Preparations

A'niu the gatekeeper appraised him, his eyes filled with suspicion. "Assassinating the fatuous ruler is a great undertaking the Azure Dragon Gang has plotted for years. You let him go—did you really think Elder Xu would forgive you?" Wang Beiwang stiffened his neck and retorted stubbornly, "Who says he won't? I've followed Elder Xu for over a decade. I'm both his subordinate and his disciple; our bond runs deep." A'niu shot him a sideways glance. "And the Gang Leader?" Wang Beiwang's neck shrank back. With the Gang Leader's temperament, once he laid eyes on him, he would probably slap him straight into the next life. Instantly, the stone steps outside the Xu Residence transformed in his eyes into a mountain of blades and a sea of flames, towering peaks and treacherous crags. But remembering the foolish emperor's instructions, he braced himself and let out a dry laugh. "A'niu, this is where your vision and mine diverge. I am someone meant to accomplish great things, unafraid of risks or sacrifices. You, on the other hand, can only ever be a gatekeeper." Having known him for over ten years, A'niu did not take offense. He merely sneered, "If you're that eager to die, go on in. I'll collect your corpse." Wang Beiwang mounted the steps, crossed the threshold, and walked in alongside A'niu. The latter said, "The elder and the Gang Leader are discussing matters in the main hall. I'll go announce you." Wang Beiwang hurriedly grabbed him. "Are you trying to get me killed? Given the Gang Leader's temper, the moment he hears I'm here, won't he just summon heavenly fire to burn me to ashes?" A'niu shook off his hand and said impatiently, "I couldn't care less. Do whatever you want." Wang Beiwang strode forward. Catching sight of the hall with its upturned eaves, he took a deep breath and called out at the top of his lungs: "Elder, Gang Leader, Wang Beiwang has an urgent report—" Before his words could finish echoing, the latticed doors of the hall banged open with a crash, and a dragon of fire surged forth with ferocious heat, claws and fangs bared, hurtling directly toward Wang Beiwang. "I know where the fatuous ruler is!" Wang Beiwang rushed to shout out the rest of his sentence. The menacing dragon of fire abruptly unraveled, collapsing into a rushing wave of scorching air that swept in all directions. Staggered backward by the burning blast, Wang Beiwang had his hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes incinerated in an instant, his face scorched red. "Get in here!" Elder Xu's sharp bark rang out from within the hall. With lingering fear, Wang Beiwang touched his face. Just the residual heat of the flames had scalded him; had the fire dragon struck him head-on, he likely would have been reduced to charcoal on the spot. He traversed the front courtyard, stepped over the threshold, and entered the main hall. Two men sat inside. One wore a white robe, his hair bound with a wooden hairpin, sleeves billowing loosely in the manner of a Daoist—this was the true Swordsman, Elder Xu. The other wore a green robe, with dark-red hair draping down to his shoulders. He was broad-shouldered and thick-armed, with a square, dignified face, a full forehead, and a layer of dark stubble along his jawline. His eyes shone with piercing vitality, exuding an aura of sky-reaching heroism. This man was none other than the leader of the Azure Dragon Gang, known in the jianghu as "Reckless Fire God"! No one knew his real name; all Wang Beiwang knew was that the Gang Leader's surname was Duan. Reckless Fire God, Gang Leader Duan, bellowed in fury, "Wang Beiwang, you actually dare to return? Hand over the fatuous ruler's whereabouts, and this seat will leave your corpse intact!" Wang Beiwang fell to his knees in a deep kowtow and shouted, "Forgive me, Gang Leader! This subordinate knows his wrong! I have served the gang for years—even if I have no great merit, I have toiled faithfully. Please grant me a chance to explain!" Even as he spoke, an intense reluctance and resistance churned within him. A man's knees held golden worth, bowing only to heaven, earth, and parents. Not even the Gang Leader could have normally made him drop down in such a kowtow. Yet the foolish emperor had adamantly demanded he employ this tactic, insisting that since ancient times, proud and arrogant men had always fallen for it, working without fail. Fire God Duan snorted coldly. "You released the fatuous ruler without permission, and you still dare to make excuses?" His tone and expression remained frigid, but the fire of rage in his eyes dimmed slightly. Wang Beiwang glanced first at Elder Xu. Seeing the elder nod subtly, he continued, "Gang Leader, there is something you do not know. Corrupt officials from the imperial court seized my younger sister. The fatuous ruler promised to help me rescue Xiu'er. This subordinate truly had no