Chapter 1475: Wiped Out in One Sweep

The secret purge operation had been aimed precisely at Misty Pavilion’s hidden eyes and ears. Because those eyes and ears were deliberately bypassed, almost no word leaked out.

Although the operation was enormous in scale, everyone kept the lid clamped down tightly. Within Zijin Cave, for example, most disciples had no idea anything like this was happening inside their own sect, much less did the cultivation world hear any rumors of it...

In Nanzhou’s provincial capital, the damaged buildings were being repaired and rebuilt.

After such an upheaval, no one above intended to investigate responsibility, so those below could only let the matter end unresolved and use money to settle the losses.

For those who had lost family, money could never erase the grief. But life still had to continue. Heavy compensation at least gave the survivors a better road forward than receiving nothing at all.

Shang Chaozong’s side even tried contacting the All-Under-Heaven Money House in hopes of securing some compensation. After all, Luo Qiu and Yuan Se had been the ones who caused the destruction.

The Money House refused to acknowledge that Luo Qiu and Yuan Se had been responsible.

After a great deal of back-and-forth, Shang Chaozong understood.

It was not that the All-Under-Heaven Money House could not afford such a sum. It simply refused to admit that two Sacred Venerables had run amok in the mortal world.

Shang Chaozong could only drop the matter.

...

Inside the cramped underground secret chamber, Guan Fangyi arrived and found Niu Youdao discussing matters with Lü Wushuang. She stepped forward and interrupted them.

“Master Dao, Elder Yan Li of Zijin Cave has rushed here day and night without stopping. He is currently meeting in secret with the sect leaders of Liuxian Sect and the other two sects. They should be arranging the elimination of Misty Pavilion’s hidden agents.”

Niu Youdao chuckled. “Yan Li. That old fellow really does have a hard life. He actually made it out of the Sacred Realm alive. Come to think of it, our side helped save him.”

Guan Fangyi burst out laughing. “Weren’t you the one who sent him in?”

Lü Wushuang, however, reminded them, “The operation to eliminate Misty Pavilion’s eyes and ears involves too many people. Accidents are bound to happen. Some may slip through the net.”

Niu Youdao did not seem concerned. “Does that still matter?”

“The real point is that the hidden eyes and ears Misty Pavilion planted inside every faction have been exposed. They are already useless.”

He rose and walked to the map, sweeping his gaze across the whole world.

“What does that mean?”

“Of the Nine Saints, the forces of Zhangsun Mi and Mu Lianze have already been dismantled. Your forces and Yuan Se’s will now break away from the others as well, and may even become usable by us.”

“Misty Pavilion has lost those hidden eyes and ears, so most of its purpose is gone. What remains is little more than a group of hired fists.”

“As for the Five Sacred Venerables still left, without that network they are little different from blind tigers.”

“Of the Nine Saints, four have already had their forces severed. Misty Pavilion has been crippled as well. Their overall power has been greatly weakened.”

“From now on, they can rely only on the personal deterrence of the Five Sacred Venerables themselves.”

“All beneath Heaven have suffered under the Nine Saints for far too long. People’s hearts are already wavering.”

“In terms of organized power, they are now inferior to us. The forces under those Five Sacred Venerables are no longer worth fearing.”

“After this, the only enemies we truly need to deal with are the Five Sacred Venerables themselves. We no longer need so many scruples.”

“The entire situation has turned over completely!”

He turned, his gaze passing over both women.

“They wanted to control everyone beneath Heaven by restricting flying mounts. Fine. This time we’ll take a batch of mounts from Huo Kong.”

“So long as we fly wherever we please without running straight into one of the Five Sacred Venerables, I’d like to see what they can do to me.”

Lü Wushuang and Guan Fangyi could both see the high spirits in him.

It was rare for Niu Youdao to be in such an excellent mood. He seemed almost as though a tremendous burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders.

They could understand why.

Yuan Se’s death had presented him with an opportunity, and he had seized it decisively. In a single night, the entire balance of the situation had been overturned.

Guan Fangyi cautiously reminded him, “The Five Sacred Venerables planted eyes and ears everywhere. Would they really have entrusted all of that to Misty Pavilion? Wouldn’t they have cultivated some private agents that Misty Pavilion itself knew nothing about?”

Lü Wushuang said, “You’re worrying too much.”

