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"Huh? It seems like there’s no alertness..."

Having traveled all the way from Daqing Mountain to the outside of Lyuzhou City, Wei Gongzhan suddenly realized that the city gate was no different from usual.

Although alerts had been raised by the seaside and the docks were sealed off, the South Gate that connected the city to the counties was still as busy with people as ever!

"Of course, there’s no increased alertness..." Ali glanced at him disdainfully: "Weren’t you quite clever the last time you dealt with us? How come now you seem to have your head in the clouds?"

Wei Gongzhan: "....."

Ali glanced at the child beside them and whispered, "Based on this kid’s information, that mysterious woman only controlled people from the Shen Family, not all the Liuzhou Deities/Spirits. Naturally, she cannot be too ostentatious in her actions."

"Why not control the Gate Deity?" Wei Gongzhan was somewhat puzzled: "If she controlled the Gate Deity, wouldn’t that greatly prevent your entry into Lyuzhou City?"

For a long time, many who knew of Ali had discussed this topic: the Gate Deity could recognize demons, and Ali could change memories. So when these two meet, which one would prevail—would the Gate Deity identify Ali first, or would Ali manipulate the Gate Deity’s memory?

This question had never been put to the test until today, when the truth would finally be revealed. Wei Gongzhan was excited to witness this moment in history.

Ali gave him another disdainful glance and then strutted forward boldly.

At this moment, Ali looked no different to him than usual, but despite her striking and enchanting appearance, not a single ordinary person around took a second glance at Ali. It was at this moment that Wei Gongzhan realized that probably everyone around had been blinded by Ali’s deception.

Such a terrifying ability!

He knew before that this being was very dangerous, but only by witnessing the use of their abilities at such close range did he truly understand how dangerous it was.

No wonder she had always been trapped in Daqing Mountain and not come out. With such a being, even if an ally, probably no one would really want to get close to her, would they?

Because you can never know when she might have planted something in the depths of your memory.

With a nervous heart, the two followed Ali all the way to the gate. To his surprise, Wei Gongzhan discovered that not only did the Gate Deity show no signs of recognizing Ali, but it also seemed like he himself had been overlooked as well.

In the past, when he approached the gate, many of the Gate God’s Guards would greet him.

His Ginseng Blood Wine sold best among the army, and the Gate God’s Guards inside Lyuzhou City received good treatment and loved this indulgence; they would often make private deals with him.

But this time, everyone looked at him with a strange gaze, as if they had never seen him before.

In that instant, Wei Gongzhan understood again...

The Fox Demon had not only changed her own image in everyone’s hearts, but she had also changed his and the child’s alongside hers. Otherwise, given their vigilance, the features of the three of them were too obvious.

But if that’s the case, isn’t this ability a bit too godlike?

She can cover for those around her? How many exactly can she cover for?

Two? Three? Ten? Or... even a hundred?

If such a being led a hundred top-tier experts, wouldn’t they be able to easily infiltrate another’s capital? If the plan was meticulous, could they not easily assassinate the enemy leader?

Thinking about this, Wei Gongzhan couldn’t help but swallow hard. He came from a military background and had been a Deputy General, so his first thought was naturally about military value. Based on what he saw, the result was almost heaven-defying, such shamelessly powerful ability...

"Alright, we’re inside..." Ali stretched lazily in the sunny weather, seemingly in a very good mood: "It’s been a long time since I entered the city. The feeling of being surrounded by so many people is quite nice..."

Wei Gongzhan’s brow was deeply furrowed. Ali was still a demon, and seeing so many people, wouldn’t she... have a bloodthirsty reaction?

With her current abilities, if she had a bloodthirsty reaction, probably no one could stop her from consuming people.

"Let’s go, we’re going to find someone..."

"Who?" Wei Gongzhan momentarily stunned, then reacted: "Shen Yuan?"

Shen Yuan is one of the most outstanding disciples at the Heavenly Institute, and now he is almost certain to be the next deputy head. At this moment, the Fiery Sun Great Formation is under his control, so he would be the most suitable person to approach.

