After messing around for a bit more and stuffing everyone with lethal amounts of dog food, Qinghe and Wei Xiang finally separated.
Acting as if nothing unusual had happened, they calmly fixed their clothing and went over to sit down on their seats beside Feng Huixin with satisfied smiles and a happy glow suffusing their faces. Now that they'd had their fill of playing around with each other, the couple looked like a pair of obedient students with their backs straight and their expressions attentive.
Seeing that everyone had finally taken their seats, Feng Huixin quickly began, "We will now discuss and prepare a plan for an expedition against the criminal organization Black Fang using the information we've gathered up till now. The final goal is to completely eradicate the black market organization itself and apprehend its members, especially its leader Yuan Sheng."
Quickly getting into the mood with familiar ease, the Sentinels solemnly nodded their heads.
Feng Huixin motioned to a cold-faced Sentinel and she began speaking without delay, "As the one in charge of the archives, I've collected and organized the most relevant pieces of information that can be used in this operation. We have details about a variety of hidden trade routes that Black Fang uses to transport illegal goods and distribute them to its clientele. We also have a list of this clientele, most of who are already on our observation list for suspicious activity.
"We have also collected the names of several slave traders and beast smugglers, along with hunters and trainers who capture and train both humans and beasts for specific clients on behalf of Black Fang. Although we also have an incomplete map of the Black Fang's headquarters outlining several hidden pathways in the building, even if we do manage to infiltrate it, it is impossible to approach and successfully apprehend their leader Yuan Sheng due to all the safeguards he has in place around him.
"There is also a list of several events, both social and otherwise, where their base accepts visitors from its ally factions and a few outsiders, but considering how almost all of our officers are known to the upper echelon of the organization, using it as a point of infiltration would be inadvisable. There are several more bits of information on this organization in our archives, but I've determined these to be the most useful points and have thus summarized them."
Hearing all this, Qinghe couldn't help but feel impressed. If this was just a summarized fraction of the content that the Sentinels had collected until now, then the entirety of their information on Black Fang must truly be staggering.
After digesting all this data, the Sentinels quickly began putting forth ideas.
"Hmm, maybe a well-timed raid would work? Is there any occasion in the near future where their base will be less guarded?" Qian Ming asked the female Sentinel.
While Kong Min was in charge of obtaining information, it was this woman who was responsible for arranging and organizing them meticulously as the one presiding over the archives.
Hearing Qian Ming's question, the Sentinel shook her head and explained, "It will take a year at the least for their base to enter a period of vulnerability when they recruit new members and get busy with assigning them positions and trying to assimilate them into their ranks. We might have a window of a few weeks' worth at that time, but it's still far away."
Qian Ming nodded and frowned as he considered this in silence.
"Then how about laying an ambush on one of their smuggling routes? If there are any routes that pass by cliff sides, we can corner them against it and use a pincer formation on the ground and station some people with long-ranged weapons on top of the cliffs…" a Sentinel thoughtfully offered.
But another retorted, "That can take care of a few the subordinates but not the leader himself. It's just too bad that we can't use the shadow realm for this."
Hearing this, a Sentinel at the side shook his head regretfully and sighed. "Yes, but what can we do? It was pure bad luck that time."
As the discussion went on, Qinghe turned to the Wei Xiang seated on his right and asked curiously, "What do they mean? Why can't you use the shadows?"
With a humorless smile, Wei Xiang answered, "A few years back, we got word that the leader of Black Fang, Yuan Sheng, was planning a secret excursion. We prepared a very elaborate assassination plan where we would use the shadows to transport ourselves over and target him when he showed a chink in his defense at a particular expected time that we had meticulously calculated. The assassination almost succeeded, but ended up being foiled due to sheer bad luck. Ever since then, though Yuan Sheng did not completely figure out that we could access the shadow realm to transport ourselves, he still understood that we could somehow appear and disappear suddenly. And since that fellow is both cunning and cautious, he took measures against us unexpectedly appearing to take his life."
But hearing this, Qinghe's confusion only grew. "How can someone take measures against that? If he doesn't even know that you can use the shadows, then how can he defend against it properly?"
