"Old Du's Wine Shop, a quarter past the hour of the Dog."
Zhou Wuji heard every word clearly from outside. With the exact time and place in hand, stirring up trouble would be child's play.
The simplest approach was to report it to Zhihe and lie in wait right outside the shop.
Yin-Yang Dao preyed on the minds of the common folk, making it the demonic sect most reviled by the imperial court. Because of this, demon cultivators of Yin-Yang Dao could never show their faces in the light of day.
Killing a Yin-Yang Dao Grand Libationer would be a tremendous merit for the Lower Court on its own.
However, doing so posed two problems. First, he could not explain the source of his information.
Second, there was little benefit in it for him personally.
Zhang Yunfeng had merely agreed to meet with a Grand Libationer of Yin-Yang Dao, not committed any concrete wrongdoing, so it would be difficult to convict him on that alone.
Startled, the Zhang family would only become more cautious in the future. Moreover, they would inevitably realize that someone was watching them from the shadows.
From then on, whenever misfortune befell anyone in the Zhang family—regardless of the cause—the suspicion would fall squarely on him.
Yet if he kept the matter to himself, Zhou Wuji had no confidence he could handle a Grand Libationer alone.
While orthodox Daoist methods held an advantage over demonic arts, that held true only when both sides were at comparable levels of cultivation.
Zhou Wuji judged that his own true qi was not inferior to Rank Five, but a Rank Five cultivator was far different from a Rank Five wraith.
Vengeance was meant to vent his grievances; it was hardly worth risking his neck over.
Even so, letting such a prime opportunity to stir up trouble slip through his fingers would be an absolute waste.
His thoughts racing, Zhou Wuji decided that the weakest link in the chain was almost certainly that fellow Cui Ze.
While Zhang Changyi was still occupied inside the room, Zhou Wuji slipped out of the courtyard and made his way to a back door in the rear courtyard.
Having visited the Zhang residence several times, he was thoroughly familiar with the layout. If the Zhangs wished to meet anyone in secret, slipping through this back door offered the greatest discretion.
Sure enough, seated in a small side room beside the back gate was a middle-aged man. Dressed in coarse hemp clothing and hemp sandals, he looked just like any common laborer from the lower rungs of society.
Before long, Zhang Changyi arrived and exchanged a few words with the man in the side room.
As expected, the man was none other than Cui Ze.
Observing him from up close, Zhou Wuji discovered that Cui Ze had opened a spirit aperture—he was actually a Rank Seven cultivator.
Emerging from the courtyard, Cui Ze ran into an inspection at the exit. He produced a travel pass from his waist, and the patrolling soldiers gave it a cursory glance before waving him through.
They stood guard and ran patrols here every day without incident; from top to bottom, the procedure was a mere formality meant to deter idle vagrants.
Cui Ze remained cautious nonetheless, repeatedly glancing behind him to ensure he was not being followed.
Yet no sooner had he turned into a narrow alley than he was confronted by a white silhouette. Looking closer, it was a person in white hemp mourning robes, holding what looked like a long white banner.
He gave a violent start. A cultivator of the Heavenly Ghost Sect?
Before he could gather his wits, the white banner swept down over his head. Cui Ze moved to summon his Yin-Yang Mirror to resist, but his vision went black, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
When Cui Ze woke, a throbbing pain pounded in his forehead. Reaching up, his fingers brushed against a swollen knot, and warm blood coated his entire face.
Clutching his head, he sat up slowly and saw that the full moon had already climbed to the zenith of the night sky. He had been unconscious for at least an hour.
He looked around, but not a soul was in sight. Checking inside his lapels, Cui Ze found his Yin-Yang Mirror still there, though it had clearly been examined.
Not daring to voice a single curse, he endured the pounding headache and shuffled back to his lodgings.
Watching from hiding as Cui Ze walked off into the distance, Zhou Wuji noted that once the distance between them exceeded a hundred and fifty paces, he could only sense Cui Ze's location; he could no longer synchronize with his senses, let alone control his movements.
Once the distance exceeded a thousand paces, he could only vaguely register the presence of the Heavenly Puppet.
Zhou Wuji did not follow Cui Ze, choosing instead to stay put and test the extent of the distance's effects on the Heavenly Puppet.
The most effective operational range was within a hundred and fifty paces. At that distance, he could control Cui Ze completely and share in his senses.
Beyond that, although the Heavenly Puppet would not be lost, he could no longer manipulate it.
He chose not to tail Cui Ze any further. A Rank Five demon cultivator might have laid down any number of bizarre wards; getting spotted by accident would ruin everything.
