The Mole is revealed

Gang Hai had just finished eating the buns, patted his belly which was filled, "It's been a while since I have been this full." Gang Hai sat on one of the chairs in the meeting room, "Should we go now?" Everyone nodded as they walked out of the Imperial Palace. Everyone rode on the horse except Jingyi who was the only female in the team, their destination was the private residence that they all worked hard to put together which was located in a quiet street where there were very few houses nearby. At they arrived at the residence they notice an array has been placed on a house that was also on the same street, which Jingyi and Xiao Lu recognised,

Xiao Lu attended to Jingyi and helped her down the carriage, "Young Miss, isn't this where Fangsu lives?" Pointing at the big residence with the Chen family plate which was a far distance away from their residence. Jingyi was surprised and nodded, confirming Xiao Lu's statement.

"Fangsu? You're friend?" Yi Fang questioned looked at the Chen residence, looking at the invisible array that would be noticed by normal civilians but too high ranking cultivator they were able to see the slight outline of the array, "Judging from what I can see, this array must have been extremely difficult to set up especially since that there are very few array masters." Yi Fang stared the array in wonder, learning the art of array setup is difficult and often many can't even learn it because the teaching methods have disappeared in time.

Yi Fang walked to the front of the Chen residence to look at the array in closer inspection, but before he could touch it. Jingyi shook in fear her brother would be incapacitated because of Fangsu's previous warning, "Ge! Don't!" Grabbing his hand, Jingyi pulled him away from the array.

Yi Fang was shocked to be stopped by Jingyi, "Jingyi what's wrong?" as Yi Fang was being pulled away from the perimeter array to a safer distance.

Jingyi glared at him, "Are you trying to scare me to death?" Jingyi fumes angrily at her brother who was able to get into serious danger, " You could have gotten hurt really bad!" Slapping her brother arm which causes Yi Fang to wince in pain. Xiao Lu pushed the rest of the oblivious masters away from the array in an attempt to protect them from the dangerous array which confused the men.

Yi Fangs rubbed the sore area where Jingyi slapped him, "What's wrong with the array?" Confused with Jingyi's anger so he questioned her.

Jingyi sighed heavily as she pinched the area between her eyebrows, "Fangsu said that the array is able to incapacitate anyone without Chen's family blood or jade." Jingyi took a stick from the ground and threw it at the array but as soon as it came into contact with each other it completely shatter into a piece. It frightened the guys at the extent of damage that could have occurred if Yi Fang had carelessly touched the array, "Anyway, let's continue with work." Jingyi entered the residence which was extremely well furnished despite its plain exterior.

Everyone was working on the plans to recruit new people with talents, but many of them were low profile and were extremely well hidden. Jingyi held a stack of a profile of a variety of talents that they could recruit to help serve their cause, handing them to Li Qiang to decide to either pursue them or not. The most prominent candidate that was on the top of the list with excellent credentials, connections, business sense, martial art skills and high cultivation. It was Wen Cheng. However, to pull Wen Cheng to their side would be a difficult obstacle, that person was obsessed with profits and benefits; willing to switch sides and a crafty individual. Li Qiang took out Wen Cheng profile, nodding to Jingyi.

Jingyi clapped her hands, which caused everyone to cease their work, "Break Time!" Everyone went to stretch out their muscles or grab food from the vendors in the market place.

——-

Xiao Lu waited for everyone to clear out of the room before she starts to rummage through the paperwork concerning the candidates and future plans to ensure the Crown Prince's succession to the throne. Bringing out a piece of paper, Xiao Lu wrote information that could help her employer. A swift bird landed on the windowsill, which Xiao Lu tied the information the swift bird leg before sending it off. But before the bird could fly off to its destination, it was shot down. Xiao Lu immediately knew that she was in danger, so she vaulted out the window before she was captured but as soon as she landed onto the ground. The ghost pillars that donned mask that was half blacked and white, had already surrounded her.

