Intelligence Warfare

Lieutenant Stephen was still alive? Zhang Yuanqing sat frozen in his office chair, shock written across his face, his thoughts churning wildly. The Petrel had vanished in the year 1900. No sea monster had ever appeared in the southern waters off Ireland again. Lieutenant Stephen had been the target corrupted and manipulated by the Demon Seed. During World War I, Stephen Simpson—a man who was supposed to have perished in 1900—had appeared on the battlefield, looking not a day older than he had fifteen years earlier. The plotlines and clues from the Horror Cruise dungeon flashed rapidly through Zhang Yuanqing's mind, merging with the archives and appendices from the Irish naval headquarters until a hazy truth gradually took shape. "So the truth behind the Petrel's disappearance is that an aberrant Lieutenant Stephen slaughtered every crew member and Spirit Realm walker on board, then fled with the Demon Seed..." Zhang Yuanqing felt a chill run down his spine. "Could the Demon Seed really allow an ordinary human, once aberrated, to overpower a peak Level 6 Cardinal?" He exchanged a glance with Guan Ya, both of their expressions exceptionally grim. Just what kind of thing was the Demon Seed? And an even more terrifying reality loomed: Stephen had most likely survived in the real world—and so had the Demon Seed. The "Demon Seed" in the Horror Cruise dungeon was probably just a replica generated by the Spirit Realm, not the genuine artifact. The Spirit Realm had merely recreated that historical incident as a dungeon instance. "This is turning into a ghost story," Zhang Yuanqing muttered with a sigh. If Stephen Simpson was still alive, what tier did he belong to now? He had definitely become a Spirit Realm walker. An entity so deeply corrupted was bound to be granted a character card; he might well be a major figure within the evil faction by now. The Demon Seed belonged to the Lethal Poison Master profession. If Stephen had indeed become a Lethal Poison Master, then among the demigods and peak Dominators of the Biological Alchemy Association, one of them might very well be him. "Guan Ya, look into Stephen Simpson's son again," Zhang Yuanqing instructed. "See if he has any surviving descendants." Among Spirit Realm walkers, blood-related offspring served as a relatively stable medium. Bloodlines could even be used to direct curses backward at an ancestor. Of course, the power of such a curse would be drastically weakened. If the ancestor possessed an exceptionally high tier, the curse could be ignored altogether. To a Stargazer, however, an offspring's blood was enough to divine an ancestor's situation. Zhang Yuanqing had no intention of divining Stephen right now—that would be suicidal. He planned to wait until his own tier was high enough before crossing paths with that lieutenant. Right then, a knock sounded on the frosted glass door. Sun Miaomiao's crisp, melodious voice drifted in. "I'm coming in~" The next second, the office door swung open. Sun Miaomiao's lively eyes darted between the two of them, and she wrinkled her nose. "Why are you locking the door in broad daylight? Jumang, Guan Ya, are you two plotting something under the table?" Guan Ya's temper flared immediately. She was Yuanshi's official girlfriend, so what was with Sun Miaomiao's attitude, acting like she was catching someone red-handed? Ever since the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter had set an example last time, Sun Miaomiao seemed to have mastered the art of dragon-slaying. On the surface, the two of them were still good sisters, but in private, she would often needle Guan Ya with remarks like: *Guan Ya is Yuanshi Tianzun's girlfriend, so what does that have to do with Jumang?* Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat. "What is it?" He pretended not to notice the subtle sparring between the women. In the words of the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, women were natural-born experts at petty household intrigue, and the best response was to play deaf and mute. "Winnie called a meeting for you. Conference Room 3," Sun Miaomiao said. Conference Room 3 was a large hall. *Time to mobilize?* Zhang Yuanqing's expression turned serious. "Looks like we've got work. You two stand by!" He rose, left the office, and walked over to the entrance of Conference Room 3. Through the frosted glass wall, he saw that the room inside was pitch-black, without a single sliver of light escaping. *Knock, knock!