Chapter 6: A Glimmer of Hope

The divination was complete, but Song Zining was lost in thought. After a long while, he let out a bitter laugh and sighed, “So, the glimmer of hope lies here. Qian Ye, when you wake up, will you want to kill me?”

After sitting for a moment, Song Zining stood up, crushed the remaining divination sticks on the table, and then pushed open the door, stepping outside.

Before his foot touched the ground, a mountain-like figure suddenly appeared before him. The two collided with a loud thud, and Song Zining fell backward, crashing back into the room.

The man let out an exclamation, his body barely swaying, and then looked inside, exclaiming, “Zining? You’re not that fragile, are you?”

Song Zining struggled to get up, feeling as though half his bones were broken, and shouted angrily, “You wild boar! Shut up! Don’t you know to knock before entering?”

“I didn’t have time to knock; I just bumped into you… Oh, so much blood!” Wei Potian cried out, only now noticing the bloodstains on Song Zining’s chest.

Song Zining finally got to his feet, straightened his clothes, and said coldly, “This is my own blood, none of your business.”

Wei Potian breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “Thank goodness, I knew you couldn’t be that weak.”

As Song Zining looked at Wei Potian, his eyes suddenly changed, as if he saw a sumptuous feast. Wei Potian felt a shiver run down his spine and took a step back, saying, “What do you want?”

Song Zining’s expression turned serious, and he bowed, saying, “Potian, I need your help with something.”

Wei Potian was startled by his demeanor and waved his hands, saying, “Although you’re a detestable pretty boy, you’re still a bit better than others. We’ve fought together several times. Just say what you need. If it’s within my power, I’ll definitely help.”

“It’s a deal!”

“Of course! When have I ever gone back on my word?”

“That’s good. Potian, I heard your Wei family has planted many spies in the Evernight camp. I need to use them now.”

Wei Potian was shocked, pushing Song Zining away and declaring, “Forget it! These spies took us a hundred years to plant, and I don’t have the authority to activate them. Even my old man can’t make that decision. It has to be approved by the Elders’ Council.”

Song Zining remained calm, saying, “I know. But it’s not impossible to get the Elders’ Council’s token. Your father is not on the Floating Land, and if it goes through your hands, who would dare say it’s not his order?”

Wei Potian was even more surprised, saying, “You, you want me to forge my old man’s order?!”

“And the Elders’ Council’s token,” Song Zining added.

“Are you crazy?” Wei Potian looked Song Zining up and down, trying to see if there was anything wrong with him.

But Song Zining’s expression was cold, and he looked completely normal, yet the words he spoke made Wei Potian go insane.

Wei Potian grabbed Song Zining’s collar, shouting, “Do you know what you’re asking? Even if I throw away my position, I can’t risk the future of the Wei family on this. Do you have any idea what it cost to set those spies up?”

Song Zining gently patted Wei Potian’s hand away, saying, “So, you might agree, right?”

Wei Potian, like a raging bull, paced around before slamming his fist into the wall, yelling, “Yes! Damn it, yes! I’ve beaten you more than once, but I’ve never seen you so serious. I know if it wasn’t a matter of life and death, you wouldn’t come to me! But you have to tell me why. Even if I’m being tricked, I want to know why.”

Song Zining was silent for a moment, then said, “Alright, I’ll tell you. It’s about Qian Ye. I need to activate your spies to gather some crucial information.”

“Qian Ye?!” Wei Potian was instantly excited.

Song Zining placed a hand on Wei Potian’s shoulder, saying, “Calm down! You just need to activate the spies and gather the information. You don’t need to get involved in anything else. If you’re careful, maybe the spies won’t even be used up.”

“Bullshit! If it involves Qian Ye, how can I not be involved? Do you think I’m the kind of person who doesn’t care about my brothers?” Wei Potian fumed.

Song Zining looked at him for a while, sighed, and a touch of melancholy appeared in his eyes, “The rest of this is for your own good. You’ll understand later.”

Wei Potian was puzzled, asking, “What are you planning? Damn, you’re being so mysterious!”

Song Zining shook his head, refusing to say more.

Wei Potian, unable to get an answer, asked, “Well, what kind of information do you need?”

“I need information on the ancient blood pool.”

