“Purgatory Mountain has definitely already researched things that could deal with the Divine Wooden Flying Cranes.”

“Why?”

“It is because sixteen days ago, there were no more reports of assassinations in Great Mang, meaning that Lin Xi and the others had to leave Great Mang at that time.”

“Where are Lin Xi and the others right now?”

“I do not know. His whereabouts should be the highest level secret even in Green Luan Academy, but the information I released should be able to enter his hands.”

“Why do you feel that this place has some problems?”

“Of the one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven military orders that do not belong to South Tomb Province’s front line military orders, there are two hundred and twelve pieces of information that are related to Central Continent Imperial City, transfers totaling twenty-four, but of the twenty-two high ranking officers included, they all more or less have some connection with Leng Zhennan and Di Choufei, could be considered directly under the emperor. However, there are two transfers, two high ranking officers who came from Immortal Academy. They not only walk the same path as He Baihe, their cultivation levels are both not low.”

“Indeed, Qing Zhaoyin, one of those two, was personally promoted by me, someone who has always been sharpening himself in the border army. His current sword skills shouldn’t be much inferior to Di Choufei’s.”

“The key lies in that the other, Zhang Luzhan, has a Lightning Eagle that is quite capable at detecting cultivators.”

“That is why you suspect that some of these transfers are only to cover up the truth of these two individuals’ transfers, that someone will pass by this place, that some conspiracies will appear here?”

“Only, our Green Luan Academy doesn’t have any important personnel in that region. Will something really happen there?”

“They might not be trying to target any people, there might also be something they need there.”

“...”

In Rudong City’s military department, two elders and a fatty covered in sweat rapidly discussed in front of a map covered in countless markings.

The stern, dark red masked high ranking military officer only narrowed his eyes, guarding this place from the side, not looking at this map, nor did he join this intense and fast discussion.

However, as Hu Family’s intelligence, the entire front line military’s intelligence and Green Luan Academy’s intelligence were combined together, even this stern high ranking officer felt like these two elders and the young fatty were already close to the truth.

Fast talking speed could greatly move one’s mood, make the brain nervous, allowing it to move a bit faster, easier for one to suddenly think of something they normally wouldn’t.

Gu Yunjing, Hu Chenfu and Meng Bai had already sat in front of this map for two days and two nights. Right now, the area on the map their eyes were focused on was Great Desolate Swamp beyond Dragon Snake Mountain Range’s southern extreme.

“What do they want?”

Hu Chenfu rubbed his sore temples, his brows furrowing as he said, “What can there possibly be in Great Desolate Swamp that can even move Purgatory Mountain Patriarch’s heart? Even if he wanted to clean up the corpse of that Sacred Expert who could fly, he is still a few years too late.”

“That thing that could fly.”

Gu Yunjing’s eyes narrowed, releasing cold light from them. “The Divine Wooden Flying Crane has already shown overwhelming dominance on the battlefield. If the Divine Wooden Flying can no longer move, Yunqin no longer having anything that can fly, while Purgatory Mountain still has many things that can… Yunqin’s military and depth in territory will thus no longer be a threat to Purgatory Mountain’s cultivators.”

“It is just like how Lin Xi entered Great Mang King City this time, they could also appear in Central Continent City, or even climb Heaven Ascension Mountain Range!”

Hu Chenfu and Meng Bai’s faces turned rigid. Under Gu Yunjing’s ice-cold voice, the two of them raised their heads, looking at him.

Gu Yunjing’s eyes also left the map, saying slowly, “That area is one even Yunqin soldiers and the Cave Barbarians rarely enter. It is because it is the territory of the Devilmask Doves.”

Hu Chenfu took a deep breath, coldly saying, “That is why Purgatory Mountain likely already has a way to domesticate these Devilmask Doves.”

“If the enemy doesn’t have this but I do, this is precisely power.” Gu Yunjing nodded and said, “This is the same for any battle.”

Drops of cold sweat began to drip down Meng Bai’s face. He was a bit exhausted as he said, “We might already be too late.”

Gu Yunjing shook his head. “Before you give it a try, it will never be considered too late.”

Meng Bai powerlessly hung his head.

He knew that Gu Yunjing’s words were correct, but it had already been several days since those high ranking officers had been transferred… Perhaps only if a miracle happened, would they be able to stop this conspiracy.

…

People often hoped for miracles.

However, miracles usually always happened because of people.

In Great Mang’s rainy season, most paths were similarly muddy. A pair of durable straw sandals that didn’t slide in the mud would be extremely well received during this season.

That man whose face was covered in scars, the straw sandals he sold were extremely sturdy, so his business was exceptionally good. In this season, he walked while selling straw sandals. He passed by many places, walking from some of Great Mang’s towns to the extreme north all the way to the southeasternmost towns.

His hands and legs were grinded even rougher by the straw ropes and the straw sandals he wove himself, but the money sack at his waist also bulged more and more.

It was to the extent where his entire body had all of its edges grinded out by the straw rope, looking no different from an ordinary peddler. Only, when he looked at the bulging money sack, there were no expressions that could be seen in the depths of this ordinary craftsman's eyes.

He didn’t seem to care about these silvers that gradually increased at all.

The people he came into contact with were also the simplest Great Mang people who needed these straw sandals the most. He didn’t know what was happening in the distant Yunqin at all, nor was there any way for him to obtain any Yuqin intelligence.

