Jiang He's answer was very straightforward, without the slightest hesitation.

It was in his nature. He wouldn't say much, but everything was in his heart. Similarly, he knew what kind of person Chen Yuan was.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought about storming the capital with him to snatch a wife.

Jiang He had helped Chen Yuan many times, and as soon as Chen Yuan gained strength, he would definitely not say anything else, but would directly help.

A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring.

The two smiled at each other, needing no further words.

Jiang He, the True Lord, possessed unparalleled swordsmanship. Chen Yuan wanted to investigate the truth about the Unborn Church's conspiracy with Jingtai, and he would definitely need to rely on his power. Currently, he could only rely on his power.

The two didn't say too much about this matter, because investigation would still take some time.

It wasn't as simple as just talking about it.

It required detailed investigation, tracing back to the source without alerting the enemy. After all, this matter was too significant, and Jingtai and the Unborn Church would definitely try their best to hide it.

Of course, Chen Yuan wouldn't be idle either.

When he controlled the power of the three states, he would also actively investigate this matter.

"Besides that, there's actually one more thing I want to know." Chen Yuan's expression remained solemn.

"About the Lord of the Seven Emotions?"

"Yes!"

This time, Chen Yuan returned to the South, partly because of his grand plan, and partly because of Su Ziyue. During their last contact, she had mentioned that she wanted his help.

But she hadn't said anything further afterward, only saying that they would talk about it after he returned to the South.

Moreover, she rarely came online.

The several lords of the Taoist Temple all knew that she was probably encountering some problems now, but when they asked her, she was unwilling to say, so they could only let it go.

Now that Chen Yuan was back, he naturally wanted to understand something about Su Ziyue's affairs.

Jiang He came from a small family in Zhongzhou. Now, his family had been destroyed. Li Suqing had grown up in the Goddess Palace since she was a child, and after failing to compete for the position of palace master, she became the Great Elder.

The Evil Ghost Lord, Yang Huatian, came from Southern Xinjiang. His origins were also very simple. He simply had good talent since childhood, but lacked a method to enter the path, so he received the help of Moro.

According to Chen Yuan's estimation, he was also the first lord to join the Taoist Temple.

Chu Changfeng became famous at a young age and established a sect, ranking among the top sects in the Jianghu.

Moro and Chen Yuan didn't need to be mentioned. The only one with some problems was Su Ziyue. Chen Yuan had asked her before, but she had never revealed anything.

The other lords also rarely mentioned it.

Now that Chen Yuan wanted to help Su Ziyue, it was best to know something about her background. Unfortunately, Moro had already fallen into slumber again. Otherwise, Chen Yuan wouldn't have asked Jiang He.

Jiang He pondered for a moment and said:

"The Lord of the Seven Emotions joined the Taoist Temple shortly before or after me, but I don't know much about her origins either. I only know that she is from the Southern Region, but I don't know exactly where."

Chen Yuan frowned and nodded slightly.

Before leaving the capital, he had also asked Li Hongshuang when he saw her, but the answer was similar to Jiang He's. She didn't know much about her good sister's background.

But whether it was her or the lords of the Taoist Temple, they all knew that Su Ziyue definitely had some background, and there were forces supporting her behind the scenes. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to take out spiritual objects from time to time.

And her cultivation base was growing so fast.

She naturally couldn't compare to peerless geniuses like Jiang He and Chen Yuan, but she was about the same age as Jiang He, and had broken through the Huayang Realm in just a few decades, which was definitely top-notch in the world.

It was just that she had always kept a low profile in the Jianghu.

"However..." Jiang He hesitated for a moment, and seeing that Chen Yuan really wanted to know, he continued:

"However, we lords once speculated that the Lord of the Seven Emotions should be from a hidden family."

"A family?"

Chen Yuan raised his eyebrows. He had suspected it as well.

"That's right, like Taixu Palace and Kunlun Mountain, there are still some families in the world that were once glorious, but rarely move in the Jianghu for various reasons.

These families are mostly weak and possess great treasures, so they have no choice but to hide."

This wasn't a lie. If their strength was truly terrifying, there would be no need to hide. If they really wanted to grow, they still had to establish themselves in the Central Plains and compete with other forces for resources.

"You'd better contact the Lord of the Seven Emotions first and ask what's going on. If you really encounter difficulties, there are still the lords of the Taoist Temple to support you. Even if it's a Celestial Gate, it may not be impossible to fight!"

