Faction Unlocked

Jiang Rong looked at Tantai Qingrun, who was speaking with eloquence, and suddenly felt somewhat gratified. "I remember when you were first transferred here, you were especially aggressive in how you handled things. You weren't nearly as clear-headed and patient as you are now."

Tantai Qingrun froze for a moment before realizing what he meant. Somewhat helplessly, she said, "Uncle Rong, you're doing it again."

As for Lu Qingshan's request for cooperation, Jiang Rong had actually intended to agree from the very beginning.

How could he have failed to consider what Tantai Qingrun had thought of?

The reason he had raised so many objections was merely to guide Tantai Qingrun, letting her make the decision to cooperate with Lu Qingshan herself.

—No matter how senior he was, the master of Yuanshan Tower was still Tantai Qingrun, not Jiang Rong.

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

Jiang Rong neither wished nor would do something like letting the guest usurp the host's place.

"Should I let that kid in, then?"

Tantai Qingrun nodded.

With a sweep of Jiang Rong's long sleeve, the black mist filling the room instantly dissipated.

After lifting the soundproofing restriction,

"You can come in." Jiang Rong opened the door and spoke to Lu Qingshan, who was standing outside.

Lu Qingshan followed Jiang Rong back into the room.

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

Lu Qingshan considered for a moment before asking, "You captured Blood Corpse True Person, right?"

Based on the intelligence you provided, we quickly captured him," Jiang Rong said in a deep voice. "He is currently imprisoned in the Prison Department of Yuanshan Tower."

"I want Blood Corpse True Person." Lu Qingshan looked at Tantai Qingrun's cool, pale face and spoke unhurriedly.

"We are still interrogating Blood Corpse True Person. He has not said anything yet. Once he reveals the intelligence he knows, we can hand him over to you," Jiang Rong interjected.

"I want him now." Lu Qingshan's tone was firm, utterly unmoved by Jiang Rong's words.

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

Under Tantai Qingrun's scrutiny, Lu Qingshan remained perfectly composed.

At last, a sharp glint flashed through Tantai Qingrun's eyes. Her fingertips tapped lightly against the desk. "We only captured Blood Corpse True Person because of the intelligence you provided. If you want him, then he is yours!"

"However." Tantai Qingrun's crescent brows furrowed as she said lightly, "I want to know what you intend to do by asking me for this Demon Cultivator so urgently."

Lu Qingshan replied calmly, "I merely want his life."

Tantai Qingrun gave Lu Qingshan a meaningful glance and did not dwell further on Blood Corpse True Person.

Lu Qingshan thought for a moment. "I said from the start that the intelligence on Blood Corpse True Person was a gift of introduction, given to you.

"Now that I am asking you for Blood Corpse True Person again, I naturally will not let you suffer a loss for nothing. I will give you another piece of intelligence in exchange."

Upon hearing Lu Qingshan's words, a bright gleam flashed through Tantai Qingrun's eyes.

"Qi Yuan, the Overseer Qi of Zhenjiang Prefecture, is currently in Yuanshan City as well, isn't he?" Lu Qingshan asked.

"Overseer Qi is a Spirit Cultivator of Heavenly Mystery Temple. His methods reach the heavens, and his movements have always been secretive; ordinary people cannot know his whereabouts." Jiang Rong stared at Lu Qingshan, speaking each word distinctly. "I'm beginning to think you know far more than we imagined."

Lu Qingshan neither confirmed nor denied it. "Among the seven great Dao sects, Heavenly Mystery Temple has the closest relationship with the Great Xia Imperial Family.

"And Zhishou Tower, as an organization under the Great Xia Imperial Family, has long maintained cooperation and exchanges with Heavenly Mystery Temple. If there is anyone in Yuanshan City who knows Overseer Qi's whereabouts, I imagine it can only be Tower Master Tantai."

Tantai Qingrun did not deny it. "Yes. Half a month ago, Overseer Qi discovered a blood pool somewhere around Yuanshan City through the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment. He sensed faint traces of misfortune and personally came to Yuanshan City to investigate.

"He also came to Yuanshan Tower and asked us to assist him with all our strength in investigating the area around Yuanshan City, but we have found nothing so far.

