The Silver Moon Mountain Manor?
Gu Hai showed a solemn expression. Why did Long Sanqian appear at the Silver Moon Mountain Manor?
“Your Reverence, are there some secrets in the Silver Moon Mountain Manor?” Chang Ming asked.
Gu Hai remained silent for a while, thinking back on everything he knew.
“There are!” Gu Hai’s face suddenly sank.
“Oh?”
“Prime Feng Yue and Shangguan Hen previously stayed in the Silver Moon Sea for some time. During that time, Prime Feng Yue commanded all the black tortoises to head there. The Silver Moon Sea? That was not the black tortoise’s base. Why the Silver Moon Sea, then?”
“That’s right. Logically, Prime Feng Yue should have brought the black tortoises to Tengen Island in the Thousand Islands Sea when he took charge. Why remain in the Silver Moon Sea?” Chang Ming’s expression turned grave.
“That means the Silver Moon Sea or the Silver Moon Mountain Manor has something Prime Feng Yue or Old Mister Guan Qi wants,” Gu Hai said.
“Oh?”
“Furthermore, when Prime Feng Yue stationed himself in the Silver Moon Sea, the heaven-grade zither Six Fingers rushed back. That was not a coincidence but a precaution? A precaution against Old Mister Guan Qi?” Gu Hai’s face sank.
Chang Ming’s pupils constricted.
“That’s right. Your Reverence, we previously thought it was a coincidence. Now, it looks like that might not be the case. Six Fingers returned to protect something in the Silver Moon Mountain Manor, clashing with Prime Feng Yue. Furthermore, Long Sanqian is one of Guan Qi’s nine inheritors. Perhaps he knows the secret? When Long Sanqian previously went to the Silver Moon Mountain Manor, he might have reached an agreement with the Silver Moon Mountain Manor?” Chang Ming’s eyes lit up.
“The Silver Moon Mountain Manor? Hah! What secrets does it have? Does Yun Mo know?” Gu Hai frowned slightly.
“Your Reverence, this official will immediately send someone to investigate!” Chang Ming said seriously.
Gu Hai nodded.
Chang Ming thought back. “Also, Long Sanqian showed himself only that once, and there was no more sighting of him after that.”
“Long Sanqian? One in the past and one in the present? That is very mysterious. We will investigate this. Right now, the most important thing is to find the spy,” Gu Hai said seriously.
“However, all the eight are Your Reverence’s most important and trusted aides. Isn’t it going to be very difficult?” Chang Ming asked worriedly.
Gu Hai gently tapped on the desk, showing a faint smile. “There’s no need to worry. You have already given us the method of finding the spy earlier.”
The border between the Wu Nation and the Han Nation:
Sect Master Heavenly Access returned in a sorry state with his disciples.
This time, he had lost miserably. The previous few occurrences could be explained away. This time, he felt like he had aged.
Aged? What a laughable word!
The Immortal Executioner Sword shattered, the Immortal Executioner Sword Ritual Array failed to last a strike, and I got severely injured?
The injuries were fine. Sect Master Heavenly Access could recover quickly. However, he could not accept the setback in his heart.
In a large palace hall:
Sect Master Heavenly Access looked at Sima Changkong with rage and resentment.
“Hah! Hahahaha! Mister Sima, your second wave did not seem to work. Gu Hai is already incredibly strong,” Sect Master Heavenly Access said coldly.
Sime Changkong bowed slightly. “Many thanks for Sect Master’s continued trust in me.”
“Humph! This sect master wants to kill you!” Sect Master Heavenly Access snarled.
Sima Changkong kept his face blank, not showing any fear. “The one sect master wants to kill is Gu Hai, right?”
“Huh?”
“Actually, Gu Hai just needs to leave Borderless Heavenly Capital. Without the support of blessings, he wouldn’t be Sect Master’s match!” Sima Changkong said seriously.
“Humph! How do we make him leave?” Sect Master Heavenly Access said coldly.
“To prevent him from gaining support from his blessings? There are many ways. For example, Sect Master could kill your way through the nearly three hundred cities of the Han Imperial Dynasty, slaughtering them one by one. Without citizens, the Han Nation’s blessings will crumble. Rather, Gu Hai might rush out in a rage before that happens.” Sima Changkong smiled.
“Are you still trying to sabotage this sect master?” Sect Master Heavenly Access said frostily.
Kill billions of citizens to lure Gu Hai out? Who would dare to do that?
How much sin would that incur? The heavy sin would entail the natural karmic laws. By then, it would implicate even the Myriad Age Daoist Sect, on top of himself.
Unless he was so strong as to be immune to the karmic laws, no one would forgive him. He would become a demon to the world; everyone would want to kill him.
“If not like that, then wait patiently. I will think of a way to lure Gu Hai out. I just need time. I need Sect Master to wait patiently,” Sima Changkong said gravely.
Sect Master Heavenly Access stared at Sima Changkong. After a while, he smiled coldly and said, “Alright. This sect master will wait. If you cannot lure him out, don’t blame this sect master for being ruthless!”
Sima Changkong bowed deeply.
As Sect Master Heavenly Access watched coldly, Sima Changkong left the large hall and returned to his residence.
“Milord, will Sect Master Heavenly Access listen to us?” a subordinate asked in shock.
“Sect Master Heavenly Access? Hah! Gu Hai nearly crippled him!” Sima Changkong narrowed his eyes.
“What?! That’s impossible, right? Sect Master Heavenly Access seems to have recovered already.”
