With Ope Ope no Mi in Hunter x Hunter

Daniel had always been somewhat curious about the art of poison and Gu techniques, but it was merely curiosity, nothing more. With the powers of the Surgical Fruit at his disposal, controlling an enemy was as simple as removing their heart—far more efficient than delving into the complexities of poison and Gu techniques, at least for now.

Helping Tianze remove the poison Gu from his body wasn't out of goodwill but rather to create problems for Bai Yifei, the Blood-Clothed Marquis.

"Who exactly are you?" Tianze asked, his voice laden with caution. He had checked himself over and found no injuries, and his inner energy flowed smoothly now, indicating that the Gu had truly been removed. Such a technique was unheard of.

"My identity is irrelevant. All you need to know is that I'm not your enemy. Now, it's late, and I need to rest. You should leave as well." Daniel glanced at Tianze and Yan Lingji, then motioned with his hand, signaling that they could go.

Daniel's reasons for aiding Tianze were twofold: one was to stir up trouble for Bai Yifei, and the other was out of a passing interest in Yan Lingji. Not that he had any deeper intentions—she was indeed beautiful, but Daniel was only interested in appreciating her from afar. The *Legend of Heavenly Kings* and *The Legend of Qin* worlds were filled with beauties like Zinu, Nongyu, Red Lotus, Snow Maiden, and others. If he were to be swayed by every pretty face, he'd never get anything done.

"Let's go," Tianze said after a moment of hesitation. He led Yan Lingji out of the estate, realizing that Daniel's strength and methods were far beyond his understanding. Tianze wasn't foolish; offending such a person at this moment would be a grave mistake.

The next day, the atmosphere in Xinzheng was palpably different. While the news that the Crown Prince had been kidnapped was kept from the public, the unusual number of soldiers patrolling the streets and conducting door-to-door searches suggested something significant had happened. The normally bustling streets were noticeably quieter as most people stayed indoors, wary of the ongoing turmoil.

"Are they coming for me? They've chosen a convenient excuse," Daniel mused inside his shop, *Qiwu Hall*, as he used his Observation Haki to sense the movements around him. The Korean soldiers' actions made their intentions clear—they were using a pretext to corner him.

It was an open scheme. As the Grand General of Korea, Ji Wuye could easily command his soldiers to do his bidding. Any overreaction on Daniel's part could give Ji Wuye the excuse to deploy his troops openly.

In the Warring States period, especially in Xinzheng, few people could oppose Ji Wuye. He held enough power to move against anyone he wanted.

"What a bother," Daniel sighed. He could easily counter Ji Wuye's scheme. For instance, he could invite Han Fei over—the Ninth Prince's status would make Ji Wuye think twice before taking action.

Ji Wuye might dare to kill Han Fei, but only in the shadows. He wasn't foolish enough to target Han Fei openly.

It wasn't that Daniel feared Ji Wuye using his troops against him. With his strength, Daniel could easily fend off an army. But engaging Korea's military would play right into Ji Wuye's hands.

In such a scenario, most people would see evasion as the only option, but Daniel had more effective ways to handle the situation.

"Move," the captain of an eight-man squad of Korean soldiers ordered as they left a house they had just searched and headed toward *Qiwu Hall*.

Though their faces were obscured by helmets, their hand signals and body language suggested that nothing short of a serious confrontation would stop them.

Bang.

But before they could take another step, the captain suddenly gasped, his eyes bulging as he collapsed heavily to the ground. The suddenness of it startled the remaining seven soldiers, who instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons, scanning their surroundings with heightened alertness.

After a tense moment passed without further incident, the soldiers checked their captain's condition, only to find he had no pulse. Exchanging uneasy glances, they quickly decided to retreat, carrying their fallen captain's body with them. They would need to report this before proceeding.

"Ji Wuye, Ji Wuye... I initially intended to leave you alone for a while, but it seems you need a lesson," Daniel muttered. After the soldiers retreated, he donned a black outfit and wooden mask before heading toward the General's Mansion.

"Ji Wuye's personal guards—there sure are a lot of them," Daniel noted as he observed the small garrison on the right side of the mansion. This was where Ji Wuye's personal guards were stationed and trained, numbering over two hundred. They were responsible for the security of both Ji Wuye and the General's Mansion. Combined with the hidden presence of the Bai Niao assassins, the mansion was a veritable fortress.

