Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 426: External Affairs Office

The night was deep, and the autumn wind blew desolately.

Su Ming had already returned beneath the towering city walls of the Great Xing capital before dawn.

This time, he didn't pause for a moment, heading straight for the Eastern City.

Following Elder Qingquan's guidance, he navigated through a maze of intricate alleyways and finally stopped before an unremarkable courtyard gate.

The gate wasn't large; it was even somewhat worn, and a weathered wooden sign hung above it, bearing four characters painted in faded black lacquer—"Four Seas Trading Company."

There wasn't a trace of spiritual energy fluctuation here. It looked like a general store on the verge of bankruptcy, blending in with the noisy civilian residences around it, utterly unremarkable. Without Elder Qingquan's explicit directions, no one could have imagined this place was the Cloud Hidden Sect's intelligence hub in this mortal imperial capital.

Su Ming adjusted the bamboo hat on his head, smoothed out his slightly travel-worn robes, and pushed the door open, stepping inside.

The shop's interior was small, the lighting dim, and the air carried a stale smell of dust and assorted goods. The shelves held a sparse collection of local products from all corners of the land—from Southern Frontier spices to Northern furs, everything imaginable—but all were covered in a thin layer of dust, clearly indicating business wasn't thriving.

Behind the counter stood only an elderly man with white hair and a beard, hunched over, wiping a dusty clay pot with a grimy rag, moving slowly and lazily.

Su Ming's divine sense swept over him lightly, and his heart stirred slightly.This old man was unmistakably a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Though he had restrained his aura to the extreme, making him almost indistinguishable from a mortal, the unique, time-honed aura of a cultivator couldn't fool Su Ming, who was also at Foundation Establishment.

"Customer, looking to buy something?"

The old man seemed to sense someone enter, looked up, and revealed a face covered in wrinkles. His eyes were cloudy, making him appear like a completely ordinary, dying mortal elder.

Su Ming didn't speak.

He walked to the counter, reached into his robe, and took out his True Disciple token, placing it gently on the counter.

It was a token made from ten-thousand-year Soul-Nourishing Wood. On its front was carved the Cloud Hidden Sect's auspicious cloud emblem, and on the back was an archaic character, "Xuan," representing his apprenticeship under Xuanheng Zhenren. Though the token itself had no spiritual energy fluctuation, its unique material and craftsmanship were impossible to counterfeit.

The moment the old man's cloudy eyes saw the token, they suddenly erupted with a dazzling, brilliant light!

The rag and clay pot in his hands clattered to the floor, but he didn't even notice. His hunched back instantly straightened, and his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation. The heavy, mountain-like aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator flashed briefly, then was forcibly suppressed.

A mix of shock, excitement, and extreme reverence surged across the old man's face.

stepped out from behind the counter and bowed deeply, deeply to

Capital Station junior

kept extremely low, but it

no need for such formality." Su Ming retrieved

"Please, follow me, Milord!"

negligence. He quickly led the way, guiding Su Ming into a secret chamber

arranged. Its walls were built from thick Blue Granite, faintly inscribed

the chamber, Zhou Tong bowed to Su Ming once more before speaking respectfully, "This old man has been stationed here for thirty years, yet this is the first time I've been honored by a True Disciple's personal visit. May I ask what orders Milord

utterly humble, but his sharp eyes were discreetly sizing Su Ming up. He was full of doubt—why would a highly esteemed True Disciple come so low-key

didn't beat around the bush. He placed the black token engraved with the character "Ming" and the secret letter

Clerk Zhou,

Puppet Cavalry, the black-robed cultivator controlling them

said solemnly, "Elder Qingquan has personally gone to the Northern Barbarian to investigate and ordered me to deliver these items to you immediately, instructing you

and secret letter. The more he read, the more serious his expression

Soul Banner," his wrinkled old

have set their sights on the mortal people of both nations! Refining a Ten Thousand Soul Banner with one hundred thousand living souls... What an audacious scheme! What a

looked up at Su Ming, his eyes full of fear and gratitude: "Milord, this matter is of grave importance! If you hadn't discovered and killed that fiend in time, once the Ten Thousand Soul Banner was successfully refined, not only Great Xing and the Northern Barbarian, but even the area within a thousand li of our Cloud Hidden Sect's mountain gate would have been turned into a

to the sect using

spoke, Zhou Tong turned to activate

Ming suddenly

turned around, puzzled: "Does Milord have further

as if weighing something. Finally, he

Su

If this old man can do it, I'll

the secret letter, and his eyes

External Affairs Office... find a

the Emperor?" Zhou Tong was taken aback, clearly not understanding Su Ming's intention. "Milord, this is a conflict between us cultivators. The mortal emperor... likely

head, a

need isn't for him

then spoke each

secretly colludes with evil cultivators, using the corpses of fallen soldiers as materials to refine Corpse

secret letter is ironclad proof of his treason and collusion with the enemy! I need the External Affairs Office to turn this ironclad proof into a blade delivered to the Emperor's hand—a blade sharp enough to topple

With his keen mind, he