Qin You frowned and said, "Are you sure the Demon Dao forces in the Ten Thousand Mountains won’t betray us?"

"They won’t," Yang Yuzhi replied, "They can’t possibly be willing to hide in those mountains forever. The second half of the Cyan Gorge Covenant is their opportunity. The so-called Yunxi Righteous Dao Martial World believes their greatest enemy is the Court’s system of conferring titles, but actually, their greatest enemy is the Demon Dao in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Thirty years have been enough to make them let down their guard. After the great battle between Righteous and Demonic, they will gain the autonomy they desire, but they have forgotten human nature. When there is no longer an external enemy to unite against, internal conflict becomes the most terrifying threat.

At that time, civil strife will break out in the Yunxi Martial World—this is Demon Dao’s chance. By then, the Astronomical Bureau will nominally be held in check by Demon Dao, and then Marquis Chengyang’s opportunity will have arrived. Once the Astronomical Bureau is held back, Marquis Liu’s military power will be restrained, and the White Lotus Sect, as his ally, will be supporting him.

Such a splendid, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—how could Marquis Chengyang possibly endure it any longer? His treasonous intentions will certainly be exposed, and then, the net will close, and the Death Trap Plan will be complete."

Qin You took a deep breath and said, "Yuzhi, the Death Trap Plan was initiated by you, so it should also be ended by you."

Yang Yuzhi shook his head, a grimace twisting his features, and said, "Teacher, the first half of the Death Trap Plan has already been set in motion. But... too many have died. The loss of Dragon Pass, three hundred thousand souls wailing in my ear day and night—I truly cannot keep going!"

Qin You reached out and gently patted Yang Yuzhi on the shoulder—the torrent of words clotted in his throat, and at last he only said, "You’ve suffered enough. Your Majesty will not let you down."

Yang Yuzhi sighed and said, "His Majesty is exhausted as well. Since he ascended the throne, he’s had to conceal his true intentions all these years. Alas!"

"So be it,"

Qin You said, "Since you truly do not wish to continue, then let me, as your teacher, bring this last phase to its conclusion."

Having said that, Qin You suddenly asked, "By the way, that Gu Zhan—was he your planted agent?"

Yang Yuzhi shook his head and said, "No. I merely thought the young man quite promising and didn’t want to see his talents wasted, so I showed him a path forward. I truly didn’t expect him to make such a name for himself in Yunxi. Honestly, this took me by surprise. I knew he was gifted, but did not imagine he was so formidable!"

Qin You sighed as well, "Had I known how talented this young man was, I shouldn’t have let him go to Yunxi. I would have risked everything, even my old reputation, to protect him."

Yang Yuzhi smiled faintly, "If you had protected him, the Death Trap Plan might well have been delayed."

"That..." Qin You hesitated, then said, "That’s true. Oh right, I recall you discovered another young man. How is he now?"

Yang Yuzhi replied, "You mean Rong Yichu? Compared to the rapid ascent of Gu Zhan, he can’t quite match up. Still, he’s done well enough. Last winter he arrived in the Capital City and was accepted into Jixia Academy. Beyond that, I’m not too clear, but I imagine he’s doing well."

...

Capital City, outskirts.

As the sun set in the west, twilight shrouded the small town. Deep in a secluded alley stood a quiet little courtyard.

Dusk was settling in; several lanterns were lit in the courtyard.

Rong Yichu sat quietly reading in his study when a guard ran in, cupped his hands, and said, "Sir, Lord Gu is here and waiting in the sitting room."

This guard had originally been a member of the Rong Family in Linjiang City. However, ever since Rong Yichu became Gu Zhan’s protégé, he forbade the Rong Family members from calling him by titles like Young Master or Patriarch. Since he had entered into the Gu Family, he could no longer use independent titles—instead, most of the Rong Family switched to addressing him by his staff officer title, ’Sir.’

Rong Yichu put down his book, rose slowly, and went out. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The ’Lord Gu’ mentioned by the guard was Gu Chuan, formerly a Hundred Households of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Linjiang City, now holding the high position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

When Gu Zhan left Linjiang City, he gave Rong Yichu a letter to deliver to Gu Chuan once he reached the Capital City.

Gu Chuan and Rong Yichu had met in Linjiang City, but weren’t closely acquainted then. After Rong Yichu arrived in the Capital City and Gu Chuan discovered his connection to Gu Zhan, he became much closer to him. Rong Yichu’s rapid establishment in the Capital City was, in fact, largely thanks to Gu Chuan’s help.

When Rong Yichu entered the sitting room, he saw Gu Chuan drinking tea inside. At once he entered, cupping his hands and saying, "Lord Gu."

Gu Chuan set down his teacup, smiling, and said, "Mr. Rong, I’ve recently heard some news about Brother Gu Zhan. I thought you’d surely want to know, so I came today especially to tell you."

Rong Yichu’s eyes lit up and he asked eagerly, "Given my master’s talent and abilities, even in the vast, tumultuous Yunxi Martial World, he must surely have made a name for himself by now!"

Gu Chuan chuckled softly and said, "More than just making a name—he has become a leading figure among the younger generation in Yunxi Land. What’s more, from what I’ve heard, he may even become the successor of the Beidou Bang!"

"Beidou Bang?" Rong Yichu was slightly startled and asked, "Is that not the top sect ruling over the Dao region, famed for claiming it could rival the Court’s one hundred thousand-strong Navy?"

"Exactly," Gu Chuan nodded, "There is only one Beidou Bang in all the land!"

Having spoken, Gu Chuan sighed with emotion, "To be honest, back in Linjiang City, I knew Brother Gu was no ordinary man—one destined for greatness. But never did I imagine his rise would be so swift and astonishing. Even placed in the political mire of the Capital City, he would be courted by all sides. If he were with our Gu Family, he’d be the figurehead of our house."