Chapter 839: The Death of Huang Lie (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"Hehe, I never expected this, I really never expected it. It turns out that you were the one who hid the deepest!" Liao Jia stared intently at Qi Shan, trying to find the slightest flaw in his face, but Qi Shan was open and honest, so he had no choice but to believe him for the time being.
Qi Shan corrected him: "That's called 'being cunning and calculating'."
Liao Jia didn't bother with that; he was more concerned with another issue: "From what I've gathered, the Pantheon is no saint. Didn't anyone suspect anything when you infiltrated them? And how did you rise through the ranks in the Pantheon? Qi Yuanliang, don't hide anything!"
Becoming a member of the Pantheon is not difficult.
Talent, ability, family background, reputation, power... as long as one or more of these qualities are outstanding, veteran members will proactively extend an olive branch. Successfully recruiting a target earns points for leveling up. At the same time, new members naturally align themselves with the inviter, indirectly increasing the influence of veteran members within the association. Having more connections facilitates future exchanges.
Of course, there are exceptions.
That was a personal invitation from the high-ranking members of the Pantheon.
The entire assembly of gods was divided into two parts: the inner assembly and the outer assembly.
The outer guild consists of ordinary members who expand by recruiting others, and its members are a mixed bag. The inner guild has very few members, and it is rumored that the vast majority are descendants of the founders of the Pantheon, with only a very small number having risen through the ranks from the outer guild. Their identities are shrouded in mystery, rarely seen, and those who can even capture their attention are extremely rare. Liao Jia has yet to find out any further information.
Judging from the letter's design, Qi Shan is just one rank away from becoming one of the leaders of the external organization, a position most members never achieve in their entire lives. The higher one climbs, the more it proves that their hands are stained with blood, and that they have a huge following within the external organization!
Liao Jia dared not imagine what kind of monster lay beneath Qi Shan's human skin.
Qi Shan said, "Naturally, no one has any doubts."
As for why he was promoted so quickly...
He sighed helplessly and told the truth: "Shaomei, my former lords didn't die in vain. Their downfall was all blamed on me, and with the 'evil plot' label being spread around by you all, it's hard for the Gods not to be satisfied, isn't it?"
Liao Jia: "..."
There are still some things I haven't mentioned about Qishan.
The notoriety surrounding his "evil schemes" stemmed not only from his enemies' years-long obsession but also from his own underhanded machinations. People like Qi Shan, single-mindedly focused on stirring up trouble, were highly sought after within the Gods' Guild.
Qi Shan has indeed never done anything detrimental to the Pantheon over the years, diligently managing affairs in the Northwest region. He's the most outstanding member of the Pantheon, so why doubt him?
Liao Jia pressed on, "You've served your lord for so many years, and compared to your past record of defeating seven lords in a row, something seems fishy, doesn't it? Why doesn't the Council of Gods even ask about it?"
Qi Shan replied lazily, "I asked."
Liao Jia asked, "How did you answer?"
Qi Shan casually said, "I was saying—we've killed too many lords before, and each time it was short and the methods were crude and reckless. It's okay once or twice, but after seven times in a row, it gets a bit tiresome. This time, I want to change to a new, more gradual approach... In the past, there have been instances where members of the Gods Society voluntarily joined lords who were still insignificant, helping them rise to prominence while simultaneously sending them to hell."
Liao Jia: "..."
Qi Shan's lips curled into a sneer: "You should have heard how arrogant some members of the Gods' Guild are. They enjoy manipulating everything behind the scenes, turning people and power into pawns in their games. They all think that everyone else is a pawn, while they are the outsiders, the players, so they can always find an excuse to cover up whatever outrageous things I do..."
Liao Jia was almost speechless.
After a long silence, he blurted out, "Judging by the time, Qi Yuanliang, it's been almost five years..."
Qi Shan said, "Yes, it's only been a few months since the five-year period ended. Time flies so fast. Tsk, I know what you want to ask, Shao Mei. It's nothing more than that this time has been far too long, and our lord has clearly gained the strength to unify the Northwest Continent. No matter how long this game has been, it's time to end it. So, will the gods just stand by and do nothing…?"
Liao Jia let out a soft hum, acknowledging his statement.
Qi Shan smiled and said, "Of course I have a foolproof plan."
Liao Jia was curious about just how comprehensive this "perfect plan" was.
Qi Shan didn't keep them in suspense: "I said I've changed to a new way of playing, and I'm using my own people to completely sideline the lord."
Liao Jia: "...Your own people?"
Qi Shan spread his hands: "There are plenty of people, such as you, Liao Shaomei, Jiang Xiandeng, Gu Wangchao... It's troublesome to create a living person out of thin air, and it's even more complicated to perfect that person step by step to the point that they are qualified to be invited to the Council of Gods. In that case, why not just find someone who is already there? The people I know best—aren't they just you guys?"
He said his last words with a smile.
He looked smug and had an extremely thick skin!
