Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"Checks and balances?" Shen Mo chuckled, walked to the desk and sat down, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the surface. "It's probably not that simple. If it were just about checks and balances, we could openly coordinate and exert pressure."

"Such sneaky actions, choosing a no-man's-land, and dragging the Xuan Yin Sect into this mess... their intentions are probably much bigger."

He raised his eyes, his gaze like a deep pool: "Those few small sects that are jumping around so much—the Gale Sword Sect, the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, the Broken Mountain Sect, the Flame Fiend Valley, the Earth Fire Sect… what's their strength? And what kind of person is Feng Butong?"

Su Xiao was clearly prepared and immediately replied, "The Gale Sword Sect, the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, and the Broken Mountain Sect are all primarily sword cultivators, of medium size, each with several hundred disciples, and their leaders are all at the early Golden Core stage."

"Among them, the Gale Sword Sect is different. He is at the second level of the Golden Core stage. His swordsmanship is light and swift. He is smooth and fickle, and is known as a 'fence-sitter'. He has always followed the Heavenly Sword Sect, but he is not a direct descendant."

"Yansha Valley and Dihuo Sect practice fire-based techniques. They are relatively small in scale and are affiliated with the Lieyang Sect. Their sect leader's cultivation level is between the Foundation Establishment Perfection stage and the Pseudo-Core stage."

"These five factions are located in strategic locations, either near resource points or guarding transportation hubs. In the past, they were adept at playing both sides between the Lieyang and Tianjian sects. Now that the alliance is powerful, they seem to have submitted, but in reality, they are wavering."

"A fence-sitter..." Shen Mo's tapping rhythm on the table quickened slightly. "Feng Butong's 'seclusion'... Is it genuine seclusion, or is it a pretext for a conspiracy? Or perhaps... he sensed danger and hid in advance?"

He suddenly asked, "The Shadow Guards were able to confirm Jian Wuying's whereabouts, but do they know where he went after leaving Black Wind Ridge? Did he have any contact with Feng Butong?"

Su Xiao shook his head: "Jian Wuying is highly skilled and elusive. He disappeared after leaving Black Wind Ridge. Feng Butong's secluded cultivation place is heavily guarded, making it difficult for undercover agents to penetrate."

"However... three days ago, Feng Butong's most beloved youngest son, Feng Ziyi, secretly left the mountain gate and went to 'Shattered Star City'. He booked a private room on the top floor of 'Drunken Star Tower', the largest restaurant in the city, and hosted a banquet for several people. Among them seemed to be a steward from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, and... two cultivators whose identities were unknown but whose auras were cold."

After the banquet, Feng Ziyi hurriedly returned, while the two unidentified cultivators headed north, seemingly... towards the Lieyang Sect.

"A steward from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion?" Shen Mo's gaze sharpened. "One of Chen Hao's men?"

"He is one of Chen Hao's confidants and is in charge of the trade routes in the Northern Territory," Su Xiao confirmed. "The undercover agents dared not get too close and could not hear the specific content of the conversation, but when Feng Ziyi left, his face was flushed, as if he was drunk, but his eyes were excited."

Shen Mo fell silent, the only sound in the hall the rhythmic tapping of his fingertips. After a long while, he stopped, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"It seems they're not just making connections, but also looking for a way out, even... preparing an escape route," Shen Mo said slowly. "Is contacting the people from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion an attempt to transfer assets? Or to gather information? Those two cultivators heading north... are they from the Blazing Sun Sect? What are they doing? Providing backup? Or... silencing them?"

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the deep night outside: "The storm is brewing. Huoyun and Jian Wuying's secret talks are a well-thought-out plan. Feng Butong and these opportunists are just pawns. Contacting Baibaoge is a way to secure a backup plan."

"The cultivators heading north... perhaps they're making contacts, perhaps they're making arrangements. What they're plotting is probably quite significant."

Su Xiao stepped forward and whispered, "Sect Leader, should we take action? Should we...?"

"Let's not alert them yet." Shen Mo raised his hand to stop them. "These factions are just pawns, scouts. If we mess with them, it will only make the old foxes behind them retreat. If they want to coordinate and plot, let them."

"Let's see just how many people still harbor ulterior motives."

