287: Luo Wang expands its territory

The water mirror in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace shimmered with a cold light, illuminating the nightscape of Qingzhou City.

Jun Xiaoyao leaned back on the profound ice soft couch, his fingertips toying with a wax seal he had just unsealed from a secret letter from Nanfeng City. The two characters 'Wanfa' on the seal glowed with an eerie dark red under the light.

The summoning array in the center of the underground palace was still accumulating spiritual energy, with faint blue runes slowly flowing along the grooves. The progress bar was at 48%, just a step away from the next summoning.

"Young Lord, Lone Wolf has sent back news. Li Mingyu, the direct descendant of the Li family, has been executed. The process was smoother than expected."

Zhao Gao's voice emerged from the shadows. He held a brocade box, which contained Li Mingyu's jade pendant.

"However, the Li family seemed to have been prepared. After their direct descendant died, they immediately sealed the account books of the cloth shops. Our thirty percent shares might be lost."

Jun Xiaoyao tossed the wax seal back onto the tray in front of the water mirror, his gaze sweeping over the power map of the Qingzhou Li family: [Li family, a second-rate aristocratic family in Qingzhou, controls eighteen cloth shops in the east of the city, has long-standing ties with the Wanfa Holy Land Qingzhou Branch, and the Patriarch Li Qian's cultivation is at the Early Stage Grandmaster Realm]. He tapped his finger on the words "Wanfa Holy Land Branch": "Have Lone Wolf 'visit' Li Qian. Tell him, either hand over the shares, or there will be no Li family in Qingzhou tomorrow."

"Yes!" Zhao Gao bowed in response. The "Li family shares" entry on the ledger was marked as urgent, with a note beside it: "Executor: Lone Wolf (with twenty Luowang Assassins)."

At this moment, the right side of the water mirror suddenly lit up, and Little Dragon Girl's message talisman flickered. In the image, she stood in the herb garden of Jueqing Valley, with Crimson Silk, a descendant of Cheng Ying, holding a purple herb with a solemn expression: "Miss Long, this 'Netherworld Grass' is the main ingredient for refining 'feigned death pill'. People from the Wanfa Holy Land have been searching for it. It's said they want to use this herb to assassinate the Imperial Dynasty's Third Prince."

[Netherworld Grass Information:

Origin: Depths of Jueqing Valley

Uses: Refining feigned death pill, heart-corroding powder

Associated Factions: Wanfa Holy Land (urgent demand), Third Prince of the Imperial Dynasty (assassination target)]

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the Netherworld Grass in the image, recalling the feigned death escape method commonly used by Luowang Assassinss when performing missions. He said indifferently: "Have Crimson Silk collect ten stalks of Netherworld Grass and send them back to the Beyond Heaven Secret Vault. As for the rest..." He paused, "Tell Crimson Silk to 'accidentally' leak the location of the herb garden to the Wanfa Holy Land Branch."

A hint of understanding flashed in Zhao Gao's eyes: "Young Lord wants them to fight among themselves?"

"The Wanfa Holy Land wants to use Netherworld Grass to harm someone, and the Li family wants to renege on their debt. It's perfect to let them form a pair." Jun Xiaoyao's voice was even, and a message automatically generated in the water mirror, sent by The Net's hidden agents to the Wanfa Holy Land Qingzhou Branch: [There is Netherworld Grass in Jueqing Valley, guarded only by a female Grandmaster Realm Middle Stage practitioner].

The summoning array suddenly trembled slightly, the runes glowed brighter, and the spiritual energy progress bar jumped to 49%. A prompt popped up above the water mirror: [High-purity energy fluctuation detected nearby, can be absorbed and converted into spiritual energy. Execute?]

Jun Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow, looking at the energy source closest to Hanyue Valley in the water mirror—it was precisely the mountain-protecting array of the Wanfa Holy Land Qingzhou Branch. A 'Spirit Gathering Pearl' was embedded in the array's core, containing abundant spiritual energy. "Have Marshal of the Unruly 'borrow' it."

[Character: Marshal of the Unruly (Yuan Tiangang)]

[Status: Rested, Loyalty 99%]

[Current Available Mission: Seize the Spirit Gathering Pearl (Difficulty ★★★☆)]

The Marshal of the Unruly's figure quickly appeared in the water mirror. He transformed into a shadow, avoiding the branch's patrolling Disciples, and silently infiltrated the tower where the array's core was located. The Spirit Gathering Pearl was placed in a jade box at the top of the tower, emitting a soft white light, guarded by only two Grandmaster Realm Disciples.

"Huayang Needle Technique." The Marshal of the Unruly whispered, and two silver threads shot from his fingertips, accurately striking the Acupoints of the two Disciples. They grunted, collapsing to the ground without making a sound. He picked up the Spirit Gathering Pearl, felt the spiritual energy within, a cold smile playing on his lips, and vanished into the night.

[Mission Complete: Seize the Spirit Gathering Pearl]

[Spiritual Energy Gained: 10%]

[summoning array Spiritual Energy Progress: 59%]

"Still 41% left." Jun Xiaoyao looked at the progress bar, then turned his gaze to the movements of the Wanfa Holy Land Branch in the water mirror—the Branch Master, having discovered the theft of the Spirit Gathering Pearl, was furious, ordering all Disciples to search, throwing the entire branch into chaos.

At this moment, the left grid of the water mirror lit up. Lone Wolf and his assassins surrounded the Li family mansion. Li Qian stood before the mansion gate, holding a long saber, with ten Grandmaster Realm guards behind him, his Aura fierce: "Lone Wolf, how dare you trespass into my Li family? Do you truly think I'm afraid of The Net?"