“Not in cultivation, but psychologically. It looks like Sect Master Heavenly Access has suffered at Gu Hai’s hand too many times. Gu Hai has neutered the heroic spirit that looked down on the world. When Sect Master Heavenly Access ran into this setback, he did not think of strengthening himself and returning later to challenge Gu Hai. Instead, he acknowledged he could no longer compare to Gu Hai and had to use schemes. Hah! How incredible of Gu Hai! That is the proud Sect Master Heavenly Access!” Sima Changkong said with an unsightly expression.
“Milord, Gu Hai is too terrifying, right?” that subordinate said worriedly.
Sima Changkong nodded. “Inform all the spies we have in Borderless Heavenly Capital to hide. Don’t stand out at this time. I have a feeling Gu Hai will start a massive search for spies soon.”
“Then won’t our men be discovered?”
Sima Changkong remained silent for a while. “It will be dangerous; I cannot guarantee it. However, get them to last for ten days. My next plan will start ten days later. Tell them not to trust anyone or obey anyone’s orders in these ten days. Just in case Gu Hai plays a trick.”
“Yes!”
Mo Yike’s residence, Borderless Heavenly Capital:
An official came to send an invitation to Mo Yike. “Milord, His Reverence asks you to go to the Three Pure Ones Hall. He asks that Milord go alone.”
“Oh? Did His Reverence give any other instructions?” Mo Yike showed a grave look.
“His Reverence said you would hear the details then. Milord, please immediately head over,” that official said respectfully.
“I got it. You may leave first. This official will pack up and come immediately after,” Mo Yike said seriously.
“Yes!”
Then that official left.
Qin Zibai looked at Mo Yike with confusion. “Milord, His Reverence is summoning you. Why do you look grave?”
“His Reverence is starting to search for spies.” Mo Yike smiled.
“Oh?”
“Aside from me, the other seven will be going too. Hah! I cannot figure it out, no matter how much I think about it. I can’t come up with a way to search for the spy. To think His Reverence is starting so quickly? I’m curious what method His Reverence is going to use!” Mo Yike said with anticipation.
“Ah? Then does His Reverence suspect you too?” Qin Zibai’s expression changed.
“No. This is because of His Reverence’s trust, treating us all equally. The eight of us are His Reverence’s most trusted men. A spy? A spy? The search is difficult. Qin Zibai, listen up. No matter what happens in the meantime, my Mo Residence is not to take part. Wait for me to return first!” Mo Yike said seriously.
“Yes!” Qin Zibai answered.
Kong Xuan’s residence:
“The Three Pure Ones Hall?” Kong Xuan frowned.
“Yes!”
“Who else is going?”
“I don’t know. Milord will know in the Three Pure Ones Hall. His Reverence is waiting there.”
“Got it!” Kong Xuan nodded while frowning.
Gao Xianzhi’s residence:
“Got it. You can go back first,” Gao Xianzhi said with a frown.
“Yes!”
After that official left, Gao Xianzhi’s eyes lit up. Gao Xianzhi understood that Gu Hai was very patient and would not make a move unless he felt confident.
Is His Reverence going to start looking for the spy?
Meng Tai, Gu Qin, Chan Tianshan, Ao Shun, and Shangguan Hen also received Gu Hai’s notice and headed for the Three Pure Ones Hall.
During this time, Sima Changkong received word from the spy’s zither puppet.
“What? That quickly?” Sima Changkong’s expression changed.
“Yes, Milord. What should be done about the target over there?” an official asked with a frown.
“I initially needed ten days. No. Send word back, and tell him to be careful not to get exposed. Five days. I just need five days to force Gu Hai out. Hah… This is somewhat too rushed. I don’t know if Gu Hai will fall for it. Five days? Never mind. Five days it is. Tell him he must be careful!” Sima Changkong said.
“Yes!” That official left to send a message using the zither puppet.
Then, Sima Changkong turned to another of his subordinates and said, “Quickly, inform the envoy from the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. Tell them we need their help to lure Gu Hai out of Borderless Heavenly Capital, and we must be fast.”
“Yes!”
Three Pure Ones Hall, Borderless Heavenly Capital:
Gu Hai did not dress ceremoniously, merely wearing black embroidered robes. He sat in the host’s seat and drank tea, showing a grave look.
He had placed a stack of reports on the table beside him, apparently waiting.
Whoosh!
A red light shot over. Crown Prince Gu Qin was the first to arrive.
When Gu Qin entered the hall, he saw Gu Hai sitting in the host’s seat.
“Imperial Father!” Gu Qin greeted respectfully.
“Have a seat!” Gu Hai nodded.
Gu Qin nodded. Then he sat on the frontmost seat in the left column.
Whoosh!
A golden light encased Shangguan Hen as he arrived outside the hall. Then he stepped in.
“Your Reverence!” Shangguan Hen greeted.
“Sit!” Gu Hai said indifferently.
“Yes!” Shangguan Hen sat in the seat beside Gu Qin.
The others came in one by one.
Gao Xianzhi’s and Ao Shun’s injuries from the borders had recovered significantly. However, Meng Tai remained bandaged. Blood stained his bandages, and he appeared somewhat pale. It seemed he had done this to garner Gu Hai’s pity as he carefully sat at the side.
Soon, the eight Gu Hai summoned had gathered in the Three Pure Ones Hall.
All the eight—Gu Qin, Gao Xianzhi, Chen Tianshan, Mo Yike, Kong Xuan, Meng Tai, Shangguan Hen, and Ao Shun—were Gu Hai’s trusted men.
All those sitting in the hall now understood that Gu Hai was going to find the spy among them today.
Who was the spy? Everyone felt anticipation, while the spy felt extremely nervous.
Clack!
When Gu Hai placed the teacup on the table, it made a crisp sound.
Everyone immediately sat upright and held their breath. Even a pin falling would be audible as they looked at Gu Hai.
