cǐ zhàn de guò chéng yǔ jié guǒ suī rán bèi wàn xiān méng guān fāng kè yì dàn huà ， dàn què kě cóng cǐ zhàn guò hòu 、 wàn xiān méng de zhǒng zhǒng dòng zuò kuī dé duān ní 。
此战的过程与结果虽然被万仙盟官方刻意澹化，但却可从此战过后、万仙盟的种种动作窥得端倪。
The process and outcome of this battle, although deliberately downplayed by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, could be discerned from their subsequent actions.
gāng gāng bān bù bù jiǔ de gè zhǒng jìn gōng zhǐ lìng ， bèi jǐn jí qǔ xiāo ； zhǐ shì gè zhōu yán fáng sǐ shǒu 、 yǐ fáng wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì shèn tòu ； rèn hé zhōu ， bù dé qīng qǐ zhàn duān ， dāng qián jiē duàn de rèn wù ， yǐ fáng shǒu wéi zhǔ 。
刚刚颁布不久的各种进攻指令，被紧急取消；指示各州严防死守、以防五老会修士渗透；任何州，不得轻启战端，当前阶段的任务，以防守为主。
Just a short while after various offensive orders were issued, they were urgently canceled. Instructions to all states to strictly defend themselves against any infiltration attempts by the Five Elders' cultivators were given. No state was allowed to initiate hostilities; the current task was primarily defensive.
qián xiàn pài wǎng gè zhōu de zhēng diào lìng ， yě yuè fā pín fán le 。
前线派往各州的征调令，也越发频繁了。
The dispatch of requisition orders from the front lines to each state became more frequent.
“ zhāo lìng xī gǎi ， cǎo tái bān zi ！”
“朝令夕改，草台班子！”
"Orders change like morning and evening, a makeshift team!"
jī hū shì yī yè zhī jiān ， zuò zhàn fāng zhēn jiù fā shēng le yī bǎi bā shí dù de zhuǎn biàn ， dǎo zhì xiān méng xiū shì wú bù fā zì nèi xīn de tǔ cáo 。
几乎是一夜之间，作战方针就发生了一百八十度的转变，导致仙盟修士无不发自内心的吐槽。
In just one night, the battle strategy had undergone a 180-degree turn, causing all Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators to vent their frustrations internally. However, out of fear of the alliance's might, no one dared to speak openly about it; they only expressed their anguish in private gatherings.
dàn shè yú wàn xiān méng tiān wēi ， què shì shuí yě bù gǎn dāng miàn zhí shuō 。 zhǐ shì sī xià jù huì zhī shí ， tòng xīn jí shǒu de gǎn tàn 。
但摄于万仙盟天威，却是谁也不敢当面直说。只是私下聚会之时，痛心疾首的感叹。
The progress of the war was not subject to anyone’s will.
zhàn zhēng de jìn dù ， bù yǐ xiū shì de yì zhì wèi zhuǎn yí 。
战争的进度，不已修士的意志为转移。
It merely seemed that the advantage had suddenly shifted from one side to a stalemate.
zhǐ bù guò shì hū rán cóng kàn shì zhàn jǐn yōu shì ， biàn chéng shuāng fāng jiāng chí ér yǐ 。
只不过是忽然从看似占尽优势，变成双方僵持而已。
Despite setbacks in external warfare, internal issues persisted.
duì wài zhàn zhēng shòu cuò ， duì nèi yě méi yǒu xiāo tíng 。
对外战争受挫，对内也没有消停。
Many high-ranking cultivators at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters were reportedly dismissed for investigation, even some long-serving, influential cultivators of the Convergence Path. However, no one knew why they were interrogated or what their involvement was.
wàn xiān méng zǒng bù ， jù shuō xǔ duō shēn jū gāo wèi de xiū shì bèi gé zhí diào chá ， jiù lián yī xiē bèi jǐng shēn hòu 、 rèn zhí yǐ jiǔ de lǎo pái hé dào xiū shì ， dōu méi néng bì miǎn 。
万仙盟总部，据说许多身居高位的修士被革职调查，就连一些背景深厚、任职已久的老牌合道修士，都没能避免。
Even those who had been tortured and appeared weakened after being released remained tight-lipped about it. This only fueled more suspicion and unease among the people.