This time, Feng Huixin was the one who replied. "Yuan Sheng has a Thousand Transportations array etched into his palm. No matter if he's awake or asleep, he always keeps himself ready to inject power into the array at the slightest of unusualness or unexpected occurrences in his vicinity. The second he senses a Sentinel appearing out of thin air, he will quickly activate the array and vanish. The nature of the Thousand Transportations array is such that it will take its caster to a thousand random points before depositing them in a pre-prepared safe point. This will confuse any attempts at tracking, whether by artifacts or by abilities, like Sentinel Zhou's skill of tracing spiritual energy, for example."
Qinghe nodded with a thoughtful expression. Now this was indeed troublesome. No wonder the Sentinels hadn't been able to capture Black Fang yet. Their leader was after all someone clever enough to have already prepared such measures against them.
But still, there had to be a point of entry somewhere. Qinghe was confident that as long as he could figure out a way to wriggle past their initial defenses, he could somehow also figure out a way past the other hurdles.
As for the problem of this Thousand Transportations array…he already had a few ideas about it. But he could consider them later according to the plan the Sentinels chose in the end.
However, it seemed that the planning process wasn't going all too smoothly.
Even after a while of throwing ideas back and forth, the Sentinels couldn't come to an agreement on which approach to use. As they fervently discussed the pros and cons of each suggestion in deep detail, none of these propositions appeared to hold up or seemed possible to implement.
Sitting silently, Feng Huixin and Wei Xiang simply looked on as if such a scene was common, while Kong Min simply yawned at the side. Qinghe, however, felt very amused at witnessing this lively discussion. It reminded him of the sect hall back at the Heavenly Peak Sect when the Elders and the sect master tirelessly argued over yet another trivial issue. So surrounded by a similarly boisterous atmosphere, Qinghe couldn't help but smile fondly.
Suddenly, a soft voice called out, "Little Brother, do you have any suggestions?"
The clamor slowly quietened as the Sentinels heard this question.
Unexpectedly, the speaker was Hou Yu.
Looking at those light and clear eyes that were focused intently on him, Qinghe smiled pleasantly and answered, "Yes, I may have a few thoughts, though I do not know how feasible they are."
Putting his elbows on the table and leaning forward, Qian Ming spoke with vigor, "Just tell us. Who knows, your ideas might just solve this issue!"
Qinghe's smile turned wry. "Then may I ask the Sentinel in charge of the archives about something?"
The female Sentinel nodded.
"You mentioned that there were a few events coming up that would be held in the Black Fang headquarters and that the Sentinels cannot participate since they would be recognized. In addition, I'm sure that they will also have preventive measures against people using things like appearance changing talismans, so the Sentinels cannot rely on them either. But would it help if I could infiltrate them instead?"
The Sentinels all stared at Qinghe disbelievingly.
The female Sentinel, however, seriously thought about it before replying, "Yes, if you're sure that your face will not be recognized, then there is one event where you can participate and gain entry into their base. But you will have to satisfy a few criteria before you can be considered for this mission."
Qinghe remained unruffled as he responded, "I see, that's understandable. I usually wear an appearance changing talisman whenever I appear officially along with my sect, so my true appearance should not be easily recognizable. As for the criteria, may I know what they are and how they correspond to this event?"
Nodding, the female Sentinel began, "Let me first explain the event in question. This can be loosely called a talent recruiting competition of sorts that Yuan Sheng hosts for his own amusement. The participants are all required to be exceptionally beautiful and talented cultivators. They will be pitted against each other and the victor is declared based on how pleasing and elegant their form while battling is to Yuan Sheng. The winner's reward is supposedly a position among one of Yuan Sheng's personal guards, but this position is mostly just a decoration. Yuan Sheng's true purpose is to have the winner be his bedmate. This competition is to simply filter through people to find someone who exactly suits his specific tastes."
Upon hearing this, most of the Sentinels' faces twisted with mockery and disgust.
This was such a pretentious event, seemed to be held just so this bastard could take huge pleasure in seeing such talented beauties fighting for his favor while looking down his nose at them. Was so much fuss necessary just for finding a bed partner?
But no matter the reason behind this competition, if Qinghe could qualify for it, then it would definitely be a convenient point of entry.
Qinghe thought it over for a while before asking the female Sentinel, "You spoke of certain criteria that I must meet before I can take part in this. May I know what they are?"
Her fingers lightly tapping on the table, the Sentinel listed out, "Firstly, you must be beautiful and powerful enough to qualify for participating in the competition. From what I've gathered so far, you more than meet the standards for this. Secondly, you must be able to act in such a way and with such skill that not only does Yuan Sheng take notice of you, but that he also keeps his interest in you throughout the competition and chooses you in the end. Thirdly, you must be intelligent and think quickly so that you are not tripped up by any unexpected events. If you can satisfy all these conditions, then you will be qualified to take on this mission."
