The man fell silent upon hearing this. After a long while, he sighed softly, "Fine, if you insist, then so be it."
"I will keep watch near the Prefectural City. As soon as the Inspector arrives, I will inform you." After Chu Chen left.
The man stood up, his eyes gleaming, and murmured, "Inspector, you must not disappoint me.
Otherwise, my sister and I will have no choice but to seek refuge in another prefectural city, or even build our own."
The next day, as the morning glow illuminated the entire sky, the people within the Prefectural City poured onto the streets, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.
"Quick, go and see! This time, the Blackwater Sect is coming to attack our Prefectural City. This time, our Northern Barren Prefectural City has lost over thirty experts!"
"Hmph, these bastards from the Blackwater Sect, relying on the support of Black Wind Valley, are simply too overbearing!"
The crowd chattered, filled with indignation, wishing they could immediately charge towards the Blackwater Sect and seek justice.
At this moment, within the Northern Barren Prefectural City, a carriage was parked in front of the Prefectural Office.
This carriage had a distinctive appearance, with various gemstones inlaid around its wheels, and at the top of the carriage.
hung a ferocious greatsword, its blade incomparably sharp, resembling a skull, sending chills down one's spine.
"The Blackwater Sect is here!"
"Everyone, make way, lest you offend the distinguished guests!" With the sound of hooves trampling the ground, a middle-aged man in black robes slowly emerged from the carriage.
His skin was as dark as charcoal, his temples were streaked with white, and he was powerfully built, exuding an extremely sharp aura.
Beside the middle-aged man walked a handsome young man.
"Father, this time our Blackwater Sect has allied with seven other major sects, totaling over five hundred people. It took us several days to finally capture this Northern Barren Prefectural City.
The population of this Northern Barren Prefectural City is only eight to nine thousand people, totaling no more than a hundred thousand. How can they be a match for our Blackwater Sect?" the handsome young man said arrogantly.
"Hmph, a mere prefectural city dares to call itself a prefecture, truly courting death. Our mission this time is not just to capture a prefectural city.
It is to completely annihilate the Northern Barren Prefecture, leaving no one alive!" the middle-aged man snorted coldly, his pupils tinged with scarlet blood, his eyeballs filled with bloodshot veins.
As if blood was flowing, it looked exceptionally eerie. Within his body, an incredibly powerful malevolent aura was contained.
This malevolent aura seemed to have materialized, enveloping an area of ten feet around him. Anyone locked onto by this aura could not help but tremble.
This was the murderous aura accumulated from slaughtering living beings. Having fought on battlefields for decades, he was long accustomed to mountains of corpses and seas of blood, having killed countless individuals.
To the left of the middle-aged man stood two women, both veiled, their figures graceful, and their demeanor refined.
Chu Chen happened to witness this scene as he approached.
"Who are you?" At this moment, a guard-like man approached, coldly scanning Chu Chen.
"My name is Chu Chen, a guard under the Inspector of the Prefectural Governor's Office," Chu Chen said calmly, his expression serene. "You don't need to mind me; go about your business."
Upon hearing the words 'Prefectural Governor's Office,' the man was slightly stunned, and his attitude immediately became respectful.
He cupped his fists and said, "So it's Commander Chu. Forgive my rudeness just now." Chu Chen nodded slightly, saying nothing more.
It was clear that Chu Chen's status in the Northern Barren Prefectural City was not low, but it was not exactly revered either. After all, Chu Chen was merely the captain of the Prefectural Governor's guards, while the middle-aged man's status was clearly higher.
"Is this the Prefectural Governor's Office? It's indeed grand. Its sheer area is much larger than our prefectural city."
"What a pity, no matter how large the Prefectural Governor's Office is, it will be breached today. The Blackwater Sect has been entrenched in our Northern Barren Prefectural City for decades, and this time we absolutely will not allow it to continue to exist."
As they passed by the streets near the Prefectural Governor's Office, everyone along the way was talking in low voices, their faces revealing intense hatred, as if they wished to uproot the Blackwater Sect.
Chu Chen noticed these unusual actions.
He recalled what the man in black had said last night, that the Blackwater Sect people were likely preparing to attack.
Not far away stood a two-story building, with a plaque hanging above it bearing the three large characters 'Prefectural Governor's Office.'
"Hmm?" Chu Chen suddenly felt something strange.
As he wandered through the streets near the Prefectural Governor's Office, he discovered shops with their doors closed. On the streets,
he occasionally saw one or two people, but they were all hiding, their expressions flustered, as if they were afraid of something.
"Has the prefectural city been plundered?" Chu Chen raised an eyebrow. "This is quite novel. I thought the defenses of the prefectural city
were so stringent that not even a fly could get in."
Chu Chen shook his head and walked directly towards the main gate of the Prefectural Governor's Office.
"Stop! Who allowed you to enter?" The guard at the gate blocked Chu Chen, his face icy cold, and he extended his right arm.
pointing to the insignia on Chu Chen's chest, "Look clearly, we don't welcome strangers here." Chu Chen glanced at the insignia and casually threw it to the guard.
The guard was stunned, staring blankly at Chu Chen, "You..."
"My surname is Chu, my given name is Chen," Chu Chen said with a smile. "I am a guard under the Inspector."
"What, the Inspector's guard?" The guard was startled. "Quick, quick, open the main gate! Brother Chu Chen, please wait a moment, I will immediately report to the Prefectural Lord!"
After saying that, the guard hurried off to find someone, while the other guards all gathered around.
They looked at Chu Chen with surprise, "So this is the Inspector's guard. We thought the Inspector himself would be coming."
"Heh heh, how profound is the Inspector's cultivation? How could he condescend to come to such a remote place?
I think he's definitely here to participate in the battle between the Blackwater Sect and our Northern Barren Prefecture."
"That's right. Although the Inspector is young, he is already at the Martial Lord realm, with boundless future prospects. Such a person would not care about us insignificant folk."
"I think he's just here to join the fun." Many people whispered, their gazes towards Chu Chen filled with disdain and mockery.
Chu Chen paid no mind to this. He looked up at the majestic and imposing mansion before him, "Since I'm here, I'll go in and take a look."
"Sir, I advise you not to barge in. If you anger the Blackwater Sect, you'll be in trouble!"
The guard warned, "If you insist on entering, you can do so. But first, state your name!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Chen's lips curved into a smile, "Alright, I'll tell you one thing: in the Northern Barren Prefecture, no one can stop me from entering the Prefectural Governor's Office except the Inspector."