One more catty, one more attribute point

Clenching the stack of documents in his hand, Yuan Hong swiftly stood up from his spacious chair. His face was overcast, his brows deeply furrowed as he paced back and forth across the elegantly appointed attic room, exuding an oppressive gloom.

The two maids by his side lowered their heads, deliberately slowing their breathing to barely audible levels.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Fearful of provoking his wrath, and being torn apart and killed on a whim.

"Huff——"

He carefully read through the documents in his hand again, ensuring there were no mistakes.

Finally, Yuan Hong stopped pacing and let out a long sigh, placing the documents back onto the nearby mahogany desk.

He whispered a few words to one of the maids by his side.

The maid nodded.

Walking with small, quick steps, she soon left the room.

Meanwhile, Yuan Hong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window at the uniquely designed and tranquil garden.

It was now late autumn, nearing winter, but the courtyard outside still brimmed with vitality – lush and verdant, flowers blooming, and the chirping of birds could be heard. Yet, this meticulously crafted natural scenery did nothing to soothe the turbulent emotions within Yuan Hong's heart.

Yuan Hong was from the flourishing central plains.

He appeared amiable in his interactions with others but always maintained an aloof detachment.

As a scholarly general, he enjoyed controlling everything in his grasp. Anything that deviated from his expectations inherently displeased or even angered Yuan Hong. The meteoric rise of Su Heng had left an exceedingly unfavorable first impression on him. Stay tuned to empire

In the short term, Su Heng's emergence disrupted the balance.

The chances of the secret sects of Skull Plain and the celestial sects of the families in the Jiang-E region counterbalancing and consuming one another were nearly null. It might even backfire, with the sects and great families possibly uniting more tightly to gather more resources from Skull Plain, strengthening themselves and amassing troops to prepare for an ever-intensifying future conflict.

And in the long term...

The contents recorded in the documents were downright chilling for Yuan Hong.

Under normal circumstances, for someone to cultivate from an ordinary person to the realm of Heavenly Deceit within a hundred years would be considered as an outstanding talent. Basically, only heirs of noble families like Li Lingxiu and Cui Mingri, true disciples of celestial sects, would have such an opportunity.

But in times of chaos...

Destinies converge, and some individuals are favored by fortune.

All sorts of serendipities coupled with unprecedented talents led to unusually rapid cultivation progress.

Take Xu Hanlin, Qin Shunying, and the like for example – they could be regarded as peerless prodigies. And beyond them were figures like the Eight-Armed Dragon King An Shelie and the Barbarian King Talihuitai Sorban, who could pose a substantial threat to the foundations of dynasties, prominent figures of an era. Even a millennium later, their names wouldn't be forgotten; instead, they would become part of the myths, widely known and retold.

But Su Heng was far more terrifying than any mentioned above.

Exceedingly more so.

According to the records, starting as an ordinary person, Su Heng reached the invincible hand within Heavenly Deceit.

The time Su Heng spent was not a hundred years, not even ten years, and he wasn't even one whole year in – still a few months shy. If Yuan Hong did not trust the Yiluan Bureau's impeccable record in intelligence gathering, he would have thought the content in the documents was child's play.

It was simply——

Bang, bang, bang!

A rhythmical knocking sounded from outside.

Yuan Hong's face set, forcibly suppressing the fierce emotions rolling inside him. He coughed twice, speaking calmly, "Come in."

Creak!

The door was pushed open from the outside.

A middle-aged scholar dressed in a black robe with a broad chest stepped inside.

Even with winter close at hand, the man was holding a folding fan, gently wafting it in front of his chest. Upon entering the room and seeing his host, he did not offer greetings but instead directly pulled up a wooden chair and sat down. He then lightly tapped a maid's bottom with the feather fan, signaling her to pour him a cup of tea.

Taking a leisurely sip of the hot tea, the middle-aged man crossed his legs and smiled, asking, "What's the matter that has brought me here this time?"

Though this middle-aged man was so arrogant, there was not a hint of anger on Yuan Hong's face.

Simply because this man was from the Yiluan Bureau of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The Yiluan Bureau was an imperial espionage agency granted by royal authority, responsible for monitoring officials and gathering intelligence, with the power to execute on the spot when necessary. Throughout hundreds of years since its establishment, it has recruited an array of talents; within its ranks were countless formidable figures, and many lawless masters have fallen prematurely to their hands.

For this very reason,

Even if Yuan Hong held a higher official position publicly, when dealing with this middle-aged man, his demeanor was most respectful. Not to mention that he was the one seeking favors this time. The middle-aged scholar was named Song Pingzhang. Yuan Hong clasped his hands together and bowed slightly, speaking, "Master Song, this relates to a recent incident on the front lines as well as some materials collected from various channels."

Yuan Hong then pushed the stack of documents at the corner of the desk toward Song Pingzhang.

Song Pingzhang took them, glancing through them casually.

"This fellow is likely possessed by some demon, a rare occurrence indeed, though not unprecedented in the millennium history of the Great Zhou," Song Pingzhang raised his eyebrows, placing the materials back down with the same indifferent expression, "So, what are you planning to do?"

"Given the gravity of this matter, I hope Master Song can use the Qi Observation Skill to help me discern the truth," Yuan Hong said earnestly.

"It's not that it can't be done, but I am a person..."

"As for the compensation, naturally it won't be less than what you deserve, sir," Yuan Hong hurriedly said. He glanced subtly, and a maid beside him passed a long list over. Song Pingzhang's gaze swept over the list, and his face couldn't help but reveal a satisfied expression.

Although Yuan Hong is a bit of a brute, he is straightforward to cooperate with, which I like," Song Pingzhang said as he took the list with a hearty laugh.

