"Excellent! Master, what you said makes perfect sense; they truly are unworthy!" Song Shang listened, his heart swelling with agreement, feeling utterly validated. He then flattered his way closer, "Master, when will you teach me to brew wine?"

"Anytime! But, Song Shang, I must warn you of one thing right now! From now on, our wine, except for our own people, no one else is to have a drop of the brew we make! Because the wine to come will be even more exquisite than today's wine! Understand?" Jun Mo Xie smirked wickedly.

"Your disciple understands! How could such common mortals be worthy of tasting the wine brewed by us, Master and disciple! How could the Immortal Wine of our Sect be tasted by those mere mortals! This must be the reason why our sect has never circulated in the mundane world; how can something transcendentally immortal be tainted by common currents?" Song Shang’s tone was clearly laced with disdain. Evidently, he was beginning to mirror the unscrupulous ways of his master.

It was Jun Dashao who blinked in confusion; what was this fellow talking about? He felt completely bewildered by the roundabout speech!

"En, you all may leave for now! The matter of acquiring medicinal herbs begins immediately!" Jun Mo Xie waved his hand.

After the two retreated, Jun Wuyi frowned slightly. "Mo Xie, this upcoming operation seems to be causing too large a stir; I fear..."

"Have faith, it will be manageable!" Jun Mo Xie chuckled, "Third Uncle, you yourself said that after meeting Dugu Wudi, you would immediately return to Yi; yet, you are still here. Something interesting must have happened, right?"

"You little imp, nothing escapes your notice!" Jun Wuyi smiled helplessly, "News has arrived from the Jiangnan region..."

"Oh?" A sharp glint flashed in Jun Mo Xie's eyes.

"The Zhao Merchant Guild has successfully completed the crafting of the Mystic Beast Sinew Hand Crossbows. They will be transported to the capital city in the near future," Jun Wuyi's voice was heavy as he continued, "Simultaneously, many other top experts have suddenly gone missing recently, but they all seem to be poised for action... It seems the Second Prince is planning a major move this time."

"En, that's easy to deduce. The larger they make the commotion, the more benefit accrues to us lurking behind the scenes, especially since these crossbows are something we must obtain. For the Zhao Merchant Guild to send them to the capital is akin to sending us a gift." Jun Mo Xie narrowed his eyes.

"We absolutely cannot afford to be complacent; caution is paramount."

"The rumors are growing tighter lately; I believe the Second Prince’s side will not act carelessly. Besides the elite personnel arranged for escort, there will also be experts heavily rewarded by the Second Prince accompanying the shipment; moreover, the people from the First Guild of Jiangnan will be responsible for the escort. What's even more significant is that the Blood Sword Hall is also highly likely to send personnel for covert protection."

Jun Wuyi frowned deeply. "Just the known forces, both overt and covert, already amount to this much—a considerable strength. I believe there are still many forces we are unaware of. To snatch the Mystic Beast Crossbows from such a formidable combined force, how much power will we need to mobilize, and what price will we have to pay? Furthermore, all of this must be done silently, leaving no trace."

Jun Wuyi sighed deeply. "I fear it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven!"

"Difficult as ascending to heaven or easy as turning a hand, it matters little," Jun Mo Xie raised an eyebrow, a wicked light shooting from his eyes, his handsome face wearing a chilling, almost demonic indifference. "Everything is achieved through human endeavor! If we refrain from acting because we deem it too difficult, then it truly will be harder than climbing heaven! But as long as we try, a way can always be found. In this world, daring to conceive of something means half the battle is already won."

"Indeed," Jun Wuyi agreed.

"Third Uncle, how much longer will they take to reach the capital?" Jun Mo Xie mused. "That is to say, how much time do we have to prepare? I need the most detailed, concrete timing."

"From Jiangnan to the capital, it’s about two days by water first, then they disembark and travel another three days before entering the capital's vicinity," Jun Wuyi calculated precisely. "I estimate this based on the travel speed of experts. Since they are escorting something so crucial, there won't be any weaklings among them. Their pace will be much faster than ordinary folk, but considering coordination across various groups, it will take at least five days!"

"Meaning we have five days, plus, to make arrangements!" Jun Mo Xie nodded slowly.

"More than that! The Second Prince's men must first reach Jiangnan before they can set off! This means this journey will take at least ten days before they truly reach the capital!" Jun Wuyi stated firmly.

"Ten days? Humph, that's enough," Jun Mo Xie gave a sinister smile, thinking of something that made him laugh with intense satisfaction.

"Third Uncle, I reiterate: I require the most accurate intelligence! What specific personnel has the Zhao family sent this time, and what are their strengths? What is the exact power distribution among the various organizations? What level of strength is the First Guild deploying? Who is the Second Prince sending from the capital, and what is the total troop strength? As for the Blood Sword Hall, since we cannot obtain intelligence on them, we can set them aside for now and adapt on the fly."

"That's no problem!" Jun Wuyi gripped the arms of his wheelchair tightly, his expression calm as usual. "The only thing I’m interested in knowing is what level of strength we need to deploy?"

