308: First Sound from Beyond the Sky

Deep in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, Jun Xiaoyao reclined on a black iron chair, his fingertips twisting a blood-colored token just confiscated from Xue Sha.

The two characters 'Blood Shadow' on the token shimmered with a dark light. He tossed it casually to Zhao Gao, who stood bowing before him: 'Investigate the purpose of this token. If you can use it to uncover the communication network of the Blood Shadow Cult, I will count it as a merit.'

Zhao Gao received the token with both hands, his fingertips turning white from the pressure. Although this new manager of The Net was only at the Acquired Realm, he had secured his position with his watertight thinking—ever since the Marshal of the Unruly began focusing on training the elites of The Unruly, the daily operations of The Net had fallen onto his shoulders.

'Rest assured, Young Lord. Your subordinate has already ordered the 'Shadow' unit to interrogate Xue Sha throughout the night; we will surely make him talk.'

Jun Xiaoyao gave a hum of acknowledgment, his gaze sweeping over the summoning array in the center of the underground palace.

The spiritual power in the array's eye had fallen back to 58%. Although the last summoning of Qiao Feng had consumed a significant amount of power, it had also resulted in the severe injury of the Blood Butcher and the interception of the raw materials for bone-corroding powder, leading the System to judge it a 'partial victory in resource contention,' causing the spiritual power increase to far exceed the consumption.

He swiped his fingertip across the light screen, pulling up the current list of summonable characters, his gaze lingering on a few names.

[Summonable Character: Li Xunhuan]

[From: 'sentimental swordsman, ruthless sword' world]

[Realm: Mid-stage Grandmaster]

[Martial Skill: Little Li's Flying Dagger (Perfection), Flying Dagger (Major Achievement)]

[Summoning Cost: Spiritual Power 35%]

[Estimated Loyalty: 85%]

[Summonable Character: Moon Invitation]

[From: 'Peerless Pride' world]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skill: Flower Transfer (Perfection), Wedding Dress Divine Skill (Minor Achievement)]

[Summoning Cost: Spiritual Power 50%]

[Estimated Loyalty: 70%]

[Summonable Character: Duan Yanqing]

[From: 'demi-gods and semi-devils' world]

[Realm: Grandmaster Initial Stage]

[Martial Skill: One Yang Finger (Major Achievement), Ventriloquism (Perfection)]

[Summoning Cost: Spiritual Power 25%]

[Estimated Loyalty: 75%]

'The failure rate of The Net's assassination missions in Jiangnan has risen by 30% recently,' Zhao Gao said at the right moment, handing over a file. 'The main reason is that the guards hired by our opponents include a woman skilled in 'Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve.' Her movement technique is too fast; the 'Kill' unit has failed three times and even lost two brothers.'

Jun Xiaoyao opened the file, which contained a portrait of the woman. Her sleeves were fluttering, and there was a hint of arrogance in her brows. 'The style of the Flower Palace.' He pointed his fingertip at the name of Moon Invitation. 'It seems I need to invite someone capable of suppressing this type of martial art.'

Zhao Gao looked up and said: 'Palace Master Moon Invitation is renowned, but it is rumored that her temperament is perverse. I fear she is difficult to tame...'

'Obedience is the iron law of the System; her temperament is irrelevant.' Jun Xiaoyao interrupted him and pressed the 'Summon' button on the light screen.

The summoning array in the center of the underground palace suddenly lit up. Pale purple mist surged, and a figure in white slowly coalesced within the mist. The woman was dressed in plain white palace attire, her long hair like a waterfall, her face breathtakingly beautiful but carrying an icy chill. It was none other than the First Palace Master of the Flower Palace, Moon Invitation. The moment she opened her eyes, the temperature around them plummeted. When her gaze swept over Jun Xiaoyao, it carried undisguised scrutiny and contempt—until the binding force of the System contract flooded her entire body, and that arrogance was forcibly suppressed. When she bowed to salute, her voice was as cold as if it had been quenched in ice: 'Subordinate Moon Invitation, greets the Young Lord.'

[Character Panel: Moon Invitation]

[Status: Contract Bound (Arrogance Suppressed)]

[Loyalty: 70% (Fluctuating)]

Jun Xiaoyao looked at her taut jawline and said indifferently: 'There is a woman in Jiangnan skilled in the Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve who has ruined three of The Net's businesses. Go there, cripple her hands, and there is no need to leave her alive.'

