Sunlight poured into the wing room, illuminating the refined and elegant furnishings.
Xu Yuan sat alone behind his desk, staring in silence for a long time at the ancient manual before him, titled *Black Scale*.
Ever since he replaced Xu Changge and took charge of Moyin Pavilion, his position as second-in-command over the Prime Minister's Manor's financial and political affairs had been solidified.
With the backing of core confidants like Lou Ji and Hua Hong, his practical power was already immense. In certain extraordinary times—such as during the Chancellor's secluded cultivation—he could even bypass normal channels and exercise the Chancellor's absolute authority over everything except the Black Qilin Army.
Yet now...
With this manual, even the Black Qilin Army was no longer an exception.
"I can't make sense of it..." he murmured, brushing a fingertip across the manual's cover.
Xu Yuan had never cultivated military array manuals himself. But back in the Northern Border, out of sheer curiosity, he had picked up a bit of foundational knowledge from Li Qingyan.
If military command in his past life had been authority constructed through institutions and regulations, then in this life, it possessed a tangible, physical anchor.
The military array matrix manual.
In the six millennia before military array cultivation techniques existed, raising a loyal, elite guard division might have been enough to launch a successful coup. But in the Great Yan Dynasty today, even marching an army of millions to besiege the palace would amount to nothing more than throwing lives away.
Rebelling before a superior commander?
The moment you dared circulate your cultivation technique, the possessor of the higher-tier matrix manual could instantly trigger your cultivation deviation.
This was the ultimate manifestation of centralized autocratic rule.
It was the supreme violence belonging solely to the supreme leader.
And now, his father had handed him this supreme violence so casually—as though tossing him a few hundred taels of loose silver for pocket money after tea.
One had to realize that even though Xu Changge had governed Moyin Pavilion for nearly ten years, he had never caught so much as a glimpse of the Black Scale matrix manual.
No matter how far his old man was willing to delegate power to his sons—to an extent unimaginable to outsiders—military authority remained a forbidden domain of absolute control that no one was allowed to touch.
All great affairs of state and family boiled down to finance, administration, and the military.
If the imperial dynasty was an instrument of the ruling class, then military power was the bedrock of that instrument.
Sunlight bathed the room. Xu Yuan continually caressed the words on the manual's frontispiece, trying to discern his father's intentions.
Having come this far, he naturally knew he was meant to inherit everything in the Prime Minister's Manor. He had already prepared himself mentally to bear the ambition upon which the manor was founded and forge unflinchingly into a chaotic, uncertain future.
Yet the problem was...
The time should not have been now.
Thus, Xu Yuan could not comprehend why his old man would relinquish this power representing the manor's supreme violence so simply.
It was too hurried.
If the force-fed transfer of financial and civil authority could be explained by the manor's anomalous administrative structure requiring extensive time to adapt, then from any angle, his father had been far too hasty regarding this manual of supreme military command.
So hasty...
It almost looked like he was making his final arrangements.
At that thought, Xu Yuan's pupils constricted slightly. He stood up from his desk in an instant.
He wanted to go and ask his old man directly.
He wanted to ask what on earth had happened during the Northern Hunt. Yet just as he moved, he deflated like a punctured ball and sank back down into his seat.
The internal affairs of the Prime Minister's Manor were indeed unlike those of any outside power.
There were not so many rigid formalities of monarch and subject or father and son. Even in matters of immense consequence, Xu Yinhe would never speak in riddles to his children. But in this world, there were ultimately some things that could never be spoken aloud...
Such as burdens that belonged solely to oneself.
***
Deep within the bottommost reaches of the Black Prison.
A narrow, prolonged tunnel plunged ever downward, deserted and silent, as though leading straight to hell.
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the distance. A middle-aged man with graying temples strode forward alone. His pitch-black eyes were dull and quiet, swallowing the surrounding firelight like a bottomless pool.
Reaching the end, he found a woman already waiting before a massive stone door.
"Chancellor."
Lou Ji bowed low, tilting her head slightly, her response devoid of her usual casual air.
Xu Yinhe came to a halt nearby. Slanting his eyes toward Lou Ji as she stood with her head bowed, his voice resonated through the tunnel:
"Is everyone here?"
"The heads of each division have assembled."
"Open the door."
"Chancellor... Eldest—the Third Young Master has not yet arrived."
"......"
Xu Yinhe did not reply, merely casting a flat, sideways glance at Lou Ji.
Seeing this, Lou Ji immediately fell silent. Keeping her head lowered, she raised her hand.
The massive stone door beside them swung open, revealing a circular secret chamber behind it.
The chamber was not large—roughly sixty feet square. Its inner walls were densely inscribed with intricate array patterns. A rectangular stone table was embedded into the center of the floor, where eleven Xu family dignitaries of varying appearances and ages sat arranged along both sides.
