Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Pingyang Prefecture, the rear office of the Zhenfu Division.

The night was as dark as ink, and only a single lamp was lit in the study, casting flickering shadows of the sparse plum branches on the window paper.

Dongfang Weiwo sat alone behind his desk, his fingertips lightly tapping the tabletop. Before him lay a secret letter from the East China Sea—written by Song Que himself, the handwriting sharp and stern, describing the events of Penglai Island in a concise yet clear manner.

"The King of the East Sea arrived with a map, inviting the Underworld to join forces to land on the island, but the conditions were far too lenient."

It was so clean it made one suspicious.

Dongfang Weiwo closed his eyes for a moment and went over the whole matter in his mind three times.

The King of the East Sea is a half-step Celestial Being. He has been operating in the East Sea for nearly a hundred years, and the forces he can mobilize are far more than just the few ships that are on the surface.

If he were to break the seal alone, although he would suffer heavy losses, it might not be impossible. Instead, he chose to ask the Underworld for help—and specifically, three Grandmasters of the Ninth Heaven who were still recovering from their injuries.

What's in it for?

He pondered for a moment and made a decision.

"System, summon."

Energy points consumed: 5,000,000. Remaining energy points: 1,468,000.

[Summoning...]

[Congratulations, host, you have acquired: Shi Zhixuan – a half-step Celestial, the Evil King of the Demonic Sect. He is the leader of both the Flower Sect and the Heaven-Mending Path, and is proficient in the Undying Seal Technique and the Demon Seed Cultivation Technique of the Dao Heart. A skilled strategist uses the world as his chessboard.]

The lamp suddenly dimmed, then blazed brightly again.

There was another person in the study.

The person stood at the edge of the lamplight and shadow, half of their face illuminated by the light, the other half shrouded in darkness.

The man, in his forties, had a refined and scholarly appearance with a slight smile on his lips. He wore a moon-white long robe, held no weapon, and exuded no aura whatsoever.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought there was nothing there.

Shi Zhixuan bowed slightly: "Young Master."

His voice was gentle, like that of a teacher who had spent half his life teaching at an academy.

Looking at the person in front of him, Dongfang Weiwo suddenly felt a strange sense of peace.

Song Que's blade is sharp, Tie Zhongtang's flag is fierce, and Jue Wushen's fist is domineering. But Shi Zhixuan lacks these qualities—he is like a deep pool, calm on the surface but with countless undercurrents beneath, the direction of which no one can fathom.

"Mr. Shi." Dongfang Weiwo stood up and returned the greeting. "Sit."

Shi Zhixuan sat down opposite him, his gaze sweeping over the secret letter from the East China Sea on the table. He didn't rush to speak, but waited quietly.

Dongfang Weiwo recounted the events of the East Sea from beginning to end, including the East Sea King's invitation, the suspicious points of the incomplete map, the unusual activity of the Penglai seal, and the reason why he could not appear in person.

He spoke very concisely, as if handing over a key, leaving Shi Zhixuan to push open the door himself and see what was inside.

After listening, Shi Zhixuan remained silent for three breaths.

"The King of the East Sea sent three threads to the Underworld."

He spoke calmly, "The first is the opportunity in Penglai, the second is the sincerity of cooperation, and the third is a probe. He wants to know how many people, how many lives, and how many hearts are in the Underworld."

"What are you testing?"

"To test whether the Underworld is worth getting to know better."

Shi Zhixuan smiled and said, "A force capable of crippling a half-step Celestial has suddenly appeared in the East Sea. It would be strange if the King of the East Sea didn't care."

Landing on the island is the bait, and the three kings of the underworld are the fish. He's waiting to see whether the fish, after taking the bait, will rush to swallow it or first sized up who's standing behind the fishing rod.

Dongfang Weiwo narrowed his eyes slightly: "So he may not actually intend to turn against us on the island."

Whether or not the underworld turns against them depends on its behavior on the island.

Shi Zhixuan stretched out his finger and drew a circle on the table. "If the three kings of the underworld rush to snatch the treasure, the King of the East Sea will know that these people are just brutes with some strength, and can be used. If the three kings of the underworld proceed cautiously and advance and retreat with restraint, he will reconsider whether there are others behind this force."

"How do you plan to deal with this?"

Shi Zhixuan slowly got up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack. The chill of the winter night, carrying the coldness of plum blossoms, rushed into the study, and he took a deep breath.

"He went to explore the depths of the underworld, so I let him explore."

Shi Zhixuan turned his head, his gaze calm, "But what we find out is up to me. The three kings of the underworld revealed their true strength in that battle with the old dragon, and it can no longer be hidden."

But how many brains does the underworld have—no matter how fast Song Que's blade is, it can't reach the chessboard a thousand miles away. You can rest assured and entrust this matter to me, young master.

Dongfang Wei did not hesitate: "Then the matter of the East Sea will be entirely entrusted to Mr. Shi. Your identity is the Wheel King of the Underworld, ranking above the Four Kings, and you are in charge of planning and strategizing. I will send a message to the Three Kings immediately."

Shi Zhixuan nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Dongfang Weiwo quickly wrote a secret letter, sealed it, and handed it to the guard waiting outside the door:

"A message from a flying eagle to Ten Thousand Snake Island, to be delivered to King Taishan for his personal address."

After the sound of the carrier pigeons' wings faded into the night sky, the study fell silent again.

Shi Zhixuan had returned from the window to his desk and casually picked up the copy of the incomplete map of the East China Sea and looked at it for a moment.

