Under the cover of night, four people, covered in black robes with hoods over their heads, walked lightly in a narrow alley.
Whoosh!
They jumped over a fence like birds and appeared inside an ordinary compound.
Without halting their track, they walked through a hidden door to another part of the street.
After using many complicated routes, they arrived in a secluded part of the state capital.
Tall trees and thick bushes graced the surroundings, and a small cabin stood at the center of the trees.
The group entered the cabin, and one of them made a strange hand gesture, and a cracking sound echoed slightly below their feet.
They opened the hidden compartment, and steps leading into an underground passage appeared before them.
Without thinking twice, the group entered the passage and closed the entrance.
Walking through the hidden passage, they appeared in a big cave with the sound of running water coming from the distance.
"They are here," a voice announced.
In the distance, four people stood with hoods covering their faces.
Huang Guo looked at the four people and walked toward them in large strides, flashing them a bright smile.
"I'm glad to finally meet you," he said, arriving before them.
"Are you their leader?" a woman asked, her voice filled with skepticism.
Under her hood, her eyes surveyed the surroundings for any traces of danger but found none.
"Governor, you need not worry. I come in peace," Huang Guo announced and opened his arms wide.
"Let's go straight to the point," he added with a serious expression.
"First, please, you should all remove your hoods."
"Why?" a man asked from under the hood.
"You can't expect to partner with us and keep your identity hidden."
"Why not? It's not like it is going to stop us from doing what we came here to do," another man said.
"Even though I know your identity, showing your face is a way of mutual trust between us," Huang Guo advised.
Hearing this, the four did not respond for a couple of seconds before the woman among them, who was the 35th stage governor, removed her hood.
She was a middle-aged woman with slight wrinkles on her face. Though she was now in her middle-aged, her beauty could not be hidden.
With the stage governor removing her hood, the three clan masters also removed their hoods with slight frowns on their faces.
"Use your greatest speed to move outside the capital. When they call you, just tell us your location."
The four guards nodded and disappeared from their spot. Instantly, the cave descended into silence as the four most powerful people waited in anticipation.
After ten minutes, Huang Guo looked at them and said, "Now, call them."
Without hesitation, they called their guards, and behold, they heard their voices in their minds as if they were speaking to them face to face.
They spoke with their guards for ten minutes, satisfying their curiosity and doubt in their minds.
With disbelieving expressions, they stared at Huang Guo like rare specimens.
"What do you need?" the governor asked.
"Nothing much," Huang Guo shrugged casually. "We want your support to take over the state."
"What!"
They looked at Huang Guo in shock, and their expressions slowly turned into hostility.
"You dare ask us to betray the empire for a mere ring that could only communicate, hmm?" the governor shouted in fury.
"If you dare utter that nonsense again, I'll have your head hung in the gallows."
Huang Guo did not change his expression and turned to look at the three clan masters.
"For me to appear here, that should only speak of one thing: my power. Thus, let's stop this unnecessary intimidation and get back to business."
Huh!
The three clan masters sucked in a cold breath when they saw how Huang Guo behaved toward the governor.
This was the first time they saw a person dare act so boldly before the governor.
Not caring about their thoughts, Huang Guo continued.
"You see, I'm going to the 34th state. We need to agree quickly."
"Even a sane person knows what is going on in the empire right now is not as simple as it looks."
"Ask yourself, where did the Ancient clans come from and how were they so powerful?"
"You might have a little bit of power now, but for how long? They took reign of the state and still dare to call yourself governor. Don't make me laugh."
"Even the Emperor cowered in fear in their presence, so who the heck are you?"
The four most powerful people in the 35th state opened their mouths wide, but words failed to come out.
"This is the deal. I will give each of you one thousand Spirit Comms and one thousand Metal Bone Constructs to defend your clan."
"What do you think?"