Chapter 1371: Undercurrents Stir

At the dock, ships were loaded and unloaded, sails raised and lowered, livestock hauled cargo, and busy, hard-working people lent the place a touch of prosperity.

The sun was setting. Hai Wuji had closed his flatbread stall and was pulling the handcart back.

At some point, Zhuge Chi, dressed as a fisherman, had fallen into step beside him. He walked alongside but made no move to help pull the cart.

Smelling of smoke and cooking fire, Hai Wuji turned his head, saw who it was, then glanced around before asking quietly, "What is it?"

Zhuge Chi lowered his voice. "I have something to do and need to leave for a while. Their people will be responsible for protecting you."

Seeing that no one nearby was paying attention, Hai Wuji asked softly, "They've given you another task?"

Zhuge Chi said, "I don't know exactly what yet. I only just received word from that side. Quite a few things have happened in the cultivation world, and none of them were small. This side is preparing to launch a counterattack."

Hai Wuji sighed. "Go, then. Leave early and come back early."

Zhuge Chi was slightly surprised. He gestured with one hand.

Hai Wuji pulled the handcart to the side, away from the stream of people, and stopped by the roadside.

Seeing the calluses worn into Hai Wuji's hands from setting up the cart, Zhuge Chi said, "You've suffered."

Hai Wuji smiled. "Better than losing my life. I'm not as fragile as you think. Back when I was a hostage prince in Yan, I suffered far more than this. I still remember returning home and seeing Imperial Mother. When she saw what I'd become, she cried so bitterly... Ah, I truly want to go see her."

Zhuge Chi said, "Better not. At least not now, and you can't exchange letters with her again either. Misty Pavilion is certainly using the Empress Dowager as bait now. If you don't go see her, that's better for everyone. The moment you fall into Misty Pavilion's hands, the Empress Dowager's life will be over, and many others implicated in the matter will lose their lives as well. Only if you remain alive and well can the Empress Dowager remain alive and well."

Hai Wuji nodded. "A phoenix fallen to the ground is worse off than a chicken. However badly ordinary people fare, at least they can still reunite with their families. And me? My family is shattered and my kin are dead, my wife and children scattered. My own wife and daughters became slaves and servants, humiliated at will, turned into other people's playthings. My own sons and grandsons were slaughtered at will. I don't even have the right to see my relatives. Looking back, I can do nothing but sigh over it. I'm powerless to change any of it."

Zhuge Chi knew this was the pain buried deepest in Hai Wuji's heart, which was why he had never stopped dreaming of restoring his state. Even so, he voiced the question that had been bothering him. "Ever since we came here, you would grow uneasy whenever I left your side. Yet now you seem quite calm."

Hai Wuji glanced left and right, then answered, "The Shang Command Token. I've already handed it over to them. I can only place my hopes on their side now. If I don't accept things calmly, what else can I do?"

Zhuge Chi started. "What?"

...

A party of nine from Misty Pavilion departed Baichuan Valley on three flying mounts.

They had come once again over the matter of Lan Ming and Zhuge Chi, this time to verify the information Li Zhengfa had provided. Certain details had to be checked thoroughly. Since Lan Daolin was involved, they naturally had to determine whether anything was suspicious.

Not long after the party left Baichuan Valley, however, another flying mount rose obliquely into the sky and gradually drew level with them.

The nine watched it approach. Once they saw there was only one person aboard, and that the man was masked from head to toe, they immediately sensed something was wrong.

The leader shouted, "Who are you?"

The masked man gave no answer.

He acted.

Swish!

He flashed over like a phantom, with thunderous speed too swift even to cover one's ears. Three mournful cries rang out in succession as all three flying mounts died in midair.

The masked man streaked through the sky, striking again and again. Not one of the nine could withstand even a single blow.

Faced with such a powerful attacker, the survivors had no choice but to flee.

The masked man did not pursue them. He flashed back through the air, caught up with the flying mount he had arrived on, and rode it as it gradually descended.

As they neared the ground, he looked down almost as though conducting an inspection. Below, another group of masked men was surrounding and attacking the fleeing Misty Pavilion personnel.

...

Inside Baichuan Valley's council hall, the sect's senior leadership had gathered. Hearts were unsettled, and Sect Leader Yin Rushu wore a worried expression as he discussed matters with the others.

How could he not worry?

Several days earlier, Misty Pavilion had sent people to investigate. Then, a few days later, another Misty Pavilion party arrived.

There was no other reason.

They asked whether the earlier group had returned. Baichuan Valley naturally replied that they had left long ago.

The moment both sides compared notes, they realized something was wrong.

By all logic, the previous party should have returned to Misty Pavilion and reported in long ago. Yet there was no sign of them and no word whatsoever. What had happened?

Baichuan Valley naturally dispatched people to help search.

"Sect Leader, we've found them!" An elder suddenly burst into the council hall with an urgent report, interrupting the discussion.

Yin Rushu immediately asked, "Where are they? Why didn't they return to Misty Pavilion?"

The elder stamped his foot. "Everyone, something happened! About a hundred li southwest of us, we found three flying mounts and five corpses. Four others are missing. We don't know who attacked them!"

"What?" Everyone was badly startled.

Yin Rushu asked, "Are you certain they were Misty Pavilion's people?"

The elder said anxiously, "There can be no mistake. We couldn't find them at first. Hunters nearby accidentally discovered the bodies and reported them to the authorities. I went there personally to confirm it. They were definitely the same Misty Pavilion party that came last time."

Someone exclaimed, "They even dared move against Misty Pavilion's people and killed the flying mounts too? Who has that kind of nerve?"

