Chapter 263: The Bright Moon Rises Over the Sea

A line of Wu Kingdom envoy carriages passed through the city gate.

"Documents?"

"My lord, please inspect them."

The city guard took the documents and frowned: "Newcomers? Why do you look so unfamiliar?"

"Yes, yes, first time on the trade route."

The city guard glanced twice more, saw the documents were in order and the rest of the caravan bore familiar faces, then waved them through: "Enter."

With a sharp cry of "Giddy-up!"

The carriages slowly resumed motion.

They passed all the way down Qinghe Street before beginning to unload at the designated spot set by the Weiheshimao Office.

Two men entered their own shop in the marketplace.

"Works well enough."

Yuan Gao chuckled.

Without needing disguise like transformation arts, he walked openly through the streets and fooled everyone.

"Illusion arts are truly masterful."

He marveled inwardly.

Illusion arts demand extraordinary talent; illusionists who walk the mortal world are exceedingly rare—even Yuan Gao had never witnessed their power before.

The other man was naturally the Lord of Lingluo.

The Lord of Lingluo sat casually on a wooden chair, disdainful that the huanghuali wood did not suit her.

As for deceiving the city guards, she felt no pride at all.

Just as Yuan Gao was about to find a seat, the Lady of Lingluo suddenly spoke: "So, when exactly does the Sect Master intend to stop hiding the Immortal Sovereign's affair from us?"

"!!"

Yuan Gao's pupils shrank slightly.

His movements froze.

"How could she know??"

Yuan Gao was certain—he had never uttered the words "Immortal Sovereign" to the Lady of Lingluo.

He whirled around, eyes brimming with killing intent.

"Did you use illusion arts on me?!"

The Lady of Lingluo's lips curled slightly: "Merely a small trick. Yuan Elder, you are indeed cautious—I spent half a year just to succeed. You should feel honored."

"You—"

Yuan Gao's face twisted into a monstrous snarl.

He was already weighing whether to strike and kill on the spot.

If the Ghost Ming Sect learned he had leaked the secret, he would beg for death and not get it.

The Lady of Lingluo looked down at Yuan Gao with contempt: "I advise Yuan Elder not to act. I may be weak, but the Qi clan still has powerful experts."

Yuan Gao scanned the shop's exterior, his own men.

Clearly, the Lady of Lingluo had brought other strong allies without his knowledge.

And he had sensed none of it.

"Terrible scheming."

Without realizing it, Yuan Gao had already been manipulated by this woman—and he hadn't noticed a thing.

The Lady of Lingluo softened her tone: "Yuan Elder, no need to be so tense. I won't tell anyone. In fact, I'll help you capture Jiang Lin whole. But in return, you must agree to one thing."

Yuan Gao narrowed his eyes slightly.

Had there been even a three-in-ten chance, he would have killed her without hesitation.

But he understood why she waited until Qinghe to speak:

Here, she had already prepared her countermeasures, and here, she was far enough from the Nine Souls Dharma King.

Though she seemed within arm's reach, he had zero chance of striking—zero. He took a deep breath:

"What condition?"

Hearing Yuan Gao's words, the Lady of Lingluo's smile widened:

"I wish to meet the Immortal Sovereign."

Meet the Immortal Sovereign??

Yuan Gao was utterly baffled. He pressed: "Why do you want to meet the Immortal Sovereign?"

The Lady of Lingluo spoke as if it were obvious: "Of course I admire the Immortal Sovereign's divine aura. What other reason do I need? Besides, your sect and my Qi clan share the same ancestral lineage—some legends you know, we know too."

"By the way, don't think you can deceive me."

"Be honest—I've already placed an illusion curse on you. If you dare speak a word, I guarantee you'll die horribly."

Yuan Gao's face turned ashen in an instant.

He fell silent for a long while.

Then he spoke slowly:

"Fine. I agree."

"That's better," the Lady of Lingluo smiled more broadly: "Don't worry—you're after Jiang Lin and Li Rui, right? I'll handle it. Consider it a gift for the Immortal Sovereign."

With that,

the Lady of Lingluo propped her chin on her hand, gazing at the birds flying beyond the sky like a lovestruck maiden.

"The Immortal Sovereign… must be quite handsome."

Yuan Gao watched her expression and his face twisted into something strange.

She wanted to meet the Immortal Sovereign?

She wanted to sleep with the Immortal Sovereign!

"Xiao Bai, you're saying it's the Qi clan investigating?"

Li Rui returned to his room and looked at the little snake form of Xiao Bai Jiao.

"Yes."

