novelraw Chapter 933: Gossip And Secrets
Chapter 933: Gossip And Secrets
Once Han Yu had formally aligned himself with Lady Rot Rose’s faction, the atmosphere within the pavilion shifted subtly once more. The invisible tension that had been lingering around him eased greatly, and even the others began treating him with noticeably more openness.
Of course Love Wine behaved the same as always. But now still felt Han Yu relaxed, though only internally.
Outwardly, Ju Fan still maintained his composed and faintly sinister demeanor while quietly sipping Rose Life Wine from time to time. He no longer needed to constantly calculate every single word with absolute caution like before. While he still remained vigilant, the pressure weighing upon him had reduced considerably after giving his answer.
The gathering itself also began changing in nature.
Earlier, it had felt like an assessment.
Now it became something far more natural.
Discussion.
Information exchange.
Politics.
Schemes.
Rumors.
Plans.
Han Yu soon realized this gathering functioned almost like the hidden nerve center of a faction operating beneath the surface of the sect.
And the amount of information being exchanged left even him surprised.
For the most part Han Yu stayed silent and listened carefully while the others talked amongst themselves. Occasionally he interjected with questions whenever something important caught his attention or when he realized there were gaps in the intelligence he himself possessed.
The replies came far easier than expected.
And the more he listened...
The more astonished he became.
Some information was harmless.
Some amusing.
Some deeply concerning.
And some could likely start civil war within the sect if revealed openly.
They discussed things ranging from trivial matters such as which elder secretly preferred mortal junk food over spirit cuisine, all the way to hidden embezzlement networks siphoning spirit stones from mining departments.
Han Yu even learned that one Peak Head apparently maintained three entirely separate identities outside the sect for conducting illegal trade with rogue cultivators.
Another elder had secretly killed his own grand disciple because the disciple discovered a hidden treasury cave.
One particularly old High Elder apparently spent enormous amounts of sect resources raising mutated spirit pigs simply because he believed they could eventually become immortal beasts.
Mistress Love Wine nearly choked laughing after revealing that piece of gossip.
Daoist Blood Pool loudly declared that such a man deserved respect for his dedication to insanity.
Even Lady Rot Rose smiled faintly at that one.
Han Yu quietly absorbed every bit of information like a sponge.
Compared to this...
Even his Jiangshi network felt somewhat limited.
His Jiangshi provided surveillance.
Movement.
Conversations.
Locations.
But this group possessed something else entirely.
Understanding.
Connections.
Relationships.
Interpretations.
That made the information far more dangerous.
Han Yu quickly realized why factions were so terrifying within major sects.
A lone person could gather information.
An organized faction could weaponize it.
And seeing the timing becoming appropriate, Han Yu finally decided to reveal a few things of his own.
Not too much.
Just enough.
He needed to demonstrate value.
After all, joining a faction meant more than merely accepting protection. One also had to prove usefulness. So when a discussion began regarding certain unusual financial shifts within one of the outer administrative provinces, Han Yu calmly spoke up.
"The Third Crimson Treasury has been falsifying transport losses for the past two years."
The pavilion grew slightly quieter.
Daoist Snake Face looked toward him.
"You are certain?"
Han Yu calmly nodded while sipping wine.
"The losses reported during transport never actually occurred. The resources were diverted before departure."
Mistress Love Wine blinked.
"How much?"
Han Yu replied casually.
"Approximately six hundred thousand high grade spirit stones worth over the two year period."
Even Lady Rot Rose’s eyes narrowed slightly at that.
That amount was enormous.
Daoist Blood Pool frowned.
"The treasury elders hid this well."
Han Yu simply smiled faintly.
"I happened to hear about it."
No one questioned his source.
That was one of the unspoken rules around this table.
Everyone had methods.
Everyone had secrets.
Prying too deeply into them was foolish.
Still, the fact that Han Yu possessed intelligence even they lacked clearly surprised them somewhat. And that only increased after Han Yu revealed several more pieces of information.
One involved an elder secretly raising cursed spirits beneath a medicinal valley.
Another involved a core disciple who had been assassinating rivals while disguising the deaths as cultivation accidents.
Mistress Love Wine whistled softly at that revelation.
"You really do know many things."
Han Yu smiled lightly.
"I simply pay attention."
Though eventually...
The conversation shifted toward something far more explosive.
It happened almost casually.
Daoist Blood Pool had been complaining about the Patriarch’s recent favoritism toward one of his younger children when Han Yu suddenly spoke.
"That child is not actually his."
Silence.
Utter silence.
Even Mistress Love Wine froze mid sip.
Lady Rot Rose slowly turned her gaze toward Han Yu.
Daoist Snake Face’s forked tongue flicked through the air once.
Master Swamp Leech stopped wriggling entirely.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Then Mistress Love Wine blinked rapidly.
"...What?"
Han Yu calmly took another drink.
"The child born from Concubine Mei does not belong to the Patriarch."
Daoist Blood Pool frowned deeply.
"That is impossible."
"The bloodline examinations confirmed it."
Han Yu nodded calmly.
"The examinations were technically correct."
That only confused them more.
Lady Rot Rose leaned slightly forward now.
"Explain."
Han Yu inwardly found the entire situation amusing.
To him this information truly mattered very little.
Yet judging from everyone’s expressions... This was apparently catastrophic gossip.
Han Yu calmly placed down his wine cup.
"The bloodline verification methods used by the sect are extremely accurate," he explained. "However, they are not entirely impossible to circumvent under certain very specific conditions."
Mistress Love Wine stared intently.
"In what way?"
Han Yu raised a finger calmly.
"A slight generational discrepancy."
They still looked confused.
Then suddenly Master Swamp Leech spoke.
"I knew it."
Everyone turned toward him.
The grotesque man pointed accusingly toward Daoist Blood Pool.
"You owe me."
Daoist Blood Pool immediately scowled.
"You still officially lost the bet."