Chapter 6

The sudden downpour had ceased, and the majority of the people in Changling heaved a sigh of relief. The usually tiresome sunny weather seemed particularly endearing, and many merchant caravans hurried to deal with their dampened goods. However, what no one expected was that just past noon, the sky turned gloomy again, and another rain quickly enveloped the entire Changling.

This rain was not as fierce as the one last night, but it was persistent, drizzling incessantly, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.

The streets and alleys were shrouded in misty rain, once again obscured as if covered by countless layers of gauze.

In the southern part of Changling, there was a building that looked like a Taoist temple, covering several dozen acres.

The Qin Dynasty bestowed great rewards; anyone who could capture an enemy's armor could be granted a rank and a nine-acre estate. Those who killed two thousand enemies could enjoy the taxes from three hundred households.

Therefore, most of the estates in Changling, including those of ordinary soldiers, were extraordinarily large by the standards of previous dynasties. Changling itself had expanded outward repeatedly. This building in the southern part of Changling was not considered large.

However, apart from a few high-ranking officials deep within the imperial palace, all the nobles and officials of the Qin Dynasty held this place in deep dread and fear.

Because this was the location of the Divine Capital Inspectorate.

The main investigative body of the Qin Dynasty was the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau, which had thousands of officials in various regions, and countless retainers under each official. Major cases did not need to be reported to other departments but could be directly presented to the emperor, so the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau's power had always been subtly above the other departments.

However, the Divine Capital Inspectorate was an exception.

The Divine Capital Inspectorate had only about a hundred registered officials, a fraction of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau's number. They were usually responsible for investigation and surveillance, but their targets were various officials, cultivators, and potential cultivators.

In other words, the Divine Capital Inspectorate was a secret organization specifically used by the emperor and the two prime ministers, who were second only to the emperor, to monitor officials and cultivators.

Moreover, all the regular officials of the Divine Capital Inspectorate were "war orphans," the children of fallen generals and soldiers. These people had few attachments and were not easily threatened, making them even more cold and ruthless.

Therefore, in the eyes of most officials and cultivators, the Divine Capital Inspectorate was even more terrifying than the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau.

Mo Qinggong was now in a study of the Divine Capital Inspectorate. Unlike his usual self, his slightly plump body emitted a faint bloody smell, and his oily face showed no smile, only a faint, ominous aura.

This aura even drove away the autumn insects that usually lingered in the surrounding courtyards.

What had put him in such a bad mood was the head of the Night Surveillance Bureau, Ye Caileng.

Yesterday, Ye Caileng had killed the seventh disciple of the Sword Furnace, Zhao Zhan, removing a thorn from the Qin Dynasty's throat, a feat that every Qin citizen was proud of. However, there was now solid evidence that the Divine Capital Inspectorate official, Murong Cheng, who was present at the scene, did not die at the hands of Zhao Zhan but was killed by her.

The presence of Divine Capital Inspectorate officials was to monitor the actions of officials from other departments. Murong Cheng was a promising cultivator, and after killing him, neither Ye Caileng nor the other retainers of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau even bothered to treat his wounds.

This indicated that they did not care to hide anything.

Ye Caileng, the head of the Night Surveillance Bureau, was indeed too arrogant and overbearing!

What made him even angrier was that Zhao Zhan's identity had been discovered by the Divine Capital Inspectorate. Although Zhao Zhan was dead, three of his true disciples remained, and there were likely many more remnants of the Zhao Kingdom. According to the Divine Capital Inspectorate's plan, after killing Zhao Zhan, they would have exposed his body in a busy market to lure out more remnants of the Zhao Kingdom. However, Ye Caileng had somehow decided to give Zhao Zhan a proper burial and had even received the emperor's tacit approval, rendering all the efforts and subsequent plans of the Divine Capital Inspectorate futile.

At this moment, with a few rhythmic knocks on the door, Qin Huaishu entered the room and walked to his desk.

"Have you found out?"

Mo Qinggong lifted his head, suppressing his anger, and asked in a low voice.

Qin Huaishu nodded respectfully and said directly, "The Fang Hou's residence has given a clear response. Although the young man from the Wutonglu Wine Shop has excellent potential, he has a rare condition known as 'yang-kang-nan-fan.'"

Mo Qinggong frowned, his mood worsening. "What is 'yang-kang-nan-fan'?"

"A constitution with excessive yang energy," Qin Huaishu explained in detail. "In this constitution, the five internal organs are much more active than in ordinary people, but like a fire burning too fiercely, this constitution leads to the decline of the five organs even in the prime of life."

Mo Qinggong's expression darkened. "In simpler terms, it means excessive internal heat, burning up his essence and blood?"