The Commander of the Black Qilin Army, the President of the Tian'an Chamber of Commerce, the Dean of the Wenshu Academy, the Master of the Tian'an Martial Hall, the Director of the Internal Dignitary Bureau...
Some sat with meticulous posture, while others lounged casually, chatting via voice transmission. But the moment the figure appeared at the doorway, every dignitary inside rose at once and called out respectfully:
"Chancellor."
"Chancellor."
"Chancellor."
Amid these voices, Xu Yinhe walked slowly inside. Under the gaze of all present, he came to a stop before the main seat at the far end, sweeping a blank gaze across the dignitaries in the room.
Wherever his eyes fell, heads bowed in succession.
"Be seated."
With that single word, everyone took their seats without a sound.
This time, regardless of their usual dispositions, all eleven Xu family dignitaries sat with immaculate posture.
Minor affairs were discussed in large assemblies; grave matters were resolved in small conclaves.
Great Yan had reached a crossroads. Everyone present understood that the Chancellor had summoned them here today to set the course for the colossal vessel that was the Prime Minister's Manor.
In other words...
Today would set the course for war.
After decades of preparation, the Prime Minister's Manor—or rather, the Xu family—had finally reached the day appointed so long ago.
Those present knew what this entailed, yet there was no tension in their eyes. Most wore expressions of anticipation and excitement, though some also sighed for the common folk who would suffer in the tumultuous times ahead.
In the silence, several people instinctively cast their gazes toward the foremost seat to the left of the main chair, their brows involuntarily furrowing.
The first seat to the left of the main chair belonged to the master of Moyin Pavilion—the heir to the Prime Minister's Manor. At this moment, however, it stood empty.
Lou Ji's question outside the secret chamber had stemmed partly from her personal desire to include Xu Yuan in this core meeting, and partly as an official reminder.
From the very founding of the Prime Minister's Manor, such small conclaves of dignitaries had always been presided over by the master of Moyin Pavilion.
From the initial matriarch of the Xu family,
to the Second Young Master, Xu Chang'an,
and then to Xu Changge.
Because Xu Yinhe offered no explanation, the expressions of several dignitaries gradually took on hints of displeasure.
Now that the master of Moyin Pavilion had been replaced by Xu Yuan, it was his duty to preside over this meeting. Yet his seat was empty, making it hard not to suspect that the boy was up to his old tricks again.
Not all of the manor's dignitaries acknowledged Xu Yuan. In fact, aside from Lou Ji and the core lineage members descended from the Feng family like Hua Hong, practically none of the dignitaries accepted him.
According to customary hierarchy, whoever the Chancellor appointed as heir was someone they owed unconditional loyalty to. But declaring obedience on the surface was an entirely different matter from heartfelt submission.
Among these people, some favored Xu Changge, some recognized only Xu Yinhe, and others simply desired the merit of having supported a new ruler to the throne.
Thus, they harbored considerable dissatisfaction regarding Xu Yuan's sudden ascent, maintaining their silence solely out of deference to the Chancellor's prestige.
Yet they could hardly be blamed.
Except for a select few, most dignitaries were stationed outside the capital year-round and rarely returned. Relying purely on internal intelligence reports was not enough to overturn the ingrained impressions they had held since watching him grow up.
The silence dragged on for over a dozen breaths. Seeing that Xu Yinhe remained silent as well, a voice finally broke the quiet:
"Did the Third Young Master oversleep?"
The speaker was a woman.
She wore a gauze robe embroidered with the insignia of the Internal Dignitary Bureau.
Tian Yuxue, Director of the Internal Dignitary Bureau, was responsible for the manor's high-tier retainers and related affairs.
The experts attached to the Black Qilin Army and the high-ranking cultivators deployed for secret realm explorations were largely coordinated and dispatched through her bureau.
She was a staunch meritocrat,
a firm supporter of Xu Changge,
and the person most dissatisfied with Xu Yuan's ascension.
No sooner had she spoken than Lou Ji's airy voice cut right back:
"Even the Chancellor hasn't said a word. Aren't you being a bit too impatient, Tian Yuxue?"
"......"
The others were largely accustomed to the sparks flying between the two women; some even adopted expressions of watching a good show.
It would be strange if a behemoth like the Prime Minister's Manor and the Xu family were free of internal factional strife.
Aside from the Tian'an Chamber of Commerce and the Institute of Natural Philosophy, which stood aloof from mundane squabbles, the internal branches of the Xu family frequently clashed over conflicting interests—most prominently between the Black Scale Guard and the Internal Dignitary Bureau.
Both branches commanded large numbers of high-ranking cultivators, and their responsibilities overlapped considerably.
