243: The Net's Courier Service Takes a Shocking Turn of Events

Jun Xiaoyao sat on the jade throne in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, his fingertips twisting a white jade chess piece, while black and white pieces were interlaced on the chessboard.

Yet, not many of them had been placed by his own hand—most were territorial maps deduced by the strategists summoned by the System.

From the depths of the underground palace came the sound of a bronze bell, three short strikes followed by one long, the signal that The Net had received a special-grade contract.

"Young Lord," Zhao Gao's voice came from below the stone steps, accompanied by deliberately light footsteps.

"The Net has just accepted a 'living contract.' The employer is offering three 'spirit condensing pill' as payment, requiring the head of the son of the City Lord of Qingzhou within three days."

Jun Xiaoyao didn't even lift his eyelids, placing the white jade chess piece in the corner of the board: "The City Lord of Qingzhou is an Outer Sect Disciple of the Xuantian Holy Land. Accepting this contract is equivalent to directly slapping the Xuantian Holy Land in the face."

"But spirit condensing pill have a bonus for converting summoning points; three of them can be exchanged for thirty thousand points." Zhao Gao pulled the contract from his sleeve, on which a crooked character for "Kill" was drawn in cinnabar.

"The employer is the Black Wind Stockade, claiming that the City Lord's son forcibly abducted their Stockade Master's daughter, and they are willing to exhaust the stockade's accumulated treasures in exchange for this contract."

The black pieces on the chessboard were suddenly crushed by Jun Xiaoyao's fingertip, leaving faint white marks: "Have you checked the employer's background?"

"Checked. The Black Wind Stockade Master is at the Late Stage of the Innate Realm, with three hundred underlings, occupying the mountains as kings on the border of Qingzhou, and has long harbored a grudge against the City Lord." Zhao Gao added, "The Marshal of the Unruly says this contract is not difficult; if he takes ten Shadow Kill Guards, he can settle it in one night."

Jun Xiaoyao finally lifted his eyes, his gaze colder than the jade throne: "The 'The Unruly' under the Marshal of the Unruly are meant to hold down the fort, not to be used as blades for mountain bandits."

He tapped his fingertips on the chessboard, "Tell the Black Wind Stockade that we accept the contract, but the price is tripled. We want that batch of profound iron they have hidden in Eagle Sorrow Ravine."

Zhao Gao was stunned: "That batch of profound iron is worth at least fifty thousand summoning points. Will they agree?"

"If they don't agree, return the contract." Jun Xiaoyao picked up a chess piece again, "There are plenty of forces that want the head of the City Lord of Qingzhou; we don't lack these three spirit condensing pill."

Half an hour later, Zhao Gao sent back the news: "The Black Wind Stockade agreed, saying the profound iron is in the secret cellar at Eagle Sorrow Ravine; as soon as they get the head, they will immediately hand over the coordinates."

"Let the Marshal of the Unruly lead the team," Jun Xiaoyao placed the final chess piece, the black and white pieces forming a dead end, "But don't use assassination. Make sure everyone in Qingzhou City sees that the City Lord's son died because of abducting a woman."

"Does the Young Lord intend to..."

"The Xuantian Holy Land protects its own, but it values face even more." Jun Xiaoyao stood up, the jade throne emitting a dull echo behind him, "Have The Net's people copy the crimes of the City Lord's son a hundred times, plaster them all over the city walls of Qingzhou, and then act."

The next day at the third watch, the lights in the City Lord's mansion in Qingzhou stayed bright longer than usual. Young Master Zhao Kuo was drinking while holding the woman he had abducted. Suddenly, a wisp of black smoke drifted past the window, and the wine pot on the table fell to the ground with a "clatter"—the figure of the Marshal of the Unruly was already standing on the rafters, his black cloak sweeping past the candlelight, causing the flame to suddenly flare up by half a foot.

"Who are you?" Zhao Kuo reached for the dagger at his waist with bleary, drunken eyes, but was pinned to the table by a cold light.

The wind stirred up when the Marshal of the Unruly landed overturned the tablecloth, revealing several papers pressed underneath, which were exactly the list of crimes provided by the Black Wind Stockade, still stained with the woman's tear marks. "Someone paid to buy your life," his voice sounded like ground iron sand, "Remember in your next life that not everyone can be provoked."

