Chapter 1029: Chapter 1029

Chi Xun was furious. "Had I known this would happen, I should have just let them be torn apart by the evil spirits instead of saving them!"

Nanli turned her head and glanced at him.

"We saved the children, not these scum. Why can’t you understand this simple fact?"

She then turned to look at the county magistrate, her eyes cold. "According to the rules, we indeed shouldn’t interfere. But just because we can’t, doesn’t mean others won’t."

The county magistrate wasn’t worried.

The governor already knew about the situation in Futian Town but had turned a blind eye to it. After all, this was a historical problem that was difficult to resolve. Even if it were addressed, it wouldn’t be considered a significant achievement in the eyes of the court.

He snorted coldly. "Then go ahead and find someone. I’ll just wait here and see who will bother to take care of this, and who will be able to."

Nanli smiled slightly. "Since you want to make this bigger, I don’t mind. I’ll find someone who can deal with it."

The county magistrate, still brimming with arrogance, sneered. "Go ahead, find anyone you want! Even if a high-ranking official from the capital comes, they will be just as helpless!"

Nanli had already figured it out. "Then I’ll be back in a moment."

With her large belly, she began to leave. Siheng, of course, followed closely behind her.

As the couple walked away, the county magistrate thought for a moment, then instructed the people to carry all the bodies of the dead to the main street. Soon, he planned to strike first and accuse the immortal cultivators of being ineffective, allowing the evil spirits to kill so many innocent people.

In the days leading up to this, the evil spirits had claimed the lives of three to four households every night. Before long, the street was lined with dozens of corpses, along with the bones of several boys—at least a dozen in total.

The bones were piled together, creating a chilling sight that sent shivers down anyone’s spine.

Not long after, the glowing formation of a teleportation array appeared on the street.

The crowd quickly stepped back, clearing the way.

The county magistrate looked at the teleportation array, which seemed quite large, and muttered to himself, "What’s going on? Who are they bringing here with such a grand setup?"

The array’s light dazzled brightly.

Gradually, the light began to fade.

The county magistrate had initially stood up a bit straighter, but when he saw the uniforms of the Imperial Guards—officials dressed in second and first-rank robes—his eyes widened in shock.

Among the crowd, there was also a young man in a bright yellow dragon robe, draped in a grand cloak. His handsome face and piercing gaze gave off a sense of unparalleled authority and intimidation.

The county magistrate staggered back, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"The... the Emperor..."

Who else could wear such a fine dragon robe?

His knees buckled, and with a loud thud, he fell to the ground, his whole body shaking as his throat tightened. He couldn’t utter a single word.

The townspeople, who hadn’t seen much in the way of imperial protocol, started to have a sense of what was happening when they saw the county magistrate’s reaction. They quickly dropped to their knees in reverence.

The Emperor had arrived!

They never thought they would see him in person during their lifetimes!

Siheng and Nanli had also arrived alongside Chu Yan, the Emperor, and Prime Minister Lu.

Before their arrival, Chu Yan and the others had already gotten a rough idea of what had been happening in Futian Town. They were aware of the severe problem of male chauvinism in past dynasties, but they had never expected Futian Town to be so blatant about it, leading to such a severe outcome.

At that moment, Siheng reminded, "For hundreds of years, Futian Town has been discarding female infants. How is it that their men are still able to find wives? This should be thoroughly investigated."

Chu Yan immediately understood. Mu Nation had strict laws against human trafficking, which was a severe crime.

He looked at Siheng with great respect, cupped his hands, and slightly bowed his head. "Thank you, Ninth Prince, for the reminder. I understand."

Siheng nodded and stepped aside.

The county magistrate, his eyes now widening in realization, stared at Siheng. "You... You’re the Ninth Prince?"

It was well-known throughout the country that Siheng and Nanli were figures of legendary stature, even if Siheng had not been actively involved in the politics of the world.

The county magistrate never expected that in Futian Town’s moment of crisis, it would be none other than the Ninth Prince himself who had come to resolve the issue.

He felt his vision blur and his body sway before he collapsed, unconscious.

Chu Yan coldly observed the scene but was not in a hurry. He simply said, "I order that five hundred soldiers from Yuezhou be dispatched here, and I also command that the governor of Yuezhou be brought along."

"I will remain here for the next two days to investigate this matter. There will be no leniency."

"Are there any objections?"

Prime Minister Lu was the first to bow and say, "We will follow your orders, Your Majesty."

The group also included officials from the Dalisi Procuratorate.

Siheng and Nanli looked on, feeling a sense of relief. It seemed that Chu Yan, as the emperor, was already growing adept at handling state affairs.

With the situation now in the hands of the Emperor and his officials, there was no need for Siheng and the others to stay any longer.

Before they returned to the Bai family, Cinian took the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, if you need me to perform rites for the departed souls, just let me know."

Meanwhile, Bai Peng was deeply preoccupied with Ye Yanqin’s soul, which had already been restored. However, she was still unconscious.

He wanted to carry Ye Yanqin back personally, but was stopped by Grand Lady. "Let me do it. If you’re not father and daughter, carrying her will raise gossip."

Bai Peng had no choice but to restrain his emotions.

Nanli smiled when she saw how quickly Grand Lady managed the situation. "Grandmother, you seem more agile and strong than the younger generation now."

"Of course! These days, I wake up earlier than the roosters!" Grand Lady was greatly pleased by her granddaughter’s praise.

The group used the teleportation array to return to the Bai family.

As soon as they arrived, Bai Peng shouted loudly, "Xiangyu! Second Brother! Fourth Brother! Fifth Brother! I’ve found Third Brother! Third Brother has come back!"

The shout echoed throughout the Bai family.

Cinian shuddered and glanced at Bai Peng. "You haven’t even tested her bloodline yet, and you’re already calling out? What if we test it and it’s not her? Wouldn’t that be disappointing?"

Bai Peng grumbled in frustration. "Don’t jinx it! It’s definitely her! I know it is!"

Nanli didn’t deny it. She was confident that this would not go wrong.

Cinian could only let him be.

However, Bai Peng’s loud call gathered everyone from the Bai family.

Bai Xiangyu and the others, who were still kneeling as punishment, hobbled over, full of excitement and doubt.

"Father, is it really true?"

Bai Peng quickly motioned for Grand Lady to bring Ye Yanqin to the main hall, and ordered someone to bring the bloodline testing instrument.

At that moment, Ye Yanqin was awakened by the noise.

Opening her eyes, she realized she was no longer in Futian Town but in a completely unfamiliar place. The unfamiliar surroundings left her stunned.

Fortunately, among the people present, she saw a familiar face.

"Second Master, what... what is going on?" A hint of fear crept into her voice, but her heart calmed when she saw the familiar figure of her second master.

Nanli answered lightly, "Oh, it’s nothing. This is Bai Family Manor. Lord Bai wants to test your bloodline."

"Why do you want to test my bloodline?" Ye Yanqin still didn’t fully understand what was happening.

When she saw the bloodline testing device placed nearby, she froze.

This was an instrument used to test for familial bloodlines...

She slowly lifted her gaze to Bai Peng, a deep sense of confusion and disbelief in her heart.

She had heard of the story of Bai Family’s third miss being swapped...

Could it be... Could it be her?

Bai Peng swallowed hard. "Miss Ye, although I’m already sure, we should still test the bloodline first."