Faction Activated

Jiang Rong looked at Tantai Qingrun, who was speaking eloquently, and felt a sense of relief. "I remember when you first transferred here, you were quite aggressive in your work. You're not like that now, with your clear reasoning and patience."

Tantai Qingrun was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and said with a hint of helplessness, "Uncle Rong, you're at it again."

Jiang Rong had already decided to agree to Lu Qingshan's request for cooperation in his heart.

How could he not have considered what Tantai Qingrun had thought of?

The reason he had raised so many points was simply to guide Tantai Qingrun into making the decision to cooperate with Lu Qingshan herself.

Even with his seniority, Tantai Qingrun was still the Tower Lord of Yuanshan Tower, not him, Jiang Rong.

The only one who could truly make the decision was Tantai Qingrun.

Jiang Rong did not want to, nor would he, steal the spotlight.

"Then shall I let that kid in?"

Tantai Qingrun nodded.

Jiang Rong waved his sleeve, and the black mist that filled the room instantly vanished.

After the silencing restriction was lifted.

"You can come in," Jiang Rong said, opening the door and addressing Lu Qingshan, who was standing outside.

Lu Qingshan followed Jiang Rong back into the room.

"How do you want to cooperate?" Tantai Qingrun raised an eyebrow and got straight to the point. "What do you want?"

Lu Qingshan pondered for a moment and then asked, "You've captured the Blood Corpse True Person, haven't you?"

Jiang Rong said solemnly, "Based on the information you provided, we captured him quickly. He's currently imprisoned in the Warden's Office of Yuanshan Tower."

"I want the Blood Corpse True Person," Lu Qingshan said slowly, looking at Tantai Qingrun's cool, clear face.

"We're still interrogating the Blood Corpse True Person. He hasn't said anything yet. Once he reveals the intelligence he knows, we can give him to you," Jiang Rong interjected.

"I want him now," Lu Qingshan stated firmly, unmoved by Jiang Rong's words.

Tantai Qingrun's gaze shifted slightly as he looked at Lu Qingshan, seemingly lost in thought.

Lu Qingshan remained composed under Tantai Qingrun's scrutiny.

Finally, a sharp glint flashed in Tantai Qingrun's eyes. He tapped the table with his fingertip. "The Blood Corpse True Person was captured thanks to your intelligence. If you want him, you can have him!"

"However..." Tantai Qingrun furrowed his brow slightly and said calmly, "I'd like to know why you're so eager to ask for this Demon Cultivator. What do you intend to do with him?"

Lu Qingshan replied with a composed demeanor, "I just want his life."

Tantai Qingrun gave Lu Qingshan a meaningful look and didn't dwell on the matter of the Blood Corpse True Person any further.

Lu Qingshan thought for a moment and said, "As I said at the beginning, the intelligence about the Blood Corpse True Person was a meeting gift for you. Since I'm asking for the Blood Corpse True Person now, I won't let you suffer a loss for nothing. I'll give you another piece of intelligence in exchange."

Upon hearing Lu Qingshan's words, a bright spark flashed in Tantai Qingrun's eyes.

"The Inspector Qi Yuan of Zhenjiang Prefecture is also in Yuanshan City, isn't he?" Lu Qingshan asked.

"Inspector Qi is a Spirit Cultivator from the Heavenly Mystery Temple. His methods are heaven-defying, and his actions are always discreet, not something ordinary people can know. I initially thought you knew much more than we imagined," Jiang Rong said, looking at Lu Qingshan word by word.

Lu Qingshan remained noncommittal. "The Heavenly Mystery Temple is the sect most closely related to the Great Xia Imperial Family among the Seven Great Dao Sects. And Zhishou Tower, as an organization affiliated with the Great Xia Imperial Family, has a long-standing cooperative relationship with the Heavenly Mystery Temple. If anyone in Yuanshan City would know Inspector Qi's whereabouts, I believe it would be you, Tower Lord Tantai."

Tantai Qingrun did not deny it. "Yes, half a month ago, Inspector Qi discovered a Blood Pool in the vicinity of Yuanshan City through a Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment. He sensed something ominous and personally came to Yuanshan City to investigate the matter. He also came to our Yuanshan Tower and asked us to fully assist him in investigating the area around Yuanshan City, but we've found nothing so far. Inspector Qi used the Heavenly Mystery Mirror to detect the Blood Pool in the surrounding area of Yuanshan City, and we used Yuanshan Tower's vast manpower to search, but we couldn't find any trace. This matter is extremely bizarre. We are all very worried that the Underworld might be plotting a major conspiracy to attack Yuanshan City."

