Actually, outside the city, Zhang Kui was already suspicious.

It's simple: a family that can develop for so many years under the watchful eyes of the General's Tomb, thriving under the banner of the National Guardian and Exorcism, in itself indicates a problem.

Moreover, from the moment he entered the Wang Family Castle, Zhang Kui felt something watching him.

This feeling, though faint, was almost easy to ignore, but it seemed to emanate from every street corner, every dark alley, from every pavilion and tower, omnipresent.

Zhang Kui immediately heightened his vigilance, pretending not to notice anything. Only now has that feeling disappeared.

Another important point is the Divine Strange Pearl, but it can only be confirmed after Luo Jizu finds the information.

The bamboo forest outside the window rustled in the night wind.

Under the bright moon, the Wang Family Castle was enveloped in darkness.

"Hey, Fatty Tiger..." Zhang Kui called softly.

Fatty Tiger's ears twitched, instantly waking up. It was its nature; it got extraordinarily excited at night, which made it so lazy and sleepy during the day.

"Taoist, what's the matter?"

"Stand guard, and don't let anyone in."

After instructing, Zhang Kui turned over and leaped off the couch, a plume of black smoke spreading, and he vanished.

Deep underground, the stone coffin of the Nether Soil slowly drifted. Under his special vision, the entirety of the Wang Family Castle, both above and below ground, was laid bare.

"Damn, they really are loaded!"

Zhang Kui first saw a deeply buried silver vault, hidden paths, numerous mechanisms, even ambushes of living corpses controlled by talismans.

In a vast underground cavern covering thousands of square meters, not only were there piles of gold, silver, and jewels, but also a great many weapons and armors, even the Astronomical Bureau's rune crossbows.

However, Zhang Kui had no interest in these. After mastering the Eating Skill and Stone Boiling Skill, he could learn the Yellow and White Skill, where turning stone into gold was trivial—refining Golden Cores and magical treasures was the real deal.

Zhang Kui shook his head and continued the exploration.

Hmm... Wang Chaoxian, the chubby one, was surprisingly diligent, meditating and cultivating Qi instead of touching the beauties in his rear courtyard chambers.

In their realm, unless they find a Daoist partner for dual cultivation, the pleasure wouldn't surpass the feeling of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Before coming, he had investigated. The Wang family's ancestors received teachings from an alien in the deep mountains, practicing not only the Five Elements Skill but also cultivating the Flying Sword.

After a swift tour of the entire Wang Family Castle underground, Zhang Kui was a bit puzzled.

In the whole Wang Family Castle, besides Wang Chaoxian in the Celestial Tribulation Realm, there were three Grain Avoidance Realm and numerous Enlightenment Realm cultivators. But during the day, Wang Chaoxian was with him, and those secretly watching couldn't have been these people.

Who on earth was it?

Frowning deeply, Zhang Kui wondered, could it be some kind of spell...

There are indeed many investigative spells, like the Moon-taking Technique in the Seventy-Two Demons Technique, similar to the Round Light Skill. Likewise, there are spells like the Eclipse Technique to evade investigation.

Just that, he had never seen an enemy investigate him in such a manner; moreover, these two spells required the Grain Avoidance Realm to practice, so he didn't pay attention.

Thinking of this, Zhang Kui quickly returned to the bedroom.

Indeed, just as he sat back on the couch, the feeling of being watched arose again.

Zhang Kui sneered inwardly, playing hide and seek with me? Very well, I'll play with you seriously.

Thinking this, he immediately spent two points to activate the Moon-taking Technique and Eclipse Technique.

Moon-taking Technique (Level 1): Active Skill

Skill Description: Take the moon and observe the wall, an investigation skill.

Eclipse Technique (Level 1): Active Skill

Skill Description: An evasion investigation skill.

The skill descriptions were simple, but Zhang Kui knew that the ultimate forms of these two techniques could reveal the Great Thousand Worlds, invert Yin and Yang, and obscure heavenly secrets.

The Eclipse Technique silently activated, causing a faint mist to rise within the bedroom, startling Fatty Tiger, who looked around bewilderedly.

Zhang Kui chuckled, walking off the bed.

Indeed, the feeling of being watched had vanished.

"Taoist, what are you doing?"

Fatty Tiger had a confused look on his face.

