Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Chapter 173 A volatile situation unfolds within a charade, a life-or-death struggle unfolds with met

As Peng Jin walked, he quickly assigned tasks: "Listen up, now take out your recording stones, split into pairs, find secluded spots, create opportunities for them to ambush you, and record the scene of their attack."

"If you are in danger of being killed, you can ask the celestial beings who are passing by for help."

"The water is shallow, so you and I will go and awaken the methods left behind by the captain."

"As long as the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations is under our control, and we have evidence of their attack on us, we can use the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations to label them as demon spies who have infiltrated the Demon Extermination Alliance."

"At that time, we will be able to take advantage of the situation and legitimately surround and kill them."

"In this way, the overall situation is settled, and Zhou Qingfeng is doomed!"

Shui Zheqian couldn't help but ask, "What if they don't attack us? Wouldn't this plan fall through?"

Upon hearing this, Peng Jin sighed inwardly. He realized that he ultimately lacked the prestige of Captain Huangfu. Even though he had said not to question or ask, he still couldn't gain the complete trust and confidence of his teammates.

This is the difference between myself and Captain Huangfu.

Unfortunately, Captain Huangfu is dead, so he has to take on the heavy responsibility of leadership, otherwise everyone will die.

As Peng Jin walked, he explained, "Even if they don't attack us, it won't change their fate of defeat. I will use Captain Huangfu's body as evidence to have the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations issue an arrest order directly."

"At that time, they will only have three paths to take."

"Either they resist and are captured and killed by the combined forces of the demon-slaying alliance."

"Either they escape, definitively confirming the demon god's guilt, or we can use the momentum to crush them into dust."

"Either they surrender and await a thorough investigation, or once they're imprisoned, we decide how they're interrogated, sentenced, and investigated, and they're doomed anyway."

"I know you think I'm not capable enough to be the captain, but I've done my best to keep you alive. Now please believe me, no, please believe in the trump card the captain left behind before he died."

"With Captain Huangfu's wisdom, he must have foreseen the desperate situation we face today, since he thought he might die. That's why he revealed his trump card to me. He believes that after his death, I can make good use of this trump card to lead you all the way to victory!"

"So, you don't believe me, but Captain Huangfu."

Shui Zheqian and the four team members fell silent upon hearing this. They did not believe that Peng Jin could lead them to defeat Zhou Qingfeng, but if this was Captain Huangfu's choice and judgment, then they were willing to believe it.

Because Captain Huangfu was invincible, had flawless strategies, and possessed unparalleled wisdom, even after his death, he still foresaw every step of his group's journey. This is what makes Captain Huangfu truly invincible.

Alas, alas... Since ancient times, kings have never met. Captain Huangfu is the king of geniuses, but Zhou Qingfeng is also the king of geniuses. When kings meet, one of them will surely die. This is destined.

As for who lives and who dies, that depends on fate.

Judging from the outcome, it's clear that fate is on Zhou Qingfeng's side.

However, this does not mean that Zhou Qingfeng has won, because Captain Huangfu has left behind a method that is enough to kill Zhou Qingfeng. Even if Zhou Qingfeng is destined to die, Captain Huangfu can still defy fate and win against heaven.

"Understood, we trust you just as we trust Captain Huangfu!" Shui Zheqian and his group nodded and dispersed to begin their operation according to plan.

Seeing this, Xiao Hongyun became a little anxious: "They've scattered, what should we do?"

The enemy's actions were too fast and too swift. Zhou Qingfeng didn't have time to draw lots to make a decision. He had to rely on his own wisdom to make a decisive move: "You all spread out and keep an eye on them. No matter what, do not attack them first."

"First, find out what conspiracy they are plotting. Report to me immediately if you find anything."

Xiao Hongyun, Ye Tingxiu, Du Yanran, Duan Hongsu, Tantai Minglan, and Cheng Wuquan all nodded in agreement and followed in pairs, choosing their targets. Zhou Qingfeng was left behind to direct operations remotely.

Zhou Qingfeng stood in the crowd, and the passing celestial beings could not affect his thoughts. His face was stern, his brows furrowed in deep thought, and his eyes occasionally flashed with wisdom.

Time ticked by, and based on the enemy's current actions, Zhou Qingfeng keenly sensed that an unknown and deadly danger was approaching step by step. If he could not respond in time, he might die.

The enemy squad leader, Huangfu Yunzheng, is dead. Instead of fleeing or hiding, the enemy squad has taken the initiative to come to the immortal ship where their own squad is located. There must be something going on here.

If they were so sure that they wouldn't dare to take action just because they were on the same immortal ship, they would be too naive. They would have plenty of opportunities to assassinate them one by one, and they wouldn't be that stupid.

There must be some trump card that Huangfu Yunzheng left behind, a trump card that would give them something to rely on.

So what exactly are their trump cards that give them the confidence to confront us?

At this moment, they should be sticking together, so why are they scattering? Scattering gives them a chance to kill them, which they should know very well. So this means it is very likely a trap.

Zhou Qingfeng suddenly realized the subtlety of the situation.