Who possessed that kind of nerve no longer mattered.

Everyone was already panicking.

Misty Pavilion's people had come here to investigate a case. The moment they left, before they could even carry their findings back, they had been attacked not far from Baichuan Valley. No one knew whether Baichuan Valley could distance itself from the affair.

...

Within the State of Qin, more than a dozen Misty Pavilion personnel were crowded inside a mountain cave.

A masked man appeared at the entrance, pointed at one of them, and barked, "You. Come out!"

The man pointed at said angrily, "Who exactly are you? Do you know who we are?"

No one cared who he was. Seeing that he refused to obey, someone immediately entered the cave and dragged him out.

He was hauled into a bloodstained canyon. Several corpses in Misty Pavilion robes already lay on the ground, fresh blood still flowing from them. Clearly, they had not been dead long.

The captive's heart pounded wildly as he was forced to his knees before the masked interrogator.

The interrogator rested a bloodstained sword against his neck. "Talk. Tell me something I'll find interesting."

The man on his knees gritted his teeth. "I don't know what you want to know."

The interrogator sneered. "Anything. Anything you know about Misty Pavilion personnel violating the rules, or any dirty business that can't bear the light of day. Tell me whatever you know." He pointed the sword toward the corpses behind the captive. "You saw them. Refuse to talk, and that's your end!"

...

Inside the secret chamber at Maolu Villa, Yun Ji looked over the secret letter Niu Youdao had personally drafted. The cursive script was beyond her, but she knew the general meaning because she had already asked.

The letter was meant for Yuan Gang.

She tested, "You want Monkey to lure Lü Wushuang. Once everything erupts afterward, won't Lü Wushuang suspect him?"

Niu Youdao said, "What use is suspicion? She can't confirm anything. More importantly, what she wants Monkey to do cannot be exposed. Even if she suspects him, she can only keep it in her heart. Don't worry. As long as Monkey carries out my instructions exactly, nothing will happen!"

"Since you're not worried about anything happening to Monkey, I have nothing else to worry about either. I trust that even if something did happen to him, he wouldn't betray you." Yun Ji muttered a few more words, then turned and left to send the message as instructed.

...

At Demon Ridge, inside the Demon Palace, Zhao Xiongge entered Yuan Gang's room and found Feng Guan'er doing the work of a maid, carefully cleaning the room while Yuan Gang sat behind a desk sorting through information on the personnel inside the Demon Palace.

This was something Yuan Gang excelled at, and lately he had been doing it constantly. He wanted to sort out which people inside the Demon Palace had problems.

In truth, he had indeed detected several.

Zhao Xiongge stood in the doorway and watched for a while, privately puzzled as to what sort of relationship this man and woman actually had.

According to what he had learned from Maolu Villa, the two had long since become man and woman. What Yuan Gang had done for Feng Guan'er was known to everyone. Yet judging from the present situation, the pair seemed to have kept their distance from one another the entire time. Each had a separate room, and they did not sleep together.

Yuan Gang was highly vigilant. He suddenly raised his head, saw Zhao Xiongge standing in the doorway, and asked, "Something?"

Feng Guan'er also looked back.

Zhao Xiongge walked in and deliberately coughed twice.

Feng Guan'er understood. Knowing the two men had matters to discuss, she picked up the basin and left, closing the door behind her.

Zhao Xiongge ambled to the desk. "Why do the two of you insist on tormenting yourselves like this? The paper window between you was pierced long ago. What's the point of pasting another layer over it? Any fool can see it. That woman stays by your side without resentment or regret. She's already decided to follow you. Some things aren't worth leaving yourself regrets over."

Yuan Gang's face remained expressionless. "Are you that bored?"

Zhao Xiongge chuckled. His gaze swept over the roster on the desk, where lines had been drawn to map the relationships among the Demon Palace personnel. "I didn't expect you to have a talent for this too. Found anything else?"

Yuan Gang said, "Get to the point."

"You're really no fun. Not a shred of human warmth." Zhao Xiongge scoffed, pulled a secret letter from his sleeve, and tossed it onto the desk. "From that man."

Yuan Gang picked it up. The instant he saw the familiar cursive handwriting, he knew it was written personally by Niu Youdao. He immediately read it carefully, then burned it.

Zhao Xiongge asked in a low voice, "What's the situation?"

Yuan Gang fell silent briefly. Some of the matter required Zhao Xiongge's cooperation, and Niu Youdao had said as much in the letter, so Yuan Gang did not conceal it. He quietly explained what the letter required.

"Have Feng Guan'er go find Luo Zhao?" Zhao Xiongge muttered, unable to understand.

Yuan Gang said, "Three days. Master Dao was explicit. I must bring her back within three days. She can't return too early, and she can't return too late. Exactly three days. I must return within those same three days as well, otherwise there will be danger."

Zhao Xiongge looked doubtful. "What exactly is he trying to do?"

Yuan Gang said, "I don't know. Since Master Dao arranged it this way, he naturally has his reasons. We only need to carry it out. Will there be any problem on your side?"

He truly did not know Niu Youdao's purpose.

As for arrangements made by Niu Youdao, Yuan Gang had complete confidence in them because he knew Niu Youdao would not harm him.

Zhao Xiongge shook his head slightly. "This is simple. I have no problem. The key is that woman. She'll have to cooperate."

Yuan Gang said, "Leave that to me. I'll talk to her."

"Good. Then I'll make the arrangements." Zhao Xiongge nodded and quickly left.

[End of Chapter 1371]