381: A clever plan breaks the situation

On the ice table in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, a map of the Southern Domain was spread out. The location of the Blood Saber Sect's main altar was circled in cinnabar, with a small line of text next to it.

"Blood Hand Butcher, Early Earthly Immortal Realm, 'Blood Saber Scripture' Seventh Layer." Jun Xiaoyao's fingertip tapped on "Luoxia Mountain" to the west of the main altar, and a crimson maple forest immediately appeared in the water mirror.

Deep in the maple forest, Blood Hand Butcher was lecturing a dozen Disciples. The Blood Saber in his hand was stuck in a rock crevice, and the Saber Qi seeping from the blade accelerated the wilting of the surrounding maple leaves: "Within three days, I want to see Jun Xiaoyao's head hanging on the Blood Saber Sect's archway! Whoever can accomplish this will be taught the latter half of the 'Blood Saber Scripture'!"

The Disciples roared their assent, and one of them, emboldened, asked: "Master, the Luowang Assassins of Beyond Heaven..."

"A bunch of rats hiding their heads!" Blood Hand Butcher kicked a nearby boulder to pieces. "I was able to wipe out the entire Qingcheng Sect back then, why would I be afraid of them?" He didn't know that a sound-transmitting conch, planted by The Unruly, was hidden in the rock crevice, relaying his words verbatim to Hanyue Valley.

Jun Xiaoyao placed the sound-transmitting conch on the ice table; frost condensed from the cold air at its opening: "Zhao Gao, have The Net's 'Heaven' group withdraw."

Zhao Gao emerged from the shadows, a flicker of doubt in his eyes: "Young Lord, the 'Heaven' group has infiltrated the Blood Saber Sect's periphery and can strike at any moment..."

"Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?" Jun Xiaoyao pointed to Fragrant Bat, who was visiting Hundred Flowers Valley in the water mirror. "Send him."

In the water mirror, Fragrant Bat was playing chess with the Hundred Flowers Valley Master, with the jade pendant Jun Xiaoyao had given him placed beside the chessboard. The Hundred Flowers Valley Master picked up a white piece and sighed softly: "Blood Hand Butcher has set up secret sentries outside the valley; it seems he's really going to make a move."

Fragrant Bat gently fanned himself, placing a black piece on the center point: "Valley Master, rest assured, someone wants him dead more than we do." He tapped the chessboard with his fingertip, and a slip of paper popped out from a hidden compartment beneath the board, containing The Net's defense map of the Blood Saber Sect.

【Character Panel: Fragrant Bat】

【From: 'Legend of Chu Liuxiang' World】

【Realm: Mid-stage Grandmaster】

【Martial Skills: Finger Flicking Divine Skill (Transcendent), Treading Snow Without a Trace (Perfection)】

【Current Status: Strategizing】

【Special Abilities: Nimble Fingers (can take objects right under an opponent's nose), Insight into Human Hearts (90% success rate in discerning lies)】

【Loyalty: 86%】

At midnight, the alarm bell of the Blood Saber Sect's main altar suddenly rang. Blood Hand Butcher rushed out of his room, only to see flames soaring from the direction of the Scripture Pavilion. He roared and charged towards the Scripture Pavilion, but was blocked by a white figure—Fragrant Bat, holding a folding fan, stood in his path, his smile still free and easy: "Elder Xue, how about you let me have a look at your 'Blood Saber Scripture'?"

Blood Hand Butcher swung his saber, the Blood Saber, imbued with Saber Qi, cleaved towards Fragrant Bat's face. Fragrant Bat, instead of retreating, advanced, tapping the back of the saber with his folding fan, using the force to float back three zhang, perfectly dodging the blade: "The seventh layer of the 'Blood Saber Scripture' is indeed overbearing, but unfortunately... it has too many flaws."

Before he finished speaking, he flicked three pebbles with his fingertips, precisely hitting the mute points of three Blood Saber Sect secret sentries. The crossbow bolts in the sentries' hands lost their aim, all shooting towards Blood Hand Butcher, forcing him to parry with his saber to protect himself.

"Despicable!" Blood Hand Butcher roared, his Blood Saber carving a bloody arc, its Saber Qi splitting the surrounding houses in half. Yet, Fragrant Bat moved like a phantom through the saber shadows, dodging each strike at the last possible moment, while the pebbles occasionally flicked from his fingertips always struck Blood Hand Butcher's old wounds.

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao watched this scene and nodded to Zhao Gao: "The people from Hundred Flowers Valley have arrived."

Sure enough, dozens of figures rushed out from the flames of the Scripture Pavilion. The Hundred Flowers Valley Master, holding a long sword, followed by the valley's Disciples, unleashed Sword Qi like a waterfall: "Blood Hand Butcher! Today is your day of death!"

Blood Hand Butcher, attacked from front and back, and entangled by Fragrant Bat, was immediately plunged into a bitter struggle. Overwhelmed by rage, he forcefully activated the eighth layer of the 'Blood Saber Scripture,' his entire skin turning blood-red, and his aura surging to the Mid-stage Terrestrial Immortal Realm: "All of you, die!"

