Chapter 307 - Scheming and Counter-scheming, An Unexpected Outcome, Opposing Sides, A Mysterious Identity

Northern Song Dynasty.

Thirty miles outside the capital.

A remote village.

At this moment, just outside the village.

Two covert forces were quickly approaching.

"Brother Wei Liao, did you really find out that the Secret Intelligence Division is stationed here?"

"And that Jia Xu is also here?"

"Impossible. I received intelligence from the Bad People stating that Jia Xu is in the west, monitoring the potential escalation of war between the Western Xia Kingdom, Tibet Kingdom, and the Northern Song Dynasty."

"He seems to be trying to stir up a more intense war between the three sides."

Yuan Tiangang shook his head, extremely certain.

"Bad Marshal, you've been deceived."

"What your men saw was merely a body double. The real Jia Xu is currently in that nearby village."

"He's now plotting internal rebellion within the Northern Song Dynasty. The trifling Western Xia Kingdom and Tibet Kingdom are no longer of concern to him."

Wei Liao spoke in an enigmatic tone.

"In that case, we should eliminate this place first and completely wipe out the Vast Sea Dynasty."

"The Northern Song Dynasty must not fall to the Vast Sea Dynasty."

"The Vast Sea Dynasty must not be allowed to grow stronger."

"If possible, we don't mind capturing Jia Xu alive. Even if we can't, leaving him dead in the Northern Song Dynasty would still be a victory."

"So be it. Then let's act at once."

"The Bad People will attack from the rear while your Black Ice Platform launches a frontal assault. How about that?"

Although Bad Marshal Yuan Tiangang appeared calm on the surface, deep down, he remained wary of Wei Liao.

Who knew if Wei Liao might collude with Jia Xu and wipe out both him and the Bad People?

Even though the odds were low, it was not a risk to ignore.

"Agreed. In one incense's time, we attack together."

==========

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Slay these traitorous villains!"

"Not good, enemy attack!"

"How dare you ambush us! Today, we'll make sure none of you leave alive!"

Terrible sounds of battle echoed throughout.

The Black Ice Platform and the Bad People had launched a joint strike on the Secret Intelligence Division.

Caught unprepared, the enemy suffered heavy casualties on the spot.

"Bad Marshal, quickly find Jia Xu. There might be a hidden passage here. We must not let him escape."

"Otherwise, he will surely retaliate with madness in the future."

"The consequences would be unbearable."

"Naturally. I've been preparing for this moment for a long time."

"I've stationed surveillance across a radius of several miles."

"If Jia Xu shows himself, he'll be spotted immediately."

"He absolutely cannot escape..."

But before Wei Liao could finish his sentence, screams of agony rang out all around.

Both Wei Liao and Yuan Tiangang's expressions shifted.

They could clearly recognize the source of those screams.

They were coming from their own men.

How could this be?

Could there be powerful enemies still hidden here?

Just then.

In their line of sight.

Several shocking figures appeared.

"Jia Xu!"

"Yuwen Tuo!"

"Li Chunfeng!"

Wei Liao and Yuan Tiangang shouted in unison.

Especially Yuan Tiangang, who stared intently at Yuwen Tuo and Li Chunfeng.

Particularly at Li Chunfeng.

An old friend of many years. Were they finally going to fight for real today?

Seeing the unfriendly aura they exuded, Wei Liao's heart sank.

"How did you know we were going to attack?"

"And why are you allied with Yuwen Tuo of the Sui Dynasty?"

Wei Liao frowned deeply.

He couldn't understand where the flaw had been exposed.

"New Black Ice Platform Leader, Wei Liao, your reputation precedes you!"

"Seeing is believing. Your capabilities truly live up to the name."

"To be honest, you made no mistakes."

"But just because you didn't slip up doesn't mean the Bad Marshal didn't."

"Especially with two people at my side who know the Bad Marshal well and pay close attention to him."

"Even a tiny movement can raise suspicion."

"Moreover, rescuing Duan Siping of Great Li Kingdom was a major event. How could we not be aware?"

"Since you both have always monitored my Secret Intelligence Division, you should also know that we're constantly watching your Black Ice Platform and Bad People."

