Ye Tian was carried into a courtyard in the slums. The faded colors of the outside walls were a facade to hide the inner workings of the rebel army. Inside the main building, desks filled the room while rebel officers carried stacks of paper around. With tens of people working, there should have been plenty of chatter, but a silence demonstrated how disciplined the rebel army was.

The blue-robed man received silent greetings from the working officers who spared a moment only out of respect. Ye Tian looked around in awe. This was a headquarter for the rebels, and it was planted in the capital of the province—right under everyone's noses.

Ye Tian was brought into an office where General Zhao was reading through documents. On a couch near the wall, the silver-haired brat, from the banquet, scrunched up his face at the Go board. His opponent was a woman who had tied up her hair in a bun—a favorite of female combatants.

She patiently waited for the next move with a gentle smile.

However, the brat lost his composure and flipped the Go board, "This is so annoying! Why do I have to play this? In a real war, it's all about throwing troops against the enemy."

The woman lectured, "Zhao Xia, there is no such thing as unlimited supply. Sooner or later, you will run out of men. What then? Your enemies are specks of sand in a desert, and your allies scarce like water. You will take up the mantle of the general one day, so you must learn."

Zhao Xia covered his ears and turned away from the nagging. He was no stranger to the lectures, and the woman soon fell silent after seeing him act up.

Ye Tian gave the boy a second look.

He's taken General Zhao's surname? Is he a bastard child? Whatever it is, this will surely blow out of proportions once revealed to the public. Most people will think little of a disciple, but a son will attract many attempts at his life.

Ye Tian soon began to sweat at this realization. Such secrets would only be kept to the General's closest confidants. Ye Tian—a stranger—is not someone who should be hearing such things. Was he going to be silenced?

General Zhao finished reading the documents and greeted Ye Tian, "Elder Ye, I'm afraid there has been an attempt on your life."

"Yes, it would seem so,"  Ye Tian grimly replied. "What does a general of the rebels want with little me?"

"We have common enemies."

"Common enemies?" Ye Tian muttered before coming to a realization. "You are implying that City Lord Deng was the mastermind?"

"I did not imply anything." General Zhao revealed a surprised look, "There are many factions capable of this undertaking, yet you seemed to have reached a final conclusion. How did you reach the conclusion that my old friend did it?"

"Old friends?" Ye Tian mocked. "Information channels are a thing. With this rebel base in the middle of the city, I refuse to believe that you, general, don't have a firm grasp on the channels."

"Yet, you know something that we didn't. How can you be so sure that the City Lord did it?"

Ye Tian didn't have any evidence, so he answered, "Intuition."

General Zhao erupted into laughter, "What a stupid answer! I thought you were pretty sharp, but it seems that I was wrong."

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The General then turned the topic away from the City Lord. Before long, the two were talking about topics from tea to war. One was a reader who had amassed knowledge while the other was a veteran with a thousand victories under his belt. Both were interested in what the other had to say.

However, with the blue-robed man and woman standing at attention since the beginning, Ye Tian couldn't help but want to get out of such a suffocating environment. The stare from the brat, Zhao Xia, was also getting on Ye Tian's nerves. Feeling as if he had guns pointed towards him, Ye Tian ended the conversation, "General Zhao, it's getting late, and I should report back to the sect residence. Perhaps we can continue our conversation some other time."

General Zhao spoke, "What a pity. It's rare to meet a person that shares similar interests and is knowledgeable. However, I certainly don't believe that this will be the last time we meet."

Ye Tian froze. He wanted nothing more than to dissociate himself from this powerful figure, but he had to keep the formalities lest the general decided to keep him here forever. He forcibly laughed, "Haha, I look forward to the day that we can discuss these topics again."

"That day will come sooner than you think," General Zhao smiled. "Elder Ye, I consider you as a kindling spirit, a trustworthy friend. I hope you can work with me as an intermediate between the rebels and the sects."

The real purpose of the General was revealed. Ye Tian forced a smile, "I'm merely a tiny elder in the sect. I neither have the authority to decide this cooperation nor the credibility to convince the sect master."

"But, amongst the sect elders here, brother Ye possesses plenty of authority, yes?"

Ye Tian noticed the change of address, "Somewhat."

"We can work together then. You'll be the intermediate between the rebel army and the sects. Wealth, power, and women will be at your fingertips if you assume this position. Even the sect master position is up for grabs if you work with us."

Ye Tian asked, "Why would the rebel army want to befriend the sects?"

"Trade channels, equipment, and even men. It never hurts to have too many resources," General Zhao replied. "What do you think, brother Ye?"

Feeling the unnatural emphasis, Ye Tian frowned, "Still, I can't make such a deal without discussing with the others."

"Of course, you will soon see how genuine our intentions are."

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Ji Xuan snapped open her eyes and stormed out from her residence, but she froze once she saw Ye Tian in the courtyard. His clothes were stained with large spots of dried blood. If Ye Tian really did stay out to enjoy the nightlife then the fun was too questionable.

Ye Tian walked over with some difficulty, "The city lord attempted assassination on me."

Ji Xuan dragged Ye Tian into her room before taking his clothes off to inspect the wounds. Any other time would've set a frivolous mood, but the metallic smell of blood was stifling. Seeing Ye Tian's emergency treatment, she let out a sigh of relief before pausing, "The city lord did what?!"

Thinking back to the night he met the mysterious lady, Ye Tian confirmed, "I'm pretty sure. There's no other reason for anyone else to have an attempt on my life. I rarely go out of sect while you're always in closed-door cultivation. We have no feuds with anyone."

Ji Xuan was unconvinced, "There could be enmity with other elders or even our sect."

"An enmity enough for them to dispatch two superior-realm elemental cultivators? Powers that could deploy such strength are rare. I can't think of anyone besides the city lord with enough power and reason to do such a thing."

"Two superior-realm elemental cultivators!" Ji Xuan gasped. "But the city lord doesn't have the reason to do so."

"That's what I thought but think from his view. What would he gain from destroying the sects? There must be a reason as to why he would waste time and effort on a neutral power. I thought about it and remembered the rumor about the city lord. If he's planning on establishing independence then the sects must be an uncertain variable in this power struggle that needs to be rid of."

Ji Xuan's face was pale as Ye Tian's theory came to a close. He observed her expression and sighed. While he confidently spoke about City Lord Deng's reason, there was one problem that overturned the entire theory. With what he knew about the sect, there was nothing that could possibly transform the sects into this uncertain variable that must be rid of. They weren't strong enough to face the City Lord. Intimidation was enough to force all 4 great sects into submission.

However, from Ji Xuan's expression, she was definitely privy to the internal secrets. It came as little surprise as her father, the punishment elder, was surely in the highest circle of authority within the sect.

But what is it that she knows?