Chapter 293: A Letter from the Capital

The day after the White Bone Cavern dungeon ended, the Divine Realm communication channel was still buzzing.

Most threads focused on how difficult the White Bone Cavern had been.

Every martial artist who had survived inside warned others not to enter that dungeon lightly.

Those who had become martial artists but hadn’t entered, or players who weren’t martial artists at all, felt immensely relieved.

“Out of forty million players, only a handful become martial artists. Mostly, Zhao State simply can’t process that many players.”

“Now that players are increasing every day, their only chance to become martial artists probably lies with the players themselves.”

“As time goes on and progress advances, players in dungeons will get rewards like cultivation techniques.”

“When those internal technique methods or martial arts techniques spill out, people will sell them.”

Yang Ling didn’t go down into the mine today. He stayed on the surface, watching to see if the Immortal God Sect would send anyone to cause trouble.

“Lord Xiao Yang, there seem to be far fewer miners today.”

Eunuch Xu walked over.

Yang Ling smiled and nodded. “The Blazing Gold Mine is dangerous. Some miners don’t want to continue and left overnight.”

Eunuch Xu frowned. “They come and go—how can we let them come and go so freely?”

“Eunuch Xu, the Blazing Gold Mine is too perilous. Forcing these miners to stay and slacking off would negatively affect others.”

Yang Ling said, “Our output this month was pretty good. We get twenty to thirty taels each month, and we’re not far from the one-hundred-tael threshold. We can’t have accidents at this critical time.”

Eunuch Xu immediately narrowed his eyes and smiled: “Lord Xiao Yang is right.”

At that moment, his gray eagle suddenly tore through the air and dropped a bamboo tube.

“A letter from the Capital.”

Eunuch Xu grinned broadly. “It might be praise for you.”

Yang Ling’s eyes brightened.

If Mingxin’s case had closed earlier, all those combined merits could have pushed him up several ranks.

He also remembered the department head wanted to apply for a Vital Qi Age Defying for him.

Eunuch Xu took a note from the bamboo tube, glanced at it, and his face suddenly turned extremely ugly.

Yang Ling’s heart gave a jolt. Had something gone wrong?

“Eunuch Xu, did something happen in the Capital?” Yang Ling asked quietly.

Eunuch Xu took a deep breath, then laughed with fury: “Trash. A bunch of trash, hahahaha!”

Yang Ling stayed silent.

After a few breaths, Eunuch Xu’s mood seemed to calm a bit. He looked at Yang Ling, his expression serious:

“Lord Xiao Yang, Mingxin ran off. While escaping he killed two Sixth-Rank Ironclads.”

“Because Mingxin escaped, your case can’t be closed for now.”

“Could Mingxin really have escaped?”

Yang Ling let out a bitter laugh, feeling both anger and helplessness.

There had to have been outside interference.

Otherwise, how could a captured Upper Sixth-Rank escape from somewhere like the Capital?

He could be sure, without thinking twice, that the Capital had many Fifth-Rank experts, even Fourth- and Third-Rank!

“Don’t worry, Lord Xiao Yang. Even if Mingxin got away, he wouldn’t dare retaliate against you rashly.”

“We accompanied you to the Blazing Gold Mine this time because the Fourth Prince feared the Heavenly Wolf Guard’s revenge would target you.”

Eunuch Xu said, “As long as you stay in the Blazing Gold Mine, you can rest easy.

Let those above handle Mingxin’s matter. We just wait.”

He paused, then added, “It’s just a pity… after this, the Ironclad Department will probably be scolded by superiors.

Your merits will likely be cut by seventy to eighty percent. The Vital Qi Age Defying is out of the question.”

“The Fourth Prince still thinks of his humble servant from the Capital. I am grateful.” Yang Ling cupped his hands, but his mind drifted back to the private chat he’d had with Li Fengxian last night.

Is that what he was waiting for?

No—this kind of success wouldn’t make him so smug.

“Mingxin ran off and killed two Sixth-Rank Ironclads…”

Changhe Prefectural Capital!

