“Brother, this…”
Seeing Lord Money God’s resolute attitude, Lu Chen was momentarily stunned.
He couldn’t help but ask the question burning in his mind: “Is this Heavenly Murderous Intent really that formidable? Is there truly no room for compromise?”
Lord Money God spoke in a grave tone: “This matter is nothing like the rain-prayer in Longhu County. That was merely a case of suppressing the Four Dragon Kings of the seas. But this—this is Heaven’s will. Although it only involves one person, it carries immense karmic consequences. One wrong move, and you’ll plunge straight into the abyss.
“You’re currently riding a wave of good fortune, my dear brother. Why would you want to tangle yourself in such karma?
“It’s better to withdraw in time. Even if you suffer some losses, it’s still far better than contending with Heaven itself.”
Seeing his elder brother put it so plainly, Lu Chen pondered for a moment before finally nodding: “Alright, I understand, brother.”
Lord Money God let out a soft sigh: “But you still want to give it a try, don’t you, brother?”
Lu Chen didn’t bother hiding it and nodded solemnly: “Yes! Since I’ve taken on this task, I have to at least try!
“You might think I’m being reckless, brother, but wasn’t I like that every single time before?
“Whether it was facing you, Brother, or facing King Yan, or facing the Dragon King of the Well—every time, you could call it a reckless move.
“But precisely because of that, I’ve nurtured a sharp edge in my heart.
“If I were to back down now and play the deserter, I’m afraid that sharp edge would be dulled by more than half.
“Then, even if I didn’t want to get entangled in that karma, I’d have no choice but to bear it.”
Since that was the case, he might as well go all in.
Screw it—let’s do this!
Both Heaven and Earth have their fixed rules, and within every calamity, there are also variables.
If you don’t act, you’ll have absolutely no chance.
If you do act, at least there’s a glimmer of hope.
Don’t you agree, brother?”
Lord Money God fell silent once more. After a long while, he let out a wry laugh filled with emotion: “You little rascal… you’ve left me speechless.
“Very well… go and take a look first. Find out exactly what’s going on with that Madam Zheng, and then you can prescribe the right remedy.
“But I must warn you, this matter most likely involves two of my Heavenly Court’s… less likable departments.
“As for those two departments, I don’t have a single contact in either of them, I’m afraid there’s very little I can do to help you.”
“Two less likable departments? Could it be…”
Lu Chen’s thoughts raced.
He knew that the Heavenly Court’s Eight Departments were: [Thunder Department], [Combat Department], [Water Department], [Fire Department], [Wealth Department], [Tai Sui Department], [Pestilence Department], and [Smallpox Department].
The first six were well-known and prestigious, but the last two—just by their names alone, you could tell what kind of business they were in.
One was in charge of controlling plagues, pestilence, and all epidemic diseases across the world.
The other was responsible for all human illnesses.
There was a lot of overlap between the two departments, to be honest.
But since the Heavenly Court had set things up that way, who were mere mortals to question it?
Still, one thing was the same: both departments were deeply avoided by the common people—even more feared than the Underworld, if you asked around.
After all, who would want to have anything to do with the Gods of Plague?
“Is it the Pestilence Department and the Smallpox Department?” Lu Chen asked tentatively.
“Correct.” Lord Money God confirmed. “There are only three departments that can carry out this Heavenly Murderous Intent: the Tai Sui Department, the Pestilence Department, and the Smallpox Department.
“But based on your description, it’s most likely the latter two.
“So, go and investigate the situation first.
“Once you’ve determined which department is responsible, you can then think about whether you can find a way to break through.
“However, I must tell you this: even if you do find them, convincing them to lift this Heavenly Murderous Intent will be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
“As for the intricacies involved—if you have the opportunity in the future, you’ll come to understand them on your own.
“Oh, and one more thing. If it really is those two departments, you could try seeking out King Yan of the Underworld.
“When it comes to connections with those two departments, he’s far better connected than I am!”
King Yan?
Lu Chen’s heart stirred.
That’s right—those two departments govern plagues, disasters, and death, which naturally ties them closely to the Underworld’s functions.
Lu Chen nodded firmly, clasped his fists, and said, “Thank you for the guidance, brother. I understand now!”
After ending his conversation with Lord Money God, Lu Chen initially thought about contacting King Yan to discuss the matter further. But on second thought, he decided to wait until he reached Qianjiang City and had a clearer picture of the situation.
With things still unclear, asking too many questions would just be a waste of effort.
So, without further delay, he began packing his things.