The enemy squad is deliberately luring your own squad into making a move. Once they do, they are likely to be able to record the attack and then hand over the evidence of their comrade's crime to the three Celestial Venerables.

Then, they would be captured and killed by the immortals for attacking their comrades and being suspected of being spies of the demon god.

But is the Python Sparrow Squad's plan really that simple?

I could easily gather all my men in one place and wipe out their scattered groups in a flash, ensuring they wouldn't have a chance to hand over the evidence of their crimes to the Three Venerables.

Unless Huangfu Yunzheng left them one of the Three Heavenly Venerables, meaning they have already controlled one of the Three Heavenly Venerables, then they would have the courage and resources to confront them head-on.

They could even make a big fuss about Huangfu Yunzheng's corpse...

The more Zhou Qingfeng thought about it, the clearer his mind became, and the more he felt a chill run down his spine, because he realized that if Huangfu Yunzheng's trump card was one of the Three Venerables, then he would be facing certain death.

To verify his idea, Zhou Qingfeng immediately cast lots and summoned the mysterious divination stick from the depths of his consciousness.

[A very bad omen; they will attempt to ambush and kill the Python Sparrow Squad. A dangerous move.]

[A very bad omen; flee the demon-slaying alliance immediately. Ominous.]

[This is a very bad omen; remain inactive and silent. It's ominous.]

Seeing that the divination results were all ominous, Zhou Qingfeng broke out in a cold sweat. He raised his wrist and channeled his magic power into the communication bracelet, urgently shouting, "Come back! Everyone come back immediately! Don't attack them! This is a trap!"

"receive."

"receive."

"receive."

Seeing that Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu had responded, Zhou Qingfeng breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The enemy's trump card is one of the Three Heavenly Venerables, and the situation is currently very unfavorable to us.

If they cannot find a way to break the deadlock, they will soon face total annihilation.

Xiao Hongyun, Ye Tingxiu, Cheng Wuquan, and the three women all retreated.

Shui Zheqian noticed this and said, "Peng Jin, it seems the other side has seen through our trap."

Peng Jin was taken aback, frowning slightly in surprise. He couldn't understand where the operation had gone wrong, allowing the other side to detect it. However, whether the enemy made a move or not was irrelevant. He sneered, "So what if they saw through it?"

"Zhou Qingfeng never imagined that our trump card was the Myriad Manifestations Celestial Venerable, one of the Three Venerables. From the moment he took advantage of the situation to infiltrate the Demon Extermination Alliance, he was already deeply trapped in the scheme set up by Captain Huangfu."

"No matter what he does, he will die; it's his inevitable fate."

Shui Zheqian nodded slightly, her face showing sadness: "It's a pity that Captain Huangfu died like this."

Peng Jin sighed: "In this turbid and evil world, who can live to a ripe old age? Life is unpredictable. No matter how powerful Captain Huangfu is, or how intelligent he is, he still cannot escape the annihilation of this evil world."

"It is nothing out of the ordinary for us to die a violent death."

"It's just a pity that fate and destiny are so cruel."

"The more exceptionally talented a person is, the more likely they are to die young."

"Alas, from now on, Huangfu Yunzheng will no longer exist in this turbid and evil world."

"All I can do is win this round for Captain Huangfu, at least by taking Zhou Qingfeng down with me."

At this point, Peng Jin suddenly smiled: "I think that with their talents and abilities, they should be able to get along very well on the road to the underworld, and maybe they can even become good friends."

Upon hearing this, Shui Zheqian refrained from further insults towards Zhou Qingfeng, for insulting Zhou Qingfeng would be an insult to her beloved's talent. All she could do now was kill Zhou Qingfeng for her beloved and win this round.

The two stood outside the gate of the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations, clasped their hands in salute to the celestial general on guard, and Peng Jin said, "Please inform the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations that we have important matters to report, concerning a spy from the Demon God..."

Meanwhile, Xiao Hongyun and the others returned to Zhou Qingfeng's side and plotted in a room. After realizing their current predicament, Xiao Hongyun and the others all realized that they were standing on the edge of a cliff.

Xiao Hongyun's face was extremely ugly: "Damn it, no wonder they went to see the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations. It turns out the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations has been controlled by them. Now we are backed into a corner, and whatever we do is do our death."

Du Yanran broke out in a cold sweat: "This is bad, very bad. If the enemy's trump card is a Celestial Venerable, then we are basically just waiting to be captured and killed. How can we fight back? Staying here will only lead to our death."

Ye Tingxiu scratched his head: "What should we do, Lao Zhou? Give me a straight answer, should we kill or run?"

Zhou Qingfeng took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, shook his head and said, "We will neither kill nor flee. The Python Sparrow Squad is trying to kill us with overwhelming force, so we will stir up trouble and make things bigger, and ask the higher-ups to get involved."

"Now we must immediately report to the Undying Celestial Venerable, informing him in advance of the identities of the Python Sparrow Squad as demon gods and the fact that the Myriad Manifestations Celestial Venerable is suspected of being controlled."

