Gong Shangyu was deep in thought, brow furrowed and mind racing with countless possibilities, struggling to understand why the suspected reborn Fourth Junior Sister of their sect would conspire with the Yin Corpse Sect.
Just then, Lu Li spoke up beside him, his voice carrying a subtle weight of seriousness and mystery.
“Master Shang, I’ve just found some clues regarding the hideout of those bandits,”
he said.
Hearing this, Gong Shangyu was instantly pulled back to reality and eagerly questioned Lu Li.
“Oh? You’ve made a discovery? Where?”
Lu Li smiled faintly, then suddenly produced a jade token glowing with a faint blue light between his fingers—that was Gu Qingying’s soul token.
He then said in a low voice,
“I have been trying to sense the aura fluctuations of Qingkong’s soul token. Although the aura was weak and interfered with by some force…”
“But just now, the fluctuations suddenly became clear for a moment, pointing to a very specific location inside Yangzhou City.”
Lu Li paused, then turned to Gong Shangyu with sharp eyes and said,
“Master Shang, you would never guess where that place is!”
“Where?”
Gong Shangyu’s heart leapt.
Lu Li spoke each word deliberately:
“Directly beneath the City Lord’s Mansion in Yangzhou City.”
“Hm? Beneath the City Lord’s Mansion?!”
Gong Shangyu was stunned for a moment before a sudden flash of insight connected all the previous clues in his mind!
So that’s it!
No wonder Zhao Zongchang, the City Lord Zhao, kept coming to cause trouble at the Danding Pavilion!
It turned out… he was the real culprit behind the Child Abductions!
The various investigations by Danding Pavilion had unwittingly obstructed his plans!
Yes!
With his status as City Lord, his intimate knowledge of city affairs, and the Zhao Family’s power in Yangzhou City—
Looking at the whole city, probably only he could quietly set up Magical Formations and alter the Earth Vein Pattern of Yangzhou City to abduct so many children without anyone noticing.
“I knew it! It has to be Zhao Zongchang!”
Gong Shangyu’s expression suddenly cleared as he clenched his fists tightly.
“Hmph! No wonder those Yin Corpse Sect scoundrels could secretly lay down formations and abduct so many children in Yangzhou City without causing a major uproar!”
“It turns out Zhao Zongchang and the Zhao Family have been acting as protection umbrellas for those demonic bastards!”
“Now that we know where these thieves are hiding, we must act quickly!”
With that, Lu Li suddenly stood up, his eyes sharp and determined, clearly ready to take immediate action against Zhao Zongchang.
After all, a system countdown was ticking in his mind, urging him to complete the mission and earn the Mission Reward to strengthen his disciples.
Besides, his disciple was still in the hands of those bandits—how could Lu Li not feel anxious?
To him, at this stage, Gu Qingying disguised as Gu Qingkong was more than just a disciple—she was his lifeline!
“Master Shang, let’s move!”
“Strike directly at the City Lord’s Mansion! Rescue Qingkong and the abducted children, and capture this villain!”
“Senior, wait!”
Seeing Lu Li’s excitement, Gong Shangyu hurriedly interrupted.
She tried to get out of bed but winced in pain from the wound.
“Uh… Senior, this move requires careful planning.”
Lu Li paused, looking at her in confusion.
“What do you mean, Master Shang? Are you suggesting we sit by and watch this demonic sect traitor run free, leaving Qingkong and those children in danger?”
“Senior, you misunderstand…”
Gong Shangyu gritted her teeth against the pain and quickly explained.
“You are a Master of the Xu Ling Sect, detached from worldly affairs and naturally fearless of secular laws.”
“But Danding Pavilion is small and has many affairs intertwined with the secular kingdoms, dealing with various royal courts and local officials.”
“So if I rush in without concrete evidence, merely on a hunch, and break into the residence of a Jin Kingdom court official—especially probing into his private quarters…”
“That would be like alerting the enemy and slapping the Jin Kingdom court in the face!”
