Cooperation

The destinations reached by the five passages lay far apart.

If they could not accurately determine which passage Blood Corpse True Person had used to leave at once, even a slight delay—

Given a Demon Cultivator's cunning, Blood Corpse True Person could use that brief window to assume another identity and vanish into the vast Yuanshan City.

By then, finding him again would not be nearly so easy.

Yet Jiang Rong showed not the slightest trace of tension in the face of this situation.

Instead, he stood where he was, waiting for something.

Before long, the jade pendant at Jiang Rong's waist flashed with rippling emerald light once more.

Jiang Rong read the message carried by the green ripple.

"Target apprehended."

The corners of Jiang Rong's lips lifted slightly.

Demon Cultivators were cunning; it was impossible that Blood Corpse True Person had not left several escape routes at his hideout.

He had learned Blood Corpse True Person's location long ago, so why had he not acted immediately? Why had he instead lingered over a small drink at a nearby tavern?

It was to leave enough time to investigate every possible escape point Blood Corpse True Person might have.

The exits of escape routes were difficult to determine, but they clearly could not be too far from this small residence, or they would be easily discovered.

Moreover, Blood Corpse True Person would certainly inspect the exits himself; something as vital as an escape route could not be left unattended.

Taking these two points together, Jiang Rong had his subordinates gather every location where Blood Corpse True Person had appeared near the small residence.

At those locations, they laid down a net that covered heaven and earth, ensuring Blood Corpse True Person had nowhere to flee and that the operation would be foolproof.

Jiang Rong had held the position of deputy master of Yuanshan Tower for nearly a century, battling the Demon Cultivators of the Underworld for nearly a century.

His methods had long since become incomparably seasoned and ruthless.

Demon Cultivators were cunning, so he was even more cunning than they were.

This was a dilapidated little courtyard less than two li from the small residence.

The rear courtyard, once overgrown with weeds from abandonment, was now filled with cultivators dressed in black robes.

"The deputy master has arrived."

Someone within the crowd spoke.

The people standing in a row quickly parted to make a passage, revealing Blood Corpse True Person behind them, tightly bound by a golden rope.

A Spirit Binding Rope of the finest Mortal Artifact grade.

The Spirit Binding Rope was one of the standard Spirit Artifacts Zhishou Tower issued to all its members.

After a cultivator infused it with spiritual power, it could be extended at will. Its purpose was to bind enemies and prevent them from circulating the spiritual power within their bodies.

The Spirit Binding Rope was an indispensable Spirit Artifact for capturing Demon Cultivators.

That was because Demon Cultivators would never willingly allow themselves to be captured alive. When there was truly no way out, they often chose the most extreme method: stirring up the spiritual power in their bodies and killing themselves.

Low-level Demon Cultivators were manageable. If they killed themselves, the worst consequence was that Zhishou Tower could not interrogate them for intelligence.

But if a Demon Cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm chose to detonate his Nascent Soul, he would certainly be dead beyond all doubt, yet the damage caused by the Nascent Soul's self-destruction would kill many Zhishou Tower members and inflict grievous losses upon Zhishou Tower.

To deal with this, the Spirit Binding Rope had been developed and forged.

Jiang Rong passed through the crowd and looked at Blood Corpse True Person, who lay on the ground struggling feebly. His gaze was cold, carrying even a chilling killing intent.

But Jiang Rong remained calm. The greatest value of a captured Demon Cultivator was not his life, but the intelligence he possessed.

Therefore, he could not be killed yet.

Jiang Rong waved a hand. "Take him back to the tower and interrogate him thoroughly."

"Yes, Deputy Master," the black-robed cultivators answered.

Then the black-robed cultivators escorted Blood Corpse True Person, trapped by the Spirit Binding Rope, away at speed.

In less than a moment, the small courtyard was already empty.

Swift and precise—that was Zhishou Tower, an organization utterly different from the many sects.

Within Yuanshan Tower.

Tantai Qingrun and Lu Qingshan faced each other in silence.

Jiang Rong opened the door and entered.

Tantai Qingrun looked at Jiang Rong, and Jiang Rong nodded.