Yuan Hong cursed in his heart, yet his face remained plastered with a smile, "This is his date and time of birth, as well as his personal belongings."

One could easily find Su Heng's date and time of birth from the Baihua County records.

As for the personal belongings, they were the torn clothes left on the battlefield when Black Sha Bodhisattva was killed. They were taken and archived by the Yiluan Bureau, and unexpectedly, they proved useful now. Taking money to do things, eliminating disasters for others. Although Song Pingzhang is known to be greedy and arrogant, there's nothing to be said about his abilities and work attitude.

This was also the reason why, despite disliking Song Pingzhang, Yuan Hong still intentionally maintained a relationship with him.

First, his gaze swept over the booklet recording the date and time of birth; then Song Pingzhang reached out and held the dusty piece of cloth in his hands. His lips moved up and down, silently chanting the incantation. A spark of intense light appeared in his eyes, growing hotter and hotter until, along with a twitching of Song Pingzhang's body, a pale and bright beam of light shot into the sky and disappeared.

Seeing Song Pingzhang lying limply in his chair, unconscious, Yuan Hong knew that he had entered a state of spiritual projection, his soul wandering to the ends of the earth.

Meanwhile—

Song Pingzhang's vision kept rising, soaring above the clouds, merging with the galloping cloud mists, looking down on the entire world. Thin beams of light, as minute as ox hair, lit up in the city. Most people's destinies seemed dim and unremarkable.

And for the few whose fates shone with colored light, they were considered extraordinary, blessed with good fortune. Most of these people were local tycoons, officials, and the like.

As for martial artists...

Their fates were often even more astonishing. Sometimes they could manifest various phenomena, gathering winds and clouds, altering the local weather, clearly visible even from dozens of kilometers away, a spectacular sight. Sometimes, even a mere glance, if cultivation was insufficient, could result in injury and reduced longevity.

But such events only happened in a blessed land like the Central Region, brimming with exceptional talents.

In a rugged, bitterly cold place like the seven states of Jiang and E, such individuals were rare to see.

Therefore, Song Pingzhang was less concerned, boldly casting his gaze over that direction. He muttered Su Heng's birth details to himself, determining the direction. Qimu State and the Fiery Sun Sect's North E State were neighboring states, not far apart.

Gliding over mountains and rivers took but a moment.

Song Pingzhang, while in spiritual projection, soon saw the figures of Su Heng and Qin Shunying from afar.

He first heard a crisp and piercing call, resonating like striking metal. Then he saw a surge of red firelight reaching for the sky, gathering wind and clouds, illuminating for dozens of miles. The whole sky was turned a fiery red, brilliantly shining. One could even make out a phoenix flapping its wings, soaring in the sky, stirring up the clouds in all directions, quite magnificent.

"The phoenix flies and the phoenix dances, all the birds pay homage!" Song Pingzhang's mouth gaped open, his expression somewhat shocked, "This is a top-tier fortunate destiny, and it even has a touch of nobility; she could easily be a match for a prince as a consort."

His gaze fell on Qin Shunying's face, and he couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration, "The lady has a graceful figure, and her face is brimming with heroic spirit, truly rare to find."

Coming out this time, he didn't expect to have accidental gains.

Selling this information to some of the big families in the Central Region, or revealing it to a prince, would bring a considerable amount of resources to him later.

Thinking this, Song Pingzhang's mood suddenly became very good. As for whether it would come to fruition or not, he didn't bother considering.

After all, in his view, for a barbaric and remote area like Jiang and E, it would be a stroke of luck if the big families of the Central Region showed interest. It was a fortune as good as smoke rising from ancestral graves; they wouldn't refuse. Moreover, they could apply pressure through their sect elders, with so many methods at their disposal.

Unfortunately for Song Pingzhang, his good mood did not last long.

As his gaze moved away from Qin Shunying and onto Su Heng's face, the previously joyful Song Pingzhang's brow suddenly furrowed.

"This man has a strong build, but his features are plain, and the aura around him is unimpressive," Song Pingzhang shook his head, clicking his tongue. Su Heng did have some signs of abnormality around him, but they were weak. And they were overshadowed by the astonishing phoenix phenomenon surrounding Qin Shunying, making him seem like an ordinary person.

The two stood together.

In his view, it was like a flower stuck in cow dung.

Yet Su Heng wore a cold face, while Qin Shunying had a smile, keeping the conversation going to prevent the atmosphere from becoming too awkward. Surrounded by a beauty, Su Heng only occasionally nodded, responding casually only when the topic interested him.

"This young man, what a waste of a fine jewel in dust..." Song Pingzhang didn't know their relationship, but still felt a wave of discomfort inside. After all, he was planning to sell information about Qin Shunying, and naturally didn't want her to have too intimate an interaction with another man before that, lest it ruin his own reputation.

With this thought, Song Pingzhang was about to leave and act quickly.

But at that moment, a thought struck him.

"After all, I've taken a lot of money from that scoundrel Yuan Hong, it seems a bit improper to handle the task so casually," Song Pingzhang thought for a while, gritted his teeth, "Well then, I shall cast the secret technique, and see what secrets this brute is hiding."

"Though there is a certain risk, in such a wilderness—"

"Nothing will happen!"

Confident in his exceptional cultivation, Song Pingzhang made his decision without hesitation, his body turned into a wisp of light, rushing towards Su Heng's crown...

...

At the same time.

In Qimu State, at the General's residence,

Yuan Hong was pacing back and forth with his head bowed, anxiously awaiting news.

He heard a sound coming from behind and with a snap, he crushed the floorboards underfoot.

Yuan Hong turned around abruptly, his face showing surprise, to see Song Pingzhang, who had been lying on the long chair like a fish out of water, suddenly leaping up high, opening his mouth and spewing out a mouthful of old blood.