191: Chapter 191 Chen Wuwang Exposes the Conspiracy, the Alliance on High Alert

The night wind squeezed through the cracks in the bronze doors of the Council Hall, causing the oil lamp in the corner to flicker.

Chen Wuwang stood at the entrance, his fingers still lightly tapping the hilt of the Titanium Alloy Dagger at his waist, his knuckles rhythmically striking the metal out of habit, producing a faint "da, da" sound.

He was in no rush to enter.

There were already people inside.

Elder Zhao of the Chuanyun Sect sat in the third seat on the left, holding a Jade Slip in his hand, his brows knitted tightly together.

The Deputy Commander of Chiji Ridge leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting, as if he were waiting for someone to start an argument.

The Elder of the Sand Clan leaned on a bone staff, eyes closed in meditation, but his ears twitched slightly; he was clearly not asleep.

Others sat scattered in small groups, some conversing in low voices, others drinking tea in silence.

The atmosphere was like a taut string, making it hard to breathe.

Chen Wuwang pushed the door open and entered.

Everyone's gaze instantly pinned onto him.

He didn't speak, walking straight to the main seat, turning around, crossing his arms, and standing still.

"I just finished interrogating a spy," he began. His voice was not loud, but it instantly caused the entire hall to quiet down. "His name is Lu San, a traveling medicine peddler with the West Desert Sand Clan caravan. Some of you have seen him."

No one responded.

"He set up a stall in the market for five days, selling medicine at different prices to sow discord between the Xuansha Tribe and the Beipo Liu Clan; at night, he would drink with merchants and say that the Chen Clan was undermining the Alliance, hoarding the Immortal Emperor's relics, and planning to annex the Bloodline of every clan."

Chen Wuwang paused. "He also transmitted intelligence—not to some hostile faction, but directly to the 'Shadow Council'."

"Mo Yuan," someone whispered, spitting out the name.

Chen Wuwang nodded: "Yes, that madman who was expelled from the Righteous Path three hundred years ago and is now parasitic within twelve mechanical Puppets. His mission is not to kill or seize territory, but to make us fight among ourselves."

"What proof do you have?" Elder Zhao finally spoke, his tone rigid. "Just based on the word of a captive? Who knows if you made this up to scare us?"

Chen Wuwang did not refute him.

He raised his hand and swiped through the air.

A translucent screen appeared, and immediately after, a recording began to play—

"I am... one of Mo Yuan's men. My mission is to create chaos and destroy the Alliance's trust. He said... as long as there is internal strife in the Eastern Wasteland, the Chen Clan will be isolated and helpless."

It was Lu San's voice, hoarse, exhausted, and filled with despair.

The hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

"These words were spoken by him personally."

Chen Wuwang put away the screen. "It was recorded in the underground interrogation room, with seven rune chains sealing his Divine Sense and the Spiritual Sense shielding array activated. I can hand over the recording Jade Slip to three esteemed Elders for joint verification."

Elder Zhao's lips moved, but he didn't say anything more.

"Do you think this is just a small matter?" Chen Wuwang scanned the room. "A rumor? A misunderstanding? But have you considered what would happen tomorrow if this had succeeded?"

He took a step forward, his voice suddenly deepening: "Tomorrow, someone will say that the Chen Clan colluded with the Zerg Broodmother to intentionally release meteor belt acid to corrode our shields!"

"The day after, rumors will spread that the Master of Leiyin Pavilion has been corrupted by Cthulhu's whispers and is plotting to blood-sacrifice the Spiritual Vein of the Eastern Wasteland!"

"The day after that, some of you will draw swords against each other because you 'saw with your own eyes' the other party secretly planting rune bombs!"

"This is not fear-mongering." He stared at the Sand Clan Elder. "What does your Sand Clan fear most? The disruption of water sources. If someone spread the news that the Cangling Clan had intercepted the underground water vein, would you take action?"

The old man slowly opened his eyes and tightened his grip on his bone staff.

"And what about the Cangling Clan?" Chen Wuwang turned to the other side. "You care most about the ownership of the mining tunnels. If someone forged a document claiming 'The Chen Clan has signed a private agreement with Chiji Ridge to divide the spiritual mines of the Eastern District,' would you believe it?"

The representative of the Cangling Clan's expression changed.

"I am telling you all of this not to establish authority, nor do I want your gratitude."