other path, which is why I chose to let him go." Fire God Duan replied coldly, "Scheming with a tiger—the outcome is all too predictable." They had already heard from A'niu about Wang Beiwang's sister, Wang Xiu, being drawn in the lottery, and they knew why he had released the emperor. In the eyes of Elder Xu and Gang Leader Duan, Wang Beiwang was simply clutching at straws in desperation, bewitched by the ruler's deceit. Wang Beiwang lifted his head, his face suffused with an inexplicable emotion as he said, "My sister has already been successfully rescued. Yesterday's clash at the Hongxiu Pavilion and the Ministry of Justice was the result of a fierce battle between the fatuous ruler and his confidants against the city garrison!" Hearing this, Gang Leader Duan and Elder Xu exchanged a glance, their expressions tinged with surprise. Elder Xu furrowed his brows. "Taking such a massive risk just to save Wang Xiu? Heh, haha..." He used a cold scoff to display his disdain and derision. Seeing their reactions, Wang Beiwang suddenly understood the purpose behind the foolish emperor's words. The Azure Dragon Gang's prejudice against the emperor was rooted to the bone. Wang Beiwang himself, had he not experienced what happened with Xiu'er, would never have believed in the ruler's character and cunning either. Wang Beiwang immediately declared, "Naturally, it wasn't just a promise. Gang Leader, Elder, Wang Beiwang returned today to deliver a message on the fatuous ruler's behalf." He paused. Seeing that neither the Gang Leader nor the elder spoke, he pressed on: "During tomorrow's Heaven-worshipping ceremony, the fatuous ruler will appear to disrupt it and save the three hundred boys and girls. He hopes to use this to demonstrate his sincerity to the Azure Dragon Gang. After the Zheng family's rebellion and his days wandering among the common folk, he has come to deeply understand his past muddleheadedness and guilt. The Southern Dynasty's present plight was caused by his favoritism toward corrupt ministers and his neglect of state affairs. "The fatuous ruler desires to mend his ways and return to the imperial court to sweep away these deep-seated evils. However, the Zheng family's power is vast and now threatens the very altar of the state. He cannot hold up the sky alone, and so he seeks aid from the populace." At this point, he peered up at Gang Leader Duan and Elder Xu, both of whom wore indifferent expressions. Wang Beiwang raised his voice. "The fatuous ruler said that the Azure Dragon Gang is filled with men of righteous honor, and that Gang Leader Duan is an illustrious hero throughout the jianghu. As the saying goes: 'The greatest knights act for the country and the people.' "He hopes that Gang Leader Duan, for the sake of the common people of the Southern Dynasty, will lend him aid." Elder Xu asked, "How does he want the Azure Dragon Gang to help?" Wang Beiwang replied, "Hold your troops in place and await further notice." Gang Leader Duan sneered. "Putting on quite an air, isn't he?" He neither agreed nor refused. Waving a hand, he said, "You may leave." Wang Beiwang looked toward Elder Xu, but the latter merely shook his head. Disappointed, Wang Beiwang rose to his feet and exited the hall. After he departed, Gang Leader Duan murmured softly to himself, "'The greatest knights act for the country and the people'..." *** Wang Beiwang rode his horse back to the abandoned residence. Scanning the desolate courtyard, he called out loudly, "Your Maj—fatuous ruler, are you still there?" The withered branch in the courtyard stood upright on its end and traced characters onto the dirt: "What was Gang Leader Duan's reply?" Wang Beiwang said dejectedly, "He didn't agree." The branch wrote: "Didn't refuse either?" Wang Beiwang grunted in acknowledgment. The branch tilted and clattered softly to the ground. Inside another derelict mansion, Zhang Yuanqing drew the floating spirit back into his body. He returned to the main room and addressed Jiang Jingwei, who was gorging herself on food and wine inside the hall. "Jingwei, stop eating. I have a mission for you." Tearing into a roasted chicken, Jiang Jingwei mumbled, "What mission?" "Do you know how to contact the soldiers of the Shenrui Army?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Jiang Jingwei tilted her head in thought. "I only have a keepsake." With her grease-stained right hand, she retrieved an aged military banner from her inventory. It was yellow with black embroidery, emblazoned with the characters "Shenrui." Zhang Yuanqing took it to examine and read the item description. The text only stated: *A military banner of the Shenrui Army, usable as a keepsake.* *Only a keepsake, then. Jingwei didn't inherit much memory; relying on her to contact the Shenrui Army is out of the question... Well, Jingwei is a hunter's daughter. Her family's address should be recordable in the palace...