The Blood Saber transformed into a Blood Dragon, attacking both Fragrant Bat and the Hundred Flowers Valley Master simultaneously. Fragrant Bat closed his folding fan, using it as a short staff to block, but was pushed back three steps, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth: "You do have some skill."

Just then, Blood Hand Butcher suddenly screamed, and his Blood Saber flew out of his hand. Everyone saw a black crossbow bolt embedded in his back, with The Net's cloud pattern carved on the shaft—it was a killer from the 'Shadow' group, lurking outside, who seized the moment he was fully activating his Cultivation Technique to deliver a fatal blow.

"It's The Net!" Despair flashed in Blood Hand Butcher's eyes as his body slowly collapsed. Before dying, he stared fixedly at Fragrant Bat, "Beyond Heaven... Jun Xiaoyao..."

Fragrant Bat picked up the fallen 'Blood Saber Scripture' and cupped his hands to the Hundred Flowers Valley Master: "Thank you, Valley Master, for your assistance."

The Hundred Flowers Valley Master sheathed her sword, looking at Blood Hand Butcher's corpse, a complex look in her eyes: "Please return this jade pendant to the Young Master of Tianwaitian, Marshal Xiang, and tell him that Hundred Flowers Valley owes him a favor."

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao took the copied 'Blood Saber Scripture' handed to him by Zhao Gao, his fingertip caressing the blood-red characters on the pages: "Have The Net's 'Kill' group clean up the remnants of the Blood Saber Sect. The black market in the Southern Domain needs a new owner."

Zhao Gao bowed: "Young Lord, Shen Wansan sent word that the Persian merchant caravan is willing to buy our profound iron at triple the price, on the condition of an exclusive agency agreement."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the summoning array. The spiritual energy in its core, having increased due to the demise of the Blood Saber Sect, had reached 92%. As the runes flowed, a figure holding a judge's brush appeared.

【System Notification: Detected a reshuffling of Jianghu forces, triggering a 'Law Enforcement' type summon.】

【Summonable Character: Gongsun Ce】

【From: 'Justice Bao' World】

【Realm: Grandmaster Peak】

【Martial Skills: Judge's Brush (Transcendent), Deduction (95% accuracy in solving cases)】

【Specialties: Legal Classics (proficient in the laws of various continental countries), Document Drafting (can draft impeccable contracts)】

【Summon Cost: 90% Spiritual Energy】

Jun Xiaoyao's fingertip descended, and the summoning array erupted with green light. Runes unfolded like bamboo slips, and Gongsun Ce, dressed in official robes and holding a scroll, materialized in the light. He cupped his hands to Jun Xiaoyao, his voice steady: "Gongsun Ce greets Young Lord."

【Character Panel: Gongsun Ce】

【Status: Standby】

【Special Abilities: Contract Art (drafted contracts are bound by the rules of heaven and earth), Handwriting Identification (can identify over 90% of forged documents)】

【Loyalty: 88%】

【Current Thought: The Persian merchant caravan's contract has many loopholes and needs careful revision】

"The Persian merchant caravan's contract, I'll leave it to you to handle." Jun Xiaoyao pushed the contract sent by Shen Wansan in front of him. "I need to ensure that Beyond Heaven's interests are maximized, with no future troubles."

Gongsun Ce picked up the contract and, after reading only three pages, pointed out five loopholes: "The 'exclusive agency' here does not specify a region, and the 'price fluctuation' here has no upper limit..." He picked up his judge's brush and quickly made revisions on the scroll. Where the brush tip passed, a faint golden light flowed.

In the water mirror, Fragrant Bat had returned to the periphery of Hanyue Valley and was handing over the Blood Saber Sect's property list to the Marshal of the Unruly. The Marshal of the Unruly checked the gold mines and medicinal fields on the list and said to Fragrant Bat: "The Young Lord wants you to go to the Western Regions to assist Li Shimin in resolving trade route disputes."

Fragrant Bat gently fanned himself: "I was just thinking of seeing the beauties of Persia. I'll trouble Marshal of the Unruly to convey my farewells to the Young Lord."

The Hanyue Valley Underground Palace returned to silence, with only the sound of Gongsun Ce's brush revising the contract echoing. Jun Xiaoyao watched the spiritual energy in the summoning array slowly rise, knowing that the turmoil in the Southern Domain had settled, and the trade routes in the Western Regions would become even more stable with Gongsun Ce's arrival.

The flames of the Blood Saber Sect had long been extinguished, leaving only ruins. But the legends about Beyond Heaven in the Jianghu...

became even more fervent—no one knew the appearance of this Young Lord, but everyone understood that incurring the wrath of Beyond Heaven was more terrifying than facing the Blood Saber Sect.

Jun Xiaoyao picked up the contract revised by Gongsun Ce, his fingertip gently tapping on the clause "Beyond Heaven Exclusive Supply."

His territory was expanding at a visible rate, and every step was as steady as a rock.