"Reporting to Jiaoying Immortal Noble, there is!"
The speaker was Murong Han. Although he was utterly terrified of Liuguang Jiaoying, he wanted to find Gu Qingfeng's whereabouts as soon as possible, tear him to pieces, and avenge his grandson's brutal death. He said, "The criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng not only helped the withered wood of Five-Colored Mountain heal his injuries but also showed special care to the people of Five-Colored Mountain. The people of Five-Colored Mountain, in turn, are extremely grateful to him."
"This noble just said that anyone who knows or is acquainted with the criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng must come forward immediately for interrogation. What is a mere Five-Colored Mountain? How dare they defy this noble's decree? They don't know what's good for them!"
"Reporting to Jiaoying Immortal Noble, it is not Five-Colored Mountain that is involved with the criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng."
"Who else then? Speak!"
"There is also Yaoyue Palace. The current palace master of Yaoyue Palace, Feiyan, is extremely respectful towards the criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng. Moreover, Gu Qingfeng once personally performed a soul-enlightenment ritual for Yaoyue Palace's Supreme Elder Feng Lie. Not only that..." Murong Han took a deep breath and continued, "It is rumored that Yaoyue Palace's successor, Han Dong, and the criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng are cultivation Dao companions."
"Dao companions? Hah! That's even better."
Liuguang Jiaoying waved his hand and shouted sharply, "Men! Immediately go to Five-Colored Mountain and arrest everyone for me. Anyone who dares resist shall be executed without mercy!"
"Wait!"
The shout to stop came from Star-Shining Immortal Official Steward Bai. He said sternly, "Jiaoying Immortal Noble, although you are a noble scion of the Immortal Dynasty, you cannot arrest and kill people so arbitrarily! This neither conforms to the Immortal Dynasty's laws nor its regulations, and it damages the dignity and prestige of our Immortal Dynasty!"
"Laws? Regulations? Dignity and prestige? Hahahaha..." Liuguang Jiaoying laughed arrogantly and unrestrainedly, pointing at Steward Bai and shouting, "Let me tell you, today in the Northwest Immortal Estate, I, Liuguang Jiaoying, am the law! I am the regulation! I also represent the dignity and prestige of the Immortal Dynasty! My words are the decree of the Immortal Dynasty!"
"Liuguang Jiaoying! You... you... how can you utter such treasonous words!"
Steward Bai knew that Liuguang Jiaoying was arrogant and that he had always been lawless. But today, he realized he had still underestimated the extent of this Young Master Liuguang's arrogance and his lawlessness. He never expected that after leaving the Divine Land, Liuguang Jiaoying would dare to say such treasonous words about representing the Immortal Dynasty's dignity and prestige, and its decrees.
The other Immortal Nobles, though not as arrogant as Liuguang Jiaoying, also retorted, "Steward Bai, have you grown senile? That criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng openly murdered an official of our Immortal Dynasty. We are precisely upholding the dignity and prestige of the Immortal Dynasty by apprehending him. How does this not conform to the laws? How does it not conform to the regulations?"
Steward Bai said angrily, "Even if we must apprehend Gu Qingfeng, there is no need for such a massive mobilization that exhausts the people and resources and harms the innocent!"
"If we don't mobilize on a large scale, how can we apprehend the criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng?"
"Hmph! Today, we must apprehend the criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng at all costs."
"Steward Bai, by hindering us like this from apprehending the criminal disciple Gu Qingfeng, could it be that you also wish to shield him?"
With such a heavy accusation thrown at him, how could Steward Bai bear it? He cupped his hands and said, "Esteemed Immortal Nobles, this old man has never met that Gu Qingfeng. How could I shield him? It's just... this Northwest region has over eighty branch offices of the Crimson-Letter Sect guarding it. If we act so recklessly and tyrannically in the Northwest, once a conflict with the Crimson-Letter Sect erupts..." The reason Steward Bai had been trying to persuade and stop them was indeed partly because Fairy Su Hua had previously instructed them not to provoke Gu Qingfeng. But that wasn't the whole story. What truly worried him was that Liuguang Jiaoying's order for all sects and clans in the Great Northwest to mobilize to apprehend Gu Qingfeng, exhausting people and resources and acting so tyrannically, had already thrown the Great Northwest into chaos. If they started arresting and killing people arbitrarily, harming the innocent, then how would they be any different from the Immortal Dynasty of the Ancient Era?