As for the Heavenly Puppet, it had already burrowed deep into Cui Ze's viscera. Unless someone carved out his internal organs, the puppet would remain undiscovered.
There was no need to worry on that account.
Even if the Heavenly Puppet were detected, it made little difference. He had long since refined it and held its central core; no one could take it from him.
Returning to his stone cottage, Zhou Wuji lay on his bed and ran through every possible scenario that might unfold the next day.
A meeting between the two parties was nothing more than collusion and an exchange of interests.
For him, the ideal outcome would naturally be for both sides to turn on each other, allowing him to reap the spoils without lifting a finger.
Yet the likelihood of that was exceedingly slim.
With his potent spiritual sense and ample time, calculating the various contingencies presented little difficulty.
The following afternoon, Zhou Wuji headed to the eastern district of Yunyang City ahead of time and located Old Du's Wine Shop.
The front hall of the wine shop could fit only three tables, with another four arranged outside. Though the patrons drinking here all wore scholar's gowns, they appeared to be either merchants or men of letters from modest backgrounds.
Next door stood an establishment called Anfu Inn, which housed just over a dozen rooms, only two of which were cramped single quarters.
Dressed in plain blue robes, Zhou Wuji shifted his facial contours through muscle control and requested a single room.
The innkeeper asked to inspect his travel permit or waist badge, both of which were official identity documents issued by the authorities.
Zhou Wuji handed over five extra copper coins, and the innkeeper promptly kept his mouth shut.
The tiny room contained nothing more than a single bed and a small table. Cramped and devoid of sunlight, it reeked of damp mildew.
Paying it no mind, Zhou Wuji changed into the white hemp robes taken from Xue Gui, donned a bamboo hat, and sat silently in waiting.
Shortly before the hour of the Dog, Zhou Wuji felt the presence of the Heavenly Puppet.
As the puppet drew closer, Zhou Wuji began synchronizing with Cui Ze's vision, hearing, and smell.
Maintaining shared perception consumed true qi, so there was no need to monitor Cui Ze's every step just yet.
Cui Ze circled the wine shop twice before stepping inside.
A short while later, Zhou Wuji deployed the Six Yang Dharma Eyes and observed two brilliant auras of life force approaching, which he knew must belong to Zhang Banshan and Zhang Yunfeng.
Watching the two intense flares of vitality enter the wine shop, Zhou Wuji held off on activating the Heavenly Puppet.
When meeting, the parties would inevitably exchange polite pleasantries; whatever serious matters they intended to discuss would only begin once a few cups of wine had flowed.
After waiting a bit longer, Zhou Wuji finally triggered the Heavenly Puppet to establish the connection with Cui Ze.
The first figure that entered his view was Zhang Banshan. The old man had thick brows, a bald crown, and broad shoulders. Dressed in a black gown, he loomed taller sitting down than an ordinary man stood on his feet, exuding immense presence.
Beside him, Zhang Yunfeng was more than half a head shorter. Wearing a blue gown, his features carried a haughty arrogance.
Only through the corner of Cui Ze's peripheral vision could Zhou Wuji catch sight of the Grand Libationer—gray hair and beard, draped in gray robes, presenting the unremarkable silhouette of an elderly man from behind.
"Grand Libationer, as you well know, my uncle was transferred out of Yunyang. The newly arrived Commandant hails from the Fire Phoenix Army and has zero ties to our Zhang family.
"As things stand, Yunyang is no longer ours to command."
Zhang Yunfeng shook his head and said, "You would do better not to linger in Yunyang. If something goes wrong, none of us will come out unscathed."
The Grand Libationer replied placidly, "Every five hundred years, a true sovereign is destined to rise. By count, the Great Hao dynasty has stood for just over five centuries.
"Now that the earth veins are churning and the realm is thrown into upheaval, who knows whose surname will grace the throne tomorrow?
"At such a momentous juncture, it is precisely the hour for men of our caliber to make their mark..."
The old man held forth with grand eloquence, his speech betraying an ambition to contend for the empire itself.
Listening from the adjoining room, Zhou Wuji found it utterly ludicrous. Even if the realm truly underwent a cataclysmic shift, a rabble like Yin-Yang Dao could never lay claim to the imperial mandate.
Not to mention that this demon cultivator was merely of Rank Five; far from contesting the vast realm, he had to slink through the shadows even within the walls of Yunyang City.
Zhang Banshan and Zhang Yunfeng clearly shared the same view, their faces unmasked in their disdain.
Zhang Yunfeng cut in directly, "Dynastic transition and the changing of the mandate are hardly things people like us can meddle with.
"Speak no more of such matters. Master Cui, if you have business, say it plainly."
