On his cloud-borne journey home, Chen Wei carefully reviewed his trip to the West Sea from beginning to end.
At first, he had thought it was merely an ordinary errand assigned by Yang Jian. Only after Wu Ji obediently signed his confession in the Censorate's rear hall and Taibai Jinxing smilingly offered a few pointers beside Clear Pool did understanding finally dawn.
The trap had been laid long ago.
From the moment he accepted Yang Jian's assignment, the entire grand chess game had already been set in motion.
As for which mighty figures were moving the pieces behind the scenes, naturally, they were Taibai Jinxing and Yang Jian.
The old Star Lord intended to bring the martial faction to heel and seize the right to call the shots. The True Lord intended to lure the snake from its hole, slay the Nine-Headed Bug who had escaped from Jade Wave Pool all those years ago, and help the West Sea Dragon Palace regain control. Working in concert from afar, the two mighty figures had laid a Heavenly Net.
And the one charging into battle at the center of that chessboard was none other than Chen Wei.
Peel away that splendid official attire and Immortal Robe, and underneath, he was ultimately nothing more than a pawn that had crossed the river on those two mighty figures' chessboard.
At that thought,
Chen Wei felt not the slightest resentment.
Amid the Heavenly Court's shifting fortunes, a pawn seeking to survive must never overestimate himself. If he wanted to avoid being casually discarded by the higher immortals, there was only one way-prove himself useful enough, and obedient enough.
Only by keeping his blade sharp could he advance farther, step by step, across the chessboard of the Three Realms, until he finally took the seat of