coobybook Chapter 125 A New Game of Planting a Mole, The True Colors Revealed: An Old Acquaintance
Chapter 125 A New Game of Planting a Mole, The True Colors Revealed: An Old Acquaintance
Winter City, the City Lord's Mansion, inside an ice and snow palace.
A huge ice crystal chandelier hangs beneath the towering ice crystal dome, refracting countless dazzling blue and white rays of light, illuminating the entire palace as mysterious and profound as a starry sea.
The walls are carved with lifelike frost patterns, telling the glorious stories of the Jiang family's ancestors.
In the center of this dreamlike ice palace, a huge chessboard made of millennia-old ice stands out prominently, while the chess pieces are crafted from a mixture of white and black jade and millennia-old ice, set firmly on the chessboard.
At this moment, Jiang Xun, with his full head of white hair and a weathered face, was sitting upright on one side of the chessboard, wearing a white fox fur coat.
His face was calm and composed, his eyes were deep, and he gently picked up a chess piece with his fingers. Every move he made showed his composure and ease. His opponent was the silent chess game and the sea of wisdom hidden behind it.
Jiang Li stood beside the huge chessboard, bowed and clasped her hands in a salute: "Father, I have sent Chai Ronggui and Xing Cishu to lead men to keep an eye on Zhou Qingfeng outside the mansion gate around the clock. The Han Chan secret agents have also tried to infiltrate and monitor him."
"But Zhou Qingfeng has a mysterious old cripple by his side, and this man is a master."
"The secret agents of the Cold Cicada were discovered as soon as they infiltrated, and they had to retreat temporarily."
"However, in doing so, we will be unable to monitor the internal movements of the mission effectively."
Jiang Xun said calmly, "It's normal. The young master of Sword Tower City must have experts by his side. The delegation should not send any more spies to infiltrate the mansion, lest Zhou Qingfeng find something to say and make things worse."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li clasped her hands in response and then continued her report: "In addition, a large number of independent cultivators from the common people have gathered outside the gate of the treasure-hunting delegation's residence. On the surface, it appears that these independent cultivators are seeking cooperation with Zhou Qingfeng."
"Secretly, some forces have probably already begun to take advantage of this opportunity to contact Zhou Qingfeng."
"As I expected, Zhou Qingfeng is seeking allies to support him in an attempt to fight against my Jiang family to the end."
Jiang Xun stared at the chessboard without looking up: "Have you found out which faction has been secretly in contact with Zhou Qingfeng?"
Jiang Li lowered her head and looked down: "Zhou Qingfeng is meticulous in his work. He sent the guard commander Jin Wei to fight the challenger at high altitude. There are no obstructions at high altitude, so our spies cannot get close to steal information."
At this point, Jiang Li changed the subject and said, "Grandpa, I think we can send someone to impersonate a representative of a certain force and then secretly contact Zhou Qingfeng to discuss cooperation and keep track of Zhou Qingfeng's internal movements."
"No matter how many allies Zhou Qingfeng has established contact with, or how pleasant the negotiations are, he will always have to meet with the leaders of all parties to sign an alliance agreement. As long as our people get wind of this in advance, we can break the agreement."
"In this way, we can keep Zhou Qingfeng isolated and helpless, and make him completely at our mercy."
"And incidentally, we can also find out which forces dare to oppose my Jiang family. These forces know that my Jiang family is determined to obtain the Xiyi Treasure, yet they still dare to secretly collude with Zhou Qingfeng behind our backs, acting like accomplices."
"Such forces will be a hidden danger sooner or later, and we must take this opportunity to eliminate them!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xun looked up at his granddaughter Jiang Li with satisfaction. Among all his children and grandchildren, Jiang Li was the one who resembled him the most. Although she was a woman, it didn't matter, as there were precedents for women to run the household.
In this turbid and evil world, a city lord can only strive to improve himself. If he slacks off even slightly, his territory will be swallowed up by other city lords. It would be extremely fatal to have a mediocre eldest son as his heir.
"Indeed, my careful teaching over the decades has not been in vain."
"I can confidently entrust Winter City to your management in the future."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li immediately clasped her hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Grandpa is in the prime of his life. Please don't say such unlucky things. Besides, there are countless ways to prolong life in the world. Grandpa will surely live a long and healthy life and be immortal."
Jiang Xun smiled without saying a word, thinking to himself that although his granddaughter's words made sense, the so-called immortality was a delusion, especially in this turbulent and corrupt world, where strength and wisdom were the key to maintaining the rise and fall of the family.
He slightly raised his hand, and the black jade chess piece spun between his fingers.
It was as if a strategy was silently brewing in his mind.
“Jiang Li, your strategy is correct. Since we cannot confront Zhou Qingfeng head-on, we will take a more covert approach and send reliable people to infiltrate his camp to find out which forces he has allied with.”
"Once the time is right, we will immediately dismantle their alliance, and in any case, we will be in a position of absolute initiative."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li's eyes gleamed with determination. She clasped her hands in a fist again and said, "Father, rest assured, leave this matter to me. I will select the most loyal and astute subordinates to carry out this mission."
