Planning "Mist"

The oil lamp went out, leaving only the soft tapping of fingers on wood in the main room. Lu Yuan leaned against the wall, tapping once, then again. No one spoke in the darkness, but everyone knew the gamble had begun.

Three days, that's a tight schedule.

The next day, Mo Chen went into the shed in the backyard. Inside were piles of broken parts and sound-recording stone fragments. When Lu Yuan went in, he was using Soul Power engraving needle to draw the last line on a thin stone slab.

"Did it work?" Lu Yuan asked.

Mo Chen licked his dry lips. "Resonance trigger, one-time use. Mimics the sound of natural wind, difficult to trace. After triggering, it lasts for a maximum of thirty breaths, with a distance not exceeding three miles."

"That's enough." Lu Yuan nodded. "Place it under the third eagle-beak rock at the east end of the rocky beach."

"You really believe that guy surnamed Han?"

"I don't believe it," Lu Yuan answered decisively, "But we need to make him feel that we are useful."

He turned and went to the main room. Shen Moxin Mentor Wen were at the table, their papers filled with writing and then crossed out. Shen Moxin pushed one over. "Earth Vein Soul Power Gathering Point, only mention 'high concentration' and 'violent disorder,' not Soul Marrow. The data has erased the timestamps and locations, leaving only the fluctuation pattern."

Lu Yuan picked it up and looked at it. "Okay. This is the key they want most."

Mentor Wen pointed to another sheet. "The casualties of the Cloud Mist Sect are explained as 'unknown lightning-attribute Soul Power traps.' The prisoners... are described as 'young Soul Master with suspected benign mutations in their Martial Soul and extremely high speed,' without mentioning names or details."

What about Part Four?

Shen Moxin handed over the last sheet, the handwriting scribbled. "Completely fabricated. 'Another unidentified force is active, their whereabouts are mysterious.' They only offer possibilities to muddy the waters."

Lu Yuan placed the three sheets of paper side by side and glanced at them.

Real, fake, half true, half false.

Every ambiguity is a calculated move. The goal is to satisfy the enemy without revealing the truth.

"We need to give it a name," he suddenly said.

Mentor Wen stroked his beard. "How about calling it ' Mist '? The intelligence is hard to verify; if we hide behind the fog, the situation will only become more chaotic."

Lu Yuan nodded, picked up his brush, and neatly wrote at the top: Mist. Below, in smaller print, he added: Volume One: Earth Vein Anomalies and Sect Losses.

"Divided into volumes?" Mo Chen leaned against the doorframe.

"Hmm. Giving it all at once is useless." Lu Yuan put down his pen. "The first time, only give them Volume One. Keep the information on Lin Xiao and 'the other force' handy, and see their reaction."

Shen Moxin took a soft breath. "You even factored in how they would react."

"Just a rough estimate," Lu Yuan said calmly. "I'm betting that the Empire wants to check and balance the Cloud Mist Sect, rather than trying to figure out our secrets. I'm betting that Deacon Han is a smart man who wants credit but also understands the importance of a long-term strategy."

He looked at his father. "Father, go to the old teahouse tomorrow at noon. If Deacon Han appears and intends to continue, he will give you a hint. Tell him the item is under Eagle's Beak Rock in the rocky beach; use your Soul Power to retrieve the stone fragment—only once."

Lu Qinghe nodded emphatically.

"If he probes further, just claim you don't know anything. Stick to the fact that we're just 'local Observers who happened to get information,' hoping to gain some peace of mind."

"Why does he insist on meeting the person behind it all?"

"The deal ends here." Lu Yuan's eyes turned cold. "We'll prepare to relocate immediately. However, according to Mr. Wen's assessment, this is unlikely. The authorities prefer stable and controllable routes."

Mentor Wen agreed, "That makes sense."

The plan was set, and the room quieted down.

On the third day at midday, the sun was blazing.

Wearing a straw hat, Lu Qinghe strolled to the old teahouse at the east end of town. He picked a small table near the back but with a glimpse of the road and slowly sipped his coarse tea.

Half an hour later, a porter in gray clothes arrived. He sat diagonally opposite, drank a few sips, and when he put down the bowl with his left hand, he tapped the table three times very lightly with his little finger.

Lu Qinghe steadied his hand holding the bowl. He blew on it as if he had been burned by the tea, and when he lowered his right hand, he tapped his index finger three times under the edge of the table in response.

