Chapter 95

With a "thud," a drop of stone milk fell into the accumulated pond, making the cave even more silent.

After the Second Elder finished telling Zhou Lu about the Ghost Shadow Tribe, he lightly brushed the green moss on the rock and sat down. Zhou Lu stood there, his face full of astonishment, and it took him a long time to digest what the Second Elder had said.

It turned out that the Ghost Shadow Tribe had actually come to his home to be arrogant?

"Second Elder..."

Zhou Lu cautiously probed, "So, the person the Elder Pavilion has chosen as the most suitable candidate, who is supposed to lead a team of the most elite scouts deep into the wilderness to urgently build several lines of intelligence and light a few lighthouses in the dark sea of the wilderness... is me?"

"Exactly."

Mo Xuanji smiled faintly, nodded, and gestured for the bewildered Zhou Lu to sit on the rock beside him. He sighed and continued, "In recent years, our Heavenly Demon Clan has gradually become more powerful, and the arrogance and extravagance within the clan have begun to spread. There are almost no one who thinks about potential dangers while living in peace. It wasn't until the war was imminent that we suddenly realized we had such a significant strategic flaw."

"The wilderness has become the biggest gap in our Heavenly Demon Clan."

Zhou Lu listened with his mouth wide open.

Mo Xuanji's eyes looked into the distance, and his voice took on a distant tone, "The wilderness is like a hell in the hearts of our clan members. They detest it like snakes and scorpions, and no one is willing to approach it. Yet, you managed to complete the scout mission in the wilderness so cleanly and even captured the chief of Blackbeard Mountain. This is simply an incredible feat."

"It's nothing, just a coincidence," Zhou Lu blushed and modestly rubbed the hem of his clothes.

Mo Xuanji smiled, "You don't need to be modest. I know that although you only have the fifth level of the Totem Heart Sutra, your true strength can match that of a high-level hunter. You are flexible and adaptable, and most importantly, you are despicable, perverted, and cunning, able to come up with all sorts of bizarre methods to deal with your opponents."

"Your performance in the wilderness has attracted the great attention of the Elder Pavilion. They believe that establishing intelligence in the wilderness is crucial for the war against the Ghost Shadow Tribe. The elders unanimously agree that you are the best choice for this mission, considering your strength, cunning, courage, and familiarity with the wilderness."

Zhou Lu's mouth gaped open, and sweat dripped from his forehead. Is this praise? Is this really praise? Well, let's just say it is.

Mo Xuanji smiled, ignoring the exaggerated expression of the little rascal, and continued, "Zhou Lu, you are a rare talent, and the Elder Pavilion has noticed this. During the last Elder Pavilion meeting, when your war achievements were evaluated and you were demoted, it was actually the Grand Elder's intention. It was a demotion in name but a promotion in reality, a strategy for using people. The Grand Elder wants to secretly give you more real power and use you for more important tasks, bringing you greater glory and opportunities in the future. Otherwise, the Grand Elder wouldn't have demoted a hero who has made great contributions so unjustly."

Zhou Lu was stunned. Mo Xuanji smiled faintly and said proudly, "The Grand Elder saw the importance of establishing intelligence in the wilderness and your outstanding abilities, which is why he finally agreed to use you to establish the special task force, the Falcon Army. Otherwise, my wish for the Falcon Army might have been delayed for years. The Grand Elder is not the kind of person who only favors relatives and is narrow-minded for small benefits. He has a broader vision. Do you understand now?"

Zhou Lu was dumbfounded, his head feeling as if it were about to explode.

It turned out it was like this!

The process of interest exchange was so convoluted that Zhou Lu felt his brain couldn't keep up. He truly didn't understand what kind of creatures the elders were, so complex that they could make you hate them with a passion one moment and then suddenly seem far-sighted and full of deep meaning the next.

You were played by them, and in the end, you even felt good about it.

They achieved all the interests they needed, and you had to admire their selflessness and nobility.

Zhou Lu now realized that his level of despicableness was still far from theirs.

"Zhou Lu..."

Mo Xuanji's expression became serious, and his sharp gaze seemed to pierce through the fat man, "There are two months and thirteen days left before our Heavenly Demon Clan's competition with the Ghost Shadow Tribe. No one knows when the Ghost Shadow Tribe's forces in the wilderness will attack. Now, you are our eyes in the wilderness."

Mo Xuanji paused and continued, "I will provide you with everything you need, whether it's people or resources. I only require you to use any means necessary to establish several lines of intelligence in the wilderness as quickly as possible, to detect enemy movements and relay information back to the clan before the Ghost Shadow Tribe invades. Can you do it?"

Zhou Lu took a deep breath.

He knew the responsibility was immense, even relating to the life and death of countless clan members in the western border. At this moment, he couldn't afford to be frivolous.

After all, it was just about establishing intelligence, not fighting a war. He could use money to buy, force to intimidate, and all sorts of cunning methods to control people. Controlling one person was like lighting a lamp in the dark sea. Controlling ten people...

Controlling twenty people...

A cluster of lamps could illuminate an area, and when there was any movement in that area, Zhou Lu would be the first to know.

With Ertu's familiarity with the wilderness, the thirty high-level hunters, and the unlimited financial support, Zhou Lu was confident he could make a big move.

"Alright!"

Zhou Lu nodded firmly.

With Zhou Lu's assurance, Mo Xuanji relaxed, a smile returning to his face. He took out a palm-sized Dark Eagle Token from his chest, held it in his palm, and it seemed ready to take flight.

Mo Xuanji handed the Dark Eagle Token to Zhou Lu, "Zhou Lu, with this Dark Eagle Token, you can control the thirty Eagle Guards I will send to you. Remember, use this power wisely."