Jiang He's confidence still came from the power of the Taoist Temple.

Needless to say, the forces that it spans in the South are numerous. The strength of the lords' main bodies alone is an extremely powerful force in the world. The immortal Moro.

The Yang God Jiang He, Yang Huatian, Li Suqing, and Chu Changfeng are all at the peak of Refining the Spirit, with remarkable combat power.

And Chen Yuan, a high-ranking official in the imperial court, wields more power than the Celestial Gate.

The top few Celestial Gates may still have some gaps, but a Celestial Gate like the Goddess Palace, which is beginning to decline, is definitely not as good as the power wielded by the Taoist Temple.

This is also one of Chen Yuan's strengths.

"I understand."

Chen Yuan nodded solemnly.

Chen Yuan didn't stay in the Sky Patrol Division of Qingzhou City for long, only a few hours in total. He had already delivered the message, so there was no point in staying any longer.

He politely declined the invitations of the governor of Qingzhou and some officials, and Chen Yuan quickly disappeared from this place.

However, the news of his appearance quickly began to spread from Qingzhou City outwards. At the same time, Jiang He also began to order a full-scale secret investigation into the traces of the Unborn Church's demons within the territory.

Overall, the meeting with Jiang He was very good.

Chen Yuan formally revealed his ambitions for the first time, and Jiang He expressed his full support, being the first of the lords of the Taoist Temple to support his ascension.

The rest were Chu Changfeng and Li Suqing.

Yang Huatian, by nature, disliked rules and regulations, and his reputation was too bad, his fierce name too strong, so he was not suitable to become the ruler pushed out by the Taoist Temple. The only people who could compete with Chen Yuan were Chu Changfeng and Li Suqing.

Among them, Chu Changfeng's attitude was crucial.

He had formed his own faction and founded a sect, being a character with great ambition, so he might not support Chen Yuan's ascension. He could only wait until Chen Yuan's strength surpassed his before formally revealing his cards to the Taoist Temple.

Gather the power of the entire Taoist Temple, plus some of his own forces, and unite them to help him ascend!

Nangling Prefecture City, inside the Sky Patrol Division.

Qing Shi Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and breathed, surrounded by more than a dozen Yuan Crystals that formed a Yuan Gathering Array. This item was very valuable down below, and perhaps a force could only save up a few.

But Zhang Xuan was different after all. He had a background behind him.

As Zhang Yantong's most talented son, he had been honed since childhood, and he lacked no resources. In order to make the road ahead easier, he was specially sent to the lower prefectures to accumulate experience.

But cultivation could not be neglected.

Because this was the most important thing. If he had Chen Yuan's cultivation, Zhang Yantong would not have been willing to let him go out, and would have raised his cultivation first.

Because many of the previous strongmen had broken through the realm, Zhang Xuan had now entered the top ten of the Potential Dragon List, earning the nickname of Cold Blade, similar to Demon Blade.

He used to be called Cold-Faced Zhang Xuan, but now he was called Cold-Faced Cold Blade.

He had a great reputation in Qingzhou.

The world does not revolve around Chen Yuan alone. He is growing, and so are his friends and enemies.

He was very close to the Dan Realm. Now, he was polishing his cultivation. The matter of being transferred back to the capital had been settled. He was just waiting for the order from above to return to the capital and break through.

The road ahead had also been paved. Zhang Yantong would do his best to help him ascend to the position of the Eight Great Commanders. When his cultivation reached a certain level and the time was ripe, he would be sent out to become a State Gold Envoy.

It was just that his growth rate, though fast, was inevitably far behind his good brother Chen Yuan.

Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, Heavenly-Ranked Divine Envoy.

Each one was a position admired by tens of thousands of people.

The reason why he cultivated so desperately, reaching the peak of Tongxuan in less than two years, was largely because he was stimulated by Chen Yuan.

There could be a gap, but not too big.

Streams of Yuan Qi poured into his body, and Chen Yuan's figure appeared silently behind him, watched for a while, and said faintly:

"It's at the limit. If you continue to cultivate, the acupoints on your body will not be able to withstand it."

"Who!"

Faced with a sudden voice, Zhang Xuan was instantly shocked and immediately wanted to draw out the Ice Cold Blade in front of him, but when he took a closer look, the heart he was holding finally fell, snorted lightly:

"Come if you want, why scare me?"

"Just giving Brother Zhang a surprise."

Chen Yuan was not an outsider, and did not put on airs, as if he was still the same as before.

