Clash of Two Pavilions!

At Li Guanqi's direction, Yu Hua donned a loose black robe to conceal her figure. Trailing a step behind him, she was intensely curious about the Guanyun Pavilion. Yet to her astonishment, Guanyun Pavilion's current headquarters was actually located within the territory of the Great Xia Sword Sect! Buzz! As a subtle ripple of spatial energy enveloped them, both figures vanished from midair. Swish! In the next instant, the two reappeared high above the Guanyun Domain Realm! Yu Hua's eyes went wide as she took in the sight around her. Spiritual energy so dense it had condensed into mist drifted through the air. Cultivators darted and teleported back and forth between towers and pavilions in an endless stream. An unbroken sea of vermilion buildings stretched out, numbering well over a thousand. Massive halls linked the various peaks, and Guanyun Pavilion now numbered a full five thousand cultivators! Everyone attended strictly to their duties; the entire Guanyun Pavilion was operating at full throttle like an enormous, precision-crafted machine! Suspended above the grandest main hall of Guanyun Pavilion was a radiant scroll stretching several hundred zhang across! Watching the scroll hovering midair, sparkling with flecks of spiritual brilliance, Yu Hua gasped in shock. "Is that... the legendary Tianji Chart?" Li Guanqi shook his head and sent a quiet transmission: "No, that's merely a replica. It doesn't even possess a tenth of the original's power." Watching the busy figures flitting about, he couldn't help adding, "If it were the genuine Tianji Chart, people wouldn't need to be nearly this busy." Beneath her black hood, the woman's eyes widened. She had just learned a staggering secret! "A fake?" "Isn't the real one kept right here in Guanyun Pavilion?" Li Guanqi shrugged and said no more. Meanwhile, Gu Chuan, Xi Yunhuai, and the others had already flown up to them. Qianqiusui's complexion was sallow, her hair slightly disheveled. She forced herself to muster some energy as she looked at Li Guanqi, visibly gaunt and haggard. When her eyes fell upon the cloaked figure beside him, her brow furrowed. Seeing that Li Guanqi had no intention of making introductions just yet, she refrained from asking. "Come," Li Guanqi said softly. "Let's head to the main pavilion first." The three nodded slightly and fell in behind him, flying toward the main pavilion. Along the way, Li Guanqi quietly asked, "Brother Chuan, how is Chen Xiaotian from the Cloud Shadow Guards doing in terms of strength lately?" Gu Chuan was slightly taken aback, then answered truthfully, "Chen Xiaotian has already broken through to the peak of the late Core Formation realm. It won't be long before he reaches the Nascent Soul realm." Li Guanqi was somewhat surprised, but on second thought, it made sense... Back when he had been cultivating at that stage, he had enjoyed nowhere near such resources. Even so, Li Guanqi cautioned, "Remember: the Cloud Shadow Guards are only responsible for internal pavilion affairs. Under no circumstances may you accept assassination assignments! "Listen closely, all of you. "I don't want Guanyun Pavilion to end up as a slaughter machine! We are not Dark Crow." At these words, everyone shivered slightly and nodded with solemn expressions. Xi Yunhuai felt a wave of lingering fear, thoroughly relieved by his past decision. Back when Wu Bing had posted an assassination request targeting Kong Yan at Guanyun Pavilion, Xi Yunhuai had suppressed it immediately, never letting it see the light of day. And precisely for this very reason! Once they arrived at the Guanyun Pavilion's main Deliberation Hall and the doors were shut, Li Guanqi raised a hand. Beside him, Yu Hua slowly drew back the hood of her black robe, revealing her face! Apart from Xi Yunhuai, everyone present was taken aback. Qianqiusui couldn't help asking with a frown, "Who is she?" Xi Yunhuai offered a brief explanation in as few words as possible. Yu Hua broke into a charming smile, bowed slightly, and said softly, "I am Yu Hua. I hope I can count on your guidance going forward." Li Guanqi took over the introductions: "Xi Yunhuai, currently the vice pavilion master, manages all affairs in the pavilion, both great and small. "Gu Chuan, leader of the Cloud Shadow Guards and an old friend of Elder Xi, oversees the pavilion's security. "Qianqiusui, head of Guanyun Pavilion's commercial empire and our great treasurer." Li Guanqi introduced each of them in turn. Yu Hua looked at them with gentle eyes and gave a slight nod in greeting. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she murmured, "So... since the former vice pavilion master Ji Yuchuan left, the post in charge of intelligence has remained vacant all this time?" Xi Yunhuai gave a wry smile. "Well, not strictly vacant..." Yu Hua looked at the old man with a smile. "Then it must have been truly exhausting for you, Elder." The others chuckled at that. Yu Hua said gently, "Then I'll accept this assignment. I can't guarantee how well I'll do, but I'll do my utmost." Li Guanqi nodded, then tossed over a cultivation method jade slip. "'Great Void Shadow Breath Concealment Divine Art!'" Sweeping it with her divine sense, Yu Hua froze on the spot. This... was unmistakably a top-tier Heaven-grade breath concealment technique! Were such an extraordinary manual cast out into the world, it would inevitably ignite a bloodbath across the Six Domains as factions fought to claim it! Yu Hua's breath caught as she asked, "This is for me?" Li Guanqi tapped the table and answered softly, "Yes, for you. "I've already divided the technique into three parts based on different stages of ability. You may use them to reward your subordinates." Overjoyed, Yu Hua carefully put the jade slip away, her respect for Li Guanqi deepening further. As for the others, they had long grown accustomed to such things. Li Guanqi slowly straightened his posture. As he turned to look at Qianqiusui, his expression grew serious. The atmosphere in the hall immediately turned heavy and oppressive. Li Guanqi took out his wine gourd, tipped his head back to swallow a mouthful of strong liquor, and said in a calm voice, "Speak. How far has the struggle between our two pavilions progressed?" Qianqiusui's expression tightened. Taking a deep breath, she stood up slowly before the group. With a wave of her hand, she projected an image of the Tianji Chart into the air above the hall. She glanced at Yu Hua first. Li Guanqi produced Yu Hua's soul jade slip, gave it a gentle shake, and said softly, "From now on, Yu Hua is in charge of Guanyun Pavilion's intelligence. She is one of us—no need to hide anything." Only then did Qianqiusui relax. She looked over at Gu Chuan and said in a low voice, "Brother Chuan, you tell him." Gu Chuan rose, his voice deep and muffled. "Since friction first broke out with the Tianji Pavilion, between Elder Xi and Qianqiusui's investigations and internal audits, we have eliminated a total of one hundred and seventy-three covert agents planted among us by the Tianji Pavilion!" Hearing that number, Li Guanqi furrowed his brows. He hadn't expected the Tianji Pavilion to have planted so many moles right under their noses! And the real count might be far higher! Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes, turned to Qianqiusui, and said softly, "Continue." Qianqiusui resumed: "The Tianji Pavilion has made continuous moves against us. Recently, public perception of Guanyun Pavilion's commercial operations has plummeted. Their methods are... rather underhanded! "Furthermore, forces partnering with us have begun distancing themselves from Guanyun Pavilion for various reasons. "Our teleportation arrays in certain cities have been sabotaged one after another. "Some Guanyun Pavilion members have defected while out on missions. Internal strife within the pavilion is severe right now, and it's very likely someone is stoking the flames behind the scenes. "In short..." Qianqiusui looked up at Li Guanqi, her voice turning chillingly cold. "The Tianji Pavilion's campaign against us is comprehensive. They've ignited the flames of war and are just waiting to see how we strike back!" Li Guanqi fell silent for a moment. Then, a cold sneer curled the corner of his mouth. "Very well. Since all pretenses have been dropped... "Then let's show everyone who will come out on top! "Pass down the order: all department heads are to gather in the Great Deliberation Hall in the time it takes an incense stick to burn. We... are going on the offensive!!"