Jiang Xun nodded in agreement. He knew that although Jiang Li appeared arrogant and domineering on the outside, she was actually reliable and meticulous in her work. Entrusting this matter to her would undoubtedly greatly increase the success rate.
At the same time, he also understood that behind the seemingly peaceful Winter City, a new round of competition surrounding the Xi Yi Treasure was about to begin, and this was a crucial moment to test the Jiang family's strength and wisdom.
"Alright, this matter should be handled as soon as possible, let's make arrangements quickly."
"But remember, you must be discreet and secretive when you act, and you must not reveal the slightest flaw."
"Furthermore, any force that attempts to join forces with Zhou Qingfeng against my Jiang family will be dealt with without hesitation once it is discovered, as a warning to others and to completely extinguish Zhou Qingfeng's delusions!"
Jiang Li responded and left, already planning how to implement her scheme.
Jiang Xun's gaze returned to the chessboard, the chess pieces in his hand seemingly containing a more profound strategy and plan.
The next day, in the bitterly cold winter city.
City Lord Jiang Xun warmly received the treasure-hunting delegation from afar in the magnificent Ice Palace.
The Ice Palace Museum is filled with a dazzling array of winning works from past ice sculpture competitions.
There are ice sculptures of various creatures, such as agile dragons, noble phoenixes, winding pythons, graceful sparrows, and cunning foxes. Each piece is carved so lifelike that it seems as if it is about to leap out at any moment.
These ice sculptures can instantly come to life when infused with magical power by a cultivator, soaring and dancing within the banquet hall, adding endless elegance to the guests and enhancing the banquet's enthusiasm and extraordinary atmosphere.
Meanwhile, a highly skilled orchestra is playing the unique music of Winter City. The melodies are melodious and stirring, like the warm sun in the cold winter wind, warming people's hearts.
Dozens of beautiful and graceful dancers danced to the music.
Their dance moves were like fairies in the snow, graceful and elegant.
Faced with this scene, Zhou Qingfeng did not hold back his praise and appreciation.
Zhou Qingfeng clapped enthusiastically and cheered loudly, encouraging Ye Tingxiu, Xiao Hongyun, the old cripple, Master Chen, Jin Wei, and others who were with him to enjoy the feast to the fullest, eat heartily, drink freely, and revel in the joy.
Since Lord Jiang Xun is so 'hospitable', they should naturally not fail to repay this 'deep friendship'.
"Nephew, are you satisfied?" Jiang Xun raised his wine cup at the head of the table and asked Zhou Qingfeng.
Zhou Qingfeng raised his glass in return: "Extremely satisfied. Uncle Jiang's hospitality is truly appreciated."
Jiang Xun smiled and said, "Since you are satisfied, my dear nephew, why don't you stay here with your uncle for a while longer?"
Zhou Qingfeng downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, casually set it aside, then picked up his chopsticks to savor the delicious food, saying with elegant manners, "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Jiang, but I am burdened with the important task of finding treasure and cannot stay in Winter City for long."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xun slowly sipped his wine and casually mentioned the Xi Yi Treasure: "Nephew, instead of cooperating with those rogue cultivators to excavate the Xi Yi Treasure, why not consider cooperating with me?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng maintained his smile, but narrowed his eyes as his thoughts raced.
As expected, Jiang Xun finally revealed his true intentions, and I knew this banquet was no ordinary event.
Jiang Xun is now powerful and has the advantage of home ground, while we are outnumbered and weak. If it weren't for the support of the powerful Sword Tower City, the treasure map and key in our hands would have been forcibly taken away long ago.
Having failed in their previous schemes, they are now trying to seize the treasure under the guise of 'cooperation'.
If someone actually agrees to cooperate, then they would be a complete idiot.
As I said before, cooperation is based on the premise that both parties are evenly matched.
Any cooperation other than this is nothing more than the strong using the guise of 'cooperation' to exploit and plunder the weak.
I currently lack the resources for cooperation. If I were to cooperate with Jiang Xun, the only outcome would be for me to be at Jiang Xun's mercy, losing control and distribution of the Xiyi Treasure, and ultimately only obtaining a tiny fraction of it.
Moreover, if Jiang Xun had truly been sincere in his desire to cooperate, his first priority would not have been to devise a plan to seize the treasure himself, but rather to send someone to make contact and demonstrate his sincerity. The situation would never have escalated to the point of irreconcilable enmity we see today.
To put it bluntly, Jiang Xun wanted to devour the treasure in one bite.
Cooperating with him would be a complete waste of time and effort.
Zhou Qingfeng remained expressionless and said with a smile, "Uncle Jiang, of course we can cooperate, but I'm worried that if we take the treasure, you might turn your back on us and keep all the treasure. I'd be helpless then."
Jiang Li frowned slightly: "Special Envoy Zhou, please watch your words. Our Jiang family has stood for six hundred years, and our family reputation cannot be tarnished. Since we are talking about cooperation, how could we do something so faithless?"
Zhou Qingfeng quickly slapped his mouth, pretending to have misspoke, and laughed, "Sorry, sorry, just kidding. I'll punish myself with a drink."