"Let's see which pervert is spying..." Zhang Kui said while changing hand seals, casting the Moon-taking Technique.

A hazy moonlight filled the room, ethereal and mesmerizing.

Zhang Kui began recalling that feeling of being watched. Gradually, a blurry image formed in the bedroom, growing clearer like a three-dimensional projection, even transmitting sounds...

It was a dim secret room, flickering candlelight, and on a simple magic platform was a bronze basin filled with water, slightly glowing.

"Huh, why can't I see anything now?"

An ancient voice sounded, followed by a pair of withered hands rubbing the edge of the basin.

"Hmm, who's watching!?"

Just as Zhang Kui was about to observe closely, the other party sensed in alarm and quickly conjured a black talisman.

"Protection!"

With an angry shout, the talisman ignited in a ghostly green flame, followed by the shattering of the room's light and shadows.

Zhang Kui's chest tightened, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Taoist, are you alright?" Fatty Tiger asked nervously.

Zhang Kui wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled grimly, "I'm fine, haha, how interesting, Jiangzhou is really interesting..."

Earlier, his Moon-taking Technique was shattered by a Divine Thought. Although brief, he saw the other party's forehead with a third eye...

...

The night was dark, the courtyard deep.

In the Jiangzhou Astronomical Bureau's Prefecture Government Office, it was pitch-black everywhere, except for one room emitting a faint light.

The night wind crept through the gaps in the doors and windows, causing the candlelight inside to flicker, alternately brightening and dimming.

"Alas, my fate is truly unfortunate..."

Luo Jizu twisted his neck, picking up another thick document, and began to peruse it carefully.

These were archived documents accumulated over many years by the Astronomical Bureau, long gathering dust in storage, unnoticed by anyone.

The information Zhang Kui wanted to investigate was actually available at various Astronomical Bureaus, but he specifically instructed confidentiality, allowing only Luo Jizu to verify, making it a complicated task.

Luo Jizu wasn't a diligent person, one could say he was quite lazy. If not for being discovered to have talent and accepted under the Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji, he might still be in the countryside, idly subsisting.

But he was also responsible. Even in the countryside, he didn't dare lose a single sheep when herding for a local squire, and since entering the Astronomical Bureau, despite constant complaints, he never shirked his official duties.

"Why investigate Incense Fire Temples..."

Muttering, Luo Jizu marked tiny dots on the Qian territory map with a red pen as he pondered.

Zhang Kui had specifically instructed to check those ancient Incense Fire Temples, known for their favorable reputation among the populace. After elimination, only a few dozen remained, needing selection one by one.

Gradually, the red dots on the map increased, initially dismissed by Luo Jizu, but he soon realized something was amiss, his breathing growing rapid.

By the time he finished reviewing all the materials, dawn had broken, and Luo Jizu looked at the map again, his face turning pale, horrified, and collapsing onto his chair.

"What on earth... is this..."

On the Qian territory map, all the red dots clustered in specific regions. While ordinary people would notice nothing, he immediately recognized what those places were:

Four Caves and Five Water Mansions...

...

At dawn, the city gate of the Wang Family Castle creaked open. A stern-faced Wang family disciple strolled out, frowning, "What are you doing?"

Opposite him, Luo Jizu stood rigidly with a squad of Black-clothed Profound Guards, seemingly covered in morning dew.

Luo Jizu revealed a slight smile, clasped his hands, and said, "Could you please inform True Man Zhang that a secret letter has come from the Capital City, requiring the True Man himself to receive it."

After discovering an incredible secret, though Luo Jizu wasn't sure what was going on, he was chilled by what might be concealed behind it.

Truthfully, his first thought was to flee, far away, because the secret's magnitude could mean his master couldn't protect him.

Yet more terrifying was the thought of being silenced, leaving no way to get the message out, hence he used a ruse, claiming a letter from the Capital City.

The Wang family disciple remained stern, but a hint of satisfaction flickered in his eyes, nodding.

"Wait, I will inform him."

Soon, Luo Jizu was brought before Zhang Kui. Once they were alone, he immediately bowed deeply:

"True Man Zhang, this humble official..."

Words failed him momentarily. Silently, he presented a map disguised as a secret letter with both hands.

Zhang Kui spread it open, his eyes filled with complexity...

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