Futile Devices Scans

At that instant, the thunderous strike acted like a signal. All the black-clad men who had been slumped on the ground broke free of their bonds at once and charged at the gray-robed cultists, catching them completely off guard. Each of them moved with agility and precision, swift and decisive, showing not the slightest sign of being poisoned.

The cultists stationed outside saw the situation turn and tried to flee. A sharp whistle cut through the air behind them as a volley of poisoned darts rained down like a scattering celestial maiden, striking from above. The dying sunlight cast a dull, blood-red sheen over the blades, and within moments, the fleeing men were cut down at the courtyard gate.

In an instant, the tide of battle reversed.

Gu Pingchuan appeared to be someone talkative and meddlesome, yet at this moment he showed a certain iron resolve. Enduring the agony of his shattered limbs, he did not utter a single cry, though cold sweat soaked his temples. The scarred man removed his mask, revealing a face with distinctly Yanyuan features. He then used his blade to part the man’s clothing—finding his chest smooth and unmarked, he raised an eyebrow slightly, then turned him over to inspect his back and let out a meaningful “heh.”

“When I saw the thunder-fire bombs, I knew something was off. The Ten Aspects Sect has invested heavily—sending out even an elder to personally orchestrate this plot. Judging by your appearance… could you be of the Yanyuan royal clan?”

On Gu Pingchuan’s back was a vividly colored mandala of the Threefold Conqueror Wisdom King. Within the Ten Aspects Sect, there were eight elders corresponding to the Eight Great Wisdom Kings, and anyone familiar with such matters could immediately tell his status. Yet Gu Pingchuan refused to admit it. Gritting through the pain, he rasped, “How did you break free of ‘Mirror Platform’? It is a secret medicine of our sect—without the proper antidote, it cannot be undone…”

“We’ve dealt with the Ten Aspects Sect for years, suffered countless losses. I have a fair idea of what tricks you have up your sleeve. As for the antidote—don’t we have it now?”

His subordinates had already searched the gray-robed cultists and found the antidote, distributing it among themselves. The scarred man swallowed one pill, then casually added when he saw Gu Pingchuan’s confusion, “We may not have your antidote, but we do have a homemade ‘Invincible Vajra Pill.’ Once taken, it grants immunity to all poisons for three ke.”

When he said “Invincible Vajra Pill,” there was a faint trace of embarrassment on his face—clearly, he himself found the name rather ridiculous. Yet Gu Pingchuan was inwardly shaken. The ingredients of “Mirror Platform” were rare and its formula a closely guarded secret—it had never failed before. And yet today, it had been suppressed by some unheard-of pill, rendering their efforts useless. Compared to their opponent’s preparation, their understanding of “Bihua” was still far from sufficient.

The scarred man grabbed a jug of cold water from the table and splashed it over Li Jin’s face. With a startled cry, Li Jin woke, blinking frantically in terror. When he saw Gu Pingchuan lying not far from him, his soul nearly left his body. Like a writhing caterpillar, he scrambled backward desperately. “Y-you… what are you going to do… Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!”

The scarred man ignored him and said to Gu Pingchuan, “I’ve answered your question. Now it’s your turn. What exactly have you arranged?”

Gu Pingchuan simply turned his head away, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Not talking? That’s fine. You have so many subordinates—someone will be willing to speak.” The scarred man unexpectedly let him off and raised his voice to the others. “Members of the Ten Aspects Sect, your esteemed Elder Gu still has some use, so I won’t kill him for now. If he refuses to talk, there’s nothing I can do to him. But your lives are in my hands. Talk, and you all live—I’ll leave you to Xiling. Stay silent, and you all die. We’ll make sure to finish before the officials arrive. Let’s begin.”

He didn’t even leave Li Jin out. Turning his head, he added, “Young Master Li, don’t just sit there—think carefully.”

Li Jin: “……”

In truth, being handed over to Xiling might not guarantee survival. But some were already thinking ahead—if they could stop the plot in time, perhaps Xiling might show leniency. Gu Pingchuan did not need to worry about his own life, but neither did he care about theirs.

To betray for one’s own life was shameful—but if done for the sake of others, it could be called noble.

Still, the first to speak always bore the risk. As several exchanged hesitant glances, unsure who would step forward, the scarred man suddenly spoke again:

“Don’t know where to start? Let me help. What have you arranged at Wan Hong Tower?”

In that instant, the air fell deathly silent. Even Gu Pingchuan’s breathing seemed to stop. Only Li Jin, the fool, blurted out in shock, “Wan Hong Tower?”

“He wants to kill you—not just because you know too much, but likely because he’s found a new partner,” the scarred man said calmly. “Your younger brother apprenticed at Wan Hong Tower… I imagine he connected with them shortly after you did.”

Li Jin was nearly overwhelmed by the successive blows, his vision going black. He even forgot his fear of Gu Pingchuan, turning to glare at him with desperate fury. “You approached A’Song? What did you offer him?”

The question struck so sharply that even the scarred man could not suppress a cold laugh. It showed that those who harm others know best where to strike for maximum damage—this backstab surpassed the original, tearing apart the thin mask of self-pity Li Jin wore.

Gu Pingchuan pressed his lips tightly together, neither speaking nor answering. Li Jin stared in disbelief. When Gu Pingchuan still refused to respond, he abruptly turned to the scarred man. “How did you know?”

