Star Trace Gate

On the bank of Jingshuitan, Wu Yuanjun stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the white python quietly, feeling very confused.

Why does it show such love for its offspring? This is really unusual...

"Please leave, Your Majesty." Wu Yuanjun spoke respectfully.

In the eyes of Wu Yuanjun's tribe, this descendant of the white python is the incarnation of the contemporary Heavenly Sovereign. Its status in the tribe is slightly higher than that of the witch master, and it is over 300 years old this year. It has accompanied two witch masters. In terms of seniority, Wu Yuanjun has to call it Grandpa Bai.

Upon hearing that, the white python retracted its body and flew into the clear water pond.

When it fell into the water, a trace of loneliness flashed in its blood-red eyes, just like an old man guarding an empty house and a candlestick alone, pitiful and lonely.

However, that's the extent of its intimacy.

On the ground, Gui Tou Dao knelt there, not daring to say anything or look up.

Wu Yuanjun stared at him blankly and asked softly, "Have you been to Jingshuitan?"

These words obviously had ulterior motives, because in Wu Yuanjun's "memory", these six gentlemen were of ordinary origin, and were all descendants of very side branches of the clan.

But why did the white python treat him in a special way?

Upon hearing this, Gui Tou Dao naturally did not dare to talk nonsense, because he was just a spy in this star gate, and he had to correct this mentality, otherwise it would only backfire.

The more you talk, the more loopholes you have.

He paused for a moment, and thought of what to say. He just clasped his fists and replied, "Master Witch, when I was young, I was weak and sickly. My grandfather was afraid that I would die young, so he asked the elders of the tribe for a folk remedy, and then he went to the cold pond all day to pick spiritual python grass, and then boiled medicine for me to take. It was not until I was a teenager that my body became much stronger, and most of the poisonous snakes and giant pythons in southern Xinjiang would not harm me. Thinking about it carefully... maybe I was contaminated with the scent of spiritual python grass, so just now... the old... the old Lord felt that I was a little close to him."

Wu Yuanjun pondered for a moment, then changed the subject calmly: "You only have one chance to say one word. What is the most urgent matter?"

"Reporting to the witch master, around the hour of Xu today, two captains under Niu Xi's command may lead some rebels to burn down the granary in Funan County in order to avenge my master for arresting Niu Xi." Gui Toudao knelt on the ground and replied very quickly.

Wu Yuanjun looked at him and said, "How did you know that the two captains under Niu Xi were going to set fire to the grain? And you even knew the time and place of the action so clearly?"

"Earlier, you said in the hall that Funan County should allocate food and grass in advance to prepare for the uprising. In addition, I know that Niu Xi's subordinates are all loyal generals. Now that their master has been arrested, these people may do extreme things." Gui Tou Dao said in a steady voice and clear logic: "My three armies are ready for battle, and food and grass are naturally the most important things. Therefore, I secretly planted a local snake in Funan County in advance to serve as an eye and ear. He had sent a message earlier that The two captains seem to be going to take action against the granary at 12:00 today, but the specific action needs to be investigated in detail. I gave this person a talisman and told him that if he encountered an emergency, he could crush the talisman and I would definitely sense it within a hundred miles. Just now, I suddenly felt the talisman shatter in prison... So I inferred that this spy might have been killed, or maybe he found out something and the thieves were about to take action. And the rebels definitely couldn't take the granary and the baggage, so they must have set it on fire."

Wu Yuanjun paused for a moment and said, "You mean that you were able to discover this important information because you anticipated the enemy's advance?"

"The witch master once said that the commander who only looks at himself is a mediocre person; the commander who only looks far is a general; the commander who only looks far is a commander." Gui Tou Dao replied respectfully, "Although I am not a commander, I also want to share my master's worries and try my best to remove the difficulties. Niu Xi's subordinates are too loyal, and the situation in Bulao Mountain has been turbulent for a long time. I can see this, not because I am smart, but because I think too much."

"How many spies do you have?" asked Wu Yuanjun.

"In order to prevent the news from leaking out, I only have one informant, but he may have many spies under him." Gui Toudao replied.

There was only one spy, and he also pinched a talisman, which means... this person might be dead, and dead people cannot be verified.

Wu Yuanjun glanced at the ghost-head knife indifferently, then waved at the man in the stone pavilion.

Soon, the man left quickly, and Wu Yuanjun looked down at Guitoudao and said softly, "Stay outside the courtyard and wait. You will know whether it is true or not in a moment."

