Chapter 703: Dawn
In fact, Qi Xuansu had some guesses about the identities of the others. According to Xie Linyuan, members of the Qingping Society were constrained by their dual identities, which meant that people like Dreaming Cloud and Ceremony Prelude were most likely based in the capital or surrounding regions such as Zhili.
There were also Madam Qi’s subordinates. Qi Xuansu was certain that Drunken Whip was most likely from the Divine Central Guard. Heavenly Fairy was capable of monitoring the Xuanhui Court, and Red Robes Lover, who had ties with members of the Ziguang Society, was likely a local powerhouse in the Imperial Capital.
To uncover the true situation at Wuxing Mountain, assistance from these people would be essential.
Qi Xuansu glanced at the sky, then looked toward Saintly Peace beside him.
Xie Linyuan said slowly, “The reason I didn’t return to the capital was because I had just escaped a dangerous situation, and the Imitation Shebishi Venom flared up, nearly causing my innate qi to spiral out of control. I had no choice but to stay hidden and suppress it. Even after removing the poison, I haven’t fully recovered my cultivation, though at least my innate qi is stable again. It’s like recovering from a serious illness, still weak, but no longer wracked with chills. For now, I’ll focus on recuperating. This sort of mission is better left to Madam Qi.”
Qi Xuansu nodded.
After a short discussion, the two men decided to return to the Imperial Capital from the western gate. The city gates were not yet open, so of course, they climbed the walls. As long as the capital’s warding formation was not active, scaling its walls under the cover of night for Heavenly Beings was no different from an ordinary person hopping over a low fence.
After all, the expansion of the outer city was meant to deter invading land armies, not Heavenly Beings.
The inner city was the true heart of the Imperial Capital and a different matter altogether. It was managed by the Tianchen Division. However, both Xie Linyuan and Qi Xuansu had official identities and could enter the inner city openly.
Their entry into the city went without incident. Though Prince Liao had indeed tightened security via the Divine Central Guard, without any senior officers personally overseeing operations, there was no way they could detect the two.
In the dynamic between the emperor and the Imperial Cabinet, the emperor naturally held more authority. However, the emperor held the power of appointment, while the Cabinet controlled administration. All edicts issued came from the Cabinet. If the emperor wished to impose his will, he would have to appoint obedient officials. But for the sake of balance in court, the high-ranking officials of the Cabinet could not be casually replaced, which in turn formed a check on imperial authority.