305 Intel
[POV: David_69]
The waves stretched endlessly around them, the sun’s light burning across the sea.
“I want to see your sincerity,” demanded Dave. “Empty words mean nothing to me. Prove to me this offer isn’t just a ploy to turn me against my fellow warlords.”
Yi Qiu did not bristle. Instead, he gave the faintest nod, as if pleased by the demand. “I expected no less from you, Sacred Sword. For someone of your age to rise so quickly among the Union’s ranks is impressive. You deserve the truth, so I will be frank.”
The Martial Alliance Master’s eyes narrowed, their fire reflecting the light of the sun on water. “There are few people I can trust, even within the Alliance. The same is true for the Union. Even my old friend Zi Cheng… I find him suspicious. Do you know what demanded such paranoia of me?”
Dave said nothing, so Yi Qiu continued.
“It is the Heavenly Temple,” Yi Qiu declared. “Tell me, Sacred Sword… How much do you know of them?”
Dave’s expression darkened. “Not enough.”
He had read countless reports, but all were penned by the Temple’s own scholars, polished, and scrubbed of anything incriminating. For such an ancient organization with such a clean history, it was suspicious. In his Lordship’s words, this was what he’d call a thorough censorship.
“Listen well,” continued Yi Qiu. “What I seek to confirm is no matter of personal gain, nor conquest. The Heavenly Temple is hiding something. The Nameless City… What festers within it, those winged-creatures that devour, that corruption none can name. You and I both know it did not arise by chance. Yet the Temple calls it the ‘Great Enemy,’ insisting it must be purged at all costs.”
Dave’s jaw tightened, but he remained silent.
Yi Qiu’s aura surged, the water beneath his feet trembling. “And what of the ‘Outsiders’ they coerce us to slaughter? Realms from beyond descend upon our world once every century now. But ancient records… they tell a different story. Those incursions once spanned thousands, even tens of thousands of years apart. Perhaps even longer.”
He raised his fist and clenched it tight, his voice low, burning. “Why has the time between their arrivals shortened? Why does the Hollowed World grow larger with every descent, swallowing new realms, new continents? The Temple tells us these are invasions. Lies! That is the narrative they sell to the Empire, the Union, even the Martial Alliance. But the truth? They are concealing something. And with the Empire cut off from the coalition of great powers, who says the Union and Alliance won’t be next?”
Yi Qiu leaned forward, his eyes narrowing to slits. “The Empire suffers now because they dared to ask the important questions. What is it that the Heavenly Temple hides from us?”
Dave asked the truly important question. “Why me?”
“Because I know I can trust you,” Yi Qiu said with conviction. “Among the Seven Warlords, you are… new. Untainted by the long web of schemes that bind the others. Moreover…” He tilted his head, red hair shifting in the wind, “You have a vested interest in the Nameless City, don’t you? I can trust you won’t sabotage me.”
Instead of folding immediately, Dave challenged Yi Qiu.
“And what if I had been a member of the Heavenly Temple all along? Planted among the Seven Warlords, given a false rise to power for the sake of infiltrating your ranks? Don’t you find it strange how meteoric my ascent has been? In cultivation. In the forces I command.”
For a moment, the waves stilled, as though awaiting Yi Qiu’s reply.
Then the Martial Alliance Master chuckled. Not mockery, but certainty. “If you were who you claim to be,” Yi Qiu said firmly, “you would not tell me these things. Liars do not build their masks with flaws.”
He stepped closer, his presence pressing like a storm upon Dave, yet without hostility. “I have done my research on you, Lord Mao Xian. Thoroughly. I know you are the disciple of Zai Ai, the Ten Thousand Tools. A defector of the Heavenly Temple. A friend of the Empire.”
Yi Qiu’s voice dropped, deep and resonant. “But to say you are aligned with the Empire would be erroneous. You are a made-man, one who carved his path by his own hand, not another’s. Your interests are your own. That is why I extend my hand to you.”
The sea swelled and fell around them, the weight of choice hanging between their breaths. Yi Qiu’s fist loosened, and once more he extended his hand, palm up. “So,” he asked simply, “do we have an accord?”
Dave did not move to take it. His gaze swept the horizon, the endless line where sea met sky. His voice, when it came, was even, unshaken.
“Not here.”
