372: Searching for remnants of the Luo Net

Jun Xiaoyao sat on the cold jade couch, twirling a white jade chess piece between his fingers. The piece reflected the snowflakes drifting outside the window.

The depths of the underground palace were so quiet one could hear the sound of ice forming. Only the bronze lamp on the table occasionally sputtered sparks, illuminating the indifference in his eyes.

"Zhao Gao."

A figure immediately stepped out of the shadows, snow grains clinging to his dark robe. When he knelt on one knee, he brought in a gust of cold air.

"Young Lord."

"How was the mission for The Net's 'Shadow' Unit tonight?" Jun Xiaoyao placed the chess piece onto the board, the black piece precisely blocking the retreat of the white piece.

Zhao Gao lowered his head and replied, "Reporting to Young Lord, as per your command, we have cleared out the Blood Shadow Cult's three strongholds south of the city. However..."

He paused, pulling a blood-stained token from his sleeve. "We found this in the last secret cave. The patterns on it are related to the Heavenly Silkworm Cult, which was destroyed three years ago."

Jun Xiaoyao picked up the token, his fingers tracing the silkworm pattern on it. The token suddenly grew hot, reflecting a line of blood-red small text: "Third day of the twelfth lunar month, Longmen Grottoes, exchange for antidote."

"Remnants of the Heavenly Silkworm Cult?" He raised an eyebrow, tossing the token back to Zhao Gao. "Are The Unruly making any moves?"

"Marshal of the Unruly has led the 'Black' Battalion to infiltrate the outskirts of the Longmen Grottoes. He sent back word that the cave is guarded by a Heavenly Silkworm Silk Formation. Touching it results in immediate entanglement. We have already lost three scouts."

Jun Xiaoyao lightly tapped the chessboard with his finger. The white piece, surrounded by the black, gradually showed signs of defeat. "Tell Marshal of the Unruly to pull out and just leave three scouts to keep a close watch on the exit. Heavenly Silkworm Silk melts upon contact with fire; there's no need for a direct confrontation."

"Understood." Just as Zhao Gao was about to withdraw, Jun Xiaoyao called out to him again.

"Tell Marshal of the Unruly to keep an eye on the merchant caravans arriving from Tianzhu, especially those carrying silk goods." Jun Xiaoyao looked at the stalemate on the chessboard, a cold smile playing on his lips. "The Heavenly Silkworm Cult is best known for wrapping poison in silk. The camels of those caravans likely hide more than just an 'antidote'."

After Zhao Gao received the order and left, Jun Xiaoyao waved his hand. Three light screens appeared on the table, each corresponding to the profile of a summoned character—

[Character Panel: Marshal of the Unruly]

[Source: The World of The Unruly in the Jianghu]

[Realm: Late Stage Great Grandmaster]

[Martial Skill: Tiangang Art (Perfection), Huayang Needle (Transcendent)]

[Current Status: Infiltrating the outskirts of Longmen Grottoes]

[Special Command: Monitor the Tianzhu caravan, await orders to act]

[Character Panel: Zhao Gao]

[Source: The World of Qin's Moon]

[Realm: Grandmaster Peak]

[Martial Skill: The Net Mind-Cultivation Technique (Perfection), Concealment Technique (Transcendent)]

[Current Status: Coordinating the deployment of The Net's various battalions]

[Special Command: Investigate all silk shops in the city, mark merchants who purchased Tianzhu silk in the past three months]

[Character Panel: Stone Guanyin]

[Source: The World of the legend of chu liuxiang]

[Realm: Mid-stage Grandmaster]

[Martial Skill: Heavenly Silkworm Art (Major Achievement), Disguise Technique (Transcendent)]

[Current Status: Disguised as a Tianzhu dancer, infiltrating the caravan]

[Special Command: Confirm the authenticity of the "antidote," use scented powder as a signal if it is a trap]

Jun Xiaoyao slid his finger across Stone Guanyin's panel, his gaze slightly darkening. When he summoned her three days ago, she had just used the Disguise Technique to replace a dancer in the caravan. Now, she must have already figured out the caravan's details.

