Chapter 379: My Sister Died

Li Weiyi divided dozens of Hidden Gate members and Hidden Gate Elders into two groups. One group would investigate the Demon Race, and the other, the Rice Cult.

Those who could reveal their true identities, such as Hidden Five Shi Jiuzhai, Hidden Nine Li Jiufu, Hidden Eleven Li Jiao, and others, were tasked with sifting through the list of imperial cultivators obtained from Zhuang Yue. In other words, they were responsible for the thirty Death Spirit experts hidden within the imperial court, who used the secret Soul Fusion technique.

Li Weiyi gave specific instructions: "These Imperial Dao Seed Realm masters who infiltrated the underground immortal mansion and were captured by the Rice Cult either possess inferior Dao Seed roots or are nearing the end of their lifespan, so their scope is limited."

"Hidden Eleven, Ge Xiantong owes you a favor. If necessary, you may leverage his influence."

"Hidden Five, your primary mission still revolves around Long Xiangcen. She is a crucial figure in dealing with the Demon Race."

"The thirty hidden Death Spirit experts are all formidable, and their cultivation levels are undoubtedly high."

"All of you, remember: your objective is not to kill them, but to locate as many as possible. Before the war erupts, you must not alert them."

Hidden Nine asked, "What about after the war breaks out?"

Li Weiyi replied, "I will immediately send the list to certain vetted imperial government offices, allowing their own people to close the net. While some offices might still be compromised, it's impossible for every single one to be."

"Even if the Demon Race and the Rice Cult bypass the eight core prefectures and take Lingxiao City first, they won't be able to immediately advance to Cloud Heaven Immortal Plains. The imperial court will have at least half a day to a full day to react."

"What we must do now is discreetly help them gather intelligence in advance, empowering them to address potential threats as much as possible within half a day. We want to avoid a situation where war breaks out, everything falls apart, and they are left floundering and overwhelmed."

"Lingxiao City is like a leaky ship, riddled with holes. We must identify these vulnerabilities and allow them to plug them up before the storm arrives."

Hidden Nine asked, "In other words, once the intelligence gathering is largely complete, we can close the net even before the war erupts?"

"Precisely. The sooner, the better."

Li Weiyi actually had little confidence in the imperial court's administrative capabilities. Even if the intelligence were directly fed to them, their internal politicking and constraints would likely prevent swift action, making information leaks and the potential for catastrophe more probable. In such a scenario, the only option would be to attempt to deliver the information to several Transcendents simultaneously.

Xing Yuenue, wearing a mask, said, "The imperial court's agency responsible for intelligence gathering, espionage, and counter-espionage is the Luan Terrace. If they assist, our efforts will be twice as effective."

Once half of the Hidden Gate members assigned to track the thirty Death Spirit experts had departed, Li Weiyi turned to Xing Yuenue. "The Rice Cult wields immense power in Lingxiao City; the Sui Sect alone is considerably formidable. Given that high-ranking figures like Yao Qian and Jiang Xin have emerged within the Luan Terrace, it has likely been infiltrated like a sieve."

Li Weiyi was certain that Jiang Ning would investigate the imperial cultivators on the list and confront the Sui Sect's operatives within the Luan Terrace. Given her personality, she would not passively wait for disaster. There was no need to state this explicitly.

Li Weiyi then stated, "Next, we will discuss matters concerning the Rice Cult and the Sui Sect."

"Hidden Two, what's the progress on investigating the Rice Cult's strongholds?"

Hidden Two produced a booklet and handed it to Li Weiyi. "Over the past few days, following the two strongholds provided by the Divine Hermit and the clues gathered by the Hidden Gate itself, all the information has been compiled here."

As Li Weiyi flipped through the pages, he instructed, "Keep digging deeper! Be extremely cautious. The Rice Cult has at least one Venerable in Lingxiao City, and their cultivation is likely formidable."

"As always, conduct your investigations discreetly. Do not alert the enemy. I don't want any of you to perish in Lingxiao City."

Outside the council hall.

Elder Zhuo implanted Death Spirit Fire into all the departing Hidden Gate members and Hidden Gate Elders. Within top-tier organizations, members entrusted with vital secrets or undertaking crucial missions would all have Death Spirit Fire implanted.

