“Yuan’er, there is a mission that must be undertaken by you.” The Sword Venerable’s voice was hoarse, carrying an undeniable pressure.
Seeing his master being so mysterious, Chu Yuan carefully chose his words. “Master, may I ask what important mission it is? Does it require sending others away?”
Faced with Chu Yuan’s confusion, the Sword Venerable smiled. “The Demonic Path Alliance has been acting strangely and frequently lately. These beasts operate too covertly, leaving us of the Righteous Path constantly on guard. If this continues, I fear only more lives will be lost to them.”
Seeing his master stop halfway, Chu Yuan frowned and cupped his hands. “Master, if you have something to entrust, please speak directly. Your disciple will certainly do his best.”
The Sword Venerable raised an eyebrow and then instructed, “Good! Your master needs you to infiltrate the Demonic Path Alliance under the identity of a fallen demon, to gather intelligence for our Heavenly Sword Sect, and even for the entire Righteous Path Alliance.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Yuan showed no surprise, instead revealing a hint of helplessness. So it was indeed… Everything was as predicted by the script the system had provided. Next, he, this licking dog villain, would embark on a deep cover career of three years, and then another three years.
However, at this time, the Sword Venerable would absolutely never imagine that her disciple, after going undercover, would end up playing the part for real, rising to become a Grand Elder of the Demonic Path Alliance and standing on the opposite side from her.
For now, Chu Yuan could only sigh and pretend to hesitate. “This… Master, are you sure you want me to do it? Your disciple is, after all, the Sacred Son of Taixu. Won’t I stand out too much?”
A strange smile appeared on the Sword Venerable’s wrinkled face. “Precisely because you are the Sacred Son of Taixu, it will be easier for you to infiltrate the enemy’s management. Otherwise, given the cautious style of the Demonic Path Alliance, with your Heavenly Sword Sect identity, starting from the grassroots, you would never be able to mix into the core circle.”
Chu Yuan pretended to worry. “But if I join the Demonic Path Alliance, what about Senior Sister?”
The Sword Venerable rolled her eyes, looking at this licking dog with disdain. “Your senior sister will be better off without you! If you can do this well, you can also end the war between the righteous and demonic paths faster. Your senior sister won’t need to take risks so often either.”
Faced with his master’s scornful gaze, Chu Yuan felt quite helpless. Through the system’s script, although he could foresee the future trajectory to some extent, he also had to act according to the script. Therefore, following the script’s requirements, he pretended to smile bitterly. “Alright! For Senior Sister’s sake, your disciple will do his best! But how does your disciple infiltrate the Demonic Path Alliance’s inner circle? If I’m too proactive, won’t it seem suspicious?”
The Sword Venerable raised an eyebrow. “As long as you’re willing! As for infiltrating the inner circle, your Fox Venerable will arrange it.” Actually, the Sword Venerable dared to make such arrangements because it was also that fox’s idea. The Fox Venerable was worried that the Sacred Son was too deeply infatuated with Li Shixue; only by assigning him a mission could they separate the two.
“Once you enter the core circle, besides daily intelligence gathering, there is one more thing you must do well.”
Chu Yuan was curious. “What is it?”
The Sword Venerable answered, “Use every means possible to befriend the Black Dragon Emperor!”
Chu Yuan was puzzled. “I’ve heard the Dragon Emperor is fierce and keeps strangers at a distance. Is there any intelligence that can help your disciple cater to his preferences?”
Without thinking, the Sword Venerable replied, “I’ve heard that dragon is particularly fond of osmanthus cakes. Don’t you love making them for your senior sister? Just make them for that dragon in the future!”
Upon hearing the word “osmanthus cakes,” Chu Yuan rolled his eyes. Osmanthus cakes again? I’m sick of making these things! Whatever! Since Master said so, I’ll just have to brace myself and do it!
Having thought this, he cupped his hands towards the old woman sitting across the table. “Yes, Master! Your disciple will go prepare immediately.” With that, Chu Yuan turned and left. From then on, he officially began his deep cover career.
The first time he saw that dragon was at the Demonic Path Alliance headquarters. It was a palace built over an abyss, where sunlight never reached year-round. Chu Yuan followed the Fox Venerable through long corridors; the stone slabs underfoot still bore unknown dark brown stains.
