Chapter 206: Chapter 206: The Unavoidable Law of Indulgence, The 4 Great Divine Constables

Cyan Yuan Pavilion was a restaurant, so the food was naturally excellent.

Wine and meat were, of course, a given.

The meals were delivered to their rooms, which was just what Yang Chan wanted. While he might overhear useful information by eating in the main restaurant, that was a small price to pay for safety.

It wasn’t out of the question for someone in the restaurant to get drunk and, by some twist of fate, decide to attack him. If they were strong and the Cyan Yuan Sect disciples on guard didn’t react quickly enough, what would he do? ’Do I take a beating or expose my true strength?’

All things considered, eating in his room was the better, more peaceful option.

Of course, the more likely reason for this arrangement was that the two Inner Masters, Yan Jinfeng and Ji Feng, were occupied with other matters.

Yang Chan ate the delivered meal, which featured a spread of White Jade City’s delicacies: Capital City roast duck, a specialty white pork hotpot, braised oxtail, and noodles with soybean paste, among others. The portions were generous, as the staff clearly knew that cultivators had large appetites.

Martial Arts Cultivators ate a great deal every day, so these dishes were a perfect opportunity for Yang Chan to sample the local cuisine. And he had to admit, they had a truly unique and delicious flavor.

According to the waiter, this was just a small sample of their menu. They had many other specialties, not just from White Jade City but also from various other provinces.

When it came to food, Yang Chan knew he was in for a treat.

Zhao Yi had mentioned the food before, saying White Jade City offered an all-encompassing culinary experience with every kind of specialty imaginable. Yang Chan hadn’t paid it much mind back then; ’mere worldly desires for food can’t sway me.’

Now, as Yang Chan ate, all he could think was how wrong he had been. This was delicious.

...

「Six Gates.」

The Six Gates in the Capital City was different from its branches in the various provinces. Here, Grandmaster-Level experts were stationed.

The Four Divine Constables of the Six Gates were all masters at the Inner Refining Five Level. In the provinces, cultivators of this level possessed outstanding combat power. They would only take action personally when a fugitive of the Grandmaster Level appeared.

Only if a criminal of that caliber escaped White Jade City would they venture into the provinces to make an arrest. Otherwise, they rarely left the Capital City. They were essentially stationed in White Jade City to guard this critical seat of power.

Ordinary criminals were either handled by local constables or their capture was delegated to the sects of the various provinces.

Yang Chan had never undertaken such a task, but he’d heard about them from Han Bingyu, who had. Since becoming a Pharmacist’s Assistant, however, she rarely left the mountain for these missions. Instead, she spent most of her time buried in books on pharmacology. Her goal was obvious.

As she put it, missions off the mountain were always risky. Sometimes the target turned out to be someone hiding their true cultivation, making the situation extremely dangerous.

The Cyan Yuan Sect, however, used these missions as a form of trial. Only disciples tempered in this way were considered qualified Official Disciples, capable of making greater contributions to the Sect.

At that moment, a crowd had gathered in the main hall of the Six Gates. People from the Dali Temple had arrived.

When the Six Gates was first established, its purpose was to keep the provincial sects in check. Unfortunately, this goal was never fully realized. The originally independent agency was eventually absorbed by the Dali Temple, effectively becoming one of its branches.

Normally, the Dali Temple assigned manhunts to the Six Gates, but the Minister of the Ministry of Justice himself rarely paid a personal visit.

The Minister of the Ministry of Justice was a high-ranking official of the third rank. A person of his stature typically remained within the Dali Temple or at the Imperial Court. This was the first time he had ever come to the Six Gates.

Consequently, the Four Divine Constables of the Six Gates had all rushed back from their posts. Because of the Pharmacist Alliance’s triennial Pharmacist Exchange Conference, they had all been ordered to remain in White Jade City to maintain security.

Upon learning that the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Kou Gui, had arrived, they had all returned to the Six Gates headquarters. Now, they stood on either side of the main hall, their eyes fixed on him.

Nominally, he was their superior.

"Lord Kou, I wonder, do you have urgent business for the Six Gates?"

Seeing that everyone was present, Divine Constable Jin Feihua took the initiative to ask Kou Gui the purpose of his visit. The minister had been exchanging pleasantries for some time without getting to the point, clearly waiting for someone else to break the ice.

The other three Divine Constables—Tie Zexin, Dongfang Hong, and Leng Xiu—all looked to Jin Feihua. Among the Four Divine Constables of the Six Gates, she was their leader.

Though a woman, her Martial Arts Cultivation was the highest of the four. Her methods were equally formidable, and the other three Divine Constables were all connected to her in one way or another.

"I came here today for one specific reason," Kou Gui stated. "During this time, you are not to target the members of the sects."

"Some of your methods, while covert, are easily seen through."

"The Court requires stability right now, not chaos. So whatever schemes you’re plotting, I suggest you put them on hold for the time being."

Though Kou Gui spoke with a smile, his words were ice-cold, sending a chill down everyone’s spines.

His words were a clear warning.

In the past, whenever the major sects arrived in White Jade City, there would conveniently be an ’escaped criminal’ for them to ’run into.’ This was a ploy to gauge the strength of the sect members who had come to the capital.

It was a method the Six Gates used to gather intelligence.

"Rest assured, Lord Kou. The Six Gates was merely probing the strength of the various sects. We have no other intentions. It’s a precaution, to prevent these people, who are used to acting like tyrants in their own provinces, from causing trouble in the Capital City."

"By confirming their capabilities, we can better arrange our forces should they decide to stir up trouble."

Upon hearing his warning, Divine Constable Jin Feihua simply smiled and nodded as she stated her purpose, making it sound as if her only concern was the stability of White Jade City.

"It’s all for the best if you think that way. But these little tricks of yours need to stop. Otherwise, the next person to visit won’t be me."

Kou Gui’s face held a sardonic smile. He clearly didn’t believe a word Jin Feihua had said; otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to the Six Gates in the first place.

Nominally, the Six Gates was under the jurisdiction of the Dali Temple. In practice, however, the Dali Temple never interfered in its internal affairs, allowing it to develop independently. This was precisely the intention of the Emperor, Yang Yu.

Thus, while the Dali Temple assigned tasks to the Six Gates, it had never meddled in its internal operations. This time, however, the Six Gates’ activities had caught the attention of Emperor Yang Yu. The Emperor had brought it up with Kou Gui during the minister’s recent visit to the palace.

A man who had risen to the rank of Minister of the Ministry of Justice like Kou Gui naturally understood the Emperor’s intent, which was why he had come to the Six Gates personally. This marked the first time the Dali Temple had ever interfered in the Six Gates’ internal affairs.

To be more precise, their actions had threatened to upset a delicate balance, forcing his hand. His visit was, in itself, a warning to the Six Gates.

Kou Gui’s arrival had been swift, and his departure was just as fast. The delegation from the Dali Temple left the Six Gates without another word. In the main hall, the Divine Constables and the other members of the Six Gates stood in a terrifying silence.