For instance, the two women frequently locked horns over the allocation of promising young talents. But because Xu Changge and Lou Ji did not get along, those prime seedlings had almost always been funneled to the Internal Dignitary Bureau, leaving Lou Ji to swallow her grievance and scout for talent in the wild.
Now that the Eldest Young Master had been stripped of his position as master of Moyin Pavilion and replaced by the Third Young Master, the shifting fortunes of each faction were immediately laid bare.
The relationship between Lou Ji and the Third Young Master was plain for all the dignitaries to see. If Tian Yuxue, an "outsider," did not make her stance known now, she would likely face difficult days ahead. Worse yet, if the Third Young Master proved capricious, he might even place the Internal Dignitary Bureau under the jurisdiction of the Black Scale Guard.
The ramifications of replacing the primary heir were far greater than anyone had imagined.
Therefore, she had to make a fuss.
In many matters, resources were distributed based on how much noise one made. Only by creating political value within the rules could one protect the interests of one's own branch; those who behaved meekly would only watch their interests sliced away and handed to others.
This was also what many present were thinking.
However, most had no intention of speaking up at this moment.
These were turbulent times. Both within and outside the manor, all high-ranking officials were swamped with duties; only half of them had found time to meet the "new crown prince." Thus, even if they wanted to cause a stir, they would wait until they had assessed his attitude.
Furthermore, because Tian Yuxue had already spoken out, if they all joined in to attack at once, the target of pressure and the nature of the remarks would shift entirely.
It would change from pressuring Xu Changtian to pressuring Xu Yinhe.
It would shift from dissatisfaction over resource distribution to questioning the Chancellor's decision to change heirs.
Those were two fundamentally different concepts.
Because within the Prime Minister's Manor, no one was permitted to question Xu Yinhe's decisions.
So since the first person bold enough to test the waters had leapt forward, they could simply watch the show. Yet the speed with which the drama ended exceeded everyone's expectations.
In the past, the Chancellor would not stop them from vying for their interests, merely coordinating the distribution afterward. But this time, just as Lou Ji fell silent and Tian Yuxue was preparing to retaliate, the flat voice from the main seat suppressed them both directly:
"Both of you, shut your mouths."
"......"
The atmosphere in the chamber turned instantly solemn.
Xu Yinhe's calm voice resonated:
"I have assigned Changtian other tasks. This meeting will be presided over by Jiang He."
Hearing this, the attendees showed varied expressions, speculating on what the Chancellor meant.
Most of them were privy to the manor's classified reports, and many quickly formed a preliminary deduction.
—The destruction of the Tianyuan Sword Sect.
That was the only monumental affair on the immediate horizon.
From this, it appeared the Chancellor was indeed somewhat eager to establish the Third Young Master's prestige. However, considering the Third Young Master's performance in the Northern Border and the Western Desert, as well as the decade-long foundation laid by the manor, those present did not display excessive concern.
As Dean of the Institute of Natural Philosophy, Jiang He held a unique status.
Though he was a dignitary of the Prime Minister's Manor, he was less Xu Yinhe's subordinate and more a fellow traveler sharing the same path.
Consequently, upon receiving the directive, Jiang He did not rise, nor did he offer customary deference to the Chancellor. He spoke bluntly:
"Everyone, today should be the final meeting before the outbreak of war. Since we are all old acquaintances, I will not waste words. You have likely already familiarized yourselves with recent developments on your journey back to the capital. The Chancellor has gathered you here today for three matters: the imperial clan, the sects, and that woman surnamed Wen who appeared at Zhenxi Manor."
"A woman surnamed Wen?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone chimed in with a hint of surprise. As everyone looked back, they saw an elderly man seated at the far end of the long table.
He had a goatee, held a walking stick, and wore his hair sleek and lustrous.
As he spoke, he stroked his goatee and let out an eerie, sinister chuckle:
"Can that woman truly be placed on the same level as the imperial clan and the sects? Or does she represent the hidden sects? But shouldn't the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion be the representative of those hidden sects?"
Jiang He glanced at the speaking elder.
Dean of the Wenshu Academy and Director of Ceremonies for the Xu family, Zhou Xianlin.
After a moment's consideration, Jiang He replied:
"The Third Young Master once fought this woman in the Western Desert. Her cultivation is exceptionally high."
"There are plenty of people in this world with high cultivation..."
"Beyond Saint," Jiang He said, looking sideways at him.
"......"
The chamber fell dead silent in an instant.
People exchanged glances, then turned their eyes toward the main seat to observe the Chancellor's reaction.
They had received no prior intelligence regarding this matter.
Yet how could Chancellor Xu ever reveal his emotions on his face?
Tian Yuxue weighed her words and chimed in, her tone tinged with solemnity:
"Jiang He, what realm is 'Beyond Saint'?"
Jiang He seemed somewhat exasperated by the question:
"I am merely in the Bodily Fusion Realm. Why are you asking me?"
