Chapter 452

Only Sunzi would think of taking advantage of you for no reason!

Standing before Wu Tie, Long Lang was glared at by dozens of bizarre-looking, fiercely auraed Five Elements Spirit Elders, and he inwardly cursed them loudly.

Just now, Wu Tie swept him away with a flick of his sleeve; he had no power to resist and was humiliatingly flung aside.

After hearing about the secret bounty, he was again grabbed by the neck and hauled back by the hastily arriving Lao Tie, utterly powerless and humiliatingly dragged back like a chick.

The Secretariat Hall's sixth-rank commandant, who leads over ten thousand elite covert agents on the most secretive missions, is toyed with by Wu Tie and Lao Tie as if he were a mere chick or puppy.

The anger burning in Long Lang's gut is easy to imagine.

If it weren't for the Secretariat Hall being unable to send reinforcements...

... if the information they had uncovered weren't too important.

Only Sunzi would think of taking advantage of you for no reason!

"I was ordered to bring my men here to hunt down the remnants of the deposed crown prince... adding up the time spent by me and my predecessors, we've spent nearly a hundred and fifty years on this." Long Lang glared at Wu Tie, then slowly explained the mission of his Secretariat Hall covert unit.

"Oh! Over a hundred years? After all that time you only found a few clues—you're utterly useless." Wu Tie stayed silent, while Lao Tie beside him frantically shook his leg and gave a nonchalant smirk.

Long Lang's face darkened instantly as he glared hatefully at Lao Tie, his teeth grinding audibly.

Wu Tie simply raised his right hand and casually waved his palm.

"You've been operating secretly here for over a hundred years? Uh, don't tell me the Secretariat Hall is opening a secret passage?" Wu Tie looked curiously at Long Lang.

After a deep breath, color returned to Long Lang's face; he lifted his head proudly and said, "This secret path is precisely what we gradually surveyed over these hundred-plus years while tracking down the remnants of the deposed crown prince."

A complex, indescribable light flickered in his eyes as Long Lang spoke solemnly: "For this secret path, over a hundred-plus years we have lost tens of thousands of brothers—many couldn't even send a fragment of bone back home, and in this damned place they vanished completely."

Wu Tie lightly clapped his hands and praised: "Really, you've worked hard… I find it strange—why would the Secretariat Hall just toss out a secret path like this? It seems you merely stumbled upon it while chasing the remnants of the deposed crown prince."

Wu Tie had it figured out.

He found it odd that Great Marsh Prefecture had only been opened for a little over ten years, the Divine Might Army's reach had just begun extending into the surrounding wild mountains, yet the Secretariat Hall mysteriously obtained intelligence of a secret route straight into the heart of the Great Martial God Kingdom.

In fact, the Secretariat Hall has sent countless covert agents to secretly search these wild mountains for over a hundred and fifty years.

That makes perfect sense.

"Go on, tell us what you've found." Wu Tie's interest piqued.

The deposed crown prince of Great Jin from six thousand years ago? That's interesting.

If Huo Xiong's memory is correct, the current Divine Emperor of Great Jin likely ascended the throne over five thousand years ago. In other words, that former crown prince could very well be a brother of the present Divine Emperor.

Is the current Divine Emperor the direct beneficiary of the former crown prince's deposition?

On the strange bounty list of Great Jin, there is such a high reward that even Wu Tie finds it tempting.

Long Lang exhaled, glowering at Wu Tie: "This matter has to be told from the beginning."

Wu Tie hastily shook his head and stammered: "No, no, wait—Commandant Long Lang, don't get me into trouble."

Grinning, Wu Tie said: "As a general, I've always been cautious… hold on a moment."

A faint glow emanated from the spatial ring on his finger; Wu Tie rummaged inside, pulled out a crystal ball the size of a head, flicked it out, and it hovered between him and Long Lang, releasing a thin mist of light that enveloped both of them.

"Alright, with this recording shadow crystal, everything we say will be admissible as evidence. Rest easy, Commandant Long Lang—this recording shadow crystal is produced by the Demon Suppression Hall, designed specifically to capture evidence of guilt; its internal seals are strong and complex, making the recorded images and sounds impossible for us to alter."

"So now, every word and deed of ours is being recorded."

Wu Tie laughed brightly, looking at the stunned Long Lang, and said: "I don't want to know anything about royal secrets; knowing too much can get you killed."

"So I only want to know what you, Commandant Long Lang, have discovered here, and what you need me, the general, to help you with—whether it would violate the laws and military codes of the Great Jin Divine Kingdom."

