265: The Xuantian Pavilion was enraged when its provisions were burned.

In the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, the bronze lamps flickered, casting long shadows for Jun Xiaoyao.

On the crystal panel, the squad led by the Marshal of the Unruly had already snuck to the outskirts of the Xuantian Pavilion's grain depot. In the image, one could see rows of granaries, with guards holding spears patrolling back and forth, their armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Zhao Gao stood to the side, holding a copper abacus, calculating with a clattering sound: "Young Lord, the winter provisions of Xuantian Pavilion are enough for their thirty thousand men for five months.

Once burned, it will take at least half a year to mobilize supplies from the Southern Border. During this period, their influence in Qingzhou will inevitably shrink, and we can take this opportunity to take over the mineral veins in the west of the city."

Jun Xiaoyao tapped his finger on the panel, pulling up the defense map of the grain depot—seven granaries arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, with a three-zhang-high watchtower in the center. The archers on the tower could cover the entire depot area, and the water tower in the southeast corner was the only fire-extinguishing point, guarded by five Martial Artists of the Grandmaster Realm. "Have the Marshal of the Unruly eliminate the guards at the water tower first," he said calmly, "Use the 'Bone-Eroding Smoke', and don't alert the watchtower."

[Item: Bone-Eroding Smoke]

[Attribute: Colorless and odorless; upon inhalation, Internal Energy becomes chaotic within half an hour, and those below the Grandmaster Realm will immediately collapse.]

[Holder: Luowang Assassins]

The message from the Marshal of the Unruly returned quickly: "As the Young Lord instructed, the water tower guards have been taken down, and the watchtower remains unaware." The image on the panel switched accordingly; the five guards had fallen silently in the shadows of the water tower, and the Marshal of the Unruly was leading his men to move barrels of kerosene behind the load-bearing columns of the granaries, their movements as light as cats.

I. Burning the Granaries

At the third watch, with a low whistle from the Marshal of the Unruly, all seven granaries ignited simultaneously. The kerosene exploded upon contact with sparks, and flames shot into the sky, dyeing half the night sky crimson. The archers on the watchtower finally reacted, raining arrows down on the fire, but they were blocked by the shields of the Luowang Assassins—they had already built simple shelters outside the granary as instructed by Jun Xiaoyao.

"Put out the fire! Hurry and put out the fire!" The grain officer of Xuantian Pavilion woke up from his sleep, rushing out of the barracks barefoot, only to find the valves of the water tower jammed and the water buckets punctured. He watched helplessly as the flames consumed the last granary, so anxious he spat blood: "Who did this! Investigate! Even if you have to dig three feet deep, find them!"

The Marshal of the Unruly stood on a hillside in the distance, watching the blazing fire, and said to the assassins beside him: "Leave a mark." An assassin understood, threw an iron plate engraved with the character "Luo" at the edge of the fire, and then the group quickly disappeared into the night, leaving behind only the soaring flames and the screams of the Xuantian Pavilion Disciples.

II. The Fury of Xuantian Pavilion

The next morning, the Master of Xuantian Pavilion, Mysterious Mechanism Master, sat on a sandalwood chair, his face ashen like iron. On the table lay the iron plate with the "Luo" character, and beside it was the corpse of the grain officer—he had been killed by Mysterious Mechanism Master with a single palm strike to the heart for his dereliction of duty. The eight Protectors stood by with lowered heads, none daring to make a sound; the entire hall was so deathly silent that one could hear the crackling of the candle flames.

"The Net!" Mysterious Mechanism Master slammed the table, instantly reducing it to powder. "A mere underground assassin organization dares to touch the Foundation of my Xuantian Pavilion! Pass on my order: exhaust the strength of the entire Pavilion to clear out all forces in Qingzhou related to The Net. I want them to know what it means to wish for death!"

"Pavilion Master," the First Protector stepped forward and whispered, "The Net acts in secrecy, and there is likely a big figure backing them. Perhaps we should investigate clearly first..."

"Investigate?" Mysterious Mechanism Master sneered, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. "By the time we investigate clearly, my Xuantian Pavilion Disciples will have frozen or starved to death! Search! Everyone who has done assassination business or is involved with the black market, arrest them all for interrogation. Even if we wrongly kill a thousand, we must not let one go!"

III. Response of the Underground Palace

On the crystal panel, notifications of [Xuantian Pavilion Cleanup Operation] kept refreshing. Over thirty shops had been sealed in Qingzhou City, and over two hundred people had been arrested, including many ordinary merchants unrelated to The Net. Zhao Gao looked at the shop signs being toppled in the image and said urgently: "Young Lord, if this continues, our secret lines in Qingzhou will be uprooted! Should we have General Guan Yu bring some men..."

