In the face of Zhou Wuji's suggestion, Zhang Shiheng remained silent.
Silence was, in truth, an attitude in itself.
Xinjue, the abbot of Golden Leaf Temple, showed no change in expression, but inwardly he was snickering. Zhou Wuji was young and impetuous, daring to step forward and offer counsel at a time like this.
Still, Zhou Wuji was thinking far too simply; anyone could have thought of that.
The young man certainly had sharp edges, but his thinking lacked thoroughness!
Zhiyuan and Daoist Yizhen both knew Zhou Wuji well and understood that he would never speak without aim.
Zhang Shiheng did not take the bait, but Zhiyuan could not leave Zhou Wuji hanging in awkwardness. He asked, "What makes you come to such a judgment?"
"Chen Dalu has operated on Old Dragon Island for years; heaven knows how many secrets he has hidden there. He has committed a capital crime and cannot maintain a foothold in Yunyang, so he will inevitably want to gather all his wealth and take flight to distant lands..."
The main reason Zhou Wuji judged that Chen Dalu would return to Old Dragon Island was that he felt the Gu insects on Chen Dalu were off.
Chen Dalu had been famous for years and had held all kinds of sinister blood sacrifices to nourish his Gu; his natal mother Gu could not possibly be so weak.
Furthermore, during the large-scale blood sacrifice on Lake Heart Island, the flood dragon remnant soul that fused with the Gu insect had reached the fifth rank.
Given Chen Dalu's character, taking such immense risks only to let the Red Dragon Emissary preside over the secret realm's blood sacrifice made very little sense.
Judging others by himself, Zhou Wuji knew Chen Dalu had to be plotting something far greater—something from which he could reap much larger benefits—to act in such a way.
He knew little about Gu arts and could not guess what methods Chen Dalu intended to use.
Gu arts were similar to Daoist magic; both required Gu insects and elaborate rituals.
Whether Chen Dalu wanted to stir up trouble or reclaim his belongings, he would have to return to Old Dragon Island.
Zhou Wuji's deduction was based on the Gu insects, but he could not say so outright.
If several fifth-rank experts hadn't spotted any issue with the Gu insects, how could he have?
Using Gu insects as the basis for his judgment was indeed a bit tenuous. But combined with the blood sacrifice in the secret realm, one could conclude that Chen Dalu was brewing a major scheme.
With Chen Dalu's capabilities, only on Old Dragon Island could he mobilize enough manpower and resources to accomplish something so vast.
Even if he guessed wrong, going to Old Dragon Island to take a look wouldn't waste much time. After all, they had no clue where Chen Dalu had gone anyway.
Zhang Shiheng, however, had no interest in listening further. He addressed Zhiyuan directly: "Chen Dalu has an accomplice of exceptional martial skill. To prevent Chen Dalu from running amok, I must ask the master to guard the prefect over the next few days to avoid any mishaps."
His relations with Prefect Peng Yue were far from warm, yet he could never allow Peng Yue to come to harm. The responsibility was too heavy; he could not bear the consequences.
The reason Zhang Shiheng did not ask Monk Xinjue was that he did not want Xinjue getting too close to the prefect either.
Since Golden Leaf Temple had allied with his Zhang family, they should not dream of playing both sides.
Zhiyuan nodded. "Protecting the prefect and maintaining order in Yunyang is also our duty."
Upon stepping out of the Pacification Office, Zhiyuan said to Yizhen, "Return to oversee the branch abbey. Do not let Chen Dalu slip in and cause chaos.
"Wuji, come with me to the prefectural yamen."
Yizhen nodded in assent, mounted his horse, and rode off first.
Zhiyuan then took Zhou Wuji to the prefectural yamen. Even if the yamen runners failed to recognize Zhiyuan himself, they recognized the purple-and-gold vestments he wore and the fifth-rank Tianshu Token in his hand.
Having received word, Peng Yue courteously welcomed Zhiyuan at the inner gate.
In terms of rank, the two were equals. Though Peng Yue was the local official, he could not put on airs before Zhiyuan.
All the more so since Zhiyuan had come to protect him, so he had to be even more polite.
The prefectural yamen was vast, with the administrative offices in front and living quarters in the rear, occupying a sprawling area.
Peng Yue immediately ordered quarters prepared for Zhiyuan and Zhou Wuji and arranged a banquet in Zhiyuan's honor.
Zhiyuan did not stand on ceremony. Had the circumstances not been extraordinary, he would never have served as a bodyguard to a prefect.
In truth, Zhiyuan's coming here was merely a show of stance; he would not actually follow Peng Yue around.
Peng Yue had Head Constable Li Yuanqing by his side, who was also a sixth-rank martial artist—more than enough to ensure Peng Yue's safety.