“Ancient blood pool?” Wei Potian was stunned.

By nightfall, the Wei family’s intelligence network began to secretly mobilize. Top-secret instructions were sent through secret channels to distant locations. This operation almost involved all of the Wei family’s covert forces, drawing the attention of many clans. However, the Wei family’s actions were resolute and swift, using one-time-only setups, which left the other clans with no information.

Under the cover of night, Song Zining boarded an airship and quietly left the Floating Land, destination unknown.

Although Song Zining left discreetly, his reputation was such that he drew attention from the moment he stepped onto the airship. This news quickly reached those who were interested.

In a small fortress outside the Unfallen City, people were coming and going late at night. The fortress’s small building, which appeared pitch black from the outside, was brightly lit inside, with dozens of people busy processing various pieces of information.

If someone familiar with the Empire’s military were present, they would notice that the building housed several young prodigies from the Imperial Military, albeit in civilian clothes. In other words, the building was a military base or, more precisely, a stronghold of a particular faction within the military.

Though the base did not conceal itself well, there were at least ten similar intelligence bases in the surrounding fortresses, all set up by powerful clans and political factions. The Zhao clan turned a blind eye to this, as long as they did not cause trouble in the Unfallen City.

In an office, a handsome officer with a sinister look sat, reading intelligence reports late into the night, showing no signs of fatigue.

Another officer entered, placing a report on the desk, saying, “Colonel Gu, I just received this intelligence. I think you should take a look.”

The colonel stiffly reached for the report, reading it several times, his expression growing graver. He muttered, “Song Zining? Why is he leaving at this time? Where is he going? What does he want to do?”

After a moment’s thought, he suddenly remembered something and rushed out of the office, up to another floor, knocking softly on the door.

“Come in,” a cold and authoritative voice said from inside.

The colonel entered, placing the report on the desk, and respectfully said, “General, Song Zining has suddenly left the Floating Land, likely related to Qian Ye’s injury. His destination is probably the Evernight, and we need to strengthen our surveillance there. If necessary, we must employ that person.”

The office was spartan, but the presence of the man behind the desk filled the room with a deadly atmosphere. The man was in his early thirties, with an ordinary appearance, a pale face, and no beard. If he were in a crowd, he would blend in and disappear. Now, without hiding himself, he emitted a cold, damp, and solid aura of death, making it unbearable for anyone to stay in the room for long.

The colonel stood for a moment, his face pale, lips devoid of color.

The man behind the desk glanced at him, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally passing over his arm, and said indifferently, “Can you be sure that your judgment is not influenced by past grievances?”

His voice was soft, but the colonel felt as if he had been licked by a venomous snake, breaking out in goosebumps. The colonel hurriedly said, “I have never forgotten the enmity, but I, Liyu, would never let personal matters interfere with official duties. This judgment has nothing to do with past grievances.”

The man stared at the colonel until beads of sweat formed on his forehead, then said, “Very well, then send General Xu Lang to the Evernight. You will go with him and assist him.”

The colonel’s spirits lifted, saying, “Yes, sir!”

“If you handle this well and capture Qian Ye’s weakness, or even eliminate him, then replacing your arm is not impossible. You won’t be stuck at the threshold of becoming a Battle Lord. Once you achieve that, I’ll arrange a good marriage for you. Or, if you still have feelings for Miss Yin, that could also be possible.”

Gu Liyu immediately knelt on one knee, his voice trembling, “Thank you, sir! I will repay your favor with my life!”

The man smiled slightly, saying, “It’s all for the Empire and the Emperor. You should leave now. I’ll send a message to General Xu to meet you in the Evernight. Additionally, I authorize you to use any resources in the Evernight as needed. But this mission… must succeed. Do you understand?”

Gu Liyu’s heart chilled, and he bowed, saying, “I understand.”

“Good, you may leave.”

As soon as Gu Liyu stepped out of the office, he broke into a cold sweat, nearly collapsing. He leaned against the wall, panting, and slowly regained his composure. Every visit to that office was excruciating, especially for his new arm, which felt like enduring torture. Yet, in that room lay the glory, power, and background he coveted, as well as the woman, Yin Qiqi, whom he both hated and couldn’t forget.