FVN 122. Alliance
122. Alliance
As night deepened, candlelight flickered in the study of the Lin family mansion. Lin Mo stood by the window, gazing at the demon guards standing like statues on the street outside, his brow furrowed. Ever since his eye contact with the winged demon general yesterday, the unease in his heart had grown stronger.
"Young Master, everyone has arrived." Chen Gang appeared silently at the study door and whispered.
Lin Mo nodded and turned to walk towards the secret room behind the bookshelf. This secret room was built by the Lin family's ancestors, and its walls were made of special materials that could prevent outside detection, making it the safest place for meetings at present.
Inside the secret room, Zhang Yuan, Zhao Mingcheng, Wang Shouren, and other core members of the new political group had been waiting for some time. Everyone's expression was quite solemn. Even the usually composed Zhang Yuan unconsciously tapped his fingers on the table, revealing his inner anxiety.
"The situation is worse than we imagined," Zhang Yuan said impatiently as soon as Lin Mo sat down. "This morning, three more officials were transferred out of the capital, all for very flimsy reasons. I sent people to investigate, and they discovered that their whereabouts have been unknown since they left the capital."
Zhao Mingcheng added, "News has also come from the Ministry of Personnel that several important positions are about to be reshuffled, and the successors are all relatively unknown figures. I suspect..."
"They've been replaced," Lin Mo continued. "The Heavenly Demons are replacing court officials with their puppets."
These words made the atmosphere in the secret room even heavier. Wang Shouren wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Then what should we do? Just sit and wait to die?"
"Of course not." Lin Mo took out a map of the capital city from his pocket and spread it on the table. "First, we need to figure out the surveillance range of the Heavenly Demon Guard."
He pointed to several marked points on the map: "Based on observations over the past few days, the Heavenly Demon Guard mainly monitors your residences, the teahouses and taverns you frequent, and several important government offices. However, their manpower is limited, and they cannot cover the entire city."
Zhang Yuan's eyes lit up: "You mean, we can exploit this vulnerability?"
"Exactly." Lin Mo nodded. "I've found several safe locations: Ci'en Temple in the west of the city, the backyard of Yuelai Inn in the south, and an abandoned house in the east. These places haven't been targeted by the Heavenly Demon Guard yet."
Zhao Mingcheng frowned and said, "But how do we get to these places without being watched? Those guards have very sharp eyes."
Lin Mo smiled slightly and took out several small porcelain bottles from his sleeve: "These are Concealment Pills left behind by Daoist Qingyun. After taking them, one can conceal their aura for one hour, avoiding the perception of the Heavenly Demon. However, the quantity is limited, so they must be used with caution."
He distributed the porcelain bottles to everyone and continued, "Secondly, we need to establish a new communication network. I suggest using the most traditional method: carrier pigeons, combined with coded messages. Although the Heavenly Demons are powerful, they are surprisingly lax in their defenses against these traditional methods."
"Good idea." Zhang Yuan nodded approvingly. "I have quite a few carrier pigeons at home; we can put them to use immediately."
"Third," Lin Mo's expression turned serious, "we must prepare for the worst. If the situation gets out of control, we must have a safe evacuation route."
He pointed to several routes marked on the map: "These secret passages lead out of the city, and our people are there to meet you at each end. But don't use them lightly unless absolutely necessary."
Wang Shouren asked worriedly, "Lord Lin, can we really contend with the Heavenly Demons? They can even replace the Emperor!"
This question silenced everyone. Indeed, faced with a mysterious power capable of silently replacing an emperor, mortals seemed so insignificant.
Lin Mo surveyed the crowd, his voice firm: "Precisely because our opponent is powerful, we cannot back down. Do you all still remember the original intention behind our new policies? It was to restore order to the nation, to ensure the people were no longer oppressed by the powerful. Now, the threat has shifted from internal corruption to external demons; we cannot give up now."
He paused, then continued, "Moreover, we are not entirely without a chance of victory. Daoist Qingyun is already developing magical artifacts to combat the Heavenly Demon, and the border commander has indicated he can provide support if necessary. Most importantly, we already know the enemy's true nature, while they are unaware that we have already discovered it."
These words eased the tension slightly among the crowd. Zhang Yuan stood up and solemnly said, "Lord Lin is right. Now that we've chosen this path, we cannot give up halfway. I am willing to advance and retreat with you all!"
