Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Luo Bingyi frowned slightly: "You seem distracted. What are you thinking about?"

Yan Wenjiu's heart tightened, but his expression remained normal. He quickly replied, "I'm worried that Zhou Silang will retaliate against us. After all, given his methods, a thorough investigation afterward will surely lead back to us."

Upon hearing this, Luo Bingyi's brows relaxed slightly, and he calmly said, "He will definitely retaliate; there's no need to harbor any illusions about that. However, he's currently embroiled in a major case and has no energy left to target us."

"But once he gets a free hand, then you're in for a beating."

Upon hearing this, Zhai Xingyuan said, "Teacher, what should we do? Should we investigate the dirty things he has done behind the scenes over the years? I don't believe he is really as benevolent, just, and perfect as the rumors say."

Luo Bingyi glanced at Zhai Xingyuan, a hint of helplessness in his cloudy eyes: "And then, assuming you've discovered that Zhou Silang has some secrets, what do you plan to do?"

Zhai Xingyuan narrowed his eyes: "Threaten him, control him, report him, we can do whatever we want depending on the situation. As long as we have leverage over him, Zhou Silang will definitely not dare to challenge us."

Yan Wenjiu glanced at the two of them secretly, then quietly shut his mouth, successfully drawing their attention to Zhou Silang. No one would question why he was so restless and absent-minded.

Ever since Ouyang Lai secretly extorted a large sum of money from him.

He kept thinking about how to get rid of Ouyang.

After all, Ouyang's opening statement was an extortion of 10 billion.

He absolutely cannot come up with this money now. Even if he works like crazy to embezzle and accept bribes year after year, he probably won't even have 10 billion before he gets arrested and sent to the guillotine to die a horrible death.

But if we don't give him money, we can't appease Ouyang, and who knows what crazy things he might do.

If his past actions were exposed and reported, it would be a capital offense in the Tower of Swords. The First Lady would never grant him a pardon, and no one in the Tower of Swords could guarantee his safety.

After much thought, it seemed that the only two options were to pay up or run away.

They could either swallow their pride and continue letting Ouyang leech off them, waiting for a change in circumstances.

The best option right now is to give up everything you have and start over, but no one can do that because starting over is easier said than done.

Yan Wenjiu has endured countless hardships, made immense efforts, and invested countless years and countless hours of hard work and energy to achieve its current thriving business. How can it be given up so easily?

Perhaps others could do it, but Yan Wenjiu didn't have that much courage, nor could he bear to give up the career he had worked so hard for over the years. So, he wouldn't choose to escape the Sword Tower until the very last step.

Upon hearing what the student said, Luo Bingyi shook his head and smiled, pointing at Zhai Xingyuan with a back scratcher in his hand, and said, "We can give it a try. Let's check if Zhou Silang has made any mistakes over the years, whether he has abused his power, has any moral failings, or has been corrupt or taken bribes. In short, let's check. As long as we have something on him, the initiative will be in our hands."

Zhai Xingyuan's expression brightened, and he said, "Teacher, I'll send someone to investigate right away."

Luo Bingyi smiled gently: "Go ahead, but be careful and don't arouse Zhou Silang's suspicion."

Zhai Xingyuan nodded solemnly, stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and turned to leave quickly.

Yan Wenjiu wanted to leave with them, but Luo Bingyi said, "You stay."

Upon hearing this, Yan Wenjiu had no choice but to sit down again and asked, "Teacher, what are your instructions?"

Luo Bingyi's cloudy eyes revealed a wisdom that saw through everything. He said meaningfully, "I can see that you have a lot on your mind, but it is definitely not because of Zhou Silang's revenge."

"With the mental fortitude you've cultivated over the years, you shouldn't be unable to withstand even this little bit of pressure."

"Wenjiu, tell me honestly, what troubles have you encountered recently? Maybe I can help you solve them."

Upon hearing this, Yan Wenjiu was startled and quickly clasped his hands in a fist and bowed his head to hide his panicked expression.

He truly underestimated his teacher's insight. His teacher, who had risen to such a high position without any political affiliation, was no ordinary person. To think he could fool him was simply self-deception.

Even though he was found out, he didn't intend to say anything.

“Teacher, I am indeed worried about Zhou Silang’s retaliation, but you are overthinking it.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Bingyi frowned slightly, then sighed, "It seems this matter is very serious, and even I can't solve it, right? Fine, since you're unwilling to talk about it, I won't ask any more questions."

"I just want to remind you of one thing: without my permission, do not take any targeted actions against Zhou Silang in private. Everything must be communicated to me in advance, whether to do it, and how to do it. Do not act on your own initiative."

