Chapter 689: A Single Lifeline
[V7C006 – In Life and In Eternal Rest]
The divination had taken form, but Song Zining was left in a daze for some reason. He sighed after a long while. “So, this is where the single lifeline lies. Ah Qianye, I hope you don’t kill me when you wake up.”
After sitting for a while, Song Zining got up and reduced the divination tokens to powder before stepping out of the room.
His step hadn’t even landed when a small mountain of a shadow appeared out of nowhere and crashed right into him. Song Zining was quickly thrown back into the room and fell on his back.
That man’s steps didn’t even falter. He uttered an “oh my” as he looked into the room and cried out, “Zining? How come you’re so weak?”
Song Zining clambered up, feeling as though half the bones in his body had been crushed. “Shut up, you wild boar! Don’t you know how to knock before coming in?”
“I didn’t even get the chance to knock before you were sent flying. Wow, there’s so much blood!” Wei Potian exclaimed. Only now did he see the bloody spots on Song Zining’s chest.
The latter finally stood up and arranged his clothes. “This is my own blood, nothing to do with you.”
Wei Potian heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good, that’s good. And here I was thinking about why you were so weak.”
Song Zining’s expression changed all of a sudden as he looked at Wei Potian, almost as though he had seen a plate of peerless delicacies. Scared, Wei Potian took a step back and said, “W-What are you doing?”
Song Zining’s expression was one of unprecedented solemnity. He suddenly bowed down and said, “Potian, I need your help with something.”
Wei Potian was scared witless. He waved his hands repeatedly and said, “Although you’re annoying in many places, you’re admittedly better than most people. We’ve fought side by side in many battles, so just say what you need. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“It’s a deal then?”
“Why of course! When has this daddy reneged on his words?”
“That’s great. Potian, I heard your Wei clan has many assets in the Evernight faction. I need them.”
Wei Potian was greatly astonished. He pushed Song Zining away and said decisively, “Don’t even think about it! Our family spent a hundred years pushing these moles in. I don’t have the right to mobilize them, either. Not even my father’s words count without a nod from the elder assembly.”
Song Zining’s expression didn’t change. “I know, but it’s not hard to obtain the token of the elder assembly. Your father isn’t here on the floating continent, either. As long as it passes from your hand, who can say it wasn't issued by him?”
Wei Potian was even more astonished. “Y-You want me to forge my father’s order!?”
“And the elder assembly’s token,” Song Zining added.
“Are you crazy?” Wei Potian sized Song Zining up from head to toe, wanting to see what was wrong with him.
However, Song Zining’s expression was ice-cold, with nothing especially out of the ordinary. Yet his words made the Wei clan heir want to go mad.
Wei Potian grabbed his collar and roared, “Do you know what you’re saying? Even if I'm willing to abandon this heir position and indulge in your madness, do you know how valuable these spies are? How do you expect me to gamble the Wei clan’s future?”
Song Zining slapped Wei Potian’s hands away and said, “Does that mean you might accept?”
Wei Potian charged about several times like a mad bull and slammed the wall with his fist. “Yes! Goddammit, yes! This daddy has beaten you more than a couple of times throughout these years, but I have never really seen you so serious. I know you won’t come and beg me if it isn’t a life or death situation. But you must tell me what all of this is about? Even if I’m tricked, I have to understand what’s going on.”
Song Zining paused for a brief moment before saying, “Fine, I’ll tell you. This is related to Qianye. I need your spies to help me collect some vital information.”
“Qianye!?” Wei Potian was stirred up.
Song Zining said while pressing Wei Potian’s shoulder down, “Calm down! You only need to mobilize your spies and collect information. You don’t need to take part in anything else. If you’re careful, you won’t even lose those spies.”
“My ass! How can I be missing in anything related to Qianye!? Do you think this daddy here is someone who doesn’t care about his brothers?”
Song Zining looked at him for a while and sighed, his expression full of austerity. “Not letting you in is for your own good. You’ll understand later on.”
Wei Potian was thoroughly puzzled. “What exactly are you planning to do? Goddammit, so mysterious and suspenseful!”
Song Zining shook his head, unwilling to speak further about it.
Wei Potian couldn’t get any information out of the man at all. In the end, he could only ask, “So what information do you need? You have to tell me that at least.”
“I need information on the ancient blood pond.”
“Ancient blood pond?” Wei Potian was startled again.
