Jiang Zhenting said with a sorrowful expression,"Such a tragic event is truly not what I wished for. However, the evil villain came to attack this time with the intention of destroying the foundation of our Great Han Dynasty and causing chaos in the imperial court. Although I have already killed him, the lives of so many innocent scholars... Alas, it's really my failure to protect them properly."
The guards who rushed over looked at each other when they heard these words, but none of them dared to say a single word more.
Such a major event was not something that these insignificant people could get involved in.
"Idiots!"
In a secluded mansion in the capital city.
A man in black clothes with his face covered was losing his temper at his subordinates in front of him.
"Idiots! Idiots! You bunch of idiots! The hall master will surely die in there this time. Why didn't you stop the hall master? Who told the hall master to go there in person!"
"Big brother, we didn't expect it to turn out like this either. Originally, everything was well discussed. Who knew that the hall master..." A subordinate tried to defend himself aggrievedly.
"If you people want to die, just say so. Now that things have been made such a big mess, there's no way to clean it up at all. That old thief Xuanyuan Tian will definitely not let it go easily. Pass the order down, abandon everything in the capital city, and evacuate immediately!" The man in black clothes with his face covered interrupted him, pacing back and forth, extremely worried.
"Yes, yes, yes, big brother. We'll go and make arrangements right away." Another subordinate quickly replied.
After those subordinates left, the man in black didn't dare to delay. He turned around and quickly rushed out of the city.
In the Golden Throne Hall, all the civil and military officials had their eyes lowered meekly, trembling with fear, not daring to make a single sound.
The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Only the angry roar of Emperor Xuanyuan echoed in the air, sending chills down people's spines.
Emperor Xuanyuan suddenly slapped the armrest of the dragon chair with his palm. The hard armrest of the dragon chair instantly cracked with deep marks, as if it had been torn apart by a huge force.
His voice thundered, shaking the entire hall:
"Such a shocking change dared to happen at the provincial examination venue! This is something that shakes the foundation of the state and cannot be tolerated!
Jiang Zhenting, as the invigilator, how could such a mistake occur! Out of two thousand examinees, only one survived!"
The emperor's fury was like a volcanic eruption, and the scorching wave of air seemed to be able to set the air in the hall on fire.
All the civil and military officials immediately knelt down on the ground, their foreheads touching the floor, not daring to move an inch.
Jiang Zhenting stood among the crowd and said with resentment,"Your Majesty, someone must have colluded internally and let the evil villain in. At that time, I was sorting out the examination papers. I didn't expect it to happen so suddenly. By the time I took action, it was already too late. I am willing to accept the punishment!"
"I'm not here to listen to your empty talk. Which force planned this attack!"
"Your Majesty, I don't know either. The evil villain triggered the explosion with his own spiritual power, and there wasn't a single survivor left for us to interrogate for information."
Xuanyuan Tian slapped the armrest again and roared:
"Then arrest all the masterminds behind the scenes. You must give me an explanation! Xuanyuan Haoyu, you will assist Lord An Guo. There must be no mistakes!"
Xuanyuan Haoyu glanced at Jiang Zhenting, and both of them felt unprecedented pressure in their hearts. This matter was of great significance. The slightest mistake would lead to disastrous consequences.
The two of them said in unison,"We will obey your order! We will surely live up to your kindness and will definitely find out the truth and bring the chief culprits to justice!"
Emperor Xuanyuan's gaze swept over everyone present like a sharp sword, and there was no expression on his cold face.
He slowly opened his mouth, his voice low and powerful:
"I'll give you three months to catch those scoundrels. If you can't find out the truth, you won't escape blame either! You may withdraw!"
With the emperor's order, all the civil and military officials felt relieved and withdrew from the hall one after another, but they were still uneasy in their hearts.
Instantly, the entire Shangjing City was put under martial law.
All the Imperial Guards poured out. There were guards posted every three steps and sentries every five steps. The streets and alleys were tightly blocked. The soldiers carefully interrogated every passerby.
The people in the city were in a state of panic. Every household closed their doors and windows tightly. The once bustling marketplaces were now desolate. Only the sound of patrols and the occasional barking of dogs could be heard.
Jiang Zhenting received the imperial decree and didn't dare to slack off in the slightest. He immediately set about the investigation.
