"The Key" and "The Lock"

Lu Yuan didn't respond to Mo Chen's words. He walked back to the table, his fingers brushing against the edge of the parchment.

The main room was so quiet that only the occasional crackling of the oil lamp could be heard.

"Arson is too low-level," he said calmly. "We need to forge a ' Key.' A Key that can unlock the greed of the Cloud Mist Sect and also pique the curiosity of the ' Shadow Guards.'"

Shen Moxin adjusted her glasses. "The Key?"

"Hmm." Lu Yuan pointed to the strange runes with his fingertips. "They sent us these to test our reaction to 'ancient' and 'heresy' knowledge. So we'll give them a reaction—one they'll never expect."

He looked around at the crowd.

"Forge a clue about an 'ancient ruin.' Location: deep within the Black Stone Mountain Range. The content suggests that the abnormal Soul Power there indicates it's a 'trial ground' left behind by a lost civilization. Entry requires a special ' Soul Power resonance Key,' the principle of which is adapted from my model theory."

Mo Chen was stunned.

Shen Moxin gasped. "Forged?!"

"It's not just about the treasure map," Lu Yuan shook his head, "It has to be convincingly authentic. The parchment texture, the age of the ink, the way the energy diagram is drawn... all have to withstand scrutiny. Mo Chen's craftsmanship, combined with Mr. Shen's research on ancient Soul Power theories, is key."

Shen Moxin turned pale. "This is too risky! If we're found out, it'll be a catastrophe! This is simply..."

"Playing with fire," Lu Yuan finished for her, his gaze calm. "But do we have any other options? The three days given by Deacon Han are an ultimatum. The Cloud Mist Sect's net is tightening. Conventional maneuvering is no longer viable."

He paused.

"We need a big enough 'stir' to distract the Cloud Mist Sect, to make the Inspection Office see our value, and even to make the ' Shadow Guards ' want to interfere."

Mo Chen licked his lips, his tech-obsessed mind kicking in. "Forging ancient artifacts and energy diagrams? Interesting! But it requires special materials—a potion to age parchment, energy-conducting ink to Simulation ancient Soul Power fluctuations, and a substrate chip to carry the diagrams... We can't get any of that in town."

"I'll figure out the materials," Lu Yuan said. "The plan has three steps. First, create 'ruin clues' and fragments of the ' Key theory.' Second, through covert channels—such as using ' Shadow Guards ' for observation, or rogue cultivators like the Desolate Wolf —let the clues 'accidentally' slip into the sights of the Cloud Mist Sect and the Inspection Office."

Shen Moxin forced herself to calm down, tapping her chin with her finger. "They won't believe it easily."

"So there's a third step." Lu Yuan looked at her, "Using Deacon Han's connections, we can 'confirm' the authenticity of some clues, half-truthfully and half-falsely. For example, anonymously revealing that 'abnormal Soul Power fluctuations in a certain area of the Blackrock Black Stone Mountain Range coincide with the signs of the opening of ancient ruins recorded in ancient texts.' He will definitely investigate for the sake of credit. As long as there are indeed abnormal Soul Power there—and the Black Stone Mountain Range are inherently unstable—he will naturally connect it to our 'clues'."

Mo Chen interjected, "What about the ' Shadow Guards '?"

"They'll most likely get involved," Lu Yuan said with certainty. "They're interested in 'ancient knowledge' and 'variables outside the system.' This clue, especially the ' Key ' to the theory of the essence of Soul Power, is an excellent case study. They'll either secretly track and investigate our forces or make further contact with us—either way, it will muddy the waters."

Lu Qinghe remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, his voice deep and hoarse. "What are the chances of success?"

The main room fell silent.

Lu Yuan met his father's gaze. "Successfully disrupting the situation, drawing the main force of the Cloud Mist Sect to explore the 'ruins,' 50%. Successfully rescuing Lin Xiao amidst the chaos, 30%." He paused, "Our own safe evacuation, and the fact that we won't be investigated by either side afterwards... unknown."

unknown.

Mo Chen remained silent. Shen Moxin took off her glasses and pressed her temples. The lamplight flickered on her pale face.

Lu Qinghe looked at his son. He saw determination, and he also saw the madness behind it, a desperate gamble. This was not the steady and calculating son he knew, but rather—a son forced to the edge of a cliff, forced to reveal all his cards.

His Adam's apple bobbed. "Have you thought this through?"

"I've thought it through," Lu Yuan answered decisively. "This is currently the only 'point' that can simultaneously affect all three parties, and also the only possible opportunity to break the deadlock."

Just as the heavy silence seemed to freeze, a very soft cough came from the corner of the main room.

Everyone turned their heads.

It was Mr. Wen, the taciturn clerk. He had entered the main room at some point and stood in the shadows.

He stepped forward, holding a roll of oilcloth wrapped around something.

