The value of the items listed in the jade slip far exceeded Wang Qiupo's imagination.
As a spy who had left home at a young age, there were some among them that he had never even heard of.
In that single instant, Wang Qiupo found himself giving Xu Bai's words a measure of credence.
After pondering for a moment, he gestured for Xu Bai to wait.
He then quietly lay back onto the rattan chair behind him, closing his eyes as if drifting into deep slumber.
From Xu Bai's perspective, Wang Qiupo's life force was dissipating at an astonishing rate.
In mere breaths, he appeared to have reached the natural end of his days, indistinguishable from a corpse.
"He truly lives up to his reputation as a spy who remained undetected for eight hundred years. He does indeed have a few tricks up his sleeve," Xu Bai mused silently, observing him for a long time.
Even the thatched cottage Wang Qiupo inhabited seemed to possess a peculiar mystical quality. Wang Qiupo's fading vitality went completely unnoticed by those waiting outside. They still stood in line, waiting patiently.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a gentle breeze seemed to stir within the room.
Then, like withered wood welcoming spring, Wang Qiupo's life force revived.
Yet Xu Bai keenly sensed that this elder, who had already lived for eight centuries, was now a step closer to his grave.
With a soft cough, Wang Qiupo stood up once more and stepped in front of Xu Bai.
"I have confirmed it with the organization. Young man, what you said is true."
"Our previous dealings have also proven the credibility of your Heaven-Overturning Society. However..."
Wang Qiupo's aged eyes fixed intensely on Xu Bai. "How can you prove that you are indeed a member of the Heaven-Overturning Society?"
"And not that the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals discovered my true identity and intends to trace the vine to the melon and strike back?"
"What were the contents of our previous two transactions?"
Faced with Wang Qiupo's successive inquiries, Xu Bai was not in the least surprised. He smiled faintly and provided the answers.
"The first was the examination questions for the Alliance's induction test. The second was the true identity of the ancient cultivator sought by the Alliance..."
Upon hearing these words, Wang Qiupo's rigid posture instantly slumped once more.
A moment later, he said in a heavy voice, "The organization has indeed observed traces of the principles of heaven and earth reversing. However, they have yet to pinpoint the true identity of this Heavenly Venerable..."
"As for this trade, the organization has agreed."
"However, since this involves a Longevity Heavenly Venerable, signing a contract might allow him to vaguely sense it. Therefore, this transaction can only be a verbal agreement reliant upon our mutual credibility."
Xu Bai's eyes flashed faintly.
He then shook his head with a chuckle. "No matter. There will be plenty of opportunities for our two parties to cooperate in the future. I trust you will not go back on your word."
"In that case, I will tell you first."
Xu Bai adopted a solemn expression and lowered his voice. "What this Heavenly Venerable has reversed is precisely the Principle of Life and Death."
"Not long ago, we discovered cultivators in the Essence-Devouring White Mist who seemed neither alive nor truly dead, resembling living corpses."
"Connected with the previously observed traces of reversed worldly principles, an investigation finally allowed us to confirm this matter."
"As for the true identity of this Heavenly Venerable, we currently have no conclusive lead either."
"However, there are a few worthy suspects."
With that, Xu Bai used his finger like a brush, writing two names in midair: "Blue Feather" and "Heavenly Physician."
Wang Qiupo narrowed his eyes, committing them firmly to memory.
Seeing that the elder was about to lie back down on the rattan chair, Xu Bai suddenly asked his earlier question once more. "Does the elder wish to return home?"
"If you use the information I have given you as leverage to negotiate conditions with the Five Elders Association,"
"I imagine they would surely agree."
A spark of hope flared in Wang Qiupo's eyes, only to quickly burn out.
In the end, he shook his head and said calmly, "The destiny of spies like us is for flesh and soul alike to rot in a foreign land."
"As for my homeland..."
"I have long forgotten what it looks like."
His voice was subdued as he lay upon the rattan chair, his life force once again slowly seeping away.
"The items on the list will be delivered to you as promised."
"Leave now. This time, I will not wake again."
He spoke those words before his vitality completely vanished.
Xu Bai nodded. "Since that is the case, how about you lend me your life?"
Wang Qiupo was taken aback at first, but then seemed to understand.
Exerting his very last ounce of strength, he gave a slow nod.
Before his life force could vanish entirely, Xu Bai struck with a palm.
Instantly, Wang Qiupo was obliterated, leaving neither corpse nor bone behind.
At the same time, Xu Bai bellowed furiously, "So you were a petty rat from the Five Elders Association! You court death!"
With Wang Qiupo's death, the restriction laid upon the thatched cottage dissipated as well. Xu Bai's shout carried clearly to the outside world.
Coupled with the celestial phenomenon signaling a cultivator's fall that formed in the sky, the group of cultivators waiting outside immediately realized what had happened.
This strikingly handsome young man had actually killed the renowned Wang Qiupo of Tianliang Province!
An uproar broke out instantly.
Anger, shock, disbelief...
A host of emotions erupted simultaneously within their hearts.
"Seize him!"
Filled with righteous indignation, the cultivators surrounded Xu Bai as he strode leisurely out of the cottage.
Xu Bai remained remarkably composed. Facing the crowd on the verge of attacking, he rebuked them in turn, "Do you also intend to become accomplices to a spy of the Five Elders Association?!"
Hearing this, the gathered cultivators froze.
Though they had faintly heard something about a rat of the Five Elders Association just moments ago, none had associated that claim with Wang Qiupo.
After all, the elder's reputation was simply too illustrious. In Tianliang Province, virtually everyone knew his name.
Yet this young man before them did not look like someone who would speak wild falsehoods or bluster without cause.
"What on earth is going on?"
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, completely cowed into immobility by Xu Bai's single accusation.
