Daily Intelligence: From Miner to Dao Ancestor of Alchemy and Talismans

"From now on, every day, you must compile a list of all visiting cultivators in the market, record the patrol routes and investigation records of the guard team, track all movements of the Zhao family, including Zhao Qiuyue's seclusion, the spirit stone reserves in the warehouse, and personnel changes in the guard team. Then, secretly send this list to Wohu Mountain for my review." Xu Yuan's gaze fell on his face, each word clear. "This matter is between you and me; you are not allowed to tell a third person, including anyone from the Zhao family. Can you do that?"

Li Qinghe's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly understood what Xu Yuan meant.

This is to use him to completely seize control of the entire Qingya Fang.

But he didn't hesitate, and didn't even show the slightest dissatisfaction.

His current position, his very life, were all given to him by Xu Yuan. Let alone just asking him to deliver messages, he would gladly relinquish his position as the head of the market.

"Don't worry, Brother Xu!" Li Qinghe patted his chest, guaranteeing firmly, "From today onwards, I will be your hands and eyes in the market! Every little thing happening in the market, every move the Zhao family makes, I will report to you immediately, without the slightest concealment, and I will never dare to let a third person know!"

Xu Yuan nodded in satisfaction, waved his hand, and told him to go back and take care of his business.

Li Qinghe bowed to Xu Yuan again before turning around and heading down the mountain with his two guards, heading back to the market. His previous anxiety had completely vanished, replaced by a strong sense of confidence. With Xu Yuan backing him up, he was certain he could hold onto his position as the market manager.

After seeing Li Qinghe off, Xu Yuan closed the stone door, restarted all the restrictions, and returned to the stone chamber.

He didn't rush into cultivation, but quietly waited for the intelligence update at midnight. He knew very well that the three strategies could only stabilize the surface chaos; to completely eliminate the remaining spies of the Blood Fiend Sect, he would still need the system's accurate intelligence.

At midnight, the familiar system notification sounded precisely on time.

[Ding! Today's intelligence has been updated.]

[Bai Bao: Three remnants of the Blood Fiend Sect are hiding in an abandoned inn in the western corner of the market. They are preparing to assassinate the patrolling guards tonight to facilitate the infiltration of the evil cultivators from outside the city.]

Xu Yuan looked at the intelligence report, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He took a piece of hemp paper and wrote down the address and time of the operation from the intelligence, word for word. He did not sign his name or leave any trace, and sent it anonymously to Li Qinghe using a communication talisman.

That very night, the news spread throughout the market.

Li Qinghe, leading his guards, precisely surrounded the abandoned inn in the west corner according to the address in the intelligence, capturing all three Blood Fiend Sect accomplices in one fell swoop. They caught them red-handed, seizing even the poisoned daggers they had prepared for assassination and the communication talismans they used to contact people outside the city.

Overnight, Li Qinghe, the puppet leader who had previously been looked down upon, suddenly gained prestige.

The guards no longer dared to disobey orders, and the rogue cultivators in the market became much more well-behaved. Even those restless outside cultivators restrained their arrogance.

Li Qinghe admired Xu Yuan immensely. At the crack of dawn, he secretly sent men to Wohu Mountain with the day's market register, the guards' search records, and the Zhao family's movements, without the slightest delay.

Xu Yuan looked at the delivered files, his fingertips lightly tracing the surface of the paper, his eyes calm.

Without showing his face, getting involved in the mess, or taking any risks, he used just three sentences and an anonymous intelligence report to completely stabilize the chaos in Qingyafang and firmly grasp the entire market's hidden resources.

To immerse yourself in Chapter 62, "Zhao Qiuyue Requests an Audience," please click here.

This is the essence of using someone else's strength against them.

Just as he finished putting away the files and was about to sit down and meditate, the communication talisman outside the cave suddenly lit up. It was an urgent message from Li Qinghe.

