Schemes Afoot: Moon-Rank Qinglong Lies Low and a Human Traitor

In the headquarters of the Great Xia Night Watchers in Demon Capital, in an extremely luxurious yet quiet private office.

The Moon Grade Night Watchers, codenamed "Qinglong," leaned back in a large crocodile-skin chair, holding a cup of clear spiritual tea.

Standing before him was a trusted subordinate dressed in a black uniform, whose cultivation had reached the Late Blood Transformation Realm.

"Lord Qinglong."

The subordinate respectfully reported, "Extremely confidential news just came from the ruins in the east of the city. It's said that Gray Wolf, the dirty work handler for the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, was instantly killed. Moreover..."

The subordinate lowered his voice, his tone carrying an extremely strange undertone, "It's said that the murderer bought a large number of highly targeted Yellow Grade Qi Technique and concealment methods from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and even specifically requested 'pupil techniques'!"

"What's even stranger is that Lord Demon Blade received the tip but remained inactive! There are even rumors in the black market that... Lord Baihu personally ordered the matter to be suppressed!"

"Baihu?"

Qinglong took a sip of the spiritual tea, and his seemingly refined yet sinister face showed no surprise.

"This Lord Baihu is too..." The subordinate hesitated, seemingly extremely puzzled and angry at Baihu's behavior of "protecting the murderer."

"Hehe."

Qinglong put down his teacup and sneered, "Then guess how this top-secret information, which should only be known to Demon Blade and Baihu, spread so quickly in the black market?"

The subordinate was taken aback, his brain racing.

Suddenly, he gasped sharply, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes!

"Could it be... the Pan Family behind the Myriad Treasures Pavilion?!"

"They deliberately gave the clues to Demon Blade, and when Lord Baihu didn't respond, they deliberately spread the news... to create a conflict between you and Lord Baihu..."

His subordinate's voice grew softer and softer as he finally realized Myriad Treasures Pavilion's extremely insidious scheme of "using someone else's knife to kill" and "sowing discord"!

"You do have some brains at least."

Qinglong leaned back in his chair, his Spirit Transformation extremely profound.

"Those old foxes from the Pan Family, relying on their status as Demon Capital -tier family in Shanghai, are doing extremely lucrative dirty business in the underworld. It's one thing if they don't, but this time they actually want to use us Night Watchers as pawns?"

"They're trying to use this clumsy divisive tactic to make me, in order to steal credit or suppress Baihu, become their free henchman and eliminate that mysterious murderer."

Do you really think I'm one of those brainless idiots?

"Your Excellency is wise!" the subordinate quickly flattered.

"Since the Baihu wants to watch the show, Pan Family wants to use someone else to do their dirty work, then I'll grant their wish..." A chilling sneer curled at the corner of Qinglong's lips. "I'll just stand by and watch! Let them fight like dogs!"

The subordinate hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something more, "But sir, that murderer did wipe out the Jinling branch. If we let it go unpunished, what will happen if the higher-ups investigate..."

"Above?"

Qinglong's eyes instantly sharpened, and a terrifying pressure belonging to the [True Power Realm] was released and then immediately withdrawn!

"It's none of your business how I do things!"

"Yes! I know I was wrong!" The subordinate was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and quickly shut his mouth.

"Alright, get out. I'm about to go into seclusion in my chamber to break through my bottleneck. Unless it's absolutely necessary, no one is allowed to disturb me! You just stay outside the door and guard it firmly, do you hear me?"

Qinglong waved his hand impatiently.

"Your subordinate obeys!"

The trusted subordinate cautiously withdrew from the office, gently closing the heavy soundproof door behind him.

After the person left, a morbidly fanatical and excited expression suddenly appeared on Qinglong's sinister face.

He very carefully took out an extremely antique black wooden box from his pocket.

Open the wooden box.

Inside lay a pill the size of a longan, its entire body a dark purple color!

"This treasure, which rivals the creation of heaven and earth... If I consume it, I will definitely break through the shackles of the True Power Realm in one fell swoop and step into the legendary supreme realm of opening the Sea of Consciousness!"

"By then, the Baihu, the Great Xia Night Watchers... they will all be trampled under my feet!"

Qinglong's breathing became extremely heavy, and crimson blood vessels filled his eyes.

Just as he was about to swallow the pill...

Knock, knock, knock.

Suddenly, there was a rapid knocking at the door!

