The following morning, on the north shore of Lake Heart Island, Zhou Wuji spotted Li Xin's bird boat.
Once Li Xin brought the boat to shore, Zhou Wuji immediately instructed him and his companion to deliver a report. He wrote a letter by hand and handed over his Tianshu Token to Li Xin, stressing that Li Xin had to meet Daoist Yizhen in person and deliver the letter directly into his hands.
The stakes were enormous, and Zhou Wuji could not bring himself to trust anyone else. To ensure nothing went awry, he even gave the two men a hundred liang of silver.
Li Xin dared not dally. He hurriedly sailed back to the mainland, where he and Li Qiang bought horses and rode at top speed toward Yunyang Prefecture that very day.
Not daring to travel by night, they could only press on by day. It took them three and a half days before they finally reached Yunlong Branch Abbey.
Armed with Zhou Wuji's Tianshu Token and having slipped ten liang of silver to the guest receptionist, the attendant readily had someone guide the pair to Tianshu Hall.
Upon hearing that they had been sent by Zhou Wuji, Daoist Yizhen granted them an audience at once. Taking the letter and scanning it, his expression remained impassive, but his heart was seized by great shock.
A blood sacrifice of hundreds of people—had the Five Dragons Gang lost their minds?!
In a matter of this magnitude, Zhou Wuji could never be lying.
Daoist Yizhen immediately went to see Abbot Zhiyuan and recounted everything in detail.
Zhiyuan's expression shifted slightly as well. After pondering the matter back and forth, he first contacted Zhishan, who was temporarily staying in Yunyang Prefecture.
As a patrolling inspector from the Celestial Master Mansion, Zhishan had come not merely to assess Zhou Wuji, but also to inspect Yunyang Prefecture.
Zhishan was not an especially industrious man, and being a fellow cultivator of the Arctic Sect, he would not make things difficult for Yunlong Branch Abbey in an affair like this, no matter how fiercely the internal lineages feuded.
Abbot Zhiyuan was appreciative of this, and had spent good money to lodge Zhishan in Yunyang Prefecture on an extended stay.
With an incident of such gravity coming to light, Yunlong Branch Abbey would be credited with great merit no matter how one looked at it.
The key lay in securing concrete evidence; with that in hand, they could eliminate the Five Dragons Gang with full justification.
Zhiyuan instructed Daoist Yizhen, "Accompany Zhishan there. Once you confirm it is indeed the Five Dragons Gang's doing, we will seize this opportunity to resolve the Five Dragons Gang once and for all.
"Let every faction see what we are capable of!"
Daoist Yizhen nodded. This was indeed a fine chance to establish their authority.
Previously, they had been unwilling to touch the Five Dragons Gang because they did not wish to raise a huge fuss over minor squabbles.
To do so without proper cause would lack legitimacy.
This time, however, was different.
A blood sacrifice of hundreds of people was something the imperial court could never tolerate from any gang.
No matter how powerful the Zhang family's influence was, they would not dare shelter the Five Dragons Gang over this!
Recognizing the rare opportunity, Daoist Yizhen immediately set out with Zhishan and made straight for Lake Heart Island.
With two sixth-rank Daoists at the helm, the fast boat sailed through the night, arriving at Lake Heart Island by dusk the following day.
Seeing Daoist Yizhen, Zhou Wuji let out a sigh of relief.
A long delay invited many nightmares; had the Five Dragons Gang caught wind of trouble and their gang leader come in person, Zhou Wuji would have had no choice but to flee.
Entering the secret realm and beholding the hellish scene, even seasoned figures like Yizhen and Zhishan turned pale with grim expressions.
Zhishan fell silent for a moment, then produced a round, white jade bead and activated a water mirror, fully capturing the bloody scenes around them in its reflection.
To ensure the reflection was crisp and clear, Zhishan also channeled a Seven Stars Lamp. Deep blue starlight hung suspended in the air like a lantern, illuminating the secret realm as bright as day.
Zhou Wuji did not recognize this magic, so he asked Daoist Yizhen curiously, "Martial Uncle, what is the Patrolling Inspector doing?"
"The Water Mirror Technique. It can store reflected images within jade."
