World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 427: The Sword From the Moon! (II)

Shi Qianzhang sighed wearily. "Don't go looking to die on purpose. Aside from Fei Yu and Huai Jing, you're the only one I can truly call a friend. The others, well, half a friend at best."

Liu Yunzhi looked up and smiled faintly at him. "Mm. If the situation didn't demand it, I would never so easily cast away my own life."

"That's how it should be. You're your parents' child. Your body and soul came from them, so don't throw those away lightly." Shi Qianzhang coughed softly, then raised his eyes toward the few stars scattered in the sky. He changed the topic. "Tell me, what do you think those ancient cultivators are up to right now?"

After a short pause, Liu Yunzhi answered, "They're waiting. The Special Investigation and Special Affairs unit are monitoring their every move.

"Qin Yishen may be acting as the chief now, juggling several positions and commanding both departments, but even he can't defy official principles. All he can do is make small moves behind the scenes. We're in a pretty tense situation right now. The ancient cultivators are being watched closely, but they and Qin Yishen have pinned their next steps on the Immortal Dao Conference. Doesn't it feel like a setup to you?"

Shi Qianzhang was a little lost. "A setup? What kind?"

Liu Yunzhi chuckled, eyes thoughtful. "It just dawned on me. Now that the ancient cultivators have stepped into the open, they have to build their reputation. To do that, they have to act like enlightened masters, which ironically ends up trapping them.

"Qin Yishen may seem powerful, but it only took one official document from the higher-ups to alter the authority of the three special departments. And ever since the ancient cultivators regained their nominal freedom, there hasn't been a single word from the top brass—not even a meeting with anyone truly influential."

Shi Qianzhang blinked. His lips twitched. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not even sure myself." Liu Yunzhi sighed. "My mind is too messy. Let's just wait and see. The Immortal Dao Conference begins tomorrow, and something might change."

Shi Qianzhang rubbed his forehead, glanced at Liu Yunzhi, then at Xiaomiao.

"It's okay. We don't understand half of this anyway. You two say what you want; I'll just nod along." He sighed. "Who knows how many days it's been since Brother Sheng disappeared. I miss him."

Liu Yunzhi looked up at the sparse stars. His eyes, once dim, now glimmered faintly.

"Let's hope he's alright."

***

Xiaomiao seemed to sleep longer on purpose, or perhaps she just wanted to pass the time faster before the Immortal Dao Conference began.

It was already ten in the morning when she finally stretched and sat up. From the treetop nearby, Liu Yunzhi and Shi Qianzhang immediately leaped down.

"How are you feeling, Xiaomiao?"

"I'm fine; I was just tired last night." Xiaomiao ran to the stream, splashed her face with cold water, and instantly perked up. She felt refreshed again. With her primal qi brimming, she clenched her fist cheerfully. "If I don't rest enough, how am I supposed to fight those villains with wits and courage? Let's go, big brothers. Time to make up some evidence!"

"No need." Shi Qianzhang grinned. "We've already recorded a video, and the poison mist has been divided. We just have to head back and stir the pot."

"We still have some time," Liu Yunzhi commented. "Should we gather more proof?"

Xiaomiao thought for a moment. "We have enough evidence to expose their scheme. Everything fits together perfectly. By the way, how long do we have left before the conference begins?"

Shi Qianzhang replied, "We still have about twenty-three hours. It starts at nine tomorrow morning."

"Plenty of time, then. Next part of the plan, we head back to the Hua Republic, find a good restaurant, eat until we burst, then hit a KTV and sing our hearts out! After that, we'll split up. Brother Qianzhang, you go meet someone in the Special Investigation Unit that you trust completely, preferably Aunt Mou Yue."

"Call her sister. That's more fitting," Shi Qianzhang corrected.

"Fine. Anyway, it has to be someone you trust. Tell her you know where I am. If she only asks about my location, just make something up. If she shows concern for my safety first, tell her what I'm planning and that I need their technical support."

"Technical support? What kind?"

"When I show up at the Immortal Dao Conference, I want everyone to hear me the moment I speak." Xiaomiao clenched her small fist. "They're looking for me, right? Then I'll walk out myself, appear weak, earn the sympathy of the cultivators, and expose their true colors."

Liu Yunzhi raised his voice slightly. "That's madness! No way. Your cultivation is too shallow. What if they silence you before you even get to speak?"

"Relax," Xiaomiao calmly responded. "I'll make sure the sword spirit from the Shu Sword Sect is present before I show myself. Brother Yunzhi, you should come with me. You're both a witness and a victim. As I've said before, those guilty cultivators have to pay. I'll avenge Big Sister myself. Hear me out before you object. This time, we'll make full use of the unaffiliated practitioners and create a wave of public pressure first..."

A few minutes later, Liu Yunzhi and Shi Qianzhang exchanged helpless glances. They then smiled faintly and nodded.

Together, the two old cultivators probably had more than seventy years between them, yet before this young girl, they couldn't muster a single word of protest.

Around noon, the trio slipped back into the Hua Republic. They really looked for a restaurant and feasted like there was no tomorrow. Afterward, they spent the whole afternoon in a cozy KTV listening to old pop songs.

***

Around 4:00 PM, the command hall of the Special Investigation Unit headquarters had become crowded.