rán ér tā men zhī suǒ yǐ jiē shòu shěn xùn de yuán yīn ， què shì wú rén zhī xiǎo 。
然而他们之所以接受审讯的原因，却是无人知晓。
After gaining a general understanding of how the war had progressed over the past year, Li Fan delved into the numerous messages sent by He Zhenghao to "Zhou Qingang."
shèn zhì zhè xiē xiū shì bèi fàng chū hòu ， nǎ pà shì bèi zhé mó guò 、 yī yǎn kàn shàng qù jiù shuāi ruò wú bǐ ， duì cǐ shì yě shì huì mò rú shēn ， zài zěn me zhuī wèn yě bù kěn xiáng tán 。
甚至这些修士被放出后，哪怕是被折磨过、一眼看上去就衰弱无比，对此事也是讳莫如深，再怎么追问也不肯详谈。
Most were inquiries and prompts for him to emerge from seclusion. At the beginning of his seclusion, these communications were frequent. However, later on, they became sparse due to unknown reasons.
zhè gèng dǎo zhì yí yún sì qǐ 、 rén xīn huáng huáng 。
这更导致疑云四起、人心惶惶。
"Highness, our secret envoy is in deep seclusion. You are also like this?"
bì jìng shuí yě bù xiǎng chéng wéi xià yí gè mò míng bèi dài zǒu shěn wèn de duì xiàng 。
毕竟谁也不想成为下一个莫名被带走审问的对象。
"I can't even contact anyone."
ér lǐ fán què zhī dào ， wàn xiān méng zhè shì zài zhuā bù cún zài de nèi guǐ ne 。
而李凡却知道，万仙盟这是在抓不存在的内鬼呢。
"Good thing everyone has learned to do it properly now—destroying the communication spirit tokens and claiming they went into seclusion."
rèn píng tā men fèi jìn xīn sī ， yòu rú hé néng xiǎng dào ， tiān xuán fēng líng zhèn tú de xiè lòu zhě 、 jìng rán shì cóng lái méi yǒu jiē chù guò cǐ shì ， yuǎn zài xiān méng biān chuí zhī dì ： cóng yún hǎi de xiǎo xiǎo jīn dān xiū shì ne ？
任凭他们费劲心思，又如何能想到，天玄封灵阵图的泄露者、竟然是从来没有接触过此事，远在仙盟边陲之地：丛云海的小小金丹修士呢？
"If we keep going like this, we won't be able to gather ten officials for our administration hall! How will I explain this to His Excellency when he returns?"
suǒ yǐ zhè shì yī cháng zhù dìng bú huì yǒu jié guǒ de diào chá 。
所以这是一场注定不会有结果的调查。
...
huò xǔ ， ān jiàn de jié guǒ zuì zhōng huì yǐ jǐ gè dǎo méi dàn bèi qū dǎ chéng zhāo ér cǎo cǎo jié ān 。
或许，桉件的结果最终会以几个倒霉蛋被屈打成招而草草结桉。
He Zhenghao vented his frustration, but Li Fan merely snorted.
ér lǐ fán de shòu shāng zhě míng dān shàng ， yòu jiāng duō shàng jǐ gè wú gū zhě de xìng míng 。
而李凡的受伤者名单上，又将多上几个无辜者的姓名。
"Are you still thinking of me as the secret envoy?"
dà zhì liǎo jiě le zhè yī nián lái zhàn zhēng de jīng guò ， lǐ fán yòu fān qǐ le hé zhèng hào fā gěi “ zhōu qīng áng ” de zhū duō xùn xī 。
大致了解了这一年来战争的经过，李凡又翻起了何正浩发给“周青昂”的诸多讯息。
Not bothering with this dying man, Li Fan cleared the messages from the communication spirit token and left the seclusion chamber, appearing silently in the administration hall.