The purpose of implanting Death Spirit Fire:

Firstly, it serves as a measure for confidentiality. If a person falls into enemy hands and the enemy attempts a soul search, the Death Spirit Fire will instantly trigger. Some potent Death Spirit Fires can even incinerate their adversaries. By concealing the fire within oneself, it effectively sets a deadly trap for the enemy.

Secondly, if Death Spirit Fire is implanted, and the individual actively betrays their sect by divulging secrets to an enemy, the sect can, upon discovery, end their life with a mere thought. This is a necessary precaution for those entrusted with vital secrets and undertaking crucial missions.

Even so, the risk of a leak remains. Thus, for top-tier secrets, the Death Spirit Fire is personally implanted by a Transcendent. The 'potency' of such Death Spirit Fire is far more formidable. For instance, the Death Spirit Fire within Yao Qingxuan's body meant that her words and actions could potentially be detected. Even when confiding secrets to Li Weiyi, she mostly communicated through veiled hints.

The Hidden Lord once said that Yao Qingxuan dared not speak explicitly. However, the Hidden Lord himself was uncertain of the full extent to which a Transcendent could operate, as that level was beyond his comprehension. Transcendents of varying cultivation realms also possessed differing perceptive abilities. Perhaps they could detect within a certain range, or perhaps complete concentration was required to discern subtle details. What could not be understood was held in greater reverence.

Inside the council hall, only Li Weiyi, Hidden One, and Hidden Five remained.

Hidden One removed his mask, revealing the face of a man in his thirties, with a mustache above his lip and a melancholic aura about him.

Hidden Five narrowed his eyes in surprise. "Yang Qianfeng, Commander of the Yang family… Hidden One, it's you!"

Hidden One replied, "The Cangli Tribe and the Yang family have intermarried for generations, leading to complex internal grievances and entanglements. What's so strange about that? Both sides are deeply intertwined. If it weren't for the Hidden Lord, my grandmother and I would have long since died at the hands of the Yang family."

"The seeds of everyone's hatred lie within their own hearts; outsiders don't care. Everyone only sees your current prominence."

"Divine Hermit, I have uncovered something: Li Songjian, the eldest son of the Cangli Tribe chief, is very likely a member of the Rice Cult. His wife is Yang Qingxi's aunt."

Li Weiyi had already discovered that someone within the Cangli Tribe was cultivating Benevolent Rice inside the ancestral realm when he visited the Jiuli Tribe ancestral realm to retrieve the seven Phoenix-winged Moth Emperors. At the time, he saw an elder who bore a striking resemblance to Li Songlin and Li Songgu. It was likely their eldest brother, Li Songjian.

Hidden One continued, "However, the traitor hidden among the nine chiefs remains a mystery. We previously thought Coffin Mountain had suppressed and controlled them, but now it seems more likely to be the Rice Cult's doing."

Hidden Five, who had once encountered the elder, remarked, "That person must be a titan. It's a pity that such a powerful individual had his spirit broken, was reduced to a mere pawn, and became a tool for the enemy to destroy the Jiuli Tribe."

Hidden One responded emotionally, "There's white in black, and black in white. As members of the Hidden Gate, we are destined to walk on the edge of morality, encountering people who operate in moral grey areas. We cannot integrate into absolute white, nor is it our purview to deal with absolute black."

The Rice Cult, Sui Sect, the imperial court, and various other forces had all infiltrated the Jiuli Tribe. The very existence of the Jiuli Hidden Gate was to counter their influence. The various forces of the world, both overt and covert, were intricately interwoven.

Li Weiyi mused, "Let's put this aside for now; the truth will emerge eventually. Hidden Five, hand Sikong Jingyuan over to Hidden One."

With a thud, the unconscious Sikong Jingyuan tumbled out of a dimensional bag.

Li Weiyi stated, "This man is the Rice Cult's Divine Son; he must know many secrets."

Hidden One asked, "Divine Hermit, do you want me to extract information from him?"

"He certainly has Death Spirit Fire implanted within him, making it difficult to make him talk."

Li Weiyi immediately added, "I need you to use the Sui Sect's power to interrogate him. Give him a severe lesson. If you can extract information from him, that would be ideal. Then, at the appropriate moment, allow him to narrowly escape."

Hidden One understood instantly. "Frame the Sui Sect? Use the Rice Cult's influence to deal with Yang Shenjing, Yao Qian, and others. When should I let him escape?"

"Wait for my signal."

