383: Luoyang Undercurrents

On the ice wall of the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, a water mirror reflected the full view of Luoyang City.

This Central Plains hub city was bustling with traffic. The gilded signboard of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion was particularly conspicuous on South Street. The Third Prince's hidden guards, disguised as merchants, patrolled outside the pavilion.

Jun Xiaoyao's fingertip tapped the secret passage entrance in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's backyard, where three Luowang Assassinss from the “Xuan” group were hidden.

"Zhao Gao, how are the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's accounts coming along?" Jun Xiaoyao's voice came through the icy mist. The scrolls on the table recorded the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's cash flow over the past six months, with several large expenditures pointing to a manor outside the city.

Zhao Gao emerged from the shadows, holding a copy of the ledger: "Reporting, Young Lord, the Third Prince is using the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's money to raise private soldiers. That manor hides at least two thousand armored soldiers, led by his trusted subordinate, 'Iron Fist' Wang Kui, an Early Earthly Immortal Realm expert."

In the water mirror, the Third Prince was secretly conversing with Wang Kui in the manor. Diagrams of black iron weapons were displayed on the table: "As long as we secure the Central Plains agency rights for Beyond Heaven, these weapons can equip the entire army. Once the Emperor passes away, this world..."

Wang Kui cupped his fists: "Your Highness, rest assured. Your subordinate has made arrangements. Tonight, we will 'visit' Shen Wansan and force him to sign the transfer agreement."

Jun Xiaoyao watched this scene, then nodded to Zhao Gao: "Have The Net's 'Sha' group go to the manor's periphery. If Wang Kui dares to touch Shen Wansan, cripple his Iron Fist."

[Character Panel: Shen Wansan]

[From: "History of Ming" and folk legends]

[Realm: Middle Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skills: Treasure Gathering Art (Transcendent), Abacus Art (Perfection)]

[Current Status: Negotiating]

[Special Abilities: Midas Touch (can quickly assess asset value), Divine Business Acumen (85% success rate in persuading merchants to cooperate)]

[Loyalty: 86%]

Shen Wansan was currently at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, dealing with the Third Prince's envoy. He toyed with an abacus, a shrewd smile on his Face: "The agency rights can be discussed, but the price must follow Beyond Heaven's rules."

The envoy slammed the table: "Shopkeeper Shen, don't be ungrateful! Do you dare defy the Third Prince's wishes?"

Shen Wansan flicked the abacus beads, which clicked crisply: "It's not that I'm not giving Face, but the contract clearly states that the Young Lord has the final say." He flicked a copper coin, hitting the envoy's waist-worn saber. "Besides, before you make a move on me, you'd best consider The Net's blades."

The envoy's Face turned ashen, and he left resentfully. Shen Wansan watched his retreating back and whispered to the Luowang hidden scout behind him: "Notify the 'Xuan' group to proceed as planned."

After nightfall, the South Street of Luoyang City suddenly echoed with sounds of fighting. Wang Kui led a hundred private soldiers to besiege the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. His Iron Fist smashed through the main gate, and amidst flying bricks and stones, he roared: "Shen Wansan, come out and Face your death!"

However, the pavilion was empty, only a note left by Shen Wansan: "Private soldiers besieging a merchant officially appointed by the imperial court, the Third Prince is truly audacious." Only then did Wang Kui realize something was wrong. He turned to retreat but was blocked by The Net's 'Sha' group.

The leading assassin, Shadow One, held a long sword, its light like a silk ribbon: "Commander Wang, leave your Iron Fist behind before you go."

Wang Kui met him with a punch, his Iron Fist carrying a strong gust of wind towards Shadow One's Face. Shadow One neither dodged nor evaded; his long sword slid along the punch's momentum, its tip precisely piercing the Meridians in Wang Kui's wrist. Wang Kui screamed, his Iron Fist instantly losing strength and drooping limply.

"Retreat!" Wang Kui clutched his wrist and fell back, but the private soldiers were cut off and surrounded by The Net's assassins, their screams rising and falling.

Before the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao watched the flames in the direction of the manor, where The Net's 'Sha' group had taken advantage of the situation to burn down the private soldiers' armory. Zhao Gao handed over a secret report: "Young Lord, the Third Prince has already sent someone to beg the Emperor for forgiveness, claiming it was a 'misunderstanding'."

Jun Xiaoyao chuckled: "Misunderstanding? Have Gongsun Ce draft a memorial, along with the evidence of Wang Kui's private soldiers, and give it to Lord Bao."

[Character Panel: Gongsun Ce]

[From: "Judge Bao" world]

[Realm: Grandmaster Peak]

[Martial Skills: Judge's Brush (Transcendent), Deduction Art (Perfection)]

[Current Status: Drafting Memorial]

[Special Abilities: Legal Mastery (impeccable drafting of documents), Conclusive Evidence (renders criminals speechless)]

[Loyalty: 88%]

Gongsun Ce's memorial was delivered to Kaifeng Prefecture the next day. Lord Bao, seeing the evidence on the memorial—the roster of private soldiers, the armory accounts, and Wang Kui's confession—was furious and immediately reported to the Emperor.