After that, he crammed a bit, practicing the “Image-Making to Connect with the Divine” technique recorded in the Tong Shen Xuan Ben.
After all, he couldn’t keep moving those two divine altars around everywhere he went.
Fortunately, the Tong Shen Xuan Ben contained a simplified version of the image-making and divine-connecting method.
All he had to do was paint divine images on pieces of Tengyun wood, then apply the secret art to establish a connection.
This method was quick and effective, with only one drawback: each wooden image could only be used to connect with the divine three times.
After three uses, the wood would lose all its spiritual essence, and unlike regular divine statues, these couldn’t receive blessings.
They were purely emergency “chat tools.”
But for Lu Chen, they were absolutely perfect.
So he immediately got to work, practicing tirelessly.
As for the Tengyun wood—Chen Tiansheng had previously given him an entire crate of top-quality material, so he definitely wouldn’t be running out anytime soon.
With the buff from the [Ji Shui Dragon King]’s marrow-cleansing and enlightenment-boosting effects,
in just half a day, Lu Chen had already mastered about seventy to eighty percent of this simplified image-making and divine-connecting technique.
At this point, he was fully prepared for his trip to Qianjiang City!
——-
The next day, eight in the morning.
Lu Chen was waiting early at the City Lord’s mansion.
When Yu Feng saw him, he didn’t say much and simply gestured for him to get in the car.
The group then sped off toward Qianjiang City.
Although they belonged to two different cities, Qianjiang and Jiangdu weren’t far apart—about two hundred kilometers, roughly a three-hour drive.
Around noon, the vehicle crossed into Qianjiang’s city limits.
Gazing at the towering skyscrapers lining both sides of the road,
Yu Feng suddenly asked, “So, what do you think of Qianjiang City compared to our Jiangdu?”
Lu Chen glanced at those skyscrapers, feeling not much novelty: “Pretty similar, I guess. Nothing particularly special.”
Yu Feng, however, sighed: “No, there’s still a huge gap.”
He rolled down the window and took a deep breath, “Smell that—the urban vibe of Qianjiang is completely different from Jiangdu’s.”
Lu Chen: “…”
He really couldn’t keep up with this “grass-is-greener” City Lord.
“Sir, you don’t need to sell yourself short. If I remember correctly, the GDP gap between our two cities last year wasn’t that big, was it?”
“A gap of three hundred billion is still pretty significant. But then again, they are the provincial capital, so it’s only natural to have some difference.”
Yu Feng shook his head.
“Honestly, those kinds of figures matter to you officials, but for ordinary folks like me, they don’t really mean much.”
Lu Chen spoke plainly.
Yu Feng burst out laughing: “Haha! That’s a bit crude, but it’s the truth. Still, we have to acknowledge the objective gap. For one thing, the mere fact that Qianjiang has a [Noble House] is something we can only dream of.
“As for our Jiangdu’s Four Great Families—and don’t take this the wrong way—which one of them has the capital or the qualifications to even think about challenging for [Noble House] status?
“Not a single one!
“‘Great Clan’ is already their ceiling.
“The day Jiangdu can produce a [Noble House] of its own, then we might just be able to go toe-to-toe with Qianjiang.”
Lu Chen wasn’t particularly interested in such lofty topics.
He hadn’t even touched the threshold of [New Money] yet—discussing [Noble Houses] at this point would be getting ahead of himself and frankly, a bit pretentious.
Half an hour later, the vehicle pulled into Qianjiang’s Number One Courtyard.
The surrounding environment seemed to shift instantly, becoming solemn and imposing.
Armed guards were posted everywhere on both sides.
Every checkpoint was heavily fortified.
At least a dozen of them.
If it weren’t for Yu Feng’s presence, Lu Chen doubted he’d even be able to set foot inside Number One Courtyard—mission documents or not.
Finally, the car came to a smooth stop in front of a quaint, antique-style villa deep within the compound.
As soon as Yu Feng stepped out, a middle-aged man wearing an administrative jacket and exuding a composed, refined air walked up with a smile.
“City Lord Yu, what an honor. Forgive me for not receiving you at the gate.”
“Secretary Fan, it’s been a while.”
The two seemed to know each other, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries,
Yu Feng pointed at Lu Chen and introduced him: “This is the young man I mentioned on the phone yesterday. Surname Lu. Lu Chen—this is Secretary Fan.”
Lu Chen nodded in greeting: “Hello, Secretary Fan.”