He led a team of elite soldiers and quickly rushed to the provincial examination venue. By then, the Gongyuan was already in a state of complete chaos.
Among the broken walls and ruins, the smell of gunpowder that hadn't dissipated yet still lingered. The ground was covered with blood and debris, presenting a horrible scene.
The Fourth Prince, Xuanyuan Haoyu, arrived shortly after. He was dressed in a brocade robe and had a tall and straight figure.
"Lord Jiang, this situation is extremely serious. You and I need to find out the truth as soon as possible and not keep His Majesty waiting for long."
"Your Highness, don't worry. I will definitely go all out." Jiang Zhenting replied with a bow.
The two of them then began to carefully examine the scene, not letting go of any clues, no matter how insignificant.
A strong wind blew up, and an examination paper floated towards Xuanyuan Haoyu. He reached out to catch it, opened it and took a look, and was immediately drawn in. After seeing the name inscribed in the upper right corner, his gaze hardened again.
Martial law had been imposed on the capital city immediately after the explosion occurred.
However, the people behind this moved too quickly. By the time Jiang Zhenting led his men to find some clues, those people had already disappeared without a trace.
Everyone pushed the door open and entered. They had already sensed it before coming here that this place was just an empty house, desolate and lifeless.
There was a letter lying on the table, looking particularly out of place in the empty room.
Jiang Zhenting's face was gloomy, and his eyes were filled with a thick chill. He raised his hand slightly, and with a gentle pull of the spiritual power threads, the letter was steadily drawn into his hand.
There was only a paragraph of ridicule in the letter, with the handwriting scrawled crookedly:"Lord Jiang, don't waste your efforts. You bunch of lackeys of the imperial court will never catch us. The excitement in the provincial examination hall was just an appetizer. There will be more good shows waiting for you in the future. Hahaha..."
After reading the letter, Jiang Zhenting actually laughed as well.
"Heh, truly ignorant and arrogant."
Immediately, Jiang Zhenting concentrated his mind and calmed his breath. Only to see a faint layer of幽蓝 light gradually emerging in his eyes, and the light grew stronger, like two burning幽蓝 flames.
As the cultivation method was activated, the air in the room seemed to become heavy as well. Wisps of spiritual power emanated from him and slowly spread to every corner of the room.
Xuan Yuan Haoyu had a look of doubt on his face:"Duke Jiang, what's this?"
"Don't say anything. Just watch."
Gradually, the originally empty room began to change.
Blurry light and shadows started flickering in the room, just like a shadow play, and scenes began to reappear one after another.
First, several people dressed in black were seen hurriedly walking into the room. They looked flustered and walked in a rush. One of them randomly tidied up the objects on the table and then placed this letter on it.
Jiang Zhenting stared closely at these light and shadows. At this moment, he noticed the black-clothed person who had placed the letter. In the instant when he turned around, a small insignia was revealed at the collar.
The insignia was in the shape of a peculiarly designed jade pendant, with a pattern carved on it that looked like neither a dragon nor a snake.
Jiang Zhenting's heart sank. He recognized this insignia.
He had once seen relevant records in a confidential file. It was the symbol of a mysterious organization named "Xuantian Society".
This organization had always been acting in a secretive manner, secretly colluding with various forces and creating chaos everywhere to achieve their ulterior motives.
"So it's the Xuantian Society!" Jiang Zhenting snorted coldly, and the chill in his eyes grew even stronger.
[这么多年,我一直在想为什么找不到你.原来你躲在玄天会.]
他停止了功法的运转,眼眸中的幽蓝光芒渐渐褪去.
此时此刻,他心里已经有了一个计划.既然知道是玄天会所为,那么下一步就是全力以赴追查他们的下落.
江震霆转身快步出了房间.一边走,他一边对身边的属下吩咐道:"立即调查玄天会在京城的所有据点,以及相关人员的下落.一旦发现任何踪迹,立即向我报告.一定不能有任何差错!"
"是,大人!"属下们齐声应道.随后,他们都接到命令,匆匆离去,不敢有丝毫的怠慢.
相比玄天会的事情,轩辕浩宇更感兴趣的是江震霆所使用的修炼方法,导致了这种诡异的现象.居然还能窥探过去...