In the city of Qingling Prefecture, a magnificent and imposing mansion stood tall.
Before the mansion's main gate hung a plaque made of fine pear wood, upon which two large characters were clearly carved.
Luo Residence!
This extraordinary residence was none other than the home of Luo Jin, the Anzhou Surveillance Commissioner, and the ancestral home of Luo Jinghe, the Assistant Administrator of Baidao Prefecture.
However, at this moment, the atmosphere within the Luo Residence was such that passersby could sense an inexplicable aura of grimness.
Even more astonishing was that several glaring white lanterns were hung without any reservation in front of the Luo Residence's gate.
Inside the once eerily quiet main hall of the Luo Residence, several desperate and pained cries could now be heard.
"Jinghe ah!"
"And my beloved grandchildren!"
"I am filled with hatred!"
In the hall, an old man who appeared to be over ninety years old sat in the main seat, clad in a thin silk robe.
He was Luo Jinghe's biological father, Luo Jin!
He was also the martial arts teacher of Anzhou's Prince An, Xia Mingqing, and a martial artist who had reached the Great Accomplishment of the Inner Energy Realm.
Luo Jin's wrinkled right hand held a slip of paper the size of a palm.
The contents of the paper caused Luo Jin to weep with sorrow, his turbid eyes filled with horrifying blood streaks.
With his grief-stricken emotions fluctuating rapidly, a terrifying aura emanated from Luo Jin's body.
The small slip of paper he held tightly in his hand was blasted into dust by the invisible energy.
The small slip of paper contained a message sent back overnight by Luo Jin's informant in Baidao Prefecture.
The descendants left behind by Jinghe had all died unexpectedly yesterday.
A few days ago, when the Prefectural Governor informed him, Luo Jin had almost fainted from anger.
He was told that his eldest son, Luo Jinghe, had harmed the Blackbird Guards and colluded with them in secret, and had been executed on the spot by the Blackbird Guards!
Now, before Luo Jin could even recover, another shocking piece of bad news had arrived from Baidao Prefecture.
"Why!"
"Baidao Prefecture Blackbird Guards, my Luo family has no grievances or hatred with you, why must you exterminate Jinghe's entire family?"
"I swear, I will never let you off!"
"He Yan, a Blackbird Guard who had just broken through to the Inner Energy Realm, actually dared to execute a court official without authorization, how dare he!"
"How dare he do such a thing!"
Luo Jin had learned all the details from the Prefectural Governor.
Luo Jinghe's death was related to He Yan, the Deputy Envoy of the Blackbird Guards in Baidao Prefecture.
He Yan had personally captured him, and He Yan had sent people to search Jinghe's residence for evidence.
Therefore, this Blackbird Guard Deputy Envoy, He Yan, was the real culprit behind Jinghe's death in Baidao Prefecture.
Yes, Luo Jin attributed all the blame for his eldest son Luo Jinghe's death to He Yan.
It wasn't that Luo Jin was senile; he also suspected that Luo Jinghe's death was definitely related to the new Baidao Prefecture Envoy.
However, the Blackbird Guard Envoys of each prefecture were all martial artists who had reached the Great Accomplishment of the Inner Energy Realm, existences at the same martial arts level as him.
Even if Luo Jin wanted to seek revenge, it would only result in a lose-lose situation.
But that He Yan was different, merely a martial artist who had just entered the Inner Energy Realm.
Luo Jin planned to deal with He Yan first, and then slowly plan his next move.
Once Luo Jin found an opportunity, he would definitely not let Lu Xuan off.
The original Baidao Prefecture Envoy, Li Chengfeng, had already returned to Tiandu.
This new Baidao Prefecture Envoy was a person of unknown origin.
He was only temporarily filling Li Chengfeng's position as the Baidao Prefecture Envoy.
"A member of the Li family?"
"Even if he is a member of the Li family, I will never let this matter rest."
Luo Jin, being in a high position, naturally knew about Li Chengfeng's background.
He was from the Li family, one of the eight great families in Tiandu.
Thinking of the Li family's power, the furious emotions deep within Luo Jin calmed down a bit.
Hmph!
Tiandu doesn't just have the Li family; don't think that I am afraid of your Li family.
He also came from the Luo family, one of the eight great families in Tiandu... a collateral branch!
Although he wasn't as important as Li Chengfeng, who was from the Li family's main line, Luo Jin had another special identity.
He was also the martial arts teacher of Emperor Tianqi's tenth son, Xia Mingqing, Prince An.
After thinking of Prince An, Luo Jin's thoughts became active.
Then, Luo Jin glanced ahead, where two men in their thirties were kneeling, pretending to weep bitterly.
"What are you two doing kneeling here? Quickly prepare the carriage."
"Father wants to personally go to the An Prince Residence to pay respects to Prince An!"
"Yes, Father, your sons will go down and prepare the carriage."
The two men had haggard faces and looked as if they were indulging in excessive pleasure; they were the two sons born to Luo Jin by his concubines.
This was also why Luo Jin was determined to avenge his eldest son, Luo Jinghe.
Luo Jinghe was the son born to him by his first wife, and his martial arts talent was no less than his own.
He was the only person in the Luo family who had the hope of breaking through to the Inner Energy Realm and succeeding him as the head of the Luo family.
But now, with Luo Jinghe's death, there was no one to take over as the next head of the Luo family.
His only remaining two sons were both good-for-nothings, indulging in pleasure and causing trouble in the Qingling Prefecture area, oppressing the common people.
If it weren't for his presence, these two useless sons of his would have been captured by the government and beheaded as a warning to others.
"Alas!"
"The Luo family's legacy, I never thought that one day it would be ruined in my hands."
"Jinghe ah, rest assured, Father will do everything in his power to avenge you."
"That He Yan, and that Lu Xuan, I will never let them off, rest in peace!"
Luo Jin gritted his teeth and muttered softly.
He was already halfway in the grave and wouldn't live for many more years.
Luo Jin thought that before he died, he would eliminate those who had harmed Jinghe.
That way, even if he died in the future.
The Luo family could rely on the remaining influence he had left behind over the years to survive in this Qingling Prefecture for a period of time.
Luo Jin seemed to have thought of something else and said coldly towards the outside of the hall.
"Someone, prepare pen and ink for this official."
"This official wants to submit a memorial to the imperial court!"
This so-called Lu Xuan probably doesn't know this official's identity and another power, right?
That is, as the Surveillance Commissioner of a state, he can monitor the actions of Anzhou officials and report them to the emperor.
This was Luo Jin's most important trump card, and the reason why the officials of Anzhou respected him so much.
Of course, as the Surveillance Commissioner, Luo Jin could only monitor ordinary court officials.
The Blackbird Guards just happened to be outside of Luo Jin's surveillance range.
However, Luo Jinghe, as the Assistant Administrator of Baidao Prefecture, was related to Luo Jin.
Luo Jin wanted to submit a memorial to the imperial court, accusing Lu Xuan, the Blackbird Guard Envoy of Baidao Prefecture, and He Yan, the Deputy Envoy of Baidao Prefecture.
