The Demon Lords

Chapter 477 5 Heaven's Will_1

"My lord, can Mo Wan sense it?" asked the blind man.

Zheng Fan nodded. The next moment, his left eye began to be covered in black and white hues. It was an eye reflecting a different emotion, one carrying a kind of indifference towards all living beings.

"It's not far from here. Follow me."

Zheng Fan mounted his horse and rode west, taking the lead, with the others following closely behind.

In fact, Zheng Fan's current perspective was quite peculiar. In his sight, everything was rendered in shades of gray, the only trace of color being a hint of red floating before him.

Is this the residual aura of that soul body?

Soul bodies were likely rare in this world, far rarer than so-called spiritual mages. It was just a stroke of luck; like the proverbial 'bastard' turtle finding its green bean, they were a perfect, if fated, match.

No one could have imagined that Zheng Fan carried a soul body with him—one possessing independent thought, complete self-awareness, and its own skillset.

Like other demon kings, though his power hadn't fully recovered, his experience remained. This was why they could handle opponents of the same level with ease.

The same was true for Mo Wan. Although its strength hadn't fully recovered, many of its special abilities as a soul body had reawakened, and it knew how to use them.

The troop traveled less than ten miles westward and reached a river. It wasn't wide and was still frozen. On its opposite banks stood two separate groups of people.

On one bank stood a middle-aged Taoist priest with four or five disciples. On the other was a man and a woman, both dressed in black.

At this moment, Mo Wan completely concealed its aura, and Zheng Fan's left eye returned to normal.

When the cavalry from Green Willow Fortress arrived, they clearly startled both groups.

The man in the black-clad pair immediately laughed and said, "Alright, it looks like there's no need to fight over this anymore."

With that, the man in black took out a token from his waist and tossed it towards the Green Willow Fortress cavalrymen, shouting, "The Spy Bureau is conducting an investigation! We expect your cooperation!"

Zuo Jiqian stepped forward, picked up the token, examined it, then turned to Zheng Fan and nodded, saying, "Sir, it is indeed a token from the Spy Bureau."

The blind man, however, remarked, "They don't seem like people from the Spy Bureau."

The Spy Bureau was somewhat similar to the Silver Armored Guard of Qian State. Both agencies, much like the infamous Jinyiwei or Eastern Depot of later historical periods, were essentially secret police organizations.

However, the man and woman who produced the token didn't look like agents at all. If anything, they seemed more like people of the faith than the Taoists on the opposite bank.

Nevertheless, since the other party had presented an official token, tradition dictated that Zheng Fan and his men were to comply with their directives.

This might not be the case in other parts of Yan State, where Spy Bureau agents would need to formally request cooperation from the local garrison. In Yinlang County, however, due to the influence of Lord Jingnan and his wife, the military and the Spy Bureau enjoyed an extremely close relationship.

Thus, the situation became clear: on one side stood the Spy Bureau, and on the other, an unidentified group evidently opposing them.

Zheng Fan waved his hand, and his cavalrymen immediately moved to surround the group of Taoists.

The middle-aged Taoist snorted coldly and said, "The Yan people are truly barbaric, always seeking to settle matters with their sabers. How can such a regime last?"

The man in black shook his head and chuckled. "That's still far better than a defeated cur like you. I should remind you to watch your words. I could easily report what you just said to Lord Jingnan and accuse your Tianhu Sect of harboring resentment. If your sect's foundation is destroyed, it will be entirely due to that reckless tongue of yours."

Zheng Fan glanced at the blind man. He was responsible for gathering intelligence on various states, including their local customs, street-level affairs, and information on various gangs. So, whenever Zheng Fan encountered something he didn't understand, he looked to him.

The blind man didn't disappoint, answering like a narrator in a single-player game, "My lord, the Ancestral Court of the Tianhu Sect is on Tianhu Mountain, outside Li Tian City in Jin State."

"Oh."

Zheng Fan acknowledged. Li Tian City had been the Wenren family's stronghold; now, it was Lord Jingnan's new domain.

This meant the Tianhu Sect was now Lord Jingnan's new neighbor.

Honestly, being Lord Jingnan's neighbor came with immense pressure. After all, even his own family members had already "ascended to the heavens."

If Lord Jingnan truly wished it, a mere gesture could send thousands of his iron cavalry to easily trample Tianhu Mountain and its Ancestral Court.

In the present world, while a multitude of sects and doctrines flourished, creating a vibrant tapestry, all of them were insignificant before the might of a great army.

The middle-aged Taoist's expression changed instantly. The threat from the man in black had clearly struck a nerve.

Circumstances are more compelling than individual will. In these times of chaos and fractured lands, even people of the faith appeared to lack conviction.

"This Jade Order has always been kept under suppression on Tianhu Mountain! Now that it has been secured, it must be resealed and returned there to be suppressed once more, to prevent it from wreaking havoc upon the world!"

"Tianhu Mountain itself belongs to Yan, let alone this Jade Order! And even if we were to concede a major point, I happen to know that this Jade Order was forcibly taken from your Tianhu Mountain by the head of the Wenren family twenty years ago and enshrined in their Ancestral Temple. If not for that—considering our Yan cavalry only breached Li Tian City and never attacked Tianhu Mountain—how could this Jade Order have possibly fallen into outside hands?"