Chapter 187: Shi Xin's Backer in the Capital?

Character: Zhao Xun

Class: Martial Artist

Strength: 166

Agility: 187

Spirit: 60

Martial Arts: Ironclad Divine Armor Sutra (Skilled)

Dragon-Capturing Saber Technique (Second-Rate, Transcendent)

Wandering Dragon Transformation (Transcendent)

Faction: Ironclad Department

Yang Ling's expression shifted. A Fifth-Rank expert from the Ironclad Department?

Xu Wuji chuckled lightly and clasped his fist in salute: "So it's Lord Zhao Xun."

Li Ruhai and the other Sixth-Rank experts were startled and immediately bowed with cupped hands.

"His mount is a Golden Eagle... that means he can fly wherever he wants to go?"

Li Shou and the others were secretly awestruck, their eyes involuntarily filling with longing.

So you could actually tame pets like a Golden Eagle in the Divine Realm.

"Lord Zhao."

Lu Yunchen and several other Ironclad Department Directors from Yunwen Provincial Capital all clasped their fists and bowed.

"Uncle, why did you bother making the trip yourself?"

The Fourth Prince smiled.

Zhao Xun flipped over and landed steadily on the boat.

The Golden Eagle in the sky continued to circle overhead.

"Zhao Xun, Uncle... so he's also of the imperial clan, probably a collateral branch."

Yang Ling's mind stirred.

Zhao Xun said with a smile, "If I didn't make this trip myself, I wouldn't be at ease. Look at Yang Hong—he still thinks that Second-Rank expert from Nine Immortals Dao Palace couldn't possibly be a Rong tribe spy."

With that, he pulled out a case file and tossed it to Yang Hong: "See for yourself."

Yang Hong immediately flipped through it, and after a few glances, his expression turned extremely unpleasant.

Li Ruhai and the others crowded around, wanting to get a look as well.

But Yang Hong closed the case file and clasped his fist: "Lord Zhao, may I take this back to the Nine Immortals Dao Palace?"

"Take it if you want, do whatever you want. It's not like Nine Immortals Dao Palace doesn't already have an identical copy."

Zhao Xun said lightly.

Yang Hong remained silent.

Chi Qingyao and the other Nine Immortals Dao Palace disciples sighed inwardly.

It seemed this matter had already reached a conclusion.

"Uncle, from what you just said... the Ironclad Department already knew about this?"

The Fourth Prince mused.

"Mm, we've known for a while. We deliberately kept it from you to prevent the Heavenly Wolf Guard from finding out."

"Who would've thought the Heavenly Wolf Guard's intelligence network was so thorough. Even top-secret information like this could be obtained."

Zhao Xun continued: "We originally planned to let you dig out that Second-Rank Human Immortal, and I would personally transport him back to the Capital."

"On the surface, he was a member of the Nine Immortals Dao Palace, but secretly, he was of Rong tribe origin."

"The Heavenly Wolf Guard must have known this, so they couldn't have interfered openly. This mission should have gone smoothly."

"But now it seems the Heavenly Wolf Guard already knows that this Second-Rank Human Immortal's identity has been exposed."

"That Commander spared no expense mobilizing so many elites from the Heavenly Wolf Guard, willing to take heavy losses just to snatch him from us."

Li Huaiyi and the other Ironclad Constables exchanged glances, secretly gasping sharply.

The martial artists from the Four Sects present, along with the experts from Second-Rate sects and the Sect Masters and Elders of Third-Rate sects, couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

Jie Hai narrowed his eyes: "The Ironclad Department even kept this from us?"

"Arhat Temple, Divine Sect, Nine Immortals Dao Palace, and Extreme Flame Sword Manor all have seniors who already knew about this and agreed to our plan."

Zhao Xun glanced at him, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Jie Hai immediately fell silent. Li Ruhai and the others also showed dawning understanding.

"But even I was kept in the dark..."

The Fourth Prince sighed.

Zhao Xun laughed: "Your father agreed to it, so why shouldn't you be kept in the dark?"

The Fourth Prince's complaints vanished instantly.

Yang Ling nodded thoughtfully to himself.

Now it all made sense. No wonder the Heavenly Wolf Guard had made their move.

It turned out the Ironclad Department had been scheming against them first, but because the news leaked, it resulted in so many Heavenly Wolf Guard members appearing during this Water Qilin Cave expedition.

"If the Heavenly Wolf Guard hadn't received that information, the Ironclad Department could have easily brought back that Second-Rank Human Immortal, and then they could have done whatever they wanted with him."

