Dual Cultivation God Returns Chapter 1067: Danger and Opportunity often live side by side

The swift, unannounced news of the Wei Dynasty's raid on the Corrupt Path's stronghold reverberated through the Martial Alliance with the speed of a thunderclap.

The local chapter of the Martial Alliance, upon hearing this, promptly dispatched its own investigators. However, their progress was halted, necessitating approval from the Imperial Family for access. This authorization, crucial for their investigation, was only granted a full twenty-four hours after the incident had concluded.

The discovery of a hidden stronghold right under their noses was a significant blow to the Wei Dynasty's prestige. Yet, it constituted an even greater scandal for the Martial Alliance. A substantial part of their authority stemmed from their role in unifying the efforts of the Righteous Path against the adversarial forces of the Evil Path, Corrupt Path, and Demonic Path.

To mitigate the embarrassment, the Dynasty adeptly shared the credit for both the discovery and the subsequent extermination. This maneuver was facilitated by the fact that their Imperial Guard Commander led the operation. Furthermore, by bestowing appropriate rewards upon him, the achievement was officially recognized as an accomplishment under the Emperor's direct purview.

In stark contrast, the Martial Alliance not only failed to detect a lair situated in the same city as their own direct branch but also received no recognition whatsoever for its location or elimination.

Lu Bihai, the leader of the Martial Alliance delegation stationed on the Soft Meadow Continent, paced his chambers, experiencing a peculiar mixture of relief and irritation. He was fortunate to be absent from the capital during this ignominious event.

His relief stemmed from escaping the potential role of scapegoat for the Martial Alliance's profound failure. As the Head of Administrative Affairs for the local branch, he was directly responsible for the internal flow of reports and information, making him a likely target for blame.

The anger, however, stemmed from the knowledge that the Martial Alliance was likely already engaged in delicate negotiations with the Imperial Family. Their objective: to devise a strategy for sharing the credit before the news became public knowledge. Naturally, the individual succeeding in brokering such a deal would undoubtedly earn significant internal accolades within the Martial Alliance.

A sharp rap on the door jolted him from his contemplations. Deactivating the sound-dampening formation that enclosed his room, he snapped irritably, "What is it?!"

"Department Head, the 9th prince of the Wei Dynasty has arrived..." came the reply from beyond the door. Lu Bihai's eyebrows arched in surprise.

"The 9th prince? What business could he have now...?" Lu Bihai mused aloud, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. However, after a deliberate, calming breath and a swift readjustment of his composure, he responded in his customary measured tone, "I shall be there momentarily."

He then paused, allowing a brief interval to pass, careful not to appear overly eager or subservient. During this brief respite, he took the opportunity to smooth his attire and erase any trace of agitation from his expression.

Subsequently, he exited the inn room, which had been repurposed as his temporary office, and proceeded to an adjacent room that had been converted into a meeting space, complete with comfortable sofas and armchairs. It was there that he formally greeted Wei Yuanjie.

Lu Bihai immediately observed that the 9th prince was now accompanied by approximately ten individuals, all clad in low-crowned bamboo hats with veils obscuring their faces. Duan Feng was also present, but the handsome young man, absent from public view since the incident involving the son of the Iron Claw Group's leader, was nowhere to be seen.

'Heh, so he's finally feeling the pressure of competing with the 5th prince face to face? It appears that his handsome friend has become a liability as well... although there are rumors he's left the continent entirely... perhaps that's why he feels the need for additional protection? That fellow is said to be incredibly formidable, after all. Without him, the prince is indeed more vulnerable...', Lu Bihai mused inwardly as he took a seat opposite the prince, a broad smile fixed on his face. "To what do I owe the honor and pleasure, Your Highness?"

"Oh well~, you know, I found myself with ample free time... and we never did conclude that conversation we started over wine, where you offered me counsel. Though, it is a somewhat personal matter for me..." Wei Yuanjie did not offer a direct reply immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze towards Lu Bihai's aide, who had guided them to the meeting room and was now standing near the door, as well as other Martial Alliance staff present.

"Hahaha, certainly, Your Highness... khem... please excuse us for a moment. His Highness and I have matters to discuss that pertain to his personal affairs." Lu Bihai understood that this conversation was intended to be private, not for the ears of his subordinates. While it undeniably irked him that the prince's own retinue remained present while he was compelled to dismiss his men, he recalled a secret agreement involving Wei Yuanjie and the Ember Palm Pavilion. Given this, he concluded it was prudent to err on the side of caution.

