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After waiting many days, Heiyun finally received some news he wanted to know, but he couldn’t feel relieved in his heart.

Honestly, he had never really expected Wei Gongzhan, the little pawn, to come up with any top-secret information. Asking him was more about seeking psychological comfort, just finding something to do amidst the confusing nowhere to turn.

And as he kept asking over the days, he didn’t know if it was the silly boy’s cheerful disposition rubbing off on him, but he actually found himself enjoying the daily reports he got.

For instance, what he and a few neighbors caught at a certain fishpond today, the interesting events that happened the next day while working the land, or the neighbors pondering planting some chili peppers or making pickled meat and vegetables in the evening.

Every day was filled with these mundane details - no hassle, no worry about food and warmth, just discussing how to make their simple lives more enjoyable.

Initially, it sounded boring, but as he continued to listen, Heiyun found himself getting engrossed.

He remembered when he was young, working as a tenant farmer for a certain family. His dream was to have a few of his own acres of land where he could drink a pot of warm wine and eat some fragrant, roasted corn on the ridge during his leisure time.

Inadvertently, he had become a big shot in Capital City, envied by everyone, but the days of brewing a pot of wine and roasting corn on the ridge had long since slipped his mind.

These past few days, listening to the boy talk about those times, Heiyun found himself feeling inexplicably envious.

Now that he had heard about that strange man beginning to make contact with the villagers, he knew his leisurely time spent listening to idle stories was over.

"You say, after those villagers interacted with that man, they all lost their memories of him?"

"Yes..." Wei Gongzhan nodded gravely, "Not just those villagers, me too. Little Mink said that the man spoke to me at least three times, but I had absolutely no recollection of it. Now that I think about it, it feels incredibly terrifying."

Heiyun was not too surprised by this revelation, knowing that Yin Devouring Demons possessed such ability, but under normal circumstances, they didn’t wander aimlessly.

Since the incident of increasing Yin Devouring Demons in Capital City, caught off guard, Heiyun naturally started to observe the behavior of these demons. According to ancient records and his observations, these demons preferred to stay within familiar domains that were fragments of their memories.

Under the influence of the souls’ memories, these monsters felt affinity for family and friends remembered in those memories, and they were not exactly brave, mostly appearing only in those familiar places, rarely interacting with strangers not present in their memories.

The reason is documented in ancient records as well.

Since these creatures have weak combat abilities, after convincing a portion of the beings to accept them through memory manipulation, they tend to linger in that place for protection.

Because confronting a new evil spirit carries the risk of being destroyed.

The one Wei Gongzhan mentioned clearly had unusual activities.

Magicians value foundational logic above all. If there is an anomaly, there must be a reason. A Yin Devouring Demon’s nature is shaped by its environment, the least changeable aspect, and if it has changed, something must have happened that forced this alteration.

Could this be related to the terrifying creature in Capital City?

Heiyun had a hypothesis. The abilities of the Yin Devouring Demons, as mentioned in the records, had never been fully disclosed, but they were capable of causing the disappearance of Ancient Desolation Country. Was such a vast power reliant on their own strength?

Did the increasing number of Yin Devouring Demons in Capital City and that Yin Devouring Demon have any connection? Could it be... that Yin Devouring Demon, could it control the Yin Devouring Demons?

If that were true, it would be terrifying. A group of beings with strange abilities, if organized, could accomplish an unimaginably vast array of things!

"Are the words of that little Fox Immortal reliable?" Heiyun asked curiously.

"They should be reliable." Wei Gongzhan nodded, "Little Mink is a child. Though she’s a little mischievous, she’s also kind-hearted. A child like that wouldn’t lie when sharing her troubles."

Heiyun rolled his eyes, "You make it sound like you know children very well."

Wei Gongzhan, a bit embarrassed, scratched his head.

"Hmm, wouldn’t that child talk to her mother about this?"

"Her mother seems to forbid her from speaking ill of that man," Wei Gongzhan whispered, "I don’t know why, but her mother must be aware of the man’s danger, so she usually doesn’t let Little Mink interact with that man."

"So the most important question is, that child..." Heiyun mused, "Can she resist being influenced by that man, avoid losing her memory?"

"She says she can..."

"Is that so?" Heiyun’s eyes lit up, then he added, "Then interact with her more, have her find out who exactly that man talks to every day in the village, and if possible, what they talk about.

" He became serious, "But make sure to keep her safe, she is one of His Majesty’s dragon descendants.

Now that the Crown Prince is weak and unsuitable for great responsibilities, that child has a pure bloodline, you understand what I mean? "

Wei Gongzhan’s heart skipped a beat, and he hastily replied, "This subordinate understands!"

"Go then... and be careful yourself."

"Yes, my lord!"

"Oh, and..."

"Yes? Do you have any more instructions, my lord?"

"You mentioned before that the Prefectural Governor of Lyuzhou visits Daqing Mountain every once in a while, have there been any recent updates?"

Wei Gongzhan scratched his head, "I’ve heard from neighbors, I haven’t been here long, and so far, I’ve not seen the greatly admired Lord Chen."

"Is that so?"

Heiyun gazed outside. The situation outside had been turning upside down, and Chen Qing had created a haven in Lyuzhou, but he must still deal with the major families, right?

