Scheming

Vast mists drifted across the ten-thousand-li peaks as the cold wind howled. An eerie silence spread among the group of five atop the mountain summit. Taishi Ran’s words had exceeded everyone’s expectations. Except for the woman surnamed Luo, an expression of stunned disbelief flashed through the eyes of the middle-aged fat man, the hunched old man, and the dignified middle-aged beauty alike. Throughout their fairly long lives, all of them had experienced assassinations, whether as the instigators or the targets. In the word "assassination," the emphasis was not on the kill, but on the stealth. To silently erase the target from the world, conceal all traces of one's identity, and turn their death into an unsolved mystery. Assassinating the third son of Xu Yinhe was no child's play. From the moment they agreed to participate, all five had prepared for the worst. They had anticipated a grueling battle, even entertained the possibility of leaving their bones buried here, but never had they expected such an ostentatious assassination attempt to turn into a farce. To be detected during an assassination was tantamount to failure. For them, it had ended before it even began. Thinking up to this point, the middle-aged fat man surnamed Zhou felt an urge to laugh, but he held it back. After all, Taishi Ran's face was dark enough to drip water. Laughing out loud now would be rather disrespectful. Then again, he truly had no desire to get involved in such dangerous business. As one of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion’s sources of revenue, the Black Iron Sect controlled nearly a tenth of the realm’s spiritual weapon blades. As the Grand Elder of the Black Iron Sect, he embezzled a virtually inexhaustible supply of resources every year. What was the point of all this fighting and killing? Were the female disciples in his sect not fair and supple enough, or were the exquisite wines not mellow enough? Peace breeds wealth—that was the righteous path. Naturally, Fat Zhou kept these thoughts buried deep in his heart. Everything he possessed now had been bestowed by the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion. If he stepped out of line, the pavilion could strip it all away just as easily. Soon, The silence among the five was broken by the graceful woman surnamed Luo. Her immortal gown fluttered as she raised a hand and took off the Wailing Iron Mask from her face, revealing a visage captivating enough to topple kingdoms. Her voice was remarkably aloof: "Taishi Ran, are you saying Xu Changtian's cultivation has already reached the Transcendent Realm?" Puzzlement flickered in Taishi Ran's eyes, but he answered nonetheless: "According to the records of our sect, only this method can see through the probe of the Lingtian Instrument." Hearing this, the woman surnamed Luo showed little change in her expression. Raising eyes as clear as autumn waters, she glanced at the northern horizon and said bluntly: "If he truly is a Transcendent, we might as well call off this expedition. There is no need to keep wasting time here." "..." Silence followed her words. To slay a Transcendent expert, unless one lured them into a trap, as long as the other party was bent on fleeing, the chances of detaining them were truly slim. Everyone present understood this, yet none echoed the woman surnamed Luo. The Luo clan had already broken free from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's control and was not subordinate to it, so the woman surnamed Luo naturally had no qualms about saying whatever she pleased. But Fat Zhou and the others had only reached their current positions thanks to the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion. The autonomy they possessed was far from enough to support defying Taishi Ran, who held the Heaven Pavilion Token. They had to wait for Taishi Ran to decide. Yet Taishi Ran, the decision-maker, showed no intention of answering immediately. His brows were furrowed tight, as though deep in thought. The mists on the summit scattered and gathered once more. The woman surnamed Luo looked at Taishi Ran with cool eyes and continued: "Taishi Ran, disturbances are rising everywhere across the world right now. Xu Changtian's qi dynamic is already recorded in the Lingtian Instrument. There is no need to rush the assassination." As her words fell, the shrewd figures present could all tell that Fairy Luo was preparing to take her leave. A glint of light flashed through Fat Zhou's squinted little eyes. Among those present, this woman had the highest cultivation. If they wished to press on with assassinating Xu Changtian, her strength was indispensable. After all, The Commander-in-Chief of the Black Scale Guards might well be by Xu Changtian's side. Without this Luo clan member to tie down Lou Ji, the rest of them would probably be walking straight to their deaths. In other words, as long as the woman surnamed Luo left, they wouldn't have to carry out the assassination. With that in mind, Fat Zhou glanced inconspicuously at Taishi Ran. Before Taishi Ran could speak, however, the dignified middle-aged beauty beside him spoke up first: "Fairy Luo, please calm yourself. I, Fu, once saw Xu Yinhe's third son in Di'an City..." "..." Hearing this, Fat Zhou immediately cursed under his breath. Taishi Ran hasn't even spoken yet, so what is this old woman