The vehicle sped along, its police lights flashing.
Inside the Fengdun Bureau's special car, Ying Chen, far from showing any trace of nervousness or unease, instead calmly closed his eyes.
Seeing Ying Chen's demeanor, the six-fingered man in black couldn't help but feel a slight easing of his anxious heart.
He was truly afraid.
He still couldn't fathom where someone of Ying Chen's caliber had emerged from.
He wasn't unfamiliar with disciples from the Five Great Sects, and had even sparred with them amicably.
However, even when outmatched, none had ever faced him with such a complete lack of resistance as Ying Chen.
Ying Chen's strength was far superior, even among the Five Great Sects!
Such a person, and yet he was merely an unknown rogue cultivator with no sect affiliation?
The thought alone seemed absurd.
But that was no longer important. What mattered was that Ying Chen was about to become a stepping stone for his rise to prominence!
Such a massive stepping stone made him tremble with excitement!
"You're very happy?"
To his surprise, Ying Chen spoke at this moment.
"Ah? No, no," the six-fingered man in black quickly denied.
"How long has your organization been established?"
"Not too long, actually, just a few decades! Our country started late in this regard, unlike foreign countries that established such organizations long ago, cultivated many such experts, and even plundered top-secret data from ancient civilizations..." the six-fingered man in black replied casually.
"Oh. So, besides apprehending heterodox elements, what else do you usually do? Do you research relevant data or historical documents?"
"We do that too! But I rarely research; my main responsibilities are case handling and field operations. Those things you mentioned are usually handled by internal affairs personnel. They also have a dedicated research group specifically for studying the evolutionary direction of martial arts and sorcery..."
Midway through, the six-fingered man in black suddenly fell silent.
Ying Chen, who had been listening with great interest, was dismayed by the abrupt halt and urged, "Keep talking!"
"Talking about what? You are currently a suspect! I am a public servant! We are adversaries! And we're having a casual chat... Please be serious, alright?" the six-fingered man in black retorted.
Ying Chen shrugged, "Alright. We can continue our conversation when we get to your bureau. It'll be more convenient there anyway."
The six-fingered man in black merely sneered inwardly.
Convenient?
When you get into the Heaven-grade prison, you'll know what's convenient!
You might not even have the opportunity to relieve yourself then!
Soon, the car weaved its way through numerous turns and entered a tunnel.
Upon entering the tunnel, the car didn't proceed to the other side but instead drove directly towards the wall.
A large gate slowly rose, revealing a secret base behind the wall.
The words "Fengdun Bureau Eastern Province Branch" came into view.
The Fengdun Bureau had a total of five branches, located in the east, west, south, north, and center, each governing affairs in their respective regions.
The six-fingered man in black belonged to the Eastern Province Branch.
"Lin Group!"
"Lin Group!"
As the car stopped, sentries immediately greeted the six-fingered man in black.
It seemed he held a significant position within this branch.
"Hoo!" the six-fingered man in black exhaled heavily.
All the way here, he had been cautious and apprehensive, fearing that Ying Chen might suddenly change his mind and erupt in violence.
Fortunately, there were no major incidents, and they had safely returned to the branch!
Upon returning to the branch, the roles of caution and apprehension should now shift.
The one who should be cautious and apprehensive should be Ying Chen!
"What are you waiting for? Get out of the car, quickly!"
The six-fingered man in black transformed, his attitude becoming extremely harsh.
He was no longer the timid and cautious person he had been.
Ying Chen, however, remained unfazed, completely ignoring the six-fingered man's rude attitude.
He stepped out of the car and began to survey the structure of the Eastern Province Branch on his own.
"Much more imposing than in my time," Ying Chen concluded after his inspection.
The six-fingered man in black was stunned.
"In his time?"
Could it be that Ying Chen had also worked for the Fengdun Bureau?
Or was this not Ying Chen's first time at the Fengdun Bureau, but his second or third visit?
With this thought, the six-fingered man in black couldn't help but elevate Ying Chen's danger level by another notch.
He secretly issued a command, signaling the entire branch to be on standby for immediate support.
What the six-fingered man in black didn't know was that Ying Chen's "time" referred to two thousand years ago.
And Ying Chen wasn't referring to the Fengdun Bureau, but to the Xuanniao Department, an organization with similar functions.
The Great Qin revered the mysterious and believed in the totem of the "mysterious bird laying an egg." Therefore, after the First Emperor unified the six states, he established an organization called the Xuanniao Department.
Its duty was to monitor all sorcerers in the realm!
And the leader of the Xuanniao Department was none other than Ying Chen!
The First Emperor's act, criticized by countless people—the burning of books and burying of scholars—was actually orchestrated by Ying Chen.
However, the incident was not as the historical records described, where countless scholars were killed, hindering cultural transmission. In reality, those who were buried alive were a group of heterodox sorcerers who defied royal decrees and harmed the populace.
There was a fundamental difference between the two.
But later dynasties, to demonstrate their "obeying the will of heaven and legitimate succession," deliberately distorted this fact, forcibly classifying it as one of the First Emperor's tyrannical acts.
In modern times, many scholars had already uncovered this truth and begun writing articles to correct the public perception.
It was only a matter of time before the First Emperor was completely exonerated.
"Where do I go in?" Ying Chen asked proactively after surveying the Eastern Province Branch.
This made the six-fingered man in black chuckle.
Others might lure a person into a trap, but Ying Chen was actively walking into it himself!
The six-fingered man in black couldn't help but suspect that Heaven itself was rewarding him for his years of diligent service!
What difference was there between this and a trap falling from the sky?
None at all!
"This way," the six-fingered man in black said calmly.
He deliberately led Ying Chen towards the entrance of the passage to the Heaven-grade prison!
Ying Chen, as if oblivious, without any hesitation, walked towards the entrance of the Heaven-grade prison.
"Do I keep going straight?"
Ying Chen even turned back to ask!
The six-fingered man in black quickly nodded, "Yes! Keep going all the way to the end!"
After saying this, he couldn't help but feel ecstatic inwardly.
He had previously thought Ying Chen was such a formidable figure, but now it seemed he was just strong in physique and weak in mind!
Entering the Heaven-grade prison was akin to entering a graveyard!
Don't even think about coming out alive!
Let alone the tightly guarded and terrifying mechanisms within the Heaven-grade prison, the heterodox cultivators imprisoned there alone were enough to tear Ying Chen to shreds!
Those guys had been lonely for a long time, constantly anticipating a new arrival for their amusement!
"New arrival!"
"New arrival!"
"Great, finally a new arrival!"
"Thank heavens, God finally heard my prayer and sent me a little cutie!"
From the end of the pitch-black passage, hoarse and unpleasant voices echoed.
Simultaneously, pairs of eyes like those of hungry wolves lit up, accompanied by the clanking of chains!
The temperature in the entire passage plummeted, and a cold and terrifying aura quietly permeated, engulfing Ying Chen.
Behind Ying Chen, a deafening roar sounded.
A heavy iron door descended, completely cutting off Ying Chen's escape route!