352: The Heaven and Man Formation

Jun Xiaoyao's fingertips traced the water mirror on the ice table, the surface reflecting the star map of Luoyang—the residences of the Seven Great Families glowed with candlelight in the night, the Divine Marquis's Mansion's Flying Fish Guards were patrolling along Vermilion Bird Avenue, and in the direction of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion...

Yan Nantian's iron spear and Divine Marquis's feather fan were still clashing, the sharp whistling of Qi tearing through the air audible even through the water mirror.

"Zhao Gao." He didn't even lift his head, his voice as flat as the ice in Hanyue Valley, "How many more of the 'Heaven' rank members of The Net have reached Luoyang?"

From the shadows, Zhao Gao bowed and stepped out, the cinnabar markings on the scroll in his hand dense: "Replying to the Young Lord, twelve members of the 'Heaven' rank have infiltrated the perimeter of the Seven Great Families' residences, and thirty members of the 'Earth' rank are guarding the grain route of the Divine Marquis's Mansion, waiting for the Young Lord's command."

Jun Xiaoyao tapped his fingertip on the two characters "Jin Family," the water mirror zoomed in, reflecting the secret entrance in the backyard of the Jin mansion—that was what Little Fish had pried out of an old servant after knocking out two guards with a slingshot.

"Have the 'Heaven' rank members enter through the secret passage and 'retrieve' the ledger concerning the Divine Plant from the Jin family's accounting room. Remember, do not alert anyone."

"Understood." Zhao Gao turned to leave, but was called back by Jun Xiaoyao.

"Tell them, I want the original ledger, do not damage the wax seal," Jun Xiaoyao added, "The evidence of the collusion between Jin Wanliang and the Divine Marquis's Mansion is hidden in that wax seal."

As Zhao Gao went to carry out the order, a cloud of green mist suddenly exploded from Divine Marquis's feather fan in the water mirror. Yan Nantian's iron spear lunged, the tip wrapped in Protective Aura, piercing the mist, but where the green mist fell to the ground, the stone slabs were actually corroded into small pits.

"Old man Divine Marquis, playing dirty?" Yan Nantian's spear momentum grew fiercer, the Wedding Dress Divine Technique operating to its limit, the spear shadows like raging waves crashing against the shore, forcing Divine Marquis to retreat repeatedly.

Jun Xiaoyao watched the green mist in the water mirror, his eyes darkening. He pressed his hand against the summoning array in the center of the underground palace. The spiritual power in the array's eye had risen to 80% due to the recently retrieved Divine Plant. As the runes flowed, a sword shadow spontaneously emerged.

[System prompt: Poisonous Cultivation Technique aura detected, triggering restraint-type summoning.]

[Summonable Character: West Gate Blows Snow]

[From: "legend of lu xiaofeng" world]

[Realm: Initial Heaven Human Realm]

[Martial Skill: Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens (Perfection), Blows Snow Sword Technique (Major Achievement)]

[Specialty: Sword drawn always sees blood, especially skilled at breaking poison and slaying evil paths, Sword Qi can purify evil Yin energy]

[Summoning Consumption: 70% Spiritual Power]

The summoning array suddenly lit up with silver-white sword light, cold air gushing out from the summoning array, and a layer of white frost instantly condensed on the ice walls of the underground palace. A figure in white slowly condensed, hair like black jade, face like a crown of jade, the sword "Blows Snow" at his waist emitting a cold light that kept people at a distance.

"West Gate Blows Snow." Jun Xiaoyao looked at the person who arrived, his tone still flat, "Divine Marquis's 'Rotting Bone Fan' is poisonous. Go to Luoyang and help Yan Nantian."

West Gate Blows Snow nodded slightly, without unnecessary words, his figure flashed and he stepped into the teleportation array. In the water mirror, the fight in front of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion suddenly changed—just as Divine Marquis's feather fan was about to wave out green mist again, a white shadow flashed by like lightning, the sword light colder than the ice in Hanyue Valley, splitting the mist into two with a "chi" sound, the aftershock of the Sword Qi making Divine Marquis's wrist numb.