Moon Invitation raised her eyebrows slightly, seemingly finding the task too simple, but she still replied: 'Understood.'

'Wait.' Jun Xiaoyao called out to her and pulled up the woman's file. 'She hides three-inch silver needles in her sleeves and is accustomed to using the variation of 'Returning Wind Dancing Snow.' '

Moon Invitation scanned the file, a flash of surprise in her eyes—such details, actually investigated so clearly. She composed her expression, turned, and stepped into the teleportation array to the side, her figure vanishing instantly.

Zhao Gao was stunned. This Palace Master's aura was even stronger than the Marshal of the Unruly, yet she had been sent away to perform an assassination with a single word from the Young Lord. The binding force of the System contract was truly terrifying.

'What about Duan Yanqing?' Jun Xiaoyao's gaze turned to another name. 'Send him to the Northern border to keep an eye on the movements of the Prince of Zhenbei. The Imperial Dynasty is mobilizing troops recently, and The Net must figure out the bottom line in advance.'

'Understood, this subordinate will arrange the teleportation coordinates immediately.' Zhao Gao recorded it hurriedly, then suddenly remembered something. 'By the way, Young Lord, a big order has come from the Black Market—the City Lord of Qingzhou wants to get rid of his disobedient son. He is offering a price of 100,000 taels of gold and is also willing to include three iron mines south of the city. However, that Young Master has a guard by his side, rumored to be an Elder of the 'Iron Sword Sect,' at the Grandmaster Initial Stage.'

Jun Xiaoyao tapped his fingertip on Li Xunhuan's name: '100,000 taels of gold is enough for The Net to exchange for a batch of black iron arrows. Send Li Xunhuan. Tell him, I want to see the person alive, or his corpse if dead.'

The summoning array lit up again, this time with an orange-yellow light. A man in a washed-out blue shirt walked out of the mist, toying with a Flying Dagger in his hand. He coughed a few times, his brow carrying an indelible loneliness. It was Li Xunhuan. He bowed to Jun Xiaoyao, his voice gentle but distant: 'Subordinate Li Xunhuan, greets the Young Lord.'

[Character Panel: Li Xunhuan]

[Status: Stable]

[Loyalty: 85%]

'Qingzhou, take the life of the Prince of Zhenbei's heir.' Jun Xiaoyao pushed the file to him. 'The guard is an Elder of the Iron Sword Sect, at the Grandmaster Initial Stage.'

Li Xunhuan flipped through the file. Seeing the charges of the heir forcibly seizing civilian women and treating human life like grass, the Flying Dagger at his fingertips spun faster. When he looked up, the distance in his eyes was gone: 'Subordinate will certainly not fail the mission.'

He turned to leave but was stopped by Jun Xiaoyao: 'No need to rush to act. First, observe the recent movements of that heir. If there is a cleaner way, there is no need to dirty your hands.'

Li Xunhuan was startled, then realized—the Young Lord wanted to see if he could borrow a knife to kill, to save some effort. He nodded: 'Subordinate understands.'

After Li Xunhuan left, Zhao Gao couldn't help but ask: 'Why is the Young Lord particularly lenient with Li Xunhuan?'

'His Flying Dagger should be used to kill those who deserve to be killed.' Jun Xiaoyao said indifferently. 'The Net is a tool, but those who use the tool must know which blades should be sharp and which should be dull.'

Zhao Gao lowered his head, feeling increasingly awestruck. Although the Young Lord never left the underground palace, he saw through the human heart better than anyone.

At this moment, the water mirror beside the summoning array suddenly lit up with red light; it was a message from the Marshal of the Unruly. In the image, The Unruly were clearing out the remnants of the Black Wind Stockade. Yuan Tiangang was squatting in front of Xue Sha's cage, his pipe pointing at the trembling Xue Sha in the cage: 'Are you going to talk or not? Where is the granary of the Blood Shadow Cult in the Western Regions hidden?'

Xue Sha gritted his teeth, clearly still wanting to hold on. Yuan Tiangang sneered, took a small porcelain bottle from his bosom, and poured out a black pill: 'This 'Heart-Corroding Pill' melts upon entering the mouth. Half an hour later, your intestines will rot, but you won't be able to die...'

