God Cult. It has the ability to pollute true qi and true essence, and can also amplify the strength of these Blood God Cult thieves. It is an extremely vicious formation."
Moreover, this formation usually involves setting up an altar, and if it were activated, the entire Cangyang County would likely suffer.
And this Blood Spirit One, who advanced to Martial Saint many years ago, as the First Envoy, was highly regarded by the Blood God Sect Leader. It is said that he refined multiple Martial Saint-level Blood God Children, possessing extremely strong combat power.
"It seems this banquet is a trap... but it seems I can't refuse to go."
"They're most likely targeting me. If I escape, the entire city will probably be doomed..."
After much deliberation, Li Ming finally decided to keep the appointment.
As a high-ranking official in the imperial court, even if he couldn't do anything to benefit the people...
But we can't let all the people in the city suffer...
The reason why the Blood God Sect has put on such a show of force is mostly because of him.
It's a pity that Wang Ming risked his life to deliver the message.
Although I don't know what the other person is thinking, they don't seem to be a bad person.
"That makes sense, but isn't it too reckless for you to go alone?"
Lu Tian paced back and forth in the room, looking quite worried.
Li Ming shook his head and said:
Even if it's a trap, I have to give it a try. If I can't even handle it, who else in Cangyang County can help me?
"And Chief Constable Lu, you don't need to worry. Since I dared to keep the appointment, I naturally have confidence in myself."
...
Sunset.
The city walls and surrounding areas were brightly lit.
Since Li Ming's reputation spread, no force in Cangyang County has dared to defy the imperial court.
Everyone knows that Li Shenbu, the young martial arts master, is a man who hates evil as if it were his enemy.
Each major family strictly controls the behavior of its members, and even outsiders dare not misbehave.
Li Ming arrived alone at the prefectural governor's residence.
The appearance of the mansion was beyond his expectations. As the residence of a high-ranking official, its decoration was quite simple and not as luxurious as Lu Tian's mansion.
As the head of a prefecture, the imperial court would naturally allocate housing for him, so his shabby living conditions were somewhat unexpected.
"I wonder if this person is pretending to be honest or is truly honest?"
Li Ming seemed to be deep in thought.
He handed the invitation to a servant in the mansion, and soon a man who looked like a steward came to greet him.
"I apologize for neglecting Constable Li. My master has been unwell these past few days and is recuperating at home. He has been unable to receive you personally."
Li Ming waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned, and laughed:
"Lord Wang is the chief official of this prefecture, and it is understandable that he is very busy with official duties."
The steward extended an invitation and led Li Ming into the official residence.
Li Mingming outwardly observed his surroundings, but in reality, he was sensing them.
Upon entering the Martial Saint realm, martial artists possess a perception equivalent to divine sense. Li Ming, with the Purple Lotus nourishing his soul day and night, naturally possessed an extremely strong divine sense.
In addition, he possesses the Heavenly Eye, which allows him to sense killing intent and malice within a hundred feet of him.
Li Ming's mind was in turmoil, and he was unaware of this without sensing it.
I was startled by a sensation.
This mansion held a deep-seated malice for him!
However, the moment he stepped into the mansion, he had no reason to back down.
...
Meanwhile, somewhere in the city.
They knew that Li Ming had entered the mansion.
Xue Lingyi couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Standing on a high altar shrouded in blood-red light.
As he laughed loudly, figures appeared one after another.
Each of these figures possessed an incredibly powerful aura.
Before the crowd, Xue Lingyi stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming like blood:
"With seven against one, the odds are in my favor!"
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