Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 1054: The Careful Plan

The golden fields of the Solaria Kingdom swayed gently under the afternoon sun as the four travelers walked along the wide dirt road. Li Yu found himself enjoying the steady rhythm of their journey together. The gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh rain and blooming wildflowers while the distant mountains painted a serene backdrop against the clear blue sky. Traveling alongside Zhan Chen provided a fun, comfortable and reassuring presence.However, Li Yu knew they were not here to take a leisurely stroll through the countryside. They had a specific and dangerous mission to accomplish on this trip. They needed to head straight to the sprawling capital city so that the pressure on the Lunaris Kingdom would be lessened. They would begin investigating the hidden rot festering within this royal domain and if their suspicions proved correct, they would most likely be fighting a brutal battle against established royal powers before the week ended.

Li Yu looked over at his older cousin walking with a relaxed but confident stride. He was thinking to himself that he should definitely invite Zhan Chen on some more trips or adventures in the future. The Sovereign expert would make an excellent companion for exploring ruins or hunting beasts in the uncharted territories. Or just going on a trip for food or leisurely travel.

As quickly as the idea formed, reality set in. Li Yu realized the logistical hurdles of such a desire. Zhan Chen was the designated heir to one of the strongest factions. He spent his days managing vast intelligence networks, leading clan missions, handling delicate internal politics and preparing to shoulder the heavy weight of the clan.

'When would he ever have the time to be as carefree as I am?' Li Yu thought to himself while watching Faen and Borum walk a few paces ahead. 'I just follow the wind and go wherever my instincts pull me. He has to anchor an entire empire.'

Once again, his respect for Zhan Chen and Li Mei increased significantly. The responsibilities they willingly bore for the sake of their families required a level of dedication that Li Yu found truly humbling.

As they continued on their journey, he quickly realized it was a brilliant idea to take Zhan Chen with him on this specific mission. He had not asked for his cousin to come along solely for his overwhelming personal strength, he brought him for his keen sight but had not realized how great it actually was. Being the official heir, Zhan Chen could naturally see and understand the subtle manipulations of governance that Li Yu missed due to his lack of experience and understanding.

Li Yu trusted the evaluation and thoughts of the older warrior. Despite possessing the straightforward and battle hungry nature typical of the Zhan bloodline, Zhan Chen also possessed an incredibly sharp and analytical mind. Their interactions during the journey highlighted that sharp intellect while the man himself remained fun and engaging to be with.

A few hours earlier, a merchant caravan had passed them on the road. The wagons were painted with bright colors and flew banners declaring they carried fine silks and delicate spices. Li Yu had simply stepped aside to let them pass while admiring the craftsmanship of the wooden carriages.

"Did you notice the depth of the tracks those wagons left in the dirt?" Zhan Chen asked after the caravan disappeared over the next hill.

"I saw the wheels were digging rather deep," Li Yu answered while glancing back at the rutted road. "The soil is soft from the morning rain."

"The soil is soft but fine silk does not weigh enough to carve trenches like that," Zhan Chen pointed out with a knowing smile. "The axles were groaning under extreme stress. The drivers also kept their hands resting near hidden weapon hilts beneath their cloaks rather than holding the reins loosely like regular merchants. They are smuggling something heavy right under the nose of the royal patrols."

Li Yu praised his cousin for the keen observation. Zhan Chen merely laughed and joked that Li Yu needed to use his eyes for more than just aiming his flying swords. As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, the group stopped near a clear stream to relax a bit. Borum stood guard near the trees while Faen rested her legs on a smooth rock.

Li Yu sat on the grassy bank and continued to pick the brain of his older cousin. During their long walk, Li Yu had been racking his brain about how to carefully approach this investigation.

"We need to be smart about how we enter the city," Li Yu began while tracing invisible lines in the dirt with a stick. "We are walking into the heart of their power. From the rumors we have heard, King Aldous sits at the Origin Awakening realm and he of course controls the military. They have a Sovereign expert per the information I was given by Grandmaster Orion. We cannot just walk through the front door and announce our intentions."

Zhan Chen took a drink from his canteen and leaned against a tree trunk. "What do you propose we do then?"

"I have been thinking about how to find the hidden evil and expose what this kingdom is truly hiding," Li Yu explained while his mind rapidly processed various tactical scenarios. "We need to gather proof of their corruption without tipping them off so we can expose them for what they really are. If they know we are looking, they will just burn the evidence and hide the victims."

Li Yu stood up and began pacing near the edge of the stream. He dedicated a large portion of his mental energy to formulating a flawless strategy.

"We will enter through the gate right as the sun sets," Li Yu continued building his complex plan. "The guards are usually tired and distracted during the shift change. Once inside, we need to split up to cover more ground. Faen can use her agility to traverse the rooftops and map out the patrol routes around the inner palace. Borum can find an empty place to act as our hidden base of operations."

Li Yu stopped pacing and looked toward the horizon where the faint outline of the capital could be seen.

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"You and I will disguise ourselves as wandering scholars." Li Yu suggested with a serious expression. "We can infiltrate the library or the local magistrate offices to look for discrepancies in their records or missing person reports."

He took a deep breath and addressed his biggest concern regarding the mission.

"The most difficult part is figuring out how we are going to do all of this without getting innocent people involved," Li Yu said with a heavy sigh. "If we start a fight inside the city limits, the collateral damage will be severe. A clash between experts will level entire city blocks. The mortals and weak cultivators living there most likely have nothing to do with the sins of their rulers."

He picked up another stick and drew a large circle in the dirt to represent the city walls.