Xiao Bai Jiao nodded vigorously: "All the little demons under me told me. Brother, don't worry—I've sent them all away. Father doesn't know."

"Xiao Bai always handles things well."

Li Rui praised Xiao Bai Jiao.

With Xiao Bai Jiao's help, the Qi clan could never trace him.

"By the way, Xiao Bai—you said you were drawn to the hunter's treasure?"

"Exactly! I sensed true dragon qi, so I followed it—and got tricked by that Duan kid."

Xiao Bai Jiao now knew from Li Rui

who had attacked him that day.

On the journey here, he had recounted everything in full.

Days later, even recalling it made Xiao Bai Jiao grit his teeth—someone wanted to capture him as a mount? How could he endure it?

Li Rui pondered.

At first, he thought Duan Yu had simply caused trouble through greed. Now, it seemed the matter was far more complicated.

According to Xiao Bai Jiao,

he hadn't accidentally wandered near the military camp—he'd been lured there.

What was Xiao Bai Jiao's status?

Ordinary treasures meant nothing to him. If a hunter could produce something that stirred Xiao Bai Jiao's interest, why would he still be hunting demons?

Would he really risk his life daily, dangling his head from his belt?

With such a treasure, who would gamble their life?

So Li Rui suspected someone had deliberately plotted—to use the old dragon as a blade. Duan Yu had merely fallen into the trap, becoming the bait.

He was truly unlucky—but not unjustly so.

Had he not been greedy, the Anning Guard and Yunzhou Guard wouldn't have lost so many men.

Who benefited from the Anning and Yunzhou Guards' losses?

Naturally, the Wu Kingdom rebels.

More precisely, the Qi clan—or even the governor of Manggu City.

After all, the Anning Guard had been less than fifty li from Manggu City. Had it not been for the demon tide, they'd have already completed the encirclement with the other armies—this situation would never have arisen.

"Brilliant tactic."

Li Rui was secretly startled.

He'd heard the female city governor was formidable—truly she was.

Had he not coincidentally formed a pact with Xiao Bai Jiao, he'd never have known the demon tide was secretly orchestrated by invisible hands.

This "use another's blade to kill" scheme seemed simple—but to execute it without a trace? That was true skill.

"Alright, Xiao Bai, you'll live in this room from now on."

Having gathered all the information he needed, Li Rui rose to leave.

He wasn't Wang Zhao—he didn't sleep with beast companions. Xiao Bai Jiao gazed after Li Rui as he closed the door,

looking utterly forlorn.

He returned to his room.

Li Rui finally sat cross-legged on the mat and began his cultivation.

"Entering the Sea, Observing the Waves, Raising the Moon—these are the three stages of Sea Observation."

Li Rui had just entered Sea Observation, so naturally he was still in the Entering the Sea stage; Entering the Sea meant continuing to nurture Qi, expanding the Qi Sea, and only when the Qi Sea truly manifested the grandeur of an ocean could it surge and cleanse his body.

When his entire body became crystal clear, that was Raising the Moon—the moment he entered the Primordial State.

Because Li Rui had consumed the Tear of the Jiao King, his foundation was far more solid than that of ordinary Sea Observation cultivators.

His progress in Entering the Sea was naturally faster as well.

Li Rui knew that cultivation could not be rushed.

At the fifth rank, one was called a Minor Master in the Jianghu.

Please... Your Majesty... Collect _(!)

Why?

Because once you reach the fifth rank, you gain the right to establish your own sect; many martial world friends will come to offer their congratulations.

Others who hear of it will all accept it willingly.

Note: establishing a sect is entirely different from gathering a rabble like the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

If anyone dared to set up a mountain gate and claim to be a sect leader without even reaching fifth rank, they wouldn't just be mocked by the Jianghu—they'd be overwhelmed by those who came to challenge them.

Do what your strength allows.

Now that Li Rui had become a Minor Master, he was at least a respectable figure.

Across the entire Qinghe County, he was among the top few.

The night was dark and windy.

The county government office.

After the Shen hour passed and roll call was done, not a single person could be seen except for a few patrol constables.

The former County Magistrate Zhuang had liked to live in the back courtyard.

The lights would often burn brightly, and the pipa music would ring through the entire night.

Now, it felt far more desolate.

The new County Magistrate of Qinghe had yet to be appointed; the acting Assistant County Magistrate Zhong had not yet been officially confirmed, so he couldn't justifiably take over the residence, and thus it was left abandoned.

It had lain empty for over half a year.

In the darkness.

Two figures moved silently through the shadows along the corners of the government office buildings.

Without sound, without trace.

The patrol constables noticed nothing at all.

A few breaths later.