"Are you joking?" Ali chuckled: "Approaching Shen Yuan? Do you think they are fools? Given the importance of Shen Yuan, he will surely be tightly guarded. How could someone like me, who is so vulnerable, dare to take such a risk?"

Wei Gongzhan, upon hearing this, actually breathed a sigh of relief.

He did not want to approach Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan was one of his close friends, and his dearest relative was in Lyuzhou City, which made him an easy target for enemies.

In such circumstances, Wei Gongzhan did not want to drag his friend into trouble.

Although the Demon Fox’s abilities are extraordinary, she is inherently fragile. Despite being Transcendent, if she faced an enemy head-on, even the captain of a Gate God’s Guard could kill her – that is her weakness!

One cannot readily take risks, nor can one afford any slip-up, otherwise, it could lead to instantaneous obliteration. It seems that the heavens are fair; they have given her such terrifying abilities, yet limited her own strength.

"So what do we do?" Wei Gongzhan asked in a low voice: "Since the enemy has not come rushing after the barrier of Daqing Mountain was broken, they must have started guarding against you. It will be extremely difficult to get close to them now."

"That’s why we need to find someone who looks inconspicuous, but is in fact very important."

"Who?" Wei Gongzhan was at first puzzled, but then he realized instantly: "You mean... Official Zhou?"

--------------------------------

"Zhou Haitao?"

Shen Shiyi looked at Shen San in surprise: "What use is there in finding him?"

Zhou Haitao, the current de facto bureaucrat of Lyuzhou, attracts little attention even though he is in the spotlight in Lyuzhou.

The reason is simple; he is a mortal...

A Civil Officer has no Divine Power, deals not with demons, and is only responsible for domestic affairs, handling the miscellaneous matters of Lyuzhou. He has authority... but lacks the power to back it, making nowadays Civil Officers rather ordinary in the eyes of everyone.

Especially in the eyes of a powerful force like the Shen Family, they might as well be invisible.

"A Civil Officer does not deal with divine or demonic matters, but upon retirement after a successful career, they can seek a better reincarnation through the Hell Ruler or even become an official there.

They have a pathway to promotion but are also under great restrictions, leaving those who effectively control civilian resources like Civil Officers walking on thin ice, which drastically reduces corruption and bribery. "

In the five years of Lyuzhou’s prosperity, the influx of wealth has been immeasurable, and not without greed from some. However, with such a low cost-benefit ratio.

It is almost impossible to pass unseen under Divine surveillance. Risking huge dangers and possibly affecting one’s next life, the gains do not compensate for the losses. When the cost-benefit ratio of corruption is low, fewer people are willing to take the risk.

"Chen Qing’s policies are solid, but they have created a loophole. The Civil Officers, lacking strength, have no ability to protect themselves; yet, they actually control very precious resources. And if... they were to be controlled by an enemy?"

"How could that be possible... Which enemy could offer such mortals a better future?" Shen Shiyi rolled his eyes, but he soon came to a realization: "However, if it’s a Demon like Thousand-Faced Fox who’s beyond reason, it’s indeed possible."

"Zhou Haitao controls all the resources of Lyuzhou, even... including the stockpile of Bai Yu, which is a matter of life and death!"

"I’ll go find him!" Shen Shiyi hurriedly said.

"You can’t go..." Shen San directly stopped him: "Once you step out of this door, who can guarantee that, when you return... it will be the real you?"

Shen Shiyi: "....."

"This is an overt conspiracy..." Shen Shiyi sighed: "I was too slow to think. If at the moment when the incident at Daqing Mountain barrier was reported, I had thought of this and set up an ambush at Zhou Haitao’s place, it might have been possible to capture the enemy. But now..."

"What do we do?" Shen Shiyi immediately became anxious: "Do we just let them take control of the resources? The Fiery Sun Array needs a massive amount of Bai Yu to support it."

"Don’t panic..." Shen San rubbed his fingers: "Let me think..."