"This kind of information should have been top-secret. The fact that the Heavenly Wolf Guard knew about it and made a series of countermeasures..."

"That Commander is no simple figure. It's hard to say who won or lost this round. At best, it's a draw..."

Yang Ling thought to himself.

At this moment, Zhao Xun swept his gaze over Yang Ling, then looked at Lu Yunchen and the others, smiling: "This time, the Ironclad Department's plan can be considered a failure."

Before Lu Yunchen and the others could show signs of shame.

Zhao Xun continued: "But the Heavenly Wolf Guard's plan didn't succeed either."

"All in all, we'll call it a draw. Maybe we even came out slightly ahead."

With that, his eyes swept across Li Huaiyi and the others, finally locking onto a Seventh-Rank talent who had been quiet throughout the journey: "Tiger, report the situation."

Li Huaiyi and the others were surprised.

The Fourth Prince was momentarily stunned, then understood.

Yang Ling looked at that Seventh-Rank talent. This Ironclad Department agent was named Zhang Hu, a very ordinary name. His performance in the Water Qilin Cave had been unremarkable.

Thinking back carefully, this man barely interacted with anyone. He spoke very little!

Zhang Hu stepped out of the formation and said expressionlessly: "Lord Zhao, this time the Heavenly Wolf Guard lost four Copper Generation experts: Tong Yi, Tong Si, Tong Wu, and Tong Jiu."

"In addition..."

He spoke for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, basically covering the entire situation in the Water Qilin Cave.

Including how some Ironclad Department members had been seduced by money and led the way for the Heavenly Wolf Guard.

Including the Immortal God Sect's explosives.

Li Huaiyi and the others were secretly horrified. The way they looked at Zhang Hu had completely changed.

This guy was actually the confidant of Lord Zhao!

So that meant he had been stationed in the Capital all along!?

"Finally, Chief Constable Yang was the first to reach the retreat point. He dealt with the three Hell Frogs left behind by the Rong tribe. Tong Yi died from the backlash of that."

"Tong Thirteen tried to take that frozen Second-Rank Human Immortal into the Freezing Pool to retreat."

"In the end, Chief Constable Yang kicked him back. By the time I retreated, I had confirmed that the Water Qilin had just woken up, and the waterway behind was frozen solid. The Rong tribe couldn't possibly take him anymore."

Zhang Hu finished speaking and immediately fell silent again.

"So that kick the Fourth Prince mentioned was referring to this..."

All the martial artists present, whether it was Sixth-Rank experts like Li Ruhai, Fifth-Rank experts like Xu Wuji and Zhao Xun, or Seventh-Rank experts like Chi Qingyao and Dongfang Haojie, all turned to look at Yang Ling in unison.

Li Shou muttered to himself: "Amitabha, Brother Yang kicked a Second-Rank Human Immortal!"

"A Seventh-Rank kicking a Second-Rank... in this era, only Brother Yang has that kind of experience. He's broken a record, hasn't he..."

"Yang the Top Player is indeed impressive..."

Many minor players who had just been tagging along were also present. Though they hadn't qualified to enter the Water Qilin Cave, they were still witnessing a major event.

The looks in their eyes as they stared at Yang Ling were filled with envy, longing, reverence, and even a hint of jealousy.

"So that place was indeed dangerous. It was a good call not to go in."

Qin Mo stood among the crowd, his heart trembling slightly.

"Chief Constable of Yunwen Provincial Capital, Changhe Prefectural Capital, and Green Mountain City, Yang Ling."

Zhao Xun looked at Yang Ling with a smile.

"At your service, sir."

Yang Ling immediately clasped his fist.

Zhao Xun's expression was gratified: "You were recommended to join the Ironclad Department by Shi Xin, right?"

"Shi Xin used to work under me back in the day. Even then, I noticed that though he was older, he still had plenty of drive."

"Zhang Hu was his recommendation, and now he's recommended talent like you. That old guy has made a great contribution."

Yang Ling's heart surged with joy. So that meant he was also part of Zhao Xun's faction!?

Zhao Xun was Shi Xin's backer in the Capital?

"Shi Xin specially wrote to me this time, asking me to arrange a slot for you."

Zhao Xun smiled. "You didn't disappoint me."

"Thank you for your patronage, Lord Zhao!"

Yang Ling said nothing more, clasping his fist and bowing deeply!

He marveled inwardly that Lord Shi was indeed Lord Shi. His backer turned out to be a Fifth-Rank member of the imperial clan!