Chapter 1566: Chapter 797: Acting Separately

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

The rain pounded densely on the eaves, like silkworms devouring mulberry leaves.

Mist rose within the courtyard, continuously gathering but making no sound.

Qiu Mingyuan and his followers, in ambush and waiting outside, hadn’t even noticed.

Everyone saw it and wore solemn expressions.

Every spell is executed by manipulating Astra Bane Qi in the world, inevitably causing some commotion, such as the howling of Yin Wind or the trembling of the ground, all caused by the flow of Astra Bane Qi.

This level of control was a first in their lifetime.

Soon, the mist gathered into a human figure.

The appearance was indistinguishable, only from the silhouette could they faintly tell it was an old woman with a cane.

Li Yan squinted his eyes and clenched his fist tightly.

His greatest fear was that the enemy was more than one Earth Immortal, and this was precisely the worst-case scenario.

"Follow me..."

The figure in the mist emitted an old voice, then let out a chilling laugh:

"If you can’t keep up, the deal is off!"

Before the words were finished, a column of mist shot up and flew into the distance, its speed astonishing.

This was a strategy, aiming to catch them off guard.

However, all of this was within Kong Shangzhao’s expectations. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Li Yan’s expression was grave. He nodded to everyone, then exerted his strength, leaped forward, and took off into the air. Simultaneously, he performed a Mantra with both hands to use the North Emperor Divine Travel Technique, and the Armored Horse tied to his leg immediately heated up.

A fierce wind erupted in the air, and Li Yan vanished within the storm.

Meanwhile, footsteps sounded.

It was Qiu Mingyuan rushing over with his men, looking anxious upon seeing the scene, "Where are they?"

Seeing their expressions, he realized something and couldn’t help but angrily say, "This is sheer folly! Aren’t you people from the pugilistic world? How could you be fooled by such trickery? This is like sheep walking into a tiger’s den!"

He was also holding back a wave of anger in his heart.

Even though the Capital had many officials, with his role in the Captain Bureau, he wielded substantial power. But ever since arriving in Jinling, many things were beyond his control. Despite treating Li Yan courteously, the other party had started to guard against him.

Seeing the situation becoming increasingly dire, his face turned noticeably sullen.

"Mr. Qiu, do not be upset..."

Kong Shangzhao remained calm, speaking in a low voice, "The Captain Bureau is crowded and conspicuous. After the previous incident, it’s very likely the other side has spies here. At critical moments, not a single mistake can be afforded."

"Oh?"

Qiu Mingyuan, being a shrewd person, was immediately intrigued, "What have you discovered?"

Seeing that Kong Shangzhao and others weren’t speaking, he got the hint and had all his men withdraw.

After a while, the elite guards from the Captain Bureau stationed outside saw Qiu Mingyuan stride out quickly, solemnly commanding, "Take my order, go to Assistant Lord Chu of the Northern Town Guard immediately, seal the city gates, and forbid anyone from leaving. Also, assign personnel to guard every street intersection, impose a curfew, and arrest anyone wandering at night at once!"

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.

Someone cupped their fist and said, "Sir, a temporary curfew..."

They were a bit troubled as well; it was not easy to impose a curfew in a large city like Jinling without causing alarm among the populace and driving local officials into a rage.

"Silence!"

Qiu Mingyuan’s eyes were full of murderous intent, speaking in a deep voice, "Your Majesty sent me to Jinling not to put on a show with them. Should anything major happen, everyone’s heads would roll. Anyone who has an objection can come to me personally!"

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing his anger, no one dared to utter another word, and they quickly dispersed.

The temporary military command spread like sparks igniting a pot of oil. The oppressively silent nighttime Jinling City immediately came alive.

The tall city gates creaked open, and waves of black-clad riders surged in.

Countless hooves trampled the cobblestones, roaring like thunder.

Chu Zhenyue, the Assistant of the Northern Town Guard, was known to be a resolute figure, and as he entered the city, he was shrouded in Sha Qi.

Rumble!

After the army entered the city, the heavy city gates closed with a thundering boom against the screeching of the winch.

The iron-clad bolts fell, cutting off all traffic.

Troops clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons were deployed along the streets, their heavy footsteps echoing on the wet stone roads, accompanied by raucous shouting: "Curfew by order! Everyone must return home immediately! Violators will be treated as traitors!"

Lanterns were brusquely extinguished, and shop doors were shut tight.

The people, panicking, retreated into their homes, peering through cracks in their windows at the cold gleam of iron outside.

The songs and music on the pleasure boats of the Qinhuai River halted abruptly, the sounds of paddles and lanterns replaced by the somber military formation.

In the Jinling Prefecture government office, the uninvolved local officials were gathered together.

The investigation of the Silk Bureau, the shocking explosion at the Prince Mansion, the tragic deaths of the heads of the Lu and Xie Families—all these events had already left them in a state of high alert. At this moment, their faces were grim, and their whispered complaints were full of resentment.

"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!"

"Has Qiu Mingyuan gone mad? To mobilize such a force and lock down the entire city, how can Jinling remain stable?"

"The blood case at the Prince Mansion is unresolved, and the Lu and Xie Families have lost their key figures. Rather than calming the populace, he adds fuel to the fire! This is not settling chaos but inciting it!"

"If a rebellion is triggered, let’s see how he handles it!"

Of course, they only dared to complain amongst themselves.

Anyone could see that to confront Qiu Mingyuan now would be a death sentence.

In the bureaucratic sea, they weren’t fools.

No one wanted to be the nail that stuck out, but for events of this magnitude, petitions to the court were inevitable.

Though this action indeed sowed discord with the local officials of Jinling, as Kong Shangzhao predicted, this thunderous measure effectively severed the "eyes and ears" that the Silk Cocoon Sect had spread throughout the city.

Those lower-level spies, driven by hatred or small profits to convey information, could only remain indoors at the moment.