"If everything is reasonable, lawful, and I can gain merit from it, then my troops will naturally cooperate with you, Commandant Long Lang." Wu Tie chuckled, adding: "But if there's anything shady or unclean involved, it could bring a capital offense."

"Sorry, but please have the Secretariat Hall dispatch its forces, Commandant Long Lang—my position is lowly and my cultivation weak; I can't manage this much."

Wu Tie's opening remarks were a long string of blame‑shifting; hearing them left Long Lang stunned and furious, wanting to lash out and strangle that slippery opportunist who only wants to reap benefits without taking any risk.

"You!" Long Lang trembled before snarling, "How do you come to possess a recording shadow crystal from the Demon Suppression Hall?"

Wu Tie gave a blunt reply: "I picked it up—believe it or not."

Long Lang raised his hand, pointed fiercely at Wu Tie, and through gritted teeth said: "Back then, the deposed crown prince led a group…"

Wu Tie quickly cut him off: "I don't want to hear about the past… I only want to know what you, Commandant Long Lang, need me, the general, to help you with. Also, please present all necessary documents and orders before the recording shadow crystal."

Wu Tie smiled calmly: "Military discipline is strict and the law is merciless; I cannot mobilize the army just because a low‑rank sixth‑grade commandant spouts nonsense. So please have some self‑awareness, Commandant Long Lang—you know the proper procedures."

Long Lang was so angry he rolled his eyes.

Having no recourse against Wu Tie, he suppressed his anger and produced a military order, a Secretariat Hall token, and a Ten‑Thousand‑Mile Heavenly Secrets Mirror.

Wu Tie's pupils contracted slightly.

Wu Tie also possesses a Ten‑Thousand‑Mile Heavenly Secrets Mirror, which he uses for emergency contact with Mr. Li.

Thanks to the influence of the noble patron behind Mr. Li, the Ten‑Thousand‑Mile Heavenly Secrets Mirror that Wu Tie previously held can be used only three times.

Obviously, Long Lang uses his Ten‑Thousand‑Mile Heavenly Secrets Mirror as a regular communication tool… just look at the Heavenly Secrets Spirit Cores embedded in its back—there are dozens of them.

It seems Long Lang's account is credible; he and his men are operating in these wild mountains under orders from the Great Jin imperial family, possibly even a secret mission directly assigned by the Great Jin Divine Emperor.

Facing the recording shadow crystal, Long Lang wore a grim expression; he activated the military order and his identity token, triggering the seal to prove who he was. Then he lightly touched the Ten‑Thousand‑Mile Heavenly Secrets Mirror, and from the mist that sprayed from its surface emerged the figure of a stern‑looking middle‑aged man in a black robe.

Long Lang chattered at the middle‑aged man, whose face twitched; his gaze toward Wu Tie turned murderous, as if he wanted to devour him.

After drawing a deep breath, the middle‑aged man gritted his teeth and forced out a string of words from his thin lips.

"General Huo Xiong, I am Linghu Wuyou, Master of the Secretariat Hall. Please, General Huo Xiong, fully cooperate with Commandant Long Lang." Linghu Wuyou shouted: "In this emergency, I, as Master of the Secretariat Hall, mobilize your troops under your command; I will bear all responsibility."

Wu Tie pointed at the recording shadow crystal and said solemnly: "Hall Master Linghu, this recording shadow crystal comes from the Demon Suppression Hall; I, as a subordinate, have kept this evidence safe."

Linghu Wuyou burst out in anger: "You wretched thing! You're just a petty Marquis of Longjiang—do you think I'd scheme against you from behind?"

Wu Tie laughed especially brightly: "But I, as a subordinate, have offended someone before… and he…"

Linghu Wuyou's eyes flashed with cold light as he cut Wu Tie off: "Shut up, I don't want to waste time on this nonsense. In any case, the Secretariat Hall's reinforcements can't arrive in time. You, General Huo Xiong, are the nearest Great Jin force to Long Lang—you must fully cooperate with him, understood?"

Wu Tie immediately shot back at Linghu Wuyou: "Then, who gets the credit for this?"

Linghu Wuyou opened his mouth but couldn't utter a sound for a moment.

The venerable chief of the Military Bureau's Secretariat Hall, hailing from the Linghu clan—said to be the greatest aristocratic house of the Great Jin—Linghu Wuyou, who has gripped a heavy fist for many years, has never before met someone so oblivious to life and death, daring to haggle with him!

