Chapter 263: Chapter 251: [Imperial Soldiers]
As Master Hu Chan spoke, a complex expression crossed his face.
It was a mix of the calm resolve of a Righteous Cultivator fighting for a "great cause," and the solemn dread of the shocking plot behind it.
"They want to... tear this land apart to find the Imperial Soldiers that may be buried here!"
He clapped Qi Yun on the shoulder, his voice a mixture of resignation and a barely perceptible excitement. "And we’re... participants... in this earth-shattering treasure hunt."
The mountain wind whistled through the pass, carrying the faint sound of gongs and drums from the distant army camp.
Qi Yun fell silent, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the smooth, warm surface of his gourd.
’Imperial Soldiers... the legacy of the Golden Tang Dynasty... Nanyin’s true motive for their northern expedition...’
’So that’s it.’
All the anomalies, all the contradictions, seemed to be connected by a faint, dark thread at this moment.
’Why was Nanyin so well-prepared? Why was their offensive so determined?’
’Why did they seem to know the Northwest’s terrain and the Demon Sects’ distribution like the back of their hand?’
’Why were the four Great Masters’ attitudes so ambiguous, as if they were holding something back?’
’If behind all this was a paramount treasure like the National Guardian Imperial Soldiers, something powerful enough to shift the balance of a region, or even influence the future of the entire Cultivation Realm...’
’...then it would all make sense.’
Seeing Qi Yun’s prolonged silence, Master Hu Chan assumed he was stunned by this earth-shattering secret. With a hearty laugh, he reverted to his usual boisterous demeanor:
"Don’t take it too seriously, my friend!
A treasure of this magnitude involves far too much karma. It’s not for the likes of us to covet.
We just need to do our part! That’s all there is to it.
Now, let’s drink!"
Qi Yun looked up, his usual gentle smile already back on his face. He raised his gourd and clinked it against the other man’s.
"You are right, Brother. When the sky falls, the tall ones are there to hold it up.
This secret has certainly been an eye-opener for me. A toast to you, Brother."
The liquor went down, its spiciness followed by a sweet aftertaste.
Qi Yun’s gaze pierced through the dancing flames of the campfire before him, looking toward a deeper, darker, and more unknown place.
’Imperial Soldiers... Northwest...’
’This chess game seems even grander and more breathtaking than I imagined.’
...
By a cold, clear pool, the night mist hung like a veil.
The pool lay deep within a secluded valley, far from the bustle of the camp. Even the chirping of insects was sparse.
Qi Yun stood with his hands clasped behind his back on a smooth bluestone. His Deep Blue Daoist Robe hung motionless in the damp night air, as if he were one with the shadows.
Not far off, the water’s surface rippled. A figure emerged like a phantom from the shadows at the pool’s center, walking upon the water. He landed soundlessly three paces to Qi Yun’s side and bowed.
It was none other than Xuan Ping Master—Zhe Cheng—his aura completely retracted.
"My Lord." Zhe Cheng’s voice, low and deferential, was transmitted directly into Qi Yun’s mind.
"As you directed, I have used some of my old connections to investigate through various channels."
Qi Yun did not turn back, merely giving a slight nod for him to continue.
"What Master Hu Chan said about the Imperial Soldiers is true." Zhe Cheng’s report was concise and clear.
"The Nanyin Dynasty’s search for this object was no sudden whim.
To be precise, they began consciously infiltrating the Northwest Land about four hundred years ago.
In the beginning, their efforts left some traces, but their methods grew increasingly covert and sophisticated, a steady drip of water slowly eroding stone.
Without deliberately tracing it back, it would be almost impossible to notice this centuries-spanning plot."
"I deduce that the Nanyin imperial family must have obtained a key clue much earlier—one suggesting ’the Imperial Soldiers may be hidden in the Northwest.’
These four hundred years of infiltration have been a long process of verification and preparation.
Only recently did they seem to finally confirm the rumor’s authenticity, and perhaps even... pinpoint a general location."
"As for how they united so many Righteous Sects for this northern expedition," Zhe Cheng’s tone grew grave.
"The reason lies with Nanyin’s previous Emperor, who was nearing the end of his Transformation Dao.
He personally visited several great Sacred Lands for secret talks with the True Monarchs of Sects such as the Sword Pavilion, the Vast Sacred Land, and our own Nine Kings Mountain.
The exact promises or deals made are unknown.
But the result was that the True Monarchs tacitly approved, and even pushed for, this joint operation.
The stakes for the Imperial Soldiers are too high; any power would be tempted."
With the report concluded, a brief silence fell over the poolside.
There was only the faint, clear sound of water trickling through crevices in the rock.
