179: Chapter 179 Detecting the Problem, Launching an Investigation

The morning light slanted across the eaves of the side hall, shattering onto the blue stone steps.

Chen Wuwang's boot heels crushed the last traces of dew; he did not return to the main manor, nor did he head to the Council Hall, but instead turned and slipped into the inconspicuous iron door at the end of the side corridor.

Behind the door was a secret room, where a few old spiritual energy repeaters were piled in the corner, and a black iron plate sat in the center, its surface shimmering with pale blue light patterns.

He stood still, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye scanned, and an interface popped up—[Family Communication Terminal · Offline Mode Activated].

His fingers swiped through the Void Realm three times, calling up the access records of the Alliance members from yesterday to the present.

Seventeen Clan representatives, thirteen attended the meeting, four were absent.

However, the System showed that three people had entered and exited the Sand Clan's station at midnight last night, a talisman lamp had lit up in the secret passage behind the Chuanyun Sect at one in the morning, and in the direction of Chiji Ridge, half a quarter of an hour before the meeting started, there had been a brief energy fluctuation, as if a Formation had been activated and immediately cut off.

"It is not a coincidence." He said in a low voice, his knuckles tapping on the edge of the table, the rhythm cold and hard.

The encrypted channel was opened, and a secret code shot toward the maintenance bay in the west district of the Chen Family territory.

Three minutes later, footsteps came from outside the door, as light as a cat stepping on snow.

Chen Xiaodao pushed the door open and entered, his left arm's mechanical joint still carrying the residual warmth from the night's test, glowing faintly red.

"Family Head."

"Go for a walk around the periphery." Chen Wuwang didn't turn his head, staring at the data stream on the iron plate, "Pretend to inspect the defenses, focusing on the intersection zones of the Chuanyun Sect, Chiji Ridge, and the Sand Clan. Listen to what they say, who is colluding, and who is the most agitated."

"Listen only, don't speak; record only, don't interfere?" Chen Xiaodao asked.

"Correct." Chen Wuwang finally turned around, the blood-colored spiritual patterns in his right eye flashing and disappearing, "Don't let them notice you are investigating. Right now, people's hearts are drifting; the slightest disturbance could stir up waves."

Chen Xiaodao nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait." Chen Wuwang took a fingernail-sized chip from his waist and handed it over, "Stick it behind your ear; it can record sound wave bands. Just plug it into the iron plate when you return; don't touch the core area with your hands."

"Understood."

The door closed, and the secret room returned to silence.

Chen Wuwang sat down, his fingertips sliding across the iron plate, pulling the communication frequency bands of the three clans into three parallel curves.

The Chuanyun Sect's signal had accessed an external repeater once yesterday afternoon at three o'clock, the source unknown; Chiji Ridge's encrypted channel had seven short connections two hours before the meeting, as if transmitting some secondary files; the Sand Clan was even more decisive, directly cutting off the external shared channel, not even making the routine reports.

"Blocking information, coordinating actions, and even picking people to use as pawns..." He sneered, "Big appetites."

The daylight outside grew brighter, the sound of forging came from afar, and the sound of water flowing in the Medicinal Field's drip irrigation System was also clearly audible.

Everything in the Chen Family territory was as usual, but he knew that some things had already changed.

It was no longer as simple as a collapse of trust, but rather someone fanning the flames amidst the chaos, wanting to burn the entire Eastern Wasteland Alliance to ashes.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking deep within.

The holographic light brain hovered quietly, the interface unmoved.

The three daily heavenly secret instructions had not yet been generated, and there were still six hours until midnight. He could not wait.

Three hours later, a very light tapping sound came from outside the secret room, three long and two short.

The door opened, and Chen Xiaodao slipped in, his expression somewhat grim.

He removed the chip from behind his ear and inserted it into the iron plate's interface.

The light screen flashed, the sound wave bands expanded, and a recording played slowly.

First was the voice of a Chuanyun Sect deacon, kept very low: "...As long as we add more fuel to the fire and get the Blacksmith Alliance to stand out as well, the Chen Family won't be able to hold on."

Next was the deputy commander of Chiji Ridge: "Resources should have been redistributed long ago; we were just being used as pawns. Does he, Chen Wuwang, think that because he led us to fight our way out of the insect tide, he can be our daddy and mommy for a lifetime?"

Finally, the voice of the young leader of the Sand Clan sounded: "The Technical Supervision Committee must be established; the name is supervision, but the reality is to plant eyes. Every project must have our people sent in to watch; blueprints, progress, materials, nothing can be missed."

The recording stopped abruptly there.

Chen Wuwang said nothing throughout, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye constantly analyzing the sound wave characteristics, comparing time stamps and energy fluctuations, confirming there were no traces of forgery.

He reached out and called up a star map on the iron plate, which was the distribution map of the various clan stations of the Eastern Wasteland Alliance.

His fingertips tapped on the three markers of the Chuanyun Sect, Chiji Ridge, and the Sand Clan, and with a light swipe, red lines connected them into a triangle.

"It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision." His voice was low and hoarse, "The nails were buried long ago. On the day of the meeting, those who took the lead in making trouble were all cannon fodder pushed to the front. The ones who really wanted to make a move have been hiding behind the scenes all along."

Chen Xiaodao stood to the side, his fists slowly clenching.

"They forgot who stood on the front lines of the insect tide, who gave priority to the border clan battle cultivators for mechs, and who opened the Artifact Refining Workshop's blueprints to the third level... Now, they turn around and bite back."

"That is human nature." Chen Wuwang stood up and walked to the tactical star map on the wall, his fingers brushing over the three red dots, "When poor, they huddle together; when rich, they fight for profit. But this time is different—someone is pushing from behind."

He paused, his gaze suddenly sharp, the blood-colored spiritual patterns flickering at the edge of his pupils before being suppressed.

"Do they think I care about who curses me or who is dissatisfied with me?" He sneered, "Wrong. What I care about is who is secretly clipping my wings while pretending not to see which way the wind is blowing."

Chen Xiaodao looked up: "What is the next step?"

"Do nothing." Chen Wuwang stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the star map, "They want to see me panic, they want to see me rush to explain, negotiate, and divide power. I will not do that."

"But let them continue to collude?"

"Collusion is a good thing." A nearly manic curve appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"The more people gather, the bigger the flaws. What I need to do now is not to gag them, but to wait for them to say everything they have to say and walk to the end of their path."

He turned around, his gaze falling on Chen Xiaodao's face: "You have done very well. Next, don't stop. Keep listening, don't show yourself. I need to know who they plan to approach next and what they are prepared to use as bargaining chips."

"Yes."

"Additionally—" He picked up a dagger and tapped the tip gently on the star map, "Check if these three clans have received any external communications recently, especially from the West Ridge Seven Sects. If they really want to submit a joint petition, someone must be leading it."

Chen Xiaodao nodded and exited the secret room.

The door closed, and Chen Wuwang stood alone, his fingertips still on the star map.

Sunlight shone in from the high window, landing on half of his face, while the other half remained hidden in the shadows.

His silver-white long hair fell onto his shoulders, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flickering slightly, reflecting the huge star map on the wall.

He suddenly laughed, his laughter low but carrying a touch of madness.

"Want to play?"

He raised his hand, the blood-colored spiritual patterns appeared again, then immediately dissipated.

"Then let me see who is beating the drum behind the scenes."