Chapter 326: Imperial Office

Chapter 326: Imperial Office of the Da Xuan

The small town was dead silent, with no lights visible in the courtyards.

Yet in the underground chamber, Bei Zhangzhi and Cao Ming had already been taken away, replaced by another high-profile prisoner.

Yang Yizhi cocked his head, eyeing the aged Jun Luo, and couldn’t help but ask Su Mo:

"Did we get something wrong?

"Judging by his age, he shouldn’t be this old..."

Others clearly shared the same doubt.

Su Mo gave a dry laugh and proceeded to recount the details of his encounter with Jun Luo that night.

Only then did everyone understand.

"Enlightened Lamp-Lighting Sutra...

"This man has been hiding out in Wusheng Hall for so many years, all for the sake of achieving peerless martial arts."

The swordsman tsk’ed in awe:

"What a pity. Even the most legendary martial art in the world may not be as miraculous as claimed."

"It might not be that the Enlightened Lamp-Lighting Sutra lacks wonder..."

Yu Lingxin glanced at Su Mo. "In my opinion, it’s more likely that Chief Escort Su is simply too unstoppable."

"Hmm..."

The swordsman pondered for a moment and found this reasoning sound.

No matter how miraculous the Enlightened Lamp-Lighting Sutra was or what powers it granted once mastered, in the face of someone as unstoppable as Su Mo, it was all wasted effort.

He then raised his eyes to look at Su Mo, only to see him opening the bundle and digging through it.

Casually picking up a Da Xuan fragment, Su Mo skimmed through it briefly before setting it aside.

He then picked up another book without a cover and pored over it.

"...Chief Escort Su, should you really be reading right now?"

The swordsman blinked in surprise but spoke up anyway.

Without a word, Su Mo tossed the Da Xuan fragment to him.

The swordsman frowned but leafed through it anyway. Soon, he asked:

"What is this? A map?"

"Correct."

Su Mo nodded. "A map for exploring the ruins of Da Xuan, locating the lost imperial capital. The original version of this map was engraved on the Xuanji Locket. The Da Xuan fragment here was likely drawn by Jun himself.

"If I’m not mistaken, it’s an incomplete section combining the present-day layout of the Da Xuan ruins with the engravings on the Xuanji Locket..."

Su Mo then went on to explain his earlier talk with Jun Luo as well.

After listening, Yang Yizhi immediately furrowed his brows:

"What is this Imperial Office (a secretive organization)...?"

"I didn’t manage to ask about that either."

At this point, Su Mo suddenly looked up at Yang Yizhi:

"Uncle Yang, do you know about the *Jinglong Society*?"

He recounted his conversation with Jun Luo that day, which mentioned both the *Jinglong Society* and the Imperial Office.

Yet Yang Yizhi only inquired about the Imperial Office, paying no attention to the *Jinglong Society*.

This suggested he already knew something about it.

Sure enough, Yang Yizhi nodded slightly:

"That night, we didn’t finish our conversation. I had intended to tell you then.

"After we took the Heaven Gate Master to Hanging Kettle Pavilion [Xuanhu Pavilion], several problems cropped up.

"It’s unclear whether it was due to Hanging Kettle Pavilion’s methods or the Heaven Gate Master himself.

"After combining the two, the Heaven Gate Master indeed told us everything he knew.

"But what he said was jumbled and nonsensical.

"There were mentions of this Jun Luo... though only that he was lurking in Wusheng Hall.

"But the specifics remained unclear to them.

"Because Jun Luo carried one of the three items their clan had once guarded, the Three Extremes Sect [Sanjue Sect] had been investigating this matter all along.

"Unfortunately, there had been no breakthroughs.

"And once the trail led to Wusheng Hall, the trail went cold.

"That’s what brought us to Wusheng Hall."

Su Mo nodded. That night, they had indeed briefly discussed this matter.

Later, the topic shifted to Wusheng Hall itself, and the web of secrets within Wusheng Hall was a real headache.

Yang Yizhi then continued:

"The second matter concerns the *Jinglong Society*.

"The Heaven Gate Master admitted outright that the Three Extremes Sect belongs to the *Jinglong Society*.

