’So it really is the Celestial God Organization!’

Gu Zheng thought.

When he saw it just now, he had guessed it was related to the Celestial God Organization.

Now that it was confirmed, his mind was at ease.

"Miss Jin said the Celestial God Organization was suppressed by the major Noble Families and driven out of Great Zhou’s territory thousands of years ago?" Gu Zheng asked.

"That’s right."

Jin Yanzi nodded. "The Celestial God Organization is no different from Demon Fiends. No imperial court would allow such people to operate within its territory."

"And if discovered, they’re eradicated?" Gu Zheng pressed.

"Correct." Jin Yanzi’s gaze flickered. "Gu, have you seen members of the Celestial God Organization?"

"More or less," Gu Zheng said vaguely.

Members of the Celestial God Organization had secretly returned, lurking near the Royal Capital.

’There’s definitely a conspiracy afoot!’

From the conversation between Luo Cheng and the other party, it was clear this group was plotting something.

Capturing Gu Zheng alive was merely a secondary objective.

’I can’t believe Luo Cheng is actually connected to the Celestial God Organization. Or has he simply defected to them?’

...

After thanking Jin Yanzi, He Zheng, and Jiang Hanshan, Gu Zheng left the World Tower and headed straight for the Demon Slayer Bureau headquarters to find Xu Jianzhu.

With the Celestial God Organization involved, he naturally had to report to his superiors.

If he could get Xu Jianzhu to come along, taking down this Celestial God Organization stronghold would be practically guaranteed.

Most importantly, he could seal Luo Cheng’s fate!

With Xu Jianzhu as a witness, no one could save him.

Luo Cheng was currently in the middle of a breakthrough and would find it difficult to even speak.

However, when he arrived at the Demon Slayer Bureau headquarters, he was told that Xu Jianzhu had gone to the palace, with no known time of return.

Gu Zheng thought for a moment and left a message for Elder Yang to relay.

The message was that there was a Celestial God Organization stronghold in the hills ten li outside the South City.

Elder Yang’s expression changed drastically. He guaranteed he would report it immediately upon Xu Jianzhu’s return.

Gu Zheng thanked him.

Then, he hurried to the Observatory to find Yue Zhongshi.

He bluntly told the Vice Director that Luo Cheng was a traitor, an undercover agent for the Celestial God Organization.

Yue Zhongshi was half-skeptical but went with Gu Zheng.

After leaving the Observatory, Gu Zheng made a trip to the Dragon Guard Bureau to find Chen Wuji.

Using the same information, he asked Chen Wuji to come along as well.

Finally, Gu Zheng went to the Divine Capture Bureau and requested Zhuge Tianxing’s presence.

This longtime friend of Meng Taiqi listened to Gu Zheng’s account and, without a second word, immediately came with him.

The Observatory, the Dragon Guard Bureau, the Divine Capture Bureau, plus Gu Zheng, a Grand General from the Demon Slayer Bureau.

Four Government Offices, mobilized together!

’If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it thoroughly.’

With four departments acting in concert, Luo Cheng was finished, no matter how powerful his backing.

...

Gu Zheng led the way.

The group of four headed straight for the underground space ten li south of the city.

Upon entering, Gu Zheng remained concealed.

The other three did much the same, suppressing their auras and using various methods to hide their forms.

All four were in the Heroic Body Realm. Without the slightest fear, they went straight into the underground cavern.

First, they found Luo Cheng.

They saw the insignia of the Celestial God Organization and its members walking about.

Luo Cheng, a Grand General of the Demon Slayer Bureau, was able to attempt a breakthrough here in peace.

Anyone could tell there was something wrong with him!

"Let’s capture him and take him back first."

Yue Zhongshi barked coldly, his Divine Wondrous power surging as he sent a telepathic message to Gu Zheng and the other two. "We’ll take Luo Cheng back for a proper interrogation!"

’Take Luo Cheng back?’

’And let him reveal that I have a Divine Weapon Fragment?’

BOOM!

Without a second thought, Gu Zheng threw a punch.