In the water mirror, the Emperor slammed down the memorial in the imperial court: "The Third Son dares to privately raise armored soldiers! Issue my decree, strip him of his Treasure Gathering Pavilion operating rights, and fine him three years' salary!"

The Third Prince knelt before His Highness, his Face pale, but he dared not argue.

Jun Xiaoyao watched this scene and nodded to Zhao Gao: "Have Shen Wansan take over the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and rename it 'Beyond Heaven Trading Company'."

After Shen Wansan took charge of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, the first thing he did was lower the price of black iron by 20% compared to before the merchant alliance stopped buying. Merchants from Luoyang rushed to buy, forming long queues on South Street. Shen Wansan stood in front of the pavilion, his abacus clicking loudly: "The Young Lord said, rules are made for those who follow them."

The summoning array's spiritual power, having gained control of Luoyang's trade routes, had risen to 93%. As the runes flowed, a figure holding a folding fan appeared.

[System Notification: Detected Jianghu forces coveting, triggering a "Ranger-type" summon.]

[Summonable Character: Shen Lang]

[From: "Wulin Waishi" world]

[Realm: Late Stage Great Grandmaster]

[Martial Skills: Heaven and Earth Annihilation Divine Art (Major Achievement), Lightness Skill (Treading Snow Without a Trace, Transcendent)]

[Specialties: Tracking (can lock onto targets within a thousand li), Breaking the Deadlock (90% chance of finding a way out of desperate situations)]

[Summon Cost: Spiritual Power 91%]

Jun Xiaoyao's fingertip descended, and the summoning array burst with green light. Runes fluttered like willow catkins, and Shen Lang's figure condensed in the light. He wore a green robe, held a folding fan, and cupped his hands towards Jun Xiaoyao: "Shen Lang greets the Young Lord."

[Character Panel: Shen Lang]

[Status: Standby]

[Special Abilities: Foresight (85% success rate in predicting danger), Clever Escape (95% success rate in escaping encirclement)]

[Loyalty: 85%]

[Current Thoughts: The waters of Luoyang are deeper than expected; the Third Prince seems to have Holy Land support behind him.]

"Find out which Holy Land the Third Prince is colluding with." Jun Xiaoyao pointed to the Third Prince's mansion's secret envoy in the water mirror; the jade pendant on that person's waist was carved with the characters "Xiaoyao Sect."

Shen Lang gently fanned himself: "Young Lord, rest assured. I will give you an answer within three days." He turned and stepped into the teleportation array. When he appeared outside Luoyang City, he had changed into a tracker's attire, following the secret envoy from a distance.

Three days later, news came from the water mirror: Shen Lang intercepted a secret letter between the Third Prince and the Sect Head outside the Xiaoyao Sect's branch. The letter revealed an agreement to cooperate from within and without to seize the black iron mother lode in Hanyue Valley.

Jun Xiaoyao placed the secret letter on the ice table; the cold air made the paper tremble slightly: "The Xiaoyao Sect is quite ambitious." He nodded to Zhao Gao. "Have Yue Fei transfer five thousand spearmen from Mobei to guard the periphery of Hanyue Valley."

[Character Panel: Yue Fei]

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

[Realm: Mid-stage Terrestrial Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skills: Yue Family Spear (Transcendent), Spear Formation (Perfection)]

[Current Status: Deploying Troops]

[Special Abilities: Loyalty to the Country (subordinates' morale never drops), Unparalleled Formation Breaking (90% success rate in breaking military formations)]

[Loyalty: 90%]

The turmoil in Luoyang City gradually subsided, and the Beyond Heaven Trading Company's business became increasingly prosperous. Black iron weapons flowed from here to various parts of the Central Plains, while The Net's assassins lurked in the shadows, eliminating forces attempting to meddle with the trade routes.

The Hanyue Valley Underground Palace returned to silence, with only the water mirror still displaying the images sent back by Shen Lang—Xiaoyao Sect Disciples practicing sword formations in the valley, their Sword Qi crisscrossing, clearly preparing to seize the ore vein.

Jun Xiaoyao watched the spiritual power slowly rising in the summoning array, knowing that a confrontation with a Holy Land was inevitable. And Beyond Heaven's sword was already sharpened, just waiting for the right moment.

Luoyang's lights remained brilliant, and the Beyond Heaven Trading Company on South Street was bustling with people.

No one knew that the order of this prosperous city had been quietly controlled by that figure in Hanyue Valley. Beyond Heaven's strategic deployment in the Central Plains had just begun.