237: The counterattack of the remnants of the Shadow Pavilion

In the bronze tripod of the core palace of Beyond Heaven, dragon saliva incense curled upwards, shrouding Jun Xiaoyao's figure in a haze.

His fingertips twirled a short crossbow bolt seized from the Shadow Pavilion armory. The tip was coated with a faint blue luster—the Medical Immortal had just identified it as "Bone-Rotting Liquid" supplied exclusively by the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley; those struck by it would suffer rotting flesh and die within seven days.

"Wei Yong has implicated people while in prison." Zhao Gao's voice came from the shadows, the ink on the secret report in his hand still wet.

"He confessed that three years ago, he helped the Imperial City Guard Commander smuggle a batch of profound iron, destined for the barbarian tribes in the Northern Territory. Now, the Commander is sending people to break into the prison, intending to silence him."

Jun Xiaoyao tossed the bolt onto the desk with a crisp clatter. "Dogs biting dogs; perfect." He looked up at the summoning array, where the runes were glowing with a faint red light—a System prompt indicating a new opportunity for summoning. "Let's see who comes this time."

I. The summoning array Activates, a Master of Hidden Weapons Appears

The light within the array grew brighter, and the faint sound of mechanisms turning could be heard. When the light faded, a man in green robes stood there, carrying a long case on his back and toying with three copper coins in his hand. A smirk played on his lips—it was the master of hidden weapons from "Little Lis Flying Dagger," No Fate.

[Summoning Successful]

[Character: No Fate]

[From: gu long wuxia world]

[Realm: Late Stage Great Grandmaster]

[Martial Skill/Cultivation Technique:

1. Little Lis Flying Dagger (Pseudo-Major Achievement) — Though not personally taught by Li Xunhuan, he has mastered the essence; his hidden weapons always strike vital points, and no one within three zhang can block them.

2. Ghost Step (Perfection) — His movements are erratic and elusive like a ghost, skilled in surprise attacks and retreats.

3. Copper Coin Dart (Perfection) — Uses copper coins as hidden weapons, capable of being both hard and soft; they can pierce the air to injure opponents or disarm them.]

[Loyalty: 100%]

"Mr. No Fate." Jun Xiaoyao nodded slightly and pointed to the short crossbow bolt on the desk. "The Shadow Pavilion remnants intend to break into the prison with poison crossbows; your hidden weapons are the perfect counter to them."

No Fate tucked the copper coins into his sleeve, and the long case on his waist tapped lightly, emitting a metallic clink. "Young Lord, do you want them alive or dead?"

"Alive." Jun Xiaoyao tapped his finger on the location of the prison on the map. "Leave one survivor; ask them about the details of their deal with the barbarians—the flow of profound iron to the Northern Territory is no small matter."

II. Outside the Prison, The Net Sets an Ambush

Three days later, in the Locust Tree Alley outside the Imperial City Prison.

No Fate disguised himself as a vendor selling calligraphy and paintings, with the long case placed on the stall, hiding thirty-six copper coin darts inside. At a teahouse not far away, the Divine Marquis sat by the railing, gently waving a folding fan, his gaze locked on the drainage outlet on the west side of the prison—according to the secret report, the Shadow Pavilion remnants would infiltrate from here.

Just past noon, three figures dressed in jailer uniforms crept toward the drainage outlet. The leader was none other than Zhang Meng. Although he had escaped by luck, he had been implicated by Wei Yong as a key figure in the smuggling of profound iron. Risking a prison break now, he merely wanted to take Wei Yong with him to escape, so he wouldn't be silenced.

"Do it." The Divine Marquis tapped the railing with his folding fan.

At the alley entrance, No Fate appeared to be tidying up his paintings, but his fingertips flicked out three copper coins. The coins pierced the air, accurately striking the wrists of the three men, and the short crossbows clattered to the ground. Zhang Meng, shocked and enraged, drew his blade to strike, but he saw No Fate's figure flicker. Utilizing the Ghost Step, he circled behind him and gently struck with his elbow, causing Zhang Meng to crash against the wall like a kite with a broken string, unable to move.

"Speak, which barbarian tribe did you give the profound iron to?" No Fate's copper spear pressed against Zhang Meng's throat, his voice devoid of any warmth.

Zhang Meng trembled all over. Just as he was about to speak, a squad of Men in Black suddenly charged out from the direction of the prison, each wielding a poison crossbow with the tips pointed directly at No Fate: "Release Leader Zhang!"