Qi Yun continued to gaze at the dark surface of the pool, a veritable Star River seeming to churn in the depths of his eyes as he rapidly pieced together the information from Zhe Cheng with all the past clues, running through his deductions.
’A plot four hundred years in the making... The previous Emperor personally lobbying the True Monarchs... The Righteous Alliance Army, for all its apparent might, is actually just a collection of High Level Enforcers and Witnesses, lured here by the bait of the Imperial Soldiers...’
’Then, what about the Northwest Four Sects?’
’Faced with Nanyin’s all-out strike, planned for centuries, the reactions of the Four Sects’ Great Masters and even their True Monarchs have been too calm.’
’One could even say they were condoning it.’
’After the initial counter-espionage plan rooted out the spies, besides accelerating the construction of the Northern Defense Array, the core forces of the Four Sects have remained held in reserve.’
’They’ve allowed the World-Suppressing Army and the Righteous Sects’ Cultivators to fight and advance at the borders and the periphery...’
A clear, coldly calculated picture suddenly clicked into place in Qi Yun’s mind.
He slowly turned, his gaze falling upon the bowing Zhe Cheng. The faintest of smiles touched the corners of his lips.
"So that’s how it is."
"Nanyin believes itself to be the Hunter, sweeping north with thunderous momentum to find its prize.
But little do they know that in the eyes of the four Great Masters of the Northwest,
their grand army of the northern expedition, from start to finish, has only ever been..."
He paused, then enunciated each word clearly:
"...a hoe, used on behalf of the Four Sects to turn over the hard soil of the Northwest and find the hiding place of the Imperial Soldiers."
’That’s why they didn’t care about the spies being exposed.’
’They might have even intentionally leaked the false information about "building the array in half a year" to hasten Nanyin’s resolve to attack.’
’That’s why they sat back and watched as the border was breached and the array nodes were destroyed.’
’Because the harder Nanyin attacks and the deeper they probe, the more likely they are to find those Imperial Soldiers sooner.’
’Keep their troops back, preserve their strength, and wait for Nanyin to wear themselves out fighting the small and medium-sized powers of the Northwest Demon Path.’
’Meanwhile, they watch from the shadows, waiting for the moment the Imperial Soldiers truly appear.’
’What a move, "using the tiger to swallow the wolf."’
’What a classic case of "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind"!’
’The Great Masters of the Four Sects, or rather, the True Monarchs of the Four Sects, have had only one goal from the very beginning:’
’And that is the National Guardian Imperial Soldiers, capable of changing the landscape of the Northwest and even the entire world!’
’Nanyin’s northern expedition played right into their hands, saving them the trouble of acting themselves and drawing attention.’
’What they want is to use Nanyin’s hand to stir up the situation in the Northwest, force out clues about the Imperial Soldiers, and even...’
’let Nanyin be the first to face any potential protective Restrictions or unknown risks.’
"Truly... a finely crafted scheme," Qi Yun murmured to himself, his eyes faintly showing the relaxation of a chess player who finally sees the entire board.
He looked at Zhe Cheng and said softly,
"Continue to monitor the movements of Nine Kings Mountain and the alliance army’s high command, especially any and all activity related to the search for the Imperial Soldiers.
Also, keep an eye on the Northwest Four Sects, particularly for any unusual movements of elite troops or secret operations under the command of those four Great Masters."
"Yes, My Lord," Zhe Cheng assented without hesitation.
Qi Yun waved his hand, and Zhe Cheng’s figure retreated silently, melting into the night and vanishing once more into the pool’s shadows.
Standing alone by the pool, Qi Yun looked up at the deep night sky in the direction of the Northwest.
That was where the Four Sects were based, and the land to which the rumors of the Imperial Soldiers pointed.
’I had originally just planned to probe Nanyin’s true strength and maybe pick up some benefits on the side.’
’I never expected to be drawn into a world-shaking chess game for the National Guardian Imperial Soldiers.’
’Nanyin is the player moving pieces in the open, the Northwest Four Sects are the oriole hiding in the wings, and as for me...’
He narrowed his eyes slightly. The Daluo Heaven revolved quietly in his Sea of Consciousness, and the Dao Rhyme of the Upper Profound Talisman’s Divine Techniques lingered at his fingertips.
In this grand chess game, played upon the board of the Northwest Land with the Imperial Soldiers as the prize, everyone else was acting in a state of oblivious confusion.
But he, having now glimpsed the greater truth, had clearly seized the initiative.
"Imperial Soldiers..." Muttering these two words that weighed as heavily as mountains, the curve of Qi Yun’s lips deepened.
’Interesting.’
’These waters, it seems, are far deeper and murkier than I anticipated.’
’But, the murkier the water, perhaps, the easier it is to fish.’
...
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