“The Nine Saints restrained one another. They spent enormous effort scheming against each other. They did not have endless time or manpower to personally handle every matter in the mortal world, so those affairs were entrusted to Misty Pavilion.”

“The mortal world was not where their real contest with one another took place.”

“In the early years, when they had only just risen, they did cultivate people that way. After all, all of them began in the mortal world.”

“But later, most of their effort went into planting eyes and ears inside one another’s camps.”

Guan Fangyi gave an understanding sound and nodded slightly.

Then she suddenly asked, “Master Dao, what about Gongsun Bu?”

Lü Wushuang answered for him. “He isn’t on the list.”

Guan Fangyi stared. “He isn’t? Was his name never entered into Misty Pavilion’s internal records?”

Lü Wushuang said, “I had Huo Kong circle out several regions across the various states, including this one, and told him not to report the lists of hidden personnel in those areas. Instead, those lists were to be sent here.”

She cast Niu Youdao a sidelong glance.

“It was probably for this Gongsun Bu. The other regions were only there as cover.”

Guan Fangyi did not understand. She looked at Niu Youdao. “Master Dao, you mean to spare him?”

Niu Youdao said, “Back then he brought everyone from Wuliang Mountain and threw in with me. He rendered great service in building Maolu Villa’s intelligence network.”

“If I had not placed him in charge of Maolu Villa’s intelligence center, Misty Pavilion would never have taken notice of him.”

“Once they did, some things were no longer within his control.”

“I’ll give him one chance.”

“We’ll see what choice he makes.”

Guan Fangyi nodded slowly.

Lü Wushuang, however, could not help shaking her head slightly.

True, she had Huo Kong circle out several other regions as camouflage, but there was still no guarantee Huo Kong would not suspect the purpose.

For the sake of one traitorous insider, why take such a risk?

They had nearly suffered complete annihilation only recently because Niu Youdao had taken a risk to save Luo Fangfei. The lesson was still fresh, yet here he was again.

At times, Lü Wushuang truly felt this man was too softhearted.

He did not seem like someone destined to build a hegemonic empire.

Her earlier judgment had not been wrong. In certain places deep in his bones, this man was actually rather similar to Yuan Gang.

Then again, that very quality made him reassuring to be around.

After spending some time with them, even Lü Wushuang had unconsciously begun to feel at ease.

She was still locked in her little contest with Yuan Gang, but she had already come to believe this side would not discard its own people after crossing the river.

Without even realizing it, she had begun working for them without reservation...

...

In the Yan capital, inside the main hall of the inner residence at the Grand Minister of Works’ estate, Gao Jiancheng had just finished a long private conversation with his wife.

He asked heavily, “Can you guarantee it?”

His wife replied quietly, “If I guarantee it, will you believe me?”

Gao Jiancheng’s jaw tightened slightly.

He rose and left.

His expression complicated, he walked out of the room while his wife remained seated beside the tea table with her head bowed gloomily.

Gao Jiancheng passed his household steward Fan Zhuan, who was waiting in the courtyard, and went directly to his study.

Having received no further instruction from his master, Fan Zhuan merely waved a hand.

Two men emerged from either side.

The three entered the main hall together.

The doors closed behind them...

Inside the study, Gao Jiancheng sat behind his desk as though resting with his eyes closed, but turmoil rolled endlessly through his heart.

Someone from Xiaoyao Palace had come secretly and informed him that his wife was one of Misty Pavilion’s people.

Following Misty Pavilion’s orders, they intended to execute her.

In truth, Gao Jiancheng had already learned his wife’s identity from Niu Youdao long ago. He simply had never dared act rashly.

Now that her identity had been directly exposed, there was no longer anything for him to fear on that account.

This wife was his second marriage, but husband and wife had still spent many years together. There was genuine affection between them.

That was why he wanted to know why she had betrayed him.

His wife had finally confessed.

She had married him because Misty Pavilion arranged it from the beginning.

Although she could not be certain, she suspected Gao Jiancheng’s original wife had probably been murdered by Misty Pavilion.

The purpose was obvious.

No matter what had happened, after so many years as husband and wife, they had already become family.

Gao Jiancheng had wanted to spare her.

But as their conversation had revealed, could he really believe her guarantee?

Could he?