Only, he discovered that some of Great Mang’s great figures were currently moving towards a certain location.

These great figures normally definitely wouldn’t appear before Great Mang’s common people, to the extent where they wouldn’t even show themselves in Great Mang King City and Imperial Palace.

These great figures were worshipped to the point where they only drank the dew that fell from the flower petals on Jade Spring Mountain.

They were revered to the point where only through the transport of this dew, could he find out some clues about these great figures’ itinerary.

Normally, if even one of these figures appeared, it would already be enough to stir up a huge commotion.

However, in this rainy season, he was sure that the number who appeared was definitely more than one.

Regardless of what it was that these great figures wanted to do, this matter was definitely shocking to the point where it could change this era.

This straw sandal selling man traveled through half of Great Mang. After ultimately coming to this type of deduction, he didn’t weave any new straw sandals. He sold all of the straw sandals he carried, only leaving himself with one final sturdy pair.

In a dilapidated mountain deity temple to Great Mang’s southeastern extreme, he put on this pair of sandals, and then closed his eyes, starting to cultivate, replenishing his soul force.

Ever since he arrived in Great Mang, he had never cultivated, allowing the liveliness of the markets and streets to grind away his exceptional presence.

Since soul force hadn’t flowed through his body for too long, the instant the first wisp of soul force gathered in his body, every drop of blood in his body, every speck that was even finer, seemed like countless travelers who had already been parched for many days, starting to cheer and tremble.

It was also because the inside of his body was too empty that when it was replenished with soul force this time, it seemed to be much faster than any instance of cultivation before.

Perhaps it could be said that the sharpening he experienced these past few years in the streets and between grass ropes similarly allowed his cultivation to experience substantial progress.

The soul force in his body was like ten thousand spring raindrops entering a river valley, starting to surge and flow.

All of the dust on his body was blown by soul force until all of it scattered, flying from his clothes.

…

On the day when Meng Bai felt like a miracle had to happen, Gu Yunjing and Hu Chenfu were already starting to hurry to their destination.

A secret letter was delivered into their hands when they were already close to Dragon Snake Mountain Range.

Hu Chenfu remained silent for a long time. “I am prepared to forgive him.”

Gu Yunjing laughed. “This is your own Hu Family’s matter.”

Hu Chenfu looked at him and said, “Is Purgatory Mountain Patriarch more rushed than even our expectations, already lacking the patience to waste any more time… which is why he wishes to have these people directly gather, wishing to enter Yunqin through the Devilmask Doves?”

Gu Yunjing breathed in the familiar air, putting away his smile and saying, “This should be the case.”

Hu Chenfu said quietly, “Should we wait for Lin Xi’s order?”

“We might not have that much time.” Gu Yunjing thought for a bit. He looked at Hu Chenfu and said, “Either way, the final result is that we aren’t going to let those old things enter Yunqin. Whether we wait for him or not, it doesn’t make that much of a difference.”

Hu Chenfu thought for a bit, and then he nodded. His eyes then shifted to the secret document in Gu Yunjing’s hands.

“I’ll deal with one with him.” He said with a low voice. “You deal with the other one.”

“Alright.”

Gu Yunjing smiled, and then patted Hu Chenfu’s shoulder. “Until we meet again.”[1]

Hu Chenfu looked at the smiling Gu Yunjing. He didn’t say these words back, because he knew that this was most likely going to be the last time they were going to meet.

…

“You feel like the one who captured the Devilmask Doves is Wenren Cangyue?”

Jiang Xiaoyi looked at Lin Xi, saying this.

“He is in Thousand Sunset Border Pass. According to the previous intelligence, he wasn’t far from that place to begin with.” Lin Xi nodded. He looked at Jiang Xiaoyi and said, “Devilmask Doves aren’t things cultivators can catch just because they want to. Wenren Cangyue is the best candidate. Even if he is injured, if he goes all out, he will still be much stronger than ordinary Sacred Experts. I reckon Purgatory Mountain Patriarch also feels that throwing him into Green Luan Academy is quite the good thing.”

Gao Yanan quietly spoke to herself, “But Hu Piyi only has some grasp over the traces of two Purgatory Mountain Great Elders.”

“Great General Gu knows that we can think of something. In reality, he himself has also already thought of certain ways.”

Lin Xi thought about that old general whose white hair was like snow, who he might never see again after today. He looked at everyone around him and said, “Our Divine Wooden Flying Cranes can serve as bait… After discovering our tracks, they will definitely come.”

“Wenren Cangyue definitely doesn’t want to give me too much time, he is definitely impatient to kill me off.”

Lin Xi said with a serious tone, “When the time comes, these people will naturally prioritize us. Great General Gu and the others will help us get rid of a portion of their power. Their strength will indeed be enough to break into Green Luan Academy, but they don’t know how early Meng Bai noticed things, don’t know that Great General Gu is only caring about the matters before his eyes, no longer worrying about the things afterwards. They don’t know that Hu Chenfu and Hu Piyi, these types of experts will set out. Moreover, we still have Nangong Weiyang.”

“If this world truly has miracles, then let us complete this miracle.”

Lin Xi took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. He looked at everyone. “Let us kill Wenren Cangyue!”

1. This is typically used instead of goodbye, but carries the same meaning.