Within the Commandery Governor's Mansion, the Governor of Ji Xian County, Wu Hongqiao, was at his residence handling official documents, also waiting for news from the team from Dong Shen Temple.
He appeared to have reached the age of understanding destiny, with a thin physique, a fair face with a touch of beard, but his eyes were full of vitality.
Later, news came from the Daoist of Dong Shen Temple; a strong figure from the Xuandu Sect had entered Ji Xian County from the south. Sub-Priest Lv Xing from Jixian Temple specially entered the County Governor's Mansion, requesting a portion of the Black-clothed Guards to go and exterminate this Xuandu Sect intruder in Ji Xian County.
Wu Hongqiao was very concerned about the presence of the Xuandu Sect.
The Xuandu Sect was quite adept at deluding people's minds and had developed some special magic that made its believers fearlessly reckless.
Recently, Ji Xian County had suffered quite a bit of harassment from Xuandu Sect followers.
Beside him, County Captain Wang Gong, dressed in an azure uniform, smiled and comforted, "Lady Wu need not worry. It is said that Master Lv's magic is astounding, and his Dao practice among the Sub-Priests of the southern counties is also leading. Presumably, it is not a problem to suppress an outsider from the Xuandu Sect!"
"Moreover, there's also General Jiang Chang to assist. General Jiang is the leader sent by the Black-clothed Guards; his abilities are not something ordinary military generals can compare to. He'll surely achieve success effortlessly!"
Wang Gong was full of praise for the renowned Black-clothed Guards.
Jiang Chang was even a Body Refining Grandmaster in the army, also bearing the Court's official defense seal. Such a presence could wield immense power, typically killing wicked individuals with a single encounter.
Wu Hongqiao sighed lightly, "County Captain Wang, these are special times. We cannot underestimate those wicked people from the cult; the more chaotic it is, the bolder they become!"
"Our previous measures against the Xuandu Sect were still too mild!"
"In the time ahead, we need to tighten control over these sects!"
Stroking his beard slightly, Wu Hongqiao was not optimistic about the situation within Ji Xian County.
Ji Xian County currently appeared prosperous, with wealthy citizens, but it harbored immense hidden dangers.
The contradictions among numerous noble families, influential households, and ordinary citizens were always unresolvable, a deadlock.
The Daqian Dynasty's centuries-old operations, while claiming to store wealth among the people, primarily benefited these noble families, and secondly, these influential and wealthy households, who occupied over ninety-five percent of the land in the Commandery City, leaving the remaining five percent unable to support so many citizens. Most citizens could only rely on the breath of these wealthy households.
If a natural disaster occurred, they might be forced by some landlord bullies to sell their sons and daughters.
Since Wu Hongqiao took office as the Governor of Ji Xian County, although he cleaned up a batch of landlord bullies, it only treated the symptoms, not the root cause.
He had no power to shake those old noble families.
These long-established county-honored clans owned thousands of acres of land, raising over a thousand village guards on the surface, with an unknown number hidden in the shadows.
If they united, even as the Governor, he had to constantly worry about whether his head would fare well.
"To relieve these disasters for Your Majesty is a long and tough journey!"
Wu Hongqiao sighed inwardly.
Just then, dense footsteps sounded in front of the Government Office, and Jiang Chang led a team of Black-clothed Guards hurriedly returning.
"Lady Wu, General Wang..."
Jiang Chang glanced around, seeing no abnormalities, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
However, he felt unusual at heart.
At this moment, Wang Gong stood up and couldn't help asking, "Jiang Chang, why are you back so soon? Have you already brought that wicked man to justice?"
Jiang Chang felt strange but spoke, "Permit me to report, superiors!"
He then expressed his doubts, "That Celestial Listening Dharma King was clearly making a feigned attack on the east to attack the west, merely taking the opportunity to delay our actions, yet he did not take the chance to assault the County Governor's Mansion. Where has he gone now?"
Hearing this, Governor Wu Hongqiao's expression moved slightly.
"Could it be the County Prison?"
There were only so many significant sites within Ji Xian County: besides the Government Office, there was only the granary, armory, and the County Prison.
Grain and weapons were important, but they were hard to move and heavily guarded!
Wang Gong's complexion changed, unable to help but say, "Could the Xuandu Sect be after that person?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Hongqiao's expression changed slightly.
Indeed, there was an important prisoner held in the County Prison of Ji Xian County.
That prisoner was a terrifying cult martial artist!
Previously, capturing that prisoner cost Dong Shen Temple and the Black-clothed Guards a great deal.
He was an extremely rare Celestial Stage martial artist.
Jiang Chang's expression also changed drastically.
Leaving behind part of the Black-clothed Guards, he rushed towards the direction of the County Prison immediately.
...
Their guesses were not wrong; at this time, anomalies had already occurred around the County Prison.
A bloody slaughter was underway.
In front of the County Prison of Ji Xian County, the figure of Celestial Listening Dharma King emerged; at this moment, many black-clad martial artists had already dealt with the hidden sentries outside the County Prison.
"Dharma King?"
Seeing the appearance of Celestial Listening Dharma King, many black-clad Body Refining Martial Artists stepped forward.
Celestial Listening Dharma King frowned as he looked at the gloomy County Prison; he sensed an imposing, grand Divine Power Mechanism from within.
That was the power of the Prison God of Ji Xian County.
Celestial Listening Dharma King was shrouded in golden glow, with a look of disdain in his eyes.
"Go and break the Prison God Dharma Aspect of Ji Xian County immediately!"
Hearing this, the group of black-clad martial artists quickly complied, bringing various filthy items, and soon, with an inaudible roar, the divine power of the Prison God Dharma Aspect began to wane.
Seeing this scene, a sneer flashed in the eyes of Celestial Listening Dharma King.
These Divine Dao Gods were indeed troublesome for cultivators like them, but these gods were limited by Divine Law and could not easily lay hands on mortals. In facing martial artists, they could only cast spells through borrowed power.
Without the power source, they could only watch as their Dharma Aspect perception was obscured.
Of course, Celestial Listening Dharma King did not dare to be too reckless, not to the point of destroying the other's foundation.
That would do him no good.
Seeing the diminished divine power, Celestial Listening Dharma King immediately stepped into the County Prison.
Inside the prison, the stench of blood was present everywhere; many prison guards had already been killed by the invading black-clad martial artists.
The black-clad death warriors cultivated by the Xuandu Sect also suffered casualties.
Celestial Listening Dharma King's figure moved quickly, and in a moment, he went straight into the inner layer.
In the inner layer of the prison, there were cells made of special Profound Iron, holding several special prisoners inside. Celestial Listening Dharma King looked at these prisoners with a hint of a smile.
These were martial artists who had committed crimes, who, in his eyes, could possibly be killed with a mere wave of his hand.
But if they could form a team of death warriors to assault some unique sites, such as places protected by Dragon and Tiger Qi, these individuals could play a crucial role.
These were special talents.
Especially the one most inside.
He saw an old man with a head full of white hair and a robust figure. The Profound Iron Chains he bore were extraordinarily heavy; his face was indifferent, but upon seeing Celestial Listening Dharma King, a gleam sparked in his eyes.