All these thoughts flashed through Pei Xuanjing's mind in an instant, as he continued to listen attentively to Lin Qingyi's account.
Lin Qingyi uttered with a grave expression, "Even… if I hadn't actively investigated, nobody would know about this at all. Do you know what this means, Brother Pei?"
This implied that the Mire Sect had penetrated even the Brocade Guards and that whoever was in contact with the Mire Sect held a high position. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to suppress this matter so easily.
Pei Xuanjing knew what Lin Qingyi intended to say but hadn't expressed.
He shook his head and cautioned, "Brother Lin, it's better not to mention things without concrete evidence."
Pei Xuanjing stopped him from stating anything further.
The other party had risked disclosing such confidential information to Pei Xuanjing, which showed goodwill. Thus, until they did something against him, Pei Xuanjing would treat them as a friend.
This was Pei Xuanjing's principle when dealing with others.
And since they were friends, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
He was unclear about the powerful figures supporting Lin Qingyi, but even if there were such figures, it wasn't an affair that a newly appointed deputy commandant of the Brocade Guards like him could comment on negligently.
To be in contact with the Mire Sect and suppress the incident in Northwest Dao, even containing the news within the officials and the guards of the Northwest Dao, demonstrated their might.
Those within the Brocade Guards with such power could be counted on one hand, yet none of them was someone Lin Qingyi could afford to offend.
Indeed, even Pei Xuanjing, a third-grade martial arts master, might not necessarily be able to withdraw freely.
Because although such a person might not possess imposing individual strength, the power represented by their identity and position was not something that Pei Xuanjing, a Ione man, could contend with.
Lin Qingyi nodded, understanding the logic. He was just momentarily uncontrollable earlier.
His family were hereditary members of the Brocade Guards. They highly identified with their status as the emperor's confidants, holding supreme honor.
Yet now, someone was betraying the emperor. It was something he couldn't accept.
"Do you think the Two Factories know about this?" Pei Xuanjing sought to deviate the topic.
Hearing about the two biggest rivals of the Brocade Guards, Lin Qingyi was taken aback, then quickly comprehended.
The power of the Two Factories rivals that of the Brocade Guards, or even surpasses it.
But there hasn't been any news from them, which makes the situation even more terrifying.
Having reminded Lin Qingyi, Pei Xuanjing chose to remain silent and lifted his tea cup.
Lin Qingyi understood Pei Xuanjing's meaning and nodded.
He pulled out an invitation from his bosom and handed it to Pei Xuanjing with both hands, "Brother Pei, the Commanding Officer invites you to a banquet three days from now."
"Hmm?" Pei Xuanjing, holding the tea cup, waited for further explanation.
Among the Brocade Guards, there was only one commander. Below him, there were two commanders of equal rank. Regarding the Commanding Officer mentioned by the other party, there were three. He was unsure if this person was the one he was thinking of.
"It is Mr. Jiang who invites Brother Pei for a visit." Lin Qingyi stated.
The Mr. Jiang he was referring to was one of the three Commanding Officers, Jiang Bin. Though he held only a fourth-grade official position, he was regarded by the emperor as a confidant. He was the emperor's favorite, his power second only to Commander Qian Ning.
Pei Xuanjing did not take the invitation immediately, but asked tentatively, "May I know what this is all about?"
He couldn't see why this Commanding Officer, with whom he had no special relationship, would suddenly invite him to a banquet.
Lin Qingyi explained, "I would not dare to speculate on the Commanding Officer's motives. But when I went to meet the Commanding Officer yesterday, your name, Brother Pei, came up in conversation. The Commanding Officer was very interested in you. He mentioned hosting a banquet to thank you for your previous assistance."
Naturally, Pei Xuanjing didn't believe this explanation.
Even if it was to thank him for his earlier assistance, there wouldn't have been such a long delay.
However, he did not reject the invitation. Pei Xuanjing accepted it, "Thank you for making the trip, Brother Lin."
Seeing that Pei Xuanjing had accepted the invitation, Lin Qingyi felt relieved.
Had Pei Xuanjing refused, he would not have known what to do. Even the Commanding Officer wouldn't rashly offend a third-grade martial arts master.
As Lin Qingyi was about to leave, Pei Xuanjing took out several silver banknotes from his pocket and handed them over.
"It has been tiring for you, Brother Lin. Please take these back and invite your brothers for a few drinks."
The information that Lin Qingyi brought him today was significant, and some of it was classified.