Following this, he activated the protective formations within the room.

"It's a bit out of the ordinary for you to contact me directly, Your Highness, without the Ember Palm Pavilion, and even more so to come in person," Lu Bihai's tone became more direct, though tinged with apprehension.

"Circumstances have shifted slightly," Wei Yuanjie offered a smile, then added as he observed Lu Bihai's expression change, "But rest assured, you are still slated to become the Branch Head. Or perhaps, you'd prefer to aim for something higher?"

"H-higher?" Lu Bihai's eyes widened. Beyond Branch Head, the only position that came to mind was... "Are you proposing I represent the Wei Dynasty within the Martial Alliance?"

"Still too modest," Wei Yuanjie countered with a smile, shaking his head. "A remarkably bright future awaits you, provided you cooperate effectively. You recall the third partner involved in your deal, distinct from the Ember Palm Pavilion? It wasn't my sister or myself. Someone else struck a deal with my sister, though you're already aware of that."

Lu Bihai swallowed, his complexion paling slightly, a growing sense that his entanglement in this affair was far more significant and perilous than he had initially perceived.

Meanwhile, Wei Yuanjie placed a Spatial Ring upon the table.

The Head of Administrative Affairs for the Martial Alliance Branch within the Wei Dynasty accepted it with a wary gaze. Upon immersing his Spiritual Sense within, he leaped to his feet, extending the Spatial Ring with a hand that trembled slightly. "This...! This...!!!"

"It is the remains of a practitioner of the Corrupt Path who had been reported missing from their lair. My sister’s Imperial Guard Commander—or as we now know him, General—raided the location the other night," Wei Yuanjie confirmed. "According to the records found at the scene, this individual was listed as having been absent from the lair for an extended period on a clandestine mission, the specifics of which were unstated, and had maintained no contact for nearly a year."

Lu Bihai's lips and throat felt parched as a dawning realization flickered in his eyes, a concept so profound it made his head spin, flooding his mind with aspirations he had never dared to entertain.

Witnessing this, Wei Yuanjie's smile broadened. "General Chen, who led the raid, omitted one name from his report to the Emperor and the high nobles. He faced considerable criticism for this omission but was permitted to proceed due to technicalities. That name is crucial, for it belongs to the first witness, the individual who provided the initial tip-off that ignited General Chen's investigation into the Corrupt Path's den."

Lu Bihai moistened his dry lips with a nervous glance, slowly taking his seat once more, his gaze fixed intently on the prince.

He was not a foolish man, and he understood that this was a pivotal juncture.

This was not merely an offer of immense opportunity, but also a trial. The trial was straightforward, comprising two distinct challenges.

The first challenge was to ascertain if, at this precise moment, he would pose the correct inquiries, while deliberately overlooking others that were logically pertinent.

"What must I do?" he finally asked after a moment of silence.

Wei Yuanjie smiled again, musing that Wu Long had indeed foreseen the course of this conversation with uncanny accuracy. "That is the pertinent question. However, let us first address the inverse: what you must refrain from doing, or to put it more bluntly, whose conduct you should never emulate."

Lu Bihai cleared his throat, a touch nervously. He recognized that he was now confronting the second challenge—whether he had absorbed the right lessons from past failures and whether his subsequent choices would be prudent.

He cast a fleeting, yet entirely altered in its implications, glance towards the figures in bamboo hats positioned behind the prince, then returned his focus to Wei Yuanjie. "Does that... pertain to the absence of the Ember Palm Pavilion?"

"Correct once more," Wei Yuanjie affirmed with a nod. "You were already aware that neither my sister nor I were the third partner in your arrangement with the Ember Palm Pavilion. Why was that?"

"B-because they informed me. They also mentioned that our mysterious third partners were connected to the initial group who emerged from the Battle God's Cradle and subsequently vanished without a trace. They operate through the now infamous Talisman Master in this city, and they instructed me to discreetly investigate this Talisman Master... as well as that Zhao Xieren, or whatever his name is, the facilitator for the Soaring Feather Trading Company... They intended to conspire with me against the third partner, planning to strike once they achieved victory in the competition among the three Sects," Lu Bihai recited the information without reservation, his intuition strongly suggesting that this truthful disclosure was intrinsically linked not only to his future prosperity but to his immediate survival.