201: Wolf King

Jun Xiaoyao sat in the shadows of the Core Hall of Beyond Heaven, toying with a black jade thumb ring between his fingertips.

There were no candles in the hall; only the eerie glow emitted by the water mirror reflected on his face, half bright, half dark.

The water mirror was divided into four sections, each reflecting different scenes, and each one stirred the undercurrents of the continent.

The first water mirror on the left displayed the secret chamber of The Net's main altar. Zhao Gao was standing in front of a massive bronze mirror, its surface engraved with dense rows of names, some glowing with red light, others flickering with green.

He held a wolf-hair brush in his hand, the tip dipped in cinnabar, and placed a checkmark over the name "White Camel Villa - Ouyang Ke" — the red light immediately extinguished, turning into a wisp of blue smoke.

"Young Lord," Zhao Gao's voice came through the message talisman, carrying a hint of flattery, "Ouyang Ke has been delivered to the valley designated by the Blood Saber Sect. The other party is very satisfied, and the bank draft for thirty million taels of silver has already been deposited into the secret account of Beyond Heaven. Additionally, they have added an extra one million taels, wishing for us to 'handle' Ouyang Feng while we're at it."

Jun Xiaoyao did not respond immediately, instead looking toward the second water mirror. It showed the temporary camp on Zhongnan Mountain, where General Zhao Yun was sitting beside a bonfire.

Red Whip Woman was using silver needles to clean the wound on his arm; black blood seeped out along the needle holes, sizzling as it hit the ground. Marshal of the Unruly squatted to the side, using a black magnet to absorb the black Qi around General Zhao Yun's wound, and the surface of the magnet was quickly covered with a layer of blue-black powder.

"This corpse evil toxin is more stubborn than expected." Marshal of the Unruly tossed the magnet into the fire, and the powder burned, emitting a pungent odor. "Red Whip Woman, do you have enough detoxifying ointment?"

Red Whip Woman turned the silver needle while replying, "Rest assured, Young Lord was prepared long ago. This 'Clear Evil Ointment' is specially made with Tianshan snow lotus and dragon saliva incense, and it is highly effective against corpse evil toxins." She opened an exquisite porcelain box, inside which was a pale golden ointment that emitted a crisp, clear fragrance.

General Zhao Yun grinned, letting Red Whip Woman apply the ointment to his wound, "The Young Lord is always thoughtful. By the way, has Wang Chongyang's corpse been disposed of cleanly? Don't leave any hidden dangers behind."

"It has already been burned." Marshal of the Unruly pointed to the bonfire in the distance, "The ashes have been scattered; even if he possessed heaven-defying abilities, he cannot cause trouble again."

In the third water mirror, West Gate Blows Snow was standing at the exit of the secret passage of White Camel Villa, the cold Qi on his black-sheathed sword freezing the dripping venom. He had just dealt with a few guards who chased after him, and the frost on the blade gradually melted, revealing a pristine sword body. The message talisman in his hand lit up; it was a new order sent by Zhao Gao.

[Character Panel Update: Name: West Gate Blows Snow. Current Status: Completed mission "Escort Ouyang Ke", waiting for new orders. Temporary Mission: Investigate the secret chamber of White Camel Villa, obtain the remnant pages of the Secret Manual for Ouyang Feng's "Toad Skill". Additional Tip: The entrance to the secret chamber is behind the bookshelf in Ouyang Ke's bedroom; use the special magnet to activate the mechanism]

After reading the order, West Gate Blows Snow flashed away, slipping back into the secret passage. His footsteps were light, making not a single sound as he stepped on the stone stairs; only the faint sound of his sword sheath occasionally bumping against the stone wall was exceptionally clear in the silent passage.

The fourth water mirror was the most eerie — the scene showed a swamp shrouded in mist, with a dilapidated altar in the center. Zhan Zhao was squatting at the edge of the altar, observing footprints on the ground. The footprints were large, appearing to have been left by some kind of four-legged animal, and the edges were stained with green slime that emitted a foul stench.

"Young Lord," Zhan Zhao's voice came through the message talisman, carrying vigilance, "The 'Wolf King' that the Southern Chu Dynasty wants to capture is likely not an ordinary beast. The slime in these footprints has strong corrosive properties; it has even melted small holes into the rocks."

Jun Xiaoyao finally spoke, his voice calm and rippleless: "Zhao Gao, tell the Blood Saber Sect that we accept the job on Ouyang Feng. Quote fifty million taels; we want the core incantations from when he Cultivates. Additionally, have West Gate Blows Snow prioritize finding the Secret Manual, and send a copy of the White Camel Villa mechanism diagram to Zhan Zhao; he might be able to discern something from the Wolf King's tracks."

"Yes, Young Lord." Zhao Gao immediately responded, turning to the Shadow Guards behind him, "Send a message to the Blood Saber Sect, saying that Beyond Heaven has accepted Ouyang Feng's job, and tell them to prepare the deposit. Also, make a copy of the White Camel Villa mechanism diagram and send it to Lord Zhan Zhao via carrier pigeon."

The Shadow Guard received the order and withdrew. Zhao Gao looked at the "Ouyang Feng" name glowing on the bronze mirror, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes. He knew that the commission from these jobs was enough for him to be promoted another level within The Net, and all of this was thanks to that mysterious Young Lord — Jun Xiaoyao.

