What Tang Wei was currently doing had also been instructed by Li Guanqi.
Under his orchestration, Guanyun Pavilion was making massive purchases of Tianji Pavilion's commodities, all of which were hard currency goods.
Mixed into these were even quite a few exclusive pills and medicinal concoctions unique to Tianji Pavilion.
Through Tang Wei's maneuvering, the buyers did not even realize they were acting on behalf of Guanyun Pavilion.
Everything appeared completely natural, without the slightest incongruity.
Lately, Gu Yong and the others had even assumed that their aggressive suppression of their rival was what caused Tianji Pavilion's revenue to experience such explosive growth.
At nightfall, Tang Wei sent a sound transmission to Li Guanqi.
There was a note of gravity in his voice.
"Little Friend Li, we're burning through funds at an alarming rate. Are we going to keep going?"
Li Guanqi remained composed. To thoroughly crush Tianji Pavilion this time, he had scraped together nearly eighteen billion spirit stones through loans and his own personal fortune!
Although such a massive sum of capital was perhaps not even a third of Tianji Pavilion's full foundation, it was enough.
Li Guanqi asked softly, "How much capital do we have left in hand?"
Tang Wei laid out the remaining funds in detail, looking grim.
"We have one billion spirit stones in hand that will not be touched for the trade war. That portion is reserved for daily operations and contingencies.
"Of the remaining 17.2 billion, we've burned through nearly half over the past four days—8.2 billion!
"All 8.2 billion went toward purchasing Tianji Pavilion's pills, spirit herbs, medicinal ingredients, natural treasures, and the like, covering virtually every category.
"However, I kept your words firmly in mind: everything we purchased consists of hard currency goods that hold their value exceptionally well."
The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved upward, and he replied via sound transmission, "Keep going. In fact, ramp up the intensity!
"Three days. Before the Yunding Auction begins, I want you to spend every last bit of the funds in hand!"
Tang Wei swallowed hard. With such a massive pool of capital, burning through so much in three days would make it very difficult to avoid catching the other side's attention...
Perhaps guessing the man's misgivings, Li Guanqi's smile widened with supreme confidence.
He spoke firmly, "Go all out. By tomorrow at the latest... Tianji Pavilion will suspect something anyway.
"As long as we cover our tracks thoroughly, they'll only assume their business is doing exceptionally well.
"Besides, what they're getting in return for everything sold is genuine spirit stones. They won't overthink it."
Here, Li Guanqi paused briefly, then sent a sound transmission to Yu Hua. "Over these three days, coordinate with Tang Wei to build momentum for Tianji Pavilion!"
Yu Hua frowned. "Build momentum for Tianji Pavilion?
"Why?
"Our Yunding Auction begins in three days. Shouldn't we be helping ourselves right now?"
Li Guanqi stood up and paced slowly across the study, his eyes calm.
"No need.
"Because... Tianji Pavilion will collapse before the auction even begins.
"Notify Tang Wei to rein in all of Guanyun Pavilion's shops, creating the illusion that we are powerless to fight back.
"In addition, spread rumors through our moles in other mercenary organizations and clan factions."
Yu Hua could no longer make sense of what Li Guanqi was trying to achieve, but she still chose to trust him.
She asked in a low voice, "What are the contents and purpose of the rumors?"
Li Guanqi rested both hands on the desk, a faint streak of lightning flickering incessantly before him.
Staring at the lightning, Li Guanqi spoke coldly.
"The content... say that deep divisions have erupted within Guanyun Pavilion and that it is on the verge of falling apart.
"The purpose?
"Heh. Naturally, it's to make Tianji Pavilion's hidden eyes believe we can no longer hold on—that we're about to collapse completely."
Yu Hua nodded and immediately set to work!
After setting down the communication jade pendant, Li Guanqi rubbed the bridge of his nose and said softly, "Elder Xi, keep an eye on Su You. Our current moves might fool Tianji Pavilion's people,
"but... they definitely won't fool Su You!!
"Also, arrange for some loyal mid-level members in the pavilion to put on a show. Have those who should pretend to quit do so, and stage screaming matches where appropriate.
"Otherwise, how will we get Tu Kui to pass along the message?"
Soon, Xi Yunhuai's affirming voice came from the jade pendant.
***
Great Xia Sword Sect.
Tu Kui was cultivating with his eyes closed inside the main hall of Tianjin Peak.
Suddenly, the portal to the Tianji Domain buzzed open, and several figures darted out.
Their expressions were dark; as they hurried past, they occasionally looked back, their eyes filled with conflicting emotions.
Watching from the shadows, Tu Kui could not help but frown, completely baffled by what was taking place.
Yet he did not act rashly, remaining concealed to observe.
By the late hours of the night, muffled sounds of arguing drifted over, and several more figures flew out of the void, fleeing into the distance.
Tu Kui narrowed his eyes, light flickering in his gaze as he murmured, "Did something happen to Guanyun Pavilion?
"Those people... seem to be mid-level members of the intelligence division?
"Has Guanyun Pavilion truly reached the point of disintegrating from within?"
An agonizing struggle surfaced in Tu Kui's eyes, and his chest heaved violently.
Clutching the jade slip in his hand, he stood frozen in silence for a long time before letting out a long breath and putting it away.
After breaking through to the late Soul Formation Realm, his craving for power had suddenly waned.
His heart was flooded with inexplicable remorse. He turned his head and looked around at Tianjin Peak, where he had spent his entire life.
In the end, he had reined in his desires; he had not swallowed any of the other pills Shen Feng had left him.
A dull sting throbbed in his chest. He knew that if he did not continue taking those pills,
the poison inside him would seep deeper and deeper without power to suppress it.
Yet if he took them, the toxin would only accumulate further.
Having come to terms with everything, Tu Kui's face seemed to age in an instant, and his back stooped slightly.
Afterward, Tu Kui returned alone to his private courtyard.
By candlelight, Tu Kui drank wine as he lifted a brush to write.
Across the paper, two large characters stood out starkly: "Suicide Note"!
Hidden in the shadows, Wu Bing's eyes flickered, at a loss for words.
He understood Li Guanqi's temperament all too well; even if Tu Kui genuinely repented, Li Guanqi would never spare him.
Tu Kui was oblivious to any of this. As he drank, his eyes grew red.
Tears rolled down the man's weathered face, dripping onto the paper. Tu Kui looked back on his lifetime of fighting and bleeding for the sect.
He had never imagined that as the sect flourished and grew stronger, he would develop such an ugly craving for power.
Once a person fell prey to desire, it was like stepping into a quagmire—the harder they struggled, the deeper they sank!
In a daze, Tu Kui seemed to see his younger, high-spirited self, and the regret in his heart cut even deeper.
Weighing down the six or seven pages of his rambling suicide note with his peak master medallion, the man turned and walked toward his secluded cultivation chamber.
Just as he turned, he faced the distant direction of the Great Xia Sword Sect's Sect Cemetery and bowed deeply, bending almost in half!
His aura steadily faded, his shuffling steps resembling those of an aged man at dusk, his life force rapidly draining away!
Tu Kui... was severing his own life force, seeking death!
Chapter 1051