"So that's how it is." Li Fan gave a slight nod, his face as calm as still water, though a faint trace of regret colored his tone. "A single oversight in a hundred precautions—not a failure of strategy itself."
"Hmph! To have deceived us for so long, you truly have some skill!" The face on the smooth stone fragment flickered in and out of visibility, betraying the speaker's profound inner turmoil.
"I should have sensed something was wrong long ago. With Zhou Qing'ang's mediocre abilities, how could he have accomplished several extraordinary feats within just a few years...
"Previously, I was blinded by the bountiful results, merely thinking his fortune had miraculously turned.
"Now, upon reflection, a single instance could perhaps be explained by good luck. But for such favor to be bestowed repeatedly, time and again...
"Hmph. That Zhou Qing'ang is hardly someone chosen by heaven's will." The face spoke slowly, laced with vexation.
Its gaze remained fixed on Li Fan, searching for any hint of expression, perhaps smugness. Yet Li Fan's countenance betrayed no change whatsoever. Not even a trace of panic after having his identity thoroughly exposed.
This, in turn, made the stone-face wary and uncertain, and it gradually fell silent.
The undersea ruins grew utterly still.
After a while, the face could no longer restrain itself. "Just who are you?" it asked, its voice low and heavy.
"The entrance examination questions for the Myriad Immortals Alliance... the events that transpired on Myriad Immortals Island the day it was sealed...
"These are incredible secrets. Only someone in a high position within the Myriad Immortals Alliance could know them. To sell such information to us for nothing more than contribution points...
"Was it to gain our trust? To infiltrate us from the inside?"
After a series of careful deductions, the face arrived at the conclusion that Li Fan was a fellow operative.
"Relax. I am no spy for the Myriad Immortals Alliance," Li Fan stated plainly. "On the contrary, my goal aligns with that of your Five Elders Council.
"We share the same purpose: to overthrow the Myriad Immortals Alliance!"
"What?" Li Fan's words were softly spoken, but to the stone-face they landed like a clap of thunder.
"You..." The face seemed to jolt upright in shock, staring dumbfounded at Li Fan.
A moment later, it quickly collected itself, brimming with disbelief. "Trying to fool me again?"
As if he hadn't heard the reaction at all, Li Fan continued, speaking almost to himself. "The Immortals Alliance has no morals, treating all cultivators under heaven as beasts of burden, exploiting them at will. Though the Myriad Immortals Alliance's rule may appear unshakable, with all living beings submitting..."
His tone shifted, sharpening, filling with audacious spirit. "We cultivators defy the heavens themselves. If we do not fear heaven, why should we fear a mere Myriad Immortals Alliance?
"Among the vast multitude of living beings, there will always be those who would rather die than not raise the banner of rebellion. Who would rather fall fighting than live as they do now, raised like livestock!
"Give me liberty, or give me death!"
His momentum reached its peak. Even the stone-face opposite him was faintly moved by such impassioned words.
At that very moment, Li Fan pivoted abruptly. "However, the Immortals Alliance's power is immense. To act rashly without an effective method is little different from marching to one's death.
"Though we do not fear death, we have no wish to waste our precious lives without having contributed anything.
"So..." Li Fan cast a meaningful glance at the face.
On the smooth stone fragment, the face fell silent for a time, then spoke thoughtfully. "So, you set your sights on our Five Elders Council?"
Li Fan admitted frankly, "Exactly. While the intelligence we have suggests your Five Elders Council is no paragon of virtue either, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
His tone grew distant, yet blunt. "Or perhaps, when two tigers fight, one is bound to be injured. Both of you can go ahead and bite each other and fight to the death. When the time comes, we will emerge to cleanse the heavens and remake the world!"
The face reacted as though it had heard the most absurd thing imaginable, not even deigning to mock him. It simply sneered. "So you’re a bunch of lunatics."
Li Fan was unperturbed, his expression utterly serious. "In the past, when the Heavenly Venerable Dao Teacher sought to establish the new methodology and transform the world, I imagine the vast majority of people also considered him an absolute madman.
"After all, the rigid rule of the Ten Immortal Dao Sects back then was no less formidable than the current Myriad Immortals Alliance.
"And where are those Ten Immortal Dao Sects now?
"If the Dao Teacher could do it, who's to say our Heaven-Toppling Society..." As if he had misspoken, Li Fan paused slightly, then corrected himself. "...who's to say we cannot?"
The face narrowed its eyes, studying Li Fan with a long, searching look, but offered no further comment.
"In a sense, we are natural allies at this moment, are we not?" Li Fan continued.
"In fact, according to our current operational strategy, we have no immediate plans to make an enemy of your Five Elders Council.
"We bear no ill intent. The various pieces of intelligence I've provided previously should demonstrate that. If we intended to secretly sabotage you, we could certainly have dealt the Five Elders Council a major setback without you ever realizing it.
"The reason we’ve been contacting you using Fellow Daoist Zhou Qing'ang's identity is simply that, within the confines of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's territory, both our identities must remain hidden. If someone had suddenly showed up at your door, you'd likely have assumed your cover was blown and fled immediately.
"Heh. I understand your kind all too well.
"Ah, speaking of Zhou Qing'ang, it just occurred to me. He's still alive. It's not impossible to return him to you."
Li Fan spoke eloquently and at length.
The other party's expression, however, was far from pleasant. "That fool can rot for all I care!"
After a moment, the face suppressed its anger and spoke through gritted teeth, its voice low. "You've said so much. Do you still wish to cooperate with us?"
Li Fan chuckled dryly. "Why ask what you already know? After realizing Zhou Qing'ang was compromised, you didn't immediately cut the connection. Instead, you've chatted with me all this time. Isn't it precisely because you can't pin down my identity, and you're still coveting the top-secret intelligence I might provide?
"Surely you're not going to claim the Five Elders Council's spy network has that much free time on its hands?"
The face snorted coldly but did not refute him, tacitly acknowledging Li Fan's words.
"Good. Now that we've laid our cards on the table, some things can be spoken plainly. We have recently obtained a new piece of top-secret information." Li Fan spoke slowly, watching the face's reaction.
Sure enough, the other party's expression shifted slightly. A flash of desire crossed his eyes.
For him, whether I am truly Zhou Qing'ang or truly a Five Elders Council sleeper agent is ultimately unimportant. What matters is whether I can provide him with the secrets of the Myriad Immortals Alliance.
Li Fan's mind was clear and still as a mirror.
No spy wants to remain in the shadows forever. To accomplish great deeds, to retire with honor; to live out the rest of their days without fear, enjoying peace and comfort. That is the life they truly dream of.
And I can help him achieve it.