Daoist Yizhen was well-traveled and knowledgeable. He explained, "Every cultivator of the Celestial Master Mansion must cultivate this dharma art so they can preserve evidence while carrying out official business."
"Doesn't a matter of this scale need to be reported to the local authorities?" Zhou Wuji asked further.
His primary concern was collusion between local officials and the Five Dragons Gang. Reporting it might leak word and make the situation far more troublesome.
"Large-scale blood sacrifices are the work of demonic heretics, which falls squarely under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Master Mansion."
Daoist Yizhen said in a somber voice, "For the Five Dragons Gang to commit such an atrocious deed in their madness is nothing short of courting death!"
Experienced though he was, he had never witnessed a blood sacrifice on such a scale, to say nothing of methods so gruesome and cruel.
It ignited genuine fury even within Daoist Yizhen.
Zhou Wuji nodded repeatedly. "The Five Dragons Gang's perverse depravity truly warrants death!
"If we are to eradicate the Five Dragons Gang, this disciple is willing to do his part!"
Daoist Yizhen replied, "A matter this grave demands caution. Do not be in such a rush..."
He elaborated, "The core members of the Five Dragons Gang are entrenched on Old Dragon Island, numbering several thousand strong. If they stir up unrest, all of Yunyang Prefecture will be thrown into turmoil."
Zhou Wuji, however, did not agree. He said earnestly, "I have been guarding this place for the past few days, and no one from the Five Dragons Gang has set foot on the island.
"Transporting a large number of people to the island is no easy feat. Moreover, with the blood sacrifice being so ruthless and cruel, those stationed in the secret realm certainly wouldn't have dared to venture outside casually, all to maintain secrecy.
"Right now, the Five Dragons Gang has no idea that the secret has been leaked and is completely off its guard.
"Seizing this window of opportunity, we can send a letter inviting Chen Dalu to a meeting, luring this gang leader away from Old Dragon Island. Once he's separated from his base, dealing with him will be far easier."
At first, Daoist Yizhen had not taken Zhou Wuji's words seriously. After all, Zhou Wuji was young and unfamiliar with the specific inner workings of the Five Dragons Gang; what insights could he possibly offer on such a major affair?
Yet contrary to expectations, simple though Zhou Wuji's stratagem was, it was remarkably clever.
Although Chen Dalu was a sixth-rank martial artist, the truly thorny problem was his command over thousands of gang members.
If they could truly draw Chen Dalu away from Old Dragon Island, things would become far simpler.
Lately, friction between the branch abbey and the Five Dragons Gang had been constant, providing ample justification to summon Chen Dalu for a negotiation.
Even if Chen Dalu refused, they would lose nothing in the attempt. That was the cleverest part of the plan.
The more Daoist Yizhen thought about it, the more feasible the scheme seemed. He immediately relayed the plan to Daoist Zhishan.
Although Daoist Zhishan felt it was slightly hasty and that the full backstory had yet to be unraveled, the damning evidence lay right before their eyes—the Five Dragons Gang's crimes were monstrous!
The Five Dragons Gang had several thousand boatmen alone; counting their families and relatives, their numbers reached at least ten or twenty thousand.
Such a massive organization had to be handled with care to prevent inciting popular unrest.
Luring Chen Dalu out and striking off the serpent's head first was indeed an excellent move.
Zhishan gave Zhou Wuji a deep, measuring look. For a young man barely in his twenties to possess such resourcefulness and audacity was truly impressive!
Although Zhishan hailed from the Yuheng lineage, he was, after all, serving in the Celestial Master Mansion, and he regarded Zhou Wuji with considerable admiration.
More importantly, he shared no conflict of interest with Zhou Wuji, which set him fundamentally apart from Daoist Yiding.
Furthermore, proper business came first!
No matter how fierce the factional infighting among the lineages grew, they remained united against external threats.
Without that foundation, the Arctic Sect would have shattered long ago.
Daoist Zhishan agreed to the plan. Daoist Yizhen stayed behind to guard the secret realm, while Zhishan brought Zhou Wuji back to Yunlong Branch Abbey.
Sailing upriver would be too slow, so Li Xin helped procure four fast horses. The two rode through the night and returned to Yunlong Branch Abbey by the following evening.
