Chapter 564: Secret Spy - Shadow

Two Eyes Island, city government palace, interrogation room.

“Shadow...” Tu Ji gave a slight nod.

He knew Shadow.

Before arriving, he had studied the reports submitted by both Hun Tong and Shadow.

“Where is Shadow now?” Tu Ji asked.

This time, before Hun Tong could answer, Tan Mo turned with a smile toward Tu Ji: He's waiting just outside the door, Lord Tu Ji. Should you wish to interrogate him, he can be summoned at any moment."

Tu Ji frowned again.

Tan Mo's apparent politeness was actually a declaration of sovereignty, telling him: Shadow is the Empire's secret agent. He cannot be touched without permission!

But Tu Ji still issued a firm order: “Bring Shadow in.”

The door opened and closed.

The imperial secret agent, Shadow, stood before Tu Ji and Tan Mo.

Tu Ji stared at him for a long moment before coldly interrogating, “Shadow, you possess only bronze level cultivation. Yet as far as I know, Yan Ding, also an imperial secret agent, holds the highest gold level.”

“Why isn't he Shadow? Why isn't he the head of this region?”

“Why is it you?”

“If you were brought here to be a scapegoat for Yan Ding, you can say so now.”

"Rest assured, no one can touch you. Because you are now a witness for the Blood Light Punishment Institution!"

Shadow raised his head, a bitter smile on his face, and shook his head. “Lord Tu Ji, I fully understand your confusion.”

“But this is indeed the truth.”

"I am the genuine Shadow, not some hastily appointed sacrificial pawn. Though Yan Ding is gold level, he still operates under my command."

Tan Mo interjected again: “Lord Tu Ji, here is Shadow's dossier.”

“To be honest, I once shared your doubts.”

“But after reviewing his records, I realized why the organization promoted him to lead an entire region.”

“This is internal intelligence from our Imperial Secret Spy Agency. You may examine it.”

“Sometimes we must acknowledge that certain individuals possess extraordinary talent, yet are unlucky enough to lack sufficient bloodline to attain the requisite transcendent level!”

Tu Ji took the documents, skimmed them quickly, and after a moment of silence, looked back at the Shadow. “Then tell me about yourself first.”

The young Shadow's expression grew solemn. “My true name is Yan Yi. I am a member of the Duo Mu Clan.”

"Once, I enlisted voluntarily, aspiring to be a vanguard in the Sheng Ming Empire's conquest of the Wilderness Continent. But ultimately, I was recruited into the Imperial Secret Spy Agency, becoming one of its agents."

“Eight years ago, I received orders from the organization to infiltrate the Wisteria Merchant Alliance.”

"Through careful maneuvering, particularly by emphasizing my relationship with the island lord, I successfully gained acceptance into the merchant alliance, becoming a stationed agent at the Wisteria store here. Thus, the initial infiltration mission was accomplished."

“After the Wisteria Merchant Alliance's reorganization, I remained as the stationed representative while secretly fulfilling my duty as an imperial secret agent, proactively eliminating all potential threats to ensure a stable environment for the Empire's subsequent troop deployments and supply lines.”

"Three years ago, under my command, subordinates infiltrated the Vinegar Jar Pirates. Through this intelligence channel, I uncovered the Vinegar Jar Pirates' close ties to the Blue Green Coral fishman clan. The latter had long been plotting to reclaim Two Eyes Island."

"Lord Hun Tong had been attempting to eradicate this fishman clan, his objectives aligned perfectly with my mission. There exists significant potential for cooperation between us."

“Therefore, I proactively revealed my identity as a secret agent and devised a strategy with Lord Hun Tong.”

“We would pose as traitors, leaking intelligence to the Vinegar Jar Pirates. This would enable them to repeatedly intercept merchant ships with precision for plunder, thereby earning their trust.”

"Once that foundation of trust was established, we would lure the pirates into a trap, thereby drawing the main force of the Blue Green Coral fishman clan into a direct landing assault. This would create a decisive opportunity for the island lord to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop."

At this point, Tu Ji of the Blood Light Punishment Institution interrupted: “The report stated that you discovered the first necromancer?”

“Why did you not report it to the Empire first, but instead launched your own search operation?”

Tu Ji posed the same question to Yan Yi as Hun Tong had.

Yan Yi licked his dry lips and explained, "To be precise, it wasn't me who found the necromancer first, but the fishman Xi Dai Zi. This point is detailed in the report."

Tu Ji stared expressionlessly at Yan Yi. “Repeat the entire incident in detail.”

Yan Yi nodded hastily. “Yes.”

“At that time, Two Eyes Island was at the pivotal moment of its ebb and flow cycle.”

"This is the moment when Two Eyes Island's defenses are at their weakest. The island's residents must relocate, infrastructure requires rebuilding, and ecological shifts will trigger beast swarms.