The fact that he risked leakage of such information showed his goodwill, and naturally, Pei Xuanjing had to reciprocate. The silver banknotes amounted to a few thousand taels.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing's generous offer, a satisfied smile appeared on Lin Qingyi's face as he contemplated how much he could keep after submitting a portion of it.
On this winter night, a few sparse stars hung from the sky.
A carriage rolled out of the alley from the residence of Gu Ji, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, onto a deserted street. It meandered slowly towards the Martial Academy.
Pang Hong had gained some weight since he started receiving instruction from Pei Xuanjing. Although he hadn't progressed to a higher rank in the past half year, he had gradually grown stronger.
He handled the whip in his hands somewhat clumsily, steering the carriage carefully as if fearing to disturb Pei Xuanjing immersed in thought inside.
Pei Xuanjing within the carriage, eyes lightly closed, was still contemplating the conversation earlier with Gu Ji.
"At this stage, the court seems tranquil on the surface, yet stormy undercurrents brew beneath. Be careful not to fall victim to any provocations," Gu Ji had advised Pei Xuanjing.
According to Gu Ji, some people could no longer sit idle. They didn't want to watch the Martial Academy continue its steady progress.
Those people were bound to act, and it was highly probable that they would target Pei Xuanjing and the other editors without any significant connections.
After all, compared to others, targeting Pei Xuanjing and the other editors was low-risk for those people.
Even though Pei Xuanjing had reached the third-grade martial artist level.
Being a third-grade martial artist was impressive, no doubt.
But in some people's opinion, using a third-grade martial artist to set an example would be even more deterrent.
"Well then, let's see who the slaughtered 'chicken' is, and who the warning 'monkey' is." A cold smile appeared on Pei Xuanjing's face.
Maybe his restraint all this way had led many to think of him as an easy target.
Looking at the three figures dressed in black about dozens of yards away, Pang Hong's face displayed tension, and thinking of Pei Xuanjing behind him, it was then replaced with confidence. "Hmm…" Pang Hong reined in the horses to a stop and called out to the figures in the distance.
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
The moon obscured, a wind blew high, the night cool as water.
Three men, armed with a knife, sword, and axe, dressed in black and concealed behind masks, stood in a quiet corner of the street, blocking a passing carriage.
The three masked men paid no heed to the young driver's questions.
Inside the carriage, Pei Xuanjing, hearing the voice of Pang Hong, slowly opened his eyes, picked up the Flowing Flame Sword lying beside him, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped out. In a low voice, he told Pang Hong, "Just stay in the carriage, don't come out."
Then, with a cold laugh, he added, "I never thought you'd pick me as your target."
The man clad in black, with a long knife in his hand, coldly instructed, "Kill. Leave none alive. We only have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
As the words fell, a burst of potent Blood Qi emerged from the bodies of the three, like torches in the night, impossible to ignore.
Three third-grade martial artists, but sadly all pseudo grandmasters, not one of them truly comprehending the essence of Martial Arts.
How condescending!
Feeling the undisguised killing intent of these three, Pei Xuanjing scoffed, his right hand slowly falling onto his sword hilt.
"Unruly mob."
Pei Xuanjing coldly spat out the words, and with a stomp, stones shattered and flew under his feet.
Boom!
Like thunder on a calm plain!
His Blood Qi surged, his Blood Qi Wolf Smoke flared, a vivid display of his profound strength.
The street within dozens of yards of him as the center was cracked into countless sections.
Simultaneously, the Flowing Flame Sword in his hand was drawn, and with the fleetness of a released arrow, he crossed a distance of over ten yards.
His Flowing Flame Sword slashed in mid-air, like a ghostly illusion.
Directly targeting the three men.
Splash!
The Thousand Refinement Divine Weapon readily sliced the sword of one man in two, and with the reinforcement of his physical strength, Pei Xuanjing's sword thrust was unimpeded, like slashing through thin paper.
With a swipe of the Flowing Flame Sword, the fierce sword qi left a trail of several tens of yards long on the street's stone pavement.
Thud!
The man with the sword was beheaded by Pei Xuanjing in one stroke, his head flew high into the sky, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He didn't understand why his opponent was so powerful.
Even if he was a pseudo grandmaster, the gap between them shouldn't be so vast.
Unfortunately, no one would care about the thoughts of a dead man.
Three men failed to surround and kill him, and in just one move, one was killed.
Sending a chill down the spines of the initially fierce killers.
"Big brother!" The remaining two men, eyes protruding in anger, roared in fury.
