The Knocker

Li Wangye rushed into the main mine tunnel, his face pale. "Sir! Node number three... has been triggered."

The mine tunnel fell silent instantly. Mo Chen put down his carving knife, Shen Moxin closed her notebook, and Lin Xiao emerged from the shadows.

Lu Yuan looked up. "How was it triggered?"

"It wasn't an intrusion," Li Wangye in a low voice. "Someone used their Soul Power to 'knock' on it three times, like knocking on a door."

Knock on the door.

Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth. "How many people?"

"There's only one thing I can sense, but its Soul Power is frighteningly stable."

Lu Yuan was silent for two seconds. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the stone table twice. Cloud Mist Sect? Listening Wind Pavilion? Or Shadow Guards?

The opponent chose to knock on the door, rather than launch a direct assault.

"I'll go take a look." He stood up.

Lin Xiao immediately followed. "Together."

"You stay at the fork in the road." Lu Yuan shook his head. "The situation isn't right. Evacuate according to the backup plan." He looked at Mo Chen. "Pack up what needs to be packed up, and dispose of what needs to be disposed of."

Mo Chen gritted his teeth and nodded.

Shen Moxin only said, "Be careful."

Lu Yuan didn't say anything more and gestured for Li Wangye to lead the way. The two of them went into a narrow side passage leading to the entrance.

The entrance was disguised as a collapsed pile of rocks, with vines and rubble covering the outside. Lu Yuan stopped in the shadows inside the crevice, closed his eyes, and slowly released his Soul Power perception.

There was only one person outside.

Its presence was as restrained as a stone, standing silently in the shadows outside the pile of rocks. It neither hid nor approached, simply waiting.

Lu Yuan pushed aside the movable stone slab and walked out.

The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the trees. A figure stood in the shadows, wearing a grey cloak, tall and thin. His face was covered by a pure white mask, so smooth it reflected light.

Upon seeing Lu Yuan emerge, the man nodded slightly.

"Mr. Lu Yuan?" The voice, calm and indifferent, came through the mask. "I apologize for the intrusion."

Lu Yuan's Soul Power circulated silently within his body, his face expressionless. "And you are?"

"Listening Wind Pavilion," the man in gray said. "Call me ' Gray Harrier.' On this journey, we are not enemies."

Listening Wind Pavilion.

Lu Yuan's heart sank slightly. The warning in Bai Zhi's secret letter flashed through his mind—they might have seen through the forgery and were assessing the "Key."

Now, the evaluators have arrived.

"Friends from the Listening Wind Pavilion?" Lu Yuan asked calmly, "What brings you here?"

The Gray Harrier seemed to smile. Its face was covered by a mask, but the smile seemed to come through its voice.

"I've been entrusted by a high-ranking official in the cabinet to discuss a deal," he said. "It might be beneficial to both parties."

trade.

Lu Yuan didn't reply. He could sense at least three fluctuations of Soul Power locking onto this place from behind the pile of rocks and from the woods on both sides. It was Lin Xiao and the others who had set it up.

The Gray Harrier didn't seem to care and took a small step forward.

"We've noticed that you possess some interesting theories about Soul Power," he paused, "And unique methods for dealing with Soul Power detection. They can even cause the Cloud Mist Sect to suffer setbacks."

He spoke directly, making no attempt to conceal the fact that he had investigated.

"We are very interested in this," Gray Harrier continued, "Of course, we are even more interested in Mr. Lu's insights into the 'essence of Soul Power ' and ' Martial Soul mutation,' which differ from mainstream theories."

Lu Yuan's heart stirred.

The other party mentioned "Martial Soul mutation." This is not something that ordinary intelligence can reach. Unless... they have conducted an in-depth investigation into Lin Xiao, or noticed the abnormality of Lu Yuan's own Martial Soul.

Without showing any outward emotion, Lu Yuan countered, "Is Listening Wind Pavilion also interested in theoretical research?"

"The theory itself has limited value," Gray Harrier shook his head, "But the 'possibilities' it brings, and the 'boundaries' it might touch, are of a different value."

boundary.

The word made Lu Yuan's eyelids twitch slightly. He recalled the longing for that cold energy emanating from the Blue Silver Grass buds.