Over at the Zhongnan Mountain camp, Red Whip Woman had finished treating General Zhao Yun's wound and was discussing the cause of Wang Chongyang's corpse evil with Marshal of the Unruly. "Tell me, why would Wang Chongyang turn into a corpse evil?" Red Whip Woman asked, puzzled, "He was at the Grandmaster Realm during his lifetime and had a firm will; logically, it shouldn't be easy for evil spirits to invade him."

Marshal of the Unruly picked up a stone stained with black ash and sniffed it: "The soil nearby contains traces of 'Soul-Eroding Sand'. This kind of sand slowly erodes a person's mind. Coupled with his eagerness to Breakthrough to the Land Immortal Realm, he Cultivated some forbidden technique, which led to Qi Deviation." He paused, looking toward the direction of the water mirror, "The Young Lord asked us to keep an eye on the source of this sand; perhaps there is a larger power behind the scenes causing trouble."

General Zhao Yun leaned against the tree trunk, wiping his Bright Silver Spear: "Whatever power it is, if they dare to block the path of our Beyond Heaven, I'll just skewer them with one thrust."

Red Whip Woman chuckled, "General Zhao is still so direct. However, the Young Lord's intention should be to find out the origin of the Soul-Eroding Sand and solve the problem at the source."

At this moment, West Gate Blows Snow had already found the secret chamber. The chamber was not large, and in the center sat a stone pedestal, upon which rested a yellowed silk book with "Toad Skill Essentials" written on the cover. Just as he reached out to take it, the stone pedestal suddenly sank, and dozens of poison arrows shot out from the surrounding walls!

"Hmph." West Gate Blows Snow snorted coldly, his black-sheathed sword instantly unsheathed. The sword light was like a ribbon, cutting all the poison arrows to pieces. The moment the poison arrows hit the ground, he had already snatched the silk book, his figure leaping a few times before rushing out of the secret chamber. The silk book felt slightly heavy in his hand, and there seemed to be something tucked under the cover, but he didn't look closely, heading straight for the exit of the secret passage — according to orders, after obtaining the Secret Manual, he needed to immediately head to the swamp to support Zhan Zhao.

Over at the swamp, Zhan Zhao was tracking the footprints to the front of a cave. A low roar came from inside the cave, accompanied by the sound of iron chains dragging on the ground. He pulled out a flare specially made by Marshal of the Unruly from his bosom, lit the fuse, and threw it inside.

The moment the flare lit up, Zhan Zhao clearly saw the scene inside the cave — the so-called "Wolf King" was actually a half-man, half-wolf monster, with a massive body covered in gray fur. Its hands were locked to the stone wall by iron chains, its eyes were blood-red, and it was staring fiercely at the cave entrance.

"It really isn't an ordinary beast." Zhan Zhao tightened his grip on the juque sword at his waist, "Looking at the style of these chains, they are the 'Dragon-Locking Chains' specially made by the Southern Chu Dynasty; it seems this Wolf King was imprisoned by them."

Seeing Zhan Zhao, the monster suddenly let out a shrill roar, violently snapping the iron chains, and lunged toward the cave entrance! Zhan Zhao was well-prepared; his figure swayed, dodging the pounce while his juque sword traced an arc, slashing toward the monster's hind leg.

With a "squelch" sound, the blade cut through the fur but failed to damage the bone. Zhan Zhao felt a chill in his heart — the monster's defensive power far exceeded expectations.

Just at this moment, a white figure descended from the sky, sword light piercing toward the monster's eyes like a meteor! It was West Gate Blows Snow who had arrived!

"Well timed!" Zhan Zhao's spirit lifted, his juque sword turning to attack the monster's front claws, coordinating with West Gate Blows Snow's sword momentum to form a pincer attack.

The monster was attacked from front and back, roaring as it swung its claws to counterattack; Sword Qi immediately crisscrossed throughout the cave, and claw winds whistled.

Jun Xiaoyao watched the fierce battle in the fourth water mirror, the black jade thumb ring at his fingertips turning gently. He knew that behind this Wolf King must hide a secret of the Southern Chu Dynasty, and Ouyang Feng's incantations and the source of the Soul-Eroding Sand all pointed to a blurred outline — the waters of this continent were even deeper than he had imagined.

"Zhao Gao," Jun Xiaoyao spoke again, "Have the Shadow Group investigate the origin of the Soul-Eroding Sand. Additionally, send a message to Red Whip Woman, telling her to bring some samples back; Marshal of the Unruly might be able to analyze the composition."

"Yes, Young Lord."

The light of the water mirror reflected on Jun Xiaoyao's face, and he slightly curled the corners of his mouth. Whether it was the corpse evil, the half-human monster, or the powers hidden behind the scenes, they were nothing more than chess pieces on his board. The rise of Beyond Heaven required blood and resources to pave the way, and he was very willing to add the most crucial piece to this chess game.

The night grew deeper, the secret agents of The Net shuttled across the continent, and the members of Beyond Heaven performed their respective duties. An invisible net was slowly tightening, and at the center of The Net was that Young Lord who had always been sitting in the shadows — Jun Xiaoyao. His gaze swept across the four water mirrors, as if he had already seen the map of the future.