"We need to find their secret dungeons or their hidden ledgers first," Li Yu pointed to the center of the circle and went on a bit more. "Once we have the proof, we need to isolate the king and the ancestor. We can set up a silent containment array around the royal pavilion during the dead of night. We trap them inside their own home and execute them quietly without letting the shockwaves reach the civilian districts. It requires precise timing and stealth."

Li Yu looked at Zhan Chen and waited for his feedback. He felt proud of his intricate strategy that had taken him the entire trip to think of. It accounted for intelligence gathering, civilian safety and targeted assassination.

Zhan Chen had listened to the entire elaborate plan without interrupting once. The older warrior simply stood by the tree and smiled a faint smile. He gave a small nod back which Li Yu took as a sign of full agreement.

"It is good that we are on the same page," Li Yu said while tossing the stick into the stream. "Let us finish the journey on a good note. The capital is only a few miles away."

They resumed their march down the wide dirt road at a quick pace. The scenery gradually shifted from open farmland to paved stone pathways lined with grand statues and manicured gardens. The wealth of the Solaria Kingdom became highly apparent as they approached the center of their civilization.

A short time later, the towering red walls of the capital city came into full view. The fortifications were constructed from a sort of stone and metal while standing dozens of feet high. Intricate runic formations pulsed with a faint blue light along the battlements as heavily armored guards marched in patrols while checking everyone carefully.

The main entrance was a marvel to look at and many stared up upon them as they approached. Two grand gates forged from dark iron and reinforced with defensive arrays stood wide open to allow the flow of afternoon traffic. Hundreds of merchants, travelers and local citizens waited in long lines to present their entry fees to the stern gatekeepers.

Li Yu stopped a safe distance away from the crowded entrance and gestured for his companions to halt.

"Alright," Li Yu whispered while pulling the hood of his black robes over his head. "Remember the plan. We blend in with that large merchant caravan on the left and slip through the gates without drawing any attention. Keep your heads down and don’t cause trouble at first."

Zhan Chen didn’t stop walking and turned his head to look directly at Li Yu. A bright grin spread across the face of the Zhan Clan heir. He threw his head back and let out a booming laugh that echoed across the surrounding area and startled the nearby pack animals.

"You scheme like a rogue hiding in the shadows, cousin" Zhan Chen laughed with genuine amusement. "Your mind spins a thousand webs when a single strike will do! Let me show you the Zhan way!

Li Yu furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you doing? Keep your voice down, remember the plan!"

"That is the entire point," Zhan Chen replied while stepping past Li Yu and walking directly toward the center of the road.

Zhan Chen had his own plans and did not bother with stealth. He did not care about slipping through the gates or looking for trails in a dusty library. That was not his way and he wasn’t going to suddenly change, it was time to educate his younger cousin a bit further. He stopped fifty yards away from the grand iron gates and widened his stance.

Zhan Chen took a deep breath and drew upon his strength. The air around him visibly distorted as he unleashed the full and unbridled pressure of his Sovereign realm cultivation. The terrifying aura swept outward like a physical hurricane and caused the stone tiles beneath his boots to crack and splinter before simply disappearing into dust.

The merchants waiting in the lines screamed in terror and fell to the ground under the crushing spiritual weight. The royal guards standing on the walls dropped their weapons and gripped the stone battlements to keep from collapsing down themselves. Zhan Chen looked up at the royal palace situated high above the city and roared with a voice infused with dense Qi. The sound rolled over the capital like a clap of divine thunder.

"King Aldous!" Zhan Chen bellowed for the entire kingdom to hear. "Come out to the gates and answer for your wretched sins!"

Before the defenders could even process the sudden declaration of war, Zhan Chen pulled his right arm back. His muscles coiled tight as his knuckles glowed with a blinding golden light. He stepped forward and punched the empty air with devastating force.

A projection of a golden fist erupted from his hand and tore across the fifty yards separating him from the city entrance. The attack carried the pure and unfiltered essence of the Zhan Clan body refinement arts and the golden projection slammed directly into the grand iron gates.

The resulting impact produced a deafening boom as the intricate defensive arrays etched into the iron flared brightly for a fraction of a second before shattering into thousands of useless sparks. The heavy iron doors groaned and then violently buckled inward.

The force of the punch ripped the gates right off their reinforced hinges and sent the massive chunks of metal flying deep into the city streets. In an amazing demonstration of controlled power, the sweeping winds of the incoming strike had already knocked people far out of the way of where the gate piece landed.

A cloud of white dust and debris plumed into the air as the primary southern entrance to the Solaria capital was reduced to a smoking crater of ruined stone and twisted iron. Li Yu stood frozen on the dirt road as his hood slipped back from his head while he stared at the destruction unfolding before his eyes.

His mind went entirely blank. All of his careful strategizing, his worries about collateral damage and his complex multi step infiltration plan crumbled into dust alongside the city gates. He had spent hours racking his brain to find the perfect subtle approach and his older cousin had just dismantled the problem with a single punch.

Li Yu looked at Zhan Chen standing tall and proud before the ruined entrance. The young cultivator was stunned into absolute silence. It was completely different from what Li Yu thought he knew Zhan Chen was like. He knew the man was a brilliant heir with a sharp mind but Li Yu had forgotten the most basic truth of the universe.

When a Zhan encounters a locked door hiding secrets, they do not pick the lock. They shatter the door. Li Yu slowly shook his head and a helpless smile touched his lips. The careful plan was dead but the heavy fist had certainly opened the path forward and gotten the job done.