https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1020-Suspicion-and-Preemptive-Measures/13110031/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1022-Unbinding-and-Seizing-the-Initiative/13110033/
Chapter 1021: Observing the Four Directions
Chapter 1021: Observing the Four Directions
Up close, Jiaoshan appeared as a grayish-black crater-like mountain, but it was enormous, with its peak almost reaching into the clouds.
In reality, the entire mountain was not as smooth as it seemed from the outside. The surface was riddled with pits and caves, and inside were natural crevices and numerous tunnels dug out by humans.
The inhabitants of Jiaoshan relied on these places to establish small villages. From the outside, it looked like one entity, but in reality, due to resource scarcity, there were deep conflicts between the villages. They only united when facing outsiders.
The locals here made a living by trading various bizarre items buried deep beneath Jiaoshan, and no one knew where these items came from. Still, it seemed like they would never run out.
The water and soil here were heavily polluted, and this had been the case since historical records began. Yet, even so, from the old era onwards, many commoners who evaded harsh taxes and labor duties hid here.
As Ren Xiaotian drove his off-road vehicle closer, he suddenly encountered a larger bump. The terrain here was rugged, and bumps were normal, but at that moment, he felt something. He stopped the car.
He put on a mask and scarf, opened the car door, and stepped out, facing the howling wind. He took out a gas lamp and shook it a few times. After a while, a person wrapped in a bundle, with only their eyes exposed, crawled out from a nearby pit.
The person glanced at him, "Have you been here before?"
Ren Xiaotian didn't speak but handed him a stack of trade vouchers, the common currency in Jiaoshan.
Even in the strong wind, the person reached out and grabbed it, quickly stuffing it into his pocket. "What kind of goods do you want?"
Ren Xiaotian replied simply, "Red cargo."
Upon hearing this, the person understood that although Jiaoshan seemed closed off, many items were still being collected by someone. Some items even attracted buyers from the central city. Red cargo was considered relatively valuable here.
He looked at the car, "Is there another person?" After receiving an affirmative answer, he said, "Follow the indicated direction." He lit a homemade torch and waved it outside, and a torch was waved back from the other side.
Ren Xiaotian had been here many times and knew the rules. He followed the directions and drove uphill, eventually arriving at a village.
Lu Ke didn't take him to his own village, but they had to enter Jiaoshan first. If he was alone, it would be fine, but if he brought someone for trading, the villagers might detain him to prevent their business from being snatched.
After reaching a village, they had to get out of the car because the ground was full of traps and pits. Without a local guide, outsiders couldn't move an inch.
After entering the village, Ren Xiaotian followed the rules and connected with the local trader, who nodded in agreement. He looked around and saw scattered villagers standing at a distance, each with fierce eyes, holding either bows and arrows, homemade rifles, or modified slingshots.
The trader eyed him suspiciously, but upon seeing that Ren Xiaotian and Lu Ke didn't have implants, he couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. He asked about the quantity of goods they wanted, and upon hearing the number, his spirits lifted. He invited them to a more sheltered spot.
Then, he brought out a basket filled with rubble-like objects attached to red lines. The trader stared at him intently and asked, "It's been many days since someone came to collect these. Can you take them all?"
After being reminded by Chen Chuan, Ren Xiaotian had not come into contact with such objects again. But this time, as these items gathered together, he even felt a stinging sensation on his skin. However, these people were carefree, seemingly unbothered. Fortunately, this time, he and Lu Ke had taken medicine beforehand, so they had some resistance.
He asked, "Is this all?"
"Do you want a lot?"
The trader's eyes showed a mix of alertness, surprise, and delight.
Ren Xiaotian then snapped his fingers, producing a gold bill and gesturing to him, "Take as much as you can."
The trader's eyes lit up, "An unnamed gold bill from the Wan Sheng Group?"
Although Jiaoshan was isolated, it wasn't impossible to leave. Anyone holding an unnamed bill from the Wan Sheng Group could cash it in the city, where there were people specifically assigned to help them exchange money. Although they had to pay a considerable fee each time, what choice did they have? They were from Jiaoshan, after all.
At this moment, everyone's eyes were filled with greed as they stared at the gold bill, then shifted to Lu Ke and Ren Xiaotian. Their breathing quickened. Since he had taken out one bill, there must be more. The villagers behind them slowly raised their guns and bows.
Lu Ke opened his windbreaker, revealing a row of explosives tied around his waist. "Don't get any ideas. This gold bill is a designated withdrawal slip. It's only valid with my brother Ren's signature. Even if you take it, it's useless."
"Without everyone's signatures, these are just scraps of paper."
Hearing this, the trader immediately became very disappointed. He glanced at Lu Ke, "From your accent, you're from the east side?" After receiving an affirmative reply, he waved his hand indifferently, saying, "We don't have any more here. Take your goods and trade elsewhere."