The conference hall doors opened before them. In the spacious great hall, dozens of evil cultivators stood in rows on both sides, their black robes like clouds, demonic qi dense and sinister. Chu Yuan looked towards the highest throne at the far end of the hall. A graceful figure with deer antlers on her head sat upright upon it. Her back was ramrod straight, hands folded on her knees; her waterfall-like jet-black hair made her skin appear even more frost-defyingly fair. Paired with her solemn, jade-like countenance, she resembled a deity carved from ice and snow. And within that peerlessly beautiful visage, those golden pupils were like burning amber, looking down upon everyone in the hall from a superior position.
No evil cultivator present dared to meet her gaze. Even Chu Yuan, after locking eyes with her for a few seconds, felt a chill and averted his gaze. Just then, a sinister voice attracted his attention.
“This must be His Highness the Sacred Son, correct?”
Only then did Chu Yuan notice there was also a tall figure standing beside the throne. The evil cultivator had a sinister appearance, with a prominent, high-bridged, hook nose that was quite striking. Before Chu Yuan could react, the Fox Venerable answered on his behalf. “Indeed, Grand Elder Ziya!” As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Chu Yuan. “Your Highness the Sacred Son, come forward quickly and greet the various elders!”
Chu Yuan steeled himself and walked forward. Dozens of gazes in the hall fell upon him: scrutinizing, curious, and also undisguised hostility. Many cadres and elders whispered among themselves:
“The Sacred Son of the Taixu Sacred Domain? Why would he suddenly defect to our Demonic Path Alliance?”
“I heard he once studied under the Heavenly Sword Sect. Could he be a spy sent by the Righteous Path Alliance?”
“Can’t say that for sure! Elder Daji’s charm arts are peerless. Perhaps it was her doing.”
Facing doubts from all sides, Chu Yuan bowed neither humbly nor arrogantly towards the Dragon Emperor seated on the throne. “Sacred Son of Taixu, Chu Yuan, pays his respects to the Dragon Emperor!”
He stood expressionless on the spot, allowing the various gazes around him to scrutinize him from head to toe. The graceful figure on the throne still showed no reaction. Instead, the hook-nosed cultivator standing beside her cupped his hands and smiled.
“This old man is Ziya, Grand Elder of the Demonic Path Alliance. I shall rely on Your Highness the Sacred Son’s assistance for our Demonic Path Alliance’s plans henceforth!”
Chu Yuan responded politely. “That is only natural!”
After speaking, he followed the Fox Venerable’s arrangement and took a position near the throne. Subsequently, the hook-nosed elder began presiding over the meeting. Standing three steps below the throne, he eloquently deployed the grand schemes of the Demonic Path Alliance. As a newcomer, Chu Yuan knew he had little right to speak. Standing behind the Fox Venerable, he secretly observed the Dragon Emperor, privately calculating how to approach her later.
The meeting was long and tedious. Chu Yuan stood in the corner, listening to them discuss how to expand the Demonic Path Alliance’s sphere of influence, how to infiltrate the Righteous Path Alliance, how to plunder more resources. However, from beginning to end, not a single person asked for the Dragon Emperor’s opinion. In contrast, the Dragon Emperor remained silent throughout, only occasionally blinking to show she was still listening. But there was no spark in her eyes. She didn’t seem like an emperor standing above tens of thousands; she reminded Chu Yuan more of a dog his neighbor kept when he was a child, chained in the yard by its owner, exposed to sun and rain, never taken out for a walk. That dog would bark a couple of times at passersby from atop the wall, but its eyes were empty, as if it had already given up hope of being saved.
I wonder how that dog is doing now… While Chu Yuan was lost in thought, the meeting also drew to a close.
The hook-nosed elder finally looked back at Chu Yuan, a hypocritical smile spreading across his lips. “Your Highness the Sacred Son, the heavy responsibility of the Demonic Path Alliance will be entrusted to you from now on. With the assistance of the Taixu Sacred Domain, our grand plans will surely proceed more smoothly.”
Other elders chimed in one after another, some flattering, some perfunctory. Chu Yuan also engaged in polite, insincere pleasantries. Meanwhile, the Dragon Emperor stood up, preparing to leave.
“Your Majesty the Emperor!!!”
It was at this moment that Chu Yuan suddenly spoke up. The evil cultivator cadres and elders present were all stunned, followed by endless astonishment and curiosity: What does this kid want to do?