A heavy look crossed Yang Ling’s eyes as he turned to Eunuch Xu:

“Eunuch Xu, Mingxin might be heading to Changhe Prefectural Capital to strike back.”

“He knows I’m with you, so he wouldn’t dare come for me directly, but the Ironclad Department in Changhe Prefectural Capital has no experts who could stop Mingxin.”

What might a exposed Silver Ten from the Heavenly Wolf Guard do if someone was directing him? He could go insane.

He might slaughter the Changhe Prefectural Capital Ironclad Department.

If he, as Director of the First Division of the Public Security Department there, had run off to the Blazing Gold Mine and his subordinates were wiped out, what blame would fall on him?

“Your deduction makes sense. Should we go there?”

Eunuch Xu’s eyes turned grave.

This younger man before him had deeply offended the Heavenly Wolf Guard. From Eunuch Xu’s understanding, when an exposed Silver Ten is useful, they will employ him to the fullest.

“Eunuch Xu, I’ll go back for a short while, so they won’t try a feint to the east while attacking the west. This Blazing Gold Mine isn’t a secret; the Heavenly Wolf Guard will have plans.”

“You—do you think you can stop Mingxin?”

Eunuch Xu looked doubtful.

Yang Ling answered solemnly: “I’ve had recent realizations and my power has increased considerably. If I meet Mingxin, I can kill him.”

“And Changhe Prefectural Capital also has hundreds of garrison troops and hundreds of constables. With me here coordinating a joint assault, an Upper Sixth-Rank can’t make trouble.”

“All right, we’ll hold this place, you return to Changhe Prefectural Capital.”

“If it’s too dangerous, Lord Xiao Yang, you must prioritize preserving your own life.”

Eunuch Xu slowly nodded: “This letter took my gray eagle three days and three nights to travel from the Capital.

But by the time we received the message, Mingxin had already left the Capital several days ago. If he’s heading to Changhe Prefectural Capital, he should be arriving soon.”

Yang Ling didn’t delay. While contacting Chen Guoqing and the players he’d left in Changhe Prefectural Capital, he called Little White and tore through the sky.

“Wait, isn’t that the Great Mother Vermilion Gold Mantis?”

Eunuch Xu didn’t have time to ask more. A strange expression crossed his face.

Then he remembered something and called Zhou Zheng to ask a few questions, finally understanding.

“How much Blazing Gold is needed to temper the Great Mother Vermilion Gold Mantis?”

Eunuch Xu casually asked.

Zhou Zheng instinctively prepared to answer fifty taels, but the words changed on his tongue:

“Five taels.”

“Hmm, Lord Xiao Yang has greatly merited himself; using five taels of Blazing Gold isn’t much.”

Eunuch Xu nodded in satisfaction.

In midair, Yang Ling received a reply from the players he’d left in Changhe Prefectural Capital:

[Boss Yang, there’s a bald monk chatting casually in the Ironclad Department with Director Yun. Director Yun seems to call him Master Mingxin.]

[Yang Ling (private): Got it. Keep observing; don’t alert them. Report any movement immediately.]

Closing the chat, Yang Ling made Little White sprint at full speed.

If he traveled by water it would take a day; flying, he could reach Changhe Prefectural Capital within an hour and a half.

Changhe Prefectural Capital, Ironclad Department.

Many high-ranking Ironclad officers sat in the front hall.

Such as the Director of the Bandit Apprehension Division’s First Division and Third Division Director Wen Kongxuan.

The First Division Director of the Inspection Department Zhang Tie, Second Division Director Huo Dong, and Third Division Director Lin Yan.

Second Division Director of the Public Security Department Yun Ruo.

Mingxin now wore common clothes. The monk’s gentle compassion was gone from his eyes.

He lifted his teacup and took a sip, ignoring the cold, piercing gazes around him.

“If I bloodbath the Changhe Prefectural Capital Ironclad Department today, what crime do you think Yang Ling will be charged with?”

He asked calmly.