Back in the Adventurer’s Guild, the sound of faint scratching of quills and the muffled bustle of adventurers moving beyond the walls greeted them. Dave’s office was as orderly as always, save for the presence of his guests.
Zi Cheng lounged in his chair lazily, while Yi Qiu, by contrast, sat straight-backed and dignified.
Dave’s eyes flicked between them before settling on the Sword Sage. “What are you still doing here? Do you have business with me, Sword Sage?”
Zi Cheng clutched his chest dramatically. “So cold… I’m waiting for my payment…”
Before Dave could speak, Yi Qiu reached into his pocket dimension. With deliberate motion, he drew out a sheathed sword and extended it across the table.
Zi Cheng’s entire demeanor shifted. His eyes gleamed with a strange, feverish light as he snatched the weapon. Stroking the sheath like a lover, he murmured, “Ohhh… ohhh… what a fine beauty.”
From his hip, Moonflower trembled violently, its hum rising into a jealous whine. Several decorative vases in the corner shattered under the pressure.
Zi Cheng only laughed, face twisted in perverse delight. “Hah~! That’s what it feels like when you’re salivating over other men! Oh, sorry, sorry, I won’t do it again…”
Without waiting for a reply, he bolted for the door, clutching both swords like stolen brides. His voice echoed down the hall as he cried, “You’re still my number one girl, Moonflower! I swear it! You’ll always be my favorite among my harem of swords!”
Silence followed his exit, broken only by the faint ringing of Moonflower’s protest fading into the distance.
Dave exhaled slowly and turned to Yi Qiu. “Would it be wise, walking around showing your face so openly?”
Yi Qiu lifted his wrist. A simple bronze bangle gleamed there, faint lines of inscription glowing when touched by his aura. “I have this, a glamour of the highest order. It bends sight, and reshapes recognition. To most, I am no one worth noticing.” He studied Dave for a long moment, then added, “But I must say, you have very sharp eyes.”
Dave’s Divine Sense had pierced the veil without effort. There were few things in this world that escaped his perception.
He leaned back in his chair. “Tea?”
Yi Qiu inclined his head. “Please.”
The door creaked open, and Xing Tuzi walked in. Her heels clicked against the polished floorboards, her attire more scandalous than professional. Fishnet hugged her legs, her shoulders bare, her waist exposed. She carried the tray with perfect balance, her bunny ears twitching.
‘Again? Why does she favor so little clothing?’ Dave frowned faintly. ‘Her cultivation protects her, of course… but still, with so much skin exposed, she might catch mosquito bites. The archipelago is dangerous for that.’
Xing Tuzi set the tray down, pouring the tea with languid grace. When she filled Dave’s cup, she leaned closer, winking and licking her lips in a way that could only be described as suggestive. But… none of it registered to Dave.
Instead, Dave just gave her a thumbs-up.
Xing Tuzi pouted, leaving the room.
Yi Qiu blinked, confusion cracking through his normally impenetrable composure. “...Who was that?”
Dave sipped his tea with calm composure. “My secretary.”
Yi Qiu cradled his teacup, his sharp features softening with an uncharacteristic sigh. “I wish I had someone like that. All I’ve got are fussy, virgin old men, constantly nagging me over protocol and propriety.”
Dave arched an eyebrow. “Do you wish for me to draw a contract?”
Yi Qiu shook his head at once. “No. We need to be discreet. Especially me.” His eyes narrowed, his tone lowering to a whisper edged with steel.
Dave set his cup down. “What’s the intel you have on the Nameless City?”
Yi Qiu leaned forward, voice firm. “They’ve set up a base inside the Nameless City. Covertly. Despite the official quarantine on the site. The Union likely doesn’t know. And if they are going to find out, it’s better they learn it from you.”
Dave’s expression remained calm, his tone measured. “We should postpone getting the Union involved. The same goes for the Martial Alliance. We can’t blow this too early. It would be better if we moved smaller pieces across the board, if we want to obtain what we want.”
Yi Qiu tilted his head, studying him. “I agree. But I must say… I am surprised you are not even surprised one bit.”
Dave’s eyes gleamed faintly, though his face was calm as still water. “I guessed. It was a possibility that crossed my mind. But I didn’t think they would go so far as to set up a base inside the Nameless City.” His tone sharpened. “How did they avoid the angels?”