"Xiao Lu... Why?" Jingyi came out, revealing that they had already set this trap in order to capture the spy. Jingyi felt that the years that they had spent together had all been for naught, all the promises they made together seem like nothing to Xiao Lu.

Xiao Lu backs up to find that all the exit paths had been closed off. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, "I don't think I will be needing this disguise anymore, " Xiao Lu's body dropped to the ground and a spirit came out from the little girl body revealing a grown-up woman with a luscious figure that could sway any man's heart. It was a high tier spirit almost breaking through to the rank of supreme-low tier spirit, "If it wasn't for the fact that I would be rewarded a supreme rank spirit soul I won't have to possess such a weak body." The woman jumped to the roof before inspecting the conditions of her unusually long nails that were to a sharp point, enough to cut skin.

Jingyi ran to Xiao Lu's fallen body, shaking it as she tried to wake Xiao Lu up. "Xiao Lu! Xiao Lu! Wake up!" Jingyi kept trying to shake Xiao Lu up.

"Don't bother, she's already dead." The woman continued to lazily lay on the roof as if there was no care in the world. "She provided as a good vessel but ultimately she wasn't compatible with me." The woman stared at Jingyi with a hint of sorrow, who possessed a strong foundation that only a noble could inherit with a rare element. She waved before disappearing, dissolving into white smoke.

Jingyi held onto Xiao Lu's body which was now turning cold, holding onto the stiff corpse. Tears fell down her face as she screamed. Yi Fang patted Jingyi's head before taking away Xiao Lu's body to bury it in the. Yi Fang nudged Lan He who was hesitant to comfort Jingyi. Lan He comforted Jingyi by hugging her, patting her back, wiping her tears and feeding her favourite snacks.

Yi Fang used qigong, rushing over to the hillside in the open field outside the capital to bury Xiao Lu, "I hope you can return to the afterlife and reincarnate into a longer and happier life," Yi Fang places his hand together praying for Xiao Lu's safe journey into the afterlife, "I'm grateful for you caring for my sister." Yi Fang kowtowed three-time, a sign for deep respect, towards Xiao Lu's grave.

As Yi Fang returned to the group they were in a quiet sombre due to the passing of Xiao Lu, "I'm sorry, Jingyi but we need to know when Xiao Lu was possessed," Yi Fang crouched to Jingyi level, looking at her red eyes as this remind Yi Fang of Jingyi's time during her studying years in the academy.

Jingyi blew into her handkerchief, "I'm not too sure when it happened," Wiping the tears away using her sleeves.

Yi Fang held onto Jingyi's hands, "We need to know when that spirit possess Xiao Lu's body so we can create a countermeasure if we go up against her again." Yi Fang massages his neck as he turned bobbed his head to relieve himself from the aching muscles in his neck.

Jingyi closed her eyes, trying to think of the time when Xiao Lu had changed, "Ge! It was the time when Xiao Lu went to visit her family! About a year ago!" That time Xiao Lu returned from her trip. Her personality slowly morphed from being a meek person unable to stand up for herself to a more protective and loyal servant worthy to serve the youngest daughter of the general's manor. Jingyi never seems to question the subtle changes that were occurring in front of her since Xiao Lu was her only sincere friend, "But, the Xiao Lu who was the one that cared for me the most was the one that was possessing the body." Jingyi stated firmly as she wiped away the remaining tears left.

Yi Fang sighed, seeing first hand at his little sister's naive outlook of life. He would need to look for someone that was reliable enough to care and protect his sister. Yi Fang turned his sights on his servant Lan He who immediately stiffened under his gaze. "Lan He! Come to me!" Yi Fang grabbed Lan He by the collar of his robes and dragged him to another room so they could talk privately, "I know that you have feelings for my sister but I need you to promise me something!" Yi Fang clenched Lan He's shoulder as the thought of his sister marrying to his best friend/servant caused his heart to bleed a little.

Lan He paled at the mention of his feeling towards Yi Fang's sister, Jingyi. Audibly gulping at the tense situation, "You know?" The sweat on his back was starting to get cold.

