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

The Censorate is located in the north of Sword Tower City, and the Privy Council is located in the south of Sword Tower City. Both are located near the City Lord's Mansion.

The Censorate and the Privy Council, one civil and one military, are collectively known as the Northern and Southern Academies, and are the highest-level power institutions in Jianta.

The Mingjian Hall is located in the heart of the Censorate and is also the office of Qiu Chengde, the chief commander of the Censorate. However, since Qiu Chengde devotes most of his energy and time to the city lord's mansion, all the affairs of the Censorate are handled by the two deputy commanders, Mao Jiang and Mao Chengde.

Zhou Qingfeng, Mao Anshi, and Jiang Xuanling actually knew each other in private.

Back then, in the case of Zhai Xingyuan, it seemed like the case was about to be resolved and the game won.

Zhai Xingyuan, relying on a list of profit-sharing accounts from private liquor sales, staged a desperate comeback and almost brought Zhou Qingfeng down. It was the most dangerous dead end Zhou Qingfeng had ever faced, unable to advance or retreat, stuck in a rut.

One wrong step, and you're dead without a burial place.

Because of the profit-sharing list and accounts of the private liquor, Zhou Qingfeng, Mao Anshi, and Jiang Xuanling met privately and made a secret deal. So, although the three had never crossed paths on the surface, they had actually met once in secret.

The three men, each in charge of a different department, were all powerful figures with extensive influence. Most official matters were handled through negotiations by their subordinates. There had never been any earth-shattering event that could alarm the three heads of the Censorate to gather together. If Qiu Chengde had not summoned them today, the three heads would not have been sitting in the side hall of the Mingjian Hall.

In terms of seniority and merit, even if Zhou Qingfeng worked hard for hundreds of years, he might not be qualified to sit with Mao Jiang. However, due to his deep background, strong backing, extensive connections, high status, and many other factors, he was able to avoid the long march that would have taken hundreds of years.

But when it comes to true background and power, Zhou Qingfeng is undoubtedly the weakest of the three giants.

Mao Anshi and Jiang Xuanling exchanged a glance, each revealing a subtle smile. They knew that Zhou Qingfeng had a powerful background and, although he was still relatively inexperienced, his future was limitless. So, the two of them stood up at the same time and nodded slightly to Zhou Qingfeng.

Mao Anshi, mature and prudent, said: "Lord Zhou is young and promising, with a bright future. It is our honor to work with you."

Jiang Xuanling said with a hint of sarcasm, "It's time for us old folks to step down and let the younger generation take on more responsibility."

Zhou Qingfeng responded humbly: "I am aware of my lack of experience, and I hope that you two seniors will give me more guidance so that we can work together to serve the Censorate."

Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Qiu Chengde nodded in satisfaction: "The reason I summoned the three of you here today is to discuss important matters."

Zhou Qingfeng, Mao Anshi, and Jiang Xuanling all tensed up and listened quietly. They all knew that they were about to discuss serious matters, and that these matters were definitely not trivial. Otherwise, everyone would be too busy to have gathered the three deputy commanders together for a small meeting.

Qiu Chengde said, "Since the appearance of the Dragon Bone Scripture, the Sword Tower has become the focus of the whole world."

"People from all over the world are coming to Jianta, especially in the last six months, the number of people from other places is increasing day by day."

"You all know why these people have come, so I won't go into details."

"The struggle for the Dragon Bone Manual has led to a series of murders and heinous crimes, affecting many nobles and common people. If this continues, people will be filled with fear and panic, and sooner or later a major incident will occur. Our Procuratorate must take measures to control the situation."

"Furthermore, Plum Blossom spies have sent intelligence that some villains from abroad also want to take advantage of the situation and overthrow the peace and prosperity of our Sword Tower."

"The city lord was deeply worried about this and entrusted the matter to the Censorate for handling."

“The three of you are the pillars of our Censorate. In your opinion, how should this be resolved?”

Zhou Qingfeng, Mao Anshi, and Jiang Xuanling remained silent, slowly sipping their tea as if deep in thought. The two seasoned old foxes and the cunning young fox knew that some things were better left unsaid, and even if they had to be said, they had to be extremely careful.

The current situation in Sword Tower is like a powder keg that's slowly expanding.

Heroes from all over the world gathered here, and as more and more outsiders arrived, chaos began to ensue.

Various heinous crimes are occurring frequently and emerging one after another. If this trend continues, it will surely become a major problem.

Firstly, in order to seize the Dragon Bone Scripture, embarking on the Ancient Path of Conferred Gods, it is not impossible to secretly kill and plunder treasures.

Because the potential gains far outweigh the risks, too many people are willing to take the plunge.

In addition, since they are not from Sword Tower, they do not need to make a living in Sword Tower, so they have very few concerns.

In other words, the Sword Tower still holds considerable power and can serve as a strong deterrent, so no one dares to openly cause trouble.

Otherwise, if someone covered their face, a street fight over treasure would have already happened.

Secondly, as soon as chaos begins and the government is unable to quickly suppress it and restore order, some people will think that the government is a bunch of incompetent good-for-nothings who can get away with crimes. As a result, they will become bolder and lose control of themselves. Rape, theft, revenge killings, robbery and other such heinous crimes will occur in large numbers and increase day by day, fueling the flames of chaos and spreading throughout the city.

Thirdly, some unscrupulous individuals from abroad may also want to take advantage of the situation and cause trouble. Who knows what kind of earth-shattering conspiracy these people are plotting?

This is a huge problem, and solving it is easier said than done.

Seeing that the three remained silent, Qiu Chengde waited a moment before asking them by name, "Lord Mao, do you have any insightful opinions?"

Upon hearing this, Mao Anshi slowly put down his teacup and said calmly, "This humble official is dull-witted and cannot come up with a perfect solution in a short time."

"Besides, I don't have a thorough understanding of the current situation, and I have no right to speak without a thorough understanding."

"If I were to speak rashly at this moment, causing the superiors to make a mistake and the situation to deteriorate and get out of control, I would be fine with being punished. But if it were to implicate the superiors and all my colleagues in the Censorate, I would never dare to do so."

"Please allow me some time to carefully consider and plan, and then I will report back on a reliable and feasible solution."

Qiu Chengde narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, "Lord Mao is indeed mature, prudent, and far-sighted. He is worthy of being the pillar of our Censorate. It is my blessing to have you here to assist in the management of the Censorate."

Mao Anshi stood up, bowed, and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Excellency is too kind. This is merely my duty."

Qiu Chengde smiled and gestured for him to sit back down.

Upon seeing this, Mao Anshi adjusted his robe and sat down, remaining calm and composed, clearly handling such matters with ease.

Zhou Qingfeng silently observed Mao Anshi without uttering a word. Most people wouldn't be able to tell that his master and Mao Anshi had already exchanged blows, but he could see it. He felt from Mao Anshi what the art of language was.

This person is definitely not a good-for-nothing. Those few simple words he just uttered were anything but simple; most people couldn't say such things.

Every sentence seems like nonsense, but it is not nonsense at all. It is watertight and impeccable.

You can tell from his words and actions that he's quite capable.