With a local guide, his tricks were useless, and the two people across from him looked like tough characters. There was no point in staying longer if he couldn't earn more.
Ren Xiaotian tossed the gold bill to Lu Ke, who stepped forward and hoisted the basket onto his back, then said, "Brother Ren, follow me. I know the way from here."
Ren Xiaotian nodded.
His task this time was to bury some secret instruments at designated locations and then remain there to observe the subsequent reactions.
These instruments were provided by the Secret Teachings Review Bureau, and if the old imperial house's secret repository was here, regardless of whether it was missing half of the lock keys or not, the moment it was opened, it would undoubtedly trigger a secret ritual. The buried instruments, once activated by this stimulus, would emit a sound due to ritual resonance, allowing them to discover it immediately and send a telegram to notify others.
After leaving this place, they went to two more villages, and through the verification of the boundary tokens, they quickly located the first burial site. They carefully removed a cylindrical object resembling ceramic and buried it vertically according to the instructions in the manual.
As there were no signs of human activity nearby, the entire process went smoothly. After finishing, Lu Ke asked, "Big Brother Ren, is this it?"
Ren Xiaotian glanced at the sky and replied concisely, "Dawn is approaching. Let's find a place to stay first, and then head to the next location."
"Alright."
Half an hour later, the sun rose from the horizon, shining upon the earth. Both Yangzhi City and Jiaoshan were bathed in golden light.
On the other side, at the old mansion in Yangzhi City, Chen Chuan stood at the door, gazing in the direction of Jiaoshan. At this moment, Brother Ren should have arrived there. If the ritual instruments could be successfully placed, they could ensure surveillance for at least the next ten days.
In the absence of certainty about the existence of a rift there, this was the most cost-effective and convenient method.
Currently, the focus was still on the Three Mountains area. The Government Hall was expediting the connection with the Yangzhi domain, and the synthesis of the main facilities and roads within the domain had already begun.
Within the next five days, at the latest, the Horizon Domain would encompass this entire area, ensuring that any rifts would be detected immediately.
He turned and went inside to brew a cup of tea, then brought over a comfortable chair and sat down, slowly sipping his tea while flipping through the Expanse Gazetteer. Chao Ming snuggled up next to him.
Although the old imperial house might have a major operation this time, he felt no tension at all, and instead, he was very calm. With his increased strength, he naturally had the confidence to deal with any unexpected situations.
He spent the time reading until around nine o'clock, then closed the book, packed up his things, and left the old mansion on foot. He arrived at a gas station outside, where an extended armored vehicle was already parked.
After he stopped, the door opened from the inside, and the attendant saluted him. He nodded and got in.
The telegraph operator in the front seat said, "Director Chen, we have received a message from the Central City. After ten o'clock, the National Highway domain station will be the first to connect to the Horizon."
Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Let's go there and wait."
"Yes, sir!"
The armored vehicle left and arrived at the National Highway in the eastern section of Yangzhi City after half an hour. From here, they could reach Yuanwang Port. The vehicle stopped at the checkpoint.
Chen Chuan sat quietly in the back seat, waiting. Around ten o'clock, a hissing sound suddenly entered his ear through the boundary token, gradually becoming clearer. He heard some notification messages from the signal station in the Central City.
He nodded. The progress seemed to be going well, and it appeared that the signal could be stabilized within two to three days.
This meant that he would immediately know about any issues that arose in any area covered by the domain, and with his speed, he could rush there in a short time.
However, the smooth deployment of signals in the Three Mountains area, without encountering any of the anticipated disruptions, suggested either that they had overthought the situation or that the secret repository might not be there.
To be honest, he would rather believe that they had overreacted, as it was better to proactively fill in gaps than to have others find them.
If the secret repository was not actually there...
As he was thinking, a signal suddenly entered his ear. He took a look and, feeling a stir in his heart, connected to it.
"Old Feng?"
Old Feng's voice sounded, "Director Chen, it's me. According to the requirements of the Government Hall, we have obtained some information from the headquarters.
According to the analysis of the consciousness cluster in the analysis department, there have indeed been some unusual movements in the upper echelon of the old imperial house's military forces over the past year. Although they had hidden it well, yesterday's coordinated feint attack on the Southern Mountain Road garrison exposed some flaws.
It can now be confirmed that several high-ranking generals of the old imperial house returned to the capital to report recently, but one of them is highly likely to be a body double, and we are still verifying this."
"Who is this person? What is their position?"
Old Feng said, "One of the four generals of the old imperial house, the Eastern Expeditionary General, Su Guo."
After hearing this, Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly. He said, "Old Feng, thank you. This intelligence is very important."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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