Several days later, the "bait" Guo Jia had laid finally worked. A "merchant caravan" attempting to infiltrate Longwei City's armory was captured in one sweep by Guan Yu's troops lying in ambush. Under interrogation, personally assisted by Guo Jia using Uxie's power, they were confirmed to be peripheral operatives of "Shadow Fox," tasked with planting explosives and disguising the blast as an accident. Almost simultaneously, near a "laxly guarded" granary on the border, Zhang Fei intercepted a group of assassins disguised as refugees who were attempting to set it ablaze and frame Peach Blossom Spring's soldiers.
Even Zhang Fei thought this scheme was rather childish. Who would burn down their own granary? Would that sort of frame-up do any good?
Two consecutive defeats temporarily stalled "Shadow Fox's" operations and made him realize that Peach Blossom Spring's counterintelligence capabilities far exceeded his expectations. The covert struggle grew even more secretive and intense.
Peach Blossom Spring faced both the schemes of "Shadow Fox" in the darkness and the uncertainty of Chinjao's disappearance on the vast sea. Chen Yu directed affairs from the center, while Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Liu Bei each performed their duties, maintaining internal stability and development. A covert struggle revolving around conspiracy and redemption quietly unfolded beneath the waves. These two unexpected leads made the game in the West Blue even more bewildering, while filling it with new possibilities.
In late summer of the year 1514 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Peach Blossom Spring's covert struggle against "Shadow Fox" and the search for Chinjao simultaneously entered critical stages under Guo Jia's meticulous planning and Zhao Yun's efficient execution.
"Shadow Fox" lived up to his reputation as one of the West Blue's foremost schemers; his operations were extremely secretive and changeable. After his first few probing infiltrations were thwarted by Guo Jia's prepared traps, he immediately changed tactics, making his movements more elusive and unpredictable. He no longer attempted direct attacks on core facilities, instead turning to more sinister domains:
An offensive of rumors: he spread rumors through the major ports of the Flower Country in the West Blue and underground intelligence channels, claiming that Peach Blossom Spring was actually "a tyranny cloaked in benevolence and righteousness," levying exorbitant taxes, oppressing its people, and even secretly conducting human experiments. He sought to tarnish Peach Blossom Spring's reputation, undermine its popular support, and attract the attention of "champions of justice" or bounty hunters.
Economic interference: he ordered the merchant associations under his control to maliciously inflate the prices of supplies Peach Blossom Spring urgently needed or drive down the prices of its exports, attempting to exert economic pressure.
Schemes to sow internal discord within Peach Blossom Spring: he forged letters in an attempt to drive wedges between its generals, such as a letter to Zhang Fei purportedly from Guan Yu expressing dissatisfaction with allocations, or tried to sour Peach Blossom Spring's relations with Qi Ming of the Two Treasures Navy and even Sai of the Happo Navy.
However, Guo Jia, who had acquired [Uxie's power], handled such schemes with consummate ease.
Knowledge detection: tracing origins: Guo Jia personally reviewed intercepted rumor-bearing letters and commercial contracts. By touching the paper and writing, Uxie's power allowed him to faintly sense the writers' emotions-malice and cunning-and the vague routes through which the letters had passed. He could even catch a trace of "Shadow Fox's" distinctive cold, sinister aura lingering on them. He swiftly identified several key rumor-distribution points and the masterminds behind the malicious commercial dealings.
Memory weaving: countermeasures: Guo Jia did not resort to force against the few small merchants and information brokers swayed by rumors or tempted by profit. Instead, through subtle memory weaving combined with Liu Bei's benevolent influence, he made them "recall" Peach Blossom Spring's genuinely benevolent governance or "realize" the enormous risks of malicious commercial dealings. They thus voluntarily abandoned their cooperation with "Shadow Fox," with some even turning against him and providing information.
Information barrier: isolation: Guo Jia strengthened the information barrier in Longwei City and the important surrounding villages and towns. Rather than cutting off information entirely, this barrier subtly disrupted and weakened the spread of malicious rumors, making it easier for the people to retain their reason and judgment and invisibly dismantling "Shadow Fox's" offensive on public opinion.
Soon, through a series of countermeasures and by following the trail, Guo Jia gradually narrowed down where "Shadow Fox" and his core team were hiding-they were very likely lurking in a port called "Blackwater Town," secretly controlled by the Flower Country's Chancellor, exploiting its complicated environment and the Chancellor's protection to conduct their activities.
"My lord, 'Shadow Fox' and his followers are hiding in Blackwater Town. The man himself is cunning and rarely acts in person, mostly passing orders through doubles and messengers," Guo Jia reported to Chen Yu. "A direct assault might alert him and easily give the Chancellor grounds to act against us. I have a plan that can make him walk straight into our net."
Chen Yu nodded. "Speak."
"He wishes to create an incident and draw in the Marines. Then we shall give him an 'opportunity.'" A sly smile curled at Guo Jia's lips. "An old trick put to new use: General Guan Yu can pretend to lead a transport convoy carrying a shipment of 'important weapons'-in truth, sand and stones-through the waters off Blackwater Town, and 'accidentally' let word slip. Given such a fine opportunity, 'Shadow Fox' will surely commit all his strength to raiding it, hoping to seize 'evidence' and stage an attack. We can then lay an ambush and capture him in one stroke!"
"An excellent plan!" Chen Yu praised. "Proceed accordingly. Have Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Huang Zhong carry it out together. Make certain to capture the ringleader and leave no future trouble!"
"Then outside Blackwater Town, we shall invite him into the trap."
Just then, a speedboat dispatched by Zhao Yun returned with the first encrypted urgent report. The search team heading toward the Grand Line had discovered fragments suspected to be from Chinjao's small boat along the edge of a deserted island after a storm, but had found no sign of Chinjao himself. They surmised that he might have been caught in the storm, his fate unknown, or drifted into more distant waters. The search team was expanding its search area.
At the news, Chen Yu's and Guo Jia's expressions grew grave. Chinjao's situation was more dangerous than anticipated.
"Fengxiao, it seems the search will be extremely difficult," Chen Yu said.
Guo Jia pondered for a moment, and a glint of resolve flashed in his eyes. "My lord, perhaps... I need to go myself."
"Oh?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. "You intend to use Uxie's power to search?"
"Not only that," Guo Jia explained. "Pillar Chinjao's condition is unusual, and his movements cannot be traced by ordinary logic. My abilities may allow me to sense the intense emotional fluctuations he left behind, or even... attempt a faint resonance with his disordered consciousness to narrow the search. And if we truly find him, when facing a senior who has lost control of his mind, I may be better suited than General Zhao Yun to... 'talk.'"
Chen Yu looked into Guo Jia's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing into people's hearts, and knew full well that his words were no idle claim. Uxie's power did indeed have extraordinary effects when dealing with problems of this mental nature.
"Approved," Chen Yu decided. "Take a squad of elite troops and depart on a fast ship to rendezvous with Zhao Yun. Be sure to take care. Though Chinjao's strength has declined, his foundations remain, and he is still dangerous in a berserk state. Remember, your personal safety comes first. As for Chinjao, bringing him under our command would naturally be best, but even simply becoming friends would be good."
"I understand."
The next day, Guo Jia took a carefully selected squad of guards and navigators aboard a specially modified fast ship, quietly departed the harbor, and sailed into the surging waters of the West Blue, joining the search for Chinjao.
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