They had supported each other until today, even though they were only pseudo grandmasters, they were still considered accomplished in their own right.
They had not expected to lose one of their own in such a simple mission today, and at just the first exchange of blows, their eldest brother was slain.
"Come and die!" The black-robed man wielding the mountain axe was enraged, once again swung the giant axe towards Pei Xuanjing.
Enraged, his move carried the force of splitting a mountain, bringing a whooshing wind with it.
An ordinary third-grade martial artist, and even some second-class ones, would probably avoid its sharp edge.
But Pei Xuanjing was different. To him, the mighty power of this black-robed man was nothing more than mediocre, at most bordering on the power of the Five Elements, much weaker than his own physical strength.
Faced with this axe, Pei Xuanjing didn't evade a bit, and he directly confronted it with a deft change of his sword move.
"Hmm, seeking death!" The black-robed man wielding the long knife scoffed, holding Pei Xuanjing's large gesture in contempt.
His third brother had the strength of God, and he had practiced hard-tempering skills, and his mighty strength was far superior to the martial artists of the same realm. Many second-class martial artists had to avoid his might based solely on the strength he wielded.
However, even so, the man with the long knife in his hand hadn't halted his motion, he repositioned himself behind Pei Xuanjing and was hacking down at his back with his long knife.
The two attacked at once, trying to trap Pei Xuanjing between them.
But Pei Xuanjing wasn't afraid, he was serene, his sword stance remained unchanged, his left wrist twisted, and his palm hacked out.
Giant Spirit Surpasses Mountains!
This was a palm method from the "Giant Spirit Suppressing Mountain Skill" he had borrowed previously. Pei Xuanjing had discarded the rest of the moves, only learning this one.
Bang!
With a palm strike, it seemed as if the Heaven and Earth were turned upside down, like holding a mountain under his control.
Crack!
The loud noise of metal against metal resonated. The collision between the giant axe and the long sword produced a thunderous noise and sparked countless sparks.
Pei Xuanjing's power of the Seven Elements, under the support of his Blood Qi, was almost twice the strength of his opponent.
The man with the giant axe was forced to retreat from this powerful force, with every backward step blasting the stones under his feet apart, caused by the dissipation of his force.
Although the huge force gave his arms a numbing shock, and his tiger's mouth, the area where his hands gripped the axe, was shattered, and streaks of blood seeped out.
The other black-robed man who tried to sneak attack on Pei Xuanjing was not as lucky. Pei Xuanjing's palm strike not only took him by surprise but also struck first.
He was helpless to dodge, and was struck on the chest by Pei Xuanjing, spitting out several mouthfuls of fresh blood. He flew backward like a broken kite.
"This man is fierce, we can't fight him with brute force! Third junior brother, quick, run!" The man with the knife said, struggling to get up, shouting at the man with the axe.
Then without waiting for an answer, he swallowed a pill from his pocket; his face flushed immediately, and his Blood Qi boiled even more.
The moment Pei Xuanjing saw it, he knew that this was some Forbidden Elixir the opponent had taken.
This kind of elixir can temporarily enhance strength, but the price paid often makes many people find it unbearable. The lighter ones have damaged foundations, and the severe ones, even if they are alive, lose all their skills.
"Go quickly!" The man roared.
"Second brother!" The black-robed man with the axe saw this, his eyes turned red.
A resolute look was in his eyes, he glared at Pei Xuanjing as if to imprint his image into his mind, and then turned and ran without hesitation.
Of course, Pei Xuanjing didn't plan to let him escape, and he was getting ready to pursue.
"Pei Xuanjing, revenge for my elder brother!" The man with the knife jumped up, his knife swinging again, coming once again towards Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing sneered, was this the man's attempt to sacrifice his life to buy time for his other brother to escape?
What a laudable display of brotherly love!
Did you know that you guys are making me out to be the villain?
Ha! To fulfill your brotherly love, let me play the villain, and send you both on your way. You'll have each other's company on the path to the underworld.
The man's sharp blade, the light of the knife, cut through the air.
At this moment, the moon was obscured by dark clouds, a sudden gust of wind blew, making Pei Xuanjing's clothes blow with a rustling sound, fluttering in the wind.
Facing this thrust, Pei Xuanjing had a smile on his face, and his Flowing Flame Sword gently waved.
A plain, ordinary sword move.
Clang!
The long knife fell, a thin line of blood appeared on the throat of the black-robed man, the regret in his eyes so thick, and then fell heavily to the ground..