Chapter 64

**Bang!**

With a powerful palm strike, the finely crafted sandalwood desk turned to powder.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gu Changqing's roar echoed above the Eagle's Nest, causing the three golden-robed men below to bow their heads in silence.

Gu Changqing's chest heaved as he struggled to suppress his anger. He shouted, "A bunch of useless idiots, bastards, and scum! Not only did you fail to find anything, but you also left traces for others to discover. What good are you?!"

The thought of his dispatched men failing the task ignited another wave of fury in Gu Changqing. He wished he could shatter their heads one by one!

The three men below trembled in fear, not daring to respond. It was Gao Fei, standing to the side, who spoke up, "Eagle Master, please calm down. I believe there's something peculiar about this matter."

"What's peculiar about it?" Gu Changqing looked at Gao Fei.

Just as Gu Changqing was currently the most valued talent in the Heavenly God Palace, Gao Fei was the person Gu Changqing most trusted and appreciated. Therefore, he took Gao Fei's words seriously.

Gao Fei replied, "Qiming has been a veteran of the Eagle Hall for years. We've all seen how steady and reliable he is, and he has never made any significant mistakes."

Gu Changqing snorted, "I know. That's why I sent him. I never expected him to mess up so badly."

Gao Fei continued, "But I think... is it possible that the problem wasn't with Qiming and his team?"

"Hmm?" Gu Changqing looked at Gao Fei, "What do you mean?"

Gao Fei bowed and answered, "I haven't seen the incident firsthand, so I can't say for sure. However, I asked some students who were nearby and probed the mouths of Xin Yue and Simu'er. They said that Tang Jie shouted 'thief' because he discovered a footprint. Eagle Master, don't you think it's a bit overreacting to shout 'thief' just because of a footprint?"

Gu Changqing's eyes narrowed, "Go on."

Gao Fei said, "Additionally, according to the information I gathered, the footprint was reportedly very clear, left on a pile of flour. If they had made a small mistake, it might be understandable to leave some minor clues. But to leave such a clear piece of evidence without realizing it... I don't think Qiming and his team could be that incompetent."

The three men below looked at Gao Fei with tears in their eyes.

Gu Changqing finally regained his composure. He sat down, stroked his chin, and pondered for a moment, "You're right, Gao Fei. I was too hasty. It seems there's more to this than meets the eye..."

"But I still don't understand. If Tang Jie is indeed trying to frame us, why would he do that?"

"Why?" Gu Changqing habitually tapped the table but realized the desk had been shattered by his palm. He stood up and paced a few steps before continuing, "Of course, it's because this benefits him. Now, Xie Fengtang must have noticed him, right? So next, the Moon Washing Sect will surely keep a close eye on him. With the Moon Washing Sect involved, it will be much harder for us to make a move against him."

"Eagle Master, do you mean he is trying to use this incident to attract the attention of the Moon Washing Sect to protect himself?" Gao Fei frowned, "But the Moon Washing Sect isn't a bunch of kind-hearted people. They want the Military Mirror too! Could it be... Tang Jie plans to hand over the Military Mirror to the Moon Washing Sect?"

At this, Gao Fei's face changed dramatically.

If that were the case, it would be the worst possible outcome.

Gu Changqing shook his head, "I don't think he will hand over the Military Mirror. If he wanted to, he could have done so three years ago. Why go through all the trouble of serving others? As long as he was willing to hand over the Military Mirror, the Moon Washing Sect would surely agree to make him a true disciple. If he wanted to, he would have done it long ago."

"Then why did he let the Moon Washing Sect discover him?"

"Why?" Gu Changqing laughed coldly, "Gao Fei, you've forgotten one thing."

"What?"

Gu Changqing said slowly, "So far, we have no evidence to confirm that he is Tang Jie!"

Gao Fei was taken aback.

Gu Changqing continued, "Can you really be sure he is the Tang Jie who possesses the Military Mirror? He just has a similar background, similar age, and a similar name to the original Tang Jie. But does that prove he is Tang Jie? To be honest, even now, neither you nor I can be certain of this!"

"Given what happened, there's a 99% chance it's him!" Gao Fei gritted his teeth, "Otherwise, why would he fabricate evidence to frame us?"

"The problem is, our people did go there that night! He shouted at that moment, which suggests it might not be a coincidence but that he indeed discovered some traces left by Qiming and his team! So it's entirely possible that he found something suspicious and then made a big fuss, expanding the evidence. Young people often like to show off, after all!" Gu Changqing countered, "Most importantly, if Tang Jie really wanted to frame us, why did he choose the moment when we actually went there? He didn't have to wait for our people to arrive. He could have staged it at any time."

