He Wouldn't Dare

Order after order issued from Li Guanqi's mouth. Yet soon enough, Yu Hua realized something was wrong! With her eyes closed, Yu Hua sensed the chaotic spatial fluctuations in the surroundings. None of them seemed out of the ordinary at first. Yet an instant later, her expression shifted slightly. Frowning, she reached into the void and seized a wisp of spatial fluctuation! She forcefully invaded it with her divine sense, her face darkening to an extreme degree. Taking a deep breath, Yu Hua drew out her Guanyun Jade Pendant and said softly, "There are still moles in the pavilion. The plan has leaked." Yu Hua blamed herself for not being meticulous enough, having allowed Tianji Pavilion moles to still linger within the pavilion! Just as she prepared herself with guilt to bear Li Guanqi's fury, his voice suddenly came from the jade pendant. "Heh, it's fine." Before she could make sense of his words, she suddenly felt the space of the entire intelligence branch become enveloped by an utterly terrifying array glow! Xi Yunhuai appeared before Yu Hua, tossed a jade slip to her, and smiled. "I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Yu to clean up the people on this list yourself." Yu Hua's heart trembled! Her beautiful eyes gleamed sharply, and she instantly realized what was happening. Taking a deep breath, she clutched the jade slip and murmured, "Give me ten breaths." With that, Yu Hua drew her sword and vanished on the spot. In a flash, terrifying sword qi crisscrossed the void, and deafening booms rang out incessantly. Several breaths later, Yu Hua returned, her fair face spattered with blood, carrying a severed head in her hand. This person happened to be a subordinate she had valued rather highly, practically a mid-to-high-level member. Xi Yunhuai chuckled. "Since even you learned of the orders, Tianji Pavilion is bound to keep a close eye on how we respond at all times." Yu Hua murmured, "So the Pavilion Master intentionally had us carry out these actions for real, letting those moles believe this was truly our countermeasure and thereby exposing themselves right under our noses... "The Pavilion Master's scheming runs deep indeed..." Clasping his hands behind his back, Xi Yunhuai curled his lip. "That's only because you weren't there when he temporarily took charge of Tianji Pavilion. Tsk, tsk. "Without shedding a drop of blood or moving a single soldier, he threw the relationships among the Four Tower Lords into complete chaos." Yu Hua smiled and tossed the severed head aside. Her eyes glinted with newfound admiration for this Pavilion Master who was more than a thousand years younger than her. Everything Li Guanqi did was an interwoven tapestry of truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, making it impossible to see through clearly. Some of his methods kept even his own people in the dark. Meanwhile, on Tianji Pavilion's side, Gu Yong listened to his subordinate's report, his face calm as ever. The old man sat in a chair with his hands tucked into his sleeves, his body slightly hunched, his cloudy eyes flickering faintly. "Heh, he certainly reacts fast... Did he learn these tricks... from me?" The corners of Gu Yong's mouth curled slightly, seemingly unbothered by the loss of his people. Due to geographic separation and early foresight, it was virtually impossible for Guanyun Pavilion to plant any moles or hidden pawns within Tianji Pavilion. Tianji Pavilion, on the other hand, had begun laying its groundwork from the very inception of Guanyun Pavilion. Regarding Li Guanqi's response, Gu Yong felt a touch of admiration; Li Guanqi's reaction speed was remarkably swift. Gu Yong muttered under his breath, "Even if you turn to those factions... it will probably still be very difficult to pull off... "Heheh. Have the recent orders been screened?" Before long, another man said in a deep voice, "They have been screened, but nothing unusual was found. "A few locations showed occasional fluctuations in demand for pills, but all of them can be traced back to their origins." The old man nodded. He did not believe Li Guanqi would be foolish enough to use the same tactic against him. Turning to Shen Feng, Gu Yong let his eyes flicker as an eerie smile crept onto his lips. "Are you certain Tu Kui took the pill?" Shen Feng bowed respectfully and said in a grave voice, "Certain!" With that, Shen Feng flipped his wrist. Amid a flash of light, a milky-white jade figurine appeared in his hand. At the center of the palm-sized figurine's brow, a wisp of dark green qi surged, writhing and twisting like an earthworm. Cradling the jade figurine in both hands, Shen Feng offered it to the old man. Suddenly! The chair beneath Gu Yong burst into pieces with a deafening crash. A terrifying pressure instantly engulfed Shen Feng! Thud! The man's knees buckled, smashing right through the floor tiles beneath him, and he fell to his knees in terror. A vast wave of divine sense surged forth, enveloping Shen Feng. Rip! Shen Feng's robes tore open, and specks of spiritual light were suddenly forced out from his back. Shen Feng's expression instantly changed drastically, and the others blanched as well. Bang! The spiritual light burst, instantly tearing open jagged wounds across the skin of Shen Feng's back, blood flowing freely. Yet at this moment, he paid no mind to his injuries; instead, sheer dread gripped him because someone had left a mark on him. Failing at his task... the Red Tower... could easily be handed to someone else! Gu Yong walked slowly to Shen Feng's side, his eyes narrowing to slits as an unfathomable gleam flickered within them. Holding the specks of spiritual light composed of talismanic runes in his hand, he let the corners of his mouth curl slightly upward. Then, under the bewildered gazes of everyone present, he actually shoved that spiritual light back into Shen Feng's body. After examining it for a moment, Gu Yong murmured, "The realm-breaking array plate did not sense Li Guanqi's aura at the time. "Which means... the mark he left on you must have been planted when you passed through the Great Xia Sword Sect's array barrier domain. "He might suspect that someone sought out people from the Great Xia Sword Sect, but he likely does not know who it was yet! "Heheh. Doesn't he want to track you? Then let him track!" With these words, everyone understood. This way, Li Guanqi would believe everything was within his grasp, unaware that his hidden card had already been exposed right before their eyes. Gu Yong said softly, "Shen Feng, you may take a rest for a while. Zhou Jun will temporarily take over the Red Tower." Shen Feng snapped his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Zhou Jun? He is merely a branch hall steward. With only his Void Refining Realm cultivation, how can he temporarily act as Lord of the Red Tower?" Gu Yong glanced at him, raising a hand to send a stream of spiritual light into Shen Feng's back. Without further explanation, he waved a dismissive hand. "Enough. Withdraw. You need not concern yourself with the rest." Shen Feng's face turned ashen. He knew he was finished. It seemed his subordinate Zhou Jun... was definitely not much weaker than himself in strength. Putting his clothes back on, Shen Feng bowed and took his leave with despondent eyes. None of the others dared to say a word either, for just like Shen Feng, any of them could be replaced at any moment! Buzz! An anxious voice transmission rang in the old man's ear: "Reporting to the Pavilion Master! The managers of many of our subordinate shops have been mysteriously assassinated by an unknown force!" Gu Yong tucked his hands into his sleeves and gave a cold sneer. "Reinforce the guards. It is nothing more than some probing. Leak a bit of word to him. "Let him know that the contracts for these orders are all in Tianji Pavilion's hands. Killing the people down below will accomplish nothing." With his back turned to the crowd, the old man's hunched frame exuded an inexplicable, suffocating pressure. The three people behind him could only lower their heads in silence. "Should we keep an eye on Shen Feng?" The old man chuckled. "He wouldn't dare." The old man turned slowly to look at the people behind him and murmured in a chilling voice, "Just like the rest of you." A chill ran through everyone's hearts, and they bowed their heads even lower. Because... all of their lives rested firmly in the old man's grasp! Gu Yong frowned and murmured, "Ji Yuchuan, where are you hiding..."