Yi Fang grunted in annoyance at both his sister and Lan He was oblivious to their obvious affections for each other, "I have no idea how I have such dense people living with me." Yi Fang was exhausted at their equally dense personality, "Of course I know! Both of you are so dense to not be about to tell that you both have mutual feelings for each other!" Slumping into a chair nearby Yi Fang couldn't take it another more.

Lan He began massaged Yi Fang's shoulders after seeing his master in so much distress, "Yi Fang, are you sure Jingyi likes me?" Lan He curiosity made Yi Fang worry about his sister even more as Lan He couldn't think about what he was going to talk about was concerning his sister.

Yi Fang slumped his head lower, "Lan He, are you serious about pursuing my sister?" Yi Fang decided the best way to deal with a dense person was to be straightforward.

Lan He instinctively shivered, a servant trying to even think about marriage with his master's sister was a taboo topic and almost shameful topic for servants like himself. Lan He bowed his head, "I wouldn't dream of it such a thing master." Kneeling on one knee Lan He knew his position was lower in comparison to his master's.

Yi Fang placed a heavy hand on Lan He's shoulder, "Lan He, do not degrade yourself just because you come from unknown roots." Bringing up Lan He from the ground, "I think of you as a brother and frankly I can't pair my sister with anyone besides you." His words shocked Lan He who immediately grabbed Yi Fang's arm as if his words were lies. Yi Fang nodded, allowing permission for Lan He to pursue his sister. Lan He hugged Yi Fang, grateful for the chance to pursue his beloved under the permission of Yi Fang.

——-

The high tier spirit who possessed Xiao Lu, Dai-Tai, knelt on the ground in front of a man, "I got you the information! Now give me the supreme rank spirit soul!" The man arrogantly cocked his head to side whilst sitting on a luxurious chair in the dark. With the flick of his wrist, a servant came with a wooden box handing it to the man. As he received the box from the box inspecting the craftsmanship of the creator but to him, it was meaningless. As if it was trash, he hazardously chucked the beautifully crafted wooden box which Dai-Tai rushes to catch the box in fear that the spirit soul would be damaged and dissipate into nothingness.

Dai-Tai glared at the insufferable man before opening it to check the state of the supreme spirit soul, there was only half, "You only gave me half! Where is the other half?!" Dai-Tai growled viciously at the man.

The man smirked arrogantly, "You never said how much you wanted." Getting off the chair, revealing himself. With handsome features that could sway maiden's heart with just a glance, "If you want the other half, investigate the rumours about the Chen family hiding in the capital." Before sitting back down on his chair.

Dai-Tai gritted her teeth before cupping her fist, "I will do as your say Third Prince, Hsu Li Heng." Doing dissipating off to finish the mission so she can get the other half of the spirit soul.

——-

Spirit tiers

Low rank > Low Medium rank > Low High rank

Medium low rank > Medium rank > Medium High rank

High low rank > High Medium rank > High rank

Low Supreme rank > Medium Supreme rank > High Supreme rank > Supreme rank

Low Legendary rank > Medium Legendary rank > High Legendary rank > Legendary rank

Low Sage rank > Medium Sage rank > High Sage rank > Sage rank

For spirits to be able to attain a physical body. There are three methods:

- Possessing a body, which most weaker spirits do however it is only last for a short period of time of 1 month. Unless there are special conditions such as the host has a special physique that can hold spirits for a long period of time or the spirit of high rank which is highly unlikely. Most convenient method but only last short term.

- Consuming other spirit souls to nurture their own soul and gain a physical body at Supreme spirit rank. This is the quickest way however it is the most dangerous way.

- Gathering the three ingredients to build a physical body, a spiritually nurtured ginseng of at least 10,000 years, the lifeblood of the Four Auspicious Beasts of either one of a Qilin, Dragon, Phoenix or Tortoise with he optimal age of 100,000 and the core of a creature with Yang quality born in a four years to balance the Spirit's Yin quality.