"The Jun Family's Guardian Hall personnel cannot be moved! The only ones we can utilize are the three hundred Guards; and three others!" Jun Mo Xie grinned! "Second Uncle, Hai Chenfeng, and Song Shang—these two, along with yourselves, form the main pillars of our side."

"The strength of just the three of us might be far from enough. Should we perhaps involve Eagle?" Jun Wuyi didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was crystal clear.

"Absolutely not!" Jun Mo Xie flatly refused. "Firstly, Ying Bokong is too conspicuous, and his identity is too easily exposed; moreover—given his temperament—he would never willingly accept my assignment to carry out such clandestine work. More importantly, this contradicts our initial agreement and would hinder future plans! It goes entirely against our original intention."

"If exposure is the concern, Hai Chenfeng's characteristics are also very obvious—it might be difficult to conceal his identity, no?" Jun Wuyi countered.

"That's not an issue! I will find a way to remove that unique sky-blue hue from him when the time comes," Jun Mo Xie said with confidence. He raised his head, slowly pacing to the window, looking down from a height, and said lightly, "This will be an unprecedented fierce battle, and a bitter one at that. But we must bear it ourselves; facing this, there is no other force we can rely upon! We can only rely on ourselves!"

"And in all future matters, our Jun Family must also rise through self-reliance in everything! Our ascent will not be hindered by anyone, nor any force!" Jun Mo Xie’s voice was low, yet firm and powerful!

Princess Ling Meng, linking arms with Dugu Xiao Yi, slowly walked out. Across the street, on a tea stall level with them, a woman with a sturdy build, almost masculine in appearance, stood up and strode down.

Sun Xiaomei, Tang Pangzi's fiancée. She had been there for a while but had not entered.

"Your complexion is poor," Sun Xiaomei looked at Princess Ling Meng, her eyes flashing with concern as she asked, "Has something happened?"

Sun Xiaomei possessed a heroic, masculine bearing, a twist of fate, yet her kind heart and keen intellect made her beloved. She was the big sister figure to Princess Ling Meng, Dugu Xiao Yi, and the circle of young ladies. These sisters confided all their troubles to this confidante.

"I won't hide it from you, Elder Sister; indeed, something has happened, something I find truly difficult to articulate, and even more reluctant to mention," Princess Ling Meng wearily rubbed her forehead, her face clouded with sorrow.

How sharp Sun Xiaomei was; she instantly understood that Princess Ling Meng must be referring to matters concerning the Imperial Family. These were not things she could easily soothe, so she wisely held her tongue.

Princess Ling Meng was also sharp-witted; seeing that Sister Sun didn't press, she instantly realized her own lapse—wasn't she putting Sister Sun in a difficult position? She quickly continued, "It's a shame you weren't inside just now, Elder Sister; otherwise, you could have helped me gauge a person, see what his intentions really are. I've thought over his words and actions countless times, and they are truly bizarre."

"Who is that person? Why are they so strange?" Sun Xiaomei’s interest was piqued.

"Li Youran, the foremost figure among the third generation of the Li Family." Princess Ling Meng lowered her voice, recounting the strange occurrences that troubled her, particularly Li Youran's odd demeanor. Driven by a woman's intuition, Princess Ling Meng keenly felt that something was deeply amiss.

"That person, Li Youran..." Sun Xiaomei pondered for a long time. It seemed difficult for her to formulate specific remarks, and after a long pause, she said somewhat 'laboriously,' "Like Jun Mo Xie, he is someone you just can't see clearly, can't fully grasp, and can't quite define."

"Jun Mo Xie?!" Princess Ling Meng exclaimed in surprise. "How can Jun Mo Xie and Li Youran be mentioned in the same breath? Is there anything comparable between them?"

"These two men might not have much that is comparable, but both of them are far from simple," Sun Xiaomei chuckled, neither confirming nor denying, offering no further explanation. But after walking quietly for a moment, she murmured, almost to herself, "But my feeling is that Jun Mo Xie is even more dangerous than Li Youran!"

"Little Sister Mei, I just don't understand. Ever since we sisters gathered, I've noticed you have an uncanny knack for judging people correctly," Dugu Xiao Yi hadn't heard Sun Xiaomei's very low mumble. "But that day, you said my Mo Xie Brother was arrogant, and I truly couldn't see it. He's just a bit too full of rogue energy and scoundrel spirit. But that's not bad, is it? I think he's quite handsome anyway. You'll regret missing today's grand gathering; Ling Meng Jie Jie and I both saw it—Mo Xie Brother was incredibly handsome, truly, hehe."

"Don't mention your Mo Xie Brother's antics; I'm annoyed by it!" Princess Ling Meng retorted with a pout. "Xiao Yi, you must seriously consider this matter yourself; don't act on impulse and make a lifelong mistake! Listen to your elder sister..."

Dugu Xiao Yi huffed somewhat unconvinced, muttering, "What's wrong with Mo Xie Brother? Are your own brothers so much better?"

Princess Ling Meng was immediately rendered speechless. Indeed, while Jun Mo Xie might be dissolute, domineering, and even brazenly reckless, he was certainly not as utterly contemptible as her own brothers!

Even if this man was a scoundrel, he was still a true scoundrel!