jī běn dōu shì xún wèn 、 cuī cù tā shén me shí hòu chū guān de 。
基本都是询问、催促他什么时候出关的。
"Brother Gao, there's an opening for a [Dan Medicine Quality Inspector] position at the Alchemy Hall. Someone is offering 50,000 contribution points to buy this post. What do you think?"
zài bì guān zhī shǐ ， shí fēn pín fán 。 zhǐ shì hòu lái bù zhī shì fàng qì le hái shì qí tā shén me yuán yīn ， chuán xùn yuè lái yuè shǎo le 。
在闭关之始，十分频繁。只是后来不知是放弃了还是其他什么原因，传讯越来越少了。
"I think it’s too low; at least 80,000."
“ mì shǐ dà rén shēn dù bì guān ， zhōu dào yǒu nǐ yě shì zhè yàng 。”
“秘使大人深度闭关，周道友你也是这样。”
"After all, the position of [Combat Team Leader] in the Martial Arts Hall brought in a whopping 130,000 contribution points recently. This time..."
“ lián gè rén dōu lián xì bù shàng 。”
“连个人都联系不上。”
He Zhenghao suddenly noticed an additional person in the room and abruptly stopped speaking, looking awkwardly at "Zhou Qingang," feeling somewhat embarrassed.
“ zhè xià hǎo le ， dà jiā dōu xué de yǒu mú yǒu yàng ， yí gè gè dōu bǎ tōng xùn líng fú gěi zhí jiē huǐ le ， zì chēng bì guān qù le 。”
“这下好了，大家都学的有模有样，一个个都把通讯灵符给直接毁了，自称闭关去了。”
Gao Yuan's eyes narrowed but showed no signs of panic from being caught trying to profit from his position. Instead, he smiled naturally and greeted "Zhou Qingang" warmly:
“ zài zhè yàng xià qù ， wǒ men cóng yún chéng bù zhèng táng ， pà shì lián shí gè gàn shì de dōu còu bù qí le ！ děng mì shǐ dà rén huí lái ， wǒ gāi rú hé xiàng tā jiāo dài a ！”
“再这样下去，我们丛云城布政堂，怕是连十个干事的都凑不齐了！等秘使大人回来，我该如何向他交代啊！”
"Long time no see, Zhou Daoist! Just the right person to help us with some advice!"
……
……
He then pulled Zhou Qingang closer and repeated the details about selling vacant positions in Cunyun City.
hé zhèng hào dà tǔ kǔ shuǐ ， lǐ fán què shì lěng hēng yī shēng 。
何正浩大吐苦水，李凡却是冷哼一声。
His eyes full of anticipation, he waited for Li Fan's response. This move instantly resolved his awkward situation with He Zhenghao while rekindling their relationship and inviting him into a partnership.
“ nǐ yǎn lǐ hái yǒu wǒ zhè ge mì shǐ dà rén ？”
“你眼里还有我这个秘使大人？”
Even Li Fan, who had been in official circles for centuries, couldn't help but commend the move as "clever."
bù gēn zhè jiāng sǐ zhī rén jì jiào ， lǐ fán jiāng tōng xùn líng fú lǐ de xùn xī zhǎ yǎn qīng kōng ， suí hòu lí kāi bì guān mì shì ， qiǎo rán chū xiàn bù zhèng táng dà tīng zhōng 。
不跟这将死之人计较，李凡将通讯灵符里的讯息眨眼清空，随后离开闭关密室，悄然出现布政堂大厅中。
He sized up the two of them with a sardonic smile and chose not to be an upright person who denounced evil. After pretending to think about it, he suddenly slammed the table:
“ gāo xiōng ， zuì jìn dān táng 【 dān yào zhì jiǎn shī 】 zhè ge wèi zhì kòng chū lái le ， yǒu rén gēn wǒ kāi jià wǔ wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù ， yào mǎi zhè ge zhí wèi 。 nǐ zěn me kàn ？”
“高兄，最近丹堂【丹药质检师】这个位置空出来了，有人跟我开价五万点贡献度，要买这个职位。你怎么看？”
"160,000 contribution points?"