"......"
Tian Yuxue frowned. Whispered inquiries immediately broke out among the neighboring dignitaries:
"Jiang He, a new realm has emerged, so why haven't we received any word of it?"
"Does this mean that someone capable of casually slaughtering us has appeared on the sects' side?"
"A fascinating claim. Not that this old woman disbelieves you, but at least half of us must show our faces in the outside world. If that woman truly possesses cultivation beyond a Saint, would we still be alive today?"
"Based on the disparity between a Saint and the Shedding Mortality Realm, if a cultivator beyond Saint were overseeing them, it would have been impossible for the sects to fail in the Zhenxi Incident."
"Is there an approximate estimate of the specific strength of someone beyond Saint? Could two regional garrisons slay such a person...?"
Although they understood that matters raised in such a conclave could never be baseless, this news was simply too astounding. Consequently, most of the Xu family dignitaries remained skeptical.
*Tap, tap, tap—*
At the foot of the table, Dean Zhou Xianlin tapped his stone chair lightly. Once he drew everyone's attention, he asked:
"Jiang He, did this information come from the Third Young Master?"
"It did."
"Could the Third Young Master have been mistaken? The classified reports state that he has reached the Shedding Mortality Realm. Reaching Shedding Mortality in three years is utterly unheard of. But even if the Third Young Master's Shedding Mortality Realm is of average standard, the disparity between him and a Saint..."
"The Third Young Master could slay you in fifteen minutes right now, Zhou Xianlin." Lou Ji's airy interruption caused the somewhat clamorous room to fall completely silent once more.
Zhou Xianlin narrowed his eyes slightly and replied:
"Chief Lou, this old man knows you have always favored the boy, but words cannot be bandied about so recklessly. Though I do not specialize in slaughter, I am nonetheless a Half-Saint. You claim a Shedding Mortality cultivator could slay a Half-Saint in fifteen minutes?"
Lou Ji crossed her arms, her slender fingers twirling a strand of hair with a cold smile:
"You're welcome to test it yourself."
Zhou Xianlin stared at the woman opposite him for several seconds, then shook his head, steering the topic back:
"Spar with the Third Young Master? Why utter such nonsense? I have read the full account of the Zhenxi Incident several times. Merely by virtue of being the mastermind behind the scenes, that woman surnamed Wen is indeed worthy of being ranked alongside the imperial clan and the sects."
At this point, his tone shifted sharply, ringing with firm conviction:
"However,
"I suggest that unverified intelligence of this nature not be brought up in a conclave of such importance."
For a moment, no one voiced an objection.
This indicated that most present agreed with Zhou Xianlin's assessment.
The imperial order had formed precisely because military arrays and city formations could neutralize individual supreme Saints to an immense degree. If a being beyond Saint truly existed, the blow to the existing imperial system would be catastrophic.
Yet after he spoke, several people still cast puzzled looks toward the goateed elder at the end of the table.
His closing remark had been somewhat superfluous.
Using the Third Young Master to introduce the realm beyond Saint was subtly intended to build Xu Yuan's prestige. Zhou Xianlin's final words, however, were aimed squarely at undermining that authority.
As Dean of the Wenshu Academy, the old man rarely involved himself in such messy squabbles; his duty was to filter and process various administrative affairs for the Chancellor. Why would he take the lead in opposing the Third Young Master today?
Hua Hong, who had remained silent in the second seat on the left, pondered for a moment before transmitting his voice:
"Xianlin, why speak like that today?"
Zhou Xianlin did not turn his head. Discerning the speaker, he replied via voice transmission:
"Speak like what?"
"You and I are both veterans of the Feng family. Instead of supporting the young miss's son, why are you undermining him?"
"Undermining him? Hua Hong, this is a warning rap on the knuckles."
"There must be a reason."
"Old Hua, to be frank, I heard reliable news recently that the Third Young Master intends to plant his personal chamberlain into the Wenshu Academy."
"......" Hua Hong remained silent.
"Though this old man is reluctant to surrender power, I am prepared for it; after all, the future belongs to the young. The Chancellor must have his reasons for replacing the Eldest Young Master with the Third Young Master. But the moment he enters Moyin Pavilion, he pulls a stunt like this. Next, is he going to have the inner palace meddle in state affairs? If this isn't reckless folly, what is? And do you know who that chamberlain is? She is the leader of those crypt remnants!"
"......"
Having heard the reason, Hua Hong sighed inwardly and refrained from speaking further.
In this matter, Changtian had indeed crossed the line.
Lou Ji also refrained from speaking on Xu Yuan's behalf to attack Zhou Xianlin.
She knew the reason, and she knew Zhou Xianlin had already preserved Xu Yuan's dignity.