"Mr. Lu," he said softly, "Perhaps... we could add another layer of insurance."

Lu Yuan's gaze fell on his hands. "Please speak."

Mr. Wen untied the oilcloth and spread out a folded, thick piece of parchment with worn edges. It was a hand-drawn map, the ink old and worn, marking parts of the Black Stone Mountain Range and abandoned mine tunnels.

His withered finger pointed to a rift valley circled in red charcoal on the map, located in the remote southwest.

"This place, ' Ghost Cry Rift,'" his voice calmed slightly. "About twenty years ago, a private mining crew ventured deep into this area. They didn't find any ore, but they did unearth some things."

He paused.

"There were some inexplicable, non-natural metal fragments with extremely fine, Soul Power -like engravings on them. There were also several stones of peculiar texture that emitted a faint, stable Soul Power glow at certain angles. The old mine manager who led the team at the time said that they didn't look like naturally formed minerals."

Shen Moxin immediately leaned closer to the map. "And then?"

"Then something happened," Mr. Wen sighed. "A mysterious cave-in occurred deep within the rift valley, killing two people. The survivors said they heard a strange buzzing sound before the collapse, like metal rubbing together or Soul Power resonating. Moreover, aggressive and bizarrely shaped Soul Beast began to appear there. The mining team was terrified and hastily retreated. This story circulated among the miners in a small area at the time, but it didn't attract the attention of higher-ups, and they gradually forgot about it."

He looked up.

"The terrain is complex, the Soul Power is chaotic, there's a risk of landslides, and strange Soul Beast roam there. More importantly..." He pointed to the red circle, "There were indeed 'unnatural' traces there. If we make some arrangements, such as burying fake 'ancient fragments' beforehand, or using the terrain to create the illusion of 'abnormal Soul Power '..."

He didn't finish speaking.

But everyone understood what it meant.

Lu Yuan stared sharply at the "Ghost Cry Rift" on the map. If the fabricated "ruins clue" pointed to a real location with a somewhat "strange" rumor, its credibility would increase dramatically. If the explorers arrived there and found that the Soul Power was indeed chaotic, the terrain was indeed treacherous, and they might even "accidentally" discover one or two "ancient fragments"... then the fabricated clue would no longer be a mere castle in the air.

The boundary between reality and falsehood is beginning to blur.

Mo Chen slapped his thigh. "Brilliant! With a real base, our fakes will be much more solid! Disordered Soul Power? Easy, I'll bury a few little gadgets beforehand to Simulation periodic fluctuations! Metal fragments? Find some scraps, I'll use etching to age them!"

Shen Moxin quickly thought, "If there really are 'unnatural traces' in historical records there, we can link the forged theory with the characteristics of those traces. For example, the pattern of the metal fragment matches a certain variant of the basic Soul Power circuit in the ' Key theory'... In this way, even if someone finds the real fragment, it will actually confirm our theory!"

The possibilities of the plan spread like ripples.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. He looked at Mr. Wen and said solemnly, "Mr. Wen, this map and information are of great value. Thank you."

Mr. Wen waved his hand, a faint, almost bitter smile appearing on his face. "When I was young, I worked in the border document office and came into contact with a lot of miscellaneous files and rumors. This thing... I originally thought I would never need it."

He put away the map, wrapped it in an oilcloth, and handed it to Lu Yuan. "The exact location of ' Ghost Cry Rift ' and the mining team's route from back then are marked on this map. How you use it is up to you, Mr. Lu."

Lu Yuan took it; it felt heavy in his hand.

The atmosphere in the main room had changed. The previous almost desperate heaviness had been replaced by a mixture of tension, excitement, and a do-or-die determination. The plan was still crazy, and the risks were still terrifyingly high, but at least... there was a more concrete path.

Lu Qinghe looked at the roll of oilcloth in his son's hand, then at the yellowed parchment on the table. He remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly turned and walked towards the kitchen.

"I'll go boil some water," he said, his voice deep and hoarse, his back to the others. "Everyone, have some hot water. Next... you'll be busy."

The footsteps disappeared behind the kitchen door.

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze. "Materials list, Mo Chen, please compile it as soon as possible. Mr. Shen, the ancient Soul Power theory, rune variants, and energy diagram drawing standards are all up to you. Mr. Wen, please recall all the details of ' Ghost Cry Rift ' and the mining team from back then, the more detailed the better."

He lowered his voice.

"Three days. We only have three days to prepare. After three days, whether it succeeds or not, this ' Key ' must be thrown out."

The night outside the window was as dark as ink. The faint sound of dogs barking could be heard in the distance.

But inside the main room of this old house, a massive scam that will involve three parties has quietly begun to unfold.

Reality and falsehood intertwine at this moment.

But will the carefully crafted "Key" in their hands ultimately unlock a path to survival, or a deeper abyss?