"However, many years ago, they had already been dispatched by central command to the Eastern Wastes to manage certain operations.

"Among them, the most important was related to the Mysterious Mechanism Locks [Xuanji Locks].

"But decades ago, a dignitary from the *Jinglong Society*’s central command arrived, allegedly seeking a crucial artifact.

"Oddly enough, it was initially assumed that this figure would rally the whole Three Extremes Sect to find that item.

"To everyone’s surprise, that wasn’t the case."

"That big shot's movements were shrouded in mystery, and his actions were all over the place.

"Like a will-o'-the-wisp, here one moment and gone the next.

"Until over twenty years ago, that big shot suddenly vanished.

"It was also around that time when cracks started showing within the Triple Excellence Sect.

"Now, combining Jun Luo's words, this big shot might very well be the legendary Third Surprise of Dragon Gate."

Su Mo gave a slight nod.

Many years ago, the Startling Dragon Society sent a big shot to the Eastern Frontier to search for something.

What was this person looking for?

The only thing Su Mo could think of was the Mystic Heaven Seal.

However, this Third Surprise of Dragon Gate marched to his own drum.

After arriving, not only did he not diligently search for the Mystic Heaven Seal, but he also bounced around stirring the pot.

In the end, he simply hid underground in the Phantom Court to pore over The True Interpretation of Qiankun.

Su Mo always felt this person was no simple character.

At least from what has been seen so far, the Monarch of Night had an unusual relationship with him, and Jun Luo decided to betray his own clan because of him.

Even Su Tianyang had met him.

To the extent that after returning from East City, Su Tianyang already had death on his mind.

This person was tearing around the Eastern Frontier, poking his nose everywhere—what was his true purpose?

Did he know the Mystic Heaven Seal was actually in Su Tianyang’s hands?

As his mind raced with thoughts, he asked, "Uncle Yang, did this person mention where the Startling Dragon Society’s main base was?"

"He did."

"Oh? Where?"

Su Mo did a double take. Although he had asked the question, Yang Yizhi had previously mentioned that the Heaven Gate Master wasn’t playing with a full deck, and his words were all over the place.

This made Su Mo not hold out much hope that the Heaven Gate Master would actually come through with the location of the Startling Dragon Society’s main base.

Unexpectedly, he actually came through.

"In the Western Territories."

This point wasn’t exactly a shocker to Su Mo.

The Mystic Heaven Seal had been stored in a Western Territories puzzle box by the other party.

There were good odds that the Startling Dragon Society’s main base was also in the Western Territories.

Su Mo jumped right back in, "Where in the Western Territories?"

Yang Yizhi gave a dry chuckle:

"He mentioned dozens of locations...

"Any one of them could be the headquarters of the Jinglong Society [a secretive martial sect].

"But... any one of them could also be a dead end."

"...This just muddies the waters."

Su Mo was momentarily at a loss for words.

Dozens of locations, dozens of landmines.

If they couldn’t pinpoint the exact place, they might step right into danger.

Touching even one could trigger a full-scale alarm from the Jinglong Society.

"Indeed, but we must still go to West Province eventually."

Yang Yizhi said, "I had planned to set out for West Province once we’d wrapped things up with Wusheng Hall."

"Father..."

Yang Xiaoyun stiffened, words dying on her lips.

Yang Yizhi glanced at her and smiled wryly:

"Easy now. If West Province truly is the headquarters of the Jinglong Society,

"then the place must be a death trap.

"Poking around blindly would instantly land us in a suicide mission.

"So, even if we go, we won’t leave any traces.

"And we’ll keep our heads down."

Only then did Yang Xiaoyun ease up with a nod.

But then Yang Yizhi pivoted:

"However, from Jun Luo’s rambling, a new mystery crops up.

"What’s the deal with the Imperial Office?

"Could the term 'Imperial' be connected to the palace guards of the old Great Xuan Dynasty?"

"This is precisely what we need to ask our friend Jun Luo."

Su Mo turned his gaze to Jun Luo.

"...Why has he clammed up all this time?"

The swordsman frowned.

Su Mo chuckled:

"I wrecked his dantian, smashed his limbs, and then used *Painful Mantra* to hit his pressure point."