“ wǒ dǎo shì jué de shǎo le diǎn ， zuì qǐ mǎ bā wàn 。”
“我倒是觉得少了点，最起码八万。”
"That's still too low! Final offer—160,000 contribution points!"
“ bì jìng qián bù jiǔ yǎn wǔ táng 【 yǎn wǔ duì liè zhǎng 】 de zhí wù ， kě shì zú zú zhuàn le shí sān wàn gòng xiàn de 。 zhè cì ……”
“毕竟前不久演武堂【演武队列长】的职务，可是足足赚了十三万贡献的。这次……”
"Take it or leave it!"
hé zhèng hào shuō zhe shuō zhe ， què hū de fā xiàn chǎng zhōng duō le yī rén 。
何正浩说着说着，却忽的发现场中多了一人。
To his surprise, Zhou Qingang had a bigger appetite and doubled the price right away.
huà shēng jiá rán ér zhǐ ， hé zhèng hào mǎn liǎn gān gà de kàn zhe “ zhōu qīng áng ”， yī shí jiān yǒu xiē jiǒng pò 。
话声戛然而止，何正浩满脸尴尬的看着“周青昂”，一时间有些窘迫。
He Zhenghao was momentarily stunned. However, he quickly recovered and advised with a bitter smile:
gāo yuǎn zé shì liǎng yǎn wēi mī ， sī háo méi yǒu bèi zhuàng jiàn yǐ quán móu sī de huāng luàn 。
高远则是两眼微眯，丝毫没有被撞见以权谋私的慌乱。
"Zhou Daoist, you might have just awakened from your seclusion; you don't know the current market."
ér shì miàn dài wēi xiào ， shí fēn zì rán de duì “ zhōu qīng áng ” dǎ zhāo hū dào ：“ zhōu dào yǒu hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn ， zhèng hǎo lái bāng wǒ men cān móu cān móu ！”
而是面带微笑，十分自然的对“周青昂”打招呼道：“周道友好久不见，正好来帮我们参谋参谋！”
"This position of [Dan Medicine Quality Inspector] can only fetch up to 80,000 points at most. After all, it's not just Cunyun Sea selling these positions—others choose us because our prices are low and we serve as stepping stones."
shuō zhe ， qīn qiè de lā zhù zhōu qīng áng ， chóng xīn bǎ liǎng rén fàn mài cóng yún chéng zhōng kòng quē zhí wù de shì qíng rú shí jiāo dài le yī biàn 。
说着，亲切的拉住周青昂，重新把两人贩卖丛云城中空缺职务的事情如实交代了一遍。
"You doubled the price..."
bìng qiě liǎng yǎn mǎn shì qī dài de kàn zhe lǐ fán ， děng hòu tā de dá ān 。
并且两眼满是期待的看着李凡，等候他的答桉。
He Zhenghao shook his head: "Why would others go to Luosyan State or other more prosperous places with this money?"
zhè yī shǒu ， qǐng kè jiān huà jiě le tā yǔ hé zhèng hào liǎng rén de gān gà jú miàn ， tóng shí jiāng hé xǔ jiǔ bú jiàn de zhōu qīng áng zhī jiān de shēng fēn dǎ xiāo ， bìng qiě zhuǎn ér lā tā rù huǒ 。
这一手，顷刻间化解了他与何正浩两人的尴尬局面，同时将和许久不见的周青昂之间的生分打消，并且转而拉他入伙。
Gao Yuan nodded in agreement.
jiù lián hùn jì guān chǎng shù bǎi zài de lǐ fán ， yě bù yóu bù chēng zàn yī shēng “ piào liàng ”。
就连混迹官场数百载的李凡，也不由不称赞一声“漂亮”。
Li Fan sized up the two of them with a cold smile, revealing a mocking look:
sì xiào fēi xiào dì dǎ liàng zhe èr rén ， tā yě méi yǒu xuǎn zé qù dāng jí è rú chóu 、 shì yào jiǎn jǔ jiē fā èr rén de zhèng zhí zhī tú 。
似笑非笑地打量着二人，他也没有选择去当嫉恶如仇、誓要检举揭发二人的正直之徒。
"I don't know what's going on? Do you think I was unaware of external events during my seclusion? It seems it’s you who are unclear about the situation!"
zhǐ shì zài jiǎ zhuāng sī kǎo yī fān zhī hòu ， měng dì yī pāi zhuō zi ：“ bā wàn gòng xiàn dù ？”
只是在假装思考一番之后，勐地一拍桌子：“八万贡献度？”
Zhou Qingang's behavior was quite different from his usual style.