But Zhang Xuan's eyes flickered, and he bowed and said:

"This subordinate, Zhang Xuan, pays respects to the Marquis!"

"When Chen was a commander before, I didn't see you salute? Save it for now."

"Okay, but this is what the Divine Envoy said himself, don't blame me for being rude." Zhang Xuan put the Spirit Blade back into its sheath and hung it on the wall at random.

"How could Chen blame you for being rude? You're being too polite."

"Hey, that's right, what should you call me now?" Zhang Xuan looked at him with a smile.

"Brother-in-law."

Chen Yuan also smiled.

He used to be Zhang Xuan's subordinate, and had saluted him a lot, but now he had earned it all back. In the future, he would also be his brother-in-law, although he was not his real brother-in-law yet.

"Aren't you averse to women? What, are you moved by my second sister?" Zhang Xuan glanced at him.

At that time, he wanted to introduce his second sister to this guy, but he kept declining, thinking that there was no chance, but unexpectedly, there was a turning point, and suddenly there was a chance again.

A few days ago, his second sister's letter had just arrived, vaguely mentioning that she and Chen Yuan were making good progress, telling him to be honest with Chen Yuan in the future and not to be rude.

"Wan Shu is indeed good, you're far behind."

Chen Yuan waved his sleeves, and a jar of spirit wine immediately appeared on the table. This was something he brought from the capital, considered top-grade.

Zhang Xuan stepped forward, opened the wine jar, moved his nose, and his eyes lit up:

"Good wine."

"Specially brought for you."

"You're a dignified Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, and you only brought one jar?"

"Are you drinking it or not?"

"Drink!"

Four side dishes, paired with a pot of priceless spirit wine, Chen Yuan and Zhang Xuan drank together in the room in Nanling Prefecture, drinking three jars of spirit wine in a row.

Because he didn't use his true essence to dissolve it, Zhang Xuan's face was already flushed slightly.

It was a pity to tell Chen Yuan. He had just been transferred to the South, and he had to return to the capital to take office, making it difficult to get together. If possible, it wouldn't hurt to work under him.

With a decisive superior, who in the Jianghu would dare to provoke him?

But Chen Yuan just smiled. Before, he was the superior, and now he was the subordinate. Ordinary people would really be awkward, and he just regarded it as Zhang Xuan's drunken talk and didn't take it to heart.

With the improvement of his status, fewer and fewer people were qualified to be Chen Yuan's friends. Most of them were weighing the pros and cons of interests, not as pure as when he was weak.

Therefore, Chen Yuan cherished these few guys who were willing to go to any lengths for their friends.

This meal of wine lasted for several hours. Zhang Xuan lowered his head and lay on the ground, muttering:

"Chen, my second sister used to be very good to me. If you still treat me as a friend, you must not let her down, otherwise, we'll be..."

Before he could finish his words, he passed out.

Chen Yuan smiled with his hands behind his back:

"Don't worry."

Confirming that Zhang Xuan was just drunk and there were no other problems, he did not stay any longer. He had already announced his complete return in Qingzhou.

There was no need for this in Nanling Prefecture.

He quickly disappeared without a trace, as if he had never appeared.

About thirty breaths after Chen Yuan left, Zhang Xuan, who had been unconscious before, raised his head from the table, his eyes deep, and sighed softly.

From Nanling Prefecture City to Ping'an County City, Chen Yuan used a faster speed, almost crossing a hundred miles in an instant. When he looked down at this small county town, he quickly discovered the Wangfu that was under construction.

From the moment he became the Marquis of Wu'an, Ping'an County was his fiefdom.

Thinking about it, it was really interesting.

It was definitely a triumphant return.

It was a pity that the girl with the ponytail selling steamed buns on the street was gone. No one would secretly stuff him with eggs anymore. After she moved away, they never saw each other again, and each lived their own lives.

Chen Yuan could find her, but there was no need.

The road to rebellion was vigorous. Don't look at Chen Yuan's ambition, but no one knows if he can succeed. Being like Wang Ping, being an ordinary person and living a stable life, was already the life that countless people dreamed of.

Chen Yuan concealed his aura and walked on the streets of Ping'an County. The people on both sides of the road turned a blind eye to him. Today was a lively market day, and he saw many familiar faces.

There was the former widow, Madam Tie, Zhu Sihai of the Four Seas Gang, former neighbors, and his colleagues and subordinates when he was in the county government.

He walked all the way, like a stranger.