Grand Libationer Cui chuckled. "Five hundred years ago, the founder of Taihao was nothing more than an outlaw from the grass and brambles. Who could have foreseen that he would establish a dynasty of five centuries?"
Noticing the growing impatience on his hosts' faces, he shifted tack. "As the saying goes: when Heaven unleashes its killing intent, the stars shift and constellations displace; when Earth unleashes its killing intent, dragons and serpents rise from the land.
"When the earth veins overturn, it churns far more than imperial fortune and the hearts of men. It unleashes boundless spiritual energy and profound mysteries, giving rise to countless heroes answering the mandate of fate."
Pausing, he continued with gravity, "The more chaotic the realm becomes, the more believers flock to us.
"I ask for nothing grandiose. So long as the Zhang family affords us convenience here in Yunyang, we will repay you handsomely."
Zhang Yunfeng frowned deeply. He could not comprehend why Yin-Yang Dao had fixed its sights so stubbornly on Yunyang.
What was so special about this place? Yin-Yang Dao had suffered one setback after another here, yet they clung on and refused to leave.
And now the man was spewing utter nonsense about scheming for the empire!
After a moment's thought, Zhang Yunfeng said, "Master Cui, the Lower Court's newly appointed Abbot is formidable, nothing like Zhiyuan, who turned a blind eye to everything.
"Furthermore, your Libationer was almost certainly killed by Zhou Wuji—on that, I can give you my word.
"If you seek revenge, go kill Zhou Wuji and be done with it!"
Grand Libationer Cui laughed once more. "Speaking of Zhou Wuji, there is indeed something peculiar about that man."
"Oh?"
Zhang Yunfeng's interest was piqued. "I would welcome your insight, Master Cui."
"Zhou Wuji possessed thoroughly mediocre talent until his master died, after which he shot to prominence overnight. He achieved one feat after another and earned commendations from the Celestial Master Mansion."
Grand Libationer Cui declared with utter certainty, "In my view, Zhou Wuji obtained some rare treasure or divine relic from the churning of the earth veins, which transformed him from a mediocrity into a prodigy."
"That..." Zhang Yunfeng could not help shaking his head; the deduction was far too arbitrary.
The Lower Court was packed with adepts, not to mention the arrival of senior figures from the Celestial Master Mansion. Could that entire gathering have failed to detect something amiss with Zhou Wuji?
It was far more plausible that Zhou Wuji had simply concealed his edge in the past, only unleashing his brilliance once his master's suppression was gone.
Through Cui Ze's eyes, Zhou Wuji watched the two Zhangs' reactions and knew they did not buy Grand Libationer Cui's conjecture in the slightest.
Even so, he was somewhat startled. The Yin-Yang Dao demon cultivator had likely spoken off the cuff, deliberately steering the blame toward him.
Yet it demonstrated one thing clearly: his rising prominence had begun to sow suspicion in many minds.
Whether Grand Libationer Cui was truly onto something or merely spouting baseless guesses, the old man could not be allowed to live.
Zhou Wuji had initially been wary of his cultivation, but reflecting through Cui Ze using the Heart Mirror, he discovered the old man had only connected three apertures: the heart, kidneys, and liver.
He was indeed of Rank Five, but he had yet to truly forge a Five Viscera Temple, and his qi was somewhat impure, falling far short of Zhiyuan or Zhihe.
Rank Five was divided into distinct tiers; for a Rank Five demon cultivator of Yin-Yang Dao, impure cultivation was hardly unusual.
In terms of pure true qi depth, this Rank Five demon cultivator was twenty percent inferior to Zhou Wuji himself.
With the Heavenly Puppet at his disposal, his odds of eliminating the old wretch were remarkably high.
Grand Libationer Cui continued, "It is only natural that the two of you harbor doubts. How about this: lure Zhou Wuji out, and I will capture him myself."
"Master Cui must be joking. There is bad blood between us and Zhou Wuji—how could we possibly invite him out?
"Even if we managed it, if anything happens to Zhou Wuji, the blame will land squarely on our heads.
"Right now, Zhou Wuji holds a commendation from the Celestial Master Mansion and has caught the eye of the Celestial Master himself. If disaster befalls him because of my family, that is a blame I cannot shoulder—nor could the entire Zhang family!"
Zhang Yunfeng shook his head repeatedly, his patience wearing thin under the old man's relentless drivel.
Grand Libationer Cui let out a deep sigh. "Gentlemen, I will speak candidly. With the overturning of Yunyang's earth veins, a brand-new dragon vein has taken shape. Divine artifacts and spiritual treasures are bound to emerge, nurturing a handful of peerless geniuses.
"Seize but a single opportunity, and one can soar straight into the heavens..."
Chapter 132