If the matter of Xu Yuan arranging Bai Muxi's entry into the Wenshu Academy were brought into the open, more than half of those present would likely be provoked. After all, not everyone here followed the Chancellor purely out of ideals and loyalty.
Even so, Lou Ji was not overly worried.
For Jiang He to attempt building Xu Yuan's authority like this, he must have prepared a convincing trump card.
Just as the thought flashed through her mind,
Jiang He spoke up:
"Your doubts are entirely reasonable. However, what the Third Young Master described possesses exceptionally high credibility. His natural talent in cultivation surpasses even that of the Chancellor back in his youth. But words alone prove nothing. This is a shadow-recording stone; see for yourselves."
With that,
he casually tossed a stone onto the long table before the crowd.
The dignitaries exchanged glances.
Most of them had personally witnessed how Chancellor Xu had suppressed an entire era under his heels. Wasn't describing that boy in such terms an exaggeration?
Yet as they took turns immersing their intent souls into the shadow-recording stone, their expressions grew remarkably strange.
Inside was a recorded scene.
A scene of the Third Young Master giving the Eldest Young Master a thorough thrashing in the rain.
Seeing this footage, even Zhou Xianlin fell silent.
If the Eldest Young Master had come in person to confess that he had lost to the Third Young Master, none of them would have believed it deep down, even if they said nothing aloud.
Yet this shadow-recording stone left them with no choice but to believe.
Over the course of more than thirty years, they knew the Eldest Young Master's arrogant, obstinate temperament all too well.
Have him cooperate with Xu Yuan to stage a beating?
He would rather die.
After a moment of silence,
"The Third Young Master truly is endowed with extraordinary talent."
Tian Yuxue was the very first to reverse her attitude.
As a strict meritocrat, seeing the Third Young Master use three years of cultivation to crush the Eldest Young Master's thirty years of training was already enough for her to preliminarily accept this future leader.
The second to speak was Zong Qingsheng, who had remained silent all along:
"In that case, the cultivation of that woman surnamed Wen carries a fair degree of credibility."
"Had the Third Young Master obtained that opportunity earlier, we might not have been forced into such a passive position."
"Shedding Mortality in three years... is breaking through to Saint far off?"
"I heard the Third Young Master secured an account of Saint breakthrough insights in the Northern Border."
Regarding the matter of cultivation, the manor's dignitaries were lavish with their praise of Xu Yuan.
Lou Ji struggled to stifle her laughter, her voluptuous figure trembling slightly.
What could be more gratifying than watching that pretentious posturer get his face slapped?
If anything, it was having it slapped repeatedly.
Ordinary people always loved to mythologize great figures.
Yet even in the highest conclave of the Prime Minister's Manor, it was impossible for every word to be profound wisdom; occasionally, tangents like this occurred. In the end, Jiang He spoke up to steer the topic away from Xu Yuan:
"Given the Third Young Master's current cultivation, his account is indeed quite credible. However, there is no need for excessive panic..."
"It is true."
A voice interrupted Jiang He.
Xu Yinhe had spoken his first words since the conclave began.
Upon hearing him, everyone fell silent and turned their gazes back. They saw the middle-aged man with graying temples speak in a steady, unequivocal tone:
"The realm beyond Saint exists, but such individuals cannot act at will."
"......"
The air froze.
The sound of accelerating heartbeats.
The sound of gulps.
Earlier, though everyone had praised the Third Young Master's talent—some with genuine joy, but others merely putting on a brave face to mask their inner pessimism.
Beyond Saint...
If the sects possessed someone of that realm, how could they possibly defend against an assassination targeting their leadership?
Yet the Chancellor's declaration instantly grounded them all.
This was an implication... no, virtually an explicit confirmation that their Prime Minister's Manor possessed a being beyond Saint as well.
Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Xu Yinhe tapped the desk and uttered two words:
"Continue."
Jiang He took a deep breath. Having known some of the inside details before the meeting, he cast a complicated glance at his old friend, then tapped the long table before him.
With a ripple of source qi, intricate array patterns began spreading across the massive table. The light scattering from them intertwined in the air, gradually forming the spectral outline of a mountain range before solidifying.
With a single glance, several people recognized the mountain range from its terrain.
The Tianyuan Mountain Range.
Jiang He tapped the table and said softly:
"We need not rush the matter of the woman surnamed Wen. War approaches, and you all know where our first battle against the sects will be fought. This is the terrain of Mount Tianyuan mapped by Lou Ji's Black Scale Guard over the past twenty years."
Saying so,
Jiang He rested his hand lightly on a corner of the table and infused a thread of source qi. Wisps of mist instantly enveloped the phantom mountain range as he continued at an unhurried pace:
"In Hongnong lies a mountain named Tianyuan, shrouded in mist year-round, where immortals are said to appear. Over time, the folk called it the Immortal Mist. This mist is not natural; it is one of the sword sect's grand mountain-protecting arrays..."
