The person hidden within Zhou Yuan's manor was Zuo Mingqiu.
Upon seeing the familiar face, Zhou Wuji's anger and shock were palpable, his heavy, turbid aura crashing against Zuo Mingqiu like a rogue wave.
Zuo Mingqiu swayed slightly but did not retreat a single step.
Though Zhou Wuji was a Fourth Realm cultivator, he was not enough to make Zuo Mingqiu fearful, and with so many people present, he would not dare to make a move.
"Are you enraged beyond reason?" Zuo Mingqiu taunted softly.
Zhou Wuji met his gaze, grinding his molars, his eyes blazing with shock and fury. The undisguised, turbid killing intent caused Tan Yongzhi, standing behind him, to frown deeply.
A spy from Great Xia, Zuo Mingqiu?
The Minister of Rites of the Great Zhou Dynasty regarded Zuo Mingqiu with his old, steady, and powerful gaze. This gaze, sharp as a falcon's and solid as a mountain, seemed capable of piercing Zuo Mingqiu's very soul.
Zuo Mingqiu then silently took half a step back and averted his head.
Seeing this, Tan Yongzhi remained silent.
He did not believe Zuo Mingqiu was a spy for Great Xia, as Zuo Mingqiu had no reason to defect. The events at Tianshi Mountain some days prior were widely known, and as a high official of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he was privy to more information than ordinary people.
That day must have been deeply humiliating for Zuo Mingqiu. He would undoubtedly seek an opportunity to reclaim his position, and to oppose the entire Baiyun Daoist Temple, he would need external help. Thus, Zuo Mingqiu defected to Great Xia?
Tan Yongzhi shook his head slightly. He reasoned that if Zuo Mingqiu were to seek external forces to reclaim Tianshi Mountain, his first choice should have been the Great Zhou Dynasty itself.
He recalled the first time he met Zuo Mingqiu many years ago, during the autumn hunt. True Master Bixu had brought Zuo Mingqiu to the imperial palace to pay respects to Emperor Zhou, introducing him as the most talented genius of their generation in the Daoist sect, one who rivaled the Dao Ancestor himself.
Later, during the autumn hunt, Zuo Mingqiu, in the presence of Emperor Zhou, had swept aside all the top prodigies of the Great Zhou Dynasty, including his own nephew, who was rumored to possess divine strength from birth.
On that occasion, the younger generation of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty had been rendered breathless by Zuo Mingqiu alone. After the autumn hunt, Zuo Mingqiu had also debated with various prodigies in the imperial city for three days, suffering no defeats. It was then that his title, "First Jun of the Nine Heavens," had spread throughout the realm.
Given such an individual, how could they dare to dismiss the Xuan Ranking of their Great Zhou Dynasty as trash?
If Zuo Mingqiu were a spy for Great Xia, it would be even more impossible. The man already possessed considerable reputation and prestige within the Great Zhou Dynasty, so much so that he could establish his own sect. Countless people were willing to follow him wholeheartedly, and any major power would have treated him as an honored guest.
Only a family as influential as Baiyun Daoist Temple would not care about losing one person. Yet, even so, why would he choose to be a spy for Great Xia?
Tan Yongzhi could not fathom it and thus directly asked, "Why are you here?"
Zuo Mingqiu replied, "Because Zhou Yuan and I are friends."
Tan Yongzhi frowned and asked, "Just friends?"
Zhou Yuan cast a calm glance at Zuo Mingqiu.
Zhou Wuji also became inexplicably tense.
Zuo Mingqiu said silently, "I have nowhere else to go. Perhaps I will reside here for a considerable time from now on."
Tan Yongzhi looked at him deeply and said, "With your talent, you could find many places to stay. There's no need to trouble the Third Prince."
Zhou Yuan frowned and stepped forward to interrupt, "Minister Tan, where my friend wishes to stay seems to have nothing to do with you."
Tan Yongzhi's gaze was calm. "If he merely wishes to stay here, then it is indeed none of my concern. But if he intends to use the power of our Great Zhou Dynasty to oppose Baiyun Daoist Temple, then it very much concerns me!"
"Rest assured, I will reclaim the position of Tianshi with my own strength," Zuo Mingqiu stated calmly, looking at Tan Yongzhi. "I am merely staying here, and incidentally, assisting him with certain matters as compensation."
Tan Yongzhi fell silent, observing Zuo Mingqiu deeply, then glancing at Zhou Wuji before sighing heavily.
Zhou Wuji immediately became nervous, his face paling, his mind a complete muddle. He didn't know what to say.
After all his efforts, and with the entire court playing along, the result was that the person exposed was Zhou Yuan's fiancée, and the other was Zuo Mingqiu, a former Daoist disciple of Tianshi Mountain. Neither of these individuals could possibly be spies from the Demon Extermination Division!
Such a mistake might be overlooked in ordinary circumstances; a wrong arrest could be rectified by release. But he had staged such a grand scene today, with the entire court present, even disregarding the Emperor's authority to forcibly enter Zhou Yuan's manor. Yet, he had found nothing. What was he to do now?
"Brother, don't you have anything to say?"
Zhou Yuan spoke softly, taking a step forward. His noble and handsome face was devoid of expression. The gentle breeze from his sleeves felt like biting northern ice blades, striking Zhou Wuji with a chilling crack, causing his lips to turn pale and stiff, and his turbid killing intent to dissipate entirely.
