Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Book 4: Chapter 179: Rendering Mo Yike Useless

“Psychological attack? A psychological attack on His Reverence? How can that happen?” Qin Zibai asked with a frown.

“Right now, His Reverence’s greatest weakness is his rashness. However, so what if he is rash? In the end, he is not a fool. Otherwise, he would not wait for the Qian Nation army to come to Major Metropolitan City. While His Reverence is rash, there is order to it.” Mo Yike frowned.

Qin Zibai stood at the side, waiting.

After a while, Mo Yike sighed, “Mister Gu does things in very imaginative ways, completely unconstrained in style. We can only deal with things as they appear. It is impossible for me to guess his thoughts.”

“So, we can only wait?” Qin Zibai said worriedly.

“Just wait. Waiting might not be a bad thing. Lord Qin, even though I am imprisoned, no one dares to make things difficult for me. His Reverence even permits me to write letters and receive correspondence to understand the situation outside. However, it is still quite inconvenient. I can only rely on you for matters outside. Bring me all the information; I will analyze it. No matter what moves they make, I will do my best to analyze them and counter their many variations by being consistent,” Mo Yike said.

“Mister Mo, rest assured. I will do my best to assist you,” Qin Zibai said seriously.

“This is the Yuan Nation’s most dangerous moment. It has been tough on Lord Qin,” Mo Yike said seriously.

“Mister Mo is the one who has been through tough times.” Qin Zibai shook his head.

Qin Zibai trusted in Mo Yike’s capabilities. He believed that as long as Mo Yike was around, Mo Yike could see through all of Gu Hai’s schemes.

——

The Qian Nation soldiers and Han Nation soldiers departed Prior Metropolitan City and slowly headed for Major Metropolitan City.

On one of the flying ships, Gu Hai, Long Shenwu, and Sima Changkong looked at the information from the surrounding region.

“Mister Gu, this prince has already done as you requested. Can that really deal with Imperial Emperor Xi Yu? If it fails, my Qian Nation army will fail at the final moment,” Long Shenwu said with a frown.

“Prince, don’t worry,” Gu Hai said with a faint smile.

“Although Mo Yike is locked up in the imperial prison, Mister Gu should not let your guard down,” Sima Changkong said.

“I am very clear on Mo Yike’s capability. That’s why the first thing we are doing is to render Mo Yike useless,” Gu Hai said.

“How do we do that?” Long Shenwu asked.

“We have already done that.” Gu Hai smiled.

“Done what? Just by sending one letter to Mo Yike? That’s it?” Long Shenwu appeared skeptical.

Sima Changkong said with some confusion, “We watched you write that letter. It was just some casual conversation between Mo Yike and you. Furthermore, you even miswrote a few words and blackened them out. Just sending that to Mo Yike can render him useless?”

“It is enough.” A confident look flashed in Gu Hai’s eyes.

Long Shenwu still looked at Gu Hai skeptically.

However, Sima Changkong appeared in deep thought.

“The letter should have arrived at the Mo Residence by now.” Gu Hai smiled faintly.

——

Mo Residence:

The Mo Residence’s steward received an unexpected guest: Gu Hai’s envoy.

Had it been someone else, that steward would have sent him to the officials. However, the steward knew of his master’s friendship with Gu Hai, so he did not cause any trouble.

“Are you here to deliver a letter on behalf of Gu Hai?” the Mo Residence’s steward asked.

“Yes. His Majesty told me to deliver this letter to Mister Mo. Can I trouble you to pass it to Mister Mo? I’ll be going first.” That person bowed politely.

The Mo Residence’s steward sent off Gu Hai’s envoy with mild confusion.

Is he here just to deliver a letter? During such a sensitive time? What should I do with this letter?

Hand it over to the officials? The Mo Residence’s steward was loyal to Mo Yike. Hence, that thought never crossed his mind.

“I’ll hand it to Master, then,” the Mo Residence’s steward sighed as he put the letter away.

Shortly after, the steward went to visit Mo Yike.

The imperial prison let the steward in, not obstructing him.

Mo Yike looked at the steward in confusion. “Are you sure you got it right? Gu Hai sent someone to deliver this letter?”

“Master, I have already verified it. It was Gu Hai who sent it,” the Mo Residence’s steward said respectfully.

Mo Yike received the letter and nodded in confusion. “Alright. You came to visit me without going through proper channels. You had better go back first.”

“Yes!”

Then, the steward left.

Mo Yike sat at his desk and opened the letter.

“Previously, Gu Hai tried to recruit me into his Han Royal Dynasty. Now that we are at war, is he trying to recruit me again?” Mo Yike frowned as he read the letter.

“Dear Mister Mo,

“It has been close to a year since we parted. Has Mister Mo fully figured out the Thirty Line-Pair World Go Puzzle yet? Back in Silver Moon City…”

Mo Yike looked at the letter in confusion. There was no invitation to join the Han Royal Dynasty, none at all. It was just some trivial matters and reminiscences. Some parts were not well written, blacked out with a brush.

“These blacked-out bits. Did Gu Hai write the wrong words? That can’t be, right? How could Gu Hai send me a draft? Did he send the wrong letter? That can’t be, either. Did the steward black out some of the content? That’s impossible. The old steward won’t dare to do that.” Mo Yike frowned slightly.

The letter did not mention the war at all, bewildering Mo Yike.

As Mo Yike studied the letter, Qin Zibai suddenly rushed into the imperial prison.