The disciple named Qiming quickly said, "Maybe it was because of the Return to Origin Technique?"

"Wrong!" Gu Changqing said, "The Return to Origin Technique isn't the only way to point to the Heavenly God Palace. If I were Tang Jie and wanted to attract the attention of the Moon Washing Academy, I could have chosen a simpler method. For example, shouting that I saw someone in golden robes leaving my room. That would be framing! But he didn't do that. Instead, he did it after we actually went there, and we can't even confirm if the evidence was fabricated by him!"

"This..." Everyone was speechless again.

"So, we still can't confirm that he is Tang Jie? Or that he intentionally framed us?" Qiming said resentfully.

"Exactly, we can't confirm it! Over the past three years, there have been many targets like him. He's just the only one who shouted 'I am Tang Jie' and the only one who discovered our presence after we searched. These two points only make him suspicious, not a confirmed suspect," Gu Changqing sighed, "In this world, there are too many things to suspect and too few things to confirm."

He was a man who valued evidence. Although he believed the likelihood that Tang Jie was Tang Jie was very high, any rash action before finding the Military Mirror would be unwise.

If he made a mistake, the consequences would be dire!

Gu Changqing continued, "But because of this, I can understand why he wants the Moon Washing Sect to notice him."

Gao Fei's eyes lit up, "Because the Moon Washing Sect can't confirm it either."

"Exactly." Gu Changqing smiled and nodded, "Now, let's make an assumption..."

"Assume I am both Tang Jie and Tang Jie. I possess the Military Mirror, and once I achieve sufficient cultivation, I can go to Heavenly Capital Mountain, activate the great array, and obtain the legacy of the Military Lord. However, achieving sufficient cultivation is easier said than done. To open the great array on Heavenly Capital Mountain, one needs at least the strength of a Heavenly Heart True Person. For most people, reaching the Heavenly Heart realm is out of reach."

Gao Fei interjected, "So I not only need to enter the Moon Washing Academy but also gain the academy's attention, become one of the top ten disciples, and receive secret techniques to ensure I can enter the Heavenly Heart realm!"

"Exactly. But I am just a mediocre talent at the fifth level of the Jade Gate. What makes the Moon Washing Sect value me?" Gu Changqing asked.

Gao Fei's eyes flashed with a fierce light, "Naturally, it's the Military Mirror... It's my only bargaining chip!"

"Because of this, I need to shout before entering the academy to attract the academy's attention."

"But I didn't expect the Heavenly God Palace to bribe some people in the academy to suppress the information and not report it. Moreover, the Moon Washing Sect has limited information about the Military Mirror and may not take it seriously enough."

"So I need to find a way to further alert the Moon Washing Academy."

"The problem is, I don't want to truly hand over the Military Mirror, nor can I reveal its secret. How can I alert them?"

"That's a tough one... But... Maybe... I can use the Heavenly God Palace to my advantage..." Gao Fei's voice grew softer, "If the Moon Washing Sect discovers that the Heavenly God Palace is suspecting me, they will naturally pay attention to me."

"So what I need to do is make the Heavenly God Palace's investigation visible to the Moon Washing Sect," Gu Changqing continued, "This is equivalent to the Heavenly God Palace telling the Moon Washing Sect that Tang Jie might be Tang Jie."

Gao Fei added, "Exactly. This way, the Moon Washing Sect will focus on me, but because the Heavenly God Palace is unsure of my identity, the Moon Washing Sect can't be certain either."

Gu Changqing: "So the Moon Washing Sect will keep an eye on me but won't act rashly."

Gao Fei: "But there's still a risk. The Moon Washing Sect might ignore everything and directly capture me to extract the truth through soul-searching. After all, the Moon Washing Academy is under the Moon Washing Sect, and they can capture people more easily than the Heavenly God Palace."

Gu Changqing: "There's no such thing as a risk-free plan. Facing giants like the Heavenly God Palace and the Moon Washing Sect, if you want to snatch the chestnuts from the fire, you must take some risks. Moreover, the Moon Washing Sect is unlikely to do this. First, they can't be sure if I am the person the Heavenly God Palace wants. If they capture the wrong person, it will be a problem. Soul-searching is too severe; it can cripple a person, essentially killing them, and it has limitations, so they might not get the information they want. Second, the Heavenly God Palace is watching. If the Moon Washing Sect gains nothing, it's fine, but if they get something, the Heavenly God Palace won't let go. If the matter is exposed, the Moon Washing Academy's reputation will be ruined for treating their own students cruelly and seeking benefits."

