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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Twenty-Two:
"Is there no one left under Qian Wen? How is it that even you, a defeated subordinate of mine, have come?" Shang Qing coldly laughed as he looked at Meng Jiang. Both were Tai Chi Swordsman es, but Shang Qing had already made a name for himself in the Trial Grounds long before Meng Jiang, to the point where he was known by all. At that time, Meng Jiang was merely an inconspicuous Two-Element Hero under Qian Wen. As the cold wind swept over their brows, both Shang Qing and Meng Jiang had gathered their vitality, and Shang Qing smiled coldly, seemingly not taking him seriously.
"Traitor, you betrayed the Trial Grounds, personally killed your mentor, and took away the God Pendant. How can you justify the training you received from the Trial Grounds?" Meng Jiang glared angrily at Shang Qing before him, as if he could see the version of himself from years ago when he first learned of his betrayal.
"Betrayer? Ridiculous. I have been expelled from the Trial Grounds; how can there be betrayal? Furthermore, killing my mentor is something from my past; what does it have to do with who I am now?" Shang Qing lowered his head, his dark hair obscuring his eyes. Yes, that was something the past Shang Qing had done; it had nothing to do with the current Shang Qing. It was truly laughable that this guy still brought up past grievances.
"As a member of the Trial Grounds, how can you utter such rebellious words? Today, I must represent Commander Qian Wen to punish you!" Meng Jiang shouted in anger, his vitality already eager for action.
"Meng Jiang, our mission is not to duel with Shang Qing!"
The students' dissuasion had just been spoken when Meng Jiang rushed up regardless.
Shang Qing just sighed briefly, even Yu Long had already been defeated by his own hands, were these people so stubborn as to want to defeat him? It's simply unbelievable.
At this moment, in the pavilion of the Trial grounds, Qian Wen was playing chess with the guards.
On the chessboard, the white side had surrounded Qian Wen's black pieces on both sides, and the next move of the guard's white piece was likely to be behind Qian Wen's black piece.
And Qian Wen's black pieces were confronting the encirclement in two directions, forming a stalemate with the guard that had lasted for several hours.
Suddenly, a distraction, a black piece fell outside the chessboard, and then a sound of bald eagle flapping its wings was heard.
"Commander!" The guard was shocked. The Commander, who usually played chess as if it were a walk in the park, why did he look like this today?
The guard suddenly turned around - it turned out that the bald eagle had returned with a letter, no wonder it made the Commander distracted for a moment.
"No hurry, let's see what the bald eagle has brought back," Qian Wen picked up the chess piece, put it back in the container, slowly stood up, and frowned slightly: Could it be that Meng Jiang really acted recklessly?
The guard caught the bald eagle and gently soothed it. The bald eagle revealed the letter tied to its foot.
Qian Wen read the contents of the letter with vitality, as if every word was leading in a positive direction:
“Commander, the reversal of Shang Qing's Five Elements Seal has now been broken by the Seal of Wood Thunder Shaking. I believe Ran Xing and Shao Meng are already aware and will come searching in the direction of vitality. With Shao Meng leading, there is a certain guarantee even if Ran Xing has uncontrollable factors. Currently, Luo Yue and I are on our way to find the Earthly Seal of Kun. According to the positions of the Five Elements, if all goes well, the Wood and Earth seals will be broken. The other two can handle the Metal and Fire at their convenience, allowing four of the five seals to be broken. With Meng Jiang providing support, it will be more advantageous on the battlefield. If there are any new developments, I will report them separately - Yu Long.”
The guard brewed tea and observed Qian Wen's actions from the side: he closed his eyes, and with a slight movement of his fingers, the text on the vitality rice paper disappeared, replaced by new words inscribed alongside the vitality.
“Yu Long noted: I am aware of your message. According to Ziyuan's investigation, there have been no unusual movements from the surrounding evil spirits or Eight Desolates. The enemies you encountered near Hen Duan Cliff should only be Shang Qing and a few Six Hen. At this moment, breaking the seals is paramount. If you notice signs of Meng Jiang's arrival, please report immediately. Remember not to engage in prolonged battles with Shang Qing. The enemy has begun to deploy for retreat, confirming that your team's mission has concluded. You must hurry to withdraw with the Meng Jiang Squad to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. Should there be any unusual movements, further details will be provided in a new letter - Qian Wen.”
After finishing the reply, Qian Wen's brow relaxed slightly. If the Yu Long Team's plan to break the seals went smoothly, they would be able to handle three to four of the five seals in a reasonable amount of time. The only exception was the Water Attribute seal, which required the Meng Jiang Squad's Earth Attribute vitality. Aside from that, Yu Long could manage the rest; the only variable was the progress of the Meng Jiang Squad.
