Chapter 55: The Cost and the Gains

"Indeed, it's illogical. By dispatching such a powerful force to ambush a special recruit, they will definitely leave evidence of their involvement behind. The Cloudstride Sect will surely investigate and subsequently embark on a manhunt," a bald guard murmured solemnly. "And that's not even considering that the assassination attempt failed."

"Even if the assassination attempt succeeded, would it have been worth it?" The bald guard shook his head.

Even the mightiest powers in the world, such as the Great Jin Empire, had limited resources. It couldn't afford to spend them recklessly!

Furthermore, mobilizing such a significant force in enemy territory was a risky move. One wrong step could result in devastating losses. The difficulty of rebuilding such forces should not be underestimated.

Most special recruits of the Cloudstride Sect never made it past the second-rate Adept level. The price paid by the Wingborne Sect was disproportionate to the benefits gained. If they were willing to pay a similar cost to assassinate every special recruit, how many experts and resources would the Wingborne Sect expend?

"It is indeed strange. In the past, the Wingborne Sect mainly employed less costly methods like poisoning and close-quarters assassination to eliminate special recruits, just like the Great Jin Empire. Ambushes of this scale are extremely rare!"

These guards, most of them hundred-soldier captains, were experienced and knowledgeable. Anyone with common sense could sense that something was amiss.

Gu Ji said coldly. "The actions of the Cloudstride Sect seem abnormal for an ordinary special recruit. However, what if they had prior knowledge of Wu Yuan's status?"

The group of guards fell silent. That made sense! Having a first-rate Adept as a personal bodyguard indicated that Wu Yuan's importance to the sect far surpassed that of an ordinary special recruit. Though the Wingborne Sect paid a significant price, they might have concluded it was worthwhile as long as the assassination had succeeded.

"Captain Wu." Gu Ji turned to Wu Xiong, his voice frosty, "Immediately send a messenger to relay this incident back to Li City. Notify the county mayor and the general of defense. Request the city guard and the Southdream Army to mobilize at once."

"Simultaneously, the Inspection Bureau must be activated. A thorough investigation is necessary. Those who deserve punishment must be captured, and those who pose a threat must be eliminated! The Wingborne Sect has dared provoke us. We shall teach them that Li City belongs to the Cloudstride Sect," Gu Ji declared coldly.

In Li City, the authority of the Cloudstride Sect was equivalent to the mandate of the heavens. If encircled by both the city guard and the Southdream Army, even first-rate Adepts were likely to be defeated!

"Yes." Wu Xiong immediately responded. Without wasting any time, he selected two guards, one of which was a hundred-soldier captain, while the other was a regular soldier. Both of them prepared to return to Li City to eliminate the other ambush teams sent by the Wingborne Sect.

"Hold on a moment," Wu Yuan called out just as the two guards were about to mount their horses. He grabbed a stack of silver notes from the pile on the ground and handed it to them.

"Young Master." Wu Xiong couldn't help but decline, "The recent ambush was due to our negligence. We've put you in danger." The other guards chimed in, insisting they did not deserve the silver notes.

"This is your deserved share!" Wu Yuan said solemnly, "Of the silver notes collected from the enemies, half will go to Uncle Ji, and the other half will be distributed amongst the guard team."

"Young Master, you should keep these silver notes," Gu Ji added. "We are on a sect mission. Once our tasks are accomplished, we will earn contribution points."

"Uncle Ji, you promised not to interfere with my affairs." Wu Yuan smiled.

Gu Ji couldn't find the words to refute him.

Shortly after, Wu Yuan divided up the large pile of silver notes on the ground and handed them to Gu Ji and the dozen guards.

"The last portion, which is also the largest share, will be allocated to the family of the fallen soldier." Wu Yuan sighed softly, handing the stack of silver notes to the hundred-soldier captain about to depart.

At that moment, the gazes of the dozen guards toward Wu Yuan underwent a profound change.

"Wang Heng thanks Young Master on his behalf." The hundred-soldier captain known as Wang Heng expressed his heartfelt gratitude with a solemn bow.

"Thank you, Young Master." The sentiment was echoed by the ten or so guards. They were not fools; they could see that Wu Yuan's gestures were an attempt to win their favor. And yet, their hearts were genuinely touched. Wu Yuan wasn't offering empty words; he was using actual gold and silver to forge a connection.

These soldiers, especially the hundred-soldier captains, had seen far too many officials and generals who were 'brothers in words, but greedy in actions'. They did not value verbal kindness, but tangible benefits.