* He tapped on the frosted glass door. The darkness within receded at once, replaced by bright incandescent lights, followed by Winnie's voice: "Come in." Zhang Yuanqing pushed the door open and saw four men and one woman seated around the conference table. In the gallery seats sat ten people—men and women, Caucasian, Black, and of Chinese descent. Among them, Zhang Yuanqing spotted an old acquaintance. It was Wings of the Wind God, the Level 6 Saint from the Anti-Black-and-White League. *Is this a mobilization? Aren't they afraid the evil faction will catch wind of such a massive operation beforehand? Unless the evil faction's forces are too formidable, leaving Heaven's Punishment no choice but to deploy this many Saints...* Zhang Yuanqing felt something was amiss. He gave Wings of the Wind God a slight nod and carefully took in the five figures at the conference table. Three of them were familiar faces: North, one of the two peak Saints of Heaven's Punishment's New York County branch; Reilly Eugene of the Merchant Guild's interest faction; and Chazo! The Level 6 Knight sat as sternly and expressionlessly as ever, still as a statue. *Wasn't he stationed at Heaven's Punishment's headquarters? When did he come to New York County? Then again, the branch here only has two peak Saints, and they've suffered significant losses among their Level 4 and Level 5 Saints. It makes sense they'd need fresh blood,* Zhang Yuanqing reasoned. As for the remaining man and woman, the woman's age was impossible to tell. She was enchantingly seductive, her curves so voluptuous that she provoked an almost instinctual urge in any man to tear away her clothes and take her forcefully on the spot. With such unmistakable traits, Zhang Yuanqing recognized her profession instantly: Desire! A member of the Association of God of Beauty. The other man wore an arrogant demeanor. He was burly, with lake-blue eyes and a thick beard covering half his face. As Zhang Yuanqing sized them up, the Saints were also appraising this legendary Beast King. The woman of the Desire profession, in particular—a type known for collecting lovers—lit up, her eyes gleaming with undisguised interest. She looked at Zhang Yuanqing like a hunter who hadn't made a kill in three years staring down prize game. The scrape of chairs sounded in unison as the ten Saints in the gallery rose to their feet. Some nodded, others smiled, all expressing goodwill toward this Five Elements Alliance Beast King who had made such a splash. "Sit, please, everyone sit!" Zhang Yuanqing pressed a hand down, adopting the casual air of a big shot. At the head of the table sat the two Dominators, Winnie and Sean. Once Zhang Yuanqing took his seat, Sean pulled aside a red cloth, revealing a black sphere beneath it. A moment later, a gray gloom draped over the entire conference room. Through Sean Meade's introduction, Zhang Yuanqing learned the voluptuous woman's identity. Her Spirit Realm ID was Emily, a Senior Deacon of the Association of God of Beauty and the branch's sole peak Saint. The bearded man went by "Terror of the Deep Sea," a Senior Saint from the Sea God Church. *The five around the table are peak Saints, while those in the gallery are ordinary Saints—fifteen Saints in total. Tsk, that's quite a lineup. They're gearing up for something big...* Zhang Yuanqing pondered, faintly grasping the purpose behind this meeting. At that moment, Sean Meade said in an even tone, "Everyone is here! Let me outline our objective. According to our intelligence, the Soldier Master sect, the Nihility Sect's Southern Sect, and Dark Night Rose from the Second District have dispatched a Saint squad to smuggle themselves into New York County to reinforce the evil faction. "The squad includes three peak Saints, alongside roughly ten to fifteen ordinary Saints. Your mission is the total annihilation of this force. In particular, the three peak Saints must die." As he spoke, he picked up a remote control and turned on the projector, displaying the skill profiles of Stargazers, Illusionists, and Bewitching Demons on the screen. The Saints turned their eyes toward the screen, even though they were already intimately familiar with this information. Sean Meade continued, "According to reliable intelligence, this squad will arrive at the Port of New York tomorrow night. However, neither radar nor reconnaissance boats have managed to trace the smuggling vessel. Therefore, Minister Winnie and I will activate the Eye of the Sky tomorrow to pinpoint their location. "Tomorrow, you will stand by at the Port of New York. Once the targets' positions are locked down, Minister Winnie will notify you. Meanwhile, I will patrol the airspace above to guard against Dominators from the evil faction." *Heaven's Punishment plans to use that rule-based item?