Wuchang Administratorure.

Inside a broken, old temple.

Cobwebs clung to the stone Buddha statue; the incense table and floor were thick with dust. The wooden door, still intact, remained tightly shut.

In a corner near a pillar, two men sat.

“Second brother, are you really going back to Jianning?” Sun Sheng asked.

After last night, when the beggar delivered the brocade message, Qiong Aohai had been set on returning to Jianning Administratorure.

The Demon Sect had robbed the disaster relief silver and framed the Haijing Gang.

This was a calamity of the highest order.

As the young leader of the Haijing Gang, he had to go back.

Qiong Aohai said nothing but glanced at the sky outside.

The heavens were heavy, gray clouds blanketing the sky.

The storm was brewing.

Sun Sheng looked at Qiong Aohai, his expression grave. He spoke earnestly, “Second brother, rushing from Wuchang back to Jianning would take at least ten days.”

“By the time you get there, it might already be too late.”

Sun Sheng could understand the turmoil in Qiong Aohai’s heart.

He had roamed the martial world, challenging all the major sects, only to end in ruin and disgrace.

Now, the Haijing Gang was being smeared with dirt, about to fall into the same fate.

Sun Sheng could feel the heavy burden weighing on Qiong Aohai’s mind.

Qiong Aohai sighed softly. A bitter smile flickered on his face.

Gone was the youthful arrogance he once had when challenging the great sects.

All that remained was sorrow.

Sun Sheng’s words were not lost on him; he knew it all too well.

After pondering for a moment, Sun Sheng changed the subject, asking, “Second brother, why would the Demon Sect want to frame the Haijing Gang?”

“The Haijing Gang hasn’t offended the Demon Sect, right?”

Sun Sheng had thought about this all night but couldn’t make sense of it.

Why would the Demon Sect scheme against the Haijing Gang?

Qiong Aohai furrowed his brows at the question and answered in a low voice, “I think it’s revenge.”

“Revenge?” Sun Sheng frowned, puzzled.

Qiong Aohai nodded.

“Years ago, during the battle between the righteous sects and the Demon Sect, it was Master Nan who endured a blow from the Demon Sect’s deputy leader, creating the opportunity for the Wudang Sect leader and Shaolin Abbot to strike.”

“After that battle, Master Shi suffered from cold injuries, and the Demon Sect was scattered and broken.”

“I believe if the Demon Sect plans to rise again, the first person they want to get back at is Master Nan.”

“But Master Nan is a Grandmaster with unpredictable whereabouts, and they lack the power to target him directly. So they had no choice but to go after the Haijing Gang.”

Qiong Aohai shared his analysis.

He, too, had thought through this overnight and had come to this conclusion.

Sun Sheng listened thoughtfully.

“The Demon Sect...” Sun Sheng muttered those words.

He had not been in the martial world long and was unfamiliar with many rumors.

Sun Sheng frowned, as if a realization struck him.

He said, “Second brother, that gray-clad man used Demon Sect martial arts.”

“Before he entered the room, didn’t Wan Qing whistle?”

“Is Wan Qing also a Demon Sect member?”

Hearing this, Qiong Aohai’s brows knitted tightly; he sensed something was wrong.

Wan Qing...

“Wan Qing is a hereditary first-rank marquis, and his aunt was once an imperial consort.”

“The Wan family is a prominent clan—why would he collude with the Demon Sect?” Qiong Aohai murmured.

This matter was full of strangeness.

He was a hereditary marquis, skilled in martial arts, with a proper appearance.

Why get involved with the Demon Sect’s dirty schemes?

Both Sun Sheng and Qiong Aohai fell silent.

What happened last night was too bizarre.

Many things just didn’t add up.

Suddenly,

A gleam flashed in Qiong Aohai’s eyes.

He looked at Sun Sheng, a rare look of astonishment crossing his masculine face.

Seeing this, Sun Sheng was puzzled.

“What is it, second brother?”

Qiong Aohai stared intently at Sun Sheng, his voice low and serious.

“Shun, do you remember what the Administrator Zhang said after Wan Qing suddenly appeared in the room last night and killed that official?”

Sun Sheng’s fair, handsome face showed signs of recalling.

He said uncertainly, “I think the Administrator called out ‘Divine Envoy’?”

“That’s right!”

Qiong Aohai clenched his fist; his expression shifted rapidly.

Shock and disbelief overtook his features.

Suddenly, he thought of something desperate and horrifying.

If this was true...

It would be terrible!

Sun Sheng saw the drastic change in Qiong Aohai’s expression and felt uneasy as well.

Leaning against the pillar, Qiong Aohai mulled over the fleeting thought.

The more he thought about it, the colder his spine felt, a chill creeping over his skin.

Sun Sheng noticed the change and couldn’t help but ask, “Second brother, what are you thinking?”

Qiong Aohai looked at Sun Sheng and took a deep breath.

“Shun, Administrator Zhang is also a member of the Demon Sect.”

Sun Sheng pondered but didn’t grasp the full weight of this revelation.

Qiong Aohai straightened his back, the torment on his face wiped away.

His expression became solemn, eyes sharp.

“The Demon Sect teaches that only those who suffer greatly, who believe in the Lady Heartless, can escape the cycle of reincarnation after death and enjoy eternal bliss.”

“If I’m right, the Demon Sect wants to use this year’s Peach Blossom Flood to cleanse the world, turning the Yangtze River and coastal areas into their preaching ground.”

“Administrator Zhang is a second-rank official, overseeing Huguang Province.”

“If he is a Demon Sect member, he will suppress news of the flood’s damage.”

“By the time the court reacts, countless refugees will have already come to believe in the Demon Sect.”

“Then, the entire south will be thrown into chaos.”

Sun Sheng imagined Qiong Aohai’s scenario and felt a chill in his heart.

He angrily said, “How could the Administrator, who oversees Huguang, do such a thing?”

Anger filled Sun Sheng’s heart.

What Qiong Aohai suggested reminded him of stories from Water Margin.

Corrupt officials bringing disaster upon the people for selfish gain.

If Qiong Aohai’s suspicions were true, many lives would be lost!

Closing his eyes, Qiong Aohai recalled the conversation he overheard last night.

When he opened them again, he was certain.

His guess was very close to the truth.

Sun Sheng followed Qiong Aohai’s line of thought and connected the dots.

He stroked his chin, murmuring, “No wonder the Demon Sect wanted to intercept the disaster relief silver.”

“Only by doing that could the flood’s damage worsen.”

Sun Sheng clenched his fists, filled with anger and hatred toward the Demon Sect.

Having wandered the streets for two years, he deeply understood the hardship of common folk.

This flood was a catastrophic disaster for the people along the Yangtze and the coast.

Qiong Aohai fell silent.

He stared at the dust-covered ground, eyes flickering, lost in thought.

After a long while, he sighed lightly, his voice bleak.

“I won’t go back to Jianning.”

Sun Sheng nodded upon hearing this.

Going back to Jianning indeed seemed unrealistic.

Qiong Aohai handed the second brocade message received last night to Sun Sheng.

“South of Wuchang is Jiangxi Province. The Administrator of Huguang is allowing the Peach Blossom Flood to rage.”

“This must be reported to the court as soon as possible, or countless people will suffer.”

“Keep this brocade message safe, Shun.”

Sun Sheng took it, understanding Qiong Aohai’s meaning.

“Second brother, you intend to go to Jiangxi to deliver the report to the court?” Sun Sheng asked.

Qiong Aohai nodded solemnly.

He said, “Before I left home to roam the martial world, my father told me something.”

“To always keep chivalry in my heart.”

“A true hero acts for the nation and the people.”