"West Gate Blows Snow?" Divine Marquis's pupils constricted, his feather fan twirling in his palm, "I didn't expect Beyond Heaven could even invite you."

West Gate Blows Snow pointed his sword at Divine Marquis, his voice colder than his sword: "Using poison, not worthy of being an opponent."

Before the words fell, the sword light had arrived. Divine Marquis did not dare to be negligent, waving his feather fan rapidly, the copper nails on the fan ribs popping out to form a small shield, blocking this sword strike. With a crisp "clang," fine cracks appeared on the shield surface, and Divine Marquis used the rebound force to retreat three zhang, forming a standoff with Yan Nantian and West Gate Blows Snow.

At this time, inside the Jin family's accounting room, the assassin from The Net's "Heaven" rank was picking the copper lock of the room with a thin needle. The accountant was sleeping soundly, saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth, completely unaware that on the beam above his head, a black shadow was moving like a gecko against the beam wood.

"Found it." The black shadow whispered, his fingertips holding three willow-leaf blades, precisely cutting the chain on the ledger rack. On the wax seal of the gold-stamped ledger on the top layer, indeed, the vermilion stamp of the Divine Marquis's Mansion was imprinted, and a feather was stuck next to it—that was Divine Marquis's token.

Just as the assassin tucked the ledger into his bosom, footsteps suddenly came from outside the accounting room. The voice of the Jin family's retainer was laced with the smell of alcohol: "Accountant Wang, the master wants you to go inventory the warehouse, saying that..."

Before the words fell, the black shadow on the beam landed like a civet cat, the willow-leaf blade in his hand pressing against the nape of the retainer's neck. The retainer was about to struggle, but felt a chill pass from the blade into his body, becoming unable to move—that was the "Ice-Condensing Blade" specially made by The Net, specifically for countering internal energy.

The "Heaven" rank assassin dragged the person into the firewood room without any effort, turned and merged into the shadows, and the stone slab at the entrance of the secret passage closed quietly, as if nothing had happened.

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao watched the phantom of the ledger, his fingertips tapping light sounds on the ice table. "Zhao Gao, have the 'Earth' rank members make three copies of the ledger, send one to Hanyue Valley, one to the other Clan Chiefs of the Seven Great Families, and the rest..." He paused, "Send it to the Luoyang Prefect, and say that the Divine Marquis's Mansion is embezzling medicinal materials and colluding with aristocratic families."

Just as Zhao Gao was about to respond, a burst of wild laughter suddenly erupted in the water mirror. Divine Marquis looked at the copy of the ledger that had appeared in his hand out of thin air—that was what Little Fish had stuffed to him using the Ghost Shadow Tracking Step while he was in a standoff with West Gate Blows Snow—his face ashen like iron.

"Lord Divine Marquis, are the numbers on this ledger enough for you to drink a pot?" Little Fish squatted on the eaves, dangling his legs, toying with a waist token of the Divine Marquis's Mansion in his hand, "Oh right, the Clan Chiefs of the Seven Great Families should have received 'gifts' by now too."

In the water mirror, the candles of the Jin mansion, Li mansion, Zhao mansion... the Seven Great Families all lit up at the same time, followed by arguments. Jin Wanliang's roars, other Clan Chiefs' questioning, and the hurried footsteps of the Flying Fish Guards intertwined, and the night sky of Luoyang city suddenly became lively.

Divine Marquis looked at the copy in his hand, then looked at the steadily approaching Yan Nantian and West Gate Blows Snow, suddenly put away his feather fan, and said loudly towards the Treasure Gathering Pavilion: "Jun Xiaoyao, does your Beyond Heaven want to interfere in the affairs of the imperial court?"

Deep in the underground palace, Jun Xiaoyao slowly raised his head, the water mirror reflecting his indifferent eyebrows and eyes. "Affairs of the imperial court?" He chuckled, tapping his fingertip on the summoning array, the spiritual power in the array's eye surging again, "I am just taking back things that belong to Beyond Heaven."

[System prompt: Power oppression detected, triggering political-type summoning.]