Wu Xiong instructed another hundred-soldier captain and a common soldier to remain in the dense forest, guarding the battlefield until a team from Li City arrived to clean it up.

The thirteen armor-piercing crossbows alone were worth a fortune, and destroying them would be a waste.

"Move out!" Wu Xiong commanded. Immediately, Wu Yuan, Gu Ji, and eleven guards swiftly mounted their horses. Their bodies were still stained with fresh blood as they set off for Greendragon Bank.

...

The party did not spare their horses' energy, traveling swiftly along the official route.

"Young Master, are you still pondering over the events just now?" Gu Ji skillfully rode alongside Wu Yuan.

"I am." Wu Yuan replied.

"Very few people are aware of Young Master's true level of talent. If we trace back the clues one by one, we will eventually find the culprit who leaked the information." Gu Ji said, "Young Master need not worry too much, the sect has its ways."

"Mm." Wu Yuan nodded slightly, his mind nevertheless continuously analyzing the event.

Who would have leaked the news? Wu Yuan did not have much understanding of the upper echelons of the sect, so he temporarily put that aside and focused on the few individuals he did know.

Gao Yu? Huan Xinyan? The likelihood was extremely slim! The remaining suspects were none other than County Mayor Jiang Dongque, Headmaster Zhang Da, and the ten or so instructors of the martial academy. Any one of them could potentially be the source of the leak.

But in Wu Yuan's mind, the prime suspect remained the general of defense, Xu Shouyi. That man had ample motive!

Moreover, the failed assassination attempt suggests that I have a powerful protector. If he puts the pieces together, he might deduce that I possess extraordinary potential. Otherwise, why would the sect send an expert to protect me?

It was a sound line of reasoning.

Did Xu Shouyi leak the information? To Wu Yuan, it actually mattered little, for he had already made up his mind: to seek an opportunity to kill Xu Shouyi!

Within the span of an hour, Wu Yuan and his companions arrived at Greendragon Bank and exchanged duties with the stationed city guard. They swiftly washed away the bloodstains from their bodies and changed into fresh attire. Then, the group boarded the large boat that had been prepared in advance, raised the sail, and set off into the Southdragon River!

At the same time, the two guards responsible for delivering the message finally arrived at Li City, They promptly relayed the news to the mayor's faction and the general of defense's faction.

"What? Wu Yuan was targeted for assassination by the Wingborne Sect?"

"They even employed armor-piercing crossbows?"

"Not only were they targeting his group, but there were also three other ambush teams on different routes?" Both Jiang Dongque and Xu Shouyi were taken aback.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, another piece of news arrived. The decoy team had fallen victim to a sudden assault along a deserted stretch of the Southdragon River. They suffered a complete annihilation, down to the last man!

As news of the massacre broke, a tremor ran through the upper echelons of Li City.

"Search! Root out every last undercover agent of the Wingborne Sect. I don’t care if you have to turn Li City upside-down. Leave none alive!" Jiang Dongque bellowed furiously.

Given the magnitude of the incident, failure to deal with the matter properly would lead to dire consequences for him, the county mayor. His only source of comfort was the knowledge that Wu Yuan had managed to escape unscathed.

When Jiang Dongque and the county magistrate arrived at the Meandering Forest Gorge, accompanied by a contingent of city guards, the sight that greeted them left them utterly dumbfounded. The battlefield was drenched in blood, a testament to the ferocity of the conflict that had taken place. How could Wu Yuan's group, composed of a mere ten third-rate Adepts, have emerged victorious with only one casualty?

On the other hand, Xu Shouyi commanded the army of defense with grave seriousness, "Deploy all soldiers. Cooperate with the mayor's faction to hunt down the spies of the Wingborne Sect! Stay vigilant." With these orders, 600 soldiers from the Southdream Army sprung into action.

To assassinate Wu Yuan, the Wingborne Sect certainly kicked up quite a fuss. Alas, Wu Yuan managed to slip through their grasp.

In the blink of an eye, Li City was thrown into a state of chaos, as every available resource was marshaled to both evade blame and quell the brewing storm.

Not only were the Wingborne Sect's spies rooted out, but the relentless investigation by the Cloudstride Sect also exposed unfortunate informants from other factions, who were swiftly dealt with.

...

As twilight approached, a towering mountain stood defiantly 300 li away from Li City. The Southdragon River, twisting and turning, formed a shape resembling the Chinese character '几' as it wound its way around the mountain.