"Any tiny clue from you can help us deduce your next steps."

"Gentlemen, this round goes to us."

"As for the cost, you may need to leave something behind."

Jia Xu smiled slightly, his tone filled with confidence.

This time, managing to outwit both Wei Liao and Yuan Tiangang stemmed from one root cause.

They did not truly understand Jia Xu.

Plus, there was a little luck involved.

"Hmph. Jia Xu, do you think you can detain us with your forces alone?"

Wei Liao snorted coldly.

He wasn't fazed by the threat.

His face was full of confidence.

"You two are both in the God Demon Realm, but we're not weak either."

"And we've prepared more than what you see before you."

God Demon Realm?!

Hearing this, both Wei Liao and Yuan Tiangang were stunned.

He was indeed in the God Demon Realm, but he had never revealed it.

Even before Ying Zheng of the Qin Dynasty, he had only ever shown Mythical Realm strength.

Now, Jia Xu exposed it with a single sentence?

For the first time, Wei Liao felt something was off.

As if his plan was spiraling out of control.

Yuan Tiangang too was visibly shaken.

He had only recently broken through from Mythical Realm to God Demon Realm.

He had been keeping it secret on purpose.

He hoped that one day, it could serve as a decisive edge.

But now, it was revealed just like that?

"Jia Xu, if you know we're in the God Demon Realm, then you should also know that detaining us is impossible!"

"Li Chunfeng and Yuwen Tuo may be in the God Demon Realm too, but at most they can hold us to a draw."

"If we choose to flee, you can't stop us!"

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, both Wei Liao and Yuan Tiangang were stunned again.

The scene around them changed.

It felt like they were in an entirely different world.

"This is a formation?"

"You set up a grand formation in this village?"

Inside the formation, both of them felt unprecedented pressure weighing down on them.

Even the flow of true essence within their bodies had slowed.

Their strength had already dropped by 30%.

If they remained, it could drop to 50% or even 70%.

If that happened, facing Yuwen Tuo and Li Chunfeng would become perilous.

Whose formation skills were this terrifying?

"What kind of formation is this? I've never seen it before."

"This is the Eight Formations Diagram I recently created."

"I hope you two can give it a fair evaluation."

At that moment, another clear voice echoed.

Following it, Zhuge Liang, with feathered fan and scholar's robe, calmly walked out from a distance.

His demeanor was unhurried and refined.

His eyes sparkled with wisdom, causing Wei Liao and Yuan Tiangang to shudder inwardly.

"Rank 3 on the Advisor Ranking, Zhuge Liang!"

"And also ranked on the Renowned Minister Ranking!"

"The Vast Sea Dynasty's foundation is truly daunting!"

"It seems you were instrumental in unraveling my plan!"

Wei Liao stared at Zhuge Liang in contemplation.

With Jia Xu alone, perhaps not.

But with Jia Xu and Zhuge Liang working together, that was a whole different level.

This loss wasn't unfair.

To be outplayed by the combined efforts of Rank 3 and Rank 5 on the Advisor Ranking, how could Rank 4 possibly not suffer?

The Advisor Ranking's credibility, in some cases, was indeed very high.

"Gentlemen, this Eight Formations Diagram is centered on Supreme Master Yuwen and Lord Li Chunfeng."

"If you want to escape, you must defeat either one of them."

"Otherwise, the longer you stay, the weaker you become."

"In the end, death will be unavoidable."

Zhuge Liang gently waved his fan, full of confidence.

"Supreme Master Yuwen, Lord Li Chunfeng, I'll leave them to you."

"As for the rest of the Black Ice Platform and Bad People, Jia Xu and I will handle them."

At present, Zhuge Liang's strength was still below the God Demon Realm.

He would not interfere in this battle.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuge Liang and Jia Xu disappeared in a flash.

Instantly, the tension between the four men intensified.

"Brother, who would've thought we'd come to this in the end?"

It was Li Chunfeng who spoke first, looking at Yuan Tiangang with a complex expression.

"Hahaha, perhaps it's for the best. This gives us a chance to truly go all out."

