Star Trace Gate

Chapter 979 A Solution, The North Wind in its Final Chapter

The inner palace, the main hall.

Seeing that he had persuaded Zhenyi, Moro pressed on, saying, "Brother, if there really is a mysterious spirit cat behind Niu Dali, then our cooperation must be extremely cautious, proceeding step by step... Most importantly, we must have the determination to live and die together and never betray each other. Otherwise, we may be divided by the enemy and then defeated one by one."

Ren glanced at him sideways: "Senior Brother Moro, if someone else told me they would live and die together, and never betray each other, I might believe them quickly... But hearing you say that makes me so uneasy."

Moro looked utterly helpless, then immediately raised three fingers and swore an oath: "Brother Zhenyi, you can't judge me by my past reputation! I might be cunning and scheming towards others, but towards the successor of the Divine Monk, I am truly completely honest. If I betray him in the slightest during this collaboration, may I never touch the Great Dao again and die a life of unhappiness!"

"Are you really naked?" Ren stared at him. "I don't believe you. Then take your clothes off and show me."

"You...you're really childish."

Moro was speechless for a moment, then made up his mind, slapped his thigh and said, "Fine, I can take it off, but our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents, and many of our strengths and weaknesses are innate. You can't laugh after you see this, and you certainly can't look down on me...!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly rolled up his sleeves, ready to join Shinichi in being childish.

"Alright, alright... I believe you, okay?" Ren Ye immediately reached out to stop him, then stood up and said, "Since Senior Brother Moro has already said this much, it would be ungrateful of me not to express my opinion. I agree to the cooperation in jointly besieging Niu Dali, but there is one thing... we must make it clear."

"You said."

"On the day of the operation, you cannot touch this prison. I will find a way to retrieve Wang Anquan myself and complete the task assigned by Master." Ren Ye said solemnly, "In short, no matter what happens in the prison that night, you must pretend you didn't see anything. And if Wang Anquan dies afterwards... your testimony to Tianzhao Temple must be consistent with mine."

Moro only thought about it for a moment before readily agreeing: "If that Star Source is really hidden in Yangxin Xiaozhu, then Wang Anquan can be handed over to you, and I won't send anyone to the Heavenly Prison; if he is really dead... then we'll just throw the blame on Niu Dali."

The reason he agreed so readily to Ren Ye was that he already knew Xingyuan's whereabouts, so whether Wang Anquan was alive or dead was no longer important to him, and would not affect his job as a traveler.

“Alright, it’s a deal then.” After obtaining the conditions he had to fight for, Ren frowned and thought for a moment. “Also, you need to verify whether that Star Source is hidden in the Nourishing Heart Pavilion. Otherwise, if we infiltrate the Martial Monk’s Mansion and find that the Star Source is not there… that would be a huge blunder, and we wouldn’t be able to explain it to Tianzhao Temple.”

"Don't worry about that. In the hours before the operation, I have my own way of confirming whether Xingyuan is in Yangxin Xiaozhu. If he is, then we will proceed; if not, then we will discuss it further..." Moro replied meticulously.

"Well, when are you planning to make your move?" Ren asked.

“I asked Tianzhao Temple, and Master He Hong has already entered the secret realm. According to the time he left before he left, it will take at least seven more days for him to reach Beifeng Town.” Moro calculated in his mind, “We must make our move before He Hong arrives in Beifeng Town, otherwise Wang Anquan will not be able to withstand the attack and may compromise with Niu Dali. Therefore, my plan is to launch the operation as soon as night falls on the sixth day. Before that, you and I need to make full preparations and communicate at any time.”

“Okay.” Ren also agreed with the plan: “I will go back and think about it carefully, and then we will meet again to discuss it.”

"Very well, for this grand plan, let us drink this cup together!" Moro said with a joyful expression.

As soon as they finished speaking, the two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Ren wiped his mouth while standing in the hall and said decisively, "That's settled then. It's getting late, I'll head back now."

"Okay, I'll take you."

"...!"

Before long, Ren and Chu Daoye left the inner palace together. The latter grinned and showed his teeth, unable to suppress a smug expression.

"So... did that monk Fulai make you feel comfortable?" Ren asked curiously.

"Under my careful tutelage, he's finally become less bland. While it's not exactly comfortable, I... can say I've made a profit," Master Chu replied with a smile.

"He bribed you?! Come, let me see, what did he bribe you with?" Ren Ye slowly stretched out his palm.

"Get the hell out of here!!!" Master Chu was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "This is a little money that I managed to extort with all my might. If you still want to talk about using public funds for public purposes... then I will immediately go and join the young marquis, serve Brother Niu with him, and swear to be loyal to Tianzhao Temple to the death."

"Look at your pathetic self...!" Ren was too lazy to argue with him: "Fine, fine, I'll allow you to embezzle this money... However, I have an important matter that I need your advice on."

"Just don't offer advice with money." Master Chu revealed a simple-minded expression, like a second senior brother.

“I’ve agreed to cooperate with Moro, but the current problem is… we really have no one else available.” Ren Ye pondered the serious matter at hand, counting on his fingers as he said, “Look, we only have three people on our side: you, me, and the young marquis… and this young marquis is currently a spies in the undercover stage; he can’t do anything for us openly… and you and I will have to join Moro in besieging the Martial Monk’s Mansion on the day of the operation… So how are Wang Anquan’s family going to escape? And how are the Southern Mountain Illusionary Realm going to be controlled? This is just too damn difficult!”

"Furthermore, that cunning cat has been lurking in the shadows, only controlling Niu Dali, that mad dog, to jump around in the spotlight... How much inside information it knows... we can't even begin to fathom. With no one else at our disposal, there's naturally no room for error...!"