doing trying to keep her here? That old bastard Jing Tingxi is already dead! Are you so eager to avenge him over some fleeting fling? Despite his inward thoughts, a stiff smile formed on Fat Zhou's face as he interrupted: "Is Elder Fu trying to say that Xu Changtian is not at the Transcendent Realm? But Brother Ran just said that this is documented in the canon of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion. It shouldn't be mistaken." The middle-aged beauty cast a sidelong glance at the fat man. "Elder Zhou, there is no need to cut me off. Once I finish, Brother Taishi and Fairy Luo will naturally make their own judgments." Fat Zhou maintained his beaming expression, but his words remained sharp and combative: "Elder Fu, that boy Xu Changtian fooled around in Di'an City year in and year out. I imagine anyone who has visited the Imperial Capital has seen him more or less. "Two years ago, Xu Changtian was still an ordinary mortal. That is what you wish to say, isn't it, Elder Fu?" The middle-aged beauty narrowed her eyes slightly and said nothing, silently conceding the point. Fat Zhou paced casually along the mountain summit, then suddenly turned around with a smile: "The trouble is, in the eyes of the realm, Xu Changge was previously seen as merely a Grandmaster, yet his true cultivation was likely close to breaking through to the Transcendent Realm. "If the eldest brother is like that, Elder Fu, how can you be certain that what Xu Changtian showed in Di'an City was real?" Regardless of whether that Xu Changtian was feigning mediocrity or not, Fat Zhou had to nail down his Transcendent cultivation as fact. Only then could this operation be called off. There was money to be made—why risk his life like this? The middle-aged beauty caught the implication behind the fat man's words. Narrowing her fine eyes, she asked bluntly: "Elder Zhou, are you afraid?" "Afraid?" Fat Zhou spread his hands, the flesh on his face quivering as he said with a beaming smile, "I am merely speaking the truth. Our operation has already been exposed. If we insist on proceeding, the risk is simply too great..." At this point, Fat Zhou paused, cupped his hands, and made an obeisance toward the sky: "It might even compromise the Pavilion Master's grand design for the realm!" "You!" The middle-aged beauty glared. This fat man was cowardly and craven, yet he dared invoke righteous duty to suppress her! Just as she was about to flare up, Taishi Ran, who had remained silent all this while, spoke up: "Enough." Having settled the turbulent qi dynamics caused by the earlier backlash, Taishi Ran slowly swept his gaze across the four of them. His voice was quiet: "Xu Changtian was indeed a mortal two years ago. With less than two years of cultivation, his cultivation cannot be very high. The reason he was able to sense the Lingtian Instrument's search is likely due to his special nature as the inception of the great calamity." The matter was settled then and there. Fat Zhou sighed softly inward, murmured an obedient "Understood," and fell silent without another word. The hunched old man, who had not spoken until now, rubbed the walking stick in his hand and asked with a dry, chuckling voice: "Venerable Taishi, does this mean we're going ahead with the assassination?" Taishi Ran glanced at him, but didn't respond to him. Instead, he looked toward the woman surnamed Luo, who had already removed her Wailing Iron Mask: "Fairy Luo, what say you?" The woman surnamed Luo glanced at these Overseeing Heaven Pavilion experts, whose minds were clearly divided, and said in a cool voice: "You intend to force a kill on Xu Changtian?" "Once he returns to Di'an City, all will be lost. Who knows when he will venture out again? This is very likely our last chance." "..." After meeting his gaze for a moment, the woman turned her cool gaze away toward the setting sun on the horizon: "The risks of this endeavor outweigh the rewards." Taishi Ran was silent for a breath before speaking in a low voice: "Fairy Luo, we are still in the shadows. Xu Changtian only sensed someone probing him; he most likely cannot deduce where we hail from. "Furthermore, without a communication crystal, they cannot summon more experts to their aid in the short term. We only need to kill Xu Changtian before reinforcements from the Prime Minister's Manor arrive." The woman surnamed Luo glanced at him, utterly unmoved: "It makes no difference." She had no desire to wade into this muddy water any further. The upper echelons of the Prime Minister's Manor were no fools, especially Lou Ji, who commanded a massive intelligence network. In years past, she had dealt with that venomous woman. For that reason, she understood well that an ambush against an unsuspecting foe stood a chance, but now that it had become a contest of anticipation against anticipation, that woman was bound to make preparatory arrangements. Hearing her resolute words, Taishi Ran remained silent for a short while, then suddenly asked: "Fairy Luo, may I ask if you have heard of Jing Xuelan?" "..." The moment the name left his mouth, The tranquil expression that the woman surnamed Luo had maintained froze abruptly. Turning her eyes back slowly, a trace of emotion seemed to seep into her voice: "Jing Xuelan?" "The daughter of Jing Tingxi," Taishi Ran said, enunciating each word as he observed her