Even If There's No Problem, One Can Be Made

Li Guanqi did not take this matter to heart. He had merely seized the opportunity to nauseate those men; the true game had yet to begin. Play a stone? At present, he was only unfolding the chessboard. If such petty tricks alone were enough to leave the other side frantic, he would find the whole affair exceedingly dull. Ever since his arrival at Tianji Pavilion, essentially all of his actions had been out in the open. In truth, he could have handled things far more discreetly—for example, vanishing from his detached courtyard and then “avoiding” the watchful eyes of interested parties to appear in the Yellow Tower! Compared to what he was doing now, that kind of sneaky approach would likely have aroused far greater suspicion. Yet he was currently a solitary pillar bearing the weight alone; the only usable chess pieces in his hands were the Dark Pavilion Guards. *Hum!* "Pavilion Master, what you asked for has been brought to you!" A hand suddenly reached out from the shadow at Li Guanqi's feet, holding forth a jade slip. Li Guanqi cursed under his breath in exasperation. "Next time, can you just stand in front of me and hand it over?" "Who the hell reaches out from between someone's legs..." At those words, the hand in the shadow visibly gave a slight pause. "Understood... Pavilion Master..." "Right, you're Ge Qi, correct?" "Yes." "Why can't Ge Yi be reached?" "Among us Dark Pavilion Guards, none of us know each other's identity." "Moreover, Ge Yi's identity seems quite special. He has never shown his face." Upon hearing this, a sharp gleam flashed through Li Guanqi's eyes, and he said softly, "Fine, I understand. Dismissed." The shadow vanished, and Li Guanqi looked down at the jade slip in his hand. Soon, names and detailed backgrounds appeared before his eyes one by one. Su You, Song Minghui, Guo Zizhuo... Su You, Dao age one hundred and thirty-nine years, entered Tianji Pavilion at age thirteen. Initially an intelligence agent belonging to the Purple Tower. Later seconded to the Blue Tower for eight years, after which he continuously served in the Yellow Tower, currently working as a mid-level manager there. Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed slightly as the middle-aged man with that sneer on his face gradually surfaced in his mind. A gaunt build, his eyes full of calm and subtle mockery. The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved slightly. He then read through the information of the other two. Having confirmed the details of all three, Li Guanqi produced the Pavilion Master jade pendant and spoke softly into it. "Come meet me at Tianji Back Mountain." In the Yellow Tower, Su You, who was bowed over his desk handling paperwork, showed no change in expression, only slowing his brush slightly. *Thud!* Another pile of miscellaneous documents landed in front of Su You. A slightly portly man with drooping eyes spoke. "Audit the profits of the Xuan Hall's Northern Region taverns for this year." Su You merely raised his head to glance at the man, replying expressionlessly, "Understood, Hall Master Xuan." The man nodded in satisfaction and walked off with his hands behind his back, humming a little tune. Once the man had left, Su You changed into the ordinary robe of a Yellow Tower disciple, his facial features contorting slightly into a different appearance. The space beside him rippled faintly, and he vanished from the room. Before leaving, however, he tossed a small wooden figurine onto the desk. The aura it emitted was remarkably identical to his own. All these years of life in Tianji Pavilion had long since carved such caution into Su You's very bones. When he heard Li Guanqi's voice, he had felt a measure of hesitation. He could guess a portion of what Li Guanqi was thinking. Yet he did not believe that Li Guanqi, an outsider, could stir up much of a wave within Tianji Pavilion's labyrinthine web of factions and power. In a secluded valley along the outskirts of Tianji Pavilion, the moment a figure appeared, he was drawn in by an overwhelmingly powerful spatial force! The bright space was entirely empty. Li Guanqi looked at the man before him and chuckled. "I knew you would come." Su You looked at Li Guanqi and bowed in greeting. "Su You of the Yellow Tower pays his respects to the Pavilion Master." *Swish!* A table and chairs appeared in the space. Li Guanqi said with a smile, "Sit, let's just chat casually. No one knows we're here." Su You bowed and took a seat. He gave off a rather quiet impression, not being fond of talk. Yet his eyes made Li Guanqi realize that the person before him was no ordinary figure. The two sat facing each other. Li Guanqi did not speak, nor did Su You. Li Guanqi smiled and said, "You haven't said a word since you entered. Aren't you curious why I called you here?" Su You replied calmly, "When the Pavilion Master wishes to speak, you will naturally tell me." A playful look crossed Li Guanqi's face as his finger tapped lightly against the tabletop. He knew Su You was waiting for him to cast out the bait. As for whether the man would bite... That depended on whether the bait was big enough! Li Guanqi said softly, "Work for me, and I'll make you Hall Master Xuan." Su You's pupils constricted sharply, but he did not believe the newly arrived Li Guanqi possessed such capability. Within the Yellow Tower, the hall masters responsible for the Six Domains were all Yuan Hongyi's men. Moving any of them would be tremendously difficult! For the first time, Su You looked up intently at Li Guanqi and said in a heavy voice, "You cannot do it..." "I still have accounts to audit. This subordinate takes his leave." Li Guanqi smiled faintly. "Whether I can do it is my affair. You only need to tell me what your answer is." Turning to leave, Su You paused slightly, then looked back at Li Guanqi and spoke. "If the Pavilion Master can achieve this, from then on, I shall be your man!" Li Guanqi shook his head and said softly, "No, you are not my man. How could you possibly be my man?" A sharp light flashed through Su You's eyes, and he gave a slight nod. "Su You understands." Li Guanqi raised his hand. "Alright, go back." Returning to his room, Su You retrieved the wooden figurine, his eyes glittering. He knew the factions and personnel within the Yellow Tower better than anyone! He could not fathom how Li Guanqi could ever promote him in a way that would be convincing to all. After Su You left, Li Guanqi sat alone in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Regarding Su You, his intention was to drive a nail into the Yellow Tower. It was just that this nail had quite an attitude... Whether he could push him into that seat required careful consideration. Furthermore... The method used to elevate Su You could not be too direct. If he simply used authority to overpower others, Yuan Hongyi naturally wouldn't be able to stop Li Guanqi from moving Su You up. But if that happened, Yuan Hongyi would surely be on guard against Su You at every turn. Then all of this would become meaningless. "Ge Qi." "Present." "Investigate Huang Bin, Hall Master Xuan of the Yellow Tower, for me. His habits, preferences, disposition—make it as detailed as possible!" "Ge Qi obeys." Before long, a complete profile on Huang Bin, Hall Master Xuan of the Yellow Tower, lay on Li Guanqi's desk. A playful smile hovered at the corners of Li Guanqi's mouth. Looking at the information in his hands, a plan instantly formed in his mind. "Greedy for wealth... lustful..." Looking at Huang Bin's character and preferences, Li Guanqi nearly burst out laughing. "Thirty-six wives and concubines... that aspect isn't enough to be fatal. But greed for wealth... hehe." Taking out the Tianji jade pendant, Li Guanqi transmitted his voice: "I recall you mentioned that Huang Bin had you auditing accounts, yes?" "Yes, though there will definitely be no problems with these accounts. They were made by Huang Bin himself." Su You had no idea why Li Guanqi was asking this. The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved slightly as he said softly, "Bring me a copy of all those ledgers." Then he murmured under his breath, "Even if there's no problem... one can always be made!"