As the figure of the Ghost King disappeared, Lin Ji keenly noticed that the surrounding ghostly aura was dissipating at an extremely fast pace.
However, after a moment, Lin Ji shook his head inwardly.
"No, it's not just dissipating," Lin Ji furrowed his brows slightly.
After probing with his divine sense for a moment, Lin Ji suddenly realized.
The Ghost King had left, taking the entire Ghost King City with him.
Shortly after, Lin Ji felt a dizzying sensation, and after a few breaths, the ground beneath his feet was no longer the grand hall of the Ghost King City, but a desolate mountain forest.
"So, he's gone just like that? What about those fierce ghosts and ghost generals outside?" The voice of Fang Yunshan sounded nearby.
Lin Ji came back to his senses, realizing that the Celestial Official Fang was still present.
"Lin Ji, the Chief Constable of Liangzhou, pays respects to Celestial Official Fang," Lin Ji said.
Fang Yunshan nodded lightly, hands behind his back, walking slowly towards the direction of Liang City.
Lin Ji was puzzled but quickly followed.
After walking for a while, Fang Yunshan's voice rang out.
"Your performance earlier was impressive. The arguments you made against the Ghost King, I almost believed half of them," Fang Yunshan said.
"Please don't mock me, sir," Lin Ji said awkwardly, pulling the corners of his mouth.
Earlier, he thought he was quite clever, but now knowing that the Ghost King was just cooperating with the Celestial Court to put on a show, Lin Ji felt even more embarrassed.
Fang Yunshan shook his head slightly.
"No need to belittle yourself. To have such eloquence in that situation, among the younger generation, you are quite outstanding," Fang Yunshan said.
"You flatter me."
"It's not flattery. I never flatter. When Tianji left your name in the capital, Senior Gao and I found it strange. How could such an important artifact as the Soul-Subduing Demon-Beheading Staff end up in the hands of a mere unknown soldier?" Fang Yunshan explained.
"After investigating your background, we discovered that within the Celestial Court, there is such an interesting figure as yourself."
"Left my name?" Lin Ji was puzzled.
Fang Yunshan explained, "When the Demon-Sealing Tower was broken, after Senior Gao and the villain who broke the formation fought, the Soul-Subduing Demon-Beheading Staff was nowhere to be found."
"Of course, that's just the official statement. After driving away the villain, the Celestial Court immediately retrieved the staff."
At this point, Fang Yunshan's tone carried a hint of mockery.
"The Demon-Sealing Tower has been outside the capital for a thousand years. How could the Celestial Court not have anticipated the current situation? The Soul-Subduing Demon-Beheading Staff had long had a means to prevent it from being lost!"
Lin Ji couldn't understand the reasons behind this, looking at Fang Yunshan in confusion.
"We didn't want others to know that the Soul-Subduing Demon-Beheading Staff had been found."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ji pondered for a moment.
Recalling the white-robed man's words earlier about the three Celestial Officials of the Celestial Court being detained outside, yet Fang Yunshan appeared here.
Connecting the dots, Lin Ji realized.
The Celestial Court was creating an illusion of weakness.
Fishing for law enforcement!
"So, that's why you handed this thing to me?" Lin Ji realized.
"Yes," Fang Yunshan nodded frankly. "Your name was recommended by Tianji. After a thorough investigation, the Celestial Court couldn't find a more suitable person than you, so they sent you to Qingyang County to meet with you."
"No one more suitable?"
"That's right. To conceal the whereabouts of the Demon-Sealing Demon-Beheading Staff, we needed to use your auspicious aura to set up a plan. You are already a demon catcher of the Celestial Court, and your own aura is subtly connected to the fate of the nation, making you even more suitable."
Fang Yunshan smiled, "In fact, we cultivators, once our cultivation reaches a certain level, who doesn't have a great aura? But because we are in high positions, we are too conspicuous and cannot hide."
"Some things don't matter if I tell you. I believe you have guessed it. We went to great lengths to give those restless people a chance to come out and seek death."
Lin Ji chuckled twice.
This statement was quite domineering.
Fang Yunshan continued, "The current Celestial Court is no longer as pure as it was when it was first established a thousand years ago."
"The sect's power, the family's power, intertwined from top to bottom, even the minor demon catchers in the local areas colluding with the locals to commit crimes, and even the three Celestial Officials like us may not be of one mind."
"The Celestial Court, this big tree, seems lush, but its roots have begun to rot."
"You Celestial Officials?" Lin Ji widened his eyes.
A second-grade Celestial Official, in terms of rank, was already an extremely high position! Even the ministers of the six ministries were only second-grade officials.
As for cultivation, Lin Ji didn't know how strong the Celestial Officials were, but the Ghost King, who had just reached at least the Seventh Realm, seemed to have little confidence in front of Fang Yunshan.
This was the absolute core high-level of the Celestial Court.
But at this moment, upon hearing Fang Yunshan's words, Lin Ji realized what the current situation of the Celestial Court was.
"Where there are people, there is conflict. Senior Gao has been in office for many years. Although his reputation is undiminished, the position of the Celestial Court's Master will eventually be vacated."
At this point in the conversation, Lin Ji dared not ask further, and Fang Yunshan did not continue but instead returned to the matter of Liang City.
"The matter of the Ghost King in Liang City involves many complexities. This siege of ten thousand ghosts, from beginning to end, was just a play put on by the Ghost King."
Lin Ji chuckled twice, unable to find the words to say.
Fang Yunshan explained, "We were just playing along. Do you know why Miss Luo came to Liang City?"
Before Lin Ji could respond, Fang Yunshan's face showed a hint of mockery. "No reason!"
"Not to visit relatives?"
"Miss Luo's family are all prominent figures in the capital. Where would they have relatives in Liang City!" Fang Yunshan said coldly. "But even now, if no one points it out, Miss Luo wouldn't think there's a problem."
"Evil methods?" Lin Ji remembered the Lady Luo who had been turned into a demon.
Fang Yunshan nodded, "Miss Luo is a third-grade official of the current dynasty. If something happens to her, it will inevitably affect the fate of the nation."
"Why not directly target Miss Luo?"
"In the capital, it's not so easy to directly deal with officials above the third grade! Even if someone uses means to manipulate Miss Luo's wife and daughter, the person who acts will definitely pay a heavy price."
At this point, Fang Yunshan sighed slightly.
"But in any case, they succeeded. Regardless of the price, it was worth it. Not only the matter of the Demon-Sealing Tower and Miss Luo, but there are many means that the Celestial Court has not yet discovered in the dark."
Fang Yunshan looked at Lin Ji.
"The fate of Great Qin has already been shaken."
Lin Ji didn't understand these matters of national fate; it was still too distant for him.
But he could vaguely sense, from what Fang Yunshan said and didn't say, including the events that had unfolded.
It seemed that the struggle between the Celestial Court and their hidden enemies revolved around the fate of Great Qin.
One side wanted to overthrow the Great Qin Dynasty, while the other side was staunchly defending it.
And at this moment, it seemed that the Celestial Court was not gaining the upper hand.
As the conversation reached this point, Fang Yunshan handed Miss Luo's soul to Lin Ji.
"This matter started because of you, so it's up to you to send her on her way to reincarnation."
Lin Ji took the soul and found that Miss Luo was only trapped by a simple formation.
But before Lin Ji could say anything, when he looked up again, Fang Yunshan had already disappeared.
Along with him, the Soul-Subduing Demon-Beheading Staff in Lin Ji's hand also vanished.
This plot is a bit difficult to write, stuck, only one update today.
(End of this chapter)