"Yes, sir!" Gui Toudao responded with a fist.

Wu Yuanjun just walked past him without saying a word.

……

Nearly three hours passed in a flash.

Wu Yuanjun was still sitting in the stone pavilion, drinking and writing and drawing on rice paper and folded papers.

After a while, the man with a stern face and cloth clothes returned.

After he entered the pavilion, he bowed and said, "Reporting to the witch master, Funan County reported that a total of 74 people were arrested. The leaders were indeed two captains under Niu Xi, and the rest were ordinary soldiers. They were carrying a large number of things that could burn fires and things that could destroy things, and the place where they were arrested was less than two miles away from the large warehouse in Funan County. That... Gui Tou Dao was right. The purpose of these people was to set fire to the warehouse and take revenge."

"How many big fish did you catch with one cast of the net yesterday?" Wu Yuanjun asked calmly.

"Most of the generals under Niu Xi have been captured and taken to various camps, and are under strict control. Only a small number of generals have escaped, but the number is not large. In addition to these two loyal men, there are only four generals with a thousand households or above who have escaped, but they have few soldiers around them."

"If Gui Tou Dao hadn't reported it in time, would my granary camp be safe and sound?" Wu Yuanjun turned his head and asked.

When the stern man heard this, he lowered his head in silence.

"There are so many spies in Funan County, but they are not as good as a discarded person. Have they forgotten how to fight because they have been idle for too long?!" Wu Yuanjun frowned and said, "Capture the generals who are responsible for guarding the warehouse and wait for punishment; the rest of the generals who are implicated will be dismissed from their posts and put in jail."

"Yes."

The man responded immediately.

After thinking for a while, Wu Yuanjun turned his head and looked at the butler: "Send Guitoudao over for questioning."

"Yes!" The butler left after hearing that.

Not long after, Gui Tou Dao knelt outside the pavilion again.

Inside the pavilion, Wu Yuanjun called the other party over but did not ask any questions. He just continued writing and drawing on the paper, and his attitude could not be seen.

"Master, please give me another chance to redeem myself and prove my innocence!" Gui Toudao prostrated himself and said excitedly, "I swear! Heaven and earth can attest to my loyalty to you, Master, and I will never betray you. If I tell a lie, my whole family will die a miserable death and will never be able to be reborn."

For some reason, Wu Yuanjun felt a little irritated when he heard this oath: "Niu Xi and I once swore by the cold pond that we would live and die together and never betray each other. But now, hasn't he still defected to the court and wanted to push me into a desperate situation? In this world, those who swear are stupid, and those who keep their oaths are even more stupid."

Gui Tou Dao was speechless.

Wu Yuanjun slowly raised his head and said to Guitoudao, "I only believe what I hear with my ears, see with my eyes, and feel with my heart. Your timely report just now did save some losses for the warehouse in Funan County, which is a meritorious service."

When Gui Tou Dao heard this, he felt a little relieved, because he didn't have any secret informants at all, and what he said before was just made up stories and excuses.

However, among the many major events that took place in Bulao Mountain, he had some impressions and memories of a small part of them.

After all, he was only eight years old at the time, and many things in the clan were not his business. He himself had no interest in finding out and was only concerned with his studies and fun.

But he knew that two generals under Niu Xi had set fire to the granary.

Why?

Because he remembered very clearly that he was very happy on the day he got the Thousand Poisons Book, but he never expected that around 10:00 p.m., a letter would arrive from Funan County informing the witch master that two large warehouses had been burned and a lot of food and supplies had been lost.

The people who set fire to the grain were the two "judges" who escaped from the Wohu Temple. They did this because they were angry that the witch master had captured Niu Xi.

This incident made Wu Yuanjun furious. He only ate half of his meal before throwing the bowl on the ground and did not return to the family compound to rest that day. Therefore, Gui Tou Dao was deeply impressed by this incident.

But he was actually "gambling with his life" by taking the initiative to announce the matter at this moment. If he had a choice, he would not do so.

Because the stories that evolved in the secret realm are often different from real stories, and there are some changes. If the fire and burning of grain had not happened today, he would probably be dead, and would probably be swallowed by Grandpa Bai in the clean water pond, and excreted smoothly the next morning...

In the pavilion.