Qinghe wordlessly looked up at his lover with a question in his gaze, only to find Wei Xiang frowning fiercely.
"Qinghe, no. You can't take part in this," Wei Xiang spoke firmly.
Smiling, Qinghe instead asked, "Xiang, first tell me, do you think I'm eligible for undertaking this infiltration?"
Wei Xiang sighed, but nodded truthfully. "Of all of the people present here, you certainly satisfy all the necessary conditions the best. But Qinghe, you still shouldn't do this."
His smile remaining, Qinghe leaned against his beloved and rested his head on Wei Xiang's shoulder, his arm snaking around his lover's waist. "Why do you think that?"
Qinghe was very clear that his Xiang must have a very good reason for saying this, so he didn't feel angry or displeased in the least. If his beloved's concerns truly held weight, then he would definitely take them into consideration.
The tightness in Wei Xiang's expression softened slightly as he sensed his little lover's willingness to listen to his reasoning for refusing without getting furious.
Taking a breath, he explained his worries, "If you take part in this idiotic competition, then you will have to fight other people. Your core and the restrictions around your soul will get strained and you might not be able to do well in the third round of the Hundred-Year Tournament that's just a few days away. Also, if you truly do catch Yuan Sheng's eye, then he may try to talk to you in private and attempt to touch you. I don't want you to have to face something as unpleasant as that. There are also many other uncertain factors at play and I don't want you to risk yourself."
Qinghe calmly listened, his eyelids lowered in contemplation. After thinking for a moment, he finally responded, "Xiang, though all your worries are valid, I don't think they are insurmountable hurdles. For example, as long as I prepare myself to be touched beforehand, it won't bother me all that much. And as for my core and restrictions…haven't we already found a way to stabilize them using dual cultivation?"
Wei Xiang coughed at this unexpected answer while the listening Sentinels all looked at the couple with strange expressions.
Not minding any of this, Qinghe went on, "And as for those unexpected situations, I am confident in handling them. Since it seems that this Yuan Sheng is very cautious, he won't dare to act randomly. His obsession with his safety is a restriction that he has placed on himself. There are only so many ways he can come into contact with me while being certain of his own safety, and as long as I prepare for those specific situations, I will be fine."
The Sentinels all nodded their heads. This little brother's reasoning definitely made sense. He really had thought this through well.
Even the Feng Huixin who had been silently worried for his son's safety felt somewhat reassured, although he was still reluctant to send Qinghe out on his own into enemy territory.
However, even though Wei Xiang realized that he was worrying needlessly, the niggling doubt that something might go wrong still hounded him. This was his beloved's life they were talking about, he couldn't bear to take any chances with it. But despite his uncertainties, Wei Xiang also knew that Qinghe was far from helpless. His little lover was both powerful and cunning, and he was definitely capable of taking care of himself.
So, pushing down his unreasonable thoughts of holding his beloved back for his own protection, Wei Xiang hesitantly nodded in agreement. He would not threaten his lover's autonomy and cage him in just because of a few unfounded worries.
Qinghe read all these thoughts clearly on his Xiang's expression and felt his heart warming with gratitude and affection.
With a charming smile blooming on his face, Qinghe raised a finger and traced Wei Xiang's jaw playfully. "Even though I can do this on my own, having a certain Sentinel accompany me in my shadow will nevertheless be very reassuring."
Wei Xiang's eyes immediately widened with understanding.
"And I'm sure this will ease the Grandmaster's worries as well," Qinghe continued.
From Wei Xiang's right, Feng Huixin nodded. "Yes, if Xiang-er can accompany you through the shadows, then it will be very reassuring."
Qian Ming asked, "But is that possible? Won't they somehow find out?"
The female Sentinel from before spoke up, "No, as long as Senior Officer Wei stays hidden throughout, I don't see how they can find him. After all, Yuan Sheng does not actually know that we can hide in the shadows. They should not have any means of detecting it. But the moment Senior Officer Wei exits the shadow realm, Yuan Sheng will flee, so this course of action should not be taken lightly."
Wei Xiang nodded. "I know, I'll take care."
Then turning to Qinghe, he asked earnestly, "Are you sure this is alright with you? Will I be a hindrance if I follow along like this?"
