Every single day, there was endless information from all different levels that was sent back to Central Continent Imperial City.

Of all of this information, South Tomb Province’s military intelligence was naturally of the highest priority.

Postal City in South Order Province that bordered South Tomb Province had a Confidential Department that specialized in passing on military intelligence.

Normally, South Tomb Province’s north used carrier pigeons and falcons to pass on important information. They would be recorded and then passed on through a new carrier pigeon or falcon to another Confidential Department. From when the message was retrieved from the carrier pigeon or falcon’s leg, and then moving to a new carrier pigeon or falcon to reach its next destination, the time period wouldn’t exceed thirty breaths.

However, that day, an important piece of military intelligence in the Confidential Department wasn’t passed on for a long time.

Within the falcon room, a Yunqin officer in civilian clothes looked at the middle-aged man who charged into the falcon storing room, one of his hands pressed down on the falcon cage to stop him from releasing the falcon. This civilian clothed officer coldly asked, “Sir Deng, why are you not allowing me to release the falcon?”

This minor fourth ranked middle-aged Government Sector official had a fair and clear complexion, but his expression was extremely fierce, also giving off a dignified feeling.

While looking at this Yunqin officer who was interrogating him, he coldly said, “It is because this piece of military intelligence needs to be altered.”

This Yunqin officer once again asked coldly, “Why does it need to be altered?”

The Government Sector official gave him a look, replying, “Sir Wu, why is there a need for you to feign ignorance? There is information here that his majesty definitely doesn’t wish to spread.”

“Sir Deng, I believe that as officials, we should remain loyal to our post, and not privately try to guess at the will of his highness!” The Yunqin officer’s face became even colder. “I only know that this military intelligence is true and accurate, and Yunqin needs this type of glory right now, needs this type of hero.”

“Hero?”

The Government Sector official shook his head and said, “In his majesty’s eyes, whoever he wants to be a hero will be the hero. Moreover, the more outstanding that person, the higher his public image among soldiers and civilians, the more furious his majesty will become. Once it is traced back to its source, he might very well shift his rage onto someone else.”

The high ranking Yunqin officer dressed in civilian clothes also began to laugh coldly in mockery. “Sir Deng might fear this type of shifted blame, but our military does not.”

“Scared or not is one thing, duty is another.” The Government Sector official said seriously, “I have the authority to modify the wording of military intelligence. If you are going to do things above your authority during this type of tense wartime, you might be punished severely.”

“Very good.” This Yunqin officer dressed in civilian clothes instead began to laugh out of extreme anger. “I want to see just what you can do to me if I insist on releasing this military intelligence.”

“Sir Wu!” This Government Sector official’s face instantly flushed crimson red, forcefully striking the falcon cage, saying fiercely, “I merely did this to give you face, not wishing for the situation to get too serious. If you really want to go against orders, then I will arrest and condemn you!”

When the falcon cage released the clanking noise from being struck, the dozen or so other falcons all began to stir about, all of them a bit startled.

More than ten soldiers quickly charged into this falcon raising room.

The face of this civilian dressed officer became extremely ugly, the anger in his eyes burning like flames. He was about to say something through clenched teeth, but the Government Sector official instead said coldly, “Sir Wu, you are a muscle worker, there are many things you cannot understand even if you think about it. Even if we release the intelligence, it will still pass through the hands of many others. Even if I don’t wipe out this person’s contributions, could it be that the others who it passes through won’t erase this person’s contributions? Also, even if this person’s information isn’t wiped out, even truly spreading among the civilians, if all of the commoners view him as their savior, can you ensure that he will always continue living on the battlefield, that he won’t be killed?”

“I believe even you understand that right now, Xu Qiubai, an archery master whose cultivation is even higher than his, is also assassinating Yunqin officers. Before heading into Great Mang, he was precisely Jadefall City Border Army’s most powerful archery master, the officer who experienced the most battles!” This Government Sector official gave this Yunqin officer who was momentarily a bit speechless a look, continuing to say with a sneer, “Can you guarantee that he won’t die under Xu Qiubai’s hands? At that time, when the one Yunqin’s commoners view as their savior is killed, wouldn’t it just be a joke? At that time, how will Yunqin’s people think? Wouldn’t they become incredibly dispirited again, popular grievance becoming even worse?”

The Yunqin officer dressed in civilian clothes didn’t respond to his questions. It was because at this time, someone else at the entrance replied to his question.

“I can guarantee it.”

A calm and overcast, but exceptionally dignified and strong voice sounded.

“And who are you?!”

The middle-aged Government Sector official frowned, turning around. He saw that the one who appeared in his line of sight was an elder dressed in ordinary black clothes, his hair entirely white, but his face didn’t have a single wrinkle.

This white haired white bearded elder chuckled, and then walked up to this middle-aged Government Sector official’s face.

“I am someone who can strike you!”

Before his voice fell, with a 

pa

 noise, his palm slammed heavily into this Government Sector official’s fair face. Half of this Government Sector official’s face instantly swelled, a blood red hand mark emerging there.