He turned around, his eyes fixed intently on Su Xiao: "Junior Sister Xiao, increase surveillance of Black Wind Ridge and the surrounding area. Pay special attention to the hidden paths leading to the heart of the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect, as well as... the secret routes leading to the Northern Desert and the Southern Wilderness."

"Jian Wuying is a treacherous man; his schemes may not be limited to the Southern Region."

"Also, keep a close eye on the transactions between Baibaoge and those factions, especially the flow of bulk resources, particularly strategic materials. Chen Hao is a smart man, but his subordinates may not be."

"Yes." Su Xiao accepted the order, then asked, "What about the movements of the Blazing Sun Sect, the Heavenly Sword Sect headquarters, and the Profound Yin Sect?"

"The headquarters of the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect are teeming with experts and heavily fortified, making a direct investigation risky. Focus on the outer perimeter, especially the border outposts bordering those other sects and the Northern Desert and Southern Wilderness, checking for any unusual troop buildups or supply movements. The Profound Yin Sect…"

Shen Mo paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Ghost Hand is a man driven by profit and acts cunningly. If he's involved, it's only for his own gain. Investigate whether there have been any unusual disappearances or an increase in evil spirits within the Xuan Yin Sect's territory recently."

"Also, check the black market for signs of large-scale acquisitions of spirits, corpses, or certain forbidden materials."

"Understood." Su Xiao noted it down, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Sect Leader, should we inform Elder Han and Elder Shi about this matter so they can take precautions? And what about the Dao Academy and the border outposts...?"

Shen Mo waved his hand: "I will personally instruct Elder Han and Junior Brother Tie to be outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant. The Dao Academy and the border are of paramount importance and must not be allowed to descend into chaos. Matters that need to be handled discreetly will be dealt with discreetly."

"Just keep a close eye on them, and report back immediately if you have any solid evidence or if they make any unusual moves."

"Yes!" Su Xiao said no more, bowed, and his figure quietly blended into the shadows of the corner of the hall and disappeared.

Silence returned to the hall. Shen Mo stood alone by the window, the distant mountain ranges silhouetted against the night like a lurking beast.

On the map, the markers representing the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect gleamed coldly under the lamplight.

"Fire Cloud... Sword Shadowless..." He murmured the two names, his eyes showing no fear, only a cold, deep gaze. "Want to team up and overturn the table? Fine. But before you do, you'd better think about who's holding the knife underneath."

He raised his hand, palm up, and a wisp of pale golden spiritual power, containing a strange flowing light, quietly emerged, slowly rotating and emitting an aura of mystery.

That was a unique primordial power that had been nurtured in his golden core after refining the Myriad Laws Source Pearl, containing the Daoist principles of evolution and protection.

"The alliance has begun to take shape, and it's time for it to weather some storms and see some blood. Otherwise, some people will always think that this nascent alliance is a soft persimmon that can be easily manipulated."

He gently clenched his fist, and the wisp of golden light disappeared into his palm without a trace. In the night sky outside Liuyun Palace, a thick cloud drifted by silently, obscuring half of the waning moon. A mountain breeze began to rise, sweeping through the treetops with a mournful sound.

Meanwhile, deep within Black Wind Ridge, in a forgotten ancient cave.

A tiny, pale green will-o'-the-wisp flickered and illuminated the small area.

Huoyun Daoren sat on a stone bench with a gloomy expression. Opposite him was a figure shrouded in a black cloak, with only a pair of pale hands visible. It was Jian Wuying.

Between the two was a rough stone table, on which sat a bone talisman that shimmered with a faint blood-red light.

"Senior Brother Wuji is still in seclusion, and Wuhen... has suffered repeated setbacks recently, greatly damaging his prestige."

Jian Wuying's voice was dry and hoarse, like the friction of metal, "Shen Mo's wings are growing stronger. If we allow him to develop further, he may become a great threat in time. In all matters of the alliance this time, he has been pressing us step by step, and we have nowhere left to retreat."

Huoyun Daoist snorted coldly, a ball of crimson flame flickering in his palm: "If it weren't for Senior Brother Xuanyang's order to temporarily retreat, I would have already led my men to wipe out that damned alliance! A bunch of rabble dares to contend with my Lieyang Sect?"