Hidden behind the mountain, several wooden huts were constructed. Outside the huts, a flock of majestic birds, their feathers a rich, earthen gold, blended seamlessly with their natural surroundings. Diligent birdkeepers attended to them with meticulous care.

The largest of the huts was furnished simply and occupied by eight or nine stern-faced men. Among them, a lean man spoke in hushed tones, "Protectorate, all the Skyshade Birds have returned. Various teams have also brought back news."

"Team one, having completed their assassination mission, found themselves pursued by experts from the Cloudstride Sect. Presently, they remain in hiding, and their situation is uncertain."

"Teams three and four managed to shake off the Cloudstride Sect, but not without suffering significant losses. They are now on the run."

"We anticipate a devastating blow to our intelligence network within Li City. Recovery within three to five years seems unlikely."

"We can confirm that team two ambushed the target group, but were ultimately wiped out. They seem to have encountered a first-rate Adept," the lean man solemnly reported, "The target boarded a boat at the Greendragon Bank and is currently sailing down the river. At their current pace, they will reach our location in another two hours."

After completing his report, all eyes turned toward the short-haired youth in the brocade robe, emanating an air of wealth and aggression, seated at the head of the room.

"Our sacrifices have indeed been great," the short-haired youth's voice carried a gentle tone, resonating within the hut’s wooden confines. "However, there is indeed a first-rate Adept protecting that youngster Wu Yuan, which matches the information provided by Ninedragon Peaks."

"It was worth it for the sect to take a gamble and send us here. He just joined the sect at fourteen years old, yet has a first-rate Adept protecting him. Does this Wu Yuan really have the potential to become a Grandmaster?" The short-haired young man shook his head slightly.

Something did not add up.

"Regardless, if we can eliminate Wu Yuan, the price paid will be worthwhile," the short-haired youth's gaze swept across the room, "But if we fail in this task, all the resources we have invested in gathering information will have been for naught."

"I hope no one here will get cold feet."

"Yes." A solemn chorus of agreement filled the room. All of them understood the dangers their mission entailed.

The short-haired youth nodded in satisfaction.

"Let us depart! When Wu Yuan's boat arrives, we shall commence the surprise assault."

The group filed out in a single line. Under the fading light of dusk, they made their way to the shore concealed behind the mountain, where a fleet of small boats was prepared in advance.

...

Night descended.

A large boat sailed on the wide river. Apart from the lower deck, there were two more floors on the boat. Wu Yuan resided in the meditation room on the second floor, the safest chamber on the vessel, while Gu Ji stood watch in the adjacent outer room. The eleven soldiers either patrolled the boat or supervised several crew members to ensure they were not slacking off.

Within the meditation room

.

The blood-red mist surrounding the black pagoda is truly bizarre and miraculous. It can fundamentally improve the body's potential and guide its evolution towards the perfect form.

In recent days, his focus had been primarily split between Visualizing the black pagoda to strengthen his spirit and contemplating the changes occurring within his body. The more he pondered, the more miraculous the blood-red mist seemed.

In just a few days, the spiritual liquid was almost depleted, and his single-arm strength had skyrocketed by 2000 catties—an extraordinary pace of growth.

It's a pity that the blood-red mist is now too sparse to be absorbed any further.

If quantity wasn't an issue, how close could he get to the perfect body?

Hmm?

Wu Yuan's ears moved slightly as a trace of killing intent flashed within his eyes.

Again? It never ends.

Wu Yuan didn't have to wait long.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The once-calm surface of the water surrounding the large boat erupted. Figures wielding weapons emerged from its depths and brazenly stormed the deck!

It was another fierce ambush, showing the urgency of the assassins, and also their confidence in accomplishing their mission!

"Enemy attack!” Battle cries echoed throughout the boat as the assassins and the defenders clashed fiercely.

Amid the turmoil, Gu Ji alone held his ground, maintaining his vigilant presence in the outer room on the second floor.

In a sudden gust of wind, a radiant sword light pierced through the dim light. The swift and elusive strike erupted through the second-floor window towards Wu Yuan.

Clang!

A blinding saber ray blocked the sword. The combatants swiftly separated, creating a cautious distance between them.

Gu Ji had joined the fray.

"Young Master, be careful, it's a first-rate Adept!" Gu Ji's voice was solemn as he stared intensely at the unexpected arrival.