"Our Secretariat Hall's promotion and reward-punishment system is self-contained… Your merits are yours, no one will swallow them." Linghu Wuyou's gaze suddenly turned extremely strange; he looked at the recording crystal ball hovering before Wu Tie and snorted coldly: "Huo Xiong, could you possibly be someone from the Demon-Banning Hall? Hmm? A recording crystal ball of this grade—hehe, hehe—seems only senior officials at the hall-master level of a provincial branch hall of theirs could possess one!"

Wu Tie laughed "hahaha", he repeatedly clasped his hands toward Linghu Wuyou: "Where, where, this treasure, I really just picked it up while walking. Well, since I have Lord Linghu's order, this subordinate can rest easy now!"

Wu Tie pointed a finger and directly shattered the light-smoke on the Myriad Miles Heavenly Secrets Mirror.

Wu Tie gave a half-smile look at Long Lang and said in a deep voice: "Commandant Long, all procedures are complete; with Lord Linghu shouldering the pot, even if it's a dragon's pool and tiger's den, I'll follow you, Commandant Long, on this run."

While laughing, Wu Tie meanwhile produced the Myriad Miles Heavenly Secrets Mirror he had on hand.

A clear, crisp ringing sound came from within the recording crystal ball; a jade tablet recording everything that had just happened flew out of the crystal ball. Wu Tie pointed a finger and, directly through the Myriad Miles Heavenly Secrets Mirror, transmitted that jade tablet out.

Soon, a voice came from within the Myriad Miles Heavenly Secrets Mirror: "Oh? Interesting… Go ahead and act freely. Truly, interesting!"

Long Lang looked at Wu Tie with great apprehension, then took a deep look at the Myriad Miles Heavenly Secrets Mirror in Wu Tie's hand.

He snorted coldly, Long Lang gritted his teeth and said: "After more than a hundred years of searching, we have finally found some traces of the remnants of the former crown prince. In these barbaric mountains and ridges, they have operated for thousands of years, their hidden forces extremely formidable."

He gave his chest a hard punch, Long Lang said in a deep voice: "Half a month ago, we discovered what is suspected to be the former crown prince's mausoleum."

Wu Tie curiously looked at Long Lang: "You guys, did you sneak off to investigate?"

Long Lang wore a grim face, slowly nodding: "Three days ago… we slipped up… we leaked word… we, tens of thousands of brothers, now only have this few of us left."

A massive fleet hovered above the vast lake; in the lake lay a small island, on which were a few hundred remnants of Long Lang's defeated troops, plus Long Lang himself—this contingent of myriad elite scouts from the Secretariat Hall under Long Lang's command now numbered only this few.

"How many people did you dispatch here in total?" Wu Tie curiously asked Long Lang: "Why not seek aid from them?"

Long Lang lifted his head to look at Wu Tie, gritted his teeth and said: "The highest-ranking officer in charge here is my cousin Long Ying, a Third-Rank General of the Secretariat Hall… We are divided into thirty-six brigades, each with myriad elite brothers."

"Over these three days, contact among the thirty-six brigades has been severed one after another… perhaps they have all…"

Long Lang's face twisted, his pupils faintly reddening: "Therefore, the Secretariat Hall sent word that General Huo Xiong's army is nearby; I have come specially to seek the general's aid."

Wu Tie murmured: "The Secretariat Hall actually knows I'm nearby… tsk, really… I always feel a chill on the back of my neck, hehe."

Shaking his head, Wu Tie suddenly asked Long Lang: "What's your relationship with Zhao Xiu?"

Long Lang stared blankly for a while, then shook his head: "Zhao Xiu, the Vice-Hall Chief, handles military affairs against the Great Wu and Great Wei, and has no authority over us."

"No problem, no problem is fine." Wu Tie, thinking it over, nodded: "So, what do you want me to do?"

Long Lang took a deep breath, lifted his head to look at Wu Tie, and said solemnly: "The place we discovered is definitely an important stronghold of the remnants of the former crown prince; otherwise it wouldn't provoke such a huge reaction."

"These past three days, my brothers and I have been pursued in hot pursuit by an unknown force, leaving us with only this few personnel."

"The brothers of the other brigades probably also lost their trail…"

"Whether the brothers are dead or alive, that place cannot be overlooked." Long Lang's body trembled slightly; he looked at Wu Tie and said in a deep voice: "Perhaps the brothers weren't all killed, but were taken there instead."

I don't think they would be ruthless enough to kill all the brothers outright; they would want to clarify the full circumstances first.

We still have hope to rescue some of the brothers.

Moreover… that important location surely contains their great secrets; we must not give them a chance to relocate.

Three days—only three days have passed; if we rush there now, we still have time to trap them inside.