And so long as she remained alive, could she ever truly sever herself from the identity and connections she already possessed?

Unless she disappeared completely and lived in hiding.

But Misty Pavilion expected a corpse as proof.

And so Gao Jiancheng had ended the conversation.

A long while later, Fan Zhuan arrived and reported quietly, “Madam ‘hanged herself.’”

Gao Jiancheng kept his eyes closed and said nothing.

He merely waved his hand lightly, signaling Fan Zhuan to leave.

Fan Zhuan withdrew in silence.

...

“Sir, the agents planted among the various powers have gradually stopped sending reports. It has already drawn attention inside the Pavilion.”

At Tiandu Peak, Yue Guangming entered Huo Kong’s room and reported in a low voice.

Standing before the window, Huo Kong sighed. “It’s time to go.”

“If we wait any longer, we may not be able to leave even if we want to.”

“We leave first. Afterward, contact our people and have them disappear as well.”

“If the news reaches the Sacred Land afterward, there should still be enough time.”

“All right. I’ll arrange it immediately.”

Yue Guangming acknowledged the order and left.

And so the Presiding Administrator of Misty Pavilion and Right Envoy Yue Guangming suddenly vanished.

The people belonging to Yuan Se’s faction inside Misty Pavilion likewise began disappearing into hiding one after another.

Some among them were spies for the other factions, and those spies quickly sent word back.

But by the time anyone tried to stop the escape, it was already too late.

Soon Dayuan Sacred Land received Huo Kong’s message as well.

It said Yuan Se had gone missing and that the Five Sacred Venerables intended to move against everyone.

In the blink of an eye, Dayuan Sacred Land emptied as well.

Its people vanished.

With no one left in charge and many of the personnel holding key posts suddenly missing, Misty Pavilion instantly fell into disorder.

Fortunately, leaders from the other factions still remained inside, preventing total chaos.

People were dispatched to investigate why the agents planted among the various powers had stopped reporting.

Yet even they could not determine where those agents had gone.

Just as Lü Wushuang had predicted, too many people were involved for everything to go perfectly.

Some eventually slipped through the net.

A few escaped by pure accident.

Others inadvertently discovered plots aimed at capturing them, or sensed danger through their own vigilance, and fled.

Once reports from these survivors reached Misty Pavilion, everyone realized something was wrong.

There was no longer any time to care about secrecy.

Misty Pavilion openly stepped forward and immediately sent people directly to the various sects, demanding to know where the missing agents had gone.

Faced with those inquiries, the sects naturally produced the decree issued by Huo Kong, Presiding Administrator of Misty Pavilion.

The Misty Pavilion personnel were shocked when they learned the truth and immediately ordered the sects to halt the purge.

But why had those survivors slipped through the net in the first place?

Because the purge had already begun.

By the time they escaped and sent word back, by the time the message traveled to Misty Pavilion, by the time Misty Pavilion dispatched people to verify the situation, and then by the time orders were sent back to the sects to stop the operation...

Was there still time?

Of course not.

It was already over.

At most, they hurriedly saved a handful of people who had been captured but not yet killed.

Misty Pavilion’s reversal only left the various sects involved terrified and confused.

Those who understood the truth pretended not to.

...

At Tiandu Peak, inside Misty Pavilion, Wu Chang, Granny Xue, Lan Daolin, Luo Qiu, and Du Wuxu had all gathered together.

Some stood, some sat.

Some faced the hall entrance, others had their backs turned.

Some wore expressionless faces; others looked grim.

They had moved from the light into the shadows and separately taken command in the various states.

But after something this enormous happened, none could remain hidden.

All five had exposed themselves and rushed here.

Their eyes and ears across the world had been wiped out.

Without reliable sources of information, what was the point of continuing to sit in command from separate places?

Hide away and play by themselves?

Misty Pavilion had already obtained the lists of hidden personnel targeted by the various sects and had also learned the results of the purge.

Within Zijin Cave’s sphere of influence alone, several hundred agents had been eliminated.

Across the large and small powers of the various states, the overseas factions, and personnel stationed at key locations in the secular world, the total loss approached twenty thousand people.

After the lists were checked, only a small number had survived by luck.

Almost every hidden eye and ear Misty Pavilion possessed throughout the world had been wiped out in one sweep.

[End of Chapter 1475]