reaction. The Pavilion Master had once casually mentioned to him the past between Burial Village's Chief Jing Tingxi and this member of the Luo clan. Though it was only a few passing words, in hindsight, the Pavilion Master truly had deep intentions. Judging by the expression of this Luo clan woman, there was definitely an untold story here. Perhaps Jing Xuelan was even the daughter born to this very woman and Jing Tingxi... Mulling this over, Taishi Ran continued in a faint voice: "Jing Tingxi fostered his daughter with a close friend in the Northern Border. Not long ago, that sect was wiped out by the Black Scale Army of the Prime Minister's Manor." "..." After a long pause, the woman surnamed Luo exhaled softly, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremor: "Is she still alive?" "That I do not know." Taishi Ran shook his head, but then turned the subject: "However, she is most likely alive. And if she is alive, Lou Ji will definitely keep Jing Xuelan at her side." Qi dynamics surged around the woman surnamed Luo. Taking a deep breath, her red lips parted to utter a single word: "Reason." "To the Prime Minister's Manor and Lou Ji, Jing Tingxi's daughter is more useful alive than dead. Though Jing Tingxi has died, the network of relationships he built in life remains." "Is that so..." "So, Fairy Luo, would you..." Taishi Ran's eyes flickered. The woman surnamed Luo gave a soft sigh. Her gaze was complex, yet her reply was crisp: "I will help in this matter, on the condition that during the fight, every effort is made to ensure Jing Xuelan's safety." "Naturally." Taishi Ran offered a faint smile. His gaze swept over the gathered figures once more as he said in a resonant voice: "Everyone, I know you may harbor some fear toward the Prime Minister's Manor in your hearts, but this is our final opportunity to eradicate the inception of the great calamity. We cannot afford to give up." The decision to assassinate had once again been finalized by Taishi Ran. What remained was how to execute it. The hunched old man tapped his cane, coughed lightly, and chuckled: "Venerable Taishi speaks absolute truth. The question is, how do we put it into action?" Seeing it was unavoidable, Fat Zhou sighed softly and quickly adjusted his mindset, offering advice in a low voice: "Brother Taishi, how many days' journey is Xu Changtian from us right now?" "Three days." Taishi Ran raised the Lingtian Instrument in his hand to check, replying quietly, "They are currently near the Pingxi Mausoleum, traveling toward the Imperial Capital." A sinister gleam surfaced in Fat Zhou's squinted little eyes: "Knowing that someone is spying on them, Xu Changtian's group will definitely seek refuge in a city as quickly as possible. For one, they can use the city's communication crystal to contact the Imperial Capital; for another, they can rely on the city array to hold out and wait for reinforcements. "Therefore, our best course is to strike before they enter a city." "Too late for that." A thoughtful look appeared in the hunched old man's turbid eyes. "There are several small towns around the Pingxi Mausoleum, but the only walled settlement with a communication crystal is Huizhou County. Given Lou Ji's speed, she will likely arrive within a day." "Which means we have to strike inside the city?" The middle-aged beauty's eyes flickered slightly as she asked in a low voice, "A small county's city-protecting array poses no hindrance to us, but doing so would mean completely shattering the rules." Given the strength of their five-person group, breaking a county-level city-protecting array would not be difficult. The problem was that such an act amounted to open rebellion. The current situation was merely turbulent, not a total collapse of order. Such blatant trampling of the rules would inevitably invite investigations from major powers across the realm. If traced back to them, the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion would become the target of universal condemnation. "Elder Fu, we do not necessarily have to break the array," Fat Zhou said with a jovial chuckle. "Everything has its pros and cons. Entering a city certainly allows them to use the array as an amulet of protection, but a city is bustling and full of prying eyes. We can easily slip in undetected. After all, assassination does not always require brute force, especially when the target's cultivation is not high..." "What about Lou Ji?" The woman surnamed Luo interrupted their discussion. "With Lou Ji by his side, you will never have the chance to approach Xu Changtian undetected." As she spoke, She seemed to recall something, and the slender fingers gripping her Wailing Iron Mask tightened slightly: "To guarantee Xu Changtian's safety, she would not hesitate to clear out every single resident in the county town." Her words fell, plunging the mountaintop into silence once again. "The Saintess has already parted ways with Xu Changtian. Prepare for the worst." Taishi Ran stared for a long while at the divine light flickering on the Lingtian Instrument in his hand before saying somberly: "If it truly comes to the point where a brute-force kill is unavoidable, disregard everything and breach the city directly. "Death is a necessity. "The common people of a single town are far less important than extinguishing the inception of the great calamity!"