Empowered by his Furious Fist Intent, a strike carrying the overwhelming momentum of ten thousand stampeding beasts shot toward Luo Cheng. The blow interrupted his breakthrough, wounded his Spirit, and sent his body flying like a broken ragdoll. He spat blood in midair before crashing violently against the cavern wall, creating a deep crater. The sharp crack of breaking bones echoed through the cavern.

"Who’s there?"

"Damn it, it’s the Jing Country’s lapdogs! Kill them!"

"..."

The sudden commotion alerted the entire underground space. Agitated members of the Celestial God Organization shouted in shock and rage, pouring out from various caves and charging toward Gu Zheng, Yue Zhongshi, and the other two.

Of course, some members of the Celestial God Organization immediately tried to escape through smaller tunnels.

BOOM! BOOM!

Muffled thuds erupted.

The wind from fists howled and the force of palms roared.

Chen Wuji and Zhuge Tianxing struck swiftly. As their figures flickered, they unleashed the pressure of the Heroic Body Realm, stunning the running members of the Celestial God Organization. They killed them one by one.

"Look what you’ve done!"

Yue Zhongshi glared at Gu Zheng before joining the fray. Unleashing his Heroic Body Realm pressure, he charged toward the middle-aged man Gu Zheng had seen on his last visit—another Heroic Body Realm cultivator.

The man attacked, bringing with him billowing black smoke and a corrosive aura that rushed toward Yue Zhongshi.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The moment they clashed, terrifying shockwaves erupted. Powerful Qi rampaged, destroying the stone walls and floor, leaving deep gouges in its wake.

Dust and powder rained down from the ceiling, accompanied by the ceaseless sound of cracking.

BOOM!

Gu Zheng threw a punch, causing two members of the Celestial God Organization who were charging at him to explode.

’These people are strange. They can still move despite the pressure of a Heroic Body Realm expert.’

Gu Zheng ignored it for the moment and walked into the cave where Luo Cheng was.

His breakthrough interrupted, Luo Cheng lay on the ground, having taken a direct hit from Gu Zheng. His face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and his aura was incredibly weak. Seeing Gu Zheng approach, he struggled to lift his head and rasped, "You..."

SHING!

A flash of blade light, thin as a thread, streaked across his neck.

THUD.

Luo Cheng’s head slid cleanly from his neck and rolled twice on the ground.

The Invisibility Cloak lay in a heap nearby. Gu Zheng thought for a moment but decided not to touch it.

Luo Cheng was backed by Jin Pang, the Commander of the Guangzhou Demon Slayer Bureau.

This cloak, along with the hidden weapon used to ambush him before, was likely given to him by Jin Pang.

With Yue Zhongshi, Chen Wuji, and the others here, killing Luo Cheng was already the greatest reward.

As for spoils of war, it was better not to take any.

...

BANG! BANG! BANG!

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The sounds of explosions, detonations, and tremors.

The commotion from a battle between Heroic Body Realm experts was immense.

Yue Zhongshi, Chen Wuji, Zhuge Tianxing, and Gu Zheng all aimed for their enemies’ vital points with every strike.

Their terrifying destructive power destroyed more than half of the underground space in just a few moves, punching large holes straight through to the surface.

Not a single member of the Celestial God Organization in the underground space escaped.

The two Heroic Body Realm experts were driven out of the underground space by an explosive assault from Yue Zhongshi and Zhuge Tianxing. One died on the mountain outside, the other in the river.

Those below the Heroic Body Realm either exploded into a mist of blood or were left mangled and dismembered.

By the time Xu Jianzhu tore through the sky and arrived at the underground space, the battle was over.

Of the nearly one hundred members of the Celestial God Organization, only three were left alive as captives. All the others had been killed.

"Luo Cheng is dead too?"

Xu Jianzhu frowned, looking at Luo Cheng’s decapitated corpse.

"He’s dead."

Yue Zhongshi, still steaming from the fight, shot a glance at Gu Zheng and said irritably, "The guy defected to the Celestial God Organization, so he got what he deserved. But I’m very curious, what exactly did Luo Cheng do to provoke you?"

Yue Zhongshi looked at Gu Zheng, his expression full of doubt. "If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes just now, I would have suspected you of deliberately framing Luo Cheng, dead set on killing him."

"It’s nothing much."

