Chapter 367: The Secret Agents

Chapter 367: The Spies

Zhao Changhe had to admit his face had been thoroughly slapped by the Book of Chaos.

One moment he was saying the Great Zhou was shamelessly hyping Tang Buqi, and the next, that nephew of his actually stood up.

But Zhao Changhe felt no frustration from being proven wrong; instead, he was overjoyed. He pulled out his gourd of wine and took a hearty swig.

The memory of Tang Buqi weeping drunkenly was still fresh, yet amid the waves of time that sift the sands, his name now shone brightly in the world.

Besides, with Mile defeated at Lake Tai and Tang Wanzhuang launching her counteroffensive, would they still come to attack Xiangyang? The eastern and western fronts were different—he didn’t know if it would affect anything.

Right now, he was more eager to communicate with the Demon Suppression Division, hoping the Great Zhou truly was one of them. Logically, the Demon Suppression agents should also be keen to liaise with their superiors, making it easier to discern the truth.

Zhao Changhe quietly followed the Great Zhou through a winding path into an alley. The air was thick with fragrance—it really was a place that made braised duck. But it wasn’t the small shop or workshop he’d imagined; the entire alley belonged to their establishment.

The whole city was in a slump, and even here, the scene of activity was relatively subdued, with few customers coming to buy. Yet there was no need for walk-ins. The Great Zhou directed the workers to pack the braised goods and deliver them, one household after another, to various restaurants and the mansions of the wealthy.

They had fixed cooperative clients; the city’s desolation seemed to have little impact on a business like this.

Everything appeared normal. Zhao Changhe wasn’t anxious; he waited quietly.

As dusk fell, the Great Zhou finished his work, changed into a young master’s attire, and swaggered out of the alley. Zhao Changhe suspected this might be the moment for a rendezvous and, with secret delight, followed.

“Oh~ Brother Zhou is here? Little Peach Blossom has been missing you…”

“I don’t miss Little Peach Blossom; I miss Fourth Brother.”

“Fourth Master is in the first parlor, waiting for Brother Zhou to join the fun.”

“…” Zhao Changhe watched from afar as the Great Zhou, surrounded by the madam, entered a brothel, a string of ellipses running through his mind.

Why a brothel again…

Forget it, not this time. Before, he had no choice but to pose as a customer and go in, because his lightness skill was mediocre and his blade too large, unsuited for covert investigation. Now the problem was solved: Longque was stowed in his ring, and his lightness skill had merged with Ye Wuzong’s Wind-Walking Art. Stealthy reconnaissance was much simpler now.

Zhao Changhe pinpointed the parlor the Great Zhou had entered, drifted lightly onto the eaves, hooked himself upside down, and peered in through the window.

As expected, the Great Zhou inside wasn’t there for pleasure at all.

Across from him sat another man, likely the so-called “Fourth Brother.” Neither had any women beside them; they were merely drinking together.

“Has there been any news from the Chief since the great defeat of Mile?” the Great Zhou was asking.

Indeed, a man from the Demon Suppression Division.

Zhao Changhe felt his intuition was sharp enough to buy a lottery ticket… but the title “Fourth Brother” also easily brought to mind Ying Wu’s organization…

Fourth Brother said, “The battle just ended. Even if they send carrier pigeons, they won’t arrive instantly. You’re more anxious than I am.”

The Great Zhou replied, “Seeing the Book of Chaos flash got me excited… Mile’s scourge over Jiangnan—finally there’s a glimmer of peace. Who doesn’t long for the old days, stable and calm, coming here to listen to a tune now and then? What’s the point now? Business is worse, and the songs have lost their flavor.”

Fourth Brother was silent for a moment, then sighed. “That’s why the Chief thinks you and I shouldn’t go after Mile. Because their Celestial Maiden could lure our souls away, and we’d follow.”

The Great Zhou: “…It’s not that I wasn’t sent to Mile’s territory; I’ve been doing business here all along, right? You’re different. With so many brothels in your chain, you could be anywhere. Why were you chased here?”

Fourth Brother said with a hint of grievance, “I don’t even like women. How could Mile’s Celestial Maiden tempt me? The Chief doesn’t know a damn thing.”

Zhao Changhe: “…”

The Great Zhou said, “Enough small talk. From what I’ve sensed these days, Lü Shiheng probably won’t defect to Mile. Instead, he seems more inclined to establish his own power. Especially these past days, using the pretext of possible Mile cult movements to conscript troops on a large scale, neglecting spring plowing—his rebellious signs grow clearer. Has this been reported to the Demon Suppression Division?”