Liao Jia stared at himself in astonishment, his eyes wide.
"Qi Yuanliang, you...you're talking about me?"
Qi Shan nodded and said, "Yes!"
He had basically recruited all his enemies into his ranks, and Liao Jia was one of them. Under normal circumstances, unless a member made a big move or held a high position, the Gods Society wouldn't bother to keep an eye on them, mainly because there weren't that many people willing to do so.
Qi Shan took advantage of this loophole.
One more enemy means one more alias.
He successfully joined the Pantheon without even his enemies knowing, and since the Northwest Division was practically Qi Shan's territory, he remained undetected. Qi Shan wasn't worried about his true self clashing with his alias; none of his living enemies liked the Pantheon.
As for those who like the pantheon and can threaten him?
They're all already dead.
How could a dead person talk nonsense?
Liao Jia: "..."
He finally understood why Qi Shan was so fearless.
So, on the surface, the lord has been completely infiltrated. Coincidentally, Kang Shi, Jiang Sheng, Xun Zhen, and others have also defected to the lord. In the eyes of the Gods Society, isn't this just Qi Shan looking for an opportunity to plant his own people into this new force?
Qi Shan is having a great time right now. The gods must be out of their minds to doubt their loyal deputy!
Liao Jia's face turned blue from holding it in.
Qi Shan propped up her right hand, resting the back of her hand against her cheek, and chuckled, "Shao Mei, the Gods' Guild will never suspect anything! If it weren't for my 'instruction,' how could people who are all my enemies in the eyes of outsiders be serving the Lord one after another? They clearly have a grudge against each other."
It's precisely because all of this is fake, a fabricated game played by Qi Shan, that they arrived so in such perfect unison. After a while, once their lord returns in triumph, with the addition of Cui Shanxiao and Qin Gongsu to the makeshift troupe, the Gods' Society will only become even more convinced…
Sigh, these actions are truly reprehensible!
At that moment, Liao Jia felt like strangling Qi Shan.
He thought he should avoid the Gods Society like the plague, but little did he know he was already a member. Judging by the timeline, he figured he'd been a member for quite some time and had considerable seniority. Liao Jia grinned, a lewd smile tinged with a dangerous, murderous aura!
"Qishan, you're just asking for it."
Qi Shan rubbed his aching back and said, "It's good that you trust me, my lord."
Liao Jia's expression relaxed slightly, and she couldn't help but offer Qi Shan a few words of advice: "Yuanliang, once trust is questioned, it is no longer pure. What you've done makes sense to our lord, and it makes even more sense to the Council of Gods. Doesn't our lord feel uneasy? If she does, then you truly deserve it!"
Who can guarantee that Qi Shan isn't deceiving both sides?
Qi Shan paused, "She wouldn't."
Liao Jia chuckled coldly: "You're not her."
Qi Shan retorted stubbornly, "But you are not the lord either."
Seeing Qi Shan's expression, Liao Jia could only sigh: "Remember—the best course of action now is for the lord to return victorious. You must confess immediately. Don't wait until she discovers something is wrong; by then, it will be too late, and there will be no room for maneuver. Do you understand?"
Qi Shan's scholarly way is very domineering, requiring Shen Tang, as the lord, to not harbor the slightest suspicion. To achieve this, both parties need to be completely open and honest with each other. Qi Shan is harboring such a huge secret, and there is a high possibility that it will harm her. How can she give him her full trust? Not to mention the lord, Liao Jia is also wary of Qi Shan at this moment, guarding against him suddenly doing something bad.
"knew……"
Qi Shan was somewhat obedient to advice.
But Liao Jia felt a chill run down her spine.
From a colleague's perspective, he didn't want to assume the worst—was there any possibility that Qi Shan's deliberate concealment of his relationship with the Gods' Guild was a way for him to escape, or another test of his lord?
Qi Shan was the most anxious person he had ever met. The more he longed to be trusted, the more he wanted to prove that he was trusted through tests.
Little did they know that the act of testing the waters was tantamount to the collapse of trust.
well--
I just hope that Qishan can behave himself.
Liao Jia composed himself and prepared to leave—he still had some things to finish, and he wanted to get them done so he could go to bed as soon as possible—just as he stepped out the door, he heard Qi Shan's voice behind him: "In a while, something will happen to the gods."
He said coldly, "You want me to cover for you?"
Qi Shan shook her head: "No, we're going to a meeting together."
Liao Jia: "..."
Qi Shan explained, "If our lord truly wants to establish a firm foothold, it would be best to take this opportunity to thoroughly investigate the Gods' Guild's spies in the Northwest Continent, uproot them completely, and eliminate any future troubles. Even if we don't do that, we should keep them under our watchful eyes."
Liao Jia: "...So?"
"Push me up, I want to be a full-time employee."
The cuckoo has taken over the magpie's nest; the plum has been substituted for the peach.