When Zhao Kuo's scream was cut off by the wind of the blade, a rapid bell rang outside the City Lord's mansion—it was the message talisman bell of the Xuantian Holy Land. The Marshal of the Unruly frowned and was just about to order a retreat when he saw the Shadow Kill Guards of The Net vault over the wall, and the leader, Shadow One, lowered his voice: "The Young Lord has ordered to hang the person on the gate tower of the City Lord's mansion, with the list of crimes posted beside it."

"Are you crazy?" The Marshal of the Unruly gripped his sword hilt, "The people from the Xuantian Holy Land will arrive in a quarter of an hour at the fastest!"

"The Young Lord said this is exactly the effect he wants." Shadow One handed over a roll of yellow silk, "This is the notice drafted by the Young Lord, to be posted next to the list of crimes, reading 'Beyond Heaven acts on behalf of Heaven'."

Looking at the cold handwriting on the yellow silk, the Marshal of the Unruly suddenly understood Jun Xiaoyao's intention—this wasn't just accepting a contract, it was using the hand of the Black Wind Stockade to deliver a declaration of war to the Xuantian Holy Land. He gritted his teeth and waved his hand: "Do it! Shadow Kill Guards cover the rear, The Unruly take the head and the list of crimes and leave first!"

When the sky was slightly bright and the gates of Qingzhou City had just opened, someone discovered the corpse and the notice on the gate tower. The three characters "Beyond Heaven" were written in cinnabar, shimmering with an eerie light under the morning sun. When the Disciples of the Xuantian Holy Land arrived, they only saw a crowd of commoners pointing at the list of crimes, their curses louder than the sound of the wind.

"Investigate! Investigate what kind of background this 'Beyond Heaven' has!" The leading Elder crushed the message talisman, the ash of the talisman paper falling onto the back of his trembling hand.

Meanwhile, in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, Jun Xiaoyao was listening to Zhao Gao's report.

"The people from the Xuantian Holy Land have turned Qingzhou City upside down," Zhao Gao handed over a mysterious iron token, "The profound iron from the Black Wind Stockade has been stored, and they also sent this additionally, saying they want to defect to Beyond Heaven and become an outer force of The Net."

Jun Xiaoyao weighed the token in his hand; a character "Wind" was engraved on it. The System panel suddenly popped up a notification: [Triggered Hidden Mission: Subjugate the Black Wind Stockade; Reward: One random summoning opportunity.]

"Tell the Black Wind Stockade," he threw the token back to Zhao Gao, "If they want to defect, they can, but first hand over all the experts in the stockade who are at the Innate Realm or above to be incorporated into The Net."

Just as Zhao Gao was about to withdraw, the summoning array in the underground palace suddenly lit up with red light—the System's random summoning had been triggered. A burly figure rose from the array, with a full beard, a bare chest, and holding a Zen staff upside down—it was indeed Lu Zhishen.

[Summoned Character: Lu Zhishen]

[From: water margin world]

[Realm: Grandmaster Initial Stage]

[Martial Skill: Mad Demon Staff Technique, Uprooting the Weeping Willow (Secret Technique)]

[Loyalty: 85]

"This humble monk Lu Zhishen greets the Young Lord!" Lu Zhishen knelt on one knee, his Zen staff striking the ground, causing the stone slabs of the underground palace to crack with fine lines.

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the information on the panel, and a slight curve finally appeared on the corner of his mouth. So what of the Xuantian Holy Land? The cards in his hand had only just been dealt two.

Three days later, the Elder of the Xuantian Holy Land brought Disciples to the outside of Hanyue Valley, but they were blocked at the valley entrance by an iron wall—Lu Zhishen, bare-chested, swept his Zen staff horizontally, forcing the Disciples of the Holy Land back three miles.

The Marshal of the Unruly stood on the valley wall with a cold laugh; behind him, the Luowang Assassins and The Unruly lined up in a phalanx, their profound iron weapons gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"Go back and tell your Sect Head," the Marshal of the Unruly shouted at the top of his lungs, "The Young Lord said that if you dare to step across the valley boundary one more time, the next thing hanging on the gate tower will be his head!"

Inside the valley, another black piece appeared on Jun Xiaoyao's chessboard, positioned exactly over the territory of the "Xuantian Holy Land".

He picked up the System panel, which displayed a new notification: [Beyond Heaven Reputation + 100,000, Unlocked Summoned Character: Yang Guo (Realm: Mid-stage Grandmaster)].

"It seems this move was not wrong," he said softly, the white jade chess piece at his fingertips reflecting the cold light in his eyes.

Some benefits are never waited for; they are seized.