Chapter 1046 – Countermeasures and Speculation

Li Guanqi remained calm. “Bring me a list of all the materials we need. I’ll figure something out.”

Qian Qiusui shook her head and said softly, “If they’re willing to resort to removing the firewood from under the pot[1], they must be confident it’ll work. We’ve already contacted every supplier we could find, but their combined stock wouldn’t cover even a tenth of the orders.”

Li Guanqi’s eyes flickered as he considered the problem. It was far more complicated than he’d first thought. Devoting all the Guanyun Pavilion’s resources to filling the orders would earn it an enormous sum of spirit stones, but the rush would inevitably disrupt its other pill production and business operations. If the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion struck during that time, it could throw the Guanyun Pavilion into chaos. However, failing to fill the orders would mean paying massive compensation. Either way, the pavilion stood to lose.

His expression grew grim. Qian Qiusui said no more. He was clever enough to work out the deeper implications for himself. The Guanyun Pavilion couldn’t simply refuse. The other side would surely be prepared for it.

Li Guanqi let out a cold laugh. “This is quite the clever scheme. They’re coming straight for Guanyun Pavilion’s foundation!”

For the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion, four hundred million spirit stones were a trifle compared to its vast reserves; it could absorb a loss of four or even forty billion. For the Guanyun Pavilion, however, it would be a crippling financial blow.

After a moment’s thought, Li Guanqi spoke quietly. “Put together a full list of the materials and give it to me. I’ll find a way. And since they’ve made their move, it’d be rude not to return the favor!”

He continued, “Spread word through some mercenary organizations that common pills are needed. Have the Cloud Shadow Guard capture some special demonic beasts from the Purple Spirit Paradise Realm and release them into certain areas.”

Qian Qiusui frowned, unsure of what he intended. “What’s the point of all that?”

Li Guanqi gave another cold laugh. “Poison some special herbs and find a way to get them into the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion!”

Qian Qiusui’s eyes lit up, and she exclaimed softly, “Pavilion Master, you want to... ruin the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s reputation?”

“That’s only the first step,” Li Guanqi said with a cold laugh. “Set it up. I’ll tell you what to do next!”

A short while later, Qian Qiusui handed him a jade slip and left to make the other arrangements. The sheer length of the list made his scalp tingle. The Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s move to cut off their supplies was vicious. Whether the Guanyun Pavilion filled the orders or not, the enemy would pay only four hundred million spirit stones. If the Guanyun Pavilion failed to deliver, though, the resulting claims would cause them financial ruin.

Li Guanqi took out another jade slip and began asking for help. “Elder Guo, Elder Jiang, Elder Han, I need a favor from you all. Uncle Gu, I need your help with something. Qin Wushang, I need a favor. Uncle Ye, how many alchemists does the Nine Dragon Immortal Sect have? Could you help me out?”

He set down the slip and let out a small breath of relief. However thoroughly the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion had planned, it couldn’t have anticipated that his network extended far beyond the Guanyun Pavilion.

Then his expression changed. If he could think of asking those people for help, why wouldn’t someone as shrewd as Gu Yong have anticipated it?

Still, Li Guanqi had done all he could for now. He couldn’t blindly guess at whatever else lay behind the scheme.

Li Guanqi sat in the chair reserved for the Yunding Auction House’s master, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk. The steady tap, tap echoed through the room. He narrowed his eyes. He suspected that the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s ordering scheme was another feint.

Gu Yong should have realized he couldn’t open the Heavenly Intelligence Map. Judging by his actions, he had two objectives. The first was to threaten Li Guanqi’s loved ones to force him to remove the map’s Spirit Pardon seal. However, the second objective was less clear.

Gu Yong seemed strangely preoccupied with the coexistence of the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion and Guanyun Pavilion. Li Guanqi understood the argument that two tigers couldn’t share one mountain, but why was it suddenly a problem after so many years of peaceful coexistence? While they served similar functions, the Guanyun Pavilion focused more on commerce than intelligence, and Li Guanqi hadn’t even intended to expand it across all Six Territories.

Tap, tap, tap.

The first objective made sense. Li Guanqi suspected that Gu Yong was still Gu Yong. He simply had a few more secrets, secrets no one else knew. If the man who’d returned after breaking through to the Mahayana Realm weren’t really Gu Yong, Meng Jiangchu would surely have noticed something after spending so much time with him.

Even if Meng Jiangchu had somehow missed it, Gu Yong had accompanied him to the Seventh Territory. Someone there, whether one of the Eight Generals or Su Xuan, would surely have noticed anything amiss.

That realization only made Li Guanqi more curious about the Seventh Territory. Why had Gu Yong chosen to oppose him even after returning? He was even willing to involve the entire Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion in the conflict.

Following that line of reasoning, the mastermind behind Gu Yong wanted two things: the Heavenly Intelligence Map and complete control over the intelligence network across the Six Territories. They intended to use the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion to gather information or even spread certain narratives.

Candlelight flickered across Li Guanqi’s profile, casting shifting shadows. His pure white eyes gleamed. He felt his deductions were close to the truth, but he still couldn’t understand what the person behind Gu Yong intended. He had never encountered tactics like these. It was as though another unseen player had joined the game of Go.

The world around him gradually darkened. Thousands of Go boards appeared, with Li Guanqi seated at their center. Three immense shadows took shape and loomed over him like mountains a hundred zhang tall.

The inexplicable pressure made his heart race. He took a deep breath, and the world gradually cleared. The shadows vanished, along with the pressure gripping his throat.

Drenched in cold sweat, he raised his head, his eyes gleaming coldly. He leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath, and murmured, “One day, I’ll come up there and find you myself. Sword in hand, I’ll teach those of you hiding in the shadows a lesson!”

After thinking it over, he settled on the most effective solution. He passed down the order, his tone icy. “Begin the assassinations. Everyone who placed those orders is to be beheaded! Yu Hua, send people to buy Mind Clearing Pills in two days. Have them make a scene outside the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s shops. Old Xi, keep an eye on our people’s movements. The Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion will definitely infiltrate our ranks. Let the right information slip and root out those spies!”

1. The nineteenth of the Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六计). It means undermining an enemy’s ability to act by cutting off what sustains them, just as removing the firewood stops a pot from boiling. ☜