"Also, starting today, you are not allowed to sleep with that prostitute anymore."

Upon hearing this, Yan Wenjiu couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, why? The Sword Tower doesn't prohibit officials from patronizing prostitutes."

Luo Bingyi's face turned cold: "Yan Wenjiu, if you really like a prostitute, then redeem her and buy her home as a concubine so you can play with her at home. Nobody can stop you. But you are a high-ranking official in charge of the Plum Blossom Division of the Fifth Bureau of the Censorate. You go to prostitutes every night and never go home. Just this lack of private morality is enough for Zhou Silang to make a big fuss about."

"It would be one thing if it were any other time, but at such a sensitive moment, you still dare to commit a crime against the wind. Do you want to die even faster? Are you deliberately handing a knife to Zhou Silang so that he can rightfully use it on you?"

"And you spend millions of dollars on prostitutes every year. Where does that money come from? Can you explain it clearly?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Wenjiu opened his mouth and said, "Teacher, I...I...you, how did you know?"

Luo Bingyi snorted coldly: "It's hard to be a good father-in-law if you're not blind and deaf."

Yan Wenjiu fell silent. He didn't know how much his teacher knew about him, but it was clear that his teacher knew far more than he thought, only that his teacher had been pretending to be confused.

"Go down." Luo Bingyi had said what he should and shouldn't have said. He had already said so much. With Yan Wenjiu's intelligence, he wouldn't not understand what to do.

Yan Wenjiu got up to say goodbye and strode away.

Watching Yan Wenjiu leave, Luo Bingyi sat in his chair, as steady as an old tortoise, holding a back scratcher and gently scratching his back. His face was expressionless, but his cloudy eyes revealed an accurate prediction of the current situation.

He predicted that Zhou Qingfeng would retaliate soon and would first eliminate his own students. All he could do was tell his students to clean up their mess and not give Zhou Qingfeng any chance.

During this period, he also needs to find out Zhou Qingfeng's strength and accumulate the chips that can win, otherwise he will be at a disadvantage in the next game with Zhou Qingfeng, and being at a disadvantage usually means defeat.

There's no point in saying anything more now that things have come to this.

Once caught in the middle of the game, he had no choice but to fight; the path he chose was not up to him.

Luo Bingyi was filled with unbearable frustration, so he reached out and dipped his finger in the tea, then began to write on the tea table.

From humble beginnings, they rise to prominence; unaffiliated with any party or faction, their resolve remains steadfast.

Time tempers the heart, making it stronger; disciples gather widely, and virtue's reputation spreads far and wide.

Finally, the day of soaring to great heights arrived, and the dream of high position and great power came true.

Looking back on the arduous journey, one can only say that it was filled with hardship.

Those in high positions are not in control of their own destiny, and those who hold power find it difficult to exercise it.

The Plum Blossom Bureau is rife with turmoil; the world is like a game of chess, with each turn bringing a new twist.

His students and former subordinates all look to him with great anticipation, placing immense hopes on him.

However, things are unpredictable, and one wrong move can lead to total ruin.

After finishing a poem, Luo Bingyi got up and left, exhausted. His hunched back and weak gait made him appear even older and more frail, as if his shoulders had been bent even more by something unseen.

Meanwhile, Ma Dalang also received the message, but it wasn't delivered directly to him. Instead, it passed through several hands before reaching Sima Yan.

A hidden hideout within Sword Tower City.

Sima Yan, dressed in a long black, red and white dress, sat at her desk, carefully combing her nails. Her graceful figure and stunning beauty would make most men turn their heads.

To her, men and women are merely worldly distinctions.

She can switch to a different man's body whenever she wants; it's purely a matter of personal preference.

After all, the longer you live, the more you like to try new and bizarre things.

Simply put, she enjoys experiencing the wonders of life.

Sima Yan smiled faintly: "New information has come in. The people from the Fifth Division have started investigating. The four of you should also report on the progress of the cleanup work. Kuan Dao, you go first."

Four men stood before her, all of them masters of the Devouring Fiend Realm, secretly controlling four gangs in the old city: the Cleaver Gang, the Axe Gang, the White Wolf Gang, and the Butcher Gang.

These four gangs, entrenched in the old city, are all lackeys cultivated or recruited by Sima Yan in recent years to facilitate his operations. They serve as his "black gloves," bringing extra profits to the Ma family. Although most of the residents in the old city are relatively poor, there is still money to be made from them.