“I guessed,” the scarred man said.

Everyone: “……”

And then?

The scarred man beckoned a subordinate over and whispered a few instructions into his ear. The man acknowledged and left. When he looked up again and saw everyone craning their necks waiting for him, he paused before continuing, “Since he already intended to kill you, when none of you could move just now, why give you the antidote alone? Wouldn’t it have been easier to send you straight to the King of Hell? Why go through the trouble?”

“After thinking it through, this was nothing more than a test. He was worried I might have left some backup outside, so he used you as a temporary shield. If I had turned on you immediately, suspicion would have fallen entirely on you, and their hidden plan would remain undiscovered.”

“After all, in a foreign land, the Ten Aspects Sect is like us—they have limited manpower, and part of it is already being watched by the Egret Guards of Xiling. So they can only make full use of whatever resources are at hand. A family like yours is exactly the kind of target the Ten Aspects Sect favors. And since Young Master Li showed such heartlessness first, anyone who saw your conduct would find it hard to suspect the rest of your family.”

“Wan Hong Tower is something even I, a stranger, have heard of—it’s the most prosperous place in Fengdu. You said earlier that ‘Bihua’ killed someone they shouldn’t have. Since you went to such lengths to come to Xiling, you wouldn’t bring only two thunder-fire bombs. Most likely, your accomplices have already set traps there, planning to blow Wan Hong Tower sky-high.”

His tone was calm, even polite—but for some reason, it grated on everyone’s ears. “Well? Does this shallow speculation of mine suit your intentions?”

Gu Pingchuan clenched his teeth tightly, whether from pain or from suppressing the fury of failure.

One of the gray-robed cultists kneeling on the ground suddenly spoke up loudly, “Hero, your deductions are spot on—you’ve guessed everything!”

It was a crafty move. By letting the other party lay out the conclusions first, agreeing and filling in details felt far less burdensome than confessing outright. Once the key points were revealed, there was little reason left to stubbornly conceal the truth.

“Is that so?” the scarred man asked. “Then explain in detail. Who were you planning to assassinate? When would you act? How many people were involved?”

The cultist spilled everything in a rush: “Today is the day Wan Hong Tower holds the ‘Han Hua Gathering.’ We received word that Prince Yidu had reserved the entire place to host guests. The elder ordered Li Song to plant thunder-fire bombs in the main hall. At the end of the You hour, once night falls, we act—amid the chaos, the assassins will rush in to kill Prince Yidu and the other guests, then feign defeat and lure the pursuers here…”

Prince Yidu was the emperor’s own uncle—this was truly daring to provoke disaster itself. His voice gradually weakened as he spoke. The scarred man abruptly stood up and looked out the window at the last fading glow of sunset.

“It’s too late.”

Gu Pingchuan wished he could spit those words directly in his face. Staring at him with both mockery and hatred, he said, “You have no chance.”

“Just wait and see—the grandest spectacle in Fengdu tonight…”

Boom—!

A distant, continuous rumble echoed from afar. Gu Pingchuan’s face twisted into a grin. One of his lookouts slipped in through the door and reported softly, “Boss, the Egret Guards of Xiling are on their way here. They’ll arrive any moment.”

They had to withdraw immediately. Gu Pingchuan was right about one thing—“Bihua” was a blade that should not exist in this world. If they clashed head-on with the Egret Guards, things would become impossible to explain.

The scarred man nodded silently and led his men out. Suddenly, Gu Pingchuan called out from behind, “What’s your name?”

The man turned back, his eyes full of bafflement. Gu Pingchuan lay there and sighed. “I’ve fallen to you and admit I’m inferior. At least let me die knowing—surely that’s not too much to ask?”

“Very excessive,” the scarred man replied. “Don’t bother. If you’re not good enough, train harder. Be a better person in your next life.”

With that, he left without looking back. Like hunting wildcats, the black-clad men melted into the dim night, slipping silently over the western wall.

Gu Pingchuan: “……”

The Ten Aspects Sect cultists sprawled across the ground fell into silence. In the darkness, the approaching footsteps could already be faintly heard. In that final moment of quiet, someone suddenly asked in a low voice, “Did we really set that many thunder-fire bombs? Why is it still going off outside?”

Gu Pingchuan jolted. His lingering bitterness instantly turned into confusion, a faint unease coiling around his heart like a snake.

A squad of armored Egret Guards burst through the door and dragged him out like a dead dog. Struggling desperately, Gu Pingchuan twisted his head to look toward Wan Hong Tower—only to see brilliant firelight blazing across the sky, rivaling the bright moon and flowing river of stars.

“…Fireworks.”

“…They’re fireworks…”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye, who had ridden hard to Wan Hong Tower, looked up at the resplendent building ablaze with lights. Fireworks burst one after another beyond the crimson tiles and flying eaves. On the terraces, finely dressed guests leaned or sat, raising their heads to watch. Laughter and song poured into the bustling night like a shower of gold.

Everyone was looking up at the fireworks.

Everyone except one.

The most striking figure leaned casually against the railing, back turned to the fireworks, night wind filling his robes. From afar, he raised a cup toward him—and smiled, gentle yet sly.

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