Let's circle around behind them and hit them dirty!

On the banks of the Heaven-Reaching River.

A Water-Avoidance Formation held open a Water Palace a hundred zhang across. There were no other decorations; spacious and empty was its whole aesthetic.

Three great demons sat in the seats of honor within the Water Palace.

Azure Lion Spirit, White Elephant Spirit, and Golden-Winged Great Peng, the Three Demons, all looked displeased upon hearing that the vanguard host had arrived.

Still, they had to rein in their tempers. An Immortal Envoy would soon arrive to negotiate.

Negotiate what?

Not telling. Not telling.

"Big brother!" White Elephant Spirit flicked his trunk, impatience written all over his face. "The Vanguard Army is floating right there on our river. Why don't we charge up and slaughter them until not a scrap of armor remains? Consider it a little taste of meat!"

Golden-Winged Great Peng snorted and agreed, "Second brother is right. That Vanguard Officer leading them is called Chen Wei, some fledgling who only just became a True Immortal. One spread of my wings, and I could punch straight through his flagship!"

"No rash moves."

Azure Lion Spirit waved a hand to stop them. "All that fighting and killing is for brutes. If we really anger Yang Jian and his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Blade comes cleaving down, who's going to take the blow? Let's try another approach. I've already sent lesser demons to scout the surface. All the supplies for their thirty-thousand-strong army are piled aboard the Flying Boats at the very rear of their formation! They're loaded with Immortal Pills, Spirit Stones, and Magic Artifacts! So fat they're dripping grease!"

White Elephant Spirit's eyes lit up. "You mean we rob them, big brother?"

"Exactly!"

Azure Lion Spirit slapped his thigh and laughed aloud. "They've come all this way. If they don't leave us a little toll money, wouldn't that ruin the rules of the Heaven-Reaching River? We'll use the currents along the riverbed as cover and hit them dirty! Then we'll pin it on the Five Demon Sages!"

Great Peng immediately perked up. "Brilliant! Now that's a deal worth doing!"

Just then, a streak of golden light descended into the cavern abode.

The visitor was none other than Zhao Dakang.

He was merely a clerical Immortal Official who attended to brush and ink. Faced with three towering surges of demonic aura, he felt his knees turn weak.

White Elephant Spirit lowered his eyelids. Seeing that the visitor was only a lowly Loose Immortal, his anger flared. "Does the Heavenly Court really think it can fob us off like beggars? Sending a scrap of meat that wouldn't even fill the gap between my teeth to deliver a message? Big brother, don't waste words on him. Let me swallow him to tide my stomach over."

With that, he swung his long trunk and opened his blood-red maw.

Scared nearly out of his soul, Zhao Dakang hastily raised the Command Token Li Yin had bestowed on him high above his head. "Wait! Please wait, great king! This humble immortal was sent here under orders!"

"Wait."

Azure Lion Spirit's sharp eyes caught it. He cut off White Elephant Spirit's suction and forced a smile onto his face. "What business did Immortal Liang Ping send you here for?"

Liang Ping was Li Yin's courtesy name.

Zhao Dakang wiped away his sweat, drew a Sound Recording Stone from his robes, and offered it with both hands. "Great king! The immortal's wishes are all recorded inside!"

Azure Lion Spirit curled a finger, and the Sound Recording Stone landed in his palm.

A faint light flashed, and Li Yin's words whispered a few sentences into his ear.

A moment later.

Azure Lion Spirit closed his fingers, crushing the Sound Recording Stone to powder. "It isn't impossible, but he is an immortal official, after all, entangled in Heavenly Court karma. Go back and tell Liang Ping: who in the entire Three Realms doesn't know that we three brothers are famous for loving peace? We've never gone in for fighting and killing."

Zhao Dakang listened in a daze. The Three Demons loved peace?

Azure Lion Spirit ignored him and continued, "Here's what you'll tell him. If he wants us brothers to act, add twenty percent to the original price. All right, off you go."

The moment those words fell.

Azure Lion Spirit stirred up a demonic wind and sent Zhao Dakang out of the cavern abode.

White Elephant Spirit rubbed his long trunk and chuckled. "Big brother, we've stirred up enough trouble in the Heaven-Reaching River. If we keep blocking the waterway, something serious really will happen. I just received word from Spirit Mountain yesterday. When the time comes, a Bodhisattva will go through the motions and take us back."

"Back?"

Golden-Winged Great Peng curled his lip, his face full of reluctance. "I haven't had enough fun yet. Now we have to go back to eating vegetarian meals and chanting sutras again? That life's so bland a bird could drop dead."

"Third brother, the bigger picture comes first." Azure Lion Spirit tapped the armrest of his stone chair, then changed tack. "But before we leave, we ought to muddy these waters thoroughly. Those Five Demon Sages outside have been jumping around far too much lately. Far too arrogant."

"How can we allow that?"

"No such arrogance can be tolerated in the Heaven-Reaching River! I've spoken with the Bodhisattvas of Spirit Mountain. They also think those five demons don't love the Buddha."

At those words.

The Water Palace fell silent for half a breath, then all Three Demons burst into laughter.

Seizing territory, fighting over waterways-when all was said and done, it was business.

Stick the right label on someone, and you were justice itself.

Suddenly, Golden-Winged Great Peng stopped laughing and frowned, pointing out a blind spot. "Big brother, the plan is good, but the one commanding the army outside is Yang Jian. What if he wants to wipe us out? That Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Blade doesn't have eyes."

Hearing that, White Elephant Spirit's smile faded too.

The Holy Manifestation True Lord's fearsome reputation had been built on piles of Demon Kings' heads.

Azure Lion Spirit laughed and patted Great Peng on the shoulder. "Third brother, you're worrying too much! It's all been discussed!"