At this moment, Ziyuan, who had returned to report new developments, arrived outside the pavilion.
"Commander, Ziyuan reporting," Ziyuan said, dressed in her combat attire. She wore a brand-new combat uniform with a light golden color scheme. The top resembled a fitted shirt that was tight and elastic, while the bottom consisted of white elastic long pants and specially designed combat boots. Her bangs had been trimmed, revealing her bright eyes, and her signature short ponytail was clearly visible. The overall look was simple yet elegant.
"What's going on? Any new updates?" Qian Wen asked as he picked up a teacup and handed it to Ziyuan, contemplating possible changes.
"A new malevolent energy response has appeared at Wraith Mountain; it might indicate new enemy movements," Ziyuan said as she took a seat at Qian Wen's gesture and continued sharing information observed by their scouts.
Qian Wen placed a piece on the board and continued listening to Ziyuan's report.
"So far, that's all we have observed. The enemies that withdrew from the experimental base have not yet been detected by our scouts, but the malevolent energy response remains weak, showing no signs of evil spirits," Ziyuan said as she glanced at the current chess game, setting down her teacup and slowly taking out a white piece.
"What do you think?" Qian Wen began to ponder potential candidates for this mobilization based on Ziyuan's speculation regarding the Eight Desolates.
"It seems like a new plan is brewing," Ziyuan replied thoughtfully, considering possible strategies such as dispersing forces from the Trial Grounds and taking advantage of any openings.
The barrier of the Trial Grounds cannot be broken by ordinary evil spirits.
Should all the targets be hunted down? The Yu Long Team and the Meng Jiang Team do not have a grasp of the core content. What is the meaning of hunting them down?
Using Shang Qing to buy time and then encircle—will it be a complete victory?
Qian Wen nodded. It seemed that Ziyuan's analytical skills had improved significantly. Just like this game of chess, in a moment filled with uncertainties, the sound of each piece being placed resonated like thunder, amplifying the current situation, the next decision, and the ever-changing variables into something powerful and thought-provoking.
At this moment, the variables made Qian Wen's mind race, striving to avoid mistakes and steadily execute each step. The only thing Qian Wen was worried about was Meng Jiang easily discussing grand principles in front of Shang Qing!
In the base outside Wraith Mountain, Gui Mei is waiting for the arrival of another member of the Eight Desolates.
This member of the Eight Desolates is named Xing Chi, who is the second of the Eight Desolates and one of Gui Mei's old subordinates. He has previously collaborated with Gui Mei to assassinate numerous heroes in order to seize the God Pendant, and for centuries has been regarded as the second greatest threat after the ferocious beasts.
The ancient beast, Taowu, was suppressed by the combined efforts of six Ancient Heroic Swordsmen using six God Pendants hundreds of years ago. Under the malevolence of Taowu, the existing evil thoughts in the world were exploited, allowing it to gather human malice and create evil spirits that wreaked havoc across the land. From these evil spirits gradually formed the Six Hen, Eight Desolates, and ordinary evil spirits, becoming the driving force behind Taowu's chaos, continuing the battle from ancient times to the present day.
Now, the seal on Taowu is weakening, showing signs of its potential return to the world. Gui Mei, leading a group of evil spirits, is also searching for the six God Pendants in the Trial Grounds to complete their scheme for power. Gui Mei has already obtained a God Pendant seized from Shang Qing; although it has not been extracted yet, it is not in vain for his long efforts. However, the other God Pendants remain under the control of the Trial Grounds. Due to the existence of barriers, Gui Mei and his subordinates have been unable to break into the inner sanctum of the Trial Grounds. This research by Long Shan is merely a prelude to Gui Mei's grand ambitions.
Footsteps echoed in the cave as Gui Mei gently stroked his long hair and paced back and forth. His old friend, who had been his partner for many years, had come today for another conspiracy—to capture all the heroes investigating Long Shan's experiments.
"Gui Mei, long time no see. It seems your power has risen another level," said a figure emerging from the shadows of the cave, cloaked and simply dressed, with scars on his head. His eyes retained the unique purple hue of Eight Desolates, and his hands were stained with still-fresh blood. With each step he took, a scent of blood wafted through the air, causing Gui Mei to slightly cover his nose with his hair in annoyance.
"Yes, thanks to my old friend’s strong support. I assume you’ve gathered quite a bit on your way here," Gui Mei said as he covered his nose for a moment until he felt the bloody smell diminish before slowly lowering his hair.
