Chapter Twenty-Three: In-Depth Talk in a Secret Chamber
The vague signals from Chang Dong's side allowed Shang Jiuya to breathe a slight sigh of relief under immense pressure. However, she knew that dealing with a powerful figure like Chang Dong in the military required treading carefully and proceeding step by step; any haste could backfire. What was more urgent was to fulfill the unspoken "understanding" with Seventh Elder Qingcheng and translate it into tangible support.
Through Bai Yu's extremely secretive channel, another round of obscure technical exchanges about "optimizing workshop consumable management" was transmitted. This time, Shang Jiuya cleverly embedded a further request in the message—hoping for an opportunity to "discuss face-to-face the possibility of a stable supply of certain magical artifacts," and subtly mentioned "deep concern about certain current practices of forcibly demanding resources and violating industry rules."
The risk was extremely high; a face-to-face meeting meant the possibility of exposure. She was gambling that Qingcheng had reached his limit with the endless extortion from You Chi, Gong Liang, and even Qi Mu, and that his deep-seated concerns about the family business and his own power outweighed his fear of the risk.
The response came faster and more unexpectedly than anticipated. The message wasn't relayed by Qing Cheng himself, but through an unexpected intermediary—a close attendant of the Ninth Elder, Xing Yuan. This attendant, "accidentally," happened to be passing by the outskirts of the Ziguang Hall and struck up a conversation with "Bai Yu's distant cousin," who was in charge of purchasing. During their casual chat, he "inadvertently" revealed that a long-established magic materials shop in the city had recently cleared out a batch of "overstocked old goods" at low prices. If interested, one could view the goods at the back gate at 3:45 PM the next day.
Shang Jiuya immediately realized that this was very likely the meeting place arranged by Qing Cheng through Xing Yuan. The Qing family was behind that time-honored shop.
To go or not to go?
Going there might be a trap, a snare set by You Chi or Guan Shanyue.
If we don't go, we might forever miss the opportunity to form an alliance with Qingcheng and obtain stable material and intelligence support.
Shang Jiuya immediately summoned Li Yue and Bai Yu to make meticulous arrangements. Li Yue would personally lead all four Shadow Guards to infiltrate the area around the shop in advance, controlling all entrances and exits and high points to scout for any ambushes. Bai Yu would use informants to confirm whether the shop was indeed having a clearance sale recently, as a cover. As for Shang Jiuya herself, she would wear the illusion interference talisman given to her by Qing Cheng and do her best to activate the "Shadow Secret Sense Chapter" to enhance her perception.
The next day, at 3:45 PM.
Shang Jiuya disguised herself simply, wearing an inconspicuous hooded cloak. Accompanied by Bai Yu, she rode in an ordinary magic-powered vehicle without any markings to the long-established magic material shop located in the market area on the outskirts of the Demon Palace. The shop was already closed, with only the side door ajar.
Li Yue's voice rang in her ears through a tiny sound transmission crystal: "The surroundings are safe, no ambushes are seen. There is only one aura in the warehouse, calm and without any killing intent."
Shang Jiuya took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy wooden door.
Inside the door was a narrow, downward-sloping stone staircase, the air thick with the peculiar scent of aged magical plants and metal. At the end of the staircase was a small but dry and clean secret chamber, its walls made of thick, black stone, clearly specially treated to effectively prevent prying eyes. The only source of light was a few illumination crystals embedded in the walls, emitting a stable white glow.
A figure stood with his back to her in front of a stone table, seemingly examining a list of supplies spread out on it. He was not tall, even slightly overweight, and wore the sturdy robes typically worn by craftsmen.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around. It was none other than the Seventh Elder, Qingcheng. His face was clearer than it had been in the Daqing Hall, but deep weariness and a hint of anxiety could not be concealed between his brows. He scanned Shang Jiuya from head to toe, assessing and calculating.
"You've come." Qingcheng's voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. "You've got some nerve."
Shang Jiuya pulled down her hood. "Elder Qingcheng invited me, how could I dare not come? Besides, we may share the same concerns."
She didn't beat around the bush; she went straight to the point. There's no point in putting on airs in front of such a shrewd and calculating person.
Qingcheng narrowed his eyes slightly: "Oh? Does Your Excellency know what I am worried about?"
"The elders' worries are nothing more than the family's century-old foundation, which may fall into the hands of others; their painstaking efforts may only benefit others; and the elders themselves may be like tenants, paying tribute year after year without any autonomy." Shang Jiuya spoke steadily, but every word was like a needle, piercing Qingcheng's deepest pain. "The First Elder's greed is insatiable, treating the Machinery Hall as his private treasury; the Third Elder is insatiably greedy, demanding an ever-increasing share; His Highness Guan Shanyue has created various pretexts to apportion losses; His Highness Qi Mu has been pressing for weapons and frequently reprimanding people... even," she paused, her gaze sharpening as she looked at Qingcheng, "Even Elder Jiang Zheng's Law Hall seems to be reviewing some old accounts, I wonder if it's related to the workshop's past 'loss records'?"
This last sentence was a bold speculation and probe she made based on information provided by Bai Yu's informant about Jiang Zheng reviewing old rules and Qing Cheng's recent unusual anxiety.
Qingcheng's expression finally changed. He remained silent for a moment, and only their clear breathing could be heard in the secret room.