Having seized the fruits of the Gods' Society in the Northwest Continent, it's time for him to pull out the twenty-odd aliases he's cultivated over the years!
Liao Jia: "..."
When Qi Shan uttered those words, he knew his previous worries were in vain; Qi Shan's love for his lord was profound. Liao Jia's response was two eye rolls: "Get the lord's permission first, I have other things to attend to."
"Tsk, once bitten, twice shy, Shao Mei's wariness is really strong..." Qi Shan chuckled and shook his head after Liao Jia left. Anyone with eyes could see that he had reformed many years ago, and the fact that his lord was still alive and kicking was the best proof of that.
Pray to handle the trivial matters at hand well.
After finishing their official duties, they still had to work late into the night, plotting how to sideline the Council of Gods and install their own people in its ranks...
He would occasionally hum a melodious tune from his hometown.
Only after the lamp oil had burned out did he remember—
Why is my lord so quiet today?
"Could it be that the war has ended?"
He's still alive; it must be a great victory!
——
"Kang Jishou, tell me, how are you going to compensate me?"
Shen Tang slammed a sickle against the wall, approached Kang Shi, who had a guilty smile on his face, and trapped him in a corner with no way to escape.
"Please enlighten me, my lord, as I am unaware of the situation."
Kang Shi tried to defend himself with the most innocent look in his eyes.
Shen Tang was furious and pointed at him: "You dare to say that? If it weren't for your scholarly way, would I have inexplicably lost track of Huang Xiguang? Don't you think that's outrageous?"
She chased after Huang Lie's remaining troops, wielding a scythe, relentlessly pursuing the central army. After a fierce pursuit, cornering them, she discovered Huang Lie had split into two groups to retreat. Even with a one-in-five chance, and despite Shen Tang having locked onto Huang Lie's aura, she had still mistakenly chased the wrong one.
Shen Tang realized something was wrong and immediately changed course to give chase.
result--
Hehehe, Shen Tang is lost.
She! Actually! Got! Lost!
The pursuit was going in the opposite direction; if Gong Xichou hadn't come to retrieve it, Shen Tang would have had to make do in the wilderness that night...
I'm not satisfied that Huang Xiguang escaped like this!
That sense of resentment made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Gong Xichou glanced over: [Who said he escaped?]
Shen Tang: [? ? ?]
Gong Xichou then told her some good news that was also very bad. The good news was that Huang Lie had been caught, and although it took a lot of elite troops to capture him, his power would crumble once Huang Lie was dead. The bad news was that although Huang Lie was dead, he did not reveal the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal before his death, only saying that Shen Tang would be punished. These missing Imperial Seals could become a hidden danger.
Shen Tang frowned: [Did he die so casually?]
That's too cheap for Huang Lie.
Once this person dies, many things become impossible to verify.
Shen Tang originally intended to capture someone alive and torture them severely.
Gong Xichou: [The corpse has been brought back. Want to play?]
Shen Tang's face darkened. She asked, "No, I don't have such strong tastes... Do you know who arrested Huang Lie?"
Who stole her military merits and her life?!
Gong Xichou shook his head: "I don't know."
He wasn't interested in these things.
The current mission is to safely return Mama.
When Shen Tang returned, Chaoli Pass was still a scene of post-war ruins, with a lingering stench of burning and blood in the air. Most of the soldiers were busy repairing the city walls and damaged military defenses, but laughter could be heard from one place.
It seemed that everyone was about to hold a banquet to celebrate.
She spotted the cheerful Kang Shi at a glance.
Kang Shi was suddenly confronted with his lord's gloomy face.
He broke out in a cold sweat: "My lord, please calm down."
The sickle still bore the heads of Zhang He and the sixteenth-rank Grand Master, their faces deathly pale, their enormous tiger eyes wide open in death, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
Shen Tang gave a forced smile: "Did you enjoy yourself today?"
Kang Shi tensed his muscles: "Not enough."
Shen Tang murmured, "Is it imposing?"
Kang Shi shook his head vigorously, afraid of being beaten if he spoke too late: "Not impressive at all, not impressive at all. Not even a fraction of the lord's prestige. Compared to the lord, I am but a grain of rice compared to the bright moon. How can we be compared? Not to mention the lord, I am not even a tenth as good as Xun Hanzhang. He is the one who is spending money like water today!"
Shen Tang almost couldn't catch her breath.
My vision blurred in waves.
She forgot that her three-year-old kindness was activated today...
"How much? How much did he spend?"
Kang Shi blinked: "One or two hundred thousand is possible."
"silver?"
"Uh, gold."
|ω`)
I had a dream yesterday. I saw a faceless girl being tried. It was so tragic. She was imprisoned and sentenced to death for adding a spoonful of sugar to her tofu pudding. Someone offered her 100 million yuan, but she could only avoid the death penalty if she achieved 100 billion yuan in profits within a few years...
P.S.: Hehe, did anyone notice that Shiitake Mushroom changed her profile picture?
(End of this chapter)
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