Yi Qiu paused, tapping a finger against his teacup. “Angels? That’s what you call those strange winged creatures?”
“Yes,” Dave said with a small nod. “At least, that’s what we call them here in the Adventurer’s Guild. Why? Is there a different name for them?”
Yi Qiu shook his head slowly. “None that I am aware of. This is the first time we’ve encountered such lifeforms… but the Heavenly Temple does call them angels.”
A silence fell, the word angels hanging around them.
Dave leaned back, diverting the mood with ease. “Regardless… someone has to pay for the vase.”
Yi Qiu faked a cough, setting his cup down with exaggerated care. “Do you accept Spirit Stones?”
Before Dave could reply, the door clicked open and Xing Tuzi hopped in, heels clicking on the floorboards. She was carrying a thin wooden board covered in neatly inked columns. Her bunny ears twitched with energy as she adjusted a pair of rimmed spectacles perched on her nose. She definitely liked her job.
“Ah, perfect timing,” Dave said. “Please, calculate the vase debt.”
Yi Qiu raised an eyebrow, uncertain if he’d misheard.
With the seriousness of a magistrate, Xing Tuzi set her board down and produced a brush. “Let’s see. There were seven vases originally in this room.” She bent at the waist, tapping the broken shards on the floor with the brush’s end. “Two shattered today due to external sword spirit interference… three previously lost during the Sword Sage’s earlier visit, one when Lord Mao Xian tripped over my heels—” she coughed lightly, “—and one from termites, not our fault.”
Yi Qiu blinked, struggling to keep up.
“Now, each vase was imported from the continent of Ruzhou. Rare porcelain, high-grade workmanship, retail value… mm…” She scribbled furiously, her legs crossing and uncrossing as she muttered calculations like a merchant appraiser. “Adjusting for the Union’s tariffs, plus damages for antique categorization—”
“Antique?” Yi Qiu muttered.
“Yes,” Xing Tuzi answered, eyes gleaming with greed. “Because I said so.”
She finished the last line of numbers and snapped the brush down with authority. “Total: seventy-three high-grade Spirit Stones, or equivalent in rare ores. And no, we do not accept coupons.”
Dave nodded sagely. “Seems reasonable.”
Yi Qiu stared at them both, his composure finally cracking. “…Is this extortion or just… inefficiency?”
Xing Tuzi leaned closer, her voice low, almost purring. “It’s policy.”
Dave gave her a thumbs-up again.
Yi Qiu groaned, muttering under his breath, “Fussy old men were better than this… At least, they have dignity.”
“We don’t run a charity here,” said Xing Tuzi cruelly. “Isn’t that right, Guild Master?”
“That’s right.”
Yi Qiu finally parted with his Spirit Stones, his expression strained as though each piece weighed heavier than iron. Xing Tuzi took them with a cheerful smile, carefully noting the payment in her ledger before bowing with exaggerated grace. Her heels clicked as she sauntered out of the office, humming under her breath.
When the door closed, Yi Qiu exhaled, shoulders dropping slightly. “You have a hardworking secretary, Lord Mao Xian. Most would not dare present debts to someone like me.”
Dave allowed himself a small nod. “Xing Tuzi is diligent. She anticipates my every need.”
Yi Qiu tilted his head. “Every need?”
“Yes.” Dave’s voice was calm, as if stating a plain fact. “Her ears are so fine she could hear what we’re speaking of now, even if she were on the next mountain.”
Yi Qiu blinked, his expression unreadable. “And you’re fine with her eavesdropping?”
“I trust Xing Tuzi, ” Dave set his teacup down, his gaze steady. “If you are uncomfortable with it, then we can set up wards.”
“It’s fine,” Yi Qiu faked a cough, covering his mouth with one hand. He leaned back in his chair, his tone shifting to something harder. “Then tell me, Lord Mao Xian… what is your strategy for conquering the Nameless City?”
Dave met his eyes without flinching. His words were measured and deliberate. “I have no intention of conquering the Nameless City.”
Yi Qiu’s brows furrowed slightly, but Dave’s gaze did not waver. “Instead,” he continued, his tone lowering with quiet weight, “there is something… or rather, someone… I wish to save from the Nameless City. A person I cherish.”