Lone Wolf didn't waste words. With a swing of his Crazy Wolf Saber, the Saber Qi shattered the plaque above the mansion gate: "Li Qian, hand over the shares, or die."

"Arrogant!" Li Qian brandished his saber and charged, his saber moves carrying a fierce gust of wind, precisely the Li family's unique skill, "Stone Splitting Saber." Lone Wolf didn't dodge, his Dark Wind Steps leaving afterimages. The Crazy Wolf Saber met the opponent's saber with a crisp 'clang,' and Li Qian was forced back three steps, his tiger's mouth numb.

[Martial Skill Clash: Crazy Wolf Saber Art (Major Achievement) vs. Stone Splitting Saber (Major Achievement)]

[Result: Crazy Wolf Saber Art slightly superior]

Just as the two were locked in fierce combat, Disciples from the Wanfa Holy Land Branch arrived. The leading Deacon saw the chaos at the Li family mansion and recalled the Netherworld Grass message he had just received, immediately shouting: "Li Qian! How dare you collude with The Net and secretly hoard Netherworld Grass?"

Li Qian was bewildered: "What Netherworld Grass? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Still trying to argue!" The Deacon lunged with his sword, "The branch's Spirit Gathering Pearl was stolen, it must be a conspiracy between you and The Net!"

Lone Wolf took the opportunity to retreat and watched the show from the side. Li Qian, attacked from front and back, roared in anger: "I think your Holy Land was negligent in its own guarding and wants to blame me!"

Zhao Gao, in front of the water mirror, chuckled: "Young Lord, now they've truly become a pair."

Jun Xiaoyao didn't respond. The spiritual energy progress of the summoning array increased by another 1% to 60% due to the energy fluctuations generated by the fight between the Li family and the Holy Land. He looked at the array and suddenly remembered Little Dragon Girl's Nine Yin Manual, which might accelerate the accumulation of spiritual energy.

"Have Little Dragon Girl come to the underground palace."

Little Dragon Girl soon appeared in the underground palace. She looked at the summoning array, a hint of curiosity flashing in her clear eyes: "This Formation... is somewhat similar to the cold jade bed in the Ancient Tomb; both can gather spiritual energy."

"Can you use the Nine Yin Manual to catalyze the spiritual energy?" Jun Xiaoyao asked.

Little Dragon Girl nodded, walked to the edge of the array, formed hand seals, and the pure Internal Energy of the Nine Yin Manual slowly flowed into the array. The faint blue runes immediately became active, and the spiritual energy progress bar rose at a visible rate: 61%, 62%, 63%... [Nine Yin Manual Catalysis Effect: Increases 1% spiritual energy every quarter hour]

"That's enough." Jun Xiaoyao looked at the progress bar, "Let the rest accumulate naturally."

In the water mirror, the fight between the Li family and the Wanfa Holy Land entered a white-hot stage. Li Qian was struck by the Deacon's Heaven Burning Palm, spitting out a mouthful of blood; Lone Wolf seized the opportunity to have his assassins ambush, killing three Li family guards; in the distant Jueqing Valley, Crimson Silk, as instructed, deliberately leaked the news that the Netherworld Grass had been taken by the Li family, leading another team of Disciples from the branch towards the Li family.

"Young Lord, the Li family's shares are secured." Zhao Gao handed over a contract with Li Qian's fingerprint on it, "Li Qian was severely wounded by the Holy Land's people and had no choice but to agree to hand over thirty percent of the cloth shop shares, and also paid five thousand taels of gold as 'apology fee'."

"What about the Wanfa Holy Land Branch?"

"The mountain-protecting array's power was greatly reduced due to the theft of the Spirit Gathering Pearl. Lone Wolf's people took the opportunity to break its core, and it will take at least three months to repair." Zhao Gao flipped through the ledger, grinning from ear to ear, "Not only did we get shares and gold, but we also made the two families mortal enemies. From now on, we can slowly take over the territory of Qingzhou."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the chaotic Qingzhou City in the water mirror. The Li family mansion was engulfed in flames, the Wanfa Holy Land Disciples were searching for "thieves" in the streets, and The Net's assassins were mingling in the crowd, quietly taking over the Li family's cloth shops and granaries. This game of chess was moving in the direction he desired.

The spiritual energy progress of the summoning array slowly rose to 65% under Little Dragon Girl's catalysis. Jun Xiaoyao stood up, walked to the edge of the array, and felt the surging spiritual energy within: "When it's full, it's time to summon someone who can manage accounts."

Zhao Gao's eyes lit up: "Young Lord means... an accountant like Jiang Jing?"

"Beyond Heaven's operations are getting bigger and bigger; you can't always manage both assassins and money." Jun Xiaoyao's gaze fell on the constantly increasing resource list in the water mirror—cloth shop shares, gold, Netherworld Grass, Spirit Gathering Pearl... all of these needed specialized management.

In the last panel of the water mirror, Crimson Silk stood on the cliff edge of Jueqing Valley, looking at the flames of Qingzhou City, and said to Little Dragon Girl.

"Miss Long, the Young Lord of Beyond Heaven... is truly formidable. He made two families fight without even batting an eyelid."

Little Dragon Girl looked in the direction of Hanyue Valley, nodding gently: "He's very much like someone."

"Who?"

"Someone who is always behind the scenes, yet can make everyone act according to his will."

The night in the underground palace deepened, the faint blue glow of the runes reflecting on Jun Xiaoyao's profile. He watched as Beyond Heaven's territory in the water mirror gradually expanded, and gently tapped a finger on the summoning array's progress bar.

Still 35% left.

But he was not in a hurry.

The Net was already woven; all that remained was to wait for the prey to fall into it themselves.