“Lord Qin, what is the rush?” Mo Yike asked.

“Did Gu Hai send you a letter?” Qin Zibai immediately called out.

“Huh? How did you know?” Mo Yike asked.

“How did I know? After you were imprisoned, your Mo Residence became a sensitive zone. I have just received the news. Why did Gu Hai write a letter to you at this time? Is it about the war?” Qin Zibai countered.

“No.” Mo Yike shook his head.

“Then, why did he write to you? What did he write?” Qin Zibai asked.

“Just some trivial matters. Probably just to maintain contact,” Mo Yike said with a bitter smile.

Gu Hai’s letter came at a strange time.

“Alright. Hopefully, it is nothing sensitive. After all, if I can know about Gu Hai sending you a letter, His Reverence would know as well,” Qin Zibai sighed.

“His Reverence also knows?” Mo Yike’s expression suddenly changed.

“Indeed. Someone sent the news to me earlier. It should have reached His Reverence’s ears by now. He definitely knows about it.” Qin Zibai nodded.

This slightly startled Mo Yike. Then, his eyelids twitched wildly as he looked at Gu Hai’s letter.

Previously, it only looked like an ordinary letter of no importance. Now, it seemed like a venomous snake, awakening a chill in his heart.

“Excellent! What an insidious Gu Hai!” Mo Yike’s expression changed.

Now, Mo Yike finally understood why there were so many blacked-out words in Gu Hai’s letter, why Gu Hai sent a letter with such obvious corrections to him.

Gu Hai was sabotaging him.

“This is the letter? Gu Hai sent this? Can I take a look?” Qin Zibai asked, appearing curious.

There was a war. To think that Gu Hai had the time to write a letter to Mo Yike—Mo Yike of all people. Why?

“There’s no need to look. I need to destroy this letter immediately,” Mo Yike said anxiously.

Since Mo Yike’s cultivation was sealed, he could only tear the letter up.

“Don’t tear it. Let me see!” Qin Zibai said worriedly.

However, Mo Yike ignored Qin Zibai as he tried to tear the letter.

Just as Mo Yike made a small tear, the letter released a white light that seemed to prevent it from being torn.

“Mo Yike, since Gu Hai wrote a letter to you, why the rush to tear it? Is there something that others should not see in it?” A voice suddenly echoed in the entire imperial prison.

“Your Reverence?” Qin Zibai felt slightly startled.

Mo Yike smiled bitterly while cursing Gu Hai in his heart. Gu Hai had put him in a difficult spot.

The energy that stopped me from tearing the letter came from His Reverence?

I can’t tear it anymore.

Buzz!

Suddenly, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu appeared in the imperial prison.

When the guards in the prison saw Imperial Emperor Xi Yu, they immediately bowed.

“Salutations, Your Reverence. Long live Your Reverence! May Your Reverence live for ten thousand years!”

Qin Zibai and Mo Yike also bowed respectfully. “Salutations, Your Reverence.”

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu ignored all the guards and looked straight at Mo Yike—more accurately, at the letter in Mo Yike’s hand.

Mo Yike had already made a small tear in the letter. Imperial Emperor Xi Yu approached.

“This is the letter that Gu Hai sent you?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu asked, his voice sinking.

“Yes!” Mo Yike replied bitterly.

Now, he felt like he could not explain himself.

“At such a time, Gu Hai sent a letter to you, of all people? Hah! We want to see what matters about the war Gu Hai discusses with you.” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu snatched the letter with some suspicion.

He did not care whether Mo Yike would give it to him or not.

Mo Yike could not resist at all. Furthermore, forcibly destroying the letter now would only aggravate the situation.

“It is just some trivial matters,” Mo Yike said bitterly.

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu immediately started reading the letter. Indeed, it contained only trivial matters. However, a portion of the content had been blacked out, preventing anyone from reading it.

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu narrowed his eyes at Mo Yike.

There are ink and brush on the table beside Mo Yike. Did Mo Yike black out these parts?

Why did Mo Yike black them out? Is he preventing others from seeing them?

“What did Gu Hai say to you in these parts?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at Mo Yike with a cold expression.

At the side, Qin Zibai craned his neck to look. What he saw made him gape. What is Lord Mo hiding?

“The letter came like that,” Mo Yike said bitterly.

Mo Yike spoke the truth, but who would believe him?

There was no way to explain himself now. He knew that from the moment Imperial Emperor Xi Yu saw this letter, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu no longer trusted him. No explanation would work.

“Hah! Hahahaha! The letter came like that?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu laughed in a cold tone.

Qin Zibai looked at Mo Yike with a strange expression as well.

“Yes!” Mo Yike nodded, forcing a weak smile.

“Humph! Alright. No one is permitted to visit the prison in the future. Qin Zibai, you are not to come again,” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said coldly.

“Yes!” Qin Zibai showed a faintly bitter expression.

“Humph!”

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu left, flinging his sleeve.

Qin Zibai and the others could only leave as well.

Mo Yike sat down in his cell, looking at the letter Imperial Emperor Xi Yu tossed to the floor, with a faint, bitter smile.

“Some ‘deal with things as they appear.’ Analyze Gu Hai’s schemes for His Reverence? Hahahaha! Gu Hai is ruthless. With just one piece of paper, you completely cut His Reverence off from me, destroying all my plans and preparations?” Mo Yike picked up that letter with a bitter laugh.