Jiang Xun watched Zhou Qingfeng's act with a smile, pretending to be very sincere, and said, "Nephew, we can sign a cooperation agreement. It's in black and white, with proof and evidence. The Jiang family's 600-year reputation guarantees it, so there will absolutely be no problems."
"Of course, this is by no means coercion. Nephew, don't overthink it. Cooperation is based on the voluntary participation of both parties. Whether or not to cooperate depends on your own willingness."
Zhou Qingfeng's face showed interest, and he tried to negotiate, "Then how should the treasure be divided?"
Jiang Xun narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, "Fifty-fifty split, or of course, thirty-seven split is also acceptable. These are all negotiable. As long as my nephew is willing to cooperate, my Jiang family is willing to make the greatest concessions."
Zhou Qingfeng said, "This...is a very important matter, I need to think about it carefully."
Jiang Xun smiled and said, "Alright, my dear nephew, there's no need to make a decision so quickly. You can think about it carefully when you get back. As long as you are willing to cooperate, your uncle's door will always be open to you."
Zhou Qingfeng raised his glass, his face showing gratitude: "Uncle Jiang's kindness is something I will certainly consider carefully. I'd like to toast you, Uncle."
Jiang Xun raised his cup in return: "Nephew, you're too kind."
Zhou Qingfeng played along, inwardly sneering. What a load of rubbish! Six hundred years of reputation as collateral? It might fool those stupid as pigs and dogs, but trying to fool him? Don't even think about it.
Take the division of the treasure, for example; there are just too many ways to manipulate things.
The simplest way is to avoid entering the treasure trove, thus remaining unaware of its extent.
It was said to be a 50/50 or 30/70 split, but when it came to actually dividing the profits, it could be that Jiang Xun swallowed 99.9% of the profits, and then took out 0.1% to split with himself 50/50 or 30/70.
No matter how detailed the cooperation agreement is, there will always be countless pitfalls waiting for you.
This is the predicament faced when the weak and the strong cooperate: the strong can, without violating the cooperation agreement, rightfully and honorably devour the weak, leaving not even a trace.
As night fell, the banquet came to a successful conclusion, with guests and hosts enjoying themselves and departing one after another.
Only Jiang Xun and Jiang Li, grandfather and granddaughter, remained in the hall for a private discussion.
Jiang Li asked in a low voice, "Grandpa, will Zhou Qingfeng believe us?"
Jiang Xun stroked the exquisite glass moonlight cup in his hand and chuckled, "Whether he believes it or not is irrelevant. I never expected him to believe it. I was just paving a way out for him. Once he sees the reality, he will come to me for 'cooperation'."
Jiang Li's eyes gleamed with admiration and awe: "Grandpa has thought things through carefully and planned ahead. He is certain that no matter how capable Zhou Qingfeng is, he will ultimately not be able to escape your grasp."
Jiang Xun put down his wine cup, walked up to Jiang Li, and affectionately patted her head: "Li, why did you seem so restless at the banquet, staring at that old cripple from time to time?"
Jiang Li lowered her eyes, looking slightly confused: "I don't know why, but I always feel like I've seen that old cripple before. I thought it was just my imagination before, but seeing him again today makes me even more certain that I've seen him before, but I just can't remember where I met him."
Jiang Xun pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps his appearance and figure have changed, and he has become different with the passage of time."
"Ah Li, send someone to investigate that old cripple. He is a master under Zhou Qingfeng, with profound strength. If you have an old acquaintance with him, he might be of unexpected use in the future."
Jiang Li immediately clasped her hands in a fist and accepted the order: "Yes, Master."
Outside the banquet hall, on the way back to the mansion, Zhou Qingfeng teased, "Mr. Liao, the wicked woman Jiang Li you mentioned, could she be Jiang Xun, the granddaughter of City Lord Jiang Xun?"
"I noticed she kept looking at you tonight, as if she recognized you."
The old cripple shuffled along with his cane, confirming, "Yes, it's her. But she didn't recognize me. Otherwise, given her temper, she would have settled accounts with me long ago. Why would she let me leave the banquet so easily?"
Zhou Qingfeng joked, "If there's really no other way, why don't you marry into the Jiang family? That way, I'll be related to the Jiang family, and maybe we can turn hostility into friendship, and the cooperation will be a natural thing to do."
The old cripple stopped in his tracks upon hearing this, glancing sideways at Zhou Qingfeng: "You brat, are you trying to sell me out?"
Zhou Qingfeng replied with a smile, "Why not? You'll marry a beautiful woman, and my treasure hunt will proceed smoothly. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation? Of course, if you're not willing, I won't force you."
The old cripple waved his hands repeatedly, categorically denying it: "Absolutely impossible! I came only to protect your safety, not to be used as a bargaining chip."
"I am completely innocent, my heart belongs to someone else, and I will never have any involvement with other women, not even if it's just a casual fling."
"At worst, I'll fight to the death and get you out of this mess!"
After hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng scratched his head and smiled, then said no more.
Indeed, if the old cripple had truly intended to marry into the family, he probably wouldn't have ended up in this state.
Moreover, given his current appearance, Jiang Li probably wouldn't even look at him.