Chapter 576: Who has the better move? (1/2)
Chapter 576: Who has the better move?
Yes, Long Feiye had indeed come to sow discord!
He not only successfully instigated Emperor Kang Cheng to move against the Chu Clan, but stirred up dissent between the Chu Clan and Gu Beiyue as well. It was only a shame that Han Yunxi only saw through the former and not the latter. The two of them reached the Court of Dependencies just as Tang Li and Chu Xifeng came to report from the Thousand Buddha Cave.
“Big bro, unless there’s someone leading the way, it’s impossible get in there. The guards are stationed too tightly, and there’s a bunch right by the entrance!” Tang Li was certain that the place was impenetrable, while Chu Xifeng nodded in agreement.
“Master, even if the Chu Clan themselves want to get in, it’ll be difficult. Besides the guards, there’s also a bunch of traps. If not for Young Master Tang, this subordinate would have startled the snake in the grass for sure.”
Because Tang Li was skilled in hidden weapons, he was quite proficient when it came to recognizing traps. This time, he’d been very reliable during the exploration. Long Feiye and Han Yunxi fell silent at their words. Both of them were thinking about the same person—the white-robed gentleman. Long Feiye was considering how the Nether Clan would probably reach out to the Shadow Clan fellow for help, while Han Yunxi was musing how easy it’d be for that man to slip in the caves unnoticed. Unfortunately, neither of them could read minds, so they didn’t voice their thoughts.
Long Feiye said, “For now, wait for news from the Chu Clan.”
—
At this moment, Gu Beiyue himself had just arrived at the Chu Clan as well. Chu Yunyi had mentioned something that made him curious. Gu Beiyue knew many things about the Poison Sect and its Perplexing Butterfly Illusion. He had heard Chu Tianyin speak of the Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons as well. Still, why would the Chu Clan choose this of all times to try and steal it from the Thousand Buddha Cave? Why wait until Long Feiye showed up to Western Zhou?
Could it be that Chu Yunyi knew Long Feiye was coming for the Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons, so he wants to get his hands on it first? Or have they agreed to some sort of trade?
Gu Beiyue’s gaze turned complex as he asked, “Why are we looking for Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons at this of all times?”
“It’s better to make the first move in this situation. That bastard Tianyin sold us out!” Chu Yunyi said hatefully.
Gu Beiyue looked at Chu Yunyi as if he could see right through the man’s intentions. He asked next, “So, the Duke of Qin came for the Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons?”
“Exactly!” Chu Yunxi didn’t elaborate. He was here to both ask Gu Beiyue for a favor and probe him out. Lowering his voice, he added, “Beiyue, I won’t keep this from you now, but last night this old man met in private with the Duke of Qin. He agreed to help the Chu Clan keep the secret of the Nether Clan as long as we can help him get the Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons.”
Immediately, Gu Beiyue asked, “And Chu Tianyin?”
“Heheh, that damned brat even told them about the Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons, so why should this old man bother with saving him? Hmph, my Nether Clan needs no traitors!” Chu Yunyi retorted coldly.
Gu Beiyue fell silent. His bright, clear eyes stopped being gentle and turned icy and pensive instead. It seemed he had completely transformed from his warm and soft-hearted personality to someone completely untouchable. Even Chu Yunyi, who’d tried to sound him out on purpose, found himself unable to meet the man’s eyes. It was impossible to tell what Gu Beiyue was thinking at this moment. The longer he stayed silent, the more guilty Chu Yunyi felt. Although he was the senior in this situation, he had never underestimated the young man before his eyes. He could only regret and rue the fact that Gu Beiyue hadn’t been born in the Nether Clan instead.
It wasn’t that Chu Yunyi had no cool, but that Gu Beiyue remained mute for way too long. In the end, Chu Yunyi had to ask, “Beiyue, there are many guards stationed at the Thousand Buddha Cave. It’ll be difficult to even enter it, much less approach the thousand-year ginkgo trees beyond them. This old man only found you because I was stuck in a dilemma. The life and death of the Nether Clan—the fate of our very existence—rests in your answer!”
Chu Yunyi wasn’t exaggerating. If the Nether Clan couldn’t get the Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons, Long Feiye would never spare them. But if they forced their way into the Thousand Buddha Cave, then the Chu Clan could forget about making a living in Western Zhou. Truly, they were stuck between a rock and a hard spot.
“Nether Clan Head, your words are an overstatement,” Gu Beiyue remarked.
“Beiyue, this old man was impatient with his speech a few days ago. Please don’t take it to heart,” the Nether Clan Head replied.
“I won’t,” Gu Beiyue’s tone was neutral and didn’t reveal a thing.
The Nether Clan Head knew that saying anything else was useless, so he fell silent. After a long period of silence, Gu Beiyue finally ventured to say, “Nether Clan Head, the Duke of Qin has a handle on the Nether Clan. Why didn’t he find Emperor Kang Cheng directly to discuss these matters instead of seeking out the Chu Clan’s help?”
Of course Emperor Kang Cheng had heard of the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion as well, but he didn’t know Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons was a vital ingredient to crack the toxin, or the fact that Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons was located right on the thousand-year ginkgo trees. If the Duke of Qin was just here for the thousand-year ginkgo, then finding Emperor Kang Cheng would be the most direct choice.
“He probably has other schemes for the Chu Clan. What do you think?” Chu Yunyi asked.
Gu Beiyue nodded and said, “With this one’s skills, I can enter the Thousand Buddha Cave with effort. However, to reach the thousand-year ginkgo trees is…”
Chu Yunyi cut him off. “We only need you scope out the way. Three months later, the caves will open up for prayer. General Chu will find his own way to enter the caves then, so you can simply follow behind him when the time comes.” As he spoke, Chu Yunyi drew closer to whisper in Gu Beiyue’s ear.
The contents of his speech were a plan to lure Long Feiye into the Thousand Buddha Cave in three months so Gu Beiyue could seize the chance to assassinate the man in the dark! They would find their own way to get the Wood of Ten-Thousand Poisons. Gu Beiyue’s gaze grew complex. He was about to speak when Chu Yunyi added, “And even if you can’t kill the Duke of Qin, you have to kill Han Yunxi! She understands poisons, so this old man would definitely have her accompany us into the caves.”