Why was the Immortal Dynasty of the Ancient Era overthrown? Precisely because of the Immortal Dynasty's hegemonic rule, which provoked the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, plunging them into misery. That's why, back then, the major sects of this world knelt at the foot of Chixiao Sect's mountain, begging Lord Chixiao to take action and overthrow the Immortal Dynasty.
Since the dawn of the Present-Ancient Era, the Immortal Dynasty has returned to this world, no longer monopolizing, no longer acting tyrannically or hegemonically. Not only that, but it has also established Immortal Estates and built Immortal Domains everywhere, providing radiant spiritual energy for geniuses to enjoy.
For what purpose? To appease the hearts of the people. Its intention is also to tell the world that the Immortal Dynasty is no longer the hegemonic Immortal Dynasty of the Ancient Era, but a radiant Immortal Dynasty that wholeheartedly considers everyone's well-being. The sacred radiance will envelop every corner of this world like the Great Sun, allowing every cultivator to attain the Dao and become an Immortal.
The Great Northwest was originally a place where dragons and snakes intermingled, with all sorts of sects and schools present. Most importantly, many sects had always been resistant to the Immortal Dynasty. Over the past century of the Present-Ancient Era, through the efforts of the Northwest Immortal Estate, the situation had gradually improved. Many sects, though not submitting to the Immortal Dynasty, at least no longer resisted it.
But now, look what happened. With Liuguang Jiaoying stirring up trouble like this, I'm afraid the Northwest Immortal Estate's hard work over the past century is about to be destroyed in an instant.
However, Steward Bai did not explicitly say these things. He only mentioned that the Northwest region was guarded by the Crimson-Letter Sect thereafter. He hoped to use this matter to remind these ignorant Immortal Dynasty noble scions, to make them understand that in the Ancient Era, the Immortal Dynasty was overthrown precisely because of its hegemony. He hoped they would take this as a warning and not act recklessly, inviting great disaster.
He thought these Immortal Dynasty noble scions would understand his warning.
He also thought that even if these Immortal Dynasty noble scions were arrogant and conceited, they should still know right from wrong and have basic principles and bottom lines.
But.
All of this was merely what he thought.
When he mentioned that the Northwest region was guarded by over eighty branch offices of the Crimson-Letter Sect, these Immortal Dynasty noble scions showed not the slightest fear, nor even a hint of concern. Not only that, but they became even more arrogant, domineering, and lawless.
"So what if it's the Crimson-Letter Sect? What about over eighty branch offices? Would their Crimson-Letter Sect dare to challenge our Immortal Dynasty?"
"That's right, what is there to fear from a mere Crimson-Letter Sect? Even the Crimson-Letter Sect in the Divine Land, under the radiant light of our Immortal Dynasty, only dares to hide in the shadows and engage in sneaky, underhanded activities, glorifying it as 'maintaining the underground order.' It's truly laughable. If not for the magnanimity of the current Immortal Dynasty's Holy Master, we would have long since wiped the Crimson-Letter Sect clean from this world."
"If even the Crimson-Letter Sect in the Divine Land is a bunch of petty villains, let alone in this Northwest Border Wasteland. They're probably just a bunch of flashy but useless things."
Hearing the Immortal Dynasty noble scions look down upon and despise the Crimson-Letter Sect like this, Steward Bai felt both pitiful and laughable. As a relatively senior Star-Shining Immortal Official, although his status and position weren't high, he still had some understanding of the situation in this world.
He clearly knew that the reason the Immortal Dynasty hadn't taken action against the Crimson-Letter Sect was absolutely not due to magnanimity. It was because the Crimson-Letter Sect had developed to this point, with branch offices spread all over the world, everywhere, forming a complex and deeply rooted network. Moreover, the old Chixiao members from the original Chixiao Sect were either awe-inspiring Immortals and Demons, overlords who dominated regions, or emperors who ruled territories. If the Immortal Dynasty wanted to eradicate the Crimson-Letter Sect, it had to weigh the terrifying consequences that would ensue.
And there was one most important reason: the fate of Lord Chixiao was unknown.
No one dared to be certain that Lord Chixiao had truly been reduced to ashes back then.
No one dared to guarantee that Lord Chixiao wouldn't reincarnate or make a comeback.
Just as Steward Bai was lamenting the ignorance of these Immortal Dynasty noble scions, a sentence from Liuguang Jiaoying suddenly made him feel the world spinning. It frightened him so much he nearly fell from mid-air.