Gao Fei: "A student's life isn't valuable, but the Moon Washing Sect's reputation is. Especially when they are unsure of the person and the benefits, if they mistakenly kill a disciple, it will be even worse."

Gu Changqing: "So if I were Xie Fengtang, I wouldn't use such a simple and brutal method."

Gao Fei: "I would pretend not to know, use gentle means, show kindness, and make them grateful to the Moon Washing Sect. If Tang Jie reveals everything on his own, the Heavenly God Palace can do nothing, and the Moon Washing Sect's reputation remains intact, gaining both fame and profit!"

Gu Changqing: "Even if he doesn't reveal it, we can get closer, gather more information, and a child can be deceived with some effort. If that doesn't work, we can always capture and interrogate him later. Even in the worst case, if Tang Jie isn't Tang Jie, it's just a small favor to a student, a negligible cost. We can advance or retreat as needed, and as long as we have him in our hands, we can handle it."

Gao Fei: "This is like using the Moon Washing Sect to check the Heavenly God Palace and the Heavenly God Palace to check the Moon Washing Sect!"

Gu Changqing: "The clam and the snipe fight, and the fisherman benefits!"

Gao Fei: "That's why Xie Fengtang immediately offered ten bottles of elixirs and a thousand spirit coins after the incident."

Gu Changqing: "This is just the beginning. If Xie Fengtang believes I am likely Tang Jie, if he knows the value of the Military Mirror, and if I perform well..."

Gao Fei: "Even the ninth floor of the Heavenly One Pavilion might be open to me... This kid is ruthless in his calculations!"

At the last sentence, Gao Fei finally stopped imitating Tang Jie. He and Gu Changqing looked at each other and simultaneously drew a cold breath.

The people below were stunned.

Why didn't Gu Changqing think of the Moon Washing Sect? Because he believed that if Tang Jie wanted to hand over the Military Mirror to the Moon Washing Sect, he would have done so long ago, not now.

This mental limitation led him to make a big mistake!

Tang Jie indeed didn't want to hand over the Military Mirror to the Moon Washing Sect, but that didn't mean he didn't want to use the Moon Washing Sect.

The best way to use the Moon Washing Sect wasn't to tell them, "I am the person the Heavenly God Palace wants," but to make the Moon Washing Sect suspect on their own that "I am the person the Heavenly God Palace wants."

These two scenarios might seem similar, but in certain situations, they are vastly different.

Suspicion is just suspicion. Without concrete evidence, without a personal confession, and with only fragmented clues, you can't confirm it!

But he has already started using this process to gain benefits for himself.

Gao Fei murmured, "If this is his plan, this kid's mind is too terrifying. He's only sixteen!"

Gu Changqing snorted, "You forgot that he attracted our attention starting with the name Tang Jie. When he went to the Wei family, he was already called Tang Jie. If he is indeed Tang Jie, this plan probably started before he entered the Wei family."

"What?" Everyone looked at Gu Changqing in shock.

"He was less than thirteen years old that year," Gu Changqing said slowly.

Everyone was speechless.

Actually, this wasn't hard to deduce. Normally, just the shout should have made them suspect something was amiss. Even if they didn't realize Tang Jie was trying to benefit from the situation, they should have at least realized he was using the Moon Washing Sect to protect himself.

But they never expected a minor to come up with such a plan.

This wasn't just about being smart; it was about deeply understanding the world and having a profound insight into society!

Compared to the plan that manipulated them, this insight was even more shocking and unbelievable.

At that moment, they suddenly had a common hope: that this was all just a guess!

Just a guess!

Gao Fei said, "However, such a plan to gain benefits in the gap between two forces has its limits. Once one side loses patience, he will be finished..."

"Exactly, this is playing with fire, and it will eventually burn him," Gu Changqing replied. "So there are only two possibilities for this matter."

"Which two?"

"One, he is not Tang Jie. So far, all he has done is shout 'I am Tang Jie' and report the presence of spies to the academy. From a normal person's perspective, his actions are not wrong, and his reactions are normal. It's just our bad luck and his good luck. So this is just a coincidence, and at his age, he couldn't and shouldn't have come up with such a plan. We are just being paranoid and overthinking it."

"And the second?"

"He is indeed Tang Jie, and all of this is a carefully planned scheme, waiting for us to fall into his trap. If that's the case, we can no longer see him as an inexperienced youth but as a cunning fox, an unprecedented opponent. If he is such an opponent, he can't be unaware of the risks in his plan, so..."

Gu Changqing looked at everyone and said, "He must have a backup plan!"