After my rebirth, my Martial Sect will surely sweep the martial world in blood.

123. Assessment

Lin Mo didn't sleep a wink all night, repeatedly thinking about the confrontation with the demon general the previous night. Those scarlet eyes still seemed to flicker before his eyes, carrying an inhuman coldness.

"Young Master, Daoist Qingyun has arrived." Chen Gang's voice came from outside the door.

Lin Mo's spirits lifted, and he quickly rose to greet him. An elderly man in a blue Taoist robe walked in slowly, holding a whisk, exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom. This was the highly skilled cultivator he had met during his investigation into the Heavenly Demon.

"Master, your arrival is timely." Lin Mo led Master Qingyun to the study. "Last night I had a brief exchange with the leader of the Heavenly Demon Guard, and I sensed that his strength was unfathomable."

Master Qingyun stroked his beard and pondered, "Last night, I observed the stars and saw that the Ziwei star was dim, while the demonic star shone brightly in the sky. The aura of the celestial demons is becoming increasingly intense."

As the two were talking, Zhang Yuan and Zhao Mingcheng arrived one after another. The four of them sat around in the study and began to seriously assess the comparison of their respective strengths.

"Let's start with our forces," Lin Mo said, taking out a list. "There are a total of twenty-seven officials in the court who support the new policies, including two ministers of the six ministries, five vice ministers, and the rest holding important positions in their respective ministries. This is our foundation in the court."

Zhang Yuan added, "On the military side, General Zhao, the commander of the border troops, has clearly expressed his support and can mobilize 50,000 border troops. We also have men in the Imperial Guards of the capital, but their numbers are small, about 3,000."

"The power of the martial arts world should not be underestimated either," Lin Mo continued. "Through the previous arms deal, we established connections with four of the seven major sects. Shaolin and Wudang, in particular, have agreed to lend a hand if necessary."

Zhao Mingcheng frowned and said, "But these forces are scattered in various places. If a real battle were to break out, it would be difficult to quickly assemble them."

"That's precisely the problem," Lin Mo nodded. "And as for the Heavenly Demons..."

He paused, his tone becoming heavy: "Based on current observations, the Heavenly Demon Guard has at least three hundred members, each with considerable strength. Especially that winged demon general; I estimate his strength is no less than that of the Shaolin Abbot."

Master Qingyun interjected, "What's even more terrifying is that these are only the forces on the surface. The Heavenly Demons are masters of bewitching people; who knows how many officials in the court have already been controlled by them."

Zhang Yuan sighed, "Moreover, they control the Emperor and can mobilize the entire nation's troops at any time in the name of imperial edicts. If we really break off relations, we'll be considered traitors."

A silence fell over the study. The overwhelming disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves put immense pressure on everyone.

"However, we also have advantages," Lin Mo broke the silence. "First, we are in the shadows, while they are in the light. The Heavenly Demons don't yet know that we've seen through their true nature. Second, we have the Taoist priest's magical support, which they didn't expect. Third..."

He stood up and took a wooden box from the bookshelf: "We also have this."

The wooden box was opened, revealing a jade pendant that emitted a faint golden light. This was a treasure Lin Mo had obtained by chance in his previous life, possessing the power to ward off evil spirits.

Master Qingyun's eyes lit up: "Could this be... the Pure Yang Jade Pendant?"

"Exactly." Lin Mo nodded. "This is a family heirloom of my Lin family, with a special effect in suppressing evil spirits."

"Excellent!" Master Qingyun exclaimed excitedly. "With this treasure in hand, we have a much better chance of defeating the Heavenly Demon."

But Zhang Yuan remained worried: "Even so, the gap in strength is still too great. We must have a meticulous plan."

"I agree." Lin Mo sat down again. "I think we should proceed in three steps."

He wrote three words on the paper: intelligence, divide and conquer, raid.

"First, we must strengthen intelligence gathering. We need to accurately determine the number, distribution, and operational patterns of the Heavenly Demon Guard, as well as the list of officials under their control."

"Secondly, we must divide and weaken the Heavenly Demon's power. We can exploit the factional infighting within the court, causing the controlled officials to distrust each other."

"Finally, choose the right moment to launch a surprise attack, striking directly at the core."

Zhao Mingcheng asked, "What do you mean by 'appropriate timing'?"

Lin Mo smiled slightly: "The fifteenth of next month is the Heaven-worshiping ceremony. According to tradition, the Emperor must personally ascend the altar to pray for blessings. All civil and military officials will be present then, making it the perfect opportunity to expose the true nature of the Heavenly Demon."