Great Peng froze.

Azure Lion Spirit lifted his wine cup and drained it, conveying the message without a word.

The Heavenly Court wanted military achievements, Spirit Mountain wanted face, and they wanted tangible benefits.

Everyone would get what they wanted. The stage had already been built; all they had to do was wait comfortably for their turn to go through the motions.

Only...

Would the Three Demons' supposed performance really go as they wished?

For pieces on the immortals' chessboard, leaping off the board to become the players was no easy feat.

Meanwhile.

Directly above the center of the Heaven-Reaching River.

Thirty thousand troops of the Heavenly Court Vanguard Army assembled in a mighty host in the air, their Flying Boats linked bow to stern in an airtight formation.

Banners blotted out the sun, golden armor flashed, and their imposing presence shook the heavens.

In truth, their specialty was turtle tactics: if the enemy didn't move, neither would they; if the enemy moved, they would defend to the death.

Holding a White Feather Fan, Pang Long gently waved it in the river breeze. "Brother Bang De! If you hadn't recommended me, I'd still be suffering among heaps of old papers! How could I ever have enjoyed such glory today?"

"Brother Wenhe, listen to what you're saying." Ma Muzhi spoke earnestly. "How could our position today be any achievement of mine? We owe it all to Lord Chen and Lord Yang! They're our greatest pillars of support in establishing a foothold in the Heavenly Court!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

"Brother Bang De, what insight! Our lords see far and plan ahead. Only by pledging our loyalty unto death can we repay them for recognizing our worth!"

"Haha, oh, Wenhe, what's all this? We're brothers. Don't stand on ceremony!"

"Brother, give me a hug! Let's speak from the heart!"

Overcome with emotion and unable to contain his gratitude, Pang Long opened his arms and hugged Ma Muzhi.

The two old hands, who had spent years scrambling through the lowest ranks, embraced tightly and patted each other's backs.

After years as petty officials, they had finally made it.

Just then, a dry cough, neither loud nor soft, came from behind them. "Ahem."

Chen Wei strolled out of the inner cabin and, as luck would have it, caught this very scene.

At the sound, Pang Long and Ma Muzhi quickly released each other. Ma Muzhi lowered his head and pretended to straighten his cuffs.

Pang Long turned around without a change in expression, perfectly composed, and bowed with clasped hands. "My lord! You've arrived just in time. Lord Ma and I were engaged in a vigorous discussion of strategies to defeat the enemy. We were just preparing to report to you!"

"Since you've settled on a plan, Lord Pang, let's hear it." Chen Wei nodded slightly.

"My lord, I have a plan." Pang Long stepped forward to offer his strategy. "We can secretly detach a squad of elite Heavenly Soldiers, bypass the main battlefield, and slip toward the vital supply base of the Five Demon Sages on the perimeter. We'll wipe out their stores!"

Chen Wei frowned, just about to think the plan was too risky.

Pang Long immediately added, "Once we succeed, we won't linger to fight. We'll retreat at once. Before we leave, we'll leave a few traces behind-some of the Three Demons' distinctive Magic Artifacts or tokens-and pin it on them!"

As Chen Wei listened, inspiration flashed through his mind.

Raid their supplies?

Divert the blame eastward?

Now that's a job we can do!

They wouldn't have to clash head-on, yet could still make a genuine stir.

Raid and run. Safety first.

Above him, he could account to the Holy Manifestation True Lord for carrying out his decree. Below him, all thirty thousand Heavenly Soldiers would remain whole and unharmed, without losing an ounce of strength.

"Brilliant!" Admiration filled Chen Wei's eyes, and he settled the matter at once. "This plan suits me perfectly! Let's return to the cabin for a brief meeting, gather our most capable officers, and settle our course of action!"

Elsewhere.

Within the Five Great Demon Sages' encampment, the Dragon Demon King sat in the seat of honor, vexed by the situation before him.

The vanguard host stood ahead, while their campaign against the Three Demons' army had still failed to achieve a breakthrough.

What were they to do?!

Just then, a wolf demon's eyes darted about as he approached to offer a scheme. "Great king! This lowly one has a brilliant plan that can resolve our predicament!"

"Speak!" the Dragon Demon King snorted.

"Great king, the Three Demons of Lion Camel Ridge have seized the Inner River and rely on their deep reserves," the wolf demon said sinisterly. "Their supplies are plentiful. Why don't we send an elite squad around to the rear and launch a surprise raid on their supply Water Palace?"

The Dragon Demon King frowned. "A surprise raid?"

"Don't be impatient, great king!" The wolf demon chuckled. "We'll grab the supplies and run, without getting bogged down. As we retreat, we'll leave behind a few Standard Immortal Swords. Those Three Demons have fiery tempers; they'll surely go fight the Vanguard Army to the death. Then we can hide in the shadows, watch the fire from the opposite bank, and seize the chance to fish in muddied waters."

"Oh, big brother, that's a good plan!" The Lion-Camel King hastily chimed in.

Apart from the two fence-sitters, the Peng Demon King and the Macaque King, the remaining Demon Sages nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, the Dragon Demon King slapped the stone table. "Excellent idea! We'll take their supplies and fatten our own purses, while diverting the flood of trouble eastward and making the Heavenly Court gnaw on those three tough bones! A brilliant plan!"

"With this, we'll be winning so much we'll go numb!"

[I hurried out these four chapters, ten thousand words in all, eagerly hoping that you brothers and sisters might find a little joy in reading them. I'm not a greedy sort, either. Sorry for the trouble, but could you brothers and sisters reward me with a good review, or casually send a few little free gifts to cheer me up? Then I'd be overjoyed too~]

[Plain-language translation: ten thousand words a day through the end of the month. Please give me five-star reviews and little free gifts!]