"Zhao too!"
"Although Wang is cowardly, he won't desert at this time!"
Seeing the renewed fighting spirit of the crowd, Lin Mo felt somewhat relieved. But he knew that fighting spirit alone was not enough; a practical and feasible plan was also essential.
"Next, we need to do three things," Lin Mo said, holding up three fingers. "First, figure out the Heavenly Demon Guard's modus operandi; second, protect the Crown Prince's orphan, this crucial asset; and third, find conclusive evidence as soon as possible to prove the Emperor has been replaced."
Just then, three long and two short knocks came from outside the secret room, which was the pre-arranged warning signal.
Chen Gang strode into the secret chamber and whispered, "Young Master, there's movement outside. A squad of Heavenly Demon Guards is heading this way, led by that winged demon general."
Everyone's faces turned pale instantly. Wang Shouren said in a trembling voice, "They discovered our gathering here?"
"Not necessarily," Lin Mo calmly analyzed. "It might be a routine patrol. Everyone, don't panic, disperse according to the pre-arranged plan."
He quickly instructed: "Lord Zhang, take the secret passage on the east side; Lord Zhao, take the one on the west side; Lord Wang, follow me out the back door. Remember, take the Concealing Pill and remain calm."
Everyone immediately sprang into action. Lin Mo handed each person a Concealment Pill, and after watching them take it, they each entered different secret passages.
After everyone had left, Lin Mo said to Chen Gang, "Take a few men and make some noise inside the mansion to distract them. I'm going to meet that demon general."
Chen Gang exclaimed urgently, "Young Master, this is too dangerous!"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Lin Mo took out the Pure Yang Sword and gently stroked the blade. "Some probing is unavoidable."
Lin Mo straightened his clothes and walked out of the study as if nothing had happened, heading to the front courtyard. Just then, the mansion gate was pushed open, and the winged demon general led a squad of demon guards into the courtyard.
"Lord Lin, are you still awake so late at night?" The demon general's voice was cold and carried a strange echo, his wings gleaming metallicly in the moonlight.
Lin Mo said calmly, "I have some official business to attend to. May I ask what brings you here so late at night, General?"
The demon general's red eyes swept across the courtyard: "I received intelligence that suspicious individuals have infiltrated the Lin residence, so I've come to investigate."
"Oh?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow. "My residence is heavily guarded. How could any suspicious person have infiltrated? General, you've probably believed the rumors."
The demon general took a few steps forward, now only a zhang away from Lin Mo: "Whether it's a rumor or not, a search will tell."
Just then, a commotion arose from the backyard. Chen Gang, accompanied by several guards, brought in a bound man: "Young Master, we've caught a spy who infiltrated the manor!"
The person being held captive was dressed in rags and had an ordinary appearance, but Lin Mo could tell at a glance that he was a stand-in arranged by Chen Gang.
Lin Mo looked at the Demon General: "It seems the guards in my residence are quite capable; there's no need for the general to trouble himself."
The demon general's red eyes flickered slightly, as if assessing the situation. After a moment, he said coldly, "Lord Lin is indeed adept at governing the prefecture. However..."
He suddenly approached Lin Mo and whispered, "The capital has been rather unsettled lately. You'd better behave yourself, sir. Otherwise, next time it won't just be an inspection."
The threat in those words couldn't be clearer. Lin Mo remained unfazed: "Thank you for the reminder, General. However, I have always been law-abiding, while you, General, work tirelessly day and night; you should also take care of your health."
Their eyes met, and sparks seemed to fly through the air. Finally, the demon general snorted coldly and turned to leave with his guards.
Watching their figures disappear into the night, Lin Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although the confrontation was brief, he could sense the powerful demonic energy emanating from them, far surpassing that of ordinary demon guards.
Chen Gang walked over and whispered, "Young Master, they've left."
Lin Mo nodded: "Inform the officials that the plan remains the same, but we must be more careful. This demon general is more difficult to deal with than we imagined."
He looked up towards the palace and saw that the black aura there was even thicker than it had been a few days ago. The activities of the Heavenly Demons were becoming more and more frequent, and they didn't have much time to prepare.
"There will surely be some turmoil at tomorrow's court assembly," Lin Mo murmured to himself, the Chunyang sword in his hand gleaming faintly with golden light under the moonlight.