Though Daoist Zhishan possessed a sixth-rank cultivation, his physical stamina fell far short of Zhou Wuji's.
By the time they returned to Yunlong Branch Abbey, Daoist Zhishan could not disguise the exhaustion blanketing his face.
Looking at Zhou Wuji, however, despite the dust coating the young man from head to toe, his eyes shone bright and spirited, brimming with vitality and drive.
Seeing this, Daoist Zhishan could not help but sigh with feeling, "It's good to be young!"
Zhou Wuji grinned, showing his teeth. "Grandmaster Uncle's cultivation is profound; how could an unworthy junior like me compare?"
"You have a smooth tongue, kid." Zhishan chuckled heartily, growing two parts fonder of Zhou Wuji.
It was a pity that Zhou Wuji was tied to Yizhen and could not enter their Yuheng lineage.
"If this matter succeeds, you shall be credited with top merit." In good spirits, Zhishan offered Zhou Wuji a promise, unwilling to let the kid labor in vain.
Curious, Zhou Wuji asked, "What is top merit good for? Can it be traded for the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword?"
"Haha, keep dreaming!"
Daoist Zhishan joked, not wishing to dwell on the subject.
A secret art was the foundation of each lineage and the defining mark separating their factions; how could it be casually passed to an outsider?
Zhou Wuji had only asked to test the waters. Seeing the old man deflect with an unyielding quip, he knew there was no hope.
After a brief thought, Daoist Zhishan said, "You do possess genuine talent in the way of the sword. If Yizhen agrees, you could switch to Yuheng.
"Conveniently, you have no master at present. I could introduce you to an expert of the sword. If you were taken under his wing, you would surely make a name for yourself across the realm in the future..."
Zhou Wuji gave a dry laugh. He held no narrow lineage prejudices, nor was he opposed to learning swordsmanship elsewhere.
If the expert introduced were formidable enough, he wouldn't mind taking him as master.
The old man was dead and gone anyway; why cling to so many formalities?
However, defecting from Tianshu to the Yuheng lineage would earn him the scorn of everyone in Tianshu from top to bottom, and even those in Yuheng would despise his character.
Such a move was absolutely out of the question.
Daoist Zhishan also knew it was unlikely, and seeing that Zhou Wuji did not bite, he dropped the subject.
When the two reached Heart Inquest Hall, Daoist Zhishan explained the circumstances from beginning to end, concluding with Zhou Wuji's stratagem.
Zhiyuan pondered for a long while without uttering a word.
Unable to hold back, Zhou Wuji said, "Abbot, this is an excellent opportunity to eliminate Chen Dalu."
"Oh...?" Zhiyuan glanced at Zhou Wuji, his aged face an inscrutable mask, offering no hint of what he was thinking.
Having spoken this far, Zhou Wuji could only brace himself and press on confidently: "The ancient sages once said, 'He who hesitates when action is needed invites trouble upon himself.'
"It is just like trying to untangle a ball of tangled hemp—the more you pull, the tighter it binds. Far better to draw a sword and cleave straight through; the knot unravels on its own."
In this world, there had been no Northern Qi dynasty, and thus no historical allusion to cutting tangled hemp with a swift blade.
Borrowing it here seemed fitting enough.
Zhiyuan chuckled despite himself. What ancient sage? Anyone could tell Zhou Wuji was spouting nonsense.
He had been weighing far too many factors—the Zhang family's stance, the myriad repercussions of a sudden strike, and what would happen if the plan failed.
With so many variables in play, he had been unable to sort through them all at once.
Yet Zhou Wuji was right: overthinking yielded nothing. In moments like this, one had to resolve the problem with directness and decisive action.
To master the complex through simplicity—that was the Great Dao itself!
Cunning though Chen Dalu was, he likely would never expect them to act with such boldness.
Zhiyuan drafted an invitation on the spot and dispatched someone to deliver it to Old Dragon Island.
He said to Zhou Wuji, "Go and get some rest. Tomorrow, accompany me to Yunjiang Tower; I'd like to see how that swift sword of yours cuts through this tangled knot..."
Chapter 98