Only less than two years had passed, but it was like a sea change, and everything was different.

Chen Yuan's current state was somewhat strange, seemingly like a passerby, but also like a participant, because this was his starting point, and he rose here.

Inside the Lingtai, the purple Yuanshen closed his eyes and breathed. The Dragon Pearl that had not been refined before hung above the Yuanshen, and strands of pure spiritual energy poured into the Yuanshen.

He walked step by step, as if measuring the land.

Chen Yuan came to the Ping'an County Government and saw more familiar faces, and also saw Wu Qingfeng, who was currently handling official duties with a serious expression.

It seemed that he did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.

Wu Qingfeng could not be evaluated, but as an official, he was at least qualified, better than Li Mingqi.

After watching for a while in the county government, Chen Yuan moved again. His feet were like shrinking inches, and when he reappeared, he came to the Marquis's Mansion that was being built for him by the Ping'an County Government.

It covered a large area, as much as a thousand feet in size.

Although it was not yet completed, it had an extraordinary momentum.

The materials used were also top-grade. No one dared to move earth on the head of the notoriously fierce Marquis of Wu'an. Moreover, he was the pride of Ping'an County. Who would dare to be dishonest?

His road was not over yet, and he continued to walk.

Inside the Yanyu Building, Wang Ping was very happy, playing blind man's buff with several girls, and from time to time he let out a lewd smile, enjoying himself.

He liked cultivation, but his talent was too poor. Even with his help, the upper limit was very low. Therefore, he had never left Ping'an County from beginning to end.

Relying on Chen Yuan, he was doing well.

That was enough.

How many people dreamed of such a life but could not get it.

Chen Yuan was also happy to see his brother, who was very good to him, so happy. Life was short, and he should enjoy it in time.

After watching for a while, Chen Yuan came to the south of the city, the Sanhe Martial Arts Hall.

Just as Wang Ping borrowed Chen Yuan's light, Zhao Nanshan also borrowed the light. The return on investment was very amazing. At this moment, the entire martial arts hall had been expanded several times.

Nearly a hundred disciples practiced the Sanhe Boxing in unison, supervised by Zhao Nanshan's eldest disciple, Guo Xu, who was holding a bamboo stick in his hand. If anyone's posture was not standard, he would directly hit them with the stick.

Seeing that the disciples below were a little unconvinced, he slowly walked to a wooden stake and punched it.

The wooden stake exploded, and he turned around and said coldly:

"Practicing martial arts first requires practicing the stake. If your lower plate is unstable, what will you use to resist? This punch has twelve years of kung fu. Can you block it?"

"Continue practicing!"

In the backyard, Zhao Nanshan's originally gray hair had turned black, and the wrinkles on his face had disappeared for the most part, as if he had returned to his youth.

With the Black Jade Regeneration Ointment that Chen Yuan had given him last time, his injuries had also recovered.

It was just that he was a little old, and he had no hope of reaching the Tongxuan Realm in this life.

However, it was also very good to retire in this Ping'an County. Perhaps, he should be very grateful for his initial investment, which gave Chen Yuan a lot of help.

In exchange for a lifetime of peace.

Chen Yuan's face straightened, and he faced Zhao Nanshan and bowed from afar.

This bow was to thank him for his unreserved help.

Zhao Nanshan, who was sipping tea, seemed to sense something. He looked to the left front, rubbed his eyes, and saw that it was empty. He laughed and thought he had seen it wrong.

He continued to hum a little tune.

Continuing to walk, this time, Chen Yuan came to Ci'en Temple.

However, he did not go in. He stood for a moment, then turned and left.

The Dragon Pearl above the Yuanshen had basically melted at this moment, and Chen Yuan exuded an inexplicable Taoist rhyme, like a cool summer breeze, making people comfortable.

The last stop, the Chen Family Courtyard.

Chen Yuan walked through the door. As far as he could see, the small courtyard was not overgrown with weeds. Everything was as it had been many times before. He did not know why, but he suddenly smiled.

He entered the room, where there were three spiritual tablets, in order, his father, mother, and uncle.

He bent down and picked up the three incense sticks on the table, lit them, and bowed.

The Taoist rhyme around him reached its peak.

Suddenly, he came back to his senses, and the Yuanshen was complete and without leakage!

Observe the myriad states of living beings, refine the Taoist heart of the mortal world, comprehend the past of tens of thousands of people, break the limit of the Yuanshen!

(End of this chapter)