"Have you heard? Ouyang Zhen didn't become the leader of the martial arts alliance." Shangguan Jin reported to Song Xia with a gloating look. "It's a pity for Hero Wu Ying. He was ambushed by an evil cult and is now suffering from a deadly poison."
Song Xia was taken aback. Ouyang Zhen didn't become the leader of the martial arts alliance? And Wu Ying was ambushed by a cult?
She then realized that she had specifically instructed three disciples in this life, and perhaps it was because they changed something that the ending of this life was different. Very good, this is a good change.
"Is there an antidote for Master Wuying's poison?"
"Master Wuya has temporarily controlled the poison for him, but to completely cure it, we'll probably have to catch the Snake Monster."
"I never imagined that the Spirit Serpent Sect had become a cult."
"Yes, the Spirit Serpent Sect has always lived far away in the southwestern border region, not participating in the conflicts of the martial world. This time, they actually sided with a heretical cult. It seems that the heretical cult is far more powerful than we imagined, but..."
Shangguan Jin changed the subject: "However, they can't guess our methods. If a conflict breaks out in the future, it will definitely catch them off guard."
He was even getting impatient, but he also understood that the longer he lay low now, the greater his chances of winning in the future.
"It's probably not easy to search for the Snake Monster in such a high-profile manner."
"Now that they have reached an agreement, if Ouyang Zhen captures the Snake Monster first to cure Wu Ying's poison, he will become the leader of the martial arts alliance. Others will have to add defeating him as an additional condition. With fame and fortune right in front of him, Ouyang Zhen will definitely do his best."
Just then, a messenger from the ancient sect arrived with news.
Song Xia opened the package and smiled sarcastically: "It was sent by Ouyang Zhen. He ordered all the disciples in the valley to go out and search for the whereabouts of the Spirit Serpent Sect disciples."
Shangguan Jin shook his head: "He really dares to give orders. Now the Spirit Serpent Sect and the evil cult are in the dark, while he and the Spirit Crane Valley are in the open. Wouldn't ordinary disciples be sending themselves to their deaths if they went out? Moreover, if the disciples of the Spirit Crane Valley are not there, Spirit Crane City will easily become a target of the evil cult. Today, they have sent more and more spies."
"So I pretended not to see the letter, but I was a little worried about Feng'er, Wan'er and Shi Huai."
"Weren't they also sent by Ouyang Zhen to search for traces of the Spirit Serpent Sect? How old are they?"
"Um."
Soon, two more letters arrived in Song Xia's hands. They were from Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Wan and Yin Shihuai, telling her not to worry. They had gone out for a while and wanted to gain some experience before returning.
Shangguan Jin also received a letter from the branch, saying that they had been attacked by a cult, but fortunately, they were protected by the Linghe Valley disciples assigned to them by Ouyang Feng.
"Then isn't Ouyang Feng all alone now?"
"Hmm." Song Xia wasn't too worried. Feng'er's talent was undeniable, and most importantly, the saintess of the evil cult in her previous life was completely devoted to Feng'er.
Although she did not agree with the evil cult's saintess's past misdeeds in the martial arts world and among the common people, at this stage, Feng'er's safety should be assured.
"Shangguan Jin, we need to speed things up. Could you go to Zizai Sect for me?"
"You want to drag those 'masters' down with you?"
Song Xia glared at him irritably: "Can't you speak properly? What do you mean by dragging the masters into this? This is called working together for the common people. The masters are all compassionate people, and they certainly won't stand idly by while the world becomes increasingly chaotic. Only if you go can you convince these masters. If it weren't for the fact that the firearms manufacturing matter cannot do without me at this stage, I would have made the trip myself."
"Alright then." Shangguan Jin laughed nonchalantly. "Who told me I was already on your pirate ship and can't get off? Actually, besides Zizai Sect, we can also try with Wu Ying. Although the four brothers of Sifang Sect have long disagreed, Wu Ying, the eldest, is a fairly upright person. I'll take Elder Fan with me and let him see his poison."
"Thanks a lot."
"What does it matter how hard it is for that day in the future? Song Xia, I just hope I don't have to wait too long."
“No, it won’t happen.” Song Xia’s eyes were sharp. “Once I’ve dealt with this group of cult spies, they’ll intensify their operations, and the conflict will begin immediately. You’re anxious, and I’m just as worried. The people of the world have suffered for too long, and I am also deeply saddened.”
Shangguan Jin could hurry there, but it was a pity for Old Fan's old bones.
Meanwhile, Song Xia personally eliminated the spies planted by the cult, and within just two days, Linghe City's cohesion had become even stronger.
The prefect originally sent by the imperial court to this city sensed something unusual. After much hesitation, he still sent a letter to Song Xia requesting an audience.
Logically speaking, the prefect was a fourth-rank official in the imperial court, while she was just a woman from the martial arts world, so her status should be even lower. However, the situation was beyond her control. The prefect's position in Linghe City had long been a nominal one, and she only handled routine cases. Linghe City had long been under the jurisdiction of Linghe Valley.
Without the support of the imperial court, he, as a prefect, could only pretend to be deaf and dumb. After all, if even the imperial court didn't care, where would he get the confidence and ambition?
Song Xia didn't keep him waiting long and met him directly in a temporary government office set up in the city.
The temporary government office was modeled after the small court of the current dynasty, and temporarily set up positions such as general, military advisor, and logistics minister. These positions were either selected by Song Xia from the disciples of Linghe Valley or specially invited back from outside. Because there were relatively few people and Song Xia's plans were grand, everyone was extremely busy.
However, to overthrow the imperial court, military generals alone are not enough. After capturing a city, civil officials must step forward to govern it. This Prefect Chen was the first civil official that Song Xia wanted to win over.
Song Xia had investigated and found that this Prefect Chen Zhiyuan was born into the Chen family of Hedong. His ancestors had been scholars for generations and had produced great figures such as prime ministers and grand tutors. However, in recent years, the court had been weak, so the Chen family had temporarily gone into hiding, and only Chen Zhiyuan had emerged.
When Chen Zhiyuan first passed the imperial examination with top honors, he was full of vigor and even submitted a memorial advising on reforms. If it weren't for the prestigious Chen family standing behind him, he would have been assassinated by treacherous officials long ago.
In his despair, Chen Zhiyuan came to Linghe City at his own request. Over the years, he had been turning a blind eye and happily accepted Linghe Valley's interference, acting as a lazy official who just coasted along.
Even if he hadn't come knocking on her door, Song Xia would have gone to see him anyway. The Chen family of Hedong was full of talented people, and she needed them right now, so she couldn't let them slip by.
As soon as Chen Zhiyuan stepped into the five-courtyard compound, he was terrified by what he saw inside. The people were not hiding their schemes from him, so his face was now covered in cold sweat.
Because he knew that by showing him these things, they were certain he wouldn't spread them.
There are two methods to do this: either kill him to silence him, or join him.
But his joining is a small matter. This Valley Master Song is definitely not only after him. If things go wrong, he might implicate his entire family!
"Did you see that, Prefect Chen? I might as well speak frankly with you. I intend to point my sword at the imperial court and save the people."
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