The gray-clad porter didn't look at him again, finished his tea, tossed down the coins, and left.

Lu Qinghe sat for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before paying and leaving. He circled around twice before finally going home.

In the shed in the backyard, Mo Chen stared at a glowing crystal in front of him. "Trigger signal received. The stone fragment has been removed, and the self-destruct program has been initiated." He breathed a sigh of relief. "The contents will completely dissipate in thirty breaths. Unless they can decipher and completely Simulation the trigger ripple within thirty breaths—impossible."

Lu Yuan nodded. This was only the first step.

As evening fell, a commotion arose at the alley entrance. Lu Qinghe peeked through a crack in the door and saw two Inspection Office officers leading security personnel posting notices. The notices were roughly about increasing patrols and immediately reporting any suspicious sect activities. The Deacon Han.

The deacon's voice boomed. "The Empire is concerned with local peace and security. If you discover anything unusual, there is no need to be afraid. Just report it and we will handle it."

The onlookers whispered among themselves.

Lu Qinghe closed the door a crack and returned to the main room. Lu Yuan was already standing there.

The notice has been posted.

"Hmm." Lu Yuan walked to the window. "This is their 'reward.' A public declaration that they're paying attention to this place. If the Cloud Mist Sect wants to launch a large-scale search later, they'll have to think twice."

Shen Moxin said softly, "A temporary protective talisman?"

"It's part of the deal." Lu Yuan turned around. "They've shown their sincerity. Now, it's our turn to demonstrate more 'value.'"

Before the words were finished, there was a knock on the courtyard gate. Very softly, only twice.

Lu Qinghe opened the door. Outside stood the gray-clad porter, now dressed in dark blue casual clothes; it was none other than Deacon Han, alone.

"Brother Lu, excuse me." Deacon Han cupped his hands in greeting, his tone more casual, but the shrewdness in his eyes remained.

Lu Qinghe stepped aside to let him in.

Deacon Han entered the main room, his gaze sweeping over Lu Yuan, Shen Moxin, and Mo Chen before landing on Lu Yuan with a smile, "Young man, you're the ' Observers '?"

"Having spent a lot of time in the mountains, my eyes and ears are sharper," Lu Yuan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Very effective." Deacon Han took something from his robes and placed it on the table. It was the dull, cracked fragment of stone. "Received the item. ' Mist, ' Volume One. Interesting."

He paused, tapping his fingers on the table. "The intelligence about the leyline disturbances is very valuable. The casualties at the Cloud Mist Sect also confirm some of our suspicions. However..." His tone shifted, his gaze sharpening, "The information about the prisoner and 'another force' is too vague. We need more specific details."

Lu Yuan calmly said, "Knowing too much is not good for us. We just want to live a peaceful life."

"I understand." Deacon Han nodded. "Cooperation requires sincerity and a gradual approach. You've provided valuable intelligence, and the Inspection Office won't treat its friends unfairly." He pointed outside. "The notice is the first step. As long as the intelligence remains valuable, maintaining order in this area and preventing certain sects from becoming too unscrupulous is something we can do."

The benefits are clearly stated.

But he leaned forward slightly, his voice low and cold. "Of course, I also hope that my friends don't have any inappropriate secrets, or... are two-timing each other."

His gaze swept over everyone in the room.

"In this border region, friends are hard to find, but misunderstandings are easy to arise. Once a misunderstanding occurs, it's bad for everyone, right?"

He stood up, his expression returning to officialdom. "We need any information about the prisoners' characteristics, or any clues about that mysterious force. Next time, same method. Looking forward to your ' Mist ' Volume Two."

He cupped his hands in greeting, and without waiting to see his guest off, turned and left the main room, disappearing into the night.

The courtyard gate closed.

The main room was silent, with only the flickering of the oil lamp.

Mo Chen spat out. "Threatening us?"

"It's a reminder, but also a demarcation." Shen Moxin took off her glasses and rubbed her temples. "It tells us that cooperation is possible, but it must be within their framework, and we cannot have any dissenting thoughts."

Lu Qinghe looked at his son.

Lu Yuan stood by the table, his fingers tracing the broken stone fragment. Deacon Han's last few words still echoed in his ears.

The cooperation has achieved its first step, but it has also placed an invisible Shackles on it.

We must continue to provide intelligence, but do so subtly and safely. We must satisfy the other side's demands while firmly protecting our own vitals.

This deal, which is teetering on the edge, has only just begun.