“ hái shì shǎo le ！ yī kǒu jià ， shí liù wàn gòng xiàn dù ！”
“还是少了！一口价，十六万贡献度！”
Zhou Qingang, being more cautious and steady, wasn’t reckless.
“ ài yào bù yào ！”
“爱要不要！”
Could it be...
méi xiǎng dào zhōu qīng áng de wèi kǒu bǐ zì jǐ hái dà ， zhāng zuǐ jiù jiāng jià gé fān le yí bèi 。
没想到周青昂的胃口比自己还大，张嘴就将价格翻了一倍。
Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao exchanged glances, both showing surprise in their eyes.
hé zhèng hào dùn shí mù dèng kǒu dāi 。
何正浩顿时目瞪口呆。
The saying "don't do things that make you feel guilty, so don't fear the knock on your door" silenced them with just a simple statement.
bù guò piàn kè zhī hòu ， tā huí guò shén lái ， kǔ xiào zhe quàn shuō dào ：“ zhōu dào yǒu ， nǐ kě néng gāng cóng bì guān zhōng xǐng lái ， bù liǎo jiě xiàn zài de háng qíng 。”
不过片刻之后，他回过神来，苦笑着劝说道：“周道友，你可能刚从闭关中醒来，不了解现在的行情。”
He Zhenghao knelt forward cautiously and asked:
“【 dān yào zhì jiǎn shī 】 zhè ge zhí wèi ， zuì duō zuì duō zhǐ néng mài bā wàn le 。 bì jìng yě bú shì wǒ men cóng yún hǎi yī chù zài mài ， bié rén xuǎn zé wǒ men ， yě zhǐ shì yīn wèi zhè lǐ jià gé dī lián 、 kě yǐ mǎi lái dàng zuò tiào bǎn ér yǐ 。”
“【丹药质检师】这个职位，最多最多只能卖八万了。毕竟也不是我们丛云海一处在卖，别人选择我们，也只是因为这里价格低廉、可以买来当做跳板而已。”
"Zhou Daoist, how did you know about this?"
“ nǐ yī xià zi fān le yí bèi ……”
“你一下子翻了一倍……”
"We don’t doubt your words, but such matters are crucial to the alliance. You mustn’t speak recklessly," Gao Yuan added.
hé zhèng hào yáo yáo tóu ：“ yǒu zhè ge qián ， bié rén wèi shén me bù qù luó yān zhōu huò zhě qí tā gèng fán huá de dì fāng qù ne ?”
何正浩摇摇头：“有这个钱，别人为什么不去罗烟州或者其他更繁华的地方去呢?”
"How do I know?" Zhou Qingang glared at them with a cold look.
gāo yuǎn yě shì diǎn tóu biǎo shì tóng yì 。
高远也是点头表示同意。
"Naturally, it was told by our secret envoy!"
The process and outcome of this battle, although deliberately downplayed by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, could be discerned from their subsequent actions.
Just a short while after various offensive orders were issued, they were urgently canceled. Instructions to all states to strictly defend themselves against any infiltration attempts by the Five Elders' cultivators were given. No state was allowed to initiate hostilities; the current task was primarily defensive.
The dispatch of requisition orders from the front lines to each state became more frequent.
"Orders change like morning and evening, a makeshift team!"
In just one night, the battle strategy had undergone a 180-degree turn, causing all Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators to vent their frustrations internally. However, out of fear of the alliance's might, no one dared to speak openly about it; they only expressed their anguish in private gatherings.
The progress of the war was not subject to anyone’s will.
It merely seemed that the advantage had suddenly shifted from one side to a stalemate.
