As Chen Sheng expected, just two days later, Xu Shenzhi sought him out with an excited expression, bringing him satisfying news.

"Sir, I’ve just received confirmed news. The legitimate daughter of the Qu Shui Song Clan is to hold an engagement ceremony with Gao Qilin at the Song Mansion on the twenty-sixth of this month.

This is a godsent opportunity, a perfect chance for us to ambush him en route and put an end to that fiend." Xu Shenzhi’s tone was urgent, his eyes glinting with anticipation for the mission.

Chen Sheng’s gaze flickered. Feigning ignorance, he mused aloud:

"Is the source reliable? An engagement is no small matter. The Song Family and Gao Qilin are bound to be on their guard."

"It’s absolutely true."

Xu Shenzhi stated with conviction:

"While the news hasn’t been widely announced, it’s no longer a secret in certain circles. I believe that when the time comes, Gao Qilin will have to travel from the Iron Sword Sect to the Song Family. We can set up an ambush on a road he must take and catch him completely off guard!"

He had proposed an ambush because he considered a direct assault on the Song Family too risky.

Gao Qilin was an Inner Sect Disciple of the Iron Sword Sect, after all. For a major event like an engagement, the sect would very likely send experts to attend the ceremony.

The Song Family itself was not to be trifled with, either. They were a top second-rate power in Ning’an Prefecture with a foundation even stronger than the Xu Family’s. More critically, they were backed by the behemoth that was Luoyun Manor.

"An ambush en route?"

Chen Sheng shook his head slightly, his fingers tapping gently on the tabletop. "His route is too variable; it would be difficult to predict with any precision. If we can’t take him out in one strike, we’ll just be tipping him off and putting him on his guard.

As for the Song Family... if I recall correctly, they don’t have a Martial Master at the Profound Gang Realm, do they?"

His words were half question, half confirmation.

He had already learned all the details about the Song Family through the Celestial Book and his own channels; he was merely going through the motions for Xu Shenzhi’s benefit.

"That’s correct, they don’t."

Xu Shenzhi nodded in confirmation. As Young Master of the Xu Family, he knew the various powers of Ning’an like the back of his hand.

"The Song Family’s strongest expert at present is their Clan Leader, Song Renyi, whose cultivation is at the Earth Fiend Realm. However, the Song Family has a long lineage, and there are as many as four masters at the Chaoyuan Realm in the clan. Their power is not to be underestimated."

In Ning’an Prefecture, the hierarchy of power was clearly defined.

A power with a Chaoyuan Realm Martial Master could be called third-rate; one with an Earth Fiend Realm master presiding could enter the second rate. Only by producing a Martial Master at the Profound Gang Realm could a family barely be considered first-rate.

Although the Song Family was strong, they had always been suppressed—intentionally or not—by Luoyun Manor, making it difficult for them to acquire the crucial resources needed to break through to the Profound Gang Realm. This was a common predicament for most Luoyun Manor Affiliated Clans.

"Since they have no one at the Profound Gang Realm..."

A cold smile touched Chen Sheng’s lips, and his tone was as sharp as steel. "Then there is no need to be so reserved. Why bother with a furtive ambush? On the day of their engagement, when the guests have all gathered, I will personally pay them a visit and call them to account.

I’d like to see just what the Song Family thinks it’s doing, arranging a marriage with a traitor like Gao Qilin, who colludes with the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance. We’ll see how the Song Family explains itself to me—and to the Jingwu Bureau—in front of a hall full of their guests!"

This time, he wasn’t just going to kill Gao Qilin; he was also going to seize this opportunity to obtain the Profound Origin Spirit Water from the Song Family.

In fact, Gao Qilin’s life had become the secondary objective by comparison.

Xu Shenzhi was stunned for a moment, but then he understood the depth and decisiveness of Chen Sheng’s plan. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at his commander’s audacity. After a brief pause, he nodded emphatically.

"I understand. I’ll go make the arrangements at once and ensure everything is foolproof for that day!"

...

「Several days passed in the blink of an eye.」

The Eighth Year of the Mingjing Era of the Daqian Dynasty, the twenty-sixth day of the third month. An auspicious day for weddings.

On this day, the Song Mansion, situated by the banks of the Qu Shui River, was festooned with lanterns and colorful streamers. Guests poured through the gates, creating a scene of joyous celebration.

The engagement between the legitimate daughter of the Song Family and Gao Qilin, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Iron Sword Sect, was considered a reasonably grand affair in Ning’an Prefecture, even if it wasn’t a formal wedding.

A steady stream of guests arrived to offer their congratulations, most of whom were there out of respect for the Song Family.

Although the Qu Shui Song Clan was only a second-rate power, they controlled the shipping routes and a portion of the resources along the Qu Shui River, a tributary of the Qinglin River. They were fabulously wealthy and widely connected, so many hoped to use this occasion to curry favor and forge ties.

Some of the more astute observers, however, sensed something unusual in the air.

A marriage between an Inner Sect Disciple of the Iron Sword Sect and one of the Luoyun Manor Affiliated Clans... Did this signal some subtle shift in the relationship between the two Major Sects?

Or was the Iron Sword Sect attempting to extend its reach into Luoyun Manor’s sphere of influence?

All manner of speculation added a fascinating layer of intrigue to the engagement banquet.

However, the truth was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.

The Iron Sword Sect had tacitly approved of the union. This was partly because Gao Qilin had been insistent, but also because the Sect Leader, Lu Qingsong, had his own agenda.

He felt that Gao Qilin’s loyalty to the Iron Sword Sect could no longer be guaranteed, given his father’s collusion with the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance. If this marriage could incite a conflict between Chen Sheng, the Song Family, and perhaps even Luoyun Manor behind them, then regardless of the outcome, it would be advantageous for the Iron Sword Sect.

It was a chance to either use a borrowed blade to eliminate the great threat of Chen Sheng, or to divert the trouble and pit the Jingwu Bureau against Luoyun Manor. It was a move that appeared casual on the surface but was in fact a sharply calculated gambit.

For Gao Qilin, however, the motive was far more direct and painful.

He had learned the devastating news of his father Gao Yuanzhao’s brutal death at the hands of Chen Sheng. It was a blood feud, a hatred carved into his bones.

He knew full well that with his own talent, he could never hope to catch up to Chen Sheng in his lifetime. Only by relying on external forces would he have the slightest chance at revenge.

The Qu Shui Song Clan, and the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance concealed behind them, became the last straw he clutched at in his desperation.

"Qilin, what are you thinking about, standing here all by yourself?"

Amid the clamor of the guests, the Song Clan Leader, Song Renyi, quietly approached Gao Qilin, who was dressed in the white uniform robes of the Iron Sword Sect, a warm smile on his face.