Based on our analysis, the Vinegar Jar Pirates and the Blue Green Coral fishman clan will likely seize this opportunity to reclaim Two Eyes Island."

"Events have confirmed this prediction."

“The Vinegar Jar Pirates, under the pretext of raiding Two Eyes Island, blackmailed us into not only providing military layout maps but also serving as inside collaborators during their operation.”

“To lure both the Vinegar Jar Pirates and the main force of the fishman clan into attacking the island, we feigned cooperation with them.”

"A preliminary agreement was reached when Xi Dai Zi unexpectedly discovered a thief. This thief, named Xu Ma, belonged to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. He accidentally stumbled upon the secret meeting and overheard our covert collaboration."

"Xi Dai Zi naturally wouldn't let Xu Ma escape. He immediately attacked, which in turn drew the attention of a necromancer. As the fierce battle raged, the battlefield shifted."

“The necromancer unleashed undead spells, emerging victorious but thereby exposing his location.”

“Xi Dai Zi fled, wounded.”

“My men were nearly wiped out, and the substantial deposit, a large sum of demon gold coins, obtained from Xi Dai Zi vanished along with them.”

"The necromancer's traces immediately drew the utmost attention from our faction and Lord Hun Tong."

"Imperial law demanded we report this intelligence immediately, but practical circumstances forbade it."

"Reporting would cause too much commotion, inevitably alerting the fishman clan. If the Empire dispatched investigators, the fishmen's plans to invade the island would surely be thwarted."

“Lord Hun Tong and I engaged in a heated debate, ultimately deciding to take the risk. Our primary consideration was that the necromancer's displayed power hadn't reached gold level.”

“We launched a large-scale search but initially found no trace of the necromancer. A necromancer confident enough to land on the island possessed considerable stealth skills.”

"The first to discover the necromancer was Xi Dai Zi. He lay hidden deep beneath the Two Eyes Island, possessing the ability to command tree roots and vines to some extent."

“Xi Dai Zi also disliked seeing the necromancer's influence gradually expand, so he relayed this information.”

"Ultimately, the island lord personally slew the necromancer. We succeeded!"

Tu Ji remained silent.

Tan Mo glanced at Tu Ji and said to Yan Yi, "You have earned credit for eliminating the necromancer. However, specific rewards will require precise calculation after this investigation concludes."

Tu Ji snorted coldly, "Even if you eliminated one necromancer, the system still malfunctioned. While your merit outweighs the fault, what remains is meager. Don't expect too much."

He pressed further, “Then why did you deliberately allow the second necromancer to escape?”

“According to the reported magic footage, during that chaotic battle, both you and Hun Tong had multiple opportunities to intervene. Yet you ultimately stood by and watched as the second necromancer fled Two Eyes Island.”

“Regarding this matter, you two will explain yourselves.”

Island Lord Hun Tong glanced at Yan Yi beside him and immediately replied, “I followed Shadow's advice, deciding to let the second necromancer leave the island to catch a bigger fish later.”

“In fact, afterward, I even urged him to act immediately and arrest the second necromancer.”

“Shadow botched the entire operation.”

Tu Ji turned his gaze to Yan Yi.

Yan Yi's face was ashen, cold sweat beading on his forehead. After a moment of deliberation, he cautiously spoke: “The second necromancer is one of the level seven elders of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance.”

“These two level seven elders appeared suddenly, but their identity verification was correct.”

“Though the Wisteria Merchant Alliance's reorganization succeeded, remnants of the old faction still lurk in the shadows, unwilling to accept defeat and biding their time.”

“I believe these two level seven elders belong to that faction.”

“As the regional head of Imperial Secret Spy Agency, my greatest concern is that they might disrupt order around Two Eyes Island.”

"But these elders move with extreme secrecy, making them nearly impossible to track. On the other hand, I fear stirring the hornet's nest prematurely."

"The two potions they released into the market have been selling exceptionally well. I used the Flint Merchant Alliance and others as a front to secretly spread rumors, slandering the potions' reputation, in an attempt to provoke a counterattack from these two magicians."

“But they showed no reaction whatsoever.”

“After the beast tide struck, the potions' efficacy became widely known, and sales surged even more. My provocation plan failed.”

“I feared these two elders might vanish entirely, so I hastily devised a new plan.”

"At that time, the auction on Two Eyes Island was about to commence. I boldly speculated: The reason these two Wisteria Elders suddenly arrived on the island and made a fortune selling magic potions was likely to attend the auction."

“So, on their way out of the Wisteria shop, I arranged for Ya Ma to provoke them.”

“Ya Ma successfully created friction and deliberately failed, presenting them with the auction invitation I had meticulously prepared.”

"My reasoning was that even if they had no intention of attending, the invitation itself served as a powerful lure."

"As it turned out, they were indeed there for the auction. Using the invitation, they entered Room 21 and proceeded to bid aggressively, sweeping up items left and right. They completely overshadowed the entire gathering of gold level powerhouses."