By nighttime, the Wei family’s secret intelligence system was set into motion. Several classified orders were dispatched to faraway lands via certain channels. This operation utilized almost all of the Wei family’s hidden powers, and this immediately attracted the attention of many other aristocratic families. It was just that the Wei clan’s movements were decisive, rapid, and made use of expendable arrangements that were scrapped after serving their purpose. As such, most aristocratic family investigations came back empty-handed.
Meanwhile, Song Zining boarded an airship under the cover of the night and left the void continent silently.
Despite his silent departure, there were many eyes on a famed character like him. They had noticed him the moment he stepped onto the airship. This news soon spread to people with specific intentions.
A small fortress outside of Indomitable was bustling with activity in the depths of the night. There was a small building inside this fortress that looked rather dark from the outside but was well-illuminated in the interior. Dozens of people were currently busy here, sorting through all kinds of intelligence.
If someone familiar with military affairs were present, they would see that numerous young elites of the empire had gathered here. It was just that they weren’t in their military uniforms. This also meant that the building was actually a headquarters, or to be precise, the headquarters of a certain faction in the military.
This base of operations wasn’t that well-hidden, but there were no less than ten such intelligence bases scattered around the city, all of them belonging to aristocratic families and court powers. The Zhao clan more or less turned a blind eye to them as long as they didn’t cause trouble within the city.
Within one of the offices was a military officer—he looked quite handsome, but there was a hint of malice in his expression. At this point, he was reading through the reports one after the other without the slightest hint of tiredness on his face. At this moment, an officer entered and placed a file on his desk. “Colonel Gu, this is the report we just received. Please take a look at it.”
The colonel’s hands stiffened somewhat as he took the report. He read it over several times, muttering to himself with a serious expression, “Song Zining’s leaving all of a sudden? Where is he going? What is he doing?”
He suddenly thought of something after a moment of contemplation. He rushed out of the office, ran upstairs, and tapped lightly on a certain door.
“Enter” A sinister but dignified voice came through from inside.
The colonel entered, placed the report on the table, and said respectfully, “General, Song Zining’s sudden departure must be related to Qianye. It’s very possible that he’s gone to Evernight Continent. We must strengthen our surveillance over there and even mobilize that person if needs be.”
The office was crudely decorated, but the man behind the table filled the room with austere killing intent. He was an average-looking man in his thirties without any facial hair, the type that would blend perfectly into a commoner crowd. Perhaps because he wasn’t disguising himself, there was a gloomy chill emanating from his entire body, which suffused the air with an intense, almost-tangible aura of death. Everyone staying in the room would find it unbearable after just a short while.
The colonel turned somewhat pale after standing there for a while and the color faded from his lips.
Intentionally or otherwise, the man behind the desk glanced up at the man’s arm and said calmly, “Are you sure your judgment isn’t due to past grievances?”
His voice was calm and gentle, but the colonel felt goosebumps all over his body, almost as though he had been licked by a venomous snake. “Liyu has never forgotten the enmity, but I wouldn’t dare let my personal business affect the job. This has nothing to do with my hatred for him.”
The man observed the colonel silently until sweat fell like rain from the latter’s forehead. “If that’s the case, send Xu Lang to Evernight Continent. You should also go over and help the general.”
The colonel replied spiritedly, “Yes, sir!”
“Liyu, if you do things well and manage to grasp Qianye’s weakness or even finish him off, replacing your arm isn’t out of the question. Then, you won’t be stuck at the threshold of the champion rank. I’ll help you arrange a good marital connection after you break through, or if you would prefer, that young miss of the Yin family is also an option.”
Gu Liyu fell immediately to his knees and even his voice was trembling. “Thank you, sir, for granting my wish! Liyu will repay your kindness with his life.”
That man smiled. “Everything is for the empire and the emperor. Go now, I’ll send people to inform General Xu and have him meet up with you on Evernight Continent. Additionally, I’ll allow you to use some of the resources over there. However, the mission must succeed, understand?”
His heart trembling, Gu Liyu lowered his head and said, “Understood.”
“That's good, you may go now.”
After walking out of the office, Gu Liyu was drenched in sweat and nearly collapsed. He had to lean on the wall and catch his breath for a while before recovering. He would feel extreme discomfort every time he went into this office, especially that newly formed arm of his—the aching and numbness was almost like torture. However, in that room lay his long-awaited opportunity to power, nobility, and that girl whom he hated to the bone yet still couldn’t forget—Yin Qiqi.