“No. The reports all say Lü Shiheng is actively preparing for war, a loyal minister.” Fourth Brother smiled. “The Chief long suspected that the Xiangyang Demon Suppression Division was untrustworthy, which is why we needed extra intelligence from our Spy Division. Now it’s confirmed that her worries were right—the Xiangyang Demon Suppression Division is useless. Anyway, I’ve already reported this to the Chief for her consideration.”

Zhao Changhe nodded inwardly. On the surface, Tang Wanzhuang coughed so much she seemed like a frail Lin Daiyu, but in truth, she was cut from the cloth of a prime minister—never needing anyone’s worry. The Demon Suppression Division had always operated on both overt and covert lines. For instance, he, Zhao Changhe, was himself a spy. Given how long the Great Zhou had been doing business here, this was a covert line laid down many years ago. No one would ever guess that the man who had been selling duck for so many years was a spy.

Now, with the situation in Xiangyang, Tang Wanzhuang had long stopped trusting the surface offices and had activated the hidden spy network—just in time.

“Then report this first.” The Great Zhou was troubled. “Damn it, Mile isn’t even pacified yet, and now everyone’s harboring treacherous intentions. When will this chaos ever end?”

Fourth Brother said, “Don’t think so far ahead… I’ve got some new news from the west. Want to hear it?”

The Great Zhou asked curiously, “What news?”

Fourth Brother laughed. “Wang Daozhong entered Kunlun. On the first day, he went whoring, then found the women boring and chased after a handsome young gentleman. The news from Kunlun has been spreading these past days and reached here… Should we report it to the Chief?”

The Great Zhou nearly spat out his wine. “Are you sure that was Wang Daozhong? He has a wife and children, doesn’t he?”

“Got tired of it, that’s normal. From a great clan, you know…” Fourth Brother clasped his hands. “This is a minor matter. The real big news is that Wang Daozhong helped the Four Symbols Sect drag Yang Qianyuan back from Kunlun. Now the position of the Hongnong Yang clan is starting to blur.”

The Great Zhou rubbed his head in pain. “If I were the Chief, I’d probably be coughing up blood by now.”

“But maybe it was because Wang Daozhong captured Yang Qianyuan, breaking Kunlun’s rules, that he was later besieged by Kunlun’s people and fled in panic.” Fourth Brother sighed. “Tsk, Kunlun is truly a perilous place. Even a Earth List expert could only flee in haste.”

Zhao Changhe: “…”

Wang Daozhong’s story had actually been pieced together by everyone, forming a coherent narrative—a tale both tragic and stirring.

Suddenly, a knock came from outside. Fourth Brother opened the door, and the person at the threshold said in a low voice, “Fourth Brother, received a carrier pigeon from the Chief. She’s already on her way to Xiangyang and told us to be careful. Too many pigeons back and forth might expose us… From now on, try to stay hidden, don’t do anything, and it’s best to evacuate.”

Both men were stunned, and Zhao Changhe, eavesdropping outside, was equally taken aback.

This didn’t sound like a large army coming to reinforce Xiangyang; it sounded more like Tang Wanzhuang was sneaking in alone.

If she had deduced from various clues that the Mile cult was planning to attack Xiangyang, she should have sent troops. Why would she come alone?

Could it be that because the Great Zhou and Fourth Brother reported Lü Shiheng’s rebellious intent, she was coming personally to stop him?

Admittedly, it might have some effect, but this approach didn’t fit Tang Wanzhuang’s style. Would she really rush to every place rumored to rebel and try to persuade them otherwise? Impossible…

Was there some specific reason drawing her here?

Zhao Changhe was momentarily glad he hadn’t gone straight to Gusu; otherwise, he would have missed her. Whatever she was here for, staying put would let him serve as a vanguard.

In the parlor, the two men stared at each other. With the Chief telling them to lie low or even evacuate, they had no mood left to continue drinking and discussing matters.

The Great Zhou hurriedly took his leave. “Regardless, I need to go back and make arrangements. You can leave anytime. Since the Chief said so, go quickly. A brothel is just property; losing it is no big deal.”

After seeing the Great Zhou off, Fourth Brother scratched his head. What was going on? Did the Chief know something even their local spies didn’t? She suddenly seemed very tense.

Just as he hesitated, the door was knocked again, and a man slowly entered the room. He was middle-aged, refined, with a long flowing beard, like a learned scholar, his smile warm.

Fourth Brother sprang up in shock, cold sweat pouring down. “C… City Lord?”

The City Lord of Xiangyang, the Xiaoxiang Divine Sword, Lü Shiheng.

“Who would have thought the Demon Suppression Division had spies here, and that it would be our Master Si’an.” Lü Shiheng chuckled warmly. “Unexpected, unexpected.”

Si’an took a deep breath. “What is the City Lord talking about?”

Lü Shiheng said amiably, “Nothing much… I just want Master Si’an to cooperate with us in Xiangyang on a little matter.”