Ranks A, B, C, and D Are All Chess Pieces

Sunken Chime Mountain, midnight, the night air cool as water.

Xie Xuanyi, clad in austere black, sat cross-legged on a large rock, eyes closed in meditation, his long sword resting across his lap.

A crisp "clang" echoed.

A clear, sharp striking sound rang out from the distance.

Sunken Chime Mountain was covered in purple bamboo, and this sound was the clash of a sharp weapon against the bamboo.

Xie Xuanyi slowly opened his eyes.

A faint mist permeated the bamboo forest in the dead of night. This meeting was much like their spiritual encounter within the demon artifact three days prior.

They were separated by ten zhang, each only visible as a vague outline.

Neither could clearly see the other's true face.

The figure ten zhang away was tall and imposing, much like the spiritual image from the demon artifact.

"Did you bring it?"

However, Rank Six's voice came from all directions.

If one closed their eyes, it would be impossible to discern the speaker's location.

"Of course."

Xie Xuanyi looked towards Rank Six and slowly said, "My lord, the Revered One has given explicit instructions that this mission cannot fail... You arrived in Carp Tide City three days ago. Why didn't you make contact sooner?"

"Qing Province is under strict surveillance for eight hundred li, and Carp Tide City is crawling with Fly Eyes. After entering the city, one must make preparations."

Rank Six said eerily, "...The item?"

Xie Xuanyi smiled and countered, "Where's my reward?"

"Your reward..."

Rank Six paused for a moment, realizing what Xie Xuanyi was referring to. He coldly said, "The Violet Origin Pill, of course. After I verify the authenticity of the token and report to the Revered One, it will be given to you upon completion of the mission."

"So eager, my lord?"

Xie Xuanyi smiled again, "Aren't you going to verify my identity first?"

Rank Six's tone was devoid of emotion, "Verify the token first, then the person."

Having said that.

The massive figure began to move forward, heading straight for Xie Xuanyi. The dense purple bamboo in the mist was pushed aside and tilted, some almost bending to the ground.

Xie Xuanyi sighed softly.

Seeing Rank Six's reaction, he knew... the Demon Realm's arrangement was indeed as he had anticipated.

The spy network that the Demon Realm had established in the Northern Prefecture of Qing Province was not a particularly sophisticated organization.

The spies lurking within this network only took orders from a direct superior.

In this situation.

Whether Rank A, B, C, or D, they were all just pawns.

As a player, looking down at the game, one would realize that the greatest purpose of these pawns... was to burn themselves out and then "die."

This was why the Demon Realm hadn't given Shen Yan a specific code name.

In the eyes of the demons.

Shen Yan wasn't a "living" person.

If he hadn't intervened in the Taian City incident... would Xu You have fulfilled his so-called promise? Xie Xuanyi believed that it was highly unlikely. Once the Lingluo Mountain massacre attracted the Imperial City Bureau's investigation, Xu You would abandon Shen Yan as a pawn, and might even take steps to protect himself before the Imperial City Bureau got involved.

Because Shen Yan had already completed the mission expected of a pawn.

Mission accomplished, dying in her place.

In this situation... not dying would be a waste and would implicate others.

Following this logic.

Thinking carefully, it wasn't hard to realize.

In this top-secret mission to transport Great Sage Bai Ze's finger bone, Xu You, codenamed "Rank Three," was essentially no different from Shen Yan.

His job was to cross the Qing Province defense line and use his position to deliver the item safely to "Rank Six."

In this case.

Only one person would receive the Revered One's absolute trust.

That was "Rank Six," who ultimately obtained the finger bone and was responsible for reporting upwards.

So, if the Demon Realm wanted to ensure absolute secrecy for this mission, the best measure Rank Six could take against Rank Three.

Was to kill him and silence him.

Xie Xuanyi sighed, "So identity is not important at all... is it?"

A voice caused Rank Six's body to falter slightly.

Xie Xuanyi tapped the ground lightly with his toes, sending the black sword flying out like a swift arrow, piercing through the air. The scabbard struck heavily against Rank Six's chest.

"Bang—"

Rank Six's vision blurred, and the next moment, a black shadow appeared before him.

Xie Xuanyi was already in close quarters, his speed even faster than the sword he had kicked away. A knee strike landed directly on Rank Six's jaw!

A muffled boom echoed!

Rank Six's mountainous body flew high into the air, and he looked at Rank Three before him in disbelief.

The Rank Three from the intelligence reports...

Seemed to be quite different...

Xie Xuanyi, having retrieved his sword, practically "rode" the massive giant. He coldly looked down upon the Demon Realm spy, whose rank was one level higher than his own. He had sensed something strange from the moment their minds met. How could someone so large be entrusted with the important mission of "transporting finger bones"?

Qing Province was under strict surveillance, and Carp Tide City was so tightly guarded that even a mosquito couldn't fly in without Fly Eyes noticing!

So burly, so robust.

From the moment Rank Six entered Carp Tide City, he would have been targeted!

Forget executing the mission, even protecting himself under the surveillance of Fly Eyes would be difficult!

Xie Xuanyi's gaze swept over the hulking giant's skin, as hard as jade carvings, lacking any fleshy texture. Now, blue array patterns erupted across his body!

Especially around his jaw, where Xie Xuanyi's knee strike had landed, arcs of crackling thunder and fire sparked and flickered!

"Southern Li Kingdom's mechanist arts?"

Xie Xuanyi chuckled. "I knew it... there's someone else behind Rank Six."

With a roar, the hulking giant slammed his hands together, as if swatting a mosquito, aiming for Xie Xuanyi.

The wind howled on either side! Killing intent exploded!

Xie Xuanyi vanished instantly. The giant's powerful palm missed, and the force of the clap was terrifying, sending waves of air surging outwards!

The next moment, Xie Xuanyi, who had disappeared into thin air, reappeared in his original position, mercilessly stabbing downwards with his scabbard!

Although the sword remained sheathed, the attack was filled with murderous intent!

"Boom!!"

The scabbard pierced through the gap in the giant's palm, plunged into his chest, and emerged from his back, carrying an extremely powerful force of wind and thunder, pinning the hulking giant to the ground!

"Aww—"

The hulking giant, controlled by mechanist arts, actually opened his mouth and let out a painful roar.

"Oh?"

Xie Xuanyi raised an eyebrow.

Mechanist arts were a "left-path technique" that had fallen into decline many years ago. Within Great Chu, most people believed that only cultivators lacking talent would waste time researching such useless methods...

Therefore, the number of grand mechanists was even smaller than the number of grand array pattern masters.

However, the Southern Li Kingdom was different.

Within Southern Li, mechanist arts held a high status and were highly respected. Several national preceptors had cultivated mechanist arts, and almost all of the grand mechanists within Southern Li had received the title of "Nation Guardian" personally conferred by the monarch, the highest honor in Southern Li.

Xie Xuanyi had initially thought that this "Rank Six" was a creation of mechanist arts, a purely inanimate object.

But after stabbing him with the sword, he realized something was wrong.

This Rank Six actually let out a painful roar?

Mechanized puppets don't feel pain...

Looking closely again, Rank Six's skin, though hard, faintly revealed the flow of blood beneath!

This was a living person!

A living person... turned into an inanimate object!