"Young master," he suddenly asked, "you've dated this picture, but have you examined the handwriting?"

Dongfang Weiwo was taken aback: "Handwriting?"

"The distribution map of the restrictions on the tombs of ancient celestial beings is usually not drawn in only one copy."

Shi Zhixuan put down the copy. "If the one that the King of the East Sea brought out is just an appetizer, then the real full picture must still be in his own hands. I need to know what that full picture looks like—even if it's just a glimpse."

He paused, a faint smile returning to his lips: "No rush. He'll take it out himself once we get to the island."

Looking at the person in front of him, Dongfang Weiwo suddenly realized something—Shi Zhixuan's terrifying aspect was not his cultivation level, but that he had already guessed the order in which the East Sea King would play his cards even before meeting him.

"There's one more thing."

Dongfang Weiwo said, "The seal on Penglai is loosening. This evening, an unusual phenomenon appeared: a dark red rift tore through the sea and sky, and seven bells rang. Song Que said the seal is loosening faster than expected."

Shi Zhixuan's smile vanished for a moment.

"Seven sounds?" he repeated.

"Um."

"The outer seal of the ancient celestial tomb is opened by the number of bell rings."

Shi Zhixuan said slowly, "Seven sounds mean that more than half of the outer barrier has been broken. If this speed continues—on the day the Underworld lands on the island, the things on the island will probably come out on their own before they even have a chance to make a move."

Dongfang Weiwo felt a slight unease in his heart.

"Young Master." Shi Zhixuan had regained his composure, his moon-white robe gleaming warmly under the lamplight. "I will depart for the East Sea tonight."

Once we arrive, I will have the three kings agree to all of the East Sea King's conditions, except for the time of arrival on the island—that will be determined by me.

"When do you want it?"

"At the last moment." Shi Zhixuan turned and walked towards the door, glancing back at Dongfang Weiwo before pushing it open. "Let the King of the East Sea think he has figured out all the underworld's trump cards, and then tell him—the trump cards are only what I showed him."

The door closed. Only a single lamp and the fragrance of plum blossoms remained in the study.

Dongfang Weiwo leaned back in his chair, feeling the tension that had been building up to its limit finally ease slightly.

He had just glanced at the string of numbers on the system panel—five million for a half-step Celestial Being like Shi Zhixuan, this deal was unbelievably good.

He rubbed his temples, pulled out another blank sheet of paper from the table, and began to write a short letter to his father, Dongfang Wudi. He hesitated for a moment at the end, then added a line:

"Your son is doing well, don't worry."

When the homing pigeon flew out of the window again, the sky was already turning a bluish-green.

Ten Thousand Snake Island, noon the next day.

Song Que stood on the dock, watching an inconspicuous fishing boat slowly approach the shore from the thick fog. On the boat were only an old man punting and a middle-aged scholar in a white robe.

The scholar jumped onto the dock and bowed to Song Que.

"King of Wheels, Shi Zhixuan. I have come to meet you on your orders, young master."

Song Que's gaze lingered on him for a moment. His swordsmanship was divine, and his perception of aura was extremely keen, yet the person before him felt empty, like a wisp of wind that could not be grasped. This caused Song Que's pupils to shrink slightly.

There's no breath; there's only one possibility—

The other party's control over them has reached the pinnacle that is achievable below even the most divine beings.

"Song Que." He returned the greeting briefly, then stepped aside to lead the way. "Tie Zhongtang is inside the hall, and he is certainly not too grief-stricken to come out, but he already knows you have arrived."

The two walked side by side toward the main hall, the sea breeze making the flags on the dock flutter. Shi Zhixuan suddenly stopped at a bend in the road where he could see the southeastern sea and looked toward the fog-shrouded area.

"Where is Penglai Island?"

"Um."

"After the seven chimes last night," Shi Zhixuan asked, "did the King of the East Sea send any message?"

Song Que's eyebrows twitched slightly. "How did you know?"

"If he were truly cooperating, he would definitely have pressed for the date of arrival on the island after the strange phenomenon. If he had ulterior motives, he would have remained quiet and waited for the underworld to get anxious first." Shi Zhixuan turned back. "So he sent a message?"

"They arrived this morning." Song Que took out a gold-embossed invitation from his sleeve. "He invited the Three Kings of the Underworld to a banquet on his giant whale tonight, saying that he has a 'new discovery' to discuss in person."

Shi Zhixuan accepted the invitation but did not open it; he simply squeezed the thickness of the paper.

"No banquet is ever a good banquet." He smiled. "But it's perfect timing, I also have something I want to tell him in person."

He handed the invitation back to Song Que and strode towards the main hall, his moon-white robe standing out like a sudden ray of light against the gray sea and sky.

Song Que followed behind, watching that figure's back, and suddenly felt that something was being quietly stirred up beneath the murky waters of the East Sea.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Pingyang County, Dongfang Weiwo was sitting under a plum tree in the back office of the Zhenfu Division, drinking tea.

He looked down at the black short sword at his waist, then at the remaining number on the system panel.

1, 468, 000.

It's enough for one Platinum Summon, and you'll still have plenty left over.

But at that moment he did nothing, simply quietly finished a cup of tea, and then got up to go to the Zhenfu Division for roll call. He was the commander of the Pingyang County branch, and he still had to be on duty when it was his turn.

Life went on as usual, and no one could tell how much was on this young commander's mind.

Only plum blossoms fell all over his shoulders.