Inside the patriarch's main hall, the candlelight flickered dimly, its glow swaying back and forth between the pillars, and the entire space was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Chi Boqian sat calmly in the main seat, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the jade armrest, each soft sound breaking the stagnant silence with its long, rhythmic cadence.
After a long silence, he slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the four people below, his voice steady and deep. "Gentlemen, I already have a plan in mind regarding the matter of uncovering the hidden traitor."
As soon as the voice rang out, Chi Ninghua, Chi Xiyue, Chi Tongyue, and Qin Yu all turned their gazes toward the high platform.
Chi Boqian slowly began, "Tomorrow, I will summon all the core disciples of the clan and publicly announce a message. We will declare that, in order to ensure that our clan's Source Dao Ultimate Beast Huang, maintains its peak condition in the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain Grand Competition, the Lineage, after discussion, plans to select one member from the younger generation to carry the clan's refined Origin Pill to meet the Radiant Beast and personally deliver the pill to its mouth."
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "The so-called Origin Pill is just a facade. The real plan is to use the five realms of True Self, Original Self, Law, Origin, and Primordial preserved in the ancestral land to reflect the inner origin of everyone, and use this as evidence to uncover the traitor hidden within the clan."
After speaking, Chi Boqian looked around at everyone and asked, "Do you all think this plan is feasible?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Chi Tongyue gently shook her head. Her Wenwan expression remained unchanged, her voice soft yet firm. "Clan leader, this plan is inappropriate." Chi Boqian looked at her. "Tell me your reasons."
Chi Tongyue slowly rose and calmly said, "Firstly, this traitor has been able to remain hidden for many years without being detected, and his intelligence and cunning far surpass those of ordinary people. If all disciples were suddenly required to undergo the Five Realms of Reflection on Their True Nature, he would immediately sense something amiss, and might even determine that the Lineage has already become suspicious of him, thus taking precautions in advance."
She paused briefly before continuing her analysis, "Secondly, what if the traitor deliberately avoids or refuses to participate? If a disciple is ultimately chosen and taken to Source Dao Ultimate Beast Huang, the variables are endless; if it's a deliberate arrangement but abandoned halfway, the entire plan will be contradictory and full of flaws. Therefore, I believe this plan is not feasible."
Chi Boqian nodded slowly, not rushing to refute, but silently pondering the many hidden dangers she had pointed out. Just then, Chi Xiyue spoke softly, "Clan leader, I also believe this plan is not safe."
She sat quietly in her seat, her expression calm and composed, and slowly revealed her plan. "I have another idea. Since the traitor has been hiding in the shadows for so long, why don't we first create a fake traitor?"
All eyes were on her.
"I used illusion magic to disguise myself as a cultivator from the Hua Lineage, deliberately infiltrating the clan's forbidden area late at night, intentionally causing a disturbance, and ultimately allowing the Lineage guards to capture me. They then imprisoned me in the Mind Thought Demon Prison and intentionally spread the news outwards."
Chi Xiyue's gaze was calm. "If that traitor has been secretly communicating with the Hua Lineage, upon hearing that a member of the Hua Lineage has been captured, fearing that his own secrets will be exposed, he will most likely try to infiltrate the Mind Thought Demon Prison to rescue him. At that time, we can lay a trap and follow the clues to expose him on the spot."
The hall fell silent once more.
Chi Boqian lowered his eyes, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest, neither immediately agreeing nor directly rejecting. Chi Ninghua frowned slightly, silently analyzing the hidden risks in the plan; Chi Tongyue also lowered her eyes, carefully considering the unexpected events that might arise from each step of the plan.
The lights flickered gently, and time flowed by quietly.
After a long while, Chi Boqian raised his head, his dignified features softening slightly as he looked at Qin Yu, who had remained silent, and asked in a calm tone, "Fellow Daoist Qin, what are your thoughts on this plan?"
