Ten Directions Sword Master

Chapter 103 Fishing in Troubled Waters

"I haven't been back to the sect for many years. I only know that the sect leader and the three elders are all at the Refining Spirit Realm. However, the sect leader lost a move to the Desert Wolf King a few years ago and was stabbed in the chest. He hasn't recovered yet."

Tang Lie vaguely guessed Bai Gongzi's intentions and sold out the information about the Hanyue Sect without hesitation.

"Which other Spirit Refinement experts are there in the county town? What are their martial arts skills and what sides do they usually side with? Pick the ones you know."

This mission clearly involves combat at the Spirit Refinement level. To complete it, we need to leverage external forces. For someone in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage to directly intervene would be asking for trouble.

The tiger skin from the Imperial City Guard can be used once in Bingzhou, and then used a second time in the county town.

After Tang Lie finished telling him everything he knew, and seeing that there were no other instructions, he had someone lead Lu Li to the best guest room in the mansion, and then instructed the steward to prepare a table of dishes in the style of the capital.

"The heavens are enraged, the people are in uproar, and the whole world is in turmoil. At such a time, the outsider faction and the local faction in Heyin County are still fighting fiercely—"

Lu Li dismissed the servants of the Tang family and began to analyze the situation in the prefecture.

According to the latest news Tang Lie learned, when the 300,000 shi of relief grain allocated by the imperial court arrived in Heyin, only 60% remained.

This is still because of Boling Cui's influence.

Even with this meager amount of life-saving grain, officials of all ranks in the county were eyeing it, completely disregarding the fact that the relief grain was not distributed in time, which might lead to another large army of refugees.

The outsiders, represented by Cui Xu, and the locals, represented by Gong Cao, clashed fiercely over the allocation of relief grain.

"When a unified dynasty reaches its end, its very core is rotten. The arrogance of military men and their rebellion are merely symptoms of its problems."

Although the Yuanlong Conference in history was successfully concluded, it exposed a large number of problems of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

When the masters of various factions tacitly turned on the masters of the imperial court, everyone suddenly realized how weak the imperial court's control over local forces had become.

Right now, the capital has become a huge vortex, sucking in all the Dharma Body Grandmasters in the world.

This rendered the imperial court unable to dispatch its own Dharma bodies to quell the rebellion in the provinces.

"Let things get chaotic. The more chaotic it gets, the more opportunities there are to profit from the chaos, and the less likely it is to verify the identity I fabricated."

"Some want to revive their families, some want to make a name for themselves, some want to revitalize their martial arts—what changes will my involvement cause in this murky water?"

Heyin County City.

The area is bustling with activity, with a constant stream of merchants and a massive volume of goods coming and going every day, making it seem as if natural disasters and wars are far removed from this place.

The young man, dressed in fine clothes, was still spending money like water, willing to throw away hundreds of gold coins just to make the courtesan smile.

To demonstrate their wealth, the city's wealthy merchants lit bolts of Shu brocade, which were more valuable than gold, to compete in whose smoke could rise the highest.

Only a secret agent like Kim Gu knew how many bloody clashes had recently occurred in various places over the scramble for grain.

Outside the city, in the mass graves, the piles of corpses were so numerous that no one was willing to dig even a shallow pit; they could only be wrapped in straw mats and rolled down the mountain.

"What a disaster! Is the two-thousand-year-old foundation of the Great Wei Dynasty truly coming to an end?!"

Kim Gu shook his head; such treasonous thoughts should not be allowed to run deep.

Eight hundred years ago, the same great edifice was on the verge of collapse, and half of the country had fallen. Fortunately, the Great Wei Emperor summoned three thousand righteous soldiers and set out from the North Sea.

They won ten battles in a row, miraculously recovering the entire territory, reviving the extinct lineage, and re-establishing ancestral temples.

As a lowly intelligence operative, all he could do was hand over the intelligence he had gathered as quickly as possible.

After unifying the desert, that Khan had been lying low for several years.

However, with the recent frequent troop movements and the relocation of the royal camp to the south, it is hard to believe that they are just taking a stroll around the border.