Despite setbacks in external warfare, internal issues persisted.
Many high-ranking cultivators at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters were reportedly dismissed for investigation, even some long-serving, influential cultivators of the Convergence Path. However, no one knew why they were interrogated or what their involvement was.
Even those who had been tortured and appeared weakened after being released remained tight-lipped about it. This only fueled more suspicion and unease among the people.
After gaining a general understanding of how the war had progressed over the past year, Li Fan delved into the numerous messages sent by He Zhenghao to "Zhou Qingang."
Most were inquiries and prompts for him to emerge from seclusion. At the beginning of his seclusion, these communications were frequent. However, later on, they became sparse due to unknown reasons.
"Highness, our secret envoy is in deep seclusion. You are also like this?"
"I can't even contact anyone."
"Good thing everyone has learned to do it properly now—destroying the communication spirit tokens and claiming they went into seclusion."
"If we keep going like this, we won't be able to gather ten officials for our administration hall! How will I explain this to His Excellency when he returns?"
...
He Zhenghao vented his frustration, but Li Fan merely snorted.
"Are you still thinking of me as the secret envoy?"
Not bothering with this dying man, Li Fan cleared the messages from the communication spirit token and left the seclusion chamber, appearing silently in the administration hall.
"Brother Gao, there's an opening for a [Dan Medicine Quality Inspector] position at the Alchemy Hall. Someone is offering 50,000 contribution points to buy this post. What do you think?"
"I think it’s too low; at least 80,000."
"After all, the position of [Combat Team Leader] in the Martial Arts Hall brought in a whopping 130,000 contribution points recently. This time..."
He Zhenghao suddenly noticed an additional person in the room and abruptly stopped speaking, looking awkwardly at "Zhou Qingang," feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Gao Yuan's eyes narrowed but showed no signs of panic from being caught trying to profit from his position. Instead, he smiled naturally and greeted "Zhou Qingang" warmly:
"Long time no see, Zhou Daoist! Just the right person to help us with some advice!"
He then pulled Zhou Qingang closer and repeated the details about selling vacant positions in Cunyun City.
His eyes full of anticipation, he waited for Li Fan's response. This move instantly resolved his awkward situation with He Zhenghao while rekindling their relationship and inviting him into a partnership.
Even Li Fan, who had been in official circles for centuries, couldn't help but commend the move as "clever."
He sized up the two of them with a sardonic smile and chose not to be an upright person who denounced evil. After pretending to think about it, he suddenly slammed the table:
"160,000 contribution points?"
"That's still too low! Final offer—160,000 contribution points!"
"Take it or leave it!"
To his surprise, Zhou Qingang had a bigger appetite and doubled the price right away.
He Zhenghao was momentarily stunned. However, he quickly recovered and advised with a bitter smile:
"Zhou Daoist, you might have just awakened from your seclusion; you don't know the current market."
"This position of [Dan Medicine Quality Inspector] can only fetch up to 80,000 points at most. After all, it's not just Cunyun Sea selling these positions—others choose us because our prices are low and we serve as stepping stones."
"You doubled the price..."
He Zhenghao shook his head: "Why would others go to Luosyan State or other more prosperous places with this money?"
Gao Yuan nodded in agreement.
Li Fan sized up the two of them with a cold smile, revealing a mocking look:
"I don't know what's going on? Do you think I was unaware of external events during my seclusion? It seems it’s you who are unclear about the situation!"
Zhou Qingang's behavior was quite different from his usual style.
Zhou Qingang, being more cautious and steady, wasn’t reckless.
Could it be...
Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao exchanged glances, both showing surprise in their eyes.
The saying "don't do things that make you feel guilty, so don't fear the knock on your door" silenced them with just a simple statement.
He Zhenghao knelt forward cautiously and asked:
"Zhou Daoist, how did you know about this?"
"We don’t doubt your words, but such matters are crucial to the alliance. You mustn’t speak recklessly," Gao Yuan added.
"How do I know?" Zhou Qingang glared at them with a cold look.
"Naturally, it was told by our secret envoy!"