“Your Excellency knows quite a lot,” Qing Cheng said slowly, “but words alone are not enough. How could I know that you are not bait thrown out by You Chi or Guan Shanyue to test me? Or even…” He paused, his gaze sharp as needles, as if trying to pierce through Shang Jiuya’s disguise, “…or even a scheme orchestrated by the Second Elder or the Fifth Elder in collusion with you, deliberately producing this ‘evidence’ to induce me to express my stance, and then to confirm my ‘disloyal intentions’ so as to uproot me and the Qing clan?”
His suspicions deepened. He suspected that this was actually a more insidious trap set by other forces—whether it was You Chi, Guan Shanyue, or Lian Bo or Chang Dong, who seemed neutral but might have ulterior motives—using this seemingly harmless puppet demon lord to seize his weakness and completely annex the lucrative Gongji Hall.
Shang Jiuya felt a chill run down her spine, knowing that Qingcheng's concerns were far deeper than she had imagined. However, she showed no panic on her face. Instead, she gently shook her head, her tone carrying a perfectly measured self-deprecation and frankness: "Elder Qingcheng's thoughtfulness is admirable. But if you think that the Second Elder or the Fifth Elder would choose to cooperate with a puppet like me, whose life is precarious and who can barely leave the palace, and even hand over such potentially disastrous 'evidence' to me, then you are overestimating me, or rather, underestimating the caution of those elders."
She took out a small stack of documents that Bai Yu and the Shadow Guards had painstakingly collected and organized from her storage bracelet. They were not the originals, but they clearly recorded the flow and quantity of several batches of abnormal materials, as well as the vague code names of the recipients (related to Gong Liang and Guan Shanyue). There was even a copy of an order requiring the Machinery Hall to deliver a quantity of magic armor far exceeding the norm within a limited time. The signature was marked with the violent magic element mark unique to Qi Mu's forces (made by Li Yue on an adventure).
She gently placed the documents on the stone table and pushed them toward Qingcheng, saying, "These were pieced together by my people at great cost, even at the expense of their own manpower. They may not be enough to bring down anyone, but each document carries the risk of death if discovered. If I were truly a pawn in the hands of some elder, why would they go to such lengths to have a puppet like me carry out this risky move? They have countless more covert and effective methods to test or frame you, don't they?"
She looked directly into Qingcheng's suspicious eyes: "I have risked coming here today because I am not one of them. I am a puppet who was pushed to this position by them, and who could be crushed by them at any time. Their greed and oppression are not only directed at you, but also at me. In a sense, we are the ones who are truly interdependent."
Qingcheng picked up the stack of documents and quickly flipped through them, his expression shifting constantly. Some of the details were so ingenious and the angles so subtle that they didn't seem like the methodical, well-planned framing techniques used by the high-ranking elders. In particular, the instruction copy bearing the Seven Mu Demon Yuan mark was extremely difficult to forge due to its violent aura. Moreover, using such a thing to frame him was too risky and could easily spiral out of control, unlike the style of You Chi or Lian Bo.
He put down the documents. "Even so... what does Your Excellency wish to do?" He finally asked the question, which meant that his attitude was beginning to soften.
“A deal,” Shang Jiuya uttered. “I need resources: a stable supply of magic crystals, medicinal herbs, basic cultivation materials, and magical artifacts for protection and reconnaissance. I also need intelligence: information about the palace’s movements, especially plots against me. I need limited, secure cover.”
“In return,” she met Qingcheng’s gaze, “if you can break free from your puppet status and gain some real power, I swear in the name of the Demon Lord that I will guarantee the Qing family’s independent control over machinery manufacturing, provide official support, and reduce or even eliminate unreasonable levies. Furthermore, I will do everything in my power to crack down on those forces that have long extorted and exploited you. Their downfall and the resulting profits will be primarily due to you and your family.”
Instead of painting a pie in the sky, she presented a blueprint for the future based on realistic interests.
A long silence fell over the secret chamber. Qingcheng's fingers tapped unconsciously on the stone table. Allying with the Demon Lord was incredibly risky; exposure would mean utter destruction. But continuing to endure the current oppression would eventually drain his family dry, and he himself might be eliminated under some pretext.
Finally, he stopped knocking, raised his head, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "Resources can be given to you, but the quantity and type must be controlled by me to avoid arousing suspicion. Intelligence can be shared, but only to what I deem necessary and safe. Cover can be provided, but to a limited extent; I will never directly confront the other elders or His Highness."
"Okay." Shang Jiuya agreed without hesitation. This was the best result they could get at the moment.
"This matter is known only to Heaven, Earth, you, and me." Qingcheng stared intently at Shang Jiuya, his tone more stern than ever before. "If any third party finds out, or if Your Majesty goes back on your word today, even if I am reduced to dust, I will make Your Majesty pay the price!"
“It’s a deal,” Shang Jiuya replied solemnly.
Only after leaving the secret room did Shang Jiuya realize that her back was soaked with cold sweat. She had finally gained her first substantial ally, a stable channel for supplies and intelligence.
Back at the Purple Light Palace, she didn't even have time to rest before immediately starting to digest the results of the meeting and planning how to use Qingcheng as a connection to improve her own and the Shadow Guards' strength more quickly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