Zhou Wuji noticed a grand and dignified aura permeating the prefectural yamen, which exerted a subtle suppression over the circulation of his True Qi.
He had visited county yamens before, yet he had never felt anything like this. Thinking back, it had simply been that his cultivation was insufficient then to sense this official aura accumulated within a magistrate's seat.
He wondered where this official aura came from. Was it granted by the imperial court's legal mandate, or was it naturally formed by the gathering of the people's will?
Curious though he was, Zhou Wuji did not ask.
The Great Hao Dynasty had been established for centuries and had long held lawful orthodox dominion over the realm.
Able to govern millions internally and suppress barbarian tribes and myriad demons externally, Great Hao surely possessed immense power.
His current cultivation was still too low; there was no need to delve into such matters just yet...
That night, Zhiyuan gave Zhou Wuji instructions: "Stay near the prefect during the day. Unless there is an attack, do not meddle in other affairs, and above all, do not say a word."
Zhou Wuji could not help sighing. "Zhang Shiheng made a colossal mistake yet refuses to even attempt a remedy. It can truly be called foolish."
Zhiyuan smiled. "He has his own considerations and his own judgment."
He explained further, "Zhang Shiheng is no fool. I noticed the Pacification Office was missing a company commander named Wang Yuan. That man is a sixth-rank martial artist who once served in the Fire Phoenix Army, valiant and skilled in battle. He must be garrisoned on Old Dragon Island right now.
"There is also the Yellow Dragon Emissary, Chen Qiang, who has likely been subdued by Zhang Shiheng. With those two present, along with a cadre of Pacification Office agents, they can certainly hold Old Dragon Island steady. You needn't worry..."
Zhiyuan understood Zhang Shiheng fairly well. Setting character aside, Zhang Shiheng's capabilities were formidable.
Since the Pacification Office had taken control of the Five Dragons Gang, even if Chen Dalu returned to Old Dragon Island, it would be of no use.
Furthermore, Zhang Shiheng had to guard the prefectural seat; he could never allow anything to go wrong here.
Zhou Wuji knew Zhiyuan did not place much stock in his deduction either, so he could hardly press the matter further.
That evening, Peng Yue hosted a family banquet at his residence to entertain Zhiyuan and Zhou Wuji.
The meal was splendid, though Zhou Wuji did not see Peng Yue's daughter, which left him feeling a mild touch of regret.
It wasn't that he intended anything; he was merely curious about what Peng Yuzhen looked like...
At the hour of the Rat, as Zhou Wuji sat in his room quietly refining Qi and performing his routine cultivation, he suddenly sensed an abnormally violent commotion in the world's spiritual Qi.
Normally, spiritual Qi was like the sea; though waves rose and fell, overall it remained deep and calm.
Tonight, however, the spiritual Qi surged and erupted like an erupting volcano.
Evidently, some extraordinary anomaly in spiritual Qi nearby had triggered this regional disturbance.
Zhou Wuji stepped out of his room and saw a pillar of dark-red smoke soaring into the night sky toward the southeast.
Tonight was the fifteenth of the fifth month, the night when the full moon shone brightest.
Yet the dark-red smoke had already blotted out the bright moon, plunging all of Yunyang City into gloom.
Zhiyuan stepped out of his room as well. Seeing the smoke masking the moon, his expression shifted slightly. "Such concentrated earthly fiend energy! Judging by the direction, it must be Old Dragon Island!"
The dark-red smoke rising into the heavens twisted and roiled, faintly taking on the undulating shape of a serpentine dragon.
Zhou Wuji activated his Six Yang Dharma Eyes and saw chilling, ghostly vapors steaming within the smoke.
He could not help sighing inwardly. It was over. Such soaring fiendish aura was just like the flood dragon remnant soul on Lake Heart Island, yet within the ghostly vapors lay a sinister trace of living vitality.
From his experience, some kind of Gu insect was concealed within that fiendish aura, at least of the fifth rank, if not higher.
Zhiyuan remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Old Dragon Island bears that name because legend says the Five-Colored Dragon God once dwelt there.
"In my youth, I went to Old Dragon Island to investigate, but found nothing out of the ordinary, so I never paid heed to the tale.
"Seeing how this fiendish aura takes the form of a soaring dragon, it must be that the remnant soul of a powerful flood dragon never dissipated after death and has gradually transformed into a yin dragon within the earthly fiend energy."
Zhiyuan let out a deep sigh. "With the yin dragon gathering such dense fiendish aura, I wonder how many living souls remain on that island..."
The old Daoist was now feeling a twinge of regret. Had he known, he would have trusted Wuji just once and gone to Old Dragon Island to check.
To awaken a yin dragon required a massive altar and all manner of complex rituals.
With his cultivation, a thorough search would surely have turned up some clues.