“You! Brazen!” The middle-aged Government Sector official was in a daze for several breaths from that strike, and then only afterwards did he react. He was so angry his entire body began to shake. “You actually dare to strike an official, do you know…”

Pa!

His words were immediately interrupted by another bright and clear slap noise.

The entirely white bearded white haired elder’s ruthless second strike to the face was a bit more fierce than the last, slapping this Government Sector official until his body rocked back and forth, a bit dizzy, blood covering his mouth.

At this time, the eyes of that civilian clothed Yunqin officer instead brightened, his face starting to flicker with an expression of pleasant surprise, shock and respect. He seemed to know the identity of this elder.

“I not only know your official rank, I also know you are a student of Wen Xuanshu

[1]

. However, this type of official rank and status, for me, is nothing I have to feel any misgivings over. The words you spoke really deserve being smacked for. This second strike is because you still didn’t wake up after being struck by me the first time, still not reacting to who I am.” The white bearded white haired elder calmly spoke, using the gaze of looking at an insect to look at this Government Sector official.

The eyes of this middle-aged Government Sector official whose entire mouth was bloodied froze. He finally realized who this elder might be. His lips instantly became bluish-black, so scared his entire body became weak, starting to lean against the falcon cage at his side. “Great… Great General Gu.”

In this entire Yunqin, among all of the individuals in the military, there was only one individual who didn’t even need to feel apprehensive towards Wen Xuanshu, the subject with the greatest authority in Yunqin. That was precisely Dragon Snake Border Army’s Gu Yunjing.

This Yunqin border army Great General with the greatest experience always had the nickname ‘Reaper’ in Yunqin. It was unknown just how many powerful enemies he took down in his life, unknown how many trusted aides he had in the military. The middle-aged Government Sector official just couldn’t imagine that he would actually just happen to run into this type of figure who was the backbone of this empire.

“Enough. Don’t stop the Confidential Department from passing on the news anymore. Otherwise, I will punish you with crimes of delaying military affairs.”

Gu Yunjing gave this Government Sector official who already collapsed weakly on the ground a calm look. He reached out his hand and then a formless power directly sent this Government Sector official flying out of the door.

This Yunqin officer dressed in civilian clothes was now sure of Gu Yunjing’s identity. He immediately bowed deeply, saying with utmost respect. “Sir Gu.”

“You are named Wu Shouyan? Not bad.” Gu Yunjing nodded his head in praise. He fetched a small vermilion imprint specially for stamping military intelligence, handing it to this civilian dressed Yunqin officer. “Apply my seal on the message and then send out that military intelligence you were arguing about just now.”

Wu Shouyan was immediately overjoyed. He knew that once Gu Yunjing’s seal was applied, nothing would go wrong with the rest of this message’s route. There was no way anyone would dare anger Gu Yunjing and try to alter the contents of the military intelligence.

When Gu Yunjing’s small seal was applied, when they fetched a falcon, after some hesitation, Wu Shouyan still asked, “Great General Gu… if this Lin Xi really is killed by a Great Mang cultivator, then…”

“It isn’t that there is no chance, but the chance is extremely small.”

Gu Yunjing chuckled rather proudly, saying, “He is Green Luan Academy’s bottom line, Vice Principal Xia even let him freely do these things, so how can he be killed so easily?”

While looking at Gu Yunjing’s hint of pride, Wu Shouyan was a bit stunned. Only now did he recall that when Lin Xi formally entered the military, it was precisely to serve as Dragon Snake Border Army’s Sheep Point Field Mountain Patrol Officer. After entering Dragon Snake Border Army, Lin Xi then took office in Jadefall City, later on not transferred any longer. In this way, even if Lin Xi couldn’t be considered someone from Dragon Snake Border Army, he could at least be considered as someone who came out of Dragon Snake Border Army, Gu Yunjing’s former subordinate.

No wonder Gu Yunjing would act like this on this matter, no wonder he had this hint of pride on his face right now.

After thinking through this, Wu Shouyan also felt happiness and pride.

It was because Lin Xi’s performance was indeed enough for everyone to feel happiness and pride over.

“Are there any news regarding Hu Piyi?”

Gu Yunjing looked at Wu Shouyan who released the falcon, asking this.

“There is not, we haven’t received anything yet.” Wu Shouyan replied.

“A pity.”

Gu Yunjing slowly said these two words. Wu Shouyan didn’t know what kind of deeper meaning lay beneath these two words, but with the arrival of this type of old general a few days earlier than expected, his mind suddenly felt much more at ease.

…

“Who would have thought that he would still live after taking on my arrow.”

Within a certain plains in South Tomb Province, Xu Qiubai with the dark red giant bow on his back crushed the small scroll in his hands. He looked at the Great Mang officer who was standing respectfully in front of him with an expressionless face, coldly saying, “He wants to find me… leaving him alive is precisely a disaster. In that case, I will give him a chance… draw him out.”

1. The current Grand Secretary Wen, former Government Sector Head

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