The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

"I understand."

Zheng Yunzhao nodded slightly and said thoughtfully.

He naturally saw these things as well.

However, what concerned him more was that the Yang family of Hongnong had actually extended their reach into their Yizhou territory and into the Yizhou army, even bribing Qi Yan, a general of the Yizhou army.

"Have the assassins been eliminated?"

Zheng Min said calmly.

"Father, the Grand Elder personally took action, and the assassin was killed by the Grand Elder on the spot. No one will know that the assassin was not from the Hongnong Yang Clan, but one of ours."

Zheng Yunzhao said respectfully.

“I eliminated the assassin for my father not to frame the Yang family of Hongnong.”

"I just wanted Qi Yan to speak, to speak in front of everyone."

"The Yang family of Hongnong no longer needs to frame anyone."

"Whether he is one of us or one of the Yang family of Hongnong, no one will care."

"The reason for eliminating him was simply because he was involved in this matter."

Zheng Min said meaningfully.

Zheng Yunzhao was taken aback. He thought that eliminating the assassin was just to cover up the fact that the assassin was actually someone they had arranged.

Little did they know that it was simply because the assassin was involved in this matter.

He thought about it carefully and realized that no one would care who arranged the assassin or whose people he was.

"Yun Zhao, send someone to deliver this memorial to the capital as quickly as possible and present it to His Majesty's desk."

Zheng Min picked up the memorial, the ink of which had dried, and handed it to Zheng Yunzhao, saying...

Although Zheng Yunzhao had publicly interrogated and found that the person who bribed Qi Yan was Yang Tao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the Shadow Guard must have already received the news and was very likely on his way to the capital. However, as the Governor of Yizhou and the Chief Administrator of Yizhou, he still had to report this news to the higher authorities.

If you are even slightly slow, you might be impeached in court by the censors who are like mad dogs.

"Yes."

Zheng Yunzhao snapped out of his daze and said respectfully.

An hour later.

The headquarters of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the study of the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander.

"Congratulations, host, for eliminating the hidden agents of Wanfo Temple in Daxiangguo Temple and for your persistent efforts in doing positive things. You have been rewarded with seventy years of human immortal power and the fifth strike of the Qiankun Zhentian Blade."

"Do you want to receive the reward?"

The mechanical voice of the positive energy system rang in Chu Xiu's mind.

"You can get a reward for this?"

Chu Xiu paused for a moment, then said with a strange expression.

He truly hadn't expected that eliminating the spies hidden by Wanfo Temple in Daxiangguo Temple would bring him a reward.

But then I thought about it again. Daxiangguo Temple was the national temple of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and it was a sword in the hands of Empress Murong Si, a sword that was not easily drawn.

Eliminating the hidden mole of Wanfo Temple within Daxiangguo Temple is certainly a positive act.

"Receive your reward."

After a pause, Chu Xiu said in his mind.

The voice just fell.

An immense power of immortal energy appeared in Chu Xiu's dantian.

The Shangqing Divine Art automatically activated, transforming seventy years of human immortal power into Chu Xiu's cultivation level, allowing his cultivation realm to naturally break through from the peak of the sixth level of the human immortal realm to the peak of the seventh level.

"Finally, I've reached the late stage of the Human Immortal Realm."

"As the most supreme martial art, although my current cultivation level is only at the peak of the seventh level of the Human Immortal Realm, my Human Immortal power should not be weaker than that of an Earth Immortal at the peak of the seventh level of the Earth Immortal Realm, right?"

"Even though the power of a human immortal is not as good as the power of an earth immortal in terms of quality."

"But in terms of quantity, it is already comparable."

"In fact, my power as a human immortal is extremely pure, it is the power of the Shangqing Immortal cultivated from the Shangqing Divine Art, and in terms of quality, it may not be inferior to the power of an Earth Immortal!"

Chu Xiu slowly opened his eyes, feeling the vast and boundless power of the immortal, and said with an arrogant expression.

at this time!

Boom!

Countless details about the fifth strike of the Qiankun Zhentian Blade appeared in Chu Xiu's mind.

A figure stood high in the sky with his hands behind his back, looking down at the entire world. He clenched his right hand, and a knife appeared in his palm. He slashed out with the knife.

This slash contained both black and white energies, like the reversal of Tai Chi, the inversion of heaven and earth, and the reversal of the five elements. Wherever the blade passed, plants and trees turned to stone, and metals and stones turned to ash.