Before he finished speaking, Xue Sha was already roaring: 'I'll talk! It's in the Sand Wolf Valley in the Western Regions! There are three granaries, storing grain and fodder for the Blood Crow Guards for three months!'

Yuan Tiangang smiled with satisfaction and said to the message talisman: 'Young Lord, the coordinates of Sand Wolf Valley have been obtained. Shall we take the opportunity to wipe them out?'

Jun Xiaoyao looked at Zhao Gao: 'How many men does The Net have in the Western Regions?'

'The 'Stab' unit has twelve people, all at the Late Grandmaster Realm.'

'Not enough.' Jun Xiaoyao shook his head and pulled up Duan Yanqing's teleportation coordinates. 'Let Duan Yanqing not go to the Northern border for now. Change his route to Sand Wolf Valley to cooperate with The Unruly's operation. His One Yang Finger is convenient for breaking arrays, just right for opening the underground Restriction of the granary.'

'Understood!'

After arranging these, Jun Xiaoyao leaned back into his seat, watching the summoning array slowly dim. Currently, Beyond Heaven already had the Marshal of the Unruly (Middle Celestial Realm), Qiao Feng (Peak Grandmaster Realm), Moon Invitation (Peak Grandmaster Realm), Li Xunhuan (Mid-stage Grandmaster), and Duan Yanqing (Grandmaster Initial Stage), plus more than three hundred assassins of The Net, enough to handle the current situation.

He tapped his fingertips, and the recent resource gains appeared on the light screen: the bone-corroding powder intercepted from the Blood Shadow Cult could be refined into three types of deadly poisons; if the Qingzhou iron mines were obtained, fifty sets of black iron armor could be forged; the Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve technique of that woman in Jiangnan might allow Moon Invitation to improve the Flower Transfer...

'Young Lord,' Zhao Gao handed over another list. 'This is the task schedule for the Black Market next month. Seven of them are directed at Imperial Dynasty officials, and two involve Great Grandmaster families.'

Jun Xiaoyao scanned the list and paused at the 'Prince of Zhennan's favorite concubine' column—that concubine was said to be colluding with foreign enemies, and the price offered was ridiculously high. His fingertip slid over and marked 'Li Xunhuan' next to it: 'Let him handle it on the way after he finishes the Qingzhou matter.'

Zhao Gao had just finished recording when the water mirror suddenly lit up again. This time it was a message from Moon Invitation. In the image, in a rainy night in Jiangnan, the woman skilled in the Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve was screaming, clutching her broken hand. Moon Invitation stood to the side, her white clothes unstained by blood, her voice as cold as the rain: 'Mission accomplished.'

Jun Xiaoyao nodded, signaling Zhao Gao to record the merit. He watched the rain gradually stopping in the image and suddenly remembered something. He said to Zhao Gao: 'Send a message to Moon Invitation. Tell her to make a detour to the Flower Palace on her return journey and bring back that copy of 'Detailed Explanation of Flower Transfer'.'

Zhao Gao was stunned: 'But the Flower Palace is heavily guarded...'

'She is the Palace Master. It is not difficult for her to go to her own underground palace.' Jun Xiaoyao's mouth curled slightly. 'Instead of letting the Cultivation Technique rot in the palace, it is better to take it for the people of The Net to practice—it is the property of Beyond Heaven after all.'

Zhao Gao suddenly realized and hurriedly went to send the message. Only Jun Xiaoyao remained in the underground palace. He looked at the glimmer of light in the center of the summoning array, his eyes deep. The Foundation of Beyond Heaven was still shallow. Every bit of resource, every Cultivation Technique, had to be scraped from these disputes. As for those who blocked the way, whether they were the remnants of the Blood Shadow Cult or the princes and nobles of the Imperial Dynasty, as long as they hindered the affairs of Beyond Heaven, they should be like that woman's hand just now—crippled as soon as they deserved it.

The night deepened. The wind of Hanyue Valley passed through the cracks of the underground palace, carrying the shouting of The Unruly training in the distance. Jun Xiaoyao closed his eyes, and the spiritual power value on the light screen jumped slowly.

The next summoning might just gather enough confidence to summon a Land Immortal Realm expert. And on that day, the winds and clouds of this continent would completely change.