"Are you saying the sword sect possesses an array spanning thousands of li?" Zong Qingsheng cut in directly. Stroking his grizzled beard, he instinctively retrieved a rolled smoke from his robes, his eyes fixed on the mist array. "That scale is absurdly vast."
Jiang He glanced at the rough martial artist and countered:
"It is a grand array they constructed over thousands of years, drawing upon geographical advantage and the source qi of heaven and earth as its energy source. Is that strange?"
Thought flashed through Zong Qingsheng's eyes:
"What are its effects?"
Jiang He answered:
"Not overwhelmingly strong, but against mortals and low-tier cultivators, it induces hallucinations, disorients senses, and detects direction. Cultivators of the seventh rank and above can resist it independently."
Zong Qingsheng raised an eyebrow, looking up at Jiang He. "The sword sect spent thousands of years and immense effort building this turtle shell. It can't be limited to just that."
Jiang He nodded, shifting his tone:
"Those are merely its functions under standard conditions. The Black Scale Guard failed to uncover the specifics, but it amounts to nothing more than hallucinogens and toxins. A military array can breach it without difficulty."
Zong Qingsheng pondered briefly, then said:
"We must bypass it. The terrain of the Tianyuan Mountain Range is rugged, and the sword sect will undoubtedly have fortified bunkers inside. Charging head-on will incur massive casualties. Even with numerical superiority, we would likely get bogged down in a war of attrition. Jiang He, since this mountain mist is an array, it must have cores?"
Jiang He raised his hand slightly, and the spectral mountain range shifted once more:
"These thousand-plus red points represent the cores of the mist array, though this is merely a deduction from a technical standpoint..."
"A deduction?"
Tian Yuxue inserted herself into the conversation, her tone tinged with skepticism. "Jiang He, you don't expect the Internal Dignitary Bureau to go destroying cores based on mere deductions, do you? Will you take responsibility if we come up empty?"
Jiang He said nothing, merely looking toward Lou Ji beside him.
The meaning was clear: ask her; she handles intelligence.
Lou Ji rolled her eyes, passing the buck in annoyance:
"The sword sect claimed the mountains as its private domain long ago, using the array mist to demarcate its borders and sealing the mountains year-round. Several thousand li around the mountain range serve as its autonomous domain. Under normal circumstances, outsiders are barred from entering, and the interior operates entirely self-sufficiently. Even during extraordinary periods like the Tianyuan Grand Tournament, anyone wishing to enter must travel to designated surrounding cities and board aviation beasts operated by the sword sect's merchant guilds. How do you expect the Black Scale Guard to investigate? Providing this much intelligence is already quite impressive!"
Tian Yuxue took a deep breath, but on major matters of state, she did not let personal feelings interfere:
"This matter can be coordinated between the Black Scale Guard and the Internal Dignitary Bureau..."
"No need."
Before Lou Ji or Zong Qingsheng could respond, Jiang He spoke first.
His words instantly drew everyone's eyes.
Jiang He said methodically:
"Commander Yuan Hao is overseeing this campaign. His view is that we need not bother with the thousands of li of peripheral mist arrays, but rather drop an airborne military formation directly inside to annihilate the sword sect."
"......"
Hearing this tactic, the dignitaries wore peculiar expressions, instinctively looking toward the only military commander present. They saw Zong Qingsheng's face had darkened completely.
If Zong Qingsheng was a general who advanced step by step, embodying the principle that great commanders win without glory or fanfare, then Yuan Hao was an unorthodox general who fought exclusively for spectacular, audacious feats.
Zong Qingsheng had also considered using aviation beasts to bypass the surrounding mist array, but the thought had vanished as quickly as it came, dismissed due to excessive risk.
A blooming-from-the-center tactic sounded fine in theory, but the slightest mistake would turn it into one's own coffin, especially within a mountain range spanning thousands of li.
Taking a deep breath, Zong Qingsheng said slowly:
"I do not know how you all view this mist array, but according to Jiang He, a formation of a thousand or even a hundred soldiers could tear an opening through it. In other words, rather than defense, this array serves primarily as an early warning system. In my view..."
Xu Yinhe, who had remained silent all this while, spoke up:
"So you oppose Yuan Hao, Qingsheng?"
Upon hearing this, Zong Qingsheng cut his words short immediately. Cupping his hands, he said in a deep voice:
"Chancellor, while I dislike Yuan Hao's risky gambles, I generally do not oppose them. But this time is different. Mountains are not like city sieges or open-field engagements.
"Great Yan's failed expeditions against Guyuan seven hundred and three hundred years ago have already demonstrated plenty. Though the Tianyuan Mountain Range does not match the Wanxing Mountains in grandeur, it still spans thousands of li, possessing considerable strategic depth. Even if Yuan Hao leads that airborne formation to complete their objective, it will be extraordinarily difficult for the peripheral main army to reinforce them in time."