* Zhang Yuanqing intended to reach out to the Shenrui Army. If the Azure Dragon Gang could be brought over to his side, why not the Shenrui Army? He had learned the truth behind the Shenrui Army's destruction years ago from Beauty Wan. After receiving the dungeon's side quest to "Subdue the Azure Dragon Gang," Zhang Yuanqing had realized that the Shenrui Army was also a faction open to recruitment. As long as the truth was brought to light, this faction could be turned to his advantage. Of course, if one hadn't noticed this lead from the beginning and failed to gather intelligence beforehand, they would lose the clues needed to recruit the Shenrui Army, turning them irrevocably into an enemy faction. *Investigating the case can be left to Guan Ya. She is both the Empress and the legitimate daughter of the Yang family. As a core minister of the imperial court, Yang Zheng has the authority to review the Shenrui Army's records... Meanwhile, I can take Beauty Chu as a 'keepsake' to meet the remnants of the Shenrui Army.* *Looking at it this way, Songstress Wang and Beauty Chu are both crucial 'keepsakes.' No wonder the dungeon arranged them into opposing factions; it was actually a hint.* *A hint that the factions behind both teammates could be won over.* With this thought, Zhang Yuanqing immediately channeled the brand within his sea of consciousness. Separating a portion of his spirit, he sank it into the mark and possessed the yin corpse stationed inside the Yang Residence. *** The Yang Residence. Inside the Empress's boudoir, the hollow eyes of the yin corpse suddenly sparked with life. Its stiff neck clicked and cracked as flexibility returned, turning its head to survey the room. Guan Ya was not present; only a petite, delicate palace maid was wiping down the round table and stools. Zhang Yuanqing raised the megaphone in his hand. "Where is the Empress?" The maid jumped in fright, gently patting her chest, and replied softly, "Her Majesty is discussing affairs with the guests in the inner hall." Zhang Yuanqing said, "Summon her here." The palace maid nodded, cast a few cautious glances at the yin corpse, and hurried out the door. A few minutes later, Guan Ya stepped across the threshold, her skirts fluttering gracefully in a lavish, intricate set of hanfu. This body possessed refined features with an elegant, gentle oval face, giving her the appearance of a daughter from a noble household. "You may step outside," Guan Ya dismissed the maid. She then drew out a music box, letting crisp chimes reverberate through every corner of the room. Holding the small loudspeaker, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Help me investigate the truth behind the destruction of the Shenrui Army." "The Shenrui Army?" Guan Ya knit her brows. "The organization that ambushed you at the Hongxiu Pavilion? Lingxi told me the Shenrui Army was wiped out more than a decade ago." Cold cases of that age were difficult to investigate, consuming both time and effort. "The culprit was Zheng Wenhan. What I need isn't clues, but hard evidence," Zhang Yuanqing provided the answer directly. Realization dawned on Guan Ya. "That makes things much easier. You want to recruit the Shenrui Army?" "The Shenrui Army was destroyed years ago, and when the tree fell, the monkeys scattered. There probably aren't many survivors left, but every single one is an expert among experts," Zhang Yuanqing said. "We have no shortage of ordinary soldiers, but we lack high-level experts." Guan Ya nodded in agreement. Recalling the discussion in the hall just now regarding the dungeon strategy, she asked, "Tomorrow is the grand Heaven-worshipping ceremony. Have you thought of a plan? "We discussed an approach: you could use a yin corpse disguised as yourself to hold the imperial seal and jade pendant in the palace. Meanwhile, you could slip back among the common folk. With the traits of an Illusionist and a Night Roamer, not even the Imperial Preceptor could locate you without divination." The yin corpse Zhang Yuanqing gave an expressionless shrug. "Knowing the Zheng family's style, the moment they realize it's a yin corpse, they'll likely move to seize the imperial seal directly, destroy the corpse to silence it, and declare that the emperor was harmed by villains. They would then claim the yin corpse was used as a puppet to impersonate the emperor, and the Yang family wouldn't even have a way to refute them." Guan Ya gave a wry smile. "I told them this plan wouldn't work, but Xiao Yuan and the Palace Master thought it was viable." There was no need for her to say the rest—this plan had almost certainly been Xie Lingxi's idea; Xiao Yuan and the Palace Master wouldn't be that foolish. *Sister Guan Ya, when did you unlock palace-intrigue skills?* Zhang Yuanqing lowered the small loudspeaker. "I already have an idea!"