The eye embedded in the border battlefield belonged to Zhuo Liu, an A-Class member of the Sky-Eye Division.
The Sky-Eye Division had four ranks: A, B, C, and D. There were twenty-eight A-Class members in total, corresponding to the twenty-eight provinces of Great Wei.
The Sky-Eye Division's exclusive divine power, the Heaven-Penetrating Eye, allowed its users to cultivate hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of eyes, truly achieving a "handful of Heaven-Penetrating Eyes."
Every A-Class member possessed at least a thousand eyes and had cultivation at Fifth Grade or higher, thus they were also called the Thousand-Eyed A-Class Division.
Above them were two superior eyes, "Yin" and "Yang", belonging to the two Chiefs of the Sky-Eye Division.
Zhuo Liu oversaw the Autumn Peace Road among the six northern circuits, which also included parts of the border where the Qingman fought against Great Wei. Some of his subordinates were even responsible for exchanging military intelligence with Great Wei.
When Zhuo Liu sensed abnormal activity from one of his eyes, his first thought was that the battlefield had expanded and spread into that area.
He was about to move that eye to safety when it was suddenly pressed down by someone.
Zhuo Liu froze for a moment, then sneered inwardly.
So, someone had discovered it...
Overestimating themselves. Did they think his eyes were so easily handled?
And yet, this person even dared to propose a transaction. Normally, people lined up begging to trade with the Sky-Eye Division, who did this man think he was, to speak in such an arrogant tone?
Still, since the other party could locate one of his "eye points," Zhuo Liu became slightly wary, curious to see what trick this person wanted to play.
The next words he heard, however, made him pause completely.
The daughter of Gu Yuye possessed a holy relic of the Tara Sect?
Zhuo Liu frowned. This fellow was clearly making things up, couldn't even fabricate something logically?
The Tara Sect's sacred artifact had been missing for so many years that even the Sky-Eye Division couldn't find its whereabouts. How could it suddenly appear on the little princess of the Northern Garrison Prince's mansion?
There was not the slightest connection between the two.
Zhuo Liu said coldly,
"What evidence do you have to prove the authenticity of this information?"
Gu Fangchen spoke lazily,
"I do have evidence. You only need to capture Gu Lianqian, strip her flesh, shave her bones, and drink her blood, you'll naturally understand what the Lotus Concealed in the Womb truly is."
Gu Lianqian being the reincarnation of Kong Zhao was mere coincidence, not part of any deliberate scheme, so naturally there was no tangible evidence.
The only proof was Gu Lianqian herself.
The peacock reincarnated once every five hundred years, and by chance, this time had been reborn as Gu Lianqian.
The quest line related to Gu Lianqian in the game was titled "When Will the Lotus Bloom."
She always believed herself to be Gu Yuye's pride, foolishly devoting her life to his service. In youth she thought herself a chivalrous heroine; when grown, she believed she was defending her homeland. But every single time, she had merely been laying bricks for the Northern Garrison Prince's ambition, unaware of how many true loyalists she had slaughtered.
Even after Gu Yuye's true face was exposed, she still believed the evildoings were committed by the Demon Sect and that Gu Yuye had been framed.
It was only after following Gu Yuye all the way into the Qingman territories that she realized Gu Yuye had long since betrayed Great Wei.
Only then did Gu Lianqian awaken to the truth, and in utter remorse and collapse, for the first time raised her sword against her father, begging him to turn back.
But to the gravely wounded Gu Yuye at that time, she was nothing more than a living heavenly treasure.
When the lotus bloomed, her life would wither.
Gu Yuye used the Lotus Concealed in the Womb to reshape his meridians, ascended to Second Grade, and formally joined the Qingman ranks.
A tragedy through and through.
"Absurd!"
Everyone knew Gu Lianqian was the Northern Garrison Prince's cherished daughter. This man was actually talking about killing her.
Did he have a death wish?
Zhuo Liu felt he had been made a fool of and laughed in fury.
"If Gu Lianqian truly possesses the Lotus Concealed in the Womb, why not simply say where it is? What nonsense is this about cutting flesh and drinking blood, "
Halfway through his words, he suddenly froze.
The Lotus Concealed in the Womb had vanished long ago, together with the sixth-generation Saintess.
And that Saintess was of the peacock lineage...
If she had reincarnated carrying the Lotus Concealed in the Womb and became Gu Lianqian, wouldn't that mean Gu Lianqian herself was the Lotus Concealed in the Womb?
Zhuo Liu's pupils contracted as the realization struck, and a chill crawled up his spine.
But he quickly recovered and barked coldly,
"Nonsense! Since you have no proof, what kind of deal are you proposing?"
Gu Fangchen shook his head with a faint smile.
"You've misunderstood. That's not the information I'm selling, it's the price you'll pay."
"I want you to spread this news as fast as possible. Within one day, everyone must know it. As for the proof, well... figure that out yourselves."
"As for the information you're actually buying, it's another one."
With a wave of his hand, Gu Fangchen conjured an image of Great Wei's map in midair.
Zhuo Liu almost laughed out loud. Had he met a lunatic?
"Who in Great Wei hasn't seen its map? You're selling me that?"
Gu Fangchen smiled, eyes curved.
"Then look a little closer."
Zhuo Liu didn't expect to see anything special, but Gu Fangchen's series of bizarre statements had already provoked his contrarian curiosity, he wanted to see just what madness would come next.
Meanwhile, he quietly sent word to his subordinates stationed in the Autumn Peace Road, ordering them to "teach this ignorant fool a lesson."
But the instant his gaze focused on the image, his hand froze mid-gesture.
His eyes widened. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Every single mark on that map corresponded to one of his own "eye points."
Every single one, throughout the entire Autumn Peace Road!
Gu Fangchen sighed with mock regret.
"My memory isn't perfect, so some locations might be slightly off, but I'd say the deviation isn't much."
The Sky-Eye Division's planted eyes could indeed be relocated, but mass relocation was a tedious process. Most of the time, they remained fixed in position.
Gu Fangchen could only use this trick once.
Next time, the Sky-Eye Division would definitely change all coordinates.
But at this moment, this was enough to terrify them.
The Sky-Eye Division's greatest mystery lay precisely in those hidden eye-points, the core of their intelligence network.
In simple terms, they were like invisible spy lenses planted across the realm.
Now that their positions had been exposed, the entire intelligence system of the Sky-Eye Division would crumble, because it also implicated their informants.
Zhuo Liu spoke with difficulty,
"Who are you?"
"Me?"
Gu Fangchen grinned.
"A dead man. Whoever you think I am, that's who I'll be."
"Well? Will you buy this intelligence or not? Of course, you're welcome to come find me. But before you do, I can't guarantee how many others might learn of it first."
Zhuo Liu fell silent for a moment. After receiving affirmation from the Yin Chief, he finally said, "Buy."
He sighed inwardly.
He didn't know what grudge this person held against the Gu family, but to direct such poison toward the young princess...
Once this message spread, every sect, openly or secretly, would hunt Gu Lianqian. The temptation of the Lotus Concealed in the Womb was far too great.
Gu Fangchen, however, was entirely satisfied.
Poor Gu Lianqian, she thought the martial world's greatest danger lay in its treachery.
But truly..
How could the martial world ever be more sinister than Gu Fangchen?