"Time for a little surprise." Daniel's left hand, clad in a fire-cloth glove, ignited as he prepared to unleash his Flame Alchemy on the garrison and its soldiers.

Although Daniel could create fire without the gloves, the fire-cloth gloves were convenient, allowing him to skip the unnecessary steps. The alchemical array on the gloves ensured he could perform Flame Alchemy without extra effort.

The sudden attack took the guards by surprise, resulting in heavy casualties. The spreading flames quickly alerted the rest of the mansion, and several figures rushed to the scene, their swift movements identifying them as members of Bai Niao.

"White Phoenix," Daniel noticed the familiar white-clad figure arriving ahead of the others—White Phoenix, young and handsome. After a brief glance, Daniel resumed his arson spree.

In no time, two-thirds of the General's Mansion was engulfed in flames. Ji Wuye, brandishing his eight-foot war blade, stood in the courtyard, roaring in fury.

Despite his frantic orders, the flames continued to spread. The fire created by Flame Alchemy wasn't something that could be easily extinguished, especially in an era without modern firefighting equipment.

At best, Bai Yifei might qualify as a makeshift firefighter.

"Nobody's left in the *Sparrow Pavilion*? Might as well burn it down." The last time Daniel had spared the pavilion, but now, with its occupants fleeing the flames, he decided to torch it as well.

"Useless fools! Find the intruder already!" Ji Wuye's anger reached its peak as he bellowed orders. The flames raged uncontrollably, and the perpetrator remained elusive, darkening Ji Wuye's expression even further.

"Tianze," Ji Wuye growled through clenched teeth. Such a fierce fire couldn't be a mere accident, and given the current unrest in Xinzheng, only the Hundred Yue rebels would have the means and motive to strike.

As Ji Wuye watched his mansion burn, the rage in his eyes deepened. Although Daniel wanted to burn down the entire estate, doing so without exposing his identity was impossible with so many witnesses. He reluctantly left a third of the mansion standing.

"The General's Mansion is on fire!" The blaze quickly attracted attention, including that of Han Fei and Zhang Liang, who were still at Zilan Xuan.

The recent developments in Xinzheng had left Han Fei in a precarious position. With Ji Wuye and Han Yu eager to shift the blame, and Tianze no longer needing to cooperate with Liusa after Daniel had removed his Gu, the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

"The fire seems pretty serious. Who would target the General's Mansion at a time like this?" Han Fei murmured, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Could it be Tianze and his group?" Zinu suggested.

"That doesn't seem likely," Zhang Liang hesitated, unsure of the answer.

"If Tianze and his group did this, we're in serious trouble," Han Fei said, his expression growing somber.

"If they dared to target Ji Wuye, it means they've likely broken free of his control," Han Fei continued. He, Zhang Liang, and Wei Zhuang had already deduced that the mastermind behind Tianze's actions was none other than the Nightfall organization. They also assumed that Nightfall had ways of keeping Tianze in check.

But if Tianze was acting on his own, it meant he was no longer under anyone's control. And with the Korean Crown Prince in his hands, Tianze had become an extremely dangerous adversary. Even though the Crown Prince was little more than a puppet, he was still the Crown Prince.

If word got out, it would not only cause panic among the Korean people but also invite ridicule from other nations. Li Si had once publicly mocked Korea in the royal court using a similar pretext.

"We must rescue the Crown Prince as soon as possible." With the situation changing rapidly, Han Fei could no longer afford to leisurely drink at Zilan Xuan.

Many had underestimated Han Fei due to his usual behavior. Even after he had demonstrated his strategic acumen with the "Three Heirs and One" scheme, Ji Wuye still viewed it as a mere fluke, which led to Jade Tiger's downfall.

The only ones who truly understood Han Fei's capabilities were those within Liusa and Ying Zheng. Otherwise, Ying Zheng wouldn't have personally traveled to Xinzheng just to meet Han Fei.

"The Blood-Clothed Marquis is returning. That's valuable information," Daniel muttered after receiving a report from a Qijue Hall informant. He handed a few gold coins to the messenger.

Without his own intelligence network in Korea, Daniel had to rely on the existing ones. Qijue Hall, currently the strongest

 underground force in Korea, was his best option.