Looking at Lu Qingshan's calm expression, a hint of complexity flickered across Tantai Qingrun's face. "Do you know something?"

Lu Qingshan nodded and stated directly, "Yes, not only do I know the location of the Blood Pool you're looking for. I also know that the Underworld's true target is not Yuanshan City, as you might think, but Qi Yuan, Inspector Qi... or rather, Inspector Qi's Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment."

A look of surprise flashed across Tantai Qingrun's face. "You mean?"

"The Underworld plans to scheme and seize Inspector Qi's Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment. The timing should be July 15th, when Inspector Qi uses the Heavenly Mystery Mirror to [Observe Heaven] again," Lu Qingshan stated with certainty.

Why would the Underworld wait until July 15th to make a move and seize the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment from Qi Yuan?

Recalling the attributes of the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment, Lu Qingshan had figured out these crucial points. The Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment must have been refined by Qi Yuan into his own Spirit Artifact, and in most cases, it would be stored within Qi Yuan's Dantian. To seize the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment, there were only two methods.

One, kill Qi Yuan and then take the mirror.

Two, wait for Qi Yuan to actively use the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment and then seize it during that opportunity.

Historical records indicated that Qi Yuan only lost the Heavenly Mystery Mirror on July 15th, but he remained alive and well. Therefore, it was clear that the Underworld must have chosen the second method.

The Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment provided no combat benefits, so Qi Yuan would typically only use it for his Observe Heaven technique and not otherwise.

The first time Qi Yuan discovered the Blood Pool, on July 1st, he used Observe Heaven to investigate it.

If Qi Yuan couldn't find the Blood Pool in Yuanshan City, he would definitely use Observe Heaven again to search for its location.

The cooldown for the Observe Heaven technique was fifteen natural days.

The next time Qi Yuan could use Observe Heaven was July 15th!

Therefore, it was clear that the Underworld made their move to seize the mirror when Qi Yuan used Observe Heaven for the second time.

Jiang Rong, standing nearby, couldn't believe it. "How did you know this?"

Given the scale of this operation, based on their understanding of the Underworld, such information would never be easily leaked.

Not only did Lu Qingshan know about the plan, but he could even pinpoint the exact time of action, as if he were a participant. This made Jiang Rong quite astonished.

Lu Qingshan chuckled lightly. "I'm only responsible for providing the intel. As for its source, I'm afraid I cannot disclose it. Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you."

After a moment of hesitation.

"Where is the Blood Pool located?" Tantai Qingrun's cold gaze fixed on Lu Qingshan, her voice sharp.

"Do you have a map of Yuanshan City?" Lu Qingshan asked.

Tantai Qingrun nodded. A piece of silk materialized in her hand, intricately depicting all the terrain and locations surrounding Yuanshan City.

It was a very detailed map.

Lu Qingshan took the map from Tantai Qingrun and laid it flat on the table. He pointed a finger at a specific spot on the map.

"This is the location of the Blood Pool," Lu Qingshan stated directly, not hiding anything. "The Blood Pool is concealed by a high-grade Illusion Array, which is why you couldn't find it. The reason Supervisor Qi discovered it so easily at first was because the Blood Pool was merely bait, intentionally exposed by the Underworld to lure Supervisor Qi to Yuanshan City. The Underworld's true target was Supervisor Qi's Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment."

"As per our agreement, I've given you the intel on the Blood Corpse True Person, so..."

Jiang Rong remained silent for a moment before finally nodding. "I'll have my subordinates take you to where the Blood Corpse True Person is being held."

"You have officially joined the Zhishou Tower faction."

"You have established a cooperative relationship with Yuanshan Tower (a branch of Zhishou Tower)."

"Yuanshan Tower Faction Affinity increased by 50."

"Zhishou Tower Faction Affinity increased by 5."

"Yuanshan Tower: Friendly (50) - [Initial Cooperation]."

"Zhishou Tower: Friendly (5) - [Yuanshan Tower Collaborator]."

There were eight levels of faction affinity in "Nine Heavens."

From highest to lowest, they were: Worship (2000+), Respect (500-2000), Enthusiastic (200-499), Friendly (0-199), Indifferent (-1 to -199), Repulsed (-200 to -499), Disgusted (-500 to -2000), and Hated (-2000 or below).