In an instant, four gazes fell upon Qin Yu. Qin Yu slowly raised his head, a gentle and faint smile spreading across his lips, composed and showing no sign of unease. He stood up and clasped his hands in a salute.
"Clan leader, three seniors, in my humble opinion, Senior Xiyue's plan does indeed have its merits."
Everyone listened attentively. Qin Yu then changed the subject, his expression becoming increasingly serious. "However, that traitor might not fall into the trap so easily. Someone who can remain hidden in the Chi Lineage for so long is extremely vigilant. The capture of just one Hua Lineage cultivator is not enough to force him to reveal himself rashly."
He shook his head slightly, his gaze deep and distant. "On the contrary, if he judged that this prisoner knew many secrets, the most likely choice he would make would not be to risk rescuing him, but rather—to eliminate him once and for all."
With a few words, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.
Qin Yu continued, "Having lived within the clan for so long, he has witnessed countless power struggles and intrigues, making him far more insightful about these kinds of traps than ordinary people. We can utilize Senior Xiyue's plan, but it contains immense danger. The slightest mishap will cause us to completely miss our only chance to follow the clues."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Yu sat down again, and the hall returned to deep thought. After listening to this analysis, the expressions of Chi Boqian and the other three became even more solemn, having already realized the fatal hidden danger in the plan.
Inside the clan's main hall, the lights burned silently, and the entire hall fell into a brief silence. All eyes were on Qin Yu. Just then, Chi Xiyue slowly raised her eyes. Her clear, autumn-water-like eyes held no pressure, but rather a gentle warmth. She looked at Qin Yu, her voice soft and calm.
"Young Master Qin." "Do you already have other plans?" "If you have ideas." "Why not just say them?" As Chi Xiyue finished speaking, Chi Boqian, Chi Tongyue, and Chi Ninghua slowly looked at Qin Yu. Their gazes were clear and open, without a trace of doubt or any distance between them. It was a trust that truly regarded Qin Yu as one of their own.
Chi Boqian spoke slowly, his voice steady and deep. "Young Master Qin, please speak freely. Now, you are our clan's only external ally in this competition. Moreover, you have helped the Chi Lineage several times, and this time you have brought back such important news. Having gone through so much, you are no longer an outsider."
Chi Tongyue nodded gently, and Chi Ninghua's eyes also held an encouraging look. Qin Yu remained silent for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes, his mind constantly rehearsing the entire plan. After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes. His voice was calm. "Junior..." "Indeed, there is another plan." "However..." "This plan requires two people." Chi Boqian's eyes immediately lit up.
Leaning slightly forward, Qin Yu slowly rose and walked to the center of the hall. He calmly said, "Fellow Daoist Qin." "Please speak." "Esteemed seniors," he continued, "Tomorrow, the clan leader will personally transmit a message to the entire clan, summoning two Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage cultivators to the clan leader's hall. He will inform everyone that the clan has an extremely important task that needs to be carried out by these two."
Qin Yu slowly raised his gaze and continued, "These two... must be a man and a woman. Furthermore, their primordial destiny must involve the balance of water and fire." "Because everyone in the Chi Lineage family knows that among those in the Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage who possess this destiny, there are only this one man and one woman. Therefore, no one will suspect anything if they go. After all, while there are many water and fire destiny types, requiring a man and a woman, and both at the Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage, is quite demanding. But I believe there must be one among your many disciples, stewards, and elders."
The group listened quietly as Qin Yu continued, "At that time," "the clan leader will personally wait for the two in the main hall, and then," "take out a pre-prepared fake scroll," "personally hand it to the two," and solemnly instruct, "to secretly travel to the South City · String Melody Sacred City," "and personally deliver the scroll to the Ju Lineage." He then finished speaking.
Qin Yu's gaze slowly deepened. "As for the secret scroll," "it doesn't contain real intelligence," "but rather an absolute restriction inscribed within," "which integrates the true self, the ego, the laws, the origin, and sealing Dao patterns." "Anyone," "without permission," "whoever attempts to open the secret scroll," "will be instantly sealed by the restriction."
