Chen Nan asked in return, "If your life is a tangled mess, what would you do?"
Yuan Zun thought for a moment and said, "I would first calm myself down. Only with a mind as still as water can I untangle the mess piece by piece."
Although he was a member of the radical faction, he was a very steady person in his daily life.
Chen Nan disagreed, saying, "I'm different. I would use the sharpest knife to cut through this mess!"
"By the way."
"Do you have any clues about the Book of Life and Death on your end?" Chen Nan changed the subject.
Although Wang Lan's situation was dire, he had already devised a plan to deal with it. What he was truly concerned about now were the clues to the Book of Life and Death.
Yuan Zun replied, "I do have a clue."
Chen Nan's eyes lit up. But Yuan Zun's next words made him feel contemptuous, "Song Daotai just arrived in Guangling Prefecture and was only a third-rank clerk."
"His first job was to revise the books in the library."
"There's something you might not know."
"When the Anti-Heaven Cult rebelled, their first targets were the libraries in various prefectures."
"Because they knew."
"They might not succeed."
"So, how could they cause a more adverse impact?"
Chen Nan: "Burn books!"
"Exactly!" Yuan Zun said, "The people of the Anti-Heaven Cult simultaneously burned down the libraries in various prefectures of the underworld."
"The purpose, well... is obvious."
"They wanted to create a cultural rift in the underworld."
"After all, nothing is eternal and indestructible."
"If there's one thing that is."
"It must be writing."
"So."
"All the books you see in the library now."
"All record events that happened after the Anti-Heaven Cult was suppressed."
"Very few people know what was recorded in books from ten thousand years ago."
"However."
"Song Linhui was exceptionally capable. He spent over ten years revising all the books in the library."
"Because of this, he was promoted to a sixth-rank Yin Messenger and became the Daotai of Guangling Prefecture."
"If I'm not mistaken."
"He must know some old affairs from ten thousand years ago."
Chen Nan nodded slightly.
Ten thousand years ago, the Anti-Heaven Cult rebelled.
Although culture did not suffer a hiatus after the rebellion, many books were burned. And those books very likely contained some information he was looking for. After all, after the Anti-Heaven Cult's rebellion, the Chief of the Demon Suppression Division began his strange death. He was certain that Song Linhui definitely knew some unspeakable things. It seemed that his previous efforts to win over the Song family's four brothers were very wise.
"The Song family's four brothers just obtained the Yin Gathering Pill and the Soul Gathering Pill. Their cultivation will not increase too rapidly in the short term."
"Let the situation unfold first."
"When Song Linhui sees how promising his four sons are."
"Even if I don't approach him, he will tell me some unknown stories from ten thousand years ago."
After a brief chat, Chen Nan left the Prefect's yamen.
Upon returning home, Guo Yu had already prepared dinner. It was already evening. Four dishes and one soup, with a balance of meat and vegetables, looked appetizing. But even a dog wouldn't eat it.
Di Ting complained, "Kid, can you put some effort into your cooking? Can these dishes be eaten without salt?"
"Young Master Guo seems a bit distracted today. Never mind, I'll add some salt!" Lu Bailing winked at Lu Qingqing, and the sisters took the four dishes to the kitchen.
"You don't need to be disheartened. With me here, even Tuozhan won't be able to kill Wang Lan!" Chen Nan knew that Guo Yu, like him, was loyal and was definitely worried about Wang Lan's predicament.
Guo Yu's eyes lit up, "Big Brother, do you mean to break him out of prison? Let's go, let's go break him out of prison right now!"
"You scoundrel! You're usually quite smart, how can you say such foolish things?" Di Ting said with frustration, "The imperial court is not the martial world; you can't solve everything by fighting and killing. Can you think of breaking someone out of prison? You're trying to harm your Big Brother, aren't you?"
Guo Yu immediately deflated. Even though his Big Brother was a sixth-rank Yin Messenger and the Chief of the Demon Suppression Division, Wang Lan had already signed and confessed. If they broke him out of prison, even his Big Brother would be in grave danger. After all, no one could defy royal authority and law, not even a ninth-rank Yin Messenger. Violating it would lead to certain death.
"Di Ting is right, we can't break him out of prison!" Chen Nan said, "We are the Chief of the Demon Suppression Division, a proper sixth-rank Yin Messenger."
"How can we do something that affects our reputation by acting sneakily?"
"If we're going to break him out, we'll do it in broad daylight at the execution ground."
"That's my style!"
Guo Yu's eyes instantly flashed with dazzling light, "Big Brother, you're really going to storm the execution ground?"
Chen Nan's lips curved upwards, "Is there any problem?"
Guo Yu swallowed hard, "No problem, I just feel like following Big Brother, I get to live a day of anxiety, no, exciting days every day!" He didn't know what Chen Nan was up to, not because he didn't want to know, but because he was too lazy to guess. After all, Big Brother was deeply cunning. But he knew one thing: no matter when or where, Chen Nan was always in control and had the upper hand. That was enough!
Di Ting's eyes were solemn, and he warned, "You're taking too big a step, too hastily."
"It's easy to pull something."
"I advise you to think thrice before acting."
Chen Nan sighed, "The waters in Guangling Prefecture are too deep: Duke Tao, Song Linhui, Tuozhan, and a mysterious entity that can kill the Chief of the Demon Suppression Division at any time."
"I have to stir the pot!"
"Completely muddy the waters of Guangling Prefecture!"
"Storming the execution ground is the best way." Tuozhan was the county magistrate of Guangling, with a supreme status in Guangling Prefecture. Saying he was number one wouldn't be an exaggeration. He would definitely be present on the day of the execution in three days. If Chen Nan stormed the execution ground in front of everyone then, he would lose all face and thus stir up trouble in Guangling Prefecture. At that time, he might gain an ally. As the old saying goes, the more friends you have, the easier the road. He understood this principle.
Di Ting asked, "Even if you storm the execution ground, have you thought of a retreat?"
Chen Nan clenched his fist, "Everything is under control!"
As they were speaking, the Lu sisters brought the salted dishes to the dining room. The two women and three demons began to eat.
Thinking that the weather was getting colder, Chen Nan said to Guo Yu, "Tomorrow, go out and find two masons to build a kang in the bedroom. This way, the Lu sisters won't have to endure the cold."
Lu Qingqing immediately pouted, "Young Master Chen, are you planning to sleep in separate rooms from us sisters so soon?"
"Compared to the kang, we prefer to fall asleep in your arms!"
Chen Nan almost spat out blood, "I have to be at the Demon Suppression Division during the day and can't accompany you, so I thought of building a kang to keep you warm!"
Lu Qingqing's eyes lit up, and she shrewdly caught the meaning in Chen Nan's words, "So, you're going to sleep with us at night too?"
"You actually want to hug us sisters and sleep together, right?" Chen Nan was so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. If you want to understand it that way, fine. But can you not be so direct? Can you give me some face?
Just then, an unfamiliar voice came from outside, "Is this Lord Chen's residence?"