If one day Mount Shushan truly faced a great crisis...
His junior sister Zhao Lu was now the emperor of Daxia. Although she hadn't fully grasped political power yet, that was only a matter of time.
He himself was the Chief Court Officer and State Preceptor of Great Sui.
The teacher of Great Sui's Emperor Ye Yunzhou.
If he could secretly help Di Nü Feng reclaim Tian Sha Hall...
Then by controlling Di Nü Feng, he could control Tian Sha Hall.
That would add another faction to his influence.
However, after losing their old emperors and Elder Sun respectively...
Especially Daxia, with its damaged Dragon Vein and declining national power...
If Mount Shushan truly faced a crisis, they alone couldn't resolve it.
Li Xuanxiao silently calculated in his heart, wondering how much time the enemy would give him.
If given enough time...
Li Xuanxiao would have opportunity to strengthen both Great Sui and Daxia's factions.
With these thoughts, Li Xuanxiao pulled back his wandering mind.
"Did you hear? Poison Bodhisattva is coming here to recruit followers!"
"Quit bragging. Poison Bodhisattva is one of Tian Sha Hall's Four Guardian Vajras. Why would she come here?"
"Last month I heard Poison Bodhisattva was in Jiangnan. How'd she get here already?"
"What do you know? These cultists always move unpredictably like dragons - appearing then vanishing, afraid of being caught."
Several cultivators eating in the inn were chattering away.
Li Xuanxiao closed the windows and pulled back the gaudily dressed Big Silly Phoenix.
"What? I want to go play outside."
"You can't go out dressed like that."
"I want to dress prettily, what's wrong with that?"
Li Xuanxiao explained: "We're trying to infiltrate, to get close to Poison Bodhisattva and gather information about your vice-leader and more. You'll expose us ."
Di Nü Feng didn't speak, just clenched her small fists, glaring angrily at Li Xuanxiao.
"Look, this skirt's too short, your face too fair, eyes too big—it can't be helped, you're naturally beautiful beyond restraint, drawing stares wherever you go."
"For the greater good, we must endure this temporarily."
Li Xuanxiao felt that compared to dealing with abstract figures like Su Wan and Lin Wanqing, or shrewd people like Liu Qiushui...
Interacting with Di Nü Feng was almost too easy.
"I've gathered information. Though I'm not sure if Poison Bodhisattva will come, Tian Sha Hall is indeed recruiting new believers here."
Actually, normally speaking, for any proper cult leader...
Even if overthrown by a vice-leader...
As long as the leader remained alive, they could pose a massive threat to the entire Tian Sha Hall.
Because the leader knew too much—
Various sect secrets, branch locations, believer lists, spies planted in other sects...
Li Xuanxiao glanced at Di Nü Feng.
The vice-leader probably gambled on Di Nü Feng knowing nothing, or that whatever she knew was false.
After waiting three more days, Li Xuanxiao decided they couldn't just sit idle.
Worried his identity might arouse suspicion...
Since he'd noticed many more cultivators in the city—these cultivators concealed their auras while observing others.
Li Xuanxiao took advantage of the chaotic environment to knock one out and drag him somewhere secluded.
After interrogation, he learned these were Tian Sha Hall's advance scouts, surveying the area.
In a few days, Tian Sha Hall would secretly recruit believers here.
With this confirmed, Li Xuanxiao only needed to wait now.
After a busy day, Li Xuanxiao returned home to find Di Nü Feng sitting in a corner hugging a book, cheeks slightly red.
Seeing Li Xuanxiao return, she deliberately hid the book's title.
Li Xuanxiao ignored her, sitting nearby to cultivate.
Soon, faint sobbing came from the corner.
Li Xuanxiao glanced over to see Di Nü Feng crying quietly while muttering:
"Mmm... so mean! How could you deceive her when she's so pure-hearted!"
That feels like she's referring to me?
Li Xuanxiao pricked up his ears.
At night, while Li Xuanxiao immersed himself in cultivation...
Big Silly Phoenix's voice sounded again.
Li Xuanxiao opened his eyes.
Di Nü Feng spoke softly, with a hint of shyness:
"That... that is... do you know what love is?"
Li Xuanxiao looked surprised, examining Di Nü Feng's tear-streaked face.
She must have just finished some romance novel, crying her eyes out.
"Don't know. I follow the Path of Ruthlessness."
"Then... would you lie to me? Trick me?"
Li Xuanxiao hesitated, meeting Di Nü Feng's gaze.
Her eyes shone with clear stupidity.
It really made one wonder if she shared blood with their master.
"No," Li Xuanxiao said.
Di Nü Feng giggled, "Hehe, I knew you wouldn't lie to me."
"Not that you could fool someone as smart as me anyway."
She tossed aside the novel, pulled up her blanket, and promptly fell asleep.
Li Xuanxiao took a long moment before looking away.
Deceiving an idiot... gave him such profound guilt~
From his earlier interrogation, Li Xuanxiao had learned Tian Sha Hall's branch would come to recruit believers here, and even discovered their temporary location—
So under cover of night, Li Xuanxiao infiltrated the area.
He wanted to gather intelligence first.
The branch's believers had set up camp, with many patrolling about.
Li Xuanxiao altered his appearance to sneak in when suddenly a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Password!!" said a masked man.
Li Xuanxiao turned and slapped him hard, "The boss doesn't need passwords!"
After delivering the slap, he prepared to abandon this disguise.
Unexpectedly, the masked man wordlessly clutched his cheek and walked away looking wronged.
Li Xuanxiao looked puzzled.
Then he saw the masked man encounter patrolling believers who, seeing him masked yet swaggering through camp, demanded:
The masked man coldly snorted and delivered a loud slap in return.
"The boss doesn't need passwords."
The patrollers immediately drew their magical tools while shouting:
The masked man turned back in shock, staring incredulously at Li Xuanxiao.
He'd been tricked!? And took a slap for nothing!
At this moment, Li Xuanxiao recognized him—