On the other hand, the drug trial could not involve the Ma family, nor could it have any connection with the Ma family's power. So it could only be done by Sima Yan, the top worker. She also gathered the four villains of the old city to do things for her. Afterwards, she silenced these four people, so no one would know of her existence.

"Yes, boss." Cleaver responded with a fist and a fist salute. Cleaver was just his nickname. He didn't care about his real name. He had already fallen so low that he had to make a living in the underworld. His real name was not important at all.

Not to mention Sima Yan, because in Sima Yan's eyes, these people were all dead. Why would he need to remember the names of dead people? He could just call them whatever sounded good.

"Boss, all the pharmacies and clinics that sold experimental drugs have closed down, all past accounts have been burned, and all the people from the pharmacies and clinics have been sent out of the city and killed. I guess the corpses have been eaten by demons and monsters."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yan nodded with a smile: "Well done. Besides you, is there anyone else in the Cleaver Gang who knows about the drug trial?"

The man with the cleaver clasped his hands in response: "I personally took all the people in the gang who knew about this to the wilderness and killed them. Don't worry, boss."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yan turned to look at White Wolf, the leader of the White Wolf Gang: "And you?"

White Wolf clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "It went very smoothly. These black-hearted devils from the Devouring Fiend Realm always try to take advantage of any benefits. I sent them invitations in batches, inviting them to a banquet at the manor outside the city under the guise of rewarding customers."

"Then at the banquet, a bottle of True Immortal Wine, enough to knock out even a cultivator at the Fiend Realm, was provided free of charge. They drank themselves into a stupor and died. Finally, I put old shackles on them all and personally led people to escort them onto the ship, ensuring that no one escaped."

Sima Yan smiled and nodded. These test subjects still had research value. Since it was time to wrap things up, these test subjects had to be packed up and sent to a secret research base overseas.

As for where they were sent, Sima Yan didn't know. The only thing he knew was that these experimental subjects were sent by Ma Dalang's other trusted confidants to a secret research base in a no-man's-land for live dissection and research.

The Axe Gang leader, Axe, clasped his hands and said, "Boss, I have recalled all the people responsible for spreading the drugs in the city to silence them. Although they have all concealed their identities, it is better to eliminate them to be on the safe side."

"Furthermore, the body was subsequently sent to the Butcher Gang for disposal, ensuring that no trace was left behind."

The butcher gang leader grinned: "After processing and selling the bodies, I also did some good deeds and gave their meat away to their children for free, so that their children wouldn't go hungry after they died."

Sima Yan pointed at the butcher and said with a smile, "Their children must be very moved."

The butcher gang leader chuckled, hands on his hips: "Of course. Their children immediately kowtowed to me, shouting that I was a great philanthropist. And I must say, occasionally doing good deeds and showing kindness really does make me feel happy."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yan took out four storage bags and tossed them over: "Each bag contains thirty million coins, enough for you to live a carefree life for a long time. To avoid being investigated by the Fifth Bureau, you should go abroad to lay low for a while."

"Of course, I also need to lay low for a while."

"I'll arrange the waterway. We'll travel together by boat today and come back in three to five years."

The four villains were taken aback upon hearing this. Holding the money, they each had a different expression, and none of them seemed to want to leave.

Because they were thriving in the Sword Tower, with money, power, women, and subordinates, and their careers were booming, no one wanted to abandon their business and run away. Who knew who would be in charge of the gang when they returned in three to five years?

However, it was clear that the boss did not give them any room to refuse; he issued the order directly, rather than allowing them to discuss it.

Sima Yan saw their concerns and said calmly, "If you run away with me, how could I treat you badly?"

"Since I've given you control of the old city, when I return in three to five years, the old city will still be yours."

"Remember, I have connections above me, and you all have connections above me."

Upon hearing this, White Wolf was the first to express his opinion. His eyes were filled with undisguised admiration as he looked at Sima Yan. He clasped his hands and said, "Boss, White Wolf is willing to run away with you. No matter where you go, White Wolf is willing to follow you to the death."

Sima Yan glanced at the white wolf lightly, his expression somewhat strange.

Seeing this, the machete and the axe clasped their hands and said, "Boss, we are willing to follow you to the death."

The butcher's eyes flickered, and as his thoughts raced, he sensed something was amiss, leading to some unpleasant ideas. However, since his boss had said he would run away with him, these ideas seemed rather absurd.

Shaking his head inwardly, the butcher clasped his hands and said, "Boss, everything will be done as you wish."

Sima Yan's lips curled slightly: "Alright, let's set off immediately, or things will change."