Jiang He pondered for a moment, then added softly:
"Zong Qingsheng, Yuan Hao anticipated your objection."
"What did he say?"
"He said that since the mist array is primarily for early warning, dropping the entire force inside is entirely feasible. As long as the sword sect's main gate is destroyed, the rest will scatter like chickens and dogs."
"......"
After a moment of silence, Zong Qingsheng scoffed in sheer disbelief:
"Absurd! Setting aside how one would breach the heavily guarded sword sect gate, the array of Di'an can normally detect qi fluctuations up to seventy thousand feet in the sky. Even if we halve that for the sword sect array to thirty-five thousand feet and leave some margin, does he expect a group of sixth-rank Iron Body martial apprentices to leap from an altitude of forty thousand feet?!"
"To be precise, eighty thousand feet."
"......" Zong Qingsheng was speechless.
"On a clear day, high-ranking cultivators would spot them, so we must wait for dense clouds. A cold snap is pushing south, and cloud cover over Hongnong will likely reach around eighty thousand feet."
"......" Zong Qingsheng remained struck dumb.
After a protracted silence,
Zong Qingsheng drew a deep breath. "Chancellor, Yuan Hao's recklessness has gone too far. For this campaign, please permit me to personally—"
"Qingsheng."
Xu Yinhe interrupted, laying down the baseline: "Indecision is a fatal flaw in our current era. This battle must be settled swiftly, and Di'an requires your presence to hold the center."
Zong Qingsheng wanted to say more, but held back in the end, merely replying:
"Understood... But Chancellor, that is an altitude of fifty li above ground. How can sixth-rank martial apprentices..."
*Thud!*
Before he finished, an iron ring a few inches in diameter, resembling a leg cuff, was retrieved by Jiang He from his Sumeru ring and placed heavily onto the stone table.
Zong Qingsheng's eyes flickered slightly:
"What is this?"
"After Commander Yuan Hao saw the Cloud Qi Bombs, he asked me to forge this device. Equipped to both legs, it emits counter-thrust air currents to help soldiers land safely."
"Yet I never heard that this was being issued to the Black Qilin Army." Zong Qingsheng's fists clenched slightly.
"Production capacity was limited. It was only equipped to the sixty thousand soldiers who campaigned in the Northern Border alongside Yuan Hao, so I did not notify you, Zong Qingsheng."
"......"
Zong Qingsheng felt an immediate surge of anger.
As the overarching commander of the Black Qilin Army, Yuan Hao and Jiang He concealing this from him was an egregious breach of protocol. But he quickly realized that since they dared present it here, it must have received the Chancellor's prior blessing.
His expression shifted repeatedly before he squeezed out a single remark:
"This device cannot have been thoroughly tested. And so hastily deployed without proper drills, using it directly in real combat will result in heavy casualties."
"Those are necessary sacrifices,"
Xu Yinhe replied calmly. "Qingsheng, sixty years have passed, and circumstances have altered beyond recognition. The allies agreed upon back then are no longer dependable. We must conclude this swiftly."
Zong Qingsheng fell silent for a moment.
"Understood."
With no further objections to the overarching direction, the remainder consisted of detailed logistics.
Once upon a time, everyone present had been an elite cultivation prodigy. Decades of accumulation, however, had transformed them into seasoned specialists intimately familiar with every facet of their respective branches.
Under normal circumstances, such operational details—which branches contributed, how coordination was handled, how responsibilities were divided—would have been hammered out through thorough discussion. But the structure of the Prime Minister's Manor was anomalous.
Because of Xu Yinhe.
What should have been a debate became a straightforward assignment of tasks.
Fifteen minutes later,
Hua Hong tossed the final dossier to Lou Ji, issuing directives:
"When hostilities commence, we will deploy massive quantities of Sunshroud to sever all communications across the Tianyuan Mountain Range. Any movements from the nearby Lingmen Temple and Baiyun Sect must be relayed continuously from the Black Scale Guard to the Black Qilin Army. If high-ranking cultivators attempt to break out in person to seek aid, the Black Scale Guard and the Internal Dignitary Bureau will coordinate to intercept and execute them.
"Furthermore, Yuan Hao set out for the Tianyuan Mountain Range half a month ago. The Chancellor has authorized him to activate the sleeper agents you planted within that sect.
"These are the details. Look them over; if you have objections, raise them now."
"......"
Lou Ji caught the file casually. Her source qi surged, circulating her technique, and within a few breaths she had absorbed the contents of the half-inch-thick dossier. Shaking her head slightly, she said:
"Agreed."