Tantai Qingrun spoke in a cool voice. "State your purpose."

As expected of Zhishou Tower. After obtaining his intelligence, they had located Blood Corpse True Person's hideout and captured him in less than two hours.

Lu Qingshan could not help inwardly marveling at Zhishou Tower's efficiency.

Steadying himself, Lu Qingshan slowly said, "Cooperation."

"Cooperation? You mean Zhishou Tower should cooperate with a Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator like you?"

Lu Qingshan shook a finger and said softly, "Tower Master Tantai, that is not how it should be calculated.

My cultivation may indeed be low, but what I offer is not myself. What I offer is intelligence."

After a pause, Lu Qingshan spoke again. "I possess much confidential intelligence. With my help, you can strike precisely at the Underworld forces lying in hiding.

Even if you do not feel such a profound sense of responsibility toward eliminating the Underworld, the merits from destroying these Underworld forces can at least help you rise rapidly within Zhishou Tower."

Tantai Qingrun and Jiang Rong exchanged a glance.

"We need to consider it," Jiang Rong said to Lu Qingshan.

Lu Qingshan nodded. "Naturally."

Lu Qingshan turned and left the room, giving the two of them space.

Watching Lu Qingshan leave, Jiang Rong flicked his sleeve, and a gray mist flew out, swiftly spreading until it filled the entire room.

It was a silencing restriction that prevented eavesdropping.

"How is that Blood Corpse True Person? Is the information true?" Tantai Qingrun asked with a frown.

Jiang Rong nodded. "People are being arranged to interrogate him. Though he has not confessed anything yet, his identity as a Demon Cultivator is beyond doubt."

"This Blood Corpse True Person had been lurking in Yuanshan City for more than a decade. On the surface, he was a Rogue Cultivator. After years of careful operation, he had left no flaws. If not for this Lu Qingshan, our intelligence network would have found it difficult to uncover his true identity."

"This Lu Qingshan is no simple man."

Tantai Qingrun lightly tapped the table with her fingers, then asked, "Has Lu Qingshan's identity been investigated?"

"It has. As he said, he is indeed a descendant of the Lu Family. But strangely, three months ago, he was only an ordinary mortal, handling the Lu Family's worldly business. While transporting goods, his convoy was attacked, and he vanished without a trace."

"When he reappeared, he was already in Yuanshan City, and had suddenly changed from a mortal into a Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator," Jiang Rong said gravely.

"Qi Refining Second Layer in three months. Interesting." Tantai Qingrun looked thoughtful.

After considering it, Jiang Rong added, "The key is that this Lu Qingshan has no reason to know so much. Even Zhishou Tower's intelligence network struggles to uncover intelligence on the Underworld. Through what channel did he obtain it?"

"But he seems very sincere. Before proposing cooperation, he first gave us a piece of intelligence."

Jiang Rong nodded. "That is true."

"I think we can try an initial cooperation with him first," Tantai Qingrun offered her view.

Jiang Rong was silent for a moment before asking, "What if this Lu Qingshan is actually one of the Underworld's people, pretending to cooperate with us? What if the intelligence he gives us next is false, deliberately misleading our operations?"

"The chance is very small. The Underworld would not send a Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator to do such a thing, nor would they make it so suspicious. They have more reasonable ways to pass false intelligence to us."

Jiang Rong's tone turned icy. "A small chance still means it could happen.

We can choose to control Lu Qingshan and make him reveal what he knows.

If he refuses to cooperate, we can even use the Soul Search Art to pry out the intelligence."

Tantai Qingrun looked at Jiang Rong and explained, "But if we do that, it will inevitably provoke fierce resistance from him. Those forceful methods may also trigger unforeseen accidents.

Even if we can obtain intelligence through the Soul Search Art, you know that the information it yields will inevitably be nothing but scattered fragments. It is entirely uncontrollable. We may even search out only useless information while all the crucial intelligence is missed.

At least on the surface, Lu Qingshan has shown every sign of sincerity in cooperating with us. If, because he is uncontrollable, we push aside the aid that should have been ours, that would not be a wise choice."