"Oh, right. That idiot Yu Tiange already shocked everyone... and he even managed to escape through the No. 3 teleportation array. That means that if we want to occupy the teleportation array again in this operation... it will be a thousand times, ten thousand times more difficult than before... If we are not careful, we will be crushed to pieces."

The more the little rascal talked, the more worried he became. He looked constipated, and his mouth was full of white foam, making him look miserable.

"Let me tell you, the Divine Court's Fulong Pavilion is, after all, a renowned military intelligence agency in the migration area... It can't really expect you and the punching bag to be two brilliant minds... to turn the tide of the entire North Wind Town, can it?! Why don't you send a message to Long Er and ask him to send people to help...!" Master Chu suggested.

"I've already considered this matter." Ren Ye slowly waved his hand. "But after the last rebellion, Niu Dali had already ordered the entire city to be sealed off. Outsiders, whether they are on official business, traveling as merchants, or visiting relatives and friends, must undergo identity verification by the household registration office and reside in the monk soldiers' barracks first. Only after their identities have been verified can they officially enter the city. In this way, even if Fulong Pavilion sends a few more spies to help now, it will be too late. Not only will it not be of any use, but if they are discovered, it may alert the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Master Chu was at a loss and could only grit his teeth and curse, "Damn Yu Tiange, he left behind a whole lot of trouble and then ran away... Don't let me see him again, or I'll definitely sell him to the oldest Rabbit Lord so he can suffer the daily assassination attempts of that Lustful Vajra Spear!"

“People can’t enter the city, but they can leave, so sending messages out isn’t difficult.” Ren said with his hands behind his back, “However, if we want to break the deadlock in the North Wind, we can only rely on the three of us risking our lives to maneuver. Only by opening up the situation can we gain Long Er’s trust, gain the trust of the Divine Court, and mobilize all our forces to attack the North Wind.”

"Sigh, this is difficult... Let me think about it some more."

The two walked and talked, and soon returned to the supply depot.

Late at night, after washing up, Master Chu lay down in the main hall on the second floor of his bedroom, still half asleep, and said, "I'm too tired. I should rest early and think of a solution tomorrow."

The little rascal sat upright on the bed, picking at his toes and unconsciously sniffing them: "Hmm, sleep, sleep...!"

After a few dozen breaths, Master Chu was snoring loudly, sleeping soundly.

The next morning, he opened his eyes with a refreshed look, shook his messy, flowing hair, and then turned his head to see the little rascal sitting motionless on the bed with a sallow complexion and dark circles under his eyes, like a vigilant.

"Hey bro...you're not asleep?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

The little rascal sat there, his eyes fixed on the ground, his body as sturdy as a sculpture.

Master Chu was shocked and immediately sat up to sense the other person's physical presence. He subconsciously asked, "My goodness... dead?! Died of worry?"

"You're the one who's dead!" Ren Ye snapped out of his daze and cursed dejectedly, "I haven't even married my beloved concubine yet, how could I so heartlessly leave first?"

"No...you're just sitting there motionless, your spirit completely withdrawn...it's really scary, okay!" Master Chu stood up, asking with a hint of concern, "No, you really didn't sleep all night?!"

"I can't sleep...!" Ren rubbed his cheeks and shook his head with a sigh. "There are only three of us, and we're all stretched thin on the day of the operation... To be honest, I've been thinking about it all night, but I still can't figure out how to get the job done."

"Then is there anything I can do for you?" Master Chu asked, though he felt powerless to help.

"I'm a little hungry... I'd like something thin to drink."

"Okay, so, would you like porridge or milk?"

"My mouth tastes bland, let's drink milk instead, with extra sugar," Ren replied casually.

"Wait a moment, I'll go to the Embroidery Courtyard and squeeze in for you!" Master Chu didn't want to disturb Ren Ye's focused state of mind, so he did his best to serve the "wise man" like an old steward.

After saying that, he quickly washed up and went to prepare breakfast for Ren Ye.

Ren, dressed in his bathrobe, sat cross-legged on the bed, muttering to himself, "I'll leave Jiu Zhi aside for now, and I'll leave Lingmao and Niu Dali aside for now... I'll just figure out the hardest part first. I don't have anyone with me, so how can I help Wang Anquan escape tonight... Then I'll figure out a way to get the four thousand prisoners out of the Nanshan Illusion...!"

Throughout the entire day, Ren did not go to the front yard to perform his duties. Instead, he sat in his room, deep in thought, focusing on a single thread and constantly deducing various changes and possibilities.

By evening, when he was exhausted, he finally came up with a plan that was insidious at its core but relatively feasible.

Inside the bedroom, Ren Ye, with disheveled hair, summoned Master Chu and immediately ordered, "Go, go call Liu Wei. I have something to tell him."

"You want to use Liu Wei?!" Master Chu was taken aback. "That won't do, will it? Liu Wei is a legitimate general of Tianzhao Temple, a staunch rebel. If you want him involved in rescuing Wang Anquan and releasing the prisoners from Nanshan... then once we succeed, he will definitely see that you are a traitor within the Divine Court! No matter what we do, you will be exposed."

"I have my own ways of dealing with him," Ren said, waving his hand.

"What method?" Master Chu craned his neck. "My God, you don't mean you're planning to use Brother Liu and then kill him, do you? Let me tell you... Although Brother Liu is just a remnant soul, and his personality is greedy and lustful, he's always been good to us. During the last rebellion, you had Old Lu go and call him, and he came without even thinking... If you kill him, it's equivalent to erasing all his possibilities for enlightenment, and completely severing his soul in this migration area of ​​251. To be honest, that's somewhat unfair...!"