Qinghe rubbed his cheek against where he was resting it on his lover's shoulder. "Of course I'm okay with it. Having you shadowing me will make it more fun for me too."
Tilting his head down to look into his beloved's eyes, Wei Xiang wrapped his arms around Qinghe and whispered softly, "Thank you."
Arching his neck so that he could reach his lover's cheek, Qinghe planted a gentle kiss, then said in a quiet voice, "There's no need for thanks. If you're willing to make a concession for me, then it's only proper that I meet you halfway and compromise."
"My beloved is so good to me. Such a good lover definitely deserves to be rewarded very thoroughly. So are you up for some dual cultivation, my love?" Wei Xiang murmured with a meaningful smile.
Qinghe pressed himself closer to his beloved and whispered back, "Of course. I remember a certain Sentinel Wei promising to take me to see his office. I do hope it has a latch to close the door. We are going to be busy for a while after all, and we wouldn't want to be disturbed, now would we?"
Forced to witness this, the surrounding Sentinels felt their teeth ache. Was this couple still not done wounding their innocent hearts with such shameless public displays of affection?!
On the other hand, Feng Huixin simply decided to ignore his sons' flirting from now on. As long as they were getting along well, it was good. After all, whenever he was with his wife in public, they hadn't been any better either, though Feng Huixin could hardly be blamed for that.
Clearing his throat, Kong Min suddenly interrupted the lovebirds. "All that's well and good, but Little Bro, what will you do after you get into that competition? Even if you win and that bastard Yuan Sheng decides to spend some time alone with you, how will you kill him?"
The female Sentinel in charge of the archives spoke up again, "Yes, it isn't difficult to guess that anyone who is going to meet alone with Yuan Sheng will be thoroughly checked for weapons, artifacts, talismans, and the like. We also have information from the prisoner Jian Huan specifically stating that Yuan Sheng's personal bedroom, where he will most likely take the competition's winner afterward, is covered entirely with high-grade spirit-suppressing material. Unless one is at tenth realm, their cultivation will be useless. However, as someone in tenth realm himself, Yuan Sheng will still be able to use his abilities."
As for why Jian Huan would know about the specifics of Yuan Sheng's bedroom, no one felt the need to ask about it, since the reason was obvious enough.
Sighing at their flirting being interrupted, Qinghe stretched his legs out under the table, then leaning lazily against Wei Xiang, he closed his eyes and made himself at home. Once he was comfortably settled, Qinghe slowly started speaking, "I have a few ideas that might help in that regard. For one, no matter how much they search me, I doubt they will search inside my body. I should be able to hide a few items that way."
Hearing this, the Sentinels all showed uncomfortable expressions, some of them even flushing red from embarrassment as thoughts of how exactly he would do that intruded into their minds suddenly.
Knowing what these idiot fellow officers of his were thinking, Wei Xiang shot them a nasty glare before asking Qinghe in a normal voice, "What do you mean, love?"
Not noticing this hidden exchange, Qinghe replied casually, "I mean that if I cut open my body, there must be a few places where I can hide some small things. I've never tried it before, but I wonder if I can remove some marrow and use the hollow cavity at the center of my bones to store certain items, or if I can squeeze things into the gap between my organs, or even use my stomach as a pouch to hold―"
"No!" Wei Xiang, Feng Huixin, and the Sentinels all shouted at once with horror, startling Qinghe into opening his eyes.
Seeing their wide-eyed, aghast expressions, Qinghe begrudgingly conceded, "…Alright then, we don't have to use this method." Though he didn't know what need there was to get so noisy over this, if all of them felt so strongly, then he would of course listen to their opinion.
Everyone sighed in relief that Qinghe had agreed to not mutilate himself in such a creative and brutal way. How he could talk of doing such a thing to himself so nonchalantly was beyond them.
"Ah…so that's what you meant when you talked about storing things in your body. You really had me thinking you meant something else, Little Bro," Kong Min commented into the ensuing silence while laughing awkwardly.
Qinghe blinked at his weird tone and asked with apparent confusion, "Of course, what else did you think I meant?"
But Kong Min shook his head, refusing to enlighten him.
Seeing Qinghe's puzzlement, the Sentinels couldn't help but ponder. It seemed that their little brother was really too innocent. But realizing this only made their protective instincts towards him grow even stronger.
Not knowing this, Qinghe closed his eyes once again and blissfully snuggled deeper into Wei Xiang's embrace, his expression content.