In truth, Gui Zong's competitive approach relied heavily on careful strategy. He'd begun investing considerable time and resources investigating potential opponents nearly two months prior to the assembly.His victory over Xue Yu during the initial round had stemmed directly from this meticulous preparation, having successfully bribed one of Xue Yu's close attendants for information.Had he not already known about Xue Yu's signature technique, "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun"—devastatingly powerful yet requiring specific engagement distance—he wouldn't have managed to identify and exploit that particular limitation through careful probing.However, among the twenty-four original candidates, certain competitors had proven genuinely difficult to investigate thoroughly, including Mo Qian, who'd demonstrated great-accomplishment realm mastery, and Yue Feng, his current opponent.Because having only obtained the candidate roster roughly two months before the assembly, gathering meaningful

Just as Yang Zhen turned to leave, Xie Daohan's brow suddenly lifted, as though something had just occurred to him. "Wait a moment!"Yang Zhen's footsteps halted abruptly, uncertain why Xie Daohan had suddenly called him back.Xie Daohan quickly stepped toward his desk, flipping through the documentation until he located a particular entry."Mo Qian, resided in Wutong Lane..."Lifting the document, Xie Daohan looked up at Yang Zhen standing in the doorway. "Yang Zhen, did you once live in Wutong Lane?"Half a year after Yang Zhen had first joined the constabulary, Xie Daohan, impressed by his sharp intelligence, had assigned him to work alongside Xie Lei directly.Yet unexpectedly, within merely two months, Xie Lei had been murdered.Xie Daohan had also frequently brought Yang Zhen along whenever visiting Xie Lei's memorial, and through these numerous conversations, he retained a vague recollection that Yang Zhen had once mentioned living in Wutong Lane himself.Yang Zhen found himsel

The exhausting battle against Tao Rong had genuinely drained him considerably.He slept through the entire night without dreams.Mo Qian woke to a rooster's crowing. Within his chamber, only faint, cold light filtered through the window. Half-rising, he pushed open a corner of the window shutter.That particular cold glow wasn't morning sunlight at all, but rather the pale, chilly moon still hanging low in the western sky.This marked the darkest hour before dawn, and against the crisp, cold air, a solitary bright star hung suspended directly overhead.Feeling he'd rested sufficiently, Mo Qian made his way to the courtyard to wash up.He then returned to his chamber, opened the cabinet beside his bed, and retrieved the statues depicting the Four Great Wisdom Kings stored within.These particular idols had been cleverly concealed within an ordinary landscape scroll. Mo Qian rolled it up carefully, securing it around a wooden mounting shaft, then carried it with him as he left Liulu, st

The middle-aged man appeared momentarily stunned by Mo Qian's blunt threat, his expression freezing before he quickly recovered with forced laughter. "You can trust me completely! I'll treat this fine horse like my own father—fresh forage daily, careful grooming, absolutely nothing shall harm it..."Before the man could finish his effusive assurances, Mo Qian had already turned and walked away, having clearly recognized this fellow's tendency toward empty flattery.Taking just two steps forward, Mo Qian suddenly paused. Beside a fence post stood a rock roughly the size of a human head.Channeling internal energy, Mo Qian crushed the stone into fine powder with a single strike, remarking casually, "This particular stone was rather conspicuously placed here."As the pulverized rock dust scattered on the mountain breeze, drifting across the middle-aged man's stunned face, genuine, unmistakable fear finally registered in his expression for the first time!He understood clearly now—should

Someone this calculating and careful surely wouldn't leave such an obvious vulnerability lying about carelessly.Xie Daohan leapt away, departing the courtyard. His figure blurred like a wild cat as he vanished into Wutong Lane's darkness.Liulu's willow branches had already sprouted fresh buds, swaying gently in the chilly spring night breeze...Suddenly, a figure dropped down from atop the courtyard wall where the willow branches swayed, landing lightly as a great bird!Xie Daohan employed identical methods, thoroughly searching Liulu's interior and grounds.Though the Yuanshun Escort Agency maintained regular night patrols, Xie Daohan, being a genuine true-energy realm master, found evading these guards' notice entirely effortless.Having thoroughly searched Liulu as well, he still uncovered nothing of genuine significance.Xie Daohan's expression turned genuinely grave. Mo Qian had proven considerably more careful than he'd initially anticipated. This particular residence represen