Gu Zheng responded calmly, "When I was in the Dahuashan passage and entered the Demon Realm to slay a third-rank Great Demon, Luo Cheng ambushed me from behind. As for the reason, it was probably because when the Electric Giant Python was threatening the Dahuashan passage, Luo Cheng couldn’t defeat it, whereas I severely wounded it."

"...So you’re saying Luo Cheng was jealous of you? And he followed you into the passage to ambush and kill you in the Demon Realm?" Yue Zhongshi frowned. "That sounds a bit far-fetched. Was Luo Cheng really that petty?"

"Whether he was petty or not is a question for Luo Cheng, or you could ask others."

Gu Zheng glanced at Yue Zhongshi and said coolly, "The guard stationed at the Dahuashan passage, Huang Hongyuan—Lord Huang—can also testify."

"Huang Hongyuan?" Yue Zhongshi’s eyebrows shot up, and he said no more.

"Haha, it seems Lord Yue doesn’t know Luo Cheng very well."

Zhuge Tianxing, his hair and beard completely white with a long goatee, laughed heartily. "This Luo Cheng came from a servant background. He was insecure, sensitive, and petty, as well as being cold to the point of heartlessness. He would stop at nothing to grow stronger. If not a hundred, then at least eighty of his comrades from the Demon Slayer Bureau have died at his hands. All of these points can be verified and investigated."

"However, Luo Cheng’s talent was outstanding, and he was always favored by Jin Pang. That’s why his misdeeds could be continuously suppressed."

"Lord Zhang of the Ministry of Justice’s third son died a tragic death in Shangyang Prefecture City. Lord Yue, you’ve heard of this matter, haven’t you?"

"The murderer was Luo Cheng!"

"After our Divine Capture Bureau investigated it thoroughly, we wanted to arrest Luo Cheng, but Commander Jin Pang blocked us."

At this, Zhuge Tianxing glanced at Xu Jianzhu and chuckled lightly. "And Lord Xu also stepped in to protect Luo Cheng..."

"That’s enough."

Xu Jianzhu’s expression turned ugly. He waved a hand, cutting him off. "There’s no need to bring up the past. Luo Cheng is dead, so the cases can all be closed."

’Dead, so the case can be closed?’

If the one who said that hadn’t been Xu Jianzhu, a King’s Body Realm expert, Zhuge Tianxing really would have spat in his face.

Gu Zheng had remained silent throughout. Hearing their conversation now, he chuckled to himself.

’It seems Xu Jianzhu isn’t without his own selfish motives.’

*Cough.*

Clearing his throat, Chen Wuji spoke up. "The Celestial God Organization’s plot here has mostly been figured out. I searched every cave and found that five of the larger ones were all equipped with Teleportation Arrays."

"Teleportation Arrays?" Yue Zhongshi frowned.

"Yes. Based on calculations from the Array Plates, they connect directly to a Teleportation Array within the Royal Capital City," Chen Wuji said grimly. "The Third Prince’s wedding is just around the corner. For the Celestial God Organization to sneak in and set up Teleportation Arrays... it must be to facilitate their sabotage!"

"Doesn’t that mean Gu has performed a great service this time?"

Zhuge Tianxing looked at Gu Zheng and smiled. "Without Gu, the Celestial God Organization’s plot would have unfolded, and we wouldn’t have even known they were behind it."

"Indeed."

Chen Wuji looked at Gu Zheng with admiration. "It’s all thanks to Gu this time for thwarting the Celestial God Organization’s plot ahead of schedule. Lord Xu, you mustn’t be stingy with the rewards."

"The Demon Slayer Bureau has always been clear in its rewards and punishments."

Xu Jianzhu regained his composure. He looked at Gu Zheng and said seriously, "For thwarting the Celestial God Organization’s plot, Gu Zheng, come to the Demon Slayer Bureau headquarters tomorrow and find me to receive the complete All Heaven Jade Void Skill Heroic Body Chapter."

"Furthermore, I’ll ask Lord Zhuge, Lord Chen, and Lord Yue to write a joint letter of recommendation. It will make it easier for me to petition the Sovereign to grant Gu Zheng a high-grade Spiritual Soldier!"