* The Saints present were taken aback. To their knowledge, that rule-based item, which carried an immense cost, could directly locate Spirit Realm walkers and served as a strategic deterrent for Heaven's Punishment. Using a weapon of that magnitude just to deal with Saints—wasn't that making a mountain out of a molehill? Just then, a quiet chuckle broke the silence: "So the phase of petty squabbling between Saints is over, and the Dominators are finally stepping into the ring to fight?" The crowd looked toward the speaker—it was Jumang. Winnie and Sean exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised. Out of all the Saints present, Jumang had been the first to see through to the truth. "Dominators stepping into the ring? What do you mean?" A dark-skinned Saint with thick lips glanced back and forth between Jumang and the two presiding leaders. Some of the Saints looked thoughtful, while others appeared completely bewildered, waiting for an explanation. Zhang Yuanqing let out a soft laugh. "I possess two Dominator-grade items—one left by Yuanshi Tianzun, and the other from Bacchus. If the enemy consists of only three peak Saints and a dozen ordinary Saints, giving the hunting mission to me and my team would be more than enough. Why summon all of you? The more people involved in an operation, the higher the risk of leaks. "Furthermore, Stargazers can divine the future. A peak Level 6 Stargazer who specializes in astral power can even predict the movement tracks of a Level 7 Dominator. Did you hear either of the two leaders mention Concealment Protection just now?" Pausing for a beat, Zhang Yuanqing continued, "They didn't, because it isn't necessary. The two leaders intend to play an open hand against the evil faction. We hold the Eye of the Sky, which gives us the initiative. If the evil faction refuses to abandon the Saints tracked by the Eye of the Sky, their only option is to accept battle. "If I were a high-ranking member of the evil faction, I would gamble everything to wipe out the high-tier Saints of the orthodox faction—and ideally take down one or two Dominators in the process. If successful, the entire landscape of New York County would be completely reshaped." The Saints' expressions shifted subtly, and they turned toward the two leaders for confirmation. Winnie nodded slowly. "Tomorrow night's operation will indeed change the situation in New York County. Everyone, the faction war has progressed to a point where Dominators have no choice but to take the field." Though the Saints from the various organizations could easily fill several rooms when gathered together, their numbers were actually limited once spread across the district. Level 6 Saints and peak Saints were fewer still. Jumang had recently slain three in quick succession, and with the faction clashes growing fiercer by the day, others had fallen as well. Both the orthodox and evil factions had seen their Saint numbers plummet in New York County. It was only a matter of time before Dominators stepped in. Thus, tomorrow night was a turning point. Regardless of who emerged victorious, the opposing side's Saints would suffer a devastating blow, naturally transitioning the war into direct Dominator engagements. Minister Winnie's words cast a heavy gloom over everyone in the room. In tomorrow's battle, the evil faction would undoubtedly strike back with manic desperation, doing everything in their power to slaughter the orthodox Saints. Every single person present ran the risk of returning to the Spirit Realm. At that moment, the Knight Chazo stared fixedly at Zhang Yuanqing and spoke up: "Have we met before?" Noticing everyone's eyes turn his way, Zhang Yuanqing chuckled softly. "When you were in China, I happened to be inside a dungeon. Otherwise, how would Yuanshi Tianzun have gotten the chance to steal all the limelight?" He had zero fear of Chazo seeing through his disguise. Illusionists were masters of disguise, altering appearance and aura alike. Even the personalities they presented were different. Jumang came across as mild on the surface but was fiercely arrogant deep down, whereas Yuanshi Tianzun appeared slick and adaptable on the outside while remaining fundamentally untamed. The core of their demeanors was entirely distinct. Still, a Knight's intuition was genuinely unsettling. When he visited Winnie's grandfather later on, he would need to watch himself closely to avoid being caught red-handed as the wolf by Zhai Cai. The intuition of a Dominator-tier Knight would only be sharper. Sean Meade glanced around at