Kim Gu is almost forty years old and should have accumulated enough merit to be promoted to the rank of Fuyinglang long ago. Unfortunately, he has no one in his position, and his promotion documents have been rejected again and again.

But he believed that this time the intelligence would be delivered without any problems.

For five whole years, he truly considered himself a member of the caravan, traveling to more than a dozen tribes, large and small, to find out the scale of their cattle and sheep, the number of bows and arrows, and the positions of the various leaders.

Upon discovering the unusual activity at the royal tent, indicating signs of an impending troop deployment, they immediately set off day and night to return to Heyin County.

This intelligence is of immense value. If he succeeds in stopping the desert army from advancing south, the credit will secure his livelihood for the rest of his life.

"This young master doesn't seem to be from Heyin?"

Recently, the city has been thoroughly searched, resulting in long queues. Kim Gu, not wanting to reveal his identity, had no choice but to wait in line obediently.

His years as a secret agent had instilled in him a habit that led him to analyze the people before and after him when he had nothing else to do.

Leading the way were several local knights-errant, carrying swords and bows, riding on their horses laden with the ferocious beasts they had hunted. They were arrogant and talked and laughed loudly.

Behind him was a merchant with a servant, looking travel-worn and wary, clutching the bundle tightly to his chest.

He couldn't quite figure out the combination of the two people beside him.

The older one was broad-shouldered and imposing, and was used to bossing people around, which inadvertently revealed some of his traits.

Kim Gu guessed that he was a mid-level military officer or the head of a small sect in the county, who seemed to have mastered external martial arts.

However, when facing the young man who was clearly from another county, he displayed a slightly cautious and deliberately ingratiating attitude, making people wonder if he was the son of the county governor.

The young man's clothing did not reveal any signs of a noble family, but his elegant demeanor and bearing were evident, even if his facial features were not particularly outstanding.

The Listening Detective has his own secret method for sensing the flow of internal energy. He sacrifices his martial arts career to open a listening meridian, which combines the wonders of the ears and eyes.

With just one glance, it was clear that the young man had the cultivation level of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

With such strength and charisma, one must have quite a background.

"Good eye. My ancestral home is Jiangxia. May I ask your honorable surname, sir?"

Lu Li turned around. This person had dark skin, and his face was rough from long-term exposure to wind and sun, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.

"My surname is Jin, and I am the ninth child in my family. I make a living by trading goods in the desert."

Jin Jiu responded with a smile that their identities and backgrounds could be verified, and only one county clerk in the Imperial City Guard had access to their files.

At the same time, I thought back to myself, there didn't seem to be any prominent families in Jiangxia. Which high-ranking official in the court was from there?

"Brother Jin, you've traveled all over the country, so you must be quite familiar with the conditions in the desert?"

Lu Li sensed a familiar scent from Jin Jiu, very similar to that of Shen Hehong from Bingzhou.

People from the Imperial City Guard?

Thinking that the Six Garrisons Military Governors had colluded with the Khan and that among the assassins they sent were desert swordsmen, Lu Li struck up a conversation.

Whether it's a spy from the Imperial City Guard or an experienced merchant, as long as they can help him understand the desert, that's fine.

In real history, this ambitious Khan of the desert was later annihilated by the Great Chu Emperor, who had 300,000 troops wiped out. The Emperor then sent more than ten Dharma Masters to pursue him to the end, and finally killed him in the northern desert. His name was then inscribed on a stone pillar.

Both of them were eager to chat and got into a lively conversation while waiting in line.

Lu Li was certain that this person was an expert on the desert, and that much of the information he could find could be compared with historical records, something that could not be obtained without going deep into the tribe.

The probability that he was a spy from the Imperial City Guard is over 90%.

"Brother Jin is indeed very knowledgeable. I have benefited greatly from this conversation. If you would like to chat again, you can come find me. I am sure you will be able to find me."

As they parted ways upon entering the county town, Lu Li deliberately flashed the Imperial City Guard's waist token in his palm before turning and leaving.

"A captain's waist badge?"

Kim Gu was stunned, almost exclaiming in surprise if it weren't for his strong mental fortitude honed through years of training.