"Overseer Qi used the Heavenly Mystery Mirror to determine that the blood pool lay somewhere around Yuanshan City. We mobilized Yuanshan Tower's vast manpower to search, yet we have not found even a trace of it. This matter is exceedingly strange.

"We are all deeply worried that the Underworld may be plotting some great conspiracy and intends to make a move against Yuanshan City."

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

Lu Qingshan nodded and said bluntly, "Yes. Not only do I know the location of the blood pool you have been searching for,

"I also know that the Underworld's true target is not Yuanshan City, as you believe, but Qi Yuan—Overseer Qi. Or rather, the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment in Overseer Qi's possession."

A flicker of shock and doubt crossed Tantai Qingrun's face. "You mean?"

"The Underworld is preparing to seize Overseer Qi's Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment through a scheme. The timing should be the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when Overseer Qi uses the Heavenly Mystery Mirror to Observe Heaven again," Lu Qingshan said with certainty.

Why would the Underworld wait until the fifteenth day of the seventh month to act and seize the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment from Qi Yuan?

Once Lu Qingshan recalled the properties of the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment, he understood the entire chain of events.

The Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment must already have been refined by Qi Yuan into his own Spirit Artifact, remaining in Qi Yuan's dantian most of the time.

There were only two methods of seizing the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment.

First, kill Qi Yuan, then take the mirror.

Second, wait until Qi Yuan used the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment of his own accord, then seize the mirror while he had the chance.

In the historical records, Qi Yuan had merely lost the Heavenly Mystery Mirror on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. He was still alive and well.

Clearly, the Underworld had chosen the second method.

The Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment offered no benefit in battle, so aside from using the Observe Heaven technique, Qi Yuan normally would not use it.

When Qi Yuan first discovered the blood pool, on the first day of the seventh month, he had used Observe Heaven once to investigate it.

If the blood pool could not be found around Yuanshan City, Qi Yuan would certainly use Observe Heaven again to search for it.

The Observe Heaven technique had a cooldown of fifteen natural days.

The day Qi Yuan could use Observe Heaven again would be the fifteenth day of the seventh month!

Therefore, it was obvious that the Underworld would make its move to seize the mirror when Qi Yuan used Observe Heaven for the second time.

Standing to one side, Jiang Rong found it hard to believe. "How did you know this?"

For an operation with such far-reaching designs, based on what they knew of the Underworld, this information would never be leaked so easily.

Yet Lu Qingshan not only knew the scheme involved, but could even pinpoint the time of the attack so precisely, as though he were one of its participants. Jiang Rong could not help but grow suspicious.

Lu Qingshan chuckled softly. "I am only responsible for providing intelligence. As for where that intelligence came from, I cannot disclose it.

"Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you."

After hesitating for a moment,

"Where is the blood pool?" Tantai Qingrun's cool gaze fixed tightly on Lu Qingshan as she asked coldly.

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

Tantai Qingrun nodded. A silk scroll appeared out of thin air in her hand, detailed with every terrain feature and location surrounding Yuanshan City.

It was an exceptionally detailed map.

Lu Qingshan took the map from Tantai Qingrun and spread it flat across the desk, then tapped one spot on it with his finger.

"This is where the blood pool is." Lu Qingshan did not conceal anything and directly pointed out its location. "The blood pool is concealed by a high-grade illusion array, which is why you could not find it. The reason Overseer Qi was able to discover it so easily at first was because the blood pool was merely bait—bait the Underworld deliberately exposed to lure Overseer Qi to Yuanshan City. The Underworld's true target is Overseer Qi's Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment."

"I have already provided the intelligence in exchange for Blood Corpse True Person, so..."

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

"You have officially unlocked the Zhishou Tower faction."

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

"Yuanshan Tower organization favorability increased by 50."

"Zhishou Tower organization favorability increased by 5."

"Yuanshan Tower: Friendly (50)—Initial Cooperation."

"Zhishou Tower: Friendly (5)—Yuanshan Tower Collaborator."

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

From highest to lowest, they were: Worship (above 2000), Respect (500 to 2000), Enthusiasm (200 to 499), Friendly (0 to 199), Indifferent (-1 to -199), Rejection (-200 to -499), Disgust (-500 to -2000), and Hatred (below -2000).