"It seems your nose is more attuned to blood than mine," said the figure, praising his old friend before continuing to share intelligence gathered during his reconnaissance.
First, within ten miles of Wraith Mountain, there are already numerous spies from Trial Grounds scattered around. Eagle feathers and droppings from bald eagles can be seen everywhere on the mountain.
Next, those trapped within the Shang Qing barrier are calling for help, and the reinforcements are estimated to have arrived. The current location of Shang Qing is still unknown.
Furthermore, did that talkative scientist really carry out your retreat order? My reconnaissance has not detected any signs of these individuals retreating.
Finally, there is the issue of Shang Qing; he may currently be fighting alongside the reinforcements. The heroes within his barrier are also seeking a way to break through, likely managing to break three of the five seals. The next step is something Gui Mei needs to consider.
"Indeed, you are a genius at gathering intelligence; you have worked hard," Gui Mei said with a satisfied nod, instructing several evil spirits to prepare tea for the intelligence officer in front of him, mimicking human behavior.
Over at Shang Qing's side, I had informed the reinforcements of their arrival in advance. At the same time, to prevent any unforeseen changes from Shang Qing, I also placed a technique on him; if he harbors any ulterior motives, he will face immediate consequences.
Although at this moment, Shang Qing is still a collaborator, in Xing Chi's eyes, he remains the key figure to retrieve the God Pendant. Acting rashly towards Shang Qing might raise his suspicions or affect certain plans.
"Don't worry about that; it won't happen. We came together because of the God Pendant, and I'm just concerned about any unexpected issues in our cooperation," Gui Mei explained lightly.
"So what is your plan?" Upon hearing this explanation, Xing Chi immediately stopped questioning. Although Shang Qing is a good partner, just like in business, there are no long-term partners or enduring trade competitions. The only reason Shang Qing stands here is that he has mastered the method to retrieve the God Pendant, so Xing Chi did not doubt Gui Mei's actions.
Gui Mei continued to sip his tea as he conceived a grand plan—surrounding and attacking reinforcements.
The so-called "points" refer to Yu Long and his companions who are still reversing the Five Elements Seal, while the reinforcements are Meng Jiang or others who may come again. The value of these individuals lies in maintaining the stability of the God Pendant's vitality source.
In simple terms, the hope is that when Yu Long and his reinforcements are locked in a mutual defeat with Shang Qing, he can choose the right moment to strike and reap the benefits. He plans to extract intelligence from those captured. If unsuccessful, they would all be thrown into Long Shan's laboratory for use as materials.
Xing Chi tilted his head, mentally simulating the entire process.
With the dynamics of Wraith Mountain strictly monitored by the Trial Grounds, the other Eight Desolates are currently elsewhere and cannot quickly concentrate. Moreover, the Eight Desolates correspond to the Tai Chi among heroes; if there are only two Tai Chi Swordsmen, there is no need to deploy three Eight Desolates. Shang Qing takes on one of the two Tai Chi Swordsmen, and his past is known among the Eight Desolates. Dealing with two heroes of lesser skill from the same period should not be a difficult task, making the argument for mutual destruction somewhat hard to believe.
"Isn't this a bit hasty?" Xing Chi held his teacup to his lips, slightly furrowing his brow before stopping himself from speaking further.
"No, we shouldn't act yet. Let's observe the situation. After all, Shang Qing is a collaborator; we must trust his abilities. However, he is just a hero; we need to be cautious of any variables he might introduce for our upcoming plans," Gui Mei said confidently while fiddling with his hair as if he had everything under control.
"But Shang Qing's task isn't to kill these people; it's merely to buy time for Long Shan's withdrawal from Fire. Besides, he can already handle these guys; it’s better for us to watch," Xing Chi's slightly doubtful tone made Gui Mei frown as he deliberately used his teacup to shield his face.
"What you say makes sense; we need to deliberate further. But we should also make some preparations and be ready to act at any time," Gui Mei set down his teacup. Although he was uncertain about what choice Shang Qing would ultimately make, since reversing the Five Elements Seal is something this academic star of the Trial Grounds takes pride in, there must be a trump card yet to be revealed. He was eager to see what kind of powerful card it would be!
Xing Chi reluctantly accepted this plan. Although he had not taken action at this moment, it seemed that in his mind, things were not going to proceed this way.
After Xing Chi left, Gui Mei sat alone in place. It seemed as if the situation was firmly in his grasp, much like the teacup in his hand. Behind the raised corners of his mouth and the eyes concealed by his charming long hair, a conspiracy was further brewing.
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