"Having endured this far, you must be too grateful to speak, right?"

"..."

The Qilin Swordsman's scalp tingled as he listened. In terms of ruthlessness, Su Mo was no less than any demon or heretic.

At this moment, Su Mo was also considering that the time was about right.

He then approached Jun Luo, unblocking his acupoints and relieving his pain.

Jun Luo finally found some relief. But when he looked at Su Mo, he couldn't help but scream:

"Fiend! You fiend!!!"

"..."

Speechless for a moment, Su Mo shook his head helplessly:

"Mr. Jun, how can you defame someone without cause?

"I, Su Mo, have always acted with integrity, and my reputation in the martial world is well-known. To accuse me of being a fiend...

"Is truly baseless."

He reached out to help Jun Luo up, but Jun Luo scrambled away on all fours, not wanting Su Mo to touch him.

However, with his limbs broken, what good did struggling do?

Even just touching his shoulder, without aggravating his injuries or using any force, made Jun Luo cry out in agony.

As if Su Mo was using the bone-twisting technique on him.

This scene made the expressions of everyone present grow distinctly uncomfortable.

Su Mo also felt somewhat awkward:

"It's not that serious..."

Yet the mere sound of Su Mo's voice made Jun Luo shudder.

When Su Mo destroyed his dantian and qi sea, he hadn't felt fear—only hatred.

When Su Mo broke his limbs, that hatred grew even fiercer.

But when Su Mo used the Painful Mantra to strike his Danzhong acupoint, the torment infused with pure yang energy made him feel as though he had been enduring countless tortures repeatedly across the eighteen levels of hell for what seemed like an eternity.

Even being cut in half at the waist or undergoing lingchi (death by a thousand cuts) was nothing compared to the intensity of this suffering.

Moreover, whether it was being cut in half or sliced piece by piece, death would eventually come as a release.

But not for him...

The Painful Mantra inflicted unbearable agony without leaving a single mark.

Just a few moments of this torment literally felt like endless years to the victim.

If one were to endure it for a full thirty days...

It would be like being trapped in an infinite hell, suffering thousands of years of unending torment.

How could anyone endure this?

Jun Luo was now utterly terrified of Su Mo.

Mentally, he was no match for someone like the Night Monarch.

And in terms of skill, he didn’t have the Heaven Gate Master’s godlike 'Heavenly Transformation' arts.

Frankly, he was just a small-time schemer with a bit of wit.

He was cocky when on top, but now, in Su Mo’s hands, his weakness was plain to see.

Su Mo shook his head lightly:

"No need to fear, Mr. Jun. I just want to ask you about the Imperial Office’s origins."

"The Imperial Office... Well, it was a group of martial arts masters serving the Great Xuan Dynasty.

Built around Da Xuan’s four great masters, they answered to a single leader—the Dao Master.

Chosen by the Xuan Emperor, they governed everything in the martial world.

That was the original Imperial Office..."

Jun Luo spilled everything he knew without a second thought.

Yet these words elicited different reactions from Su Mo and Yang Yizhi.

Yang Yizhi’s brow furrowed—he hadn’t expected the Great Xuan Dynasty to have a backup like the Imperial Office.

The Great Xuan Dynasty fell in a single night.

But how could an empire that huge just disappear without a trace?

If the Imperial Office was really loyal to the Great Xuan Dynasty, they’d have rallied the martial world, supporting the imperial bloodline to restore the dynasty’s legitimacy.

So why hadn’t they made a move all this time?

Su Mo, though... At the mention of Da Xuan’s four great masters, his mind went straight to the Purple Sun Sect.

Outside White Tiger City, the Grand Priestess had caught up to apologize, handing over the Emperor’s Heart Sutra herself.

She explained how the Great Xuan Dynasty sent four great masters to White Tiger City to duel its champions, deciding who’d rule it.

One of them was rumored to be the Purple Sun Sect’s founder.

If that was true, and he was a key figure in the Imperial Office...

Then where did the Purple Sun Sect stand in all this?

Let’s say the Purple Sun Sect was part of the Imperial Office...

Then what about Su Chengyu finding that box with the Mystic Heaven Seal? Was that even real?