Wu Yuanjun looked at Guitoudao and added softly, "Since you have done a good job, I will give you another chance. Guitoudao, listen carefully. I have sent someone to send a new task to the secret room. Except for Weng Sanren, the other five of you six gentlemen will go together. If you do a good job, you will be exempted from the crime and cleared of suspicion; if you don't do a good job, it will not be as simple as being imprisoned. Do you understand?"

"I am grateful for your kindness. I would rather die than delay my master's important business on this mission." Gui Toudao almost cried for joy, because these words meant that he was re-employed.

"Take him away." Wu Yuanjun waved his hand.

"Guitoudao, please come this way." The man with a stern face greeted him lightly and took Guitoudao away.

In the stone pavilion.

The housekeeper looked at the witch master with a puzzled look, and asked softly: "This ghost-head knife, I don't quite understand it."

"What don't you understand?"

"All his explanations cannot be verified." The housekeeper frowned and said, "He said that he only had one spy in Funan County, and this person had already crushed the talisman. In this way, if you want to meet this spy, he can use the fact that this person is dead to shirk responsibility. In other words, the source of the military information reported by Gui Toudao cannot be traced..."

Wu Yuanjun turned his head and looked at him, his eyes bright as he asked, "Can you fish?"

The butler was stunned and shook his head slowly.

"Bait is a must for fishing." Wu Yuanjun replied with his hands behind his back, "When we captured Niu Xi earlier, he fought for the red brocade bag and got the most difficult job. He just wanted to win my trust. In the process of capturing him, he also revealed Niu Xi's secrets. Now, he is related to the case in the family compound and reported the burning of the granary... This person has a heavy shadow in several incidents, and I don't believe him. This person was either sent by the court, or by Daqian, or..."

"What is it?" the housekeeper was puzzled.

"Also, he is indeed extremely utilitarian, which is why he revealed so many flaws. Such a person is not fit for important tasks." When Wu Yuanjun said this, he turned his head and looked at the stone table.

Next to the stack of folded papers placed on it, there was a piece of rice paper with six names written on it.

The names are: Master Fo, Weng Sanren and six others.

Wu Yuanjun looked at the paper and said calmly, "This person cannot be the final 'minister to be entrusted with the care of the orphan'. The other five people still need to be observed."

The butler was stunned for a moment: "Then you still let him participate in tonight...?"

"I'll say it again. You need bait to fish." Wu Yuanjun said with a smile, "If he is someone sent by the court or Daqian, he will definitely reveal his true colors later. This may be used... but we need to choose someone to keep an eye on him."

After that, he pointed to a name on the paper.

……

On the way back to the secret room, Guitoudao was very excited. He felt that he had come back to life, his bet was right, and at least he was back in the competitive position.

[Once again, I regret to inform you that because of your various actions, I am full of doubts. 】

[You have been identified as a suspected spy, and have been given the special title of this secret realm - "Self-destructor", and your trust value has plummeted to 1 point.]

[Note, since you have activated the title of a self-destructor and have been identified as a suspected spy, if you cannot regain the trust of the witch master within a short period of time, you are in danger of being executed at any time.]

[A warm reminder from the Secret Realm of Bulao Mountain: The more you talk, the faster you die; the more utilitarian you are, the easier it is to fail. Memory is an advantage, but it may also be a disadvantage... Please use it with caution.]

After hearing Xingmen's reminder, Gui Tou Dao became dazed, numb, and wanted to die and go crazy.

"Damn Heaven... You are definitely taking revenge on me for using you before!" Gui Tou Dao cried inwardly, "This is not a reminder, this is a straightforward and naked punishment from Heaven."

This punishment is too severe, it is equivalent to forcibly triggering the death mechanism.

After being ambushed by Ren Ye with the Ghost Head Knife, he took various suspicious remedial actions, which aroused the suspicion of the Witch Master. He also did use the rules of heaven in the matter of Qingliang Mansion.

……

Outside the dining room.

Ren Ye and Big Fat Dragon had just finished their supper when they saw the butler running towards them.

"Mr. Buddha, please stay. The witch master wants to see you..." the butler shouted, panting.

Ren was also stunned for a moment, but before he could speak, the fat dragon took the initiative to ask: "Did the witch master call me?"

"Please move aside. I want to talk to Master Fo." The butler reached out and pulled the fat dragon away.

"You little dog slave, you are so snobbish..." Big Fat Dragon secretly hated: "If this kind of person were in my territory, he would definitely not survive once."