Chapter 373

Chapter 373: The Black Cloaked Strategist’s Scheme

Ji Shaolong, the Black-Clothed Marquis was one of the most outstanding martial arts lords in the Cold Moon Dynasty, ranked among the top ten in both strength and status. His future had once been incredibly bright, and with the fall of the Cold Moon Dynasty, individuals like him had drawn unprecedented attention.

Now, however, his actions left everyone speechless.

The moon-returning dragon trembled with rage and shouted, “Ji Shaolong, you…!”

His Holy Body nearly suffered another backlash on the spot.

Gu Qianmu glared at Ji Shaolong, his expression filled with fury, wishing he could strike him down immediately.

But Ji Shaolong remained calm and said lightly, “Ten years ago, the Black Cloaked Strategist selected a hundred promising individuals from the Taixu Dynasty and arranged for them to infiltrate the Cold Moon Dynasty. I was fortunate enough to be one of them. Thanks to a series of opportunities orchestrated by the Strategist, I became a martial arts lord earlier than most and integrated into the inner circle of the Cold Moon Dynasty, gathering valuable intelligence."

"I also stirred internal strife, inciting conflicts among several major families. The bloodshed in the imperial capital a few years ago, that was my doing.”

“I knew the Crown Prince had never given up on identifying the traitor behind the scenes and suspected someone planted by the Taixu Dynasty. So I sent messages in advance, warning that I might be exposed.”

“The Strategist subtly adjusted his plans, allowing you to bring me here. That made this operation possible.”

“I am returning to the Taixu Dynasty, an honor, and I will serve by the Strategist’s side.”

His words struck like hammers, driving the moon-returning dragon, Gu Qianmu, and the others of the Cold Moon Dynasty to the edge of madness.

This highly trusted Black-Clothed Marquis turned out to be from the Taixu Dynasty all along.

Earlier, Zhan Feiyu, the Fish Dragon Marquis, had already been exposed and killed in the Abyss of the Buried Immortals. That made two traitorous martial arts lords, both of whom the Cold Moon Dynasty had thoroughly investigated and once held in high regard.

But what shocked everyone most was the name Ji Shaolong had mentioned:

The Black Cloaked Strategist.

All across the Western Desert, expressions of fear spread like wildfire.

Even someone like Gu Qianmu felt his heart tremble with dread.

The moon-returning dragon gritted his teeth and said, “The Black Cloaked Strategist is alive… He’s back to stir chaos again.”

“Not just alive,” Ji Shaolong replied. “He has spent the past ten years in seclusion, perfecting a grand scheme. Now that he’s returned, it marks the beginning of a great upheaval in the Western Desert. To begin with, the Strategist will use the blood of the Lord of the Sacred Forest, Zhang Yang, to consecrate his blade. I believe Zhang Yang is already dead by now. So, Crown Prince, please proceed with your journey.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Shaolong plunged his sword downward.

Swoosh!

The blade pierced the young pregnant woman’s throat, emerging cleanly from the back of her neck.

She died on the spot.

“No!”

“Yuchan!”

“My child!”

The moon-returning dragon’s vision darkened. He vomited blood and suffered a violent backlash from his Holy Body.

At that moment, the door burst open.

Two figures at the Great Boundless Stage stormed in, charging straight toward Bing Yuyan and Gu Qianmu.

With a single strike, three lives were taken.

Zi Tian Pavilion.

This was the residence assigned to the Taixu Dynasty delegation for the conference of peak power.

Its design and cost matched that of the Bi Tian Pavilion, both constructed by the Crimson Flame Dynasty. However, the Zi Tian Pavilion was located on the southeastern street of the Crimson Flame Palace, separated from the Bi Tian Pavilion by a dense cluster of other palaces, clearly a deliberate arrangement by the Crimson Flame Dynasty.

At that moment, the Zi Tian Pavilion was occupied by Jin Liuli, the head of the Hunters’ Guild from the Taixu Dynasty.

She was strikingly beautiful, with long legs and a venomous heart that belied her arrogant demeanor. Her expression carried an air of superiority, as if she had no need to care about the power around her.

On the table before her lay four scrolls.

Across from her sat four individuals.

One was Lu Hengkong, Son of the Sunlit Sacred Land.

Another was Jin Poxu, Son of the Golden Crow Sacred Land.

Then there was Yun Tianhuang, Son of the Burial Sacred Land.

And lastly, Xue Jianyi, Son of the Nine Nether Caverns Sacred Land.

These four young men were the revered heirs of their respective holy lands, holding tremendous authority and prestige in the Western Desert.

Their expressions were cold, some of them even showed undisguised hostility in their eyes.