"Quick, report this to Lord Xiang!" someone finally realized after a moment.
"You cannot leave until the castellan arrives!" They blocked Xu Bai's path.
"Fine by me. You had best summon people from the Martial Practice Hall and the Garrison Court as well. A thorough investigation will prove that I have not spoken falsely," Xu Bai said calmly, making no attempt to resist.
Seeing his composure, the crowd felt even more uneasy.
"If what this man says is true, and Wang Qiupo really was a spy of the Five Elders Association..."
"The sky is going to fall."
Recalling the countless cultivators the elder had recommended over the centuries, the onlookers swallowed hard, a sudden chill gripping their hearts.
They did not have to wait long before an orange streak of light descended from the heavens.
It was none other than the Castellan of Tianliang City, Xiang Rongxin.
After scanning the surroundings and locking his gaze onto Xu Bai,
Without a word or a single question, he struck downward from above, conjuring a colossal palm.
He meant to slaughter Xu Bai right on the spot!
"He wants to silence him!"
The surrounding cultivators were startled, yet none dared to intervene.
Just as they thought this exceptionally handsome cultivator was about to meet a gruesome end,
They saw him calmly retrieve a folding fan and snap it open with a flick of his wrist.
Before the colossal palm could strike him, an invisible ripple emerged, neutralizing the lethal technique.
"Hm?"
A look of astonishment crossed Xiang Rongxin's face.
Meeting Xu Bai's seemingly mocking gaze, a vicious gleam flashed in his eyes.
Just as he was about to mobilize his full strength, determined to execute him,
A languid voice suddenly echoed from the horizon.
"Hold your hand, Castellan Xiang!"
"I hear someone reported that a spy from the Five Elders Association was slain here. Is this true?"
Before the words had even faded, a black-robed cultivator appeared on the scene.
Xiang Rongxin's expression turned grim in an instant.
The newcomer was none other than the Garrison Court Commander of Tianliang Province, Nangong Shirong.
With him present, suppressing the matter was out of the question.
This was going to be troublesome.
Looking up at the lingering phenomenon of a fallen cultivator overhead, Xiang Rongxin sighed faintly to himself.
"Wang Qiupo, oh Wang Qiupo, you have truly left me with quite the conundrum."
Upon receiving the report from his subordinates, Xiang Rongxin had made his judgment immediately. Regardless of whether it was true that Wang Qiupo was a spy of the Five Elders Association,
He had to make sure it was treated as false.
Otherwise...
Looking at the smile on Nangong Shirong's face, Xiang Rongxin could already foresee the storm of blood and slaughter about to sweep through Tianling Province—and perhaps the entire Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
"Young friend, come with me," Nangong Shirong said to Xu Bai in an amiable tone.
"That was precisely my intention." Xu Bai cupped his hands, entirely without fear.
Things moved very rapidly from there.
Xu Bai firmly insisted that he had uncovered traces suggesting Wang Qiupo might be a spy. With the intention of eliminating treachery for the Alliance, he had visited in person to test the waters. To his surprise, the villain had openly admitted his true identity and even attempted to ambush Xu Bai, leaving Xu Bai no choice but to retaliate and kill him in self-defense.
The narrative was straightforward.
Nangong Shirong seemed entirely unconcerned with probing whether Xu Bai's words were true. Instead, he immediately ordered his subordinates to begin investigating Wang Qiupo.
Even an innocent person could hardly withstand the Garrison Court's exhaustive scrutiny, for wherever one walked, traces were inevitably left behind.
What was more, Wang Qiupo truly had been a spy of the Five Elders Association.
Before long, Nangong Shirong held a wealth of conclusive evidence in his hands.
"Hahahaha! Young friend, you have performed a monumental service for our Alliance this time!" Nangong Shirong slapped Xu Bai's shoulder heartily, his expression one of utmost gratification.
"Until the dust settles, stay here and do not venture outside, lest someone seek malicious retribution. Rest assured, once everything is verified, none of the rewards you deserve will be lacking!"
Xu Bai adopted a solemn demeanor. "Purging evil and treachery for the Alliance is the duty of our generation."
Seeing Xu Bai's exemplary consciousness, Nangong Shirong was immensely pleased.
Patting Xu Bai's shoulder once more in encouragement, Nangong Shirong hurried away.
The final verdict on the matter came even swifter than Xu Bai had anticipated.
This was because the Five Elders Association had also pushed back.
Faced with the Alliance's accusations and reprimands, the Five Elders Association claimed there was no such thing, insisting that Wang Qiupo had not the slightest connection to them. They stated that the Five Elders Association had always upheld the principle of peaceful coexistence and would never take the initiative to undermine relations, and urged the Alliance not to direct and stage a farce or make unreasonable trouble.
The firmer the denial, the deeper the suspicion grew.
Though various signs suggested this might be a discord-sowing scheme orchestrated by the spy Wang Qiupo before his death,
Better to wrongly punish a thousand than let a single culprit slip through.
Within a mere dozen or so days, cultivators who had risen through the ranks thanks to Wang Qiupo's recommendations were placed under isolated investigation one after another.
Even some who were exploring deep within the white mist were forcibly summoned back.
The final outcome was plain to see.
The small fraction found to genuinely harbor issues was taken down directly.
Though there was no evidence proving the rest had problems, they were never trusted with important duties again. They were relegated to minor, dead-end posts, destined to spend the rest of their lives there unless an unforeseen miracle occurred.
Just as the entire Alliance was engulfed in turmoil,
A Garrison Court cultivator—who had seized the opportunity to fill one of the numerous vacancies left by the reassigned cultivators—arrived before Li Fan.
"These are the agreed-upon supplies."
"The organization is very satisfied with this transaction."
"We look forward to our next cooperation."
Chapter 714