The entire hall was utterly silent. Qin Yu continued, "After the two leave, we will all secretly follow them. If the traitor remains hidden within the Chi Lineage, he will not stand idly by and watch the secret scroll be delivered to the Ju Lineage. He will do everything in his power to hunt them down, seize the scroll, and investigate what secrets it holds."
Qin Yu paused for a moment, his voice gradually lowering. "Moreover," the traitor hidden within the Chi Lineage, "will definitely contact the traitor lurking in the Ju Lineage immediately via the Soul Sound Talisman," because, "They will never allow the secret scroll to be handed over smoothly." If our traitor fails to intercept it, then, "The traitor within the Ju Lineage will inevitably be on the outskirts of the Ju Lineage, launching a second interception."
Qin Yu slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Once that happens," he said, "We can lay a trap beforehand. If this plan succeeds, it will kill two birds with one stone. The Chi Lineage and Ju Lineage will be captured both internally and externally. This plan is like a carp swimming in the abyss, unaware of the hook in the bait; a man plotting in the dark, little did he know the light was behind him."
After a brief silence, Chi Ninghua smiled and nodded, saying without hesitation, "This plan is brilliant. I think it's feasible. The entire plan is intricately linked. If the traitor truly has connections with the Hua Lineage, they will not let this opportunity slip by. Moreover, as far as I know, our clan does indeed have two brother and sister stewards who meet these requirements. This way, we can prevent the traitor from infiltrating and taking over the mission."
Immediately afterward, Chi Tongyue nodded slowly, her expression serious. "I also think it's feasible. After all, the traitor will definitely try every means to intercept the secret scroll. Moreover, there must be a connection between the traitors in the Chi Lineage and the Ju Lineage. Our traitor will definitely notify the Ju Lineage traitor in advance to coordinate from both inside and outside. If the Chi Lineage fails to intercept it, then the Ju Lineage's outer perimeter will definitely make another move. Furthermore, the two siblings that Junior Sister Ninghua mentioned have very clean backgrounds. They are the most suitable for this mission."
Chi Xiyue pondered quietly for a moment, a glimmer of light slowly appearing in her clear, autumn-water-like eyes. She nodded gently, looking at Qin Yu, her voice still gentle. "Hmm." "Young Master Qin's plan..." "Indeed, it kills two birds with one stone." "Now the grand competition is imminent."
The fact that the clan chief himself had summoned them was enough to attract everyone's attention. But the real mystery wasn't the secret scroll, but rather why a man and a woman had to be summoned. This alone was enough to keep the traitor guessing what kind of mission required a person with a destiny of water and fire. The more incomprehensible it was, the more they would try to find out, and this curiosity would become the hook that led them into the trap.
At this point, Chi Xiyue looked at Qin Yu, her eyes filled with admiration. On the main seat, Chi Boqian remained silent for a long time, then suddenly, with a soft "slap," he gently tapped the armrest. Though the sound wasn't loud, it conveyed a sense of decisiveness, and a smile finally appeared in his eyes. "Alright!" "Then we'll follow Fellow Daoist Qin's plan!" Chi Boqian slowly rose, his gaze fixed on Qin Yu.
"Fellow Daoist Qin," he said earnestly, "Then regarding this plan, should I inform the Ju Lineage patriarch first?" "Inform them of the entire plan in advance." "In that case," Qin Yu nodded slightly, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Once the secret scroll enters the Ju Lineage territory, our two families can join forces to set up a trap." "Yes," Qin Yu said. "This matter must be informed of the Ju Lineage patriarch in advance. Only when both families plan simultaneously..."
"Only then can we truly achieve a win-win situation, both internally and externally." As Qin Yu finished speaking, this scheme targeting the traitors within the Chi Lineage and Ju Lineage was finally finalized. Inside the main hall, the five people exchanged glances and nodded in response.