Chen Wuwang's voice dropped. "I want you to see one thing clearly—the enemy does not fear our strength, nor do they fear our technology, our mechs, or our spiritual energy production lines. What they fear is our unity."

He paused for a moment, scanning the room.

"Why did Mo Yuan choose this time to strike? Because we have just quelled our internal strife, rebuilt order, and trust has begun to recover. He knows that as long as he stirs the pot again, this water that we worked so hard to balance will immediately spill over."

"So he sent a small character, not some formidable assassin, just a medicine peddler. He let him use his mouth to slowly, bit by bit, plant suspicion in your hearts."

"And now, he has failed," Chen Wuwang's tone turned cold. "But he will not stop. Today it is Lu San, but who might it be tomorrow? An injured wandering Cultivator? An envoy bringing gifts? Or an anonymous letter claiming to reveal the 'truth'?"

The hall was deathly silent.

Suddenly, a loud "bang" sounded from the Chuanyun Sect's seating area.

Elder Zhao slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his face flushed red: "I remember now! Last month, thirty-six Disciples from a branch of our sect collectively suffered from Qi Deviation, lost their minds, and ended up killing each other!"

"At the time, we thought it was just a mishap in their Cultivate, but now that I think about it... the symptoms were all wrong! That was mental erosion! It was Mo Yuan's method! He had his eyes on us long ago!"

"It's not just you," the Master of Leiyin Pavilion also stood up, his voice solemn. "Three days ago, two deacons under my command suddenly went mad, tearing up ancient texts and repeatedly chanting 'The whispers are descending.' We blocked the news, thinking it was an isolated case. But now it seems, this was a test! They were looking for a Breakthrough point!"

"So you are right," he looked at Chen Wuwang. "This is not a coincidence; it is a systematic attack. They do not attack cities or seize territory; they focus on the human heart."

"We almost fell for it," the Deputy Commander of Chiji Ridge muttered. "Yesterday, I heard people saying that the Chen Clan was hoarding the star-patterned stone to monopolize mech upgrade technology... I actually believed it a little bit at the time."

"I heard it too," the young representative of the Nangu Lin Family raised his hand. "Someone said that you were preparing to establish a 'Technology Oversight Committee,' but it was actually to plant spies and control the development of each clan."

"Now we know who is spreading these rumors behind our backs," the leader of the Xuansha Tribe sneered. "Mo Yuan's tactic is more poisonous than a blade. It kills without shedding blood, and it makes us kill each other."

"So what do we do now?" asked the Cangling Clan. "Are we supposed to live in fear every day, not even daring to speak?"

Chen Wuwang raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"I do not ask you to trust me immediately," he said. "But I ask you to trust your own judgment. From today on, remember three principles."

He held up one finger. "First, do not easily believe information from unknown sources. Any intelligence that has not been verified by three parties shall be considered suspicious."

He held up a second finger. "Second, do not privately spread unconfirmed content. Even if you heard it with your own ears, you must first report it to the Inspection Team."

He held up a third finger. "Third, do not harbor groundless suspicion against allies. Whoever discovers someone intentionally sowing discord must report it immediately, to be handled collectively by the Alliance."

After finishing, he looked at everyone. "I propose that each clan appoint an internal inspector to report abnormal activities daily. Share information and set up no barriers. We may not be perfect, but we must not be divided."

The hall was silent for a few moments.

Then, the Sand Clan Elder slowly stood up and struck the ground with his bone staff: "I agree."

"The Cangling Clan supports this."

"The Xuansha Tribe seconds the motion."

"Chiji Ridge joins in."

One voice after another rang out, like the first crack in an ice sheet, and the spring waters began to flow.

Chen Wuwang stood in the center, his expression unchanged, but his shoulders relaxed for a brief moment.

He knew that this hurdle had been cleared.

But it was not over yet.

He took a deep breath, and his voice sounded again: "The enemy is hiding in the dark, relying on our suspicion. But as long as we stand together, they will forever be limited to playing these little tricks."

His gaze was like iron as he scanned everyone's face.

"Because they dare not fight us head-on. What they fear is not the Chen Clan, but the combined will of all of us."

As his voice fell, the lights in the Council Hall flickered violently.

Outside the window, the night wind gradually died down.

Chen Wuwang remained standing, arms crossed, back straight.

No one left.

Everyone remained in their seats, like a group of people who had just woken up, seeing for the first time how dangerous the road beneath their feet was, and realizing for the first time—they were not alone.