"Pretty much, but while excessive internal heat and burning essence and blood can be treated, this constitution is incurable, even by Fang Xiumu. Or even if there were such elixirs and treasures, they would not be worth using on him," Qin Huaishu nodded, his eyes showing sympathy and regret, as he knew how difficult it was for an ordinary person to catch the attention of the truly powerful.

In a sense, the young man from Wutonglu had the potential to rise to great heights, but because of his constitution, he was destined to remain in the dilapidated alley.

Mo Qinggong had been in a prominent position for many years, so he did not feel as deeply as Qin Huaishu, who was still struggling to climb the ladder. Since the young man could not become a cultivator, he could not be of use to the Divine Capital Inspectorate. Mo Qinggong simply shook his head and tossed the young man's file into the fire pit used for burning documents.

The crimson flames licked the edges of the fire pit, and Mo Qinggong fell silent for a few moments. However, Qin Huaishu did not leave as he had expected, so he looked up at him again.

"Sir, there is a problem with Murong Cheng's identity," Qin Huaishu continued, his voice even lower, almost inaudible if not listened to carefully.

Mo Qinggong's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Murong Cheng, though not close to us, has a well-known family background. What could be the problem?"

Qin Huaishu said, "His background is not the issue, but he recently became engaged to the Xu Hou's family. If everything goes as planned, he will likely join the Xu Hou's family this winter."

"Join the Xu Hou's family?"

Mo Qinggong's pupils contracted sharply, a chill running through him.

In the Qin Dynasty, the only way to become a marquis was through military merit.

A marquis enjoyed the taxes from ten thousand households and a thousand acres of good land.

To earn the taxes from three hundred households required killing two thousand enemies, so the number of military merits needed for ten thousand households was a terrifying figure, even for those who could not calculate.

Therefore, there were only thirteen marquises in the Qin Dynasty.

The two prime ministers, the two heads of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau and the Divine Capital Inspectorate, and the two mysterious and powerful prime ministers were the highest-ranking figures in this powerful dynasty.

A bitter smile slowly appeared on Mo Qinggong's lips.

He grabbed another file and threw it into the fire pit.

Regardless of whether the highest-ranking official of the Divine Capital Inspectorate, Chen, knew about Murong Cheng joining the Xu Hou's family, or whether Chen had any deliberate arrangements, since this matter involved Chen and the Xu Hou's family, it was meaningless to feel resentment and dissatisfaction towards Ye Caileng.

...

The rain continued.

It was past the usual lunchtime, and the few customers in the wine shop had already left. Ding Ning moved a bamboo chair under the eaves at the door, sat down, and began eating noodles while watching the rain.

The noodles were made with pickled fish, the white fish slices and noodles mixed together, the fish slices not very neat, but the pickled fish was abundant and flavorful, the broth rich and clear, making it look very delicious.

Ding Ning ate leisurely, drank most of the broth, washed the bowl, and then greeted Changsun Qianxue in the backyard. He changed into old straw shoes, took an old umbrella, and walked into the rain.

At the entrance of Wutonglu, a merchant caravan passed by, and several drivers, wearing straw capes, grumbled about the bad weather.

Ding Ning smiled slightly.

Walking through the rain in a street filled with the smell of chicken droppings and floating feces was not a pleasant experience, but this sudden heavy rain was like a gift from heaven for him.

The rain could obscure many people's vision and senses, wash away many traces, and make the opportunity he had been waiting for even more perfect.

So even though his straw shoes were wet and uncomfortable, his mood was truly pleasant.

With a joyful heart, he walked towards the fish market on the eastern edge of Changling.

A huge river, the Wei River, flowed through the territory of the Qin Dynasty, emptying into the East Sea. This great river not only nourished most of the farmland of the Qin Dynasty but also opened up shipping routes to the island nations overseas, allowing some cultivators to obtain rare treasures from abroad.

The Wei River branched out into several tributaries as it reached Changling, with its source traceable to the edge of the Qin Dynasty, the wild lands of Bashan.

The Changling fish market was located on both banks of the smallest tributary of the Wei River, the Qinghe River.

This small river, no more than ten meters wide, had been dammed for agricultural needs. The part within the city had become fish ponds or marketplaces.

These marketplaces were originally water markets held on old, unusable boats, but over the years, countless shacks had been built on both banks, their roofs and signs blocking the sky. Inside, numerous passages were hidden, and even between the water and the mud, many stilt houses, simple wooden paths, and sampans had been constructed. Small boats and even larger wooden basins served as transportation, making the area as intricate as a spider's web in a dark ditch.

Especially when the light was not very bright, looking from the high points on both banks down to the center of the market, the market in the dark center resembled a ghostly realm in a deep abyss, with ghostly lights and shadows everywhere.

This endless market, the fish market, had everything one could imagine, not just fish, but also items that even most cultivators could not imagine.

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