Chapter 131: Taiyi Slays the Emperor-The Exorcist of the Great Yuan Dynasty(Number Seven Dagger)

"Have I been away for five months?"

Upon waking, Baili Feihong’s first priority was to determine how long he had been in the Devil’s Sea. He knew nothing of what had transpired on Feiyuan Island, having chosen not to use his divine sense to acquire such information.

The sun was rising in the east. With a flick of his will, he employed the Earth-Shattering Divine Earth-Walking Technique, instantly crossing the North Island and appearing before the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The Demon Suppression Bureau was no longer the idle place it had once been. Demon Suppression Envoys moved in and out, and upon spotting their Commander, Baili Feihong, they immediately bowed in respect.

"Lord Baili."

These were familiar faces—men he had recruited himself, and they had all made remarkable progress.

"It seems the Feiyuan Demon Suppression Bureau has successfully established a supply route with the General Headquarters." Only in this way could the merit-based system of the Bureau be fully implemented. The Demon Suppression Bureau controlled vast quantities of medicinal pills. For a state-level bureau, these supplies were typically distributed by the provincial headquarters, which in turn verified the reports submitted by subordinate branches before requesting allocations from the General Headquarters. Feiyuan was a state-level institution, yet its direct superior was the General Headquarters itself.

Stepping into the familiar halls felt as though he had only left yesterday. Seeing the bustling activity, Baili Feihong felt a sense of satisfaction. Qin Tiesheng had managed the Bureau well in his absence, restoring its structure and order. Five months was enough time to accomplish a great deal. He had chosen Qin Tiesheng over Hu Zuowei precisely because of their temperaments; Hu Zuowei lacked the spine for such a position and would have only ruined himself. The Feiyuan Bureau was, for all intents and purposes, a new foundation that required a leader with the audacity to fight for resources and the ability to project strength to withstand the pressure from various factions.

News of Baili Feihong’s return spread quickly across Feiyuan Island, even faster than it did within the Bureau itself, as the intelligence networks of other factions were far superior to those of the Demon Suppression Bureau. At a time when Feiyuan Island was teetering in the wind, his reappearance served as a shot of adrenaline for the island.

"My Lord, here is your official seal." Qin Tiesheng immediately returned the Feiyuan Island Demon Suppression Bureau’s seal to him. Baili Feihong took it and tossed it casually into a drawer.

"Old Qin, you’ve managed the Bureau excellently. As it happens, I am in need of an assistant. I will be relying on you for the Bureau’s affairs moving forward."

Baili Feihong’s affirmation brought a smile to Qin Tiesheng’s face, though he soon recalled the two Envoys of Protection sent by the General Headquarters months ago.

"My Lord, shortly after you left, the General Headquarters sent three Envoys of Protection. They were arranged by Commander Gong Yu of the East Province Demon Suppression Bureau."

"That man’s reach is too long. Does he truly think he can do as he pleases just by leaning on the Gongyang family? Interfering in the affairs of my Bureau so casually?" Baili Feihong sneered upon hearing of Gong Yu’s meddling. "How did you handle it?"

Baili Feihong’s mind was sharp. During his seclusion in the Devil’s Sea, these three Envoys would have held the highest authority, inevitably leading to a power struggle. The fact that Qin Tiesheng still held the seal and was speaking to him now meant that Qin had emerged victorious.

"The Left Envoy of Protection, Ouyang Jian, and the Envoy of Protection, Nan Feng, attempted to seize power over the Bureau and were killed by Chen Xingyan. The report was written and submitted to the General Headquarters by Feng Yushi, the Envoy of Protection for Baili City," Qin Tiesheng said, lowering his head and concealing none of the facts.

"If they were killed, then so be it. If Commander Gong Yu complains, I shall take full responsibility," Baili Feihong said dismissively. "As for Feng Yushi, I have met him. He appears to be one of Gong Yu’s men, but he hides his true identity. Let him remain as the Envoy of Protection for Baili City for now. Once one of you reaches the Spirit Refining level, I will make arrangements to move him out."

Baili Feihong’s thoughts stirred, and he activated his Heavenly Gang supernatural power, 'Foreseeing the Future.' With his abilities, peering into the man's past and future was effortless. *A member of the Underworld?* It might be worth keeping him around. Perhaps through him, he could locate the East Marquis of the Underworld—the man who had nearly killed him. Furthermore, Baili Feihong was deeply interested in the "Yellow Springs Path." He wondered if it had any connection to the Gate of the Yellow Springs. The Underworld had been searching for that gate for so long that they surely understood the secrets of the path. If he could learn more through them, he could prepare for the dangers that even the Demon Gods feared.

"My Lord, he has integrated well into Baili City and has already begun to take control of many of its factions," Qin Tiesheng added respectfully.

"The more influence he gains in Baili City, the better the Bureau’s development will be, which will benefit our future operations in Feiyuan."

"That is what I thought as well, so I sent many of our Envoys, particularly those from the Feiyuan Academy, to assist him." The scholars were not easily swayed and possessed strong principles.

"Tell me what has happened on Feiyuan Island over these five months. As long as the Bureau is in order, that is fine. Especially the Southern Suppressing Navy."

"My Lord, after the great victory of the Southern Suppressing Navy, Governor Yan Fei led the main force to reinforce them, quickly securing the territories along the Devil’s Strait. Three months later, the Fara Empire led a coalition of overseas nations to launch a counterattack. The Southern Suppressing Navy managed to hold them off by leveraging the coastal territories and their logistical advantages."

"But it was not the attack of the overseas navy that forced the Southern Suppressing Navy to retreat." Qin Tiesheng paused.

"Did the Military Department not send strong cultivators to support them?"

"My Lord, the Emperor has passed away," Qin Tiesheng said heavily. "It happened last month."

The residents of Feiyuan Island were now considered overseas dwellers, and they felt little grief over the Emperor’s death. Whoever sat upon the Guliang throne made little difference to them.

"The Emperor is dead?! Impossible!" Baili Feihong’s first reaction was disbelief. The Emperor was only ninety-two years old—hardly the end of a lifespan for one of the most powerful Saints in the world. With the protection of the nation’s destiny and countless experts guarding him, it would be impossible for anyone to take his life unless his fated time had truly come.

"It was the Daoist Master of the Taiyi Sect who struck," Qin Tiesheng whispered.

The Daoist Master of the Taiyi Sect? To this day, the identity of that figure remained a mystery. The world did not even know if the original Master had departed with the other Human Immortals or if a disciple had inherited the title. If it were the same Master from eight hundred years ago, he would already have been a Human Immortal even then. If the Emperor had been caught unprepared, he would undoubtedly have perished.

"Troubled times are ahead. Such a favorable situation has been overturned by the Taiyi Sect." If the Southern Suppressing Navy had held their ground and the military experts had been able to deal with the Black Heaven Sect, they could have fully controlled the Devil’s Strait within a few years. The Great Yuan Empire, dominating the seas, would have seen its national destiny flourish, resolving many internal conflicts at once.

"The Emperor died suddenly, leaving behind so many princes and princesses. The Crown Prince should naturally succeed, but the other princes will not stand idly by. There will be a struggle."

"Who will emerge victorious is unknown."

"Feiyuan Island will not be spared, and the Black Heaven Sect will not let us go."