Secretary Fan looked Lu Chen up and down, his eyes carrying a hint of approval: “Young Friend Lu certainly has the look of a promising talent. I heard from City Lord Yu that your attunement with Lord Money God’s spirit servant is as high as fifty percent, and that you’re also an enshriner of the Underworld’s King Yan. Not to mention, you resolved the rain-prayer crisis in Longhu County just a few days ago. Truly, the younger generation is formidable!”
Lu Chen waved his hand modestly: “You flatter me, Secretary Fan. It was all just luck.”
Since Yu Feng had already laid the groundwork for him, it saved him the trouble of introducing himself.
“Come, come, please, come in. The leader has been waiting for quite some time.” Secretary Fan stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.
The three of them walked into the villa together.
However, the moment Lu Chen stepped through the door, his brows furrowed sharply as an overwhelming suffocating sensation hit him!
The air inside was extremely off—not a pungent stench, but a kind of indescribable, deeply unsettling presence that assaulted his senses, leaving him momentarily dazed.
He immediately activated the Ultimate Clear Water divine ability of the [Ji Shui Dragon King] internally, and only then did the discomfort recede like an ebbing tide.
Yu Feng had noticed his furrowed brows and was about to tug at his sleeve to remind him to mind his manners, but then saw that his eyes had returned to clarity in an instant. He was secretly amazed: This kid really does have some tricks up his sleeve!
The three entered the living room, where an elderly man with silver hair slowly rose from the sofa, smiling as he looked at them.
“Xiao Feng, you’re here.”
“Leader!” Yu Feng immediately became like an obedient student, stepping forward respectfully.
Lu Chen observed the old man. He appeared to be around sixty or so, but his hair was as white as snow—like someone in their eighties, nineties, or even older.
Clearly, this was Jiang Province’s former governor—Zheng Changguo.
And that head full of white hair was undoubtedly tied to his wife’s illness.
“And this must be Young Friend Lu.”
“Greetings, Lord Zheng!” Lu Chen clasped his fists in salute.
Zheng Changguo waved his hand with a smile: “No need to call me Lord Zheng. I’m just a retired old man. If you don’t mind, just call me Old Zheng.”
“Old Zheng.”
“Hey, you little rascal—he says call him that, and you actually do it!” Yu Feng shot him a glare.
“No harm, no harm! This kid’s got a good personality.” Zheng Changguo forced a weary but sincere smile: “I’ve had some food prepared. Eat first, then we can talk.”
“No rush! I’d like to see the patient first.”
Lu Chen wasn’t hungry and didn’t want to waste time.
“Well… alright then. Xiao Fan…”
Zheng Changguo looked at Secretary Fan.
Secretary Fan understood immediately and quickly brought over several sets of specially made gas masks.
Lu Chen was confused: “What are these for?”
Secretary Fan explained: “The room upstairs where the Madam is staying has rather heavy miasma. Wearing these will help.”
Seeing Yu Feng already take a mask and put it on, Lu Chen didn’t ask further, took one, and put it on as well.
Then, the group proceeded upstairs to the room at the end of the hall.
The moment Secretary Fan pushed open the door, Lu Chen was completely dumbfounded!
A thick, suffocating mass of yin-green miasma burst out like a breached floodgate!
Thank goodness he had that custom-made gas mask on!
Otherwise, with that amount of miasma, even a true Dragon King of Ji Shui would have had to shake his head, let alone a mere dragon spirit.
Even so, Lu Chen still felt a strong wave of dizziness and disorientation.
He channeled the Ultimate Clear Water ability with all his might, barely managing to keep his mind clear as he stepped into the room.
Seeing this, Zheng Changguo, Yu Feng, and the others all exchanged glances of surprise.
The four of them were at least at the peak of the third rank, at minimum.
Zheng Changguo and Yu Feng were even close to the fifth rank, which was why they could withstand this miasmic corruption.
They hadn’t expected Lu Chen—merely a low-level spiritualist—to be able to hold his ground as well.
To be fair, just that single step alone had tripped up countless spiritualists who had come to assess the situation before.
A glint of sharpness flashed in Zheng Changguo’s eyes, but his expression remained unchanged as he led the way at the front.
When Lu Chen reached the bedside and saw the scene clearly, he was deeply shaken by the ghastly sight!
Madam Zheng’s body was constantly emitting dense waves of yin-green miasma.
Her face, neck, and even the veins on the backs of her hands seemed to flow with an eerie green energy, visibly glowing through her skin.
It was utterly bizarre.
He stared for a long moment, but the more he looked, the more something felt off.
“Strange… Madam Zheng’s appearance… why does she look somewhat familiar to me~”