No Fate sneered, his left hand flicking seven copper coins, each striking the fingers of the seven men holding the crossbows. Amidst screams, the poison crossbows fell to the ground. His right hand smoothly hoisted Zhang Meng up, and he unleashed the Ghost Step, disappearing into the alley in an instant—the entire process took only a single breath, too fast for anyone to follow the movements.

Up at the teahouse, the Divine Marquis clapped his hands and chuckled: "What a fast hand."

III. Interrogating Zhang Meng, Revealing the Barbarian Secret

In the interrogation room of Beyond Heaven, Zhang Meng was chained to the stone wall, and the Medical Immortal was using silver needles to detoxify him—during the struggle earlier, he had been accidentally scratched by his own people's poison crossbow.

"Speak, where was the profound iron transported?" Jun Xiaoyao sat in the shadows, his voice flat but carrying an unquestionable pressure.

Zhang Meng's face turned pale; knowing that denial was useless, he could only tremble and say: "It... it is the 'Black Stone Tribe' of the Northern Territory. Their leader promised that as long as they gathered a thousand catties of profound iron, they would help the Shadow Pavilion... no, help Wei Yong overthrow the Imperial City Guard and monopolize the black market."

The Divine Marquis suddenly spoke: "Does the shaman of the Black Stone Tribe know the 'Blood Sacrifice Art'?"

Zhang Meng looked up abruptly, his eyes full of horror: "How does the sir know? Every time they trade, they... they kill living people for sacrifice, saying it can make the profound iron harder."

Jun Xiaoyao tapped his fingertips on the desk: "It seems the matter in the Northern Territory must be brought forward."

He said to Zhao Gao, "Tell Yue Fei to strengthen the Northern Territory's defenses, and send Zhan Zhao to infiltrate the Black Stone Tribe to find out what exactly their Blood Sacrifice Art is all about."

IV. The Fall of the Shadow Pavilion, the Imperial City Changes Hands

Zhang Meng's confession quickly reached the ears of the Imperial City Guard Commander. The Commander knew that smuggling to the barbarians was a crime punishable by extermination of the family, so he decided to strike first. He led men overnight to raid all the Shadow Pavilion strongholds, and Wei Yong also "died of illness" in prison, with the official announcement claiming it was a suicide out of fear of punishment.

When the news reached Beyond Heaven, Jun Xiaoyao was reviewing the newly arrived Imperial City black market account books.

Zhao Gao walked in holding a gilded token, with the four characters "Imperial City Commander" engraved on it: "The Commander sent someone to deliver this, saying that from now on, all matters regarding the black market will be at the Young Lord's command, only begging for his life to be spared."

Jun Xiaoyao toyed with the token and suddenly smiled: "He is quite sensible." He tossed the token to the Divine Marquis, "Sir, who do you think is suitable to manage the Imperial City black market?"

"Zhan Zhao." The Divine Marquis did not hesitate. "He understands criminal law and is skilled at layout; having him manage it can both shut the Commander's mouth and ensure that resources flow continuously into Beyond Heaven."

V. Winds Rise in the Northern Territory, a New Chess Game

Three days later, Zhan Zhao took ten Luowang Assassins, disguised as merchants, and headed for the Northern Territory. Before departing, Jun Xiaoyao handed him a profound iron token.

"If you encounter difficulties with the Black Stone Tribe, show this token, and Yue Fei will send people to support you. Remember, just find out about the Blood Sacrifice Art; do not alert them—our chess pieces have not yet been fully placed."

When Zhan Zhao left to carry out the order, news from the Northern Territory had already arrived one step ahead: The Black Stone Tribe was gathering tribal warriors, seemingly preparing for a large-scale sacrifice, and the sacrificial offerings were a group of miners abducted from the Southern Territory.

Jun Xiaoyao stood before the map, his fingertips tracing the boundary line between the Northern Territory and the Southern Territory. From the Imperial City to the Northern Territory, from the Shadow Pavilion to the Black Stone Tribe, a larger web was slowly unfolding.

He knew that this chess game of resource contention had only just entered the mid-game, and all he had to do was sit steadily on the fishing platform, watching the sharp blades of The Net clear away all obstacles one by one.

The light of the summoning array lit up again. This time, the color of the runes was deeper than ever before, as if foretelling the blood and storms in the Northern Territory.

A cold, sharp arc curled at the corner of Jun Xiaoyao's mouth—no matter who is summoned next, the iron hooves of Beyond Heaven will eventually tread across every inch of this continent.