As the cold snort echoed, Xuan Shu, standing not far away, suddenly moved to Zong Shou's back. His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept around.

Luo Shi's breath hitched immediately, and Xie An also frowned. After a soft snort, he ultimately retreated.

Having forced these two back, Xuan Shu held no better expression for Zong Shou either; Shen Qian's face was equally grim.

Seeing this, Zong Shou felt mostly regret; this Xuan Shu was truly too much of a hindrance.

It was Zhao Yanran over there who pondered aloud, "You did that on purpose just now?"

Zong Shou merely smiled, making no denial, and was just about to re-enter meditation when a streak of crimson light suddenly descended from the heavens, tearing through the void. After circling briefly, it dove directly toward Xuan Yunlan's position.

"Finally, they've arrived!"

Zong Shou's eyes instantly lit up. Without waiting for the Red Swift Bird to return to Xuan Yunlan's side, he reached out and snatched the bird from the air.

The bamboo tube beneath felt weighty. Clearly, the information brought was substantial. This was why they used the Red Swift Bird for communication instead of faster talismans.

Inside were no fewer than a dozen slips of silk, most covered in tightly packed, small characters. Zong Shou examined them by the firelight.

The first sheet was a topographical map near Helian Iron Mountain. Zong Shou glanced at it, and his eyes immediately brightened.

"So Helian Iron Mountain is thirty li from the Da Li Riverbank? Looking at the terrain trend, it seems to be twelve zhang below the river surface..."

The two women, Zhao Xuan, exchanged glances upon hearing this. They wondered what was so special about the Da Li Riverbank? What was the relevance of being twelve zhang below the river surface? They couldn't fathom why Zong Shou was so excited.

Next, they heard Zong Shou exclaim in surprise, "The official in charge of Helian Iron Mountain has already been bought over by us?"

He knew that the official in charge—the Dianshi—was an ancient officer responsible for security and arrests; and the Dianshi of an iron mountain held even greater authority, controlling all garrisoned soldiers within the mountain.

That such a person had been bought over by the Cangsheng Dao was truly unbelievable.

"It won't be of much use!"

Zhao Yanran shook her head helplessly. "This person had many weaknesses that our Cangsheng Dao discovered. We only gained complete control over him two years ago. However, his utility is limited; the Tai Ling Sect truly won't care about him. My Master told me before we left that rescuing the person is easy; the difficulty lies in the escape. As soon as the Cangsheng Dao makes a move, the Tai Ling Sect members will surely pursue us relentlessly."

Zong Shou heard this, entirely unsurprised and showing no signs of dejection. He then flipped to the subsequent sheets, which contained information on the Tai Ling Sect and the Prince of Han, along with their recent movements.

"The Prince of Han will be transferred to the capital in one or two months?"

"I have heard of this as well!"

This time, the one speaking was Xuan Yunlan. Her Qing Yin Sect's foundation was in the Central Cloud Continent, giving her a clearer understanding of the situation here.

"Who knows why that Emperor of Da Shang still hasn't named a Crown Prince, sending all his adult sons out to guard various regions. This Prince of Han, supported by the Tai Ling, Hanshan, and Dao Ming Three Sects, has risen rapidly in recent years. After several major battles in the Western Regions, he is reportedly quite favored in the court—to be transferred to the central administration to assist the Ministry of Justice..."

Zong Shou inwardly chuckled; assisting the Ministry of Justice was hardly a particularly desirable substantive post.

According to the records on the silk cloths in his hands, the true reason for the Prince of Han's 'promotion' to the capital was revealed in extremely veiled terms.

With the support of several major sects, he fought continuous battles in the Western Regions. Yet, there was never any substantial progress; no kingdom was conquered, nor any territory secured. Every mobilization involved nearly four million troops—not the ragtag forces of the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent, but true elite soldiers. Even the Qian Tian Mountain only had about 400,000 elites comparable to them.

The result was not only countless casualties but military expenditures running into the tens of millions each time.

Even the affluence of the central dynasty found this somewhat unsustainable. A year ago, someone had already submitted a memorial impeaching him for reckless military adventurism that drained the populace and wasted national wealth.

Therefore, this so-called 'promotion' was less a sign of regard from the great figures of the Da Shang court and more a demotion disguised as advancement—a way to sideline the Prince of Han first.

Xuan Yunlan continued, "It is said that Yuan Jiu Chen's promotion is preparing him to take over the Prince of Han's command. This man is the Prince of Han's most trusted confidant, and only by placing the troops in his hands can the Prince of Han proceed to the capital with peace of mind."

A confidant? That remains to be seen!

Zong Shou continued flipping until he found the file on the Prince of Liao. This was one of the younger princes, ranked ninth.

His experience was remarkably quiet, much like an ordinary prince—neither outstanding nor overly mediocre. After being sent north to guard the Liao region, he demonstrated considerable sagacity, training his forces, bolstering defenses, and allowing the northern barbarians to dare not advance south. His record was much cleaner than the Prince of Han's.

In but a moment, Zong Shou’s gaze fell upon a single line of text.

In the third month of Yuan Chen Sixth Year, the Ninth Prince Ding You visited Xi Mountain. Lost his way midway, only returning after ten days.

Staring intently for a long while, as if trying to magnify those few ordinary characters, Zong Shou finally let out a soft breath.

Shi Shan of the later generations had indeed not lied to him; this event actually occurred.