Xu Yuan channeled spiritual energy into his fingertips and probed the communication talisman with his divine sense. Li Qinghe's anxious voice immediately came through, tinged with barely concealed panic: "Brother Xu! Something terrible has happened! Miss Zhao has finished her seclusion! The first thing she'll do upon waking is to thoroughly investigate who that mysterious person who twice anonymously provided intelligence and saved the Zhao family is!"

In the early morning, Wohu Mountain was still shrouded in the lingering morning mist, and the mountain wind carried the dampness of the grass and trees, brushing past the layers of restrictions outside the cave.

Xu Yuan had just finished a round of morning lessons when the golden light of the talisman on his fingertips slowly faded. Outside the cave, a guard's respectful voice relayed a message, neither humble nor arrogant, without any intention of offense: "Fellow Daoist Xu, my young lady Zhao Qiuyue has come specifically to express her gratitude for saving her life and humbly requests your presence."

Xu Yuan paused, but there was no surprise in his eyes.

From the moment Zhao Qiuyue ended her seclusion and ordered a thorough investigation into the mysterious person who anonymously delivered intelligence, he had foreseen this day. The jade pendant he found on the banks of the Xiling River that saved her life, the anonymous intelligence about Zhang Kui's treason, the raid outside the ancestral hall that night that severely injured the Blood Fiend Sect's Foundation Establishment cultivator—each of these three events bore his mark. With Zhao Qiuyue's intelligence, it was only a matter of time before she guessed it was him.

He neither hid nor panicked. He first used the formation as cover to scan the situation outside the cave with his divine sense.

There were only three people outside the cave.

Zhao Qiuyue was dressed in a plain white outfit, with a long sword at her waist. Her face was still pale from her injuries, but she remained upright with clear eyes and no hostility.

She was followed only by two female bodyguards, whose cultivation level was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining. They were unarmed and did not even touch the restrictions outside the cave. They were extremely courteous.

Once he confirmed there was no risk, Xu Yuan flicked his finger to remove the outermost layer of restrictions on the cave dwelling and pushed open the heavy stone door.

The stone door opened, and the morning mist rushed in. Zhao Qiuyue looked up at Xu Yuan behind the door, her gaze falling on him with a mixture of curiosity and gratitude.

She could clearly sense that Xu Yuan only possessed the aura of the third level of Qi Refining, which was quite ordinary. Yet, this seemingly ordinary rogue cultivator had saved the Zhao family and the entire Qingya Fang three times.

"Fellow Daoist Xu." Zhao Qiuyue bowed to Xu Yuan with extremely humble posture, "I apologize for the intrusion and disturbance to your cultivation."

"Miss Zhao, you're too kind." Xu Yuan stepped aside, his tone calm and neither humble nor arrogant. He didn't mention the intelligence or the talisman, nor did he ask about the night of the ambush. He simply led her towards the outer hall of the cave, saying, "The cave is simple, Miss Zhao, please come in."

He only led her to the outer hall, not directing her towards the inner room.

The inner chamber contained his talisman seal, alchemical scriptures, and traces of his cultivation after his breakthrough. These were his most crucial trump cards, and he would never allow outsiders to set foot inside.

Upon entering the outer hall, Xu Yuan poured Zhao Qiuyue a cup of spiritual tea, sat on a stone bench, and took the initiative, firmly grasping the initiative: "Miss Zhao, you came all the way to this remote mountain to find me, surely not just to say thank you? Please speak frankly."

Zhao Qiuyue held the teacup, her fingers tightening slightly, and looked up at Xu Yuan, making no attempt to beat around the bush.

She put down her teacup, stood up, and bowed deeply to Xu Yuan, speaking solemnly: "Fellow Daoist Xu, you retrieved my jade pendant by the Xiling River, saving my life. You helped the Zhao family uncover the biggest traitor, Zhang Kui, and on the night of the surprise attack, you severely injured Elder Liu of the Blood Fiend Sect, holding back the main force of the Blood Fiend Sect and protecting the Zhao family ancestral hall. I will never forget these three great favors."