"In this way, no matter what hostile actions the Python Sparrow Squad takes against us, the Undying Celestial Venerable will think that they are trying to eliminate us, which will also confirm the truth of what we said."

"However, once I do that, the situation will be completely out of my control, and I have no idea how it will turn out. The only thing I can be sure of is that at least for the short term, we will not be in any danger."

Zhou Qingfeng made this choice because he had secretly consulted the oracle to inquire about the outcome.

[A draw was drawn. A secret report was sent to the Undying Celestial, requesting higher-ups to participate in the game. The result was a draw.]

This was the only way Zhou Qingfeng could think of to break the deadlock in a short period of time.

Are there any other ways to break this deadlock?

Of course there are, after all, roads are made by people walking on them.

As long as you want to walk, the path is right under your feet.

However, time did not allow it, nor did the enemy. If one acted even slightly slower, all efforts might be in vain, and one might die without a burial place. Therefore, a decisive decision had to be made.

Zhou Qingfeng immediately led his team to the immortal cabin where the Undying Celestial Venerable resided.

The Immortal Celestial Venerable sat firmly on his throne, looking at the seven siblings of the Ye family, and said calmly, "What is it now?"

Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands in a salute: "Heavenly Venerable, we have discovered that a demon god has infiltrated the Demon Extermination Alliance and is suspected of having taken control of the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Venerable. This is a matter of great importance, and we urge the Undying Heavenly Venerable to take action as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, the Undying Celestial Venerable finally showed a slight ripple in his expression: "Ye Tingxiu, do you know what you're saying?"

Zhou Qingfeng's expression turned serious: "I know that arbitrarily accusing a Celestial Venerable is a serious crime of insubordination."

"However, since this concerns the life and death of the Three Realms, I have to say it, Heavenly Venerable. We, the seven siblings of the Ye family, are willing to take responsibility for what we have said. If there is a single falsehood, we, the seven siblings, will be at the mercy of the Heavenly Venerable without any objection."

The Immortal Celestial Venerable looked solemn, realizing the seriousness of the matter. If the Myriad Manifestations Celestial Venerable was truly controlled by the Demon God, it would be a disaster that could not be ignored for his personal safety.

However, taking action based solely on the one-sided accounts of these seven individuals would be too hasty. It is highly likely that the allied forces will fall apart before the demon god is completely eradicated, and the promising situation will be ruined in an instant.

Therefore, the Immortal Celestial Venerable also found the situation extremely difficult and dared not take any radical measures.

"Ye Tingxiu, you've really given me a hot potato."

"How can I verify the truth of your claims?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands in response: "Heavenly Venerable, it is actually very simple to verify the truth."

“We have discovered the Demon God’s secret, and the Demon God has also discovered that we have noticed. In order to eliminate any potential threats, the Demon God will definitely use the hand of the Myriad Manifestations Celestial Venerable to hunt us down. He might even resort to any means of framing us.”

"If the Celestial Venerable of All Things takes action against us, it will be tantamount to verifying the truth of what I have said."

The Immortal Celestial Venerable narrowed his eyes and said in a calm tone, "Well, let's wait and see."

Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands in a salute and stood aside with his team members, waiting quietly.

The Immortal Celestial Venerable closed his eyes to meditate, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Time passed by, and soon a commotion arose outside the door.

The Immortal Celestial Venerable slightly opened his eyes and slowly spoke: "What's all this noise?"

The celestial general standing guard outside opened the door, entered the room, and clasped his hands in response: "Reporting to the Celestial Venerable, the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations has personally led a team of celestial generals, saying that they have come to capture the Demon God and demand that the Celestial Venerable hand him over immediately."

The Undying Celestial Venerable frowned slightly: "Absurd, where did this demon god come from? Who does he want me to hand over?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Undying Celestial realized something and looked at Zhou Qingfeng and his group who were standing quietly to the side.

He paused for a moment and then said, "Please invite the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations to sit in the council hall. Also, please invite the Celestial Venerable of Compassion to come."

"I will obey the Heavenly Venerable's command." The heavenly general clasped his hands in a salute, slowly retreated, and closed the door behind him.

The Immortal Celestial Venerable glanced at him sideways: "Ye Tingxiu, it seems what you said is true."

Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands and said, "Heavenly Venerable, what are your plans?"

The Immortal Celestial Venerable slowly descended from his throne, put his hands behind his back, and said, "This is not something you should be concerned with. Come with me to the council hall. There are some things that need to be clarified tonight."

Zhou Qingfeng's heart tightened, and he bowed his head slightly: "Yes, Heavenly Venerable."

This is why it's said that if you involve high-level officials in the game, you'll completely lose control of the situation.

Because alarming the Celestial Venerable meant that things were spiraling completely out of control.

Nobody knows in what direction the outcome will ultimately take.

P.S.: Today, this book reached 500,000 words, successfully crossing the million-word mark. I hope everyone will continue to support me in the future. Actually, after each update, I pay attention to all kinds of data, whether it's donations or comments, I read them all. I'm always happy to see the data increase, because it's the readers' affirmation of me. Thank you!