Gong Shangyu took a breath and continued with a serious tone.
“If Zhao Zongchang truly is the mastermind, then breaking into his mansion forcibly could provoke him to kill Brother Gu to silence him, destroy evidence, or even kill or relocate the children!”
“In that case, not only would we fail to save the children, but we might also put them in greater danger!”
“Furthermore…”
She looked at Lu Li with grave eyes.
“If… if our sensing is wrong, or if there are hidden circumstances and Zhao Zongchang is not the true culprit…”
“Then Danding Pavilion’s future business in Yangzhou City and across the Jin Kingdom will be doomed!”
“Such consequences must not be overlooked.”
Lu Li frowned at her words, understanding Gong Shangyu’s concerns.
As a high-ranking cultivator supported by a great sect, he was naturally unafraid of secular courts.
But for someone like Gong Shangyu and the Danding Pavilion, an isolated and small-scale cultivation force, doing business in the mundane world inevitably meant being bound by royal authority.
After all, these secular kingdoms in the Xuanxu Realm also had cultivators among them!
Gong Shangyu’s words clearly expressed her position.
If Lu Li insisted on raiding the City Lord’s Mansion after hearing her concerns, she and Danding Pavilion would certainly not assist.
Realizing this, Lu Li regained his composure.
He knew well that while he might be strong enough to capture Zhao Zongchang and crush the remnants of the Yin Corpse Sect, if the mysterious cultivator secretly manipulating puppets and familiar with Xu Ling Sect’s foundational techniques—a suspected traitor within their sect—were involved…
He would likely be in serious trouble!
If he called for reinforcements from the sect, his disciple might already be lost by the time help arrived.
“So what do you suggest, Master Shang?”
Lu Li asked calmly.
Gong Shangyu felt reassured that he took her advice seriously, then promptly laid out her plan.
“Senior! For now, we must prioritize caution, while preparing two approaches—both overt and covert.”
“Senior, you can take the Order Token of Xu Ling Sect and openly visit the City Lord’s Mansion under the pretense of investigating the Zhou Family Case and probing demonic sect clues.”
“Since you are a Master of the upper sect, Zhao Zongchang won’t dare refuse to meet you. You can stall him by discussing the case and city defenses to draw his attention.”
“As for me…”
A confident, almost proud light flickered in Gong Shangyu’s eyes.
“Danding Pavilion has been operating for many years. I have special channels and methods.”
“While you distract Zhao Zongchang, I will use my knowledge of the mansion’s layout and some… subtle techniques to secretly infiltrate his residence and investigate!”
“If we find solid evidence of Zhao Zongchang’s collusion with the demonic sect or locate the exact place where Brother Gu and the children are held, I will immediately signal you!”
“At that moment, senior, you can strike with overwhelming force, capturing Zhao Zongchang red-handed! That way, he won’t be able to deny anything, and the court will have no grounds for complaint!”
“Simultaneously, you and the Xu Ling Sect will gain great prestige, and Danding Pavilion’s safety will be guaranteed!”
Gong Shangyu’s plan addressed all concerns, avoiding direct confrontation while ensuring Lu Li’s capture operation had a high chance of success.
Lu Li looked at this pale-faced yet sharp-minded “Master Shang” before him and couldn’t help but show a hint of admiration.
At the same time, the cunning in her plan reminded him of that second alchemy disciple in his game, full of schemes and trickery.
Tsk~
Why is it that all you alchemists are full of slyness like this…
Though he thought this in his heart, his expression remained solemn as he said firmly to Gong Shangyu:
“Good! Then we’ll proceed according to your plan! There’s no time to waste!”
“Master Shang, your wounds haven’t healed yet, so be extremely careful when infiltrating!”
“Senior, rest assured! I know my limits!”
Gong Shangyu forced herself to stand, a determined smile crossing her face as she secretly chuckled to herself.
Unless it’s that reborn Fourth Junior Sister, no one can catch me when I’m using my time-stop ability during infiltration!