"In the past, we were evenly matched."

"This time, I want a decisive win!"

Looking at Li Chunfeng, Yuan Tiangang completely cast aside his identity as Bad Marshal.

He planned to engage in a personal duel.

In the past, he and Li Chunfeng had been close friends and true rivals.

As long as Li Chunfeng remained in the Tang Dynasty, they could never truly fight to the death.

But now that Li Chunfeng had joined the Vast Sea Dynasty, their identities were opposed.

Sooner or later, they would have to settle it once and for all.

On the side, Yuwen Tuo opened his mouth slightly.

To be honest, he also wanted to fight Yuan Tiangang.

He wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate Yuan Tiangang, a major threat.

That way, the Sui Dynasty would be much safer in future wars with the Tang Dynasty.

But seeing the confrontation between Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng, that was no longer possible.

Wei Liao was no pushover either.

If he wasn't careful, Yuwen Tuo could be severely injured.

That was not the outcome he wanted.

Boom!

In a flash, Yuan Tiangang launched the first strike at Li Chunfeng.

"Li Chunfeng, let me see what you've learned in the Vast Sea Dynasty!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his attacks became increasingly fierce.

Each move sent out terrifying shockwaves of energy.

The surrounding air was thrown into chaos.

However, the Eight Formations Diagram was extraordinary.

Such a terrifying force didn't cause any damage to the formation at all.

Clearly, Zhuge Liang's mastery of formations had reached a realm beyond comprehension.

If they were to face him in the future, caution would be paramount.

He could trap even those in the God Demon Realm.

Even if Zhuge Liang's cultivation wasn't high, he still commanded respect and fear.

But for now, the immediate crisis had to be resolved.

Boom boom boom!

Li Chunfeng was not to be outdone.

His sword strikes came rapidly.

The two clashed ferociously.

On the other side.

The atmosphere between Yuwen Tuo and Wei Liao grew heavier by the second.

"Supreme Master Yuwen, with your wisdom, you should see that the Vast Sea Dynasty is the greatest threat to all dynasties in the future."

"Why ally with them?"

"Why don't the three of us join forces to fight the Vast Sea Dynasty?"

"We could divide the entire Northern Song Dynasty among ourselves. Wouldn't that be ideal?"

Wei Liao tried to drive a wedge between Yuwen Tuo and Jia Xu.

"Hmph. Wei Liao, such petty tricks aren't worth saying."

"The Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty are mortal enemies and can never coexist."

"Since your Qin Dynasty has allied with the Tang Dynasty, my Sui Dynasty must ally with the Vast Sea Dynasty for survival."

"I know the Vast Sea Dynasty is a threat, but so what?"

"Until the Tang Dynasty and Northern Song Dynasty are eliminated, we have no conflict of interest with the Vast Sea Dynasty."

"In contrast, the Tang Dynasty is a constant nightmare for the Sui Dynasty as long as it exists."

Hearing Yuwen Tuo's words, Wei Liao felt helpless.

The hatred between the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty.

Was no less than that between the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, or Ming Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty.

It was an irreconcilable grudge.

Only the destruction of one side could end it.

There was truly no way to persuade Yuwen Tuo into an alliance.

Not only would Yuwen Tuo refuse, but even Yuan Tiangang would never agree.

Even so.

Wei Liao did not regret joining forces with Yuan Tiangang.

Compared to Yuwen Tuo and the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and Yuan Tiangang were more reliable allies.

With a light sigh.

"In that case, we'll have to decide this by force."

"Let me witness the true power of the invincible Supreme Master Yuwen of the Sui Dynasty!"

Wei Liao shouted.

The aura surging from his body erupted wildly.

Even Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng, battling nearby, felt a heaviness in their hearts.

Wei Liao had hidden himself deeply.

Who was he, really?

He couldn't possibly be just a subject of the Qin Dynasty.

He must have another identity.

At that moment.

Li Chunfeng, Yuwen Tuo, Yuan Tiangang, and even Jia Xu and Zhuge Liang outside the formation, all began to doubt Wei Liao's true identity.

From now on, surveillance on this man would rise to the highest level.