Zhou Lu's face lit up with joy, and he eagerly took the Dark Eagle Token, playing with it lovingly. Zhou Lu knew that such a token represented a vast power. With this power in hand, his confidence soared, and his face glowed with excitement, almost dancing with joy.

The Pavilion Master Dongfang had come over at some point and stood smiling beside them.

Zhou Lu looked up and saw the Pavilion Master, his face turning red with embarrassment. He hurriedly stood up and stammered, "Pavilion Master." He remembered his undignified behavior, crying and laughing like a fool, and even daring to call the Pavilion Master "old man" after drinking too much.

The Pavilion Master Dongfang and the Second Elder Mo Xuanji exchanged glances and laughed heartily.

The Pavilion Master Dongfang teased, "Zhou Lu, are you not feeling wronged now? Not resenting the Elder Pavilion?"

"Or cursing me in your heart?"

Mo Xuanji also joined in, enjoying the little rascal's embarrassed expression.

Zhou Lu's eyes darted around, and he suddenly put on a joyful expression, clapping his hands and changing the subject, "Oh, Second Elder, I remember something important I forgot to tell you."

Mo Xuanji, seeing through the little rascal's attempt to change the subject, exchanged a smile with the Pavilion Master and teased, "What is it? Something important?"

"Very important."

Zhou Lu put on an innocent face, blinking his eyes at Mo Xuanji, "Second Elder, after I escaped from Blackbeard Mountain, I hid in a secret place for a few days. When I came out, I encountered a small group of sand bandits. We captured them and found out something surprising..."

Zhou Lu paused, seeing Mo Xuanji and the Pavilion Master listening intently, and continued with a grin, "I heard that the day after I escaped from Blackbeard Mountain, the Second Chief Red Asura killed the Third Chief Night Fire and then disbanded over two thousand bandits overnight."

"Red Asura is now missing, and Blackbeard Mountain no longer exists."

"What did you say..."

Mo Xuanji and the Pavilion Master Dongfang were stunned, both drawing a sharp breath, "Blackbeard Mountain... no longer exists?"

The two were so shocked that cold sweat ran down their backs, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Iron Mita was preparing to lead a large army to the wilderness to crush Blackbeard Mountain, and Mo Xuanji could imagine the look on Iron Mita's face when he found only an empty mountain.

The effort of countless troops to capture an empty mountain would be a complete waste, and Iron Mita would become a laughingstock in the clan, a synonym for idiocy, losing all his authority.

Seeing the smug, cunning smile on the little rascal's face, Mo Xuanji and the Pavilion Master Dongfang almost wanted to strangle the fat man.

Mo Xuanji anxiously asked, "What about the mines at Blackbeard Mountain? Could they have been taken over by other bandits?"

"Second Elder, don't worry..."

Zhou Lu pulled out a basin-sized metal ore from the storage ring Xiao Luan had given him and handed it to Mo Xuanji, "This is the ore I took from the mine at Blackbeard Mountain. I later confirmed with the miners that the mine is almost entirely filled with this type of ore."

Seeing the slightly yellowish metal in Zhou Lu's hand, the Second Elder was stunned, "Cloud Gold?"

Mo Xuanji drew a sharp breath, his face turning grim, "You mean the mines at Blackbeard Mountain are all Cloud Gold?"

With Mo Xuanji's remarkable achievements in forging, he could recognize the ore even with his eyes closed.

According to legend, Cloud Gold is the finest metal known, and adding a bit of it to certain special weapons can enhance their shaping properties, like the Moon Trace Blade Xiao Luan uses, which requires Cloud Gold for its curved blade.

However, Cloud Gold's use is limited to that.

It is softer than wood and cannot be used to forge any effective weapons on its own.

The sand bandits in the wilderness would have no use for Cloud Gold even if they mined it.

The threat from Blackbeard Mountain's mines was just a joke.

Zhou Lu boasted, "Xiao Luan needs this metal for forging. Last time, we went out to find it but encountered sand bandits. This time, I brought the Cloud Gold back as a gift for her."

"You..."

Mo Xuanji's eyes narrowed in anger, and he almost kicked the little rascal out of the cave.

The little rascal had anticipated that Iron Mita would try to steal his military achievements while he was in the wilderness. He had kept this as a trump card.

When the elders thought they could manipulate the fat man, they didn't realize he held the biggest card.

Everyone played mind games, but they shouldn't have underestimated the fat man. If anyone tried to make him suffer, he wouldn't let them off easily.

Mo Xuanji could imagine that if he hadn't given the little rascal a sweet deal today, the secret would have remained buried, and Iron Mita would have led his army to the wilderness, only to find an empty mountain, leading to a disastrous outcome.

After learning about Zhou Lu's achievements in the wilderness, Mo Xuanji had also investigated his past despicable deeds in the clan. He found it hard to believe that such a brave warrior could do so many despicable things.

But now, he believed it.

The little rascal was indeed as despicable as his reputation suggested.

Want to see him embarrassed? Not in this lifetime.

Mo Xuanji panted with anger, and Zhou Lu, seeing the Second Elder's displeased expression, quickly put the Cloud Gold away and backed away cautiously, "Second Elder, I've told you everything I know. I'll go ahead and give the gift to Xiao Luan. I'm leaving now, really leaving..."

Zhou Lu was already at the cave entrance.

Mo Xuanji and the Pavilion Master Dongfang exchanged a helpless glance and both laughed bitterly.

They, the old foxes who had been manipulating people for years, never thought they would be outsmarted by a little rascal.

They almost fell into the trap the little rascal had set.

Mo Xuanji laughed and shook his head, "This little rascal is indeed cunning. Establishing intelligence in the wilderness will require someone who can use any means necessary. Now, I am completely at ease."