477: A thousand years of lingering fear

Inside Jiaotai Palace, the smoke from the meditation incense stalled for a moment.

The vermilion ink on the jade slip began to bleed outward. Ling Qi's fingers tightened around her brush, and her eyes behind her lenses darkened.

"Your Majesty, this move is too risky."

Two tufts of white fur slid down Chen Yu's shoulders, her red pupils reflecting confusion. "Is it? The name of the Abyss Church is so intimidating; Zhulong might actually respond."

Ling Qi did not reply; her gaze fell upon Shang Wan Ning.

"The Ativi Continent has never had any connection with the Source Realm. The Abyss Church is a hidden stake Your Majesty only planted there in recent years. Even if Zhulong is aware of the planar turbulence, it cannot grasp the true depth of that continent."

"It is precisely because it is unfamiliar that it is easier to misjudge; what if it views this as a provocation, or a signal of foreign interference?"

The thin callus on Shang Wan Ning's fingertip had been warmed up.

She lifted her eyes, the languid smile fading by three parts, leaving behind the certainty of someone who controls the entire situation.

"Misjudge? That uncertainty is exactly what I want."

"The screening mechanism for puppet consciousness is inherently strict; ordinary content cannot reach Zhulong's true body. If we don't cast out bait with sufficient weight, are we supposed to let the ghost messengers continue wasting time at Wangchuan Internet Cafe and wait another half a month?"

"Tens of thousands of private messages have already sunk like stones into the sea; the Underworld cannot afford to waste more time on such meaningless probing."

Chen Yu shook her head, the white fur on her shoulders trembling. "But what the Secretary-General is worried about are the three major powers in the Source Realm. Xiao Si said that those immortals and gods have just awakened from their slumber. Although their strength is not at its peak, if they were to truly join forces, the Underworld might not be able to handle it easily."

"Heh, join forces?"

Shang Wan Ning let out a short laugh, her fingertips brushing across the curled corner of an ancient book. "If they could truly work in harmony, the previous Underworld..."

She trailed off.

Ling Qi's breath hitched, and her hand hanging by her side gripped her hem tightly. That past event was an old nail driven into the Underworld's sorest spot; the slightest touch would drag out the stench of blood throughout the entire hall.

The Yin Court collapsed, the Wangchuan River flowed backward, souls were scattered... In the end, it was the previous Empress who burned herself out to barely preserve this foundation of the Netherworld.

"Your Majesty is right."

Ling Qi opened her mouth, her voice slightly hoarse. "But it is precisely because we personally experienced such a tragedy that the Underworld should act with even more caution."

"Currently, our understanding of the true situation in the Source Realm remains limited. Exactly how much of their strength have those immortals and gods recovered?"

"Are the three major powers still in a state of mutual checks and balances, or have they already reached some kind of tacit understanding?"

She paused, her gaze becoming increasingly grave. "Acting under the guise of the Abyss Church is best if it succeeds, but if it fails, or if Zhulong discovers this is the Underworld's doing, it will very likely force those powers in the Source Realm to put aside their differences and join forces."

"In their eyes, the Underworld is already a piece of fat waiting to be carved up."

"Ling Qi."

Shang Wan Ning turned her head and suddenly asked, "What did Nether Crane say when she sent you a message last time?"

Ling Qi was taken aback, her eyelashes lowering gently as she recalled. "Her Excellency said that the peace of the Netherworld has never been won by blindly retreating."

"That's right." Shang Wan Ning nodded slightly, her eyes darkening. "The root cause of the previous Underworld's tragedy was never a lack of caution, but rather being too passive."

"The immortals and gods have been coveting the Netherworld for a long time. Even if we don't actively probe them this time, they will eventually make a move sooner or later."

"Now that the immortals and gods have just awakened from their slumber and their strength has not yet fully stabilized, this is the best time for the Underworld to figure out their true situation."

"The data analysis compiled by Star is very clear: Zhulong's puppet consciousness is only responsible for handling daily trivial matters of the account. Only information that is both unfamiliar and possesses sufficient value will be released to the true body."

"The identity of the Abyss Church is both sufficiently unfamiliar and possesses weight. If Zhulong truly ranks among the top existences in the Source Realm, it is impossible for it to have no interest in a force that spans planes."

Chen Yu's red pupils brightened, and her white fur shook. "Then how exactly should the private message be written?"

"We can't just bluntly say 'I am the High Priest of the Abyss Church, coming specifically to have a chat with you,' right? That's so boring."

"Naturally, we cannot be that blunt." Shang Wan Ning shook her head, saying slyly, "It should be written in an ambiguous way, touching upon it just enough."

She lifted her eyes to look at Ling Qi. "I'll trouble the Secretary-General to draft it. You only need to mention the lingering power of the invasion of the Ativi Continent back then, and then implicitly suggest that the Church possesses secrets related to the 'planar channel'."

"Finally, just express the willingness to exchange information with the top existences of the Source Realm. There is no need to be too detailed; the more vague it is, the more it will pique its curiosity."

Ling Qi pondered for half a second before picking up the brush on the desk.

The cinnabar ink slowly left marks on the new jade slip as the brush moved. The "rustling" sound of the brush tip rubbing against the jade slip seemed exceptionally clear in the silence of the hall.

She wrote extremely slowly, carefully weighing every single word, afraid of revealing even the slightest flaw.

Chen Yu leaned in curiously, the white fur on her shoulders inadvertently brushing against Ling Qi's arm, and softly read the text on the jade slip:

"The aftermath of the invasion has not yet subsided; the planar rifts hide mysteries. We hold the key to the Abyss and wish to explore the truth with the Lamp Bearer of the Source Realm."

After reading it, she wrinkled her nose. "Is this phrasing too convoluted? Will Zhulong be able to understand the implication?"

"It's better to be convoluted." Shang Wan Ning took the jade slip, scanned it with her divine sense, and nodded.

"The puppet consciousness cannot judge the true value of such ambiguous information and can only choose to let it pass; if Zhulong truly knows about the God War back then, it will naturally understand the implication behind the 'planar rifts'."

Ling Qi adjusted her glasses, her tone still carrying some concerns. "But even if Zhulong really sees this private message, it might not necessarily respond."

"If it remains vigilant throughout, we will ultimately still be unable to reach its true body."

"Not responding is, in itself, a response." Shang Wan Ning handed the jade slip in her hand to Chen Yu, her eyes hiding a trace of profound meaning.

"Have Star send this private message out using the encryption method unique to the Abyss Church."

"There is no need to make it too complicated; just make sure Zhulong can conclude that the sender indeed comes from the Ativi Continent."

"In addition, let the ghost messengers at Wangchuan Internet Cafe continue to keep a close watch on the account activity of 'Candle Shadow Shaking Red'. If there is any unusual situation, it must be reported immediately."

Chen Yu took the jade slip, the white fur on her shoulders rising excitedly, her red pupils full of eagerness. "Alright! I'll go do it right away!"

As she spoke, she turned and walked out. The bone bell at her waist emitted a crisp tinkling sound with her movements, passing through the bead curtain of the palace gate and gradually fading into the distance.

Ling Qi looked at Her Majesty's gloomy profile and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Had Your Majesty already thought about taking this step a long time ago?"

Shang Wan Ning picked up the ancient book on the desk again, her fingertips gently caressing the yellowed pages.

"From the moment Star discovered the abnormal response pattern of 'Candle Shadow Shaking Red,' I knew that ordinary probing was already useless. The identity of the Abyss Church is currently the method most likely to be effective."