The Imperial City Guard's waist tag is unique; there's absolutely no way he could have made a mistake.

Moreover, the fact that they dared to show it proactively means they weren't afraid of being exposed as fakes; they probably thought they would just give a heads-up if they ran into a colleague.

"How can someone at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage become a Captain? All the Eagle Terrace Captains in various regions have risen through the ranks from the front lines, and none of them are this young—there's only one possibility: this person comes from the Divine Capital headquarters and was bestowed this title by the Emperor himself. Why would such a distinguished individual come to Heyin County? Could it be that a high-ranking official is about to undertake a major mission here?"

Kim Gu recalled the parting words the other person had said, which seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Has the gods already noticed the threat coming from the desert?

But these are all speculations. Right now, we need to return to the Imperial City Division branch to report back and submit the intelligence for the Eagle Platform Commander to make a decision.

Lu Li's idea was simple: since Heyin County was in such a chaotic state, with multiple forces intertwined and vying for power.

Even within the prefectural city, there might be officials who secretly pledge allegiance to the Six Garrisons' military governors.

Since it's impossible to distinguish which people can be used, why not just smash another huge rock into the pool and make the water even more murky?

And he himself is that stone.

The fact that he was a military officer from the capital city was enough to arouse suspicion and make everyone hesitant to act against him.

By observing how they handle this unexpected situation, we can then determine who can be won over and who has become an enemy.

Moreover, how could he contact the mission target without revealing his identity?

Cui Xugui was a prefect, and he came from the Cui family of Boling. How could he possibly meet an unknown nobody?

In any case, the Nebula Compass told him that an imperial envoy would indeed arrive soon, and even if it was verified through the capital's channels, it would only strengthen the credibility of his claim.

The Imperial City Division branch in Heyin County was the first target used to alert the enemy.

Who said that the Eagle Terrace Captain could distinguish my true identity from my false one?

Headquarters sent a special envoy, and I have a captain's badge, which means I am the special envoy.

If they want to interrogate him, they'll have to see if any Imperial City Guard agent dares to use any methods against the suspected grandson of Bai Guanfu, the Assistant Prefect.

"Booing the Imperial City Division branch is equivalent to gaining control of the Heyin County intelligence network. At the very least, I need to know that the Six Garrisons have sent out a few assassins. Then, get closer to Cui Xu, gain his trust, and try to strengthen the guard around him. Hold out until the real Imperial City Division envoy arrives, and then retire successfully."

When Lu Li came to the county town this time, Tang Lie took the initiative to accompany him, saying that he wanted to visit Wei Xuan, who was seriously ill, and also to introduce Bai Gongzi to some familiar fellow disciples.

Tang Lie also came to a realization after taking the Heavenly King Heart-Nourishing Pill. Rather than living out his life in Bingzhou, he decided to make a grand adventure once more.

Wei Xuan was already old, and the techniques of the Hanyue Sect were too damaging to his body. Once his blood and qi declined, he would regress faster than other martial artists.

He was injured by the oppressive force that day, his silver veins collapsed, and he aged completely in just a few months.

I don't know how they negotiated it, but anyway, the Heavenly King Heart-Nourishing Pill belonged to Tang Lie, and he must have received other promises and compensation.

"Young Master, Senior Brother Wei told me that our closest senior uncle has moved out of the sect and is living alone in the west of the city—when would you like us to pay him a visit?"

Tang Lie's face was radiant. How could he not be excited to see the dawn of spiritual refinement again at this age?

"I'm tired today, let him come to the inn to see me tomorrow."

Lu Li waved his hand, saying that Bai Liulang was not worth a personal visit from someone who was only half a step into the Divine Refinement Realm.

"Yes, I'll let Uncle Qin know later."

Tang Lie felt a chill run down his spine and suppressed his smugness.

Even disregarding family background, Young Master Bai is a captain on par with the prefectural chief of the Imperial City Guard, and his position seems even more prestigious.

There were only a handful of people in Heyin County whom he would take the initiative to visit.

We must not lose our respect for Young Master Bai just because he looks young and gentle, and because he can be of use to us now.

One must not lose face in front of outsiders.