Chapter 417: Setting the Price

Chapter417: The Price

Take it slow.

Li Jun fixed his gaze on the anxious Zou Jiujiu, his voice low and deliberate.

After the previous assault on Songshan, Xiao Bai had already noticed the weaknesses in Jianshan's defenses, so together with me, using the Huangliang mainframe inside the garrison as a foundation, we incorporated every registered Jinyiwei into the oversight of the Grand Case Archives, analyzing neural links, communication frequencies, and behavioral patterns to guarantee the safety of personnel within Jianshan, and—

Zou Jiujiu paused, then added: 'And this person is still himself, not someone who has taken his place. Therefore, Xiao Bai's communications and the Huangliang link cutting off simultaneously is utterly impossible.'

Li Jun did not bother with pointless questions like 'Why didn't I know about this?' and instead asked directly: 'Can your Grand Case Archives determine his current location?'

When the connection was severed, he was in the eastern district!

Upon hearing this, Li Jun strode toward the door, with Chen Qisheng and Zou Jiujiu close behind.

Outside, a throng of Jinyiwei gathered, staring blankly at the expressionless Li Jun.

They had been startled by Zou Jiujiu's kicking down the door, unaware of what had transpired.

'Boss, what's happened?'

Fan Wujia pushed through the crowd before him, seeing the grave expression on Zou Jiujiu's face, and involuntarily furrowed his brow.

'Take all combat-capable personnel from the First and Second Divisions, encircle the eastern district. Notify Yang Baize to have his Garrison Bureau impose a lockdown; no one may leave the city without word from the Hundred-Household Office.'

'Yes!'

Fan Wujia replied loudly, yet a sudden chill crept into his eyes.

Although Li Jun had not directly told him what had happened, Fan Wujia sensed something odd from the orders given.

In Jinyiwei apprehension operations, the intelligence-focused Second Division usually does not engage directly in combat.

Even if deployed, command should fall to Xie Bian, the Second Division's chief banner, not to oneself overstepping one's station.

Now Li Jun has placed all personnel under his command, while Xie Bian has yet to appear.

This can only mean one thing: the trouble lies with Xie Bian.

A metallic hum rang in Fan Wujia's ears; he drew a deep breath, stifling his racing heart, then whirled to face the still-bewildered Jinyiwei.

'What the hell are you all standing around for? Didn't you hear the Hundred-Household Lord's order? Gear up, we move in half a moment!'

'Yes!'

The shout thundered, and a stern killing intent spread through the Jianshan garrison.

'The perpetrators are likely from Geshan Mountain.'

Chen Qisheng said in a low voice: 'I received word from within Longhu Mountain that, besides the team led by Luo Tian, Geshan Mountain has dispatched another unit into the Wa region. Its leader is a formidable figure—the first of the Geshan Luo lineage to reach the Fourth Dao, Luo Cheng!'

Li Jun turned to the Daoist behind him: 'No matter their background, today only the dead will leave Jianshan.'

'Keep an eye on Fan Wujia and make sure he doesn't act rashly. Notify Prince Ma and Yuan Mingfei to lead teams in a door-to-door search. Report any findings immediately, and under no circumstances act on your own.'

'Understood.'

Chen Qisheng accepted the order and departed.

At that moment, only a hesitant Zou Jiujiu remained behind Li Jun.

'Old Zou, what do you want to say?'

'This omen is not auspicious.'

'I don't believe in this feudal superstition.'

Li Jun waved a hand: 'Is there any way to narrow down the location further?'

Zou Jiujiu fell silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth: 'Yes, but their price is not low.'

'Her price is not low, and she may well keep raising it, so I want to know what ceiling the commanders can accept.'

'Alright, I understand.'

Fu He severed the imperial homeland's telepathic link, his gaze falling upon the characters appearing on his retina.

[Will you accept the invitation from the Huangliang Dream (Stranger)?]

In a faint whisper of wind, a carved wooden talisman hovered above Fu He's head.

The Yongle Sigil, Golden Seal—Conceal Form.

In the deserted alley, night rose like tide, creeping up from the hem of the Daoist's blue robe, inch by inch swallowing his silhouette.

When the darkness passed his jaw, Fu He's eyes went blank, as if his soul had slipped from his body.

'Accept.'

As if waking from a great dream, an immensely illusory yet vast world unfolded before Fu He's eyes.

He stood upon the summit of a towering lone peak, a single step forward plunging into an unfathomable abyss.

Fu He looked around; endless dark clouds roiled with lightning, a spectacle matching the Daoist classics' depiction of the primordial world.

In this suffocating gloom, the corner of the peak where Fu He stood felt terribly lonely and insignificant.

A xun wind blew; Fu He pressed down his rustling Dao robe, bent, plucked a wild grass at his feet, and placed it in his mouth.

The sour tang and earthy scent of the grass rolled across his lips and teeth, everything feeling starkly real.

Fu He's heart sank slightly; he thought, 'To craft such detail, her authority must exceed what I anticipated.'

Suddenly, a colossal jet-black bird tore through the clouds above, its wings spanning ten zhang, its cry like clashing swords, its aura ferocious.

Fu He recognized the creature: the Yatagarasu.

An ominous bird of Wa region myth.

The Yatagarasu beat its wings and dove, then, at the instant it would strike the peak, snapped its wings open in reverse.

The ensuing gust lifted the soil beneath Fu He's feet; he narrowed his eyes, calmly watching this beast that knew no heaven or earth, attempting to mock him.

'Clang!!!'

Seeing its trick fail, the Yatagarasu cried out in irritation, then, instead of pressing the attack, touched its beak to the peak's edge, signaling Fu He to mount its back.

'What foul beast could bear the weight of a Ming immortal?'

Fu He's gaze was contemptuous; he flicked his wrist, rolled his sleeves, and clasped his hands behind his back. The gilt ear ornaments at his lobes, inscribed with the golden Dao characters 'Yongle', blazed brightly, stark against this apocalyptic scene.

Suddenly, a sharp crane cry rang from behind Fu He.

A white crane, which ought not to appear in this dream, shot up from the lower clouds at lightning speed, its crimson eyes locked on the incessantly clamoring Yatagarasu.

The two birds, upon meeting, became mortal foes, engaging in fierce combat.

Yet this home-field Yatagarasu was no match for the white crane Fu He had conjured; within moments it was torn into bloody chunks of fur and flesh, falling into the churning thunder pool below, where it was scorched to drifting ash.

Fu He stepped forward into the void before the abyss; the blood‑stained white crane lifted him, soaring toward the black clouds overhead.

Man and crane threaded through the flashing lightning clouds; in the lightless void lacking reference points, distance could not be gauged, but the dense darkness could not impede Fu He's meticulously forged Dao eyes—the numbers dancing on his retina rose with the crane's ascent, ever swelling.

'The scale of this dream rivals a Dao‑four cavern.'

'Scope and realism are the two chief metrics of a dream's strength; judging by what Fu He now sees, its construction already surpasses earlier expectations.'

'It seems lowering the price will be impossible.'