Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1346 - 1342: Looking Again

He arrived outside the main entrance, stood at the bottom of the steps, and looked toward the east side of the street.

The street was wide and flat, clean and tidy, with the bluestone slabs reflecting brilliant golden light.

The courtyard where the Evil Extermination Department was located occupied the entire street, so there were no other unrelated people present.

His eyes were fixed on that spot, wanting to see Chu Zhiyuan at first glance.

"Brother Huang?" Chu Zhiyuan’s voice suddenly came from behind him.

He quickly turned around and saw Chu Zhiyuan already standing on the west side of the main entrance.

Huang Zhengyang was overjoyed: "Brother Chu, come in quickly."

"Brother Huang, please."

"Brother Chu, please come in quickly."

The two of them walked up the steps shoulder to shoulder, entered through the main entrance, turned past the screen wall, then crossed through the flower pool, and finally sat down in the main hall.

"Brother Huang, has the Undying Evil Venerable appeared again?"

Chu Zhiyuan sat down and directly asked, while taking a cup of tea presented by a maid.

Huang Zhengyang was so eager and enthusiastic, something must have happened.

"I’ve been looking for Black Tree Village these past few days but haven’t been able to find it."

"Black Tree Village, not found?"

"Within three hundred miles, there’s no Black Tree Village."

"It shouldn’t be that far away, right?"

"My Deputy Director Mo Qiuqiu has an incredible memory; he remembers all the villages within a hundred miles, and there’s no village called Black Tree Village nearby."

"I see..." Chu Zhiyuan mused.

"Brother Chu, do you have any way? At least find out where this village is."

Chu Zhiyuan sighed, rubbing his brow: "Perhaps I saw it wrong, after all, this Miracle Technique is fleeting and unclear."

"You didn’t hear the name wrong, did you?" Huang Zhengyang said, "Black Tree Village, or maybe Sea Tree Village, or Black Water Village?"

"It should be right; it is indeed called Black Tree Village... Well, I’ll take another look."

"Yes, yes, look again." Huang Zhengyang nodded hurriedly: "I’m just afraid we won’t find it and that it’ll cause delays."

Chu Zhiyuan rubbed his brow: "Using this technique feels extremely uncomfortable, and it’s not that accurate; sometimes it even causes trouble."

"If it weren’t such a big matter involving lives, I really wouldn’t dare to ask."

Huang Zhengyang smiled bitterly.

Of course, he could see the pain Chu Zhiyuan endured each time he used this technique.

But compared to the lives of innocent people, he could only embarrassingly trouble Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan looked at him, his eyes quickly becoming hollow.

Golden Pupil shimmered with a seven-colored light.

Time sped up.

...

After more than twenty breaths, Chu Zhiyuan’s eyes regained clarity.

Visible exhaustion clouded his brow and eyes.

This was not intentional pretense.

He had just come from Xiao Ruoling, practicing Taihao Jade Void Scripture all night, which was extremely taxing.

Using this technique again only added to his fatigue, making it even more overwhelming.

Huang Zhengyang took a jade bottle out of his chest and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan: "Brother Chu, this is the Soul Reviving Pill."

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.

Huang Zhengyang said: "This is excellent for restoring one’s spirits; it’s a third-grade spiritual pill."

Without hesitation, Chu Zhiyuan accepted it, opened the bottle, poured out a golden pill, and directly swallowed it.

Huang Zhengyang smiled: "How is it?"

Chu Zhiyuan took the pill without any hesitation, showing trust in him, warming his heart.

Chu Zhiyuan’s eyes quickly brightened, a sign of spiritual overflow.

"Indeed, it’s a third-grade spiritual pill!"

First-grade and second-grade spiritual pills have the effect of altering the body, while the third-grade is the purest for recovery and its ultimate.

This Soul Reviving Pill has a miraculous effect on the recovery of spirit and soul.

"Haha, as long as it works! So, what’s the result?"

"This Black Tree Village is more than five hundred miles away."

"Over five hundred miles?" Huang Zhengyang suddenly understood: "No wonder we’ve never heard of it, over five hundred miles..."

Chu Zhiyuan said: "You have an enemy, right? The surname is Duan, isn’t it?"

