377: A series of poisonous schemes

On the ice wall of the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, the water mirror reflected the scene of the Imperial hunting grounds.

Ten thousand acres of pine forest were covered in lingering snow. Dozens of brocade tents had been set up in the forest clearing. In front of the main tent where the throne was located, the Imperial Guards were using black iron to build a fence, and the dragon and phoenix patterns carved on the fence exuded an aura of grim slaughter.

"Young Lord, the deployment map for the March Spring Hunt has been obtained." Zhao Gao's voice came from the shadows, and the sheepskin scroll in his hand was marked with the positions of the open and hidden sentries.

"The Emperor will bring three hundred Imperial Guards and five court-appointed experts. The Empress Dowager and the First Prince will each bring two hundred private soldiers. There are also five thousand capital garrison troops on the perimeter of the hunting grounds, commanded by Li Song."

Jun Xiaoyao's fingertip traced over the name "Li Song," and a lean face immediately appeared in the water mirror—this man was the Emperor's trusted confidant, at the Early Earthly Immortal Realm, wielded a pair of meteor hammers, and had once performed meritorious service in quelling the barbarian rebellion, yet last year he had secretly accepted three chests of black iron from Beyond Heaven, helping The Net clear a secret passage into the Imperial City.

"As for Li Song, have the 'Qian' unit of The Net send another batch of black iron to him and hint for him to 'turn a blind eye' during the Spring Hunt." Jun Xiaoyao looked up at the water mirror. Inside the Empress Dowager's brocade tent, Cansha's Junior Brother, Candu, was handing a brocade box to a eunuch, and faint insect chirping could be heard from within the box. "They are still plotting to use the Mother-Child Gu."

Zhao Gao bowed and said: "Candu has hidden the 'Mother-Child Gu King' inside the box. It is said that this Gu can simultaneously control a hundred child Gu, and those infected will become Puppets, obeying only the master of the Gu King. The Empress Dowager intends to mix the child Gu into the Imperial meal during the Spring Hunt to control the Emperor and the court officials who oppose her."

In the water mirror, the First Prince's tent was also not peaceful. He was in a secret discussion with an Elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. On the table lay a deployment map of Hanyue Valley. The Elder pointed to the mine shaft on the map: "The Young Sect Master has already brought the 'Falling Snow Sword Formation' and is waiting outside the valley. As long as the First Prince gives the order, we can take advantage of the chaos to seize the black iron mother lode."

"Yue Fei and Huyan Zhuo of Beyond Heaven are still in the northern desert, and the valley's defenses are empty; this is the perfect opportunity." A flash of greed crossed the First Prince's eyes. "As soon as I obtain the mother lode, I will be able to recruit more forces, and by then..."

Jun Xiaoyao watched this scene and nodded to Zhao Gao: "Send Full of Towers to the hunting grounds; his ability to listen and identify positions can detect abnormal movements in advance. Also, have Blue Phoenix prepare the 'Gu-Antidote Pill'. Although the Mother-Child Gu King is poisonous, it fears her Gu-Eating Ants."

[Character Panel: Full of Towers]

[Origin: World of legend of lu xiaofeng]

[Realm: Middle Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skill: Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve (Transcendent)]

[Current Status: Infiltrating the hunting grounds]

[Special Ability: Listening and Identifying Positions (Can hear heartbeats and the sound of hidden weapons breaking through the air within one hundred meters)]

[Loyalty: 88%]

[Character Panel: Blue Phoenix]

[Origin: World of "the smiling, proud wanderer"]

[Realm: Mid-stage Grandmaster]

[Martial Skill: Five Poisons Scripture (Transcendent)]

[Current Status: Refining medicine]

[Special Ability: Gu Language (Can command Gu-Eating Ants to devour foreign Gu insects)]

[Loyalty: 83%]

In the water mirror, Full of Towers had disguised himself as a medicinal herb farmer, walking through the pine forest with a herb basket on his back. Although he was blind, his steps were as steady as a rock. His ears twitched slightly, allowing him to distinguish the breathing frequency of the guards in the shadows. When he reached the outside of the Empress Dowager's tent, he suddenly stopped and whispered to the secret sentry of The Net behind him: "There are seven people in the tent, three of whom have chaotic breathing, as if they are refining Gu poison."

Blue Phoenix was refining the antidote in a cave at the edge of the hunting grounds. She mixed the eggs of the Gu-Eating Ants with sunflower pollen and used Internal Energy to catalyze them into pale golden pills. The exotic fragrance emitted by the pills caused the surrounding poisonous insects to retreat. "The Mother-Child Gu King fears this medicinal fragrance. As long as the target takes it in advance, the Gu insects will leave the body on their own," she said to the message talisman, dividing the pills into thirty small porcelain bottles.

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the summoning array. Due to the gathering of various forces, the spiritual energy at the array's core had risen to 94%. As the runes circulated, a figure holding a folding fan appeared.

[System Prompt: Detected multiple interlocking conspiracies, triggering a "Strategy-type" summoning.]