"The fifth strike of the Heaven-Suppressing Blade of Heaven and Earth: Reversing Yin and Yang!"

"If the Qiankun Zhentian Blade is already this powerful after only its fifth strike, then what terrifying level will the sixth, seventh, and even the strongest ninth strike reach?"

"Even with my current strength, even if I had reached the peak of the seventh level of the Human Immortal Realm and cultivated the Shangqing Divine Art, I would still not be able to unleash the fifth strike of the Qiankun Zhentian Blade. I can only unleash the fourth strike of the Qiankun Zhentian Blade, the Moment of Eternity."

Chu Xiu's face showed shock, and he exclaimed in amazement, "But once I step into the Earth Immortal Realm, this strike will become my most powerful trump card, without exception!"

Not bad.

The fourth strike of the Qiankun Zhentian Blade is "Eternal Moment".

With a single slash, the world seemed to freeze.

Each strike of the Qiankun Zhentian Blade has an incomparably domineering name.

The first strike of the Qiankun Zhentian Blade is to shatter the sun and open the heavens!

The second strike is to cleave mountains and split seas!

The third strike is called "Returning to One After All," also known as "Thousands of Thousands of Strikes."

This strike is a condensation of thousands of sword energies, forming a single strike that suppresses heaven and earth!

Suddenly!

Lin Huaiyu appeared outside the study of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, bowed respectfully, and said, "Reporting to the Marquis, His Majesty has sent word that you should enter the palace to meet the Emperor as soon as possible!"

As the person in charge of intelligence for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lin Huaiyu returned with Chu Xiu when Chu Xiu returned to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters.

Only Fang Heng and his group have not yet returned to the capital with more than 9,000 elite Imperial Guards.

Click!

The door opened in response.

"His Majesty has summoned me to the palace for an audience?"

A strange light flashed in Chu Xiu's eyes as he walked out of the study, his brows furrowed. He looked at Lin Huaiyu and said, "Did His Majesty say what it is?"

After all, he hadn't been away from the palace for long when Murong Si summoned him to the palace for an audience with the emperor.

This shows what?

This indicates that something earth-shattering must have happened in the Great Zhou Dynasty!

Otherwise, Murong Si would never have been in such a hurry to summon him.

"Reporting to the Marquis, the Imperial Guard captain who came to deliver the message did not say what it was about, but he said that in addition to the Marquis, His Majesty also summoned the Imperial Preceptor."

Lin Huaiyu considered it for a moment and then spoke to Chu Xiu.

"His Majesty also summoned the Imperial Advisor?"

"Very well, I understand. You may leave now."

Chu Xiu's eyes narrowed, and his expression turned serious. He waved to Lin Huaiyu and said in a deep voice.

"Yes, I am resigning."

Lin Huaiyu bowed and turned to leave.

"Could it be that the collusion with the barbarians has already been uncovered?"

Chu Xiu pondered for a moment, then his heart stirred, and he said thoughtfully.

After all, Xiao Yu, the head of the Xiao family in Yangzhou, had just rebelled in Yangzhou when the barbarians began raiding the border.

It's impossible for barbarian raiders to lead hundreds of thousands of troops to threaten Yizhou all at once.

You should at least have one or two days to prepare, right?

It wasn't just a day or two.

This means that the barbarians had received the news long ago and made all the necessary preparations in advance, which is why they were able to threaten Yizhou so quickly.

Although Xiao Yu was a member of the former imperial family, he was also the leader of the Maitreya Sect.

However, neither of these identities would allow him to have a high enough position as a spy in the Yizhou army, nor would it give him the ability to contact the barbarians to send troops.

Only the five surnames and seven noble families are capable of doing this!

Among the five surnames and seven prominent families, the Wang family of Danyang can be ruled out first, followed by the Zheng family of Hanzhong, who control the entire Yizhou.

After all, Yizhou is now under the control of Zheng Min, the head of the Zheng family in Hanzhong and the governor of Yizhou.

Even if it were for his own benefit, Zheng Min would never collude with the barbarians. Once the barbarians invaded Yizhou, all the hard work that the Zheng family of Hanzhong had put into Yizhou over the years would be completely wasted.

The people of Yizhou will no longer feel any sense of belonging to the Zheng family of Hanzhong, and will completely lose the support of the people of Yizhou.

That leaves only the other five families among the five surnames and seven prominent clans.

So when it took several days without any progress, Chu Xiu wasn't surprised at all.

If it were the other five of the five surnames and seven clans that were involved, it would be strange if it were really that easy to find out.