The snow outside the window intensified, covering the tracks of the Luowang Assassinss moving about. Marshal of the Unruly sent back a new secret letter, written in cinnabar: "The caravan is acting strangely. An iron box is hidden beneath a camel's saddle, and something living seems to be wriggling inside."

Jun Xiaoyao held the secret letter near the lamp and lit it. The ashes drifted onto the chessboard, landing exactly on the white piece's "General" position.

"Living thing?" He sneered. "Just the Heavenly Silkworm Cult's 'Mother-Child Silkworms.' The Mother Silkworm is hidden in the iron box, and the Child Silkworm is implanted inside the human body. The third day of the twelfth lunar month... they intend to exchange human lives for the antidote."

At this moment, Zhao Gao entered again, holding a brocade box. "Young Lord, this is the register retrieved from the stronghold south of the city. It records nearly a hundred names, all people who have been implanted with the Child Silkworm by the Heavenly Silkworm Cult, including... the youngest son of the Vice Minister of Personnel."

Jun Xiaoyao opened the brocade box. The names on the register were densely marked with red circles. The last page contained a simple map, marking the place where the antidote for the Child Silkworm was refined—the Sutra Cave of the Longmen Grottoes.

"The Vice Minister of Personnel just impeached Beyond Heaven in court last night, claiming we were privately selling weapons." Jun Xiaoyao tapped the name with his finger, and the ink instantly blurred. "What a coincidence."

Zhao Gao whispered, "Do we need to have The Net 'handle' him?"

"No need." Jun Xiaoyao closed the brocade box. "He is more useful alive. On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, he will want us to succeed more than anyone else."

He looked at Stone Guanyin's light screen. In the image, she was dancing along with the caravan's camel bells. When her water sleeves brushed past the camel saddle, a piece of scented powder quietly fell onto the iron box, releasing a pale purple smoke—that was the signal she had agreed upon with Marshal of the Unruly, indicating "it's a trap."

"Marshal of the Unruly can make his move." Jun Xiaoyao murmured to the air. "Heavenly Silkworm Silk fears fire. Have the 'Fire' Battalion bring out the prepared kerosene barrels. Don't burn down the Sutra Cave; it still has its uses."

The moment Zhao Gao acknowledged the order, raging flames ignited within the light screen. Marshal of the Unruly used the Tiangang Art to summon fierce fire, and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk Formation immediately burst into flames with crackling sounds. The caravan's camels bolted in fright, and Stone Guanyin took the opportunity to sweep out, having already replaced the iron box in her hand with a fake one.

"The Mother Silkworm of the Mother-Child Silkworms..." Jun Xiaoyao watched the image transmitted by Stone Guanyin. Sure enough, a snow-white silkworm lay inside the iron box, its mouthparts glowing green. "That saves us the trouble of looking for the Child Silkworms."

He picked up the token. The blood-red small text on it had mostly faded, leaving only the words "Third Day."

"The third day of the twelfth lunar month, Longmen Grottoes." Jun Xiaoyao threw the token back to Zhao Gao. "Make sure the Vice Minister of Personnel 'knows' about this matter. Tell him the Heavenly Silkworm Cult specifically named his youngest son to exchange for the antidote, or else..."

Zhao Gao understood. "This subordinate understands. I will arrange it immediately."

The underground palace fell silent again. Only the reflection of the firelight on the chessboard flickered in Jun Xiaoyao's eyes.

He picked up the last white piece, hesitating to place it—the game set for the third day of the twelfth lunar month involved more than just the Heavenly Silkworm Cult and the Vice Minister of Personnel as chess pieces.

In Stone Guanyin's light screen, she was using the Disguise Technique to revert to her original appearance, twirling a Heavenly Silkworm Cocoon between her fingers. The patterns on the cocoon were identical to the silkworm pattern on the token.

"Young Lord, the caravan leader said that this cocoon hides the heart-eroding gu, which can control Great Grandmasters..."

Jun Xiaoyao's lips curled up slightly. He finally placed the white piece, completely blocking the black piece's last retreat. "Is that so? That is truly... quite interesting."