[Summonable Character: Fragrant Bat]

[Origin: World of "Chu Liuxiang Legend"]

[Realm: Early Earthly Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skill: Finger Flicking Divine Skill (Transcendent), Lightness Skill (Treading Snow Without a Trace, peerless under heaven)]

[Expertise: Investigation (skilled at seeing through plots and schemes), Disguise (can imitate anyone's speech and behavior)]

[Summoning Cost: 92% Spiritual Energy]

Jun Xiaoyao's fingertip fell, and the summoning array suddenly erupted with a pale green light. The runes danced like flowing mist, and the figure of Fragrant Bat condensed in the light. He held a folding fan, his smile carefree, and bowed to Jun Xiaoyao: "Marshal Xiang, Fragrant Bat, greets the Young Lord."

[Character Panel: Fragrant Bat]

[Status: On standby]

[Special Ability: Sense of Smell (Can distinguish a thousand scents, including colorless and odorless poisons), Insight (Can see through 90% of disguises)]

[Loyalty: 85%]

[Current Thought: The conspiracies in this hunting ground are much more interesting than the fog on the sea]

"The waters of the Spring Hunt are too deep; you need to stir them up." Jun Xiaoyao pointed to the brocade tents of the Empress Dowager and the First Prince in the water mirror. "First, go to the Empress Dowager's tent and swap out the Mother-Child Gu King, then go to the First Prince and 'borrow' evidence of his collusion with the Ten Thousand Swords Sect."

Fragrant Bat lightly waved his folding fan: "Rest assured, Young Lord, I guarantee it will be done without anyone knowing." His figure flickered, and he stepped into the teleportation array. When he appeared in the hunting grounds, he had already changed into the attire of an Imperial Guard, and the token at his waist was identical to that of the guards—it had actually been forged using a mold provided by The Net.

In the dead of night, the hunting grounds were silent. Fragrant Bat avoided the patrolling guards and snuck into the Empress Dowager's tent like a civet cat. Inside the tent, Candu was dozing at the table, with the brocade box placed right by his hand. Fragrant Bat held his breath, flicked a wisp of finger wind from his fingertip, and sucked the Mother-Child Gu King from the box into a jade bottle he had prepared in advance, then placed an ordinary Gu worm of similar appearance inside. The entire process took less than three breaths, and Candu had no idea.

When sneaking into the First Prince's tent, Fragrant Bat encountered trouble—the "Falling Snow Sword Formation" of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect was set up inside the tent, with Sword Qi interwoven into a net; touching it would trigger an alarm. He tapped his folding fan lightly and flicked three copper coins from his fingertips, which accurately struck the three hubs of the sword formation. The Sword Qi immediately became chaotic, revealing a gap.

"It really was hidden under the pillow." Fragrant Bat pulled a roll of secret letters from under the pillow. The letters were stamped with the First Prince's private seal and the sword emblem of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, detailing the plan to seize the mother lode. He tucked the secret letters into his robes and replaced them with a forged "account book," which recorded "evidence of crimes" of the First Prince embezzling military pay.

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao watched Fragrant Bat return successfully and said to Zhao Gao: "Send the secret letters to Lord Bao and have him 'happen' to discover them during the Spring Hunt. Also, have The Net 'accidentally' drop that fake account book on the path the Emperor is bound to take."

"Yes." Zhao Gao paused and added: "Li Song sent word that the Emperor seems to have sensed something was wrong and has secretly deployed two thousand heavy cavalry to guard the north gate of the hunting grounds, commanded by Marquis Zhenbei, who is at the Late Stage of the Land Immortal Realm."

Jun Xiaoyao looked up. In the water mirror appeared an old general wearing silver armor, who was deploying defenses while looking at a map. The vice-general behind him whispered: "Marquis, should we act in advance and take down those who have disloyal intentions?"

Marquis Zhenbei shook his head: "His Majesty has ordered us to wait for them to jump out first, then capture them all in one net."

"It seems the Emperor is also playing a game of chess." A cold sneer curled on the corner of Jun Xiaoyao's mouth. "Have the Marshal of the Unruly take the 'Xuan' battalion to the north gate. If Marquis Zhenbei dares to interfere, use the Tiangang Art to trap him. Don't take his life; he is still useful."

[Character Panel: Marshal of the Unruly]

[Origin: World of "Paint Jianghu: The Unruly"]

[Realm: Late Stage Great Grandmaster]

[Martial Skill: Tiangang Art (Perfection)]

[Current Status: On standby]

[Special Ability: Fire Control (Can condense flames to form a wall of fire)]

[Loyalty: 95%]

The Hanyue Valley Underground Palace returned to silence, with only the water mirror still playing the undercurrents of the hunting grounds. Full of Towers marked thirty-seven locations where hidden weapons were concealed in the pine forest. Blue Phoenix's antidote had been delivered through the secret sentries of The Net to the hands of loyal ministers like Lord Bao. Fragrant Bat, disguised as a guard, wandered near the throne, waiting for the Spring Hunt to begin.

Jun Xiaoyao watched the spiritual energy slowly recovering in the summoning array, knowing that this game of chess had entered its most critical stage. Whether it was the Empress Dowager's Mother-Child Gu, the First Prince's sword formation, or the Emperor's heavy cavalry, they would all eventually become stepping stones for the expansion of Beyond Heaven.

The wind in the hunting grounds whipped up lingering snow, which fell on the curtains of the brocade tents, making a faint, crisp sound.

No one knew that this seemingly ordinary Spring Hunt would determine the direction of the entire Imperial Dynasty, while the mastermind behind the scenes was sitting quietly in the Underground Palace of Hanyue Valley, waiting for the moment to close The Net.