Qijue Hall was a subordinate force under Wei Zhuang, providing him with free intelligence as well as a monthly tribute in the form of protection money. Daniel, on the other hand, had to pay for information.

Daniel didn't mind that Zinu and Wei Zhuang might learn what intelligence he was gathering. His needs were so varied and unpredictable that even if they knew what he had learned, it would be difficult for them to discern his intentions.

After all, information that might be worth a fortune to one person could be utterly useless to another.

"Choosing to involve Sima Wanli turned out to be the right move." Among the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Guigu sect had the fewest disciples—only two in each generation. In contrast, the agricultural sect had the most, with over 100,000 members. This made the agricultural sect formidable in intelligence gathering.

Drunken Dream Tower wasn't just about making money, much like Zilan Xuan. Its other crucial role was intelligence, both in gathering and disseminating it.

In Han Fei and Jade Tiger's wager, the women of Zilan Xuan played a critical role in spreading the news about Korea's grain shortage, leading to an influx of grain merchants from the Seven States and causing Jade Tiger's financial ruin.

The phrase "a hero's tomb is in the arms of a beauty" exists for a reason. In the soft words of a beautiful woman, most people find it impossible to keep their secrets. Those who can resist temptation would never visit places like Zilan Xuan or Drunken Dream Tower.

With all this in mind, Sima Wanli had become more significant to Daniel, at least for acquiring valuable intelligence.

"The Blood-Clothed Marquis Bai Yifei has finally shown up. I remember there was once a theory that the Blood-Clothed Marquis was actually Yinfu. Could time really be that cruel?" The mention of Bai Yifei reminded Daniel of a wild theory he'd read before his crossing.

It was so absurd that he didn't know what to think at first, but after reading through the details, Daniel had to admit that Bai Yifei did bear some resemblance to Yinfu.

Both used blood-sucking techniques, a martial art seemingly unique to them in the world of *The Legend of Qin* and *The Legend of Nine Songs*. The theory went that the once-handsome and dashing Bai Yifei had become the grotesque Yinfu, with a drastically weakened martial prowess, due to going mad from his cultivation.

Of course, Daniel didn't believe for a second that Bai Yifei was Yinfu. Even though he despised Bai Yifei and intended to eliminate him, he didn't think the two were the same person—they were simply too different.

"Hmph, this is what you call foolproof?" In the temporary quarters of the General's Mansion, Ji Wuye was fuming as he addressed Bai Yifei, who had just arrived. In his rage, Ji Wuye kicked over the table in front of him.

After the fire destroyed two-thirds of the General's Mansion, Ji Wuye had been forced to relocate to this six-compound residence, which, while spacious, lacked the opulence of the original mansion.

Faced with Ji Wuye's fury, Bai Yifei remained silent. The unexpected turn of events had caught him off guard as well. According to their plan, Tianze, under the control of the poison Gu, would have no choice but to obey their orders, no matter how much he resented them.

But the current situation suggested that Tianze had somehow freed himself from the Gu's control—a difficult scenario to believe, but the only one that made sense.

Tianze had already set fires across Xinzheng before. Given that precedent, it was easy to assume he was responsible for this one, too, and no one would suspect Daniel.

"Unruly pawns must be eliminated. Let's deal with them as soon as possible," Ji Wuye ordered, his voice cold and decisive.

"Rest assured, General. I'll take care of it," Bai Yifei replied. With his own curiosity piqued about how Tianze had escaped the Gu's influence, he decided it was time to take matters into his own hands.

As Bai Yifei considered the situation, he also decided to put the matter of Daniel on hold. He was too interested in finding out how his Gu techniques had been rendered ineffective. If there was someone out there who could neutralize his Gu, he needed to know who they were and how they did it. Otherwise, his Gu arts would be useless in the future.

"So, this is the Hundred Poisons Immunity of the agricultural sect?" Sima Wanli's actions had been quick, delivering the agricultural sect's martial arts manual to Daniel promptly.

"Martial arts combined with poison resistance, huh? I thought it was purely about the internal techniques." Daniel had always been curious about the Hundred Poisons Immunity of the agricultural sect. This technique was something neither the Guigu, Daoist, nor Yin-Yang schools had been able to achieve. It wasn't until he read through the bamboo scrolls sent by Sima Wanli that Daniel finally understood the secret behind it.

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