"Enemy? Surname Duan?... Duan Tianhai! What’s happening with him?"

"His official position is not low, right? The one secretly causing trouble is him."

"Duan Tianhai?!" Huang Zhengyang frowned, half-doubting.

Duan Tianhai was a master in the military; they became enemies in their youth, but they hadn’t crossed paths much since then.

If this name hadn’t come up, he almost forgot about him.

"Best to resolve it soon." Chu Zhiyuan said: "Don’t delay the main business."

In the future he saw, he was indeed hindered.

When the news from Black Tree Village arrived, it was confirmed where Black Tree Village was.

At that time, Huang Zhengyang slapped himself several times, resenting his own incompetence, feeling ashamed of his position as Director.

"Duan Tianhai!" Huang Zhengyang stated sternly: "So it was him!"

He had applied for several tributes and spiritual artifacts, but they were never approved.

So there was someone deliberately causing trouble, and it was this Duan Tianhai behind it.

Thinking of this, he turned his head and said: "Get Director Mo to come over!"

"Yes," replied the young man outside.

A moment later, Mo Qiuqiu came striding in, clasping his fists, smiling: "Greetings, Mr. Chu! Director, what is it?"

"Go and investigate Duan Tianhai for me..."

"Director, this Duan Tianhai is now the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry."

"Oh--you actually know him?"

"I know a little." Mo Qiuqiu said: "Duan Tianhai is an upright official, well regarded."

The officials of the Six Ministries, he was familiar with.

More importantly, he knew that Duan Tianhai and Huang Zhengyang had a grudge.

Their enmity in the Imperial City was not a secret; it was widely known because the source of their feud was a woman, a stunning beauty.

"Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry..." Huang Zhengyang’s face was gloomy.

This position is neither high nor low, the real second-in-command with power in the Ministry of Industry.

And the Ministry of Industry happens to be responsible for approving the entry and exit of spiritual artifacts, allowing him to block his application.

Chu Zhiyuan asked: "Can’t handle it?"

"Looks like I need to visit Prince Zhuang myself." Huang Zhengyang gritted his teeth.

Chu Zhiyuan asked: "Are there no other methods?"

Huang Zhengyang sighed: "The Six Ministries hold their heads high and don’t take our Evil Extermination Department in their eyes. Lord Zhou is only at the same level as Duan Tianhai now, can’t suppress him."

Not to mention they belong to different departments, even if Lord Zhou were a level higher, he couldn’t suppress Duan Tianhai.

"Then seek out Prince Zhuang," Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

Huang Zhengyang looked apologetic: "It seems we can only rely on you, Brother Chu."

Prince Zhuang cannot tolerate sand in his eyes.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled: "I don’t hold much weight in Prince Zhuang’s eyes."

Huang Zhengyang shook his head: "You’re different, Brother Chu; Prince Zhuang values you greatly."

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Then give it a try. If it doesn’t work, we’ll take action ourselves; it might still succeed."

"...Alright!" Huang Zhengyang nodded slowly: "With you, Brother Chu, I feel assured."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled: "Then I’ll be off, need to go back and rest."

Huang Zhengyang nodded quickly: "Go, go."

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists in farewell, then disappeared in a flash.

Only Huang Zhengyang and Mo Qiuqiu remained in the hall.

Mo Qiuqiu hesitated: "Director, are you really going to see Prince Zhuang?"

"We can only seek out Prince Zhuang first, carefully explaining the pros and cons, otherwise, even if it reaches the imperial decree and the four princes, they won’t agree."

"But Prince Zhuang has always been impartial; he might not side with us."

"How do you know it won’t work without trying?"

"This matter is probably..." Mo Qiuqiu hesitated.

This matter sounds peculiar and inexplicable; how could Prince Zhuang agree?

After all, these tributes and spiritual artifacts are top secrets of the Court, not easily mobilized.

"Can’t worry about that now." Huang Zhengyang headed toward the main entrance: "I’ll go to request an audience now, you quickly investigate Black Tree Village, five hundred miles away."

"Yes," Mo Qiuqiu replied seriously: "I will immediately send someone there!"

Huang Zhengyang waved his hand and strode away.