[Summonable Character: Di Renjie]

[From: "Di Gong An" world]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm (Martial Dao), Divine Detective (Specialty)]

[Martial Skill: Kanglong Mace Technique (Major Achievement)]

[Specialty: Expert at solving cases, able to ferret out conspiracies from clues, especially skilled at dealing with government offices]

[Summoning Consumption: 60% Spiritual Power]

The summoning array lit up again, this time with a gentle golden light. Di Renjie was dressed in purple robes, holding the Kanglong Mace, stepping out steadily, and bowed to Jun Xiaoyao: "What are the Young Lord's orders?"

"Di Renjie," Jun Xiaoyao pointed his fingertip at the chaotic Luoyang city in the water mirror, "Go and 'present' the collusion case between the Divine Marquis's Mansion and the Jin family to the Luoyang Prefect. Remember, make everyone know that whoever touches Beyond Heaven's things must pay the price."

Di Renjie smiled slightly, the Kanglong Mace turning in his palm: "Young Lord, rest assured, this old official only speaks of evidence when handling cases." After speaking, he stepped into the teleportation array, and when his figure appeared outside the Luoyang Prefect's office, the original ledger with the Divine Marquis's Mansion's wax seal was already in his hand.

In the water mirror, Divine Marquis looked at the red lanterns rising outside the Prefect's office—that was the signal that the government was going to try the case overnight, and his face finally changed. Yan Nantian's iron spear took the opportunity to thrust, the spear tip only three inches away from his heart.

"Lord Divine Marquis," Yan Nantian's voice was like ice, "Now, do you still want to fight?"

Divine Marquis stared at the red lantern for a long time, then finally put away his feather fan: "Retreat."

The Flying Fish Guards retreated rapidly, and the fighting sound in front of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion finally ceased. Yan Nantian looked at West Gate Blows Snow, the latter nodded slightly, and the two figures flashed and disappeared into the night—they were going to "pick up" Little Fish; that slippery guy was currently stealing Drunken Immortal Wine in the Jin mansion's wine cellar, and was afraid he had already forgotten about the real business.

In the underground palace, Jun Xiaoyao watched the farce of the Seven Great Families accusing each other in the water mirror, and then looked at the slowly recovering spiritual power on the summoning array, writing the three characters "Divine Marquis's Mansion" on the ice table with his fingertip; the ink was not yet dry, but a thin layer of ice had already condensed.

Zhao Gao handed over another scroll at the right time: "Young Lord, it has been found. Divine Marquis has recently had secret correspondence with the 'Wolf Tribe' in the north, seemingly eyeing the iron ore of Hanyue Valley."

Jun Xiaoyao raised his eyes, and the water mirror immediately reflected the totem of the Wolf Tribe—a one-eyed gray wolf, blood dripping from its fangs. He tapped heavily on the two characters "Wolf Tribe," and the runes of the summoning array suddenly flickered violently, apparently another new summoning was coming.

[System prompt: Alien force threat detected, triggering battlefield-type summoning.]

[Summonable Character: Yue Fei]

[From: "the complete story of yue fei" world]

[Realm: Middle Celestial Realm]

[Martial Skill: Li Quan Spear (Perfection), Yue Family Spear Formation (Major Achievement)]

[Specialty: Commanding troops in battle, skilled at defending fortresses, able to win against superior numbers, 30% combat power bonus against alien races]

[Summoning Consumption: 90% Spiritual Power]

This time, the light erupting from the summoning array was no longer sword light or golden light, but a crimson light like a raging fire, the spear shadows soaring into the sky, actually reflecting the ice walls of the underground palace with a warm color.

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the figure in the array wearing armor and holding the Li Quan Spear, the corners of his mouth finally curling into an extremely faint arc.

The iron ore of Hanyue Valley is the foundation for Beyond Heaven to forge weapons. Whoever dares to touch it, even if it is the Wolf Tribe, must leave behind some bones.

The farce in Luoyang city was still continuing, while Jun Xiaoyao's gaze had already been cast toward the northern grasslands. There, it would be the chessboard for the next game.