Everything from the Divine Emperor Era was shrouded in mystery. He only knew that twelve years hence, it would be this Prince of Liao who was established as Crown Prince, while the currently high-spirited Prince of Han would end up imprisoned.

As for Yuan Jiu Chen, for some unknown reason, not only was he not dismissed, but his rank was actually elevated, and he became highly valued.

Perhaps this current affair truly held a degree of potential for success.

Closing his eyes to gather his thoughts, Zong Shou pondered carefully for a moment, then smiled at Xuan Yunlan, "Yunlan, I have two more favors to ask. I heard the Prince of Liao often inspects his armies, is that correct? Could I trouble your esteemed Sect to send a few elders there to stage an assassination?"

Xuan Yunlan froze instantly; her first thought was that Zong Shou had gone mad. The Cangsheng Dao had certainly conducted assassinations of princes before, but each time it resulted in a furious backlash from the central dynasty, and even the Righteous Sects would join forces.

With the Spirit Tide imminent, making the Cangsheng Dao the public enemy at this juncture would only lead to more losses than gains.

Furthermore, she couldn't see how the life or death of the Prince of Liao was connected to that of Yuan Jiu Chen.

Zhao Yanran frowned upon hearing this as well. But before she could voice her question, she heard Zong Shou say with a half-smile, "Naturally, we won't truly take the Prince of Liao's life. We only need to force him to use that specific move, the Tai Qing Riding Wind Sword. Surely your Qing Yin Sect can manage that? Although I lack concrete evidence, trying it won't hurt. The timing should be set for two months from now, ten days after the Prince of Han takes office..."

Hearing the last sentence, both Zhao Yanran and Xuan Yunlan were startled, rising involuntarily to their full height.

"You mean the Tai Ling Sect and the Prince of Liao—"

Before the words were finished, Zong Shou placed a finger to his lips in a gesture for silence.

Xuan Yunlan's speech abruptly ceased. Seeing that everyone nearby was looking over, she quickly sat back down, her delicate, fair face flickering with unease.

"I will report this matter to the Sect, but we will also need the assistance of a few seniors from the Seven Spirit Sect. Rather than forcing him through sheer power, it might be better to subtly influence his state of mind."

Zong Shou’s eyes immediately shone with admiration. He had momentarily forgotten the methods of the 'Great Demonic Sect'; the Qing Yin Sect combined with the Corpse Demon Sect made for the perfect combination.

"The second matter, I'd like to arrange through the Qing Yin Sect. Two months from now, I want to personally meet with His Highness, the Prince of Han—" The two women, Zhao Yanran, frowned. At first, they felt it inappropriate, but then their expressions quickly smoothed back to calm.

Since arrangements were already made regarding the Prince of Liao, meeting the Prince of Han was logical and posed no real danger.

They all felt an incredible sense of wonder; if Zong Shou's conjectures were true, then the issue that had plagued the Cangsheng Dao for twenty years might be resolved instantly.

Not only would Yuan Jiu Chen be utterly disgraced, but they could also wipe away past humiliations and let the Tai Ling Sect taste what it felt like to be schemed against.

Xuan Yunlan quietly clenched her fist, forcefully suppressing her excitement. While Zong Shou's words lacked any verifiable evidence, with careful deduction, there was a ninety percent chance of success!

Otherwise, she wouldn't have so readily sought help from her Sect.

Originally, she hadn't held much hope in accompanying him. But now, with Zong Shou's gentle guidance, they had a chance of success exceeding seventy percent!

He truly lived up to his reputation as a monarch who conquered dozens of city-states shortly after ascending the throne, shaking a region—a man of exceptional cunning. The legends stated that the Celestial Fox lineage among the Demon Race was the most treacherous; seeing this now, they were indeed formidable!

"The Cangsheng Dao has many mouths, and there might be secret agents from the Tai Ling Sect. To ensure greater certainty in this matter, secrecy is paramount! Do not place too much hope in this," Zong Shou cautioned.

Zong Shou himself only held less than a twenty percent certainty. He was merely arranging things based on historical materials he had seen in his past life, and his confidence was actually lower than Xuan Yunlan's.

As he spoke, he continued to think deeply, considering if any aspects needed refinement.

Suddenly, he sensed something, feeling an aura quietly approaching from below.

Just as Zong Shou was about to investigate closely, countless grains of sand were kicked up. A giant worm suddenly burst forth from beneath the sand, its body easily forty zhang long, opening a massive maw filled with sharp teeth, lunging to bite Zong Shou.

"Sand Worm?"

"There are actually creatures of this caliber at the edge of the Guangling Great Sea? And it’s a Seventh Order one?"

"Why isn't Tan Qiu dodging? Has he been scared silly?"

"I want to see how he handles this without our help," the surrounding people muttered with light laughter, yet not a single person made a move to assist Zong Shou against the Sand Worm.

Zong Shou secretly shook his head. The Sha Xi in his sleeve had awakened, and even the Thunder Winged Flood Dragon was primed and ready.

But in the very next moment, a light chime sounded: "Xuan Long!"

A giant, crimson sword suddenly flashed across, its aura subtly aligning with the hundreds of Cangsheng Xuan Long Guards present. The combined aura seemed almost Eighth Order. With a single sweep of the sword, the Sand Worm's body was severed!

Sword shadows flew, chopping the remains of the Sand Worm into dust.