"Didn't I say no one is allowed to disturb me?!" Qinglong's dream was interrupted, and he was instantly enraged.

"My lord... please calm down!" came a panicked voice from outside the door. "It's... it's the Li Family family! The Li Family, one of the three great families of Demon Capital! They've sent a special envoy, saying they have extremely urgent business and must see you immediately!"

"The Li Family?!"

Qinglong's hand trembled violently, almost dropping the pill in his hand to the ground.

He quickly closed the wooden box and carefully hid it in the most secret compartment of the office.

Why would members of the three major families suddenly visit at this time?

Qinglong suppressed his anger and suspicion, took a deep breath, and resumed his aloof demeanor as a Moon Grade investigator.

"Let him in."

A moment later, the office door was pushed open.

A well-tailored gray robe, who, though not deliberately releasing any pressure, exuded an extremely terrifying True Power Realm that even made Qinglong feel a slight unease, slowly walked in.

The visitor was none other than a core elder of the Li Family, one of the three major families in Demon Capital!

"I wonder what brings Elder Li here so late at night?" Qinglong stood up, his tone polite but still maintaining the dignity of Night Watchers.

The elders of the Li Family didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

"Lord Qinglong, on behalf of the Li Family, I have come to report an extremely important matter."

The elder of the Li Family had an extremely cold gaze, as if he were pronouncing a death sentence on someone.

"The ' Myriad Treasures Pavilion ' auction house under the Pan Family's name has been violating laws and regulations for many years. Not only has it secretly monopolized black market resources, but it has also been brazenly engaging in large-scale human blood-slaughter transactions with those Variants from the sewers!"

"Such heinous acts have seriously crossed the bottom line of Great Xia!"

"The Li Family has decided that tonight, in conjunction with the Great Xia military, they will conduct a thorough purge of the Pan Family and Myriad Treasures Pavilion!"

"These scum should be ground to dust and their bones scattered!"

Hearing these righteous and awe-inspiring words...

Qinglong felt like a million alpacas were stampeding through his mind!

"Bullshit!" Qinglong roared inwardly.

"Aren't these cannibalistic and despicable acts committed by the Pan Family already an unspoken 'rule' within your three major families and high-level circles in Demon Capital, where everyone has long been aware of them and even secretly shared in the spoils?!"

"Everyone usually pretends to be blind and eats the meat, so why is it suddenly a matter of 'crossing the line' today?! What's gotten into the Li Family, suddenly jumping out to arrest the Pan Family?!"

But Qinglong was, after all, an old fox; he didn't reveal his true intentions immediately, but instead cautiously probed:

"Elder Li is righteous. However... the Pan Family is, after all, a first-rate family with a deep foundation, and the Myriad Treasures Pavilion has far-reaching influence. If we were to take action against them, the Night Watchers, as the government's sharpest weapon, should..."

"Lord Qinglong has misunderstood."

The elder of the Li Family interrupted him rudely, "This dirty work of cleaning up the household is none of the Night Watchers's business. You just need to..."

He stared intently into the Qinglong's eyes.

"Just stand by and watch."

Qinglong was about to say something more to try and gain the upper hand.

But suddenly, an extremely terrifying thought flashed through his mind!

Thinking of this, Qinglong swallowed back the words that were about to come out, and then readily agreed.

"Since the Li Family and the military have already devised a meticulous plan, I'm naturally happy to have some peace and quiet. Tonight, the Night Watchers will not interfere."

The elder of the Li Family was clearly surprised by Qinglong's decisiveness. He gave him a deep look but didn't ask any further questions before bowing and taking his leave.

Just as the office door closed and the presence of the Li Family's visitors completely disappeared into the headquarters corridor.

"Pfft!"

The Qinglong suddenly turned around without any warning!

His hand, brimming with terrifying true energy at the [True Power Realm] level, was like an extremely sharp steel claw, piercing directly through the chest of his trusted subordinate who had been standing behind him!

"M-Sir... why...?"

His trusted subordinate stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief and despair, blood gushing out.

Didn't I say that no one is allowed to disturb me?

Azure Qinglong coldly withdrew his hand, leaving his subordinate's corpse lying in a pool of blood.

Just then...

In the darkest corner of the office, the air suddenly twisted in an eerie way!

A grotesque and terrifying "mysterious being" with no fixed shape, seemingly pieced together from countless writhing, dark red fleshy pulp and eyeballs, slowly emerged from the Xukong!