"But this is also the most dangerous time," Zhang Yuan warned. "The sacrificial ceremony is heavily guarded; the Heavenly Demons will definitely be on high alert."

"It's precisely because it's dangerous that they wouldn't expect us to dare to act at that time," Lin Mo said firmly. "Besides, the people will be watching outside the altar at that time. Once the true face of the Heavenly Demon is exposed, the news will spread throughout the entire city quickly."

Master Qingyun nodded in agreement: "Lord Lin is right. However, before that, we must make thorough preparations."

Over the next hour, the four discussed the specific arrangements for each step in detail. Zhang Yuan was responsible for contacting allies in the court, Zhao Mingcheng was responsible for military liaison, Daoist Qingyun continued to develop magical artifacts to deal with the Heavenly Demon, and Lin Mo oversaw the overall situation.

"There's one more crucial issue," Lin Mo suddenly said as the discussion neared its end, "The Crown Prince's orphan must be protected. He's the rightful heir, and once the Heavenly Demon is exposed, he'll be needed to stabilize the situation."

"Don't worry about that," Zhang Yuandao said. "I've already moved the Crown Prince's orphan to a safe location. Apart from the four of us, no one knows his whereabouts."

Just then, a crow cawed outside the window. Master Qingyun's expression changed slightly: "This is bad, it's the warning signal I set up."

The four immediately became alert. Lin Mo quickly walked to the window and gently pushed it open a crack. On the street, a squad of demon guards were patrolling house to house, led by the winged demon general from last night.

"Why are they searching so thoroughly today?" Zhao Mingcheng asked nervously.

Lin Mo observed carefully for a moment, then suddenly understood: "They're looking for the Crown Prince's orphan."

These words sent a collective gasp through everyone. Zhang Yuan asked urgently, "Has the news leaked out?"

"Not necessarily," Lin Mo calmly analyzed. "It's possible that the Heavenly Demon sensed a threat and wanted to eliminate this hidden danger in advance."

Master Qingyun calculated with his fingers, his expression growing even more grave: "The demonic energy is unusually active today; they've probably already sensed something."

As the search party drew closer, Lin Mo made a quick decision: "Taoist Master, please use an illusion to cover Lord Zhang and Lord Zhao's escape. I'll distract them."

"It's too dangerous!" Zhang Yuan objected. "How can you handle so many Heavenly Demons by yourself?"

Lin Mo took out the Pure Yang Jade Pendant and hung it at his waist, then gripped the Pure Yang Sword tightly: "With these two treasures protecting me, I can protect myself. Moreover..."

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "I'll take this opportunity to test the true strength of the Heavenly Demon."

Before anyone could stop him, Lin Mo pushed open the door and strode into the street. Sunlight shone on the pure yang jade pendant on his body, reflecting a dazzling golden light.

The demon general immediately noticed the commotion and led his guards over. When his gaze fell on the Pure Yang Jade Pendant, his scarlet eyes visibly narrowed.

"Lord Lin, are you going out?" The Demon General's voice was even colder than last night.

Lin Mo smiled calmly: "Exactly. I heard a group of merchants from the Western Regions have arrived in the capital, bringing some rare and interesting items. I'd like to go and take a look."

The demon general stared intently at the Pure Yang Jade Pendant: "Lord Lin, this jade pendant is quite special."

"It's just an heirloom," Lin Mo said casually, toying with the jade pendant. "If the general likes it, I'll have one made and send it to you another day."

The demon general snorted coldly, "No need. But Lord Lin, it's best to stay home these days; the capital is far from peaceful."

Their eyes met again, and this time, Lin Mo clearly felt that the other party's momentum had weakened somewhat under the intimidation of the Pure Yang Jade Pendant.

"Thank you for your concern, General." Lin Mo bowed and walked through the Heavenly Demon Guards as if nothing had happened.

He could feel the cold gaze of the demon general behind him, but the general ultimately did not intervene. This confirmed his guess: the Pure Yang Jade Pendant did indeed have a restraining effect on the Heavenly Demon.

Lin Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief after turning the corner. The earlier probe, though risky, was worthwhile. At least he now knew that the Heavenly Demon was wary of the Pure Yang Jade Pendant.

He looked up towards the palace, his gaze becoming profound. The sacrificial ceremony was still a month away; within that month, he had to quickly increase his strength and refine his plans.

The gap in strength remains vast, but victory is not impossible. In his previous life, he rose from obscurity to become a grandmaster; in this life, he will surely lead everyone through this crisis.