The two figures arrived at the back courtyard—the former residence of Zhuang Renhe.

"This is it."

Lady Jingluo's lips curled slightly as she walked straight toward the eastern wing.

The eastern wing was typically where the master resided.

In the government office, that naturally meant the County Magistrate's sleeping quarters.

With the residence abandoned and all movable items removed, the room was unlocked; Lady Jingluo entered without any obstruction.

The room was empty, save for the immovable furniture—all else had been taken.

Yuan Gao followed silently behind Lady Jingluo.

Tonight,

Lady Jingluo had suddenly sought him out and asked him to come to the government office together.

He had no idea what she was up to.

As she rummaged through the room, she said: "Elder Yuan, I've always liked making friends. A few days ago, I met someone who once served under Magistrate Zhuang."

"That young man told me that before his death, Magistrate Zhuang had ordered him to follow someone named Li Rui."

"But strangely, that night Li Rui left the city, and he reported this to Magistrate Zhuang."

"Magistrate Zhuang took no action whatsoever—he told him not to meddle."

"Then—"

"Magistrate Zhuang died, and the man he sent to follow Li Rui died as well."

"Elder Yuan, don't you think this is strange?"

Yuan Gao's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is the man you mean named Zhuang Da?"

Lady Jingluo kept moving her hands, her smile deepening: "So Elder Yuan knows him too?"

Yuan Gao took a deep breath.

Zhuang Renhe's death was being investigated by both the imperial Ministry of Justice and the Ghost Ming Teach.

Zhuang Da was Zhuang Renhe's trusted confidant.

Yuan Gao had originally planned to question Zhuang Da, but shortly after Zhuang Da finished his interrogation by the Ministry, he vanished without a trace.

At the time, the imperial court was busy preparing for war, so no one paid attention.

Now it was clear—he had been captured by this woman.

'Such deep scheming.'

A flicker of wariness passed through Yuan Gao's eyes.

Clearly, Lady Jingluo had already made arrangements in Qinghe long ago, allowing her to seize Zhuang Da before the Ghost Ming Teach could.

And she had concealed it for so long.

If not for the illusion spell that had clouded his mind and made him reveal the Immortal Sovereign's secrets, he might never have learned that Zhuang Da had been taken by Lady Jingluo.

Lady Jingluo didn't look at Yuan Gao as she continued: "Magistrate Zhuang wasn't the Immortal Sovereign—he had no power to pass through walls. So how did he suddenly vanish from his room and die outside the city?"

"I suspect there's a—"

Before she could finish speaking,

a faint click echoed.

As Lady Jingluo released her hand from the wooden shelf, the shelf began to slowly rotate, revealing a dark, gaping tunnel.

Lady Jingluo's smile widened: "This must be the secret passage."

She glanced at the shelf.

Something had once been placed upon it, but it had since been removed—yet the mechanism remained intact, untouched, its design remarkably clever.

Yet she had still found it.

Lady Jingluo smiled at Yuan Gao: "Elder Yuan, let's go. Let's see what Magistrate Zhuang hid."

As the shelf turned,

the tunnel entrance sealed shut.

The two followed the secret passage and soon reached a hidden chamber.

Lady Jingluo gazed at the chamber, her eyes narrowing slightly:

"It seems Magistrate Zhuang wasn't being honest."

She stared at the row upon row of torture instruments, her expression one of keen interest.

The chamber was clearly a small interrogation room.

Why had Zhuang Renhe gone to such lengths to build this place? Who was he interrogating?

Yuan Gao also saw the instruments; his face darkened. Without needing to guess, Zhuang Renhe had clearly been hiding something from the Ghost Ming Teach.

"What was he planning?"

Lady Jingluo rolled her eyes, her demeanor full of allure:

"I'm no Immortal Sovereign—how would I know?"

Lady Jingluo glanced left and right before speaking: "I think our Magistrate Zhuang had already learned the Immortal Sovereign's secret—he intended to capture Jiang Lin and Li Rui before the Immortal Sovereign could."

"But Jiang Lin was too powerful, so he shifted his target to Li Rui."

Yuan Gao nodded: "That makes sense."

Hearing her say this made him even angrier.

If Zhuang Renhe hadn't acted behind his back, the matter might already have been settled.

Jiang Lin and Li Rui had already been delivered to the Immortal Sovereign.

Lady Jingluo smiled faintly.

She suddenly recalled the old dragon incident. Although both the old and young dragons had kept their mouths shut and revealed nothing,

she remembered that among the officials handling the monster tide incident, besides Jiang Lin, there had also been a certain official named Li Rui.

Coincidence?

(End of Chapter)