Even if it was true, the Imperial Office—a powerhouse that could take on the Dragon Startle Society—would they really be clueless about what that box held?

Why would they allow this item to be kept by the Su family for generations?

Is there... a deeper meaning behind this?

Endless thoughts surged in Su Mo’s mind.

As one of the Seven Sects of East City, the Purple Sun Sect had a vast establishment and thousands of disciples.

Yet they willingly allowed one of their disciples to establish an escort agency using the name "Purple Sun."

Isn’t that a bit odd?

What exactly does the Su family have, that the entire Purple Sun Sect shows such favor to its members?

Why did Su Tianyang leave those vague clues hidden beneath the bookshelf in the Purple Sun Sect study in those days?

The ninth day of the ninth month… ghouls and fiends!

Do these eight words truly refer to the Forest of Ghouls and Courtyard of Fiends?

The four characters "ghouls and fiends" can be interpreted as such, but what about "the ninth day of the ninth month"?

As Su Mo pondered this, his chest tightened reflexively.

When he first met Li Zhengyuan, the way the great master looked at him, and the old man’s reluctant gaze before parting.

His solemn advice still echoed in Su Mo's ears.

Su Mo truly did not wish to believe that the Purple Sun Sect had ulterior motives.

That even the words spoken by that old man to him could be mixed with lies.

Yet now, the clues he had obtained inexplicably kept pointing toward the Purple Sun Sect.

To the extent that Su Mo couldn’t help feeling suspicious.

However, he hid his doubts masterfully.

After all, many of the current conjectures were merely inferred from these tenuous clues.

He looked up at Jun Luo:

"You said this was the original Imperial Office, then what of the current one?"

"...I, I don't know."

Jun Luo replied immediately:

"I only know that after the Startling Dragon Society stole that extremely important item from the imperial city in those days, they were hunted by the Imperial Office.

"The two sides fought for a long time, and it was during this opportunity that our clan managed to evade their notice.

"Afterward, both the Startling Dragon Society and the Imperial Office disappeared without a trace.

"And our clan's ancestors managed to conceal the three Arcane Mechanism Tokens across three different locations.

"They also left nine artifacts behind."

"We kept three of the nine within our clan for safekeeping.

"The other six were scattered throughout the jianghu.

"Years later... only then did people from the Imperial Office come knocking.

"They told our ancestors... that the Jinglong Society was deeply hidden but still coveting the Mystery Tokens.

"So, we must keep the tokens well hidden.

"They also said... within the Imperial Office, disagreements arose due to conflicting ideals.

"Now, it seems the organization is crumbling...

"That person advised our ancestors never to trust anyone claiming to be from the Imperial Office.

"Guard the tokens tightly, waiting... until fate makes its choice...

"Just... just for this so-called 'fate'...

"Our clan, generation after generation, has lived like damned cowards.

"Hiding in our shells, never daring to show our faces.

"With all our skills yet unable to save the common people—what use is mastering such incredible techniques?"

The last remark was completely ignored by Su Mo and the others.

Only the Qilin Swordsman gave him a disdainful glance and muttered, "What a disgrace."

After a moment of contemplation, Su Mo asked,

"After your escape, why did you come to Wusheng Hall?"

"...Heh, HAHA."

Jun Luo let out a harsh laugh. "Su Mo... Chief Escort Su, do you really care about the truth?

"You... you're after the tokens too, aren't you?

"The moment you saw one, you recognized it—proving that as the First of Donghuang, you’ve been dead set on claiming them...

"I don't know who you people are or how you know so much...

"But if you want to know, I’ll tell you.

"When my plan came together, the first thing I did was find the other two items matching the one in my possession.

"And recovered one of the tokens.

"The reason I came to Wusheng Hall afterward was that, of the three artifacts tied to the tokens...

"The Heart Net Umbrella’s location is a generational secret passed down through Wusheng Hall's hall masters.

"The Seven Foot Mystic Sword, the Heart Net Umbrella, and the Celestial Pointer.

"The Heart Net Umbrella is inscribed with the location of the Mystery Tokens... Chief Escort Su, when Wan Yutang won't talk, what will you do to him?

"Huh?

"HAHAHAHA!!!"