the gathering and produced a knightly broadsword. "This operation is strictly confidential. You are all required to swear an oath not to disclose the contents of this meeting to anyone by any means." *** 10:30 PM. No. 69 Hamburg Street, Queens—a massage and wellness parlor. Wearing a baseball cap, a face mask, and sunglasses, Zhang Yuanqing stepped into the wellness parlor beneath its glowing pink neon sign. Japanese-style bamboo lanterns cast a dim, intimate ambiance over the corridor. He walked down the hallway until he reached a door clad in brass and tapped lightly. Once Catherine's sultry, soft voice came from within, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Catherine was seated in an armchair wearing a formal, knee-length black dress that covered her shoulders and subdued her seductive curves. "If you have a mission, you can just text my phone!" Zhang Yuanqing said with easy familiarity, sitting down by the round glass table and pouring himself a cup of water. He had come only after receiving a text from Catherine, though he had already anticipated what this was about. "Summoning you here means it naturally isn't an ordinary mission." Catherine's pretty face turned grave. "The freedom faction of the Second District has dispatched a team to reinforce us, arriving at the Port of New York tomorrow night. According to reliable information, Heaven's Punishment plans to activate the Eye of the Sky tomorrow to intercept that team." Zhang Yuanqing's head was bursting with silent complaints. He honestly didn't know whether to praise both sides for their stellar intelligence work or mock them for their utterly abysmal operational security. Both sides had infiltrated each other so thoroughly that they might as well just set up a tournament ring and fight it out cleanly, from the Extraordinaires all the way up to the demigods. Before becoming a Spirit Realm walker—or rather, before arriving in New York County—Zhang Yuanqing had envisioned war as Zhao Zilong carving through enemy lines seven times, or Zhuge Liang devising strategies within a tent to decide victories thousands of li away. Only after coming to New York County did he realize that real-world warfare was, in fact, intelligence warfare. Heaven's Punishment, boasting the world's most extensive spy network, was pitted against the Covenant of Freedom, which had lurked in the shadows for a century and seeded operatives across every major organization. The result was that I know your plans, and you know my schemes; everyone understood the situation perfectly, leaving it all down to psychological warfare and sheer luck. "There's no way to block the Eye of the Sky's tracking, right?" Zhang Yuanqing probed. Catherine shook her head. "It's a Dominator-tier rule-based item—how could it be blocked? Unless countered by a power of an even higher tier, like demigod-level Concealment Protection." Zhang Yuanqing analyzed the situation in an earnest tone. "So you intend to turn this into a counter-ambush and wipe out the orthodox faction's Saints?" Catherine smiled. "Not just the Saints. There is a Level 6 Stargazer in the reinforcement squad. Heaven's Punishment knows this and is still choosing to strike. Why do you think that is?" "Heaven's Punishment has prepared thoroughly," Zhang Yuanqing replied. Catherine nodded. "We have no other choice. In the Saint phase of the war, we have already lost. If we abandon the reinforcements from the Second District as well, the outcome will simply be Dominators entering the fray directly. If that's the case, we might as well seize this opportunity to play a high-stakes match against Heaven's Punishment and force a decisive battle tomorrow night." "So there will be a battle between Dominators tomorrow night!" Zhang Yuanqing nodded, indicating he understood. Catherine said, "Your mission tomorrow night is to participate in the Saint battle and kill as many orthodox Saints as possible. Typhoeus, Cocktail, and Hydra will all take the field." *Things are getting lively. Counting both camps, there will be more than ten peak Saints...* A smirk touched Zhang Yuanqing's lips. "Interesting!" He then sobered up and asked, "The Port of New York is the headquarters of the Sea God Church. Are you certain you want to start a battle there? The Sea God Church has a demigod." A demigod might ignore a skirmish between Saints, but in a life-and-death clash between Dominators, a peak Dominator or even a demigod was very likely to intervene. A strange, inscrutable smile curved Catherine's lips. "You've always doubted the existence of 'God.' Tonight, you will have the chance to behold God!"