But Jin Liuli paid them no mind. She remained proud and aloof, completely uninterested in the power of the four holy lands. Pointing at the four scrolls before her, she said indifferently, “I wonder if the four of you are interested in my proposal.”

The four responded only with cold silence.

After a long pause, Lu Hengkong finally replied, his voice frosty, “Head Jin is as domineering as ever, daring to openly display martial secrets that belong to our four sacred lands. Are you not afraid of provoking our wrath?”

“Wrath?” Jin Liuli scoffed. “So what if I do? Do any of you actually dare to lay a hand on me?”

Her arrogance infuriated all four Sons.

Jin Liuli spoke with disdain, “If you want to make a move, then do it quickly! I’m not afraid. The more, the better! Let’s fight for real! Do you really think that just because Zhang Yang used external forces to strike at our Taixu Dynasty a little, you now have the right to provoke us? Don’t be childish! If that were truly the case, then why did you all retreat back then? When our Second Generation Ancestor appeared with a mere Immortal Artifact, you had to obediently withdraw. Had our Taixu Dynasty truly disregarded the consequences, more than eighty Saints from your side would’ve been buried!”

She remained as audacious as ever.

The issue was that the four Sons felt an overwhelming pressure from her boldness, making it difficult for any of them to lash out.

Before attending the conference for the peak of power, each had received strict orders from their respective Lords of the Sacred Forest to avoid unnecessary conflict with the Taixu Dynasty.

It was clear that the Taixu Dynasty remained the most formidable force in the Western Desert.

“The Strategist said it best, we should not force people beyond their limits. We must give others a chance,” Jin Liuli continued. “If news of Zhang Yang and the moon-returning dragon’s deaths arrives, I ask that the four of you take your martial arts secrets and withdraw from this conference. How does that sound?”

The four Sons stood up in shock.

They didn’t even process the second half of her statement, the first two words alone had struck them like lightning.

Strategist!

Their faces were filled with horror.

Jin Liuli wore a mocking, disdainful smile.

“Which Strategist are you referring to?” Lu Hengkong asked in a deep voice.

The other three Sons also stared at her intently.

Given Jin Liuli’s pride and dominance, it was clear that she was almost jealous of the Strategist’s fame.

“In the Western Desert, aside from our Taixu Dynasty’s Black Cloaked Strategist, who else deserves to be called ‘Strategist’?” she said proudly. “Calling anyone else by that title would be an insult, not just to me, but to the Black Cloaked Strategist himself. In the entire Western Desert, there is only one person worthy of that name, and that is the Black Cloaked Strategist!”

The expressions of the four Sons shifted dramatically.

They were so shocked that one of them involuntarily swallowed hard, another trembling slightly.

Though they belonged to the so-called new generation, they were already in their thirties to fifties. They had grown up hearing tales of the Black Cloaked Strategist’s rise. Some of their ancestors had perished because of him—they knew the legend well.

The name of the Black Cloaked Strategist had loomed large throughout their lives.

Just hearing those four words made their blood run cold, as if they were invoking a curse.

“He really isn’t dead…” Lu Hengkong murmured, his voice trembling.

Yun Tianhuang, the Son of Burial Sacred Land, added softly, “When enraged, the skies of the Western Desert turn red with blood. When provoked, the entire desert trembles in fear. One man equals three hundred Saints. A single word can destroy a million troops. One smile, and the winds and clouds shift across the land.”

These were the legends left behind by the Black Cloaked Strategist during his two decades of madness.

In the Western Desert, he was akin to a god of death.

“If, in the last century, no, in the last thousand years, there was one person whose achievements could remotely compare to the Black Cloaked Strategist, it would be Zhang Yang,” Lu Hengkong said. “His battle at Heavenly Reaching Mountain was extraordinary, but it was only one battle. The Black Cloaked Strategist has nearly fifty such feats to his name.”

Jin Liuli sneered. “Zhang Yang is nothing. He’s not even worthy to carry the Black Cloaked Strategist’s shoes. Let me make this clear: Zhang Yang’s arrogance is exactly why the Strategist will make him his first target upon returning. He should’ve already stepped into the trap laid out for him. He’s doomed!”

“Of course, you’re free to doubt him. Anyone who believes the Black Cloaked Strategist can’t kill Zhang Yang is welcome to walk away from this opportunity.”

The four Sons exchanged glances, then slowly reached for the scrolls containing their martial arts secrets.

In doing so, they not only affirmed their belief in the Black Cloaked Strategist’s impending victory, they also showed complete disdain for Zhang Yang’s chances of survival.

The Black Cloaked Strategist’s fearsome reputation had already carved itself into the soul of the Western Desert. No one dared to challenge it.