Across from her, Tian Yuxue spoke next:
"The Internal Dignitary Bureau agrees."
Hearing their replies, Jiang He turned his gaze toward the others.
Zong Qingsheng paused, then sighed:
"The Black Qilin Army agrees."
"The Tian'an Chamber of Commerce agrees."
"The Armament Bureau agrees..."
"......"
"......"
Once unanimous consent was reached, the chamber fell silent again.
The atmosphere felt intricate, all because of Chancellor Xu in the primary seat.
Though they had grown accustomed to it over the years, moments like this still inevitably stirred myriad emotions.
Did having such a leader bring peace of mind?
Naturally.
Yet beneath that peace lay a spine-chilling dread, mixed with a sliver of relief.
Dread that whenever this Prime Minister willed it, they were merely components that could be replaced at any time.
Relief that they were on the side of loyalty.
The silence did not last long; after all, the meeting had to continue.
With the arrangements for the sword sect campaign concluded, the next topic turned to mid-to-long-term planning. It was no longer about military strategy, but rather industrial and supply adjustments. Warfare was ever-shifting; those capable of planning millennia in advance before a battle existed only in storybooks.
Yet once this topic wrapped up,
for the first time in the entire conclave, someone raised an objection.
The Director of the Armament Bureau set down an inch-thick dossier, frowning deeply as he spoke:
"Chancellor, if we only have this supply of raw materials, our output of military equipment will fall drastically short of our original projections."
The massive economic entity that was the Prime Minister's Manor conducted commerce and shared interests with nearly every faction across Great Yan, encompassing diverse raw materials and processed goods...
In preparation for this war, the manor had already drawn up contingency plans for complete decoupling from the sects.
Yet looking through this dossier, the Director of the Armament Bureau discovered that supplies for many raw materials fell far below earlier expectations. The source of refined iron ore for forging spirit blades had been cut by a third; tough beast sinew for crafting precision strings for spirit crossbows had been halved. All told, the supply sources for armament raw materials had been reduced by nearly a third, and even the most vital source crystals were down by a quarter.
This was practically fatal!
With a trace of hesitation, the Director of the Armament Bureau looked toward Chancellor Xu and asked:
"Chancellor, has an issue arisen with the imperial clan?"
In the original vision shared by Li Yaoxuan and Xu Yinhe, the imperial clan and the Prime Minister's Manor were to be tightly bound in the future, with the imperial clan taking the lead, gradually merging and integrating during this war. Consequently, many industries of the Prime Minister's Manor had been reliant on the imperial clan for raw materials from their inception.
This was Xu Yinhe's compromise to Li Yaoxuan, and a tacit understanding between the two.
Yet fate was unpredictable. Although Xu Yinhe had begun restructuring their industries after relations between the Emperor and the Chancellor deteriorated, the problem was that such adjustments could not be made openly.
Tearing up their tacit agreement, stoking suspicion, and escalating tensions were outcomes Xu Yinhe wished to avoid. Every adjustment had been constrained, leaving raw material supplies in many areas held firmly in the imperial clan's hands to this day.
Jiang He let out a sigh and replied:
"The situation at the Institute of Natural Philosophy is even worse. And these projected supplies assume the imperial clan merely maintains a rift with us, rather than completely breaking off."
Tian Yuxue's voice carried a hint of chill:
"It seems Great Yan's future emperor intends to trip us up?"
Hua Hong pondered aloud:
"Li Zhaoyuan was born of a concubine. Having secured the throne's succession now, his footing at court cannot be entirely stable. Once he ascends, he will likely need time to consolidate the imperial clan's forces, and during this window, he will not allow us free rein. Once this period passes, supplies may resume."
"And what if he escalates?"
Lou Ji interjected abruptly. Leaning back in her stone chair with arms crossed, her eyes glinted faintly. "We understood the Crown Prince's character and his approach to governance, but we know very little about Li Zhaoyuan, a concubine-born prince who rose suddenly from the bottom. His motives and intentions are complete blanks."
Hua Hong argued from the standpoint of mutual interest:
"Only by allying can the imperial clan and the Chancellor confront the Sect Alliance. He ought to understand that."
Tian Yuxue glanced at the wealthy merchant and countered:
"And if he escalates anyway, what can we do? Reconcile with the Sect Alliance and join them in rebelling against the imperial Li family?"
"Mind your words," Jiang He warned.
Hearing this, Tian Yuxue bowed her head and cupped her hands toward the main seat:
"Yuxue overstepped."
After a brief silence, an elderly woman seated at the far end of the right side spoke up:
"In truth, discussing such things is getting ahead of ourselves. In this old woman's view, we would do better to worry about His Current Majesty first. After all, the old gentleman has not yet passed away.
"Before breathing his last,
"a man of his temperament will certainly do something to pave the way for the new emperor."
Chapter 744