The old Daoist sighed deeply. "I didn't believe you this time, and as a result so many people have died. I was wrong..."
Zhou Wuji said nothing. It was too late to say anything now!
Zhiyuan quickly reined in his emotions and said solemnly, "I must rush to Old Dragon Island at once and destroy this yin dragon.
"If the yin dragon absorbs enough vital blood, it will break free from the earthly fiend's shackles. When that happens, heaven knows how many more will perish."
Zhou Wuji looked at Zhiyuan. This money-grubbing old man actually possessed such a sense of duty, which truly exceeded his expectations.
He felt a stir of anticipation. Was the old man about to undo all his seals and soar into the sky?
Among the Arctic Sect's advanced secret arts, there were several methods capable of long-distance flight.
Zhiyuan turned to Zhou Wuji with a hint of impatience. "What are you standing there staring for? Go fetch horses!"
"Oh, right!" Zhou Wuji finally came to his senses. The old Daoist Zhiyuan specialized in the Golden Light Divine Incantation and likely knew no flight arts.
A fifth-rank Daoist probably couldn't fly after all!
Just as Zhou Wuji went to summon attendants, Zhang Shiheng rode into the prefectural yamen alongside Xinjue.
Guided to the rear courtyard, Zhang Shiheng and Xinjue came face-to-face with Zhou Wuji.
Zhang Shiheng's gaze was sharp, recognizing Zhou Wuji even in the dark, and their eyes met.
Though composed and profound, Zhang Shiheng could not help feeling embarrassed at this moment. He had searched far and wide for Chen Dalu's trail, never expecting Chen Dalu would truly dare return to Old Dragon Island.
Wang Yuan, leading numerous Pacification Office elites, had long since brought the Five Dragons Gang under control. Even if Chen Dalu had a fifth-rank expert accompanying him, he shouldn't have been able to wrest control of the situation.
Not to mention that he had already warned Wang Yuan to be vigilant against Chen Dalu staging a comeback.
If anything truly went awry, Wang Yuan would have launched signal fireworks immediately.
Meanwhile, Zhang Shiheng had stayed at the Pacification Office to oversee the overall situation and prevent Chen Dalu from running mad and wreaking havoc in Yunyang Prefecture.
Yet of all places, catastrophe had struck Old Dragon Island!
Zhou Wuji sneered inwardly. This old bastard had grown arrogant and conceited; letting Chen Dalu escape had already been a blunder, and now a disaster had erupted on Old Dragon Island. Let's see how Zhang Shiheng cleans up this mess!
On the surface, however, he calmly cupped his hands. "Commander, you arrive just in time. The abbot was about to set out for Old Dragon Island."
Zhang Shiheng called out across the moon gate, "Master Zhiyuan, there is no time to lose. Let us ride to Old Dragon Island together at once!"
Zhiyuan strode out briskly. "The sooner, the better! We cannot let the yin dragon come into its full power!"
He then turned back to Zhou Wuji. "Your cultivation is too low. Stay here and guard Lord Peng. Do not wander about!"
In those last four words, the old Daoist's tone carried a distinct sternness.
Zhou Wuji desperately wanted to go to Old Dragon Island. If he could seize the chance to slay the yin dragon, the benefits would be immense.
Yet seeing Zhiyuan's stern demeanor, he knew Zhiyuan was looking out for his safety, fearing he would encounter peril. It wasn't just the yin dragon that was dangerous; Xinjue and Zhang Shiheng also posed immense threats.
Old Dragon Island was currently in utter chaos; no one could say for sure what those two experts were plotting in secret.
Zhou Wuji immediately replied with solemn respect.
Zhang Shiheng had brought two to three hundred cavalrymen—likely every elite the Pacification Office could muster.
The large troop galloped out in a thundering rush, charging straight toward the east side of the city...
Watching the figures vanish into the distance, Zhou Wuji felt a swirl of conflicting emotions.
Mainly, he was worried about Zhiyuan. The old man had departed in such a hurry without a single attendant by his side; hopefully he wouldn't be undermined by others.
On second thought, the old fellow was crafty as a fox, and with the yin dragon looming over them, everyone would have their hands full dealing with the beast. Infighting was unlikely at a time like this.
As this thought crossed his mind, an idea suddenly struck him. All the top experts had departed for Old Dragon Island, leaving the city virtually empty.
The villains might not have time to make trouble, but he could seize this opportunity to settle a personal score—such as slaughtering that old bastard Zhang Yunfeng...
Zhang Yunfeng had repeatedly tried to harm him. For the other instances he lacked concrete evidence, but he had witnessed the scheme with Chen Dagou with his own eyes.
He had kept that old bastard etched in his memory, and now he finally had a chance to avenge himself and vent his spleen!
Chapter 107