Li Weiyi was waiting for news from the headquarters. If the previous plan succeeded, either Yao Qingxuan or An Xianjing would likely come to Lingxiao City.

The Hidden Gate members departed in batches.

Grand Elder Forty-Five bid farewell, stating, "This matter is too significant. After the battle of Lingxiao City, the global landscape is bound to undergo drastic changes. I must return to Lizhou to report to the Hidden Lord and convene all Grand Elders and Ancient Hidden Gate members to prepare in advance for an even more perilous and chaotic situation."

"If Lingxiao City cannot be held, flee towards Lizhou; the Hidden Gate will come to your aid."

The Hidden Lord he referred to was, of course, the Divine Hermit from the cycle before the last one.

***

Danyue Plaza, Heaven's Pavilion.

In a sumptuously decorated room, Tang Wanqiu slumped over a table, sulkily drinking. His face was flushed, his eyes glazed, and he reeked of alcohol. Lately, he had been in a constant daze, half-drunk and half-awake every day. The two accompanying maidservants had long since passed out from drink.

"Knock, knock!"

A knock sounded at the door. The urgent and joyful voice of a senior expert from Snow Sword Tang Court rang out, "Young Master Qiu..."

"Don't bother me, get out... My sister is dead... My sister is gone, what's the point of me living, sister... If only I had known, I wouldn't have gone to Du'e Temple... I didn't even get to see you one last time..."

Tang Wanqiu clutched the wine pot, crying like a child, consumed by grief. Tang Wanzhou was not merely his sister; she was also a strict mentor, an unyielding leader, and the spiritual pillar of the younger generation within Snow Sword Tang Court.

"Bang!"

The room door was flung open with a palm strike.

"Are you trying to start a rebellion? Who gave you the audacity...? Sister... Is that really you? I'm not dreaming, am I...?"

Tang Wanqiu abruptly wiped away the tears from his eyes with his sleeve, trying to get a clear look at the figure who had entered.

Tang Wanzhou scanned the room, her gaze settling on Tang Wanqiu. With a sharp "smack," she delivered a resounding backhand slap that sent him sprawling to the ground.

"Sister, it really is you! I know that slap all too well! Sister, you're not dead!" Tang Wanqiu exclaimed, covering his face, utterly overjoyed.

Tang Wanzhou sat down. "Tang Wanqiu, look at yourself. Is this the heaven's chosen one who went to Du'e Temple for cultivation? Such a minor setback defeats you? Take him out. Bring him back once he's sobered up."

"As you command."

The two elderly men from Snow Sword Tang Court held Tang Wanzhou in profound respect. Their despondency vanished completely, their eyes shining with renewed vigor. Serving their Young Mistress, they seemed to possess inexhaustible strength.

Fifteen minutes later, Tang Wanqiu was completely sober. Bathed, changed, and reinvigorated, he hurried into the room. Seeing Tang Wanzhou gazing out the window, he immediately became cautious again, explaining, "Sister, I thought you had perished in the underground immortal mansion, and I was so distraught that everything felt bleak, so I indulged in a few drinks."

Tang Wanzhou replied, "If I had died in the underground immortal mansion, the future of Snow Sword Tang Court would have fallen on your shoulders. I don't need you to mourn for me. I need you to always be resolute and spirited, to bear the responsibility of a man, and to persevere with unwavering resolve."

Tang Wanqiu smiled. "With your wise counsel, Sister, I feel that a clear path lies ahead, and I am no longer lost."

"I don't have time to give you another beating. If I see you so despondent again, I will throw you into the depths of the Nether Realm of the Departed. Whether you survive will be up to your own fate. The future master of Snow Sword Tang Court must never show a vulnerable side, not at any time," Tang Wanzhou stated.

Tang Wanqiu vowed, "If I disappoint you again, Sister, I will go to the Nether Realm of the Departed to undergo trials myself."

Tang Wanzhou took out a letter and tossed it to him. "Leave the city immediately and return to the Northern Reaches. Tell the Elder that the time has come to march south. Have him gather his forces, cross the Misty Grassland at any moment, and come to Cloud Heaven Immortal Plains to eliminate the demons and reap the final rewards. The specific tactics and some of my ideas are all detailed in this letter."

"Sister, aren't you coming with me?" Tang Wanqiu asked.

Tang Wanzhou replied, "I have more important matters to attend to."