The Shen Family, Princess Royale, and the one from West Sea aren’t easy to handle, and with the dangerous Thousand-Faced Fox imprisoned here in Daqing Mountain, isn’t he worried not coming back for several months?

Or is he just unable to get away right now?

If it is the latter, could he himself do something about it here?

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

Hmm... Has the Yin Devouring Demon started to act up?

Chen Qing murmured in his heart...

"What is Lord Chen thinking about?"

Inside the cabin, a gentle and elegant voice interrupted Chen Qing’s train of thought, prompting him to look up at the person who had come over to strike up a conversation, and he couldn’t help but sigh...

So handsome...

In the past, Cui Yan had seemed a very handsome man to him, but the fellow before him was even more handsome than Cui Yan, appearing to be almost fifty but carrying himself with a style that surpassed even Liu Tianwang from his former life.

It had to be said, the Princess Royale sure knew how to pick them...

But then again, at that level of status, where one’s position was nearly reaching the ceiling, and with capabilities among the top of the era, it was nearly impossible to find a man stronger than herself, so what else to look for if not handsomeness?

"Greetings to the Consort Prince," Chen Qing said with a smile as he bowed in salute.

"Hey, we’re both Consort Princes, no need to be so courteous," the man said with a gentle smile.

Chen Qing: "....."

There were generations between us, besides, why did this guy suddenly come to chat with him?

"Ming Xue is a good kid. Since Lord Chen has engaged with her, you should cherish her well."

"To be able to marry the Princess, I am thrice fortunate in this life, and I will certainly treat her well," Chen Qing smiled and said, "just as you would, sir."

The man’s smile stiffened slightly.

Chen Qing noticed the change and his mind stirred, thinking to himself, did the people from the Fei Family have a story?

"Speaking of which, I’ve heard from Minister Wang that Lord Fei Jun has also come to the front lines; it would be nice to join you. Back in the Capital City, I had a comradeship with Lord Fei Jun. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him."

"Jun’er?" The man’s eyes revealed a hint of complexity.

Chen Qing noticed it and guessed something, whispering, "I heard that the Golden Dragon Guard was originally led by the Crown Prince. Now that the Golden Dragon Guard has been placed under you, I’m curious. Is... is the Crown Prince still doing well?"

The man: "...."

"I see..." Chen Qing nodded.

Fei Jun was loyal to the Crown Prince and a thoroughly dedicated member of the Crown Prince’s Faction.

He had met Fei Jun before, and Fei Jun should have been loyal to the Crown Prince; otherwise, he wouldn’t have kept secret meetings with women hidden from the Crown Prince.

Wang Ye didn’t think highly of the Crown Prince, and deep down, Fei Jun probably didn’t either.

However, at that time, the family was likely fostering him publicly as a member of the Crown Prince’s Faction, and Fei Jun must have been working hard to fit that role.

But after adapting for many years, to suddenly be told that he was part of the rebellion, a young man’s mental collapse would be normal.

In reality, there are actually quite a few such cases.

Many corrupt officials have also hidden the truth from their children because the children are young and could be indiscreet; there are certainly things they cannot be told.

On the surface, in the children’s minds, their parents are definitely good officials.

After establishing their worldview and then being told that, in fact, their father is a major embezzler who has already arranged hundreds of millions in assets overseas for them, and now that an incident has occurred, they must quickly flee overseas with their father to live the good life of a capitalist.. .

Any child who’s even slightly sane would suffer a mental collapse!

Fei Jun was clearly a person with sound moral principles, facing such a strong and scheming mother; it would be no surprise if he had issues.

"Fei Jun is on the third ship. If Lord Chen is friends with Fei Jun, you might want to take some time to persuade him."

Chen Qing’s eyebrows twitched suddenly, thinking, is Fei Jun’s dad sick?

I’m now in cahoots with your wife, and yet you want me to persuade him...

But suddenly, the man’s hand moved beneath the table, and a gentle spiritual power came from under the table, making Chen Qing jolt!

This guy...

"You seem quite at ease..." The cold voice of the Princess Royale came from outside, "Your son hasn’t eaten for days, yet you have the mood to chat with an outsider?"

The man turned around with a bitter smile, "That’s because I heard that Chen Qing is a good friend of Jun’er, so naturally, I would let him persuade Jun’er."

"Is that so?" The Princess Royale glanced at the man and then casually entered, looking at Chen Qing, "Jun’er did indeed mention you to me. It’s rare to hear him praise someone. But then again, he probably never thought that Lord Chen, at such a young age, could play the game alongside us."

"Your Highness flatters me..."

Chen Qing suppressed the surprise he felt moments ago and responded with an unruffled smile.

"We’ll be arriving at Nan Ming soon, and then it will be Lord Chen’s time to perform."

"I will do my utmost!" Chen Qing stood and bowed in response.

"Mm... It’s about half an hour away now. If Lord Chen is available, you might want to have a chat with Jun’er," the Princess Royale said as she left the cabin, finally uttering a sentence that carried some warmth.

"I shall heed your advice..."

When he looked up again, both the Princess Royale and the consort prince from the Fei Family had left the cabin. Chen Qing slightly lifted his hand, looking at the lingering warmth in his palm, his expression deeply complex.

Fei Jun’s father did indeed have a small ploy just now, and what he communicated to him was just four words...

Your Majesty’s secret decree!