"No need." Jun Xiaoyao interrupted him, his fingertips tracing the sphere of influence of Xuantian Pavilion on the panel. "The more impatient Mysterious Mechanism Master is, the more flaws he will show. Zhao Gao, have all the peripheral members of The Net withdraw outside the city, and just leave the Shadow Guards to keep watch." He paused, looking at the summoning array, "It is time to add another helper."

The light of the summoning array was brighter than last time, and faint zither music could be heard, clear and melodious. Jun Xiaoyao raised his hand to activate the summoning. A man in a green shirt slowly walked out of the light, holding a Jiaowei zither, his appearance elegant and scholarly; it was Liu Zhengfeng from "the smiling, proud wanderer".

[Summoning Successful]

[Character: Liu Zhengfeng]

[Origin: Jin Yong Wuxia World]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skills and Cultivation Technique: 1. Returning Wind and Falling Wild Goose Sword (Perfection) — The sword stance is agile, like a flock of wild geese circling, with unpredictable changes. 2. Seven-String Invisible Sword (Major Achievement) — Using zither music to control Qi, it can injure people invisibly and disturb the mind. 3. Iron Sword Sect Internal Skill (Major Achievement) — The internal breath is long and continuous, suitable for endurance battles.]

[Loyalty: 88%]

"Subordinate Liu Zhengfeng greets the Young Lord." Liu Zhengfeng bowed, the zither body tapping the ground, making a crisp sound.

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the panel with a hint of a smile in his eyes. Liu Zhengfeng's "Seven-String Invisible Sword" was best at disturbing the mind, perfect for dealing with those anxious Disciples of Xuantian Pavilion. "Mr. Liu," he pulled up the route map of the cleanup team, "The Second Protector of Xuantian Pavilion is leading three hundred men to search the west of the city. Go and meet him; you don't need to hurt anyone, just make them lose their ability to act."

Liu Zhengfeng smiled while touching the zither: "Young Lord, rest assured, my zither music can make them sleep soundly for a day."

IV. Retreating the Enemy with Zither Music

Deep in the alley in the west of the city, the Second Protector of Xuantian Pavilion was directing his Disciples to smash doors, torches illuminating the walls a bright red. Suddenly, a burst of zither music came from the roof. At first, it was like flowing water, making people feel comfortable, but gradually it became seductive, as if countless hands were scratching the heart. Many Disciples began to feel dizzy, their hands holding weapons shaking and going soft.

"Not good! It's sound wave technique!" The Second Protector was shocked and exerted his Internal Energy to resist, only to find that the zither music seemed to penetrate his Internal Energy and go straight into his Sea of Consciousness. He looked up at the roof and saw Liu Zhengfeng sitting cross-legged, the Jiaowei zither trembling slightly on his knees. As his fingertips plucked, the zither music suddenly turned urgent, like gold and iron horses, and like ghosts crying and wolves howling.

"Ah!" The Disciples clutched their heads and screamed, some even started killing each other. The Second Protector tried his best to rush to the roof but was blocked by an invisible wall of Qi—that was the barrier set up by Liu Zhengfeng using the "Seven-String Invisible Sword".

Half an hour later, the zither music stopped abruptly. Liu Zhengfeng put away the Jiaowei zither, looked at the three hundred Disciples sprawling in the alley, unconscious, and leaped lightly, disappearing into the morning light. Only the Second Protector was left sitting on the ground, his face pale—although he hadn't fainted, his Internal Energy had been disrupted by the zither music, and he would be unable to make a move for a short time.

V. The Layout of Beyond Heaven

The news was sent back to the Underground Palace. Jun Xiaoyao looked at the notification [Xuantian Pavilion Cleanup Team Stalled] on the panel, and Liu Zhengfeng's loyalty had risen to 92%. He turned to Zhao Gao and said: "Have The Unruly send the evidence of Xuantian Pavilion's indiscriminate killing of innocents to the Prefect of Qingzhou, then anonymously spread it out, saying that Xuantian Pavilion is killing people recklessly to settle personal grudges."

Zhao Gao took the order and left. Jun Xiaoyao walked to the window. The morning mist of Hanyue Valley was dissipating, revealing the winding mountain road outside the valley. He knew that the anger of Mysterious Mechanism Master was just the beginning; as a branch of a Holy Land, Xuantian Pavilion would inevitably invite stronger experts of a higher Realm to take action. But he was not worried; the summoning energy of the crystal panel had accumulated again, and at the next node, he might be able to summon an expert of the Heavenly Human Realm.

"Mysterious Mechanism Master," Jun Xiaoyao muttered to himself, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "The more you want to force me to appear, the more I will make the name of The Net resound throughout Qingzhou."

On the panel, the light of the two characters "The Net" was getting brighter and brighter, while the logo of "Beyond Heaven" remained hidden in the shadows, like a dormant beast, waiting for the most suitable moment to bare its fangs.