The Gray Harrier took another step forward, closing the distance to three zhang. This distance was dangerous enough for Soul Master.

"We know the Cloud Mist Sect is preparing a large-scale search," Gray Harrier's voice lowered. "They've activated a wide-area Soul Power detection system, and will conduct a comprehensive scan of the eastern Black Stone Mountain Range within three days at the latest. Old Crow Ridge, there's no escaping it."

The intelligence matched perfectly, even more accurately than what Bai Zhi had reported.

"We can provide several key weaknesses of that device," Gray Harrier said, "As well as a safe escape route that bypasses most of their outposts and reaches the area deep in the mountains where Soul Power is disordered and naturally shields us from detection."

Lu Yuan remained silent, waiting for what was to come.

"In exchange," Gray Harrier said slowly, "We hope Mr. Lu can answer a few questions. Regarding the principles of 'constructing anomaly fields of Soul Power,' and the details of 'precise manipulation of low-level Soul Power.' Also..."

He paused for a moment.

"We hope to establish a long-term, limited channel for information exchange. It doesn't have to involve core secrets; we can simply share our observations and inferences in certain 'borderline' areas."

The wind rustled through the woods.

Lu Yuan stood still, his mind racing with calculations.

The conditions offered by the other party were extremely tempting: a weak point in the detection device, a safe evacuation route—almost a tailor-made escape plan. The price was answering a few theoretical questions and having a limited information channel.

That's too reasonable. So reasonable it's unsettling.

Listening Wind Pavilion is not a charity. They invested resources in investigation and assessment, and now they are proactively offering assistance. What they are seeking is far more than just a few answers. That "information exchange channel" is their true purpose.

Once the connection is established, it's like building a one-way, transparent bridge between the team and Listening Wind Pavilion. The other party can continuously observe the growth of "Key," assess its potential, and even exert influence when necessary.

This is an open strategy.

The Gray Harrier waited quietly, without urging it on. The sun sank a little further, and the light and shadow in the forest began to blur.

"I need time to think about it," Lu Yuan finally said.

"Of course," Gray Harrier nodded, "But time is running out. The Cloud Mist Sect's detection devices must be deployed by the evening of the day after tomorrow at the latest. Before then, we need a clear answer."

He took out a gray metal piece, about the size of a thumb, with smooth edges, from his cloak.

"If you agree to the deal, infuse this item with your Soul Power. I will receive a signal and receive detailed information and a route map." Gray Harrier placed the metal plate on a flat stone at its feet. "If you refuse... that's fine too. Just pretend you've never seen it before."

After he finished speaking, he took two steps back and his figure slowly disappeared into the deeper shadows.

"Mr. Lu, the lord in the pavilion asked me to pass on a message." Gray Harrier's voice came from the shadows, its calm tone carrying a hint of elusiveness.

"The lock is sturdy, but there's more than one Key. Some people want to lock the door forever, while others... just want to see what's behind it."

After the words were spoken, there was no more sound from the shadows.

Lu Yuan stood still, not immediately picking up the metal piece. He stared in the direction where the Gray Harrier had disappeared, until the wind in the forest completely dispelled the last trace of its presence.

Lin Xiao emerged silently from a crevice behind the pile of rocks, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

"They're gone," he said softly, his brow furrowed. "Their movements were strange, like they blended into the shadows."

Mo Chen and Shen Moxin followed them out. Shen Moxin picked up the gray metal piece, her fingertips glowing with a faint luster of Soul Power as she examined it.

"It has a sophisticated structure and directional communication and positioning capabilities." Her expression was grave. "Once activated, our location will be exposed."

Lin Xiao looked at Lu Yuan. "What do you think?"

Lu Yuan didn't answer. He walked to the stone and picked up the metal piece. It was cold to the touch, smooth, and without any patterns.

Transactions. Information channels. Boundaries.

And that meaningful remark.

The sun sank completely below the mountain ridge, its last rays disappearing. Dim yellow lamplight shone through the cracks at the mine entrance.

Lu Yuan held the metal plate in his palm, the cool sensation spreading along his skin.