The offensive he had launched had been countered by Zhou Yuan, one by one.
And now, it was Zhou Yuan's turn.
Zhou Wuji remained silent, only lifting his head. Their eyes met at an extremely close distance.
A slight smile played on Zhou Yuan's handsome and noble face. He leaned in and whispered, "The blacksmith on Thirteenth Street, the teahouse on Eighteenth Alley. Tell me, if I were to reveal all your secrets in front of the assembled officials, coupled with today's blunder, how would they and Father look at you?"
Zhou Yuan's voice carried a hint of mockery. Whether it was the blacksmith or the teahouse, if exploited correctly, either could cripple Zhou Wuji. He had previously played both of these trump cards, hoping to buy Zhou Wuji's retreat, but Zhou Wuji had then regaled him with a story about the Three Kingdoms.
If he were the Duke of Chu, he would have annihilated Sui An at any cost. But if the Duke of Chu, after suffering grievous wounds, still failed to annihilate Sui An, what should he do? Or rather, what would Sui An do at this point?
Zhou Wuji's lips twitched. He struggled to suppress the anger and fear in his heart, his eyes dark and trembling as he stared at Zhou Yuan and said, "Fourth Brother has his maternal family. He can uncover things that you cannot!"
"If you speak today, all the credit will go to him, and those ministers will value him even more. No one will care about you!"
"I won't gain any benefits, but it's better than losing both your arms," Zhou Yuan said with a slight smile, his gaze aggressively fixed on Zhou Wuji's eyes. "I didn't come here to chat. Have you decided on a price, Brother?"
"You!" Zhou Wuji stared intently at Zhou Yuan, whose gaze sent a chill through his entire body.
In twenty years, this was the first time he had felt fear towards Zhou Yuan. Even a few days prior, when Zhou Yuan had bested the man from the military department in the Crown Prince's courtyard and produced the patchwork robe, he hadn't felt Zhou Yuan was truly terrifying, merely wary. But now, he was afraid.
Zhou Wuji's nose twitched slightly. Wrinkles appeared on his rough skin, and his face turned somewhat pale. He slowly turned his head to look at the officials behind him.
Today, he had lost. He had lost completely.
Not only had he failed to capture the spies, but just moments ago, when Zhou Yuan had approached him to negotiate a price, he had suddenly realized Zhou Yuan's true terrifying nature.
With the entire court present, Zhou Yuan could have seized the opportunity to strike him down, proposing unfavorable terms. Even if the evidence wasn't entirely complete, the officials would have believed him and used their power to investigate privately, bringing him endless trouble, much like he had brought soldiers to search Zhou Yuan's manor today.
These high-ranking court officials were a sharp sword, but also a double-edged sword. Who they would ultimately wound depended on who between them could wield it more firmly.
When Zhou Wuji wielded the sword, he had charged headlong, intent on annihilation. But when Zhou Yuan held the sword, he hadn't rushed to further his advantage; instead, he had spoken of a price!
Zhou Wuji took a deep breath, gazing at Zhou Yuan and saying with profound sincerity, "You are very patient, much like the Duke of Chu back then. You know how to advance step by step and maximize your interests."
"So I have become the Duke of Chu again? Elder Brother, you are truly fickle," Zhou Yuan replied with a faint smile.
"If you are unsure of what price to offer, then I shall offer it for you."
"That blacksmith shop must be shut down, and you can deal with the people inside as you please. We shall compete by our own means, but you must hand over the movements of other escapees from the Weaving Sky Pavilion to me."
"To trade a half-collapsed Weaving Sky Pavilion for the teahouse on Eighteenth Alley, the Rain Room in Yuhou Pond, and your aunt's book house—this deal, Brother, are you going to make it or not?"
Zhou Wuji swallowed with difficulty, caught in intense internal struggle.
The Weaving Sky Pavilion was his creation, its importance to him was immeasurable. But after today, he knew the Weaving Sky Pavilion could no longer serve its purpose in the martial world, as it had been completely exposed to the imperial court's scrutiny.
The remaining personnel could only flee and hide, and it was uncertain when they could regroup. Without the assistance of that book house, the Rain Room, and the teahouse, he might never reach that day!
Selling the Weaving Sky Pavilion to allow Zhou Yuan to claim credit, while preserving the rest, was akin to a desperate measure of severing a limb. Therefore, he had to make this deal. Otherwise, if Zhou Yuan were to release all that evidence, the Fourth Prince would undoubtedly send people to investigate, and while Zhou Yuan might not benefit, his own losses would be even greater.
"If the Weaving Sky Pavilion is gone, I still have others. But if they are all gone, then I truly will only have the military department left!"
Zhou Wuji sighed heavily in his heart. Then, with a hint of exhaustion, he waved his hand, about to speak, when he heard the urgent sound of horses' hooves from a street not far away. Immediately, a young man in luxurious robes pushed through the crowd and ran towards them with a look of anxious surprise.
"It's him."
Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed. The approaching person was his younger brother, the seventh prince, born of a concubine, who had always followed Zhou Wuji.
Why had he come here?
Upon seeing the newcomer, Zhou Wuji swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and stood straighter, his weakened body seemingly infused with energy.
"Good... good news!"
The seventh prince ran, panting, looking at Zhou Wuji. From a distance, he began to shout, "Those two spies from Great Xia have been captured. They are being escorted to the palace now. His Majesty will personally interrogate them!"