Qin Yishen sat at the central command platform, a large screen right in front of him. Every workstation was filled, and each person was focused on their duties. The room buzzed with activity.

The main screen showed an aerial view of Mount Hua's foot. The main venue, which was shaped like a soaring eagle, had already been prepared three months earlier, and many cultivators who had received invitations were now entering the site.

The Immortal Dao Conference was now being held for the fourth time. Any cultivator with some ability would not miss such an event.

The grand competition for the younger generation—the highlight of the conference—inspired countless unaffiliated practitioners to cultivate diligently in hopes of gaining fame there.

Apart from that, the Immortal Dao Conference offered plenty more. Daoist heritages used the opportunity to set up recruitment stands, searching for talent among the unaffiliated practitioners.

Near the main venue, the official market for cultivators had also opened, trading in artifacts, alchemical pills, and cultivation techniques. It would remain open for half a month after the conference ended.

Although cultivators continued to grow stronger, the conference's entry requirements stayed the same. Hence, the number of participants grew larger each year.

"Captain, there are already 120,650 registered cultivators gathered at the foot of Mount Hua. More are still on the way, but our venue can only hold forty thousand."

Qin Yishen smiled. "Set up more projection devices outside. Make sure every cultivator has a clear view of the battles."

However, his smile soon faded.

"Captain, the delegations of the Wudang Mountains, the Shu Sword Sect, Mount Qiyun, Mount Lao, the Longhu Mountains, and eleven other Daoist heritages haven't set out yet. All others have either already departed or arrived."

Qin Yishen said, "The ones that haven't moved don't have ancient cultivators, correct?"

"Yes, Captain. That makes up nearly half of all Daoist heritages." The middle-aged man who was reporting lowered his voice. "Should we offer them some kind of assurance or promise?"

"Promise? What promise can we give?" Qin Yishen tapped his fingers on the table. "The authorities have always only handled the organization and logistics of the Immortal Dao Conference. This time, the main host and convener is Mount Hua's Daoist heritage.

"Here's what we'll do. The Special Affairs Unit will report this situation to Mount Hua's sect master and have them send their own people to invite them personally. The Special Investigation Unit will handle the transport and make sure none of the Daoist heritages miss tomorrow's opening ceremony. Otherwise, it could plant the seeds for internal conflict in the cultivation world later."

A Special Affairs Unit member replied, "Understood, Captain. I'll handle it."

Old Xing frowned slightly. "Got it."

He then turned to coordinate the transport arrangements. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Soon, Mount Hua dispatched more than a dozen elders to the sects that had not yet departed. But before the Mount Hua elders even flew a hundred li, all sixteen Daoist heritages stirred into motion at once—as though they had agreed beforehand.

Sixteen Daoist heritages, sixteen mountain gates.

Cultivators rose into the sky one after another. Elder Daoists with white hair and flowing beards led the way to Mount Hua.

When Qin Yishen received the report, he did not comment. He simply ordered that the conference stage be adjusted: raised higher, made narrower, and had the over a hundred prepared chairs reduced to only fifteen.

After that, the Special Investigation Unit and the Special Affairs Unit entered full overtime mode.

As usual, large Special Warfare Unit teams appeared around Mount Hua. Nearly six thousand elite members formed patrol groups to maintain order in the areas where cultivators gathered. The towns at the foot of Mount Hua had also been evacuated beforehand to prevent incidents of cultivators bullying mortals.

Even at night, the mountain remained lively. The delegations that had arrived went up to rest. The Mount Hua disciples also received the unaffiliated practitioners with some reputation or skill.

Those gathered at the foot of the mountain waited for tomorrow's excitement to begin. With so many people, talk spread quickly. Most of the discussions revolved around the fifteen ancient cultivators who were said to have slain devils.

Many sighed with emotion, while the more cautious ones worried that the ancient cultivators, who were far stronger than the current cultivation world, would overturn the entire balance. By midnight, several rumors had begun spreading quickly among the crowd of cultivators.

"Hey, did you hear? Over a year ago, the corrupt cultivators on the southern border were quietly wiped out. At first, they really did provoke others, but when we counterattacked, the ancient cultivators controlled the situation to make us lose. Apparently, they had already broken free of their restraints by then."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Would I lie? This came from someone from the Longhu Mountains!"

"By the forefathers above, that actually makes sense! Those ancient cultivators might really be playing the long game. Wait, I'm going to verify this."

Similar conversations spread all around the foot of Mount Hua, though the rumors curiously never reached those on the mountain. It was as though someone was deliberately guiding the topic from behind the scenes.

Simultaneously, the Special Investigation Unit received a new task: monitoring what unaffiliated practitioners were posting online.

When Qin Yishen learned of this, he kept a close watch. Though he believed a few careless words from unaffiliated practitioners would not have much impact, he could not shake a faint sense of unease.

A Special Affairs Unit member advised, "It's already past midnight, Captain. You should rest in your office. You have to be at Mount Hua by seven in the morning."

"How could I possibly sleep now?" Qin Yishen leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the screen, which showed the bright lights at the foot of Mount Hua. "I've been doing this for six or seven years. What are six or seven more hours?"

The officer simply bowed his head in acknowledgment.