Chu Yang nodded. “Yes, we cannot afford to clash head-on at all right now.”

He sank into thought for a while before he said, “But Tianji, even if we are borrowing power, it is very difficult for us to borrow power in other aspects. I’ve weighed the strength of both parties, as well as each party’s circumstances and realized that… it is indeed quite difficult for us to change anything about this matter right now.”

“We have no ties whatsoever with the Li Clan. Should we enter carelessly, I’m afraid that not only will we be unable to borrow power, but we would also end up deeply entrenched in a trap and unable to extract ourselves. With our current strength, even if we were to launch a sneak attack on the other clans… In the grand camp where Supreme Martial Artists are aplenty, it’s likely that we won’t be able to truly execute it effectively. If that happens, we would also lose our chances to sow discord among them.”

Chu Yang went on. “Therefore, with regard to us hurrying to the northwest right now, I would like to know your plans in advance.”

Mo Tianji slowed down his footsteps and fell behind the other brothers with Chu Yang. He sank into deep contemplation for a long while, keeping quiet the entire time.

Chu Yang knew that every time such an expression appeared on Mo Tianji’s face, he was definitely thinking about something very important. Thus, he did not disturb him but only stayed by his side quietly.

“To be honest, the reason why I want to go to the northwest, and insist on us doing so, is not to directly change the overall situation but just for Diwu Qingrou alone.” Mo Tianji smiled. “In this aspect, you’ve mixed up the overall situation and my personal intention.”

Chu Yang nodded quietly. “Go on.”

“This person, Diwu Qingrou… I’ve never interacted with him.” Mo Tianji found it rather a pity. “If I had known that things would turn out like this, I really should’ve participated in the fight for royal supremacy in the Lower Three Heavens… After losing such a chance to battle head-on, I can’t help but feel like it didn’t seem quite right.”

He mused for a moment before he went on. “You should supplement me with information now.”

“Supplement?” Chu Yang’s brows drew together.

“Yes, let me first speak about my understanding of Diwu Qingrou.” Mo Tianji said, “In my data, Diwu Qingrou is nothing but a bunch of numbers. Or perhaps, just a few incidents.”

“This is a powerful person and also the most dangerous enemy. He is elegant, calm, composed, has the situation well in his grasp and almost never makes mistakes — A very fearsome man!”

Mo Tianji went on. “He is able to make appropriate corresponding arrangements at any time. The most fearsome aspect of him is that not only is he able to grasp his own strength well, he can also create delicate and tricky situations, so that he can restrain his enemies and make them move according to his adjustments. He makes them move in the direction that he expects them to and pools his efforts in several aspects so that they come together to drive the other party into a hopeless situation!”

Chu Yang completely agreed.

“Therefore, Diwu’s schemes and intelligence make him a talent of a generation. In this aspect, I cannot compare to him yet,” said Mo Tianji.

Chu Yang’s eyes brightened a little in the night.

“However, in my eyes, Diwu Qingrou also has his own weaknesses! And a lot at that.” Mo Tianji said solemnly, “And I need you to affirm my determination with regard to these weaknesses.”

Chu Yang’s eyes brightened intensely. “Diwu Qingrou’s weaknesses?”

“Yes!” Mo Tianji said, “Firstly, Diwu Qingrou is a man of intelligence. There is no doubt about that. He went down from the Upper Three Heavens carrying the mission of the Zhuge Clan on his shoulders. However, his surname is Diwu, so it is hard to avoid him having his own little ideas.”

“Secondly, Diwu Qingrou didn’t need to reveal his martial prowess at all, yet he was able to occupy a high-ranking position in the Great State of Zhao and manipulate the masses!”

Mo Tianji took a breath and said, “In this aspect, Chu Yang, you’ve overestimated him a little… thinking that he was already pretty much almighty in the Lower Three Heavens! But… I want to tell you something — It’s not that he didn’t use his martial prowess! Rather, he has been using it all this time!”

Chu Yang was stunned. “It’s not that he didn’t use his martial prowess? Rather, he has been using it all this time? What does that mean?”

Mo Tianji replied, “It is because he has excellent moves that he thought nothing of the schemes and conspiracies and the fight for royalty supremacy in the Lower Three Heavens! It is precisely his martial prowess that supported his self-confidence and allowed him to make use of any reason, method and way to achieve all his objectives without fear of anything!”

“In other words, like a god using typical human methods to do things.” Mo Tianji said, “Exactly like that!”

Realization dawned upon Chu Yang. He clapped and sighed. “You’re right… This has certainly never occurred to me in the past.”

Mo Tianji smiled and replied, “It is precisely because Diwu Qingrou has nothing to fear and has the confidence that he can resolve anything and everything, that he is able to almost not commit any mistakes in the Lower Three Heavens. Even if he does make any mistake, he is able to make up for it immediately!”

“This is his mentality at play here! You should understand that doing something with absolute confidence and doing something full of fear, as though treading on thin ice, is completely different. Even with the same level of intelligence, the latter may not even achieve half the result in his entire life, yet the former is able to reach a pinnacle of achievement!”

“Therefore, Diwu Qingrou’s legend in this aspect must be shattered! Otherwise, it would form an inner demon in you, as well as me!”

Mo Tianji spoke seriously.

Chu Yang suddenly saw the light!

Mo Tianji was absolutely right. Should they overestimate their opponent by too much before the battle, it was indeed not something positive. All his arrangements and plans and other aspects would be imperceptibly influenced by this mentality. “Diwu Qingrou’s third weakness is likely destiny! He believes that it is impossible to defeat the Nine Tribulations Sword Master! That is why he had once tried to improve his relationship with you, and even thought of borrowing your strength to change the situation in the Upper Three Heavens. As such, in the great final battle, it is the same as him using the lives of eight million people to do you a huge favor!”

“This favor is enough to shock anyone! And is indeed extremely generous. People of average courage and boldness won’t be able to do something like that. This shows that Diwu Qingrou has amazing foresight and that he is very motive-oriented.”

“But it is precisely this that exposes quite a few weaknesses of Diwu Qingrou.”

Mo Tianji’s eyes gleamed as he spoke slowly.

Chu Yang was humble in asking for advice. “What weaknesses did he expose here?”

It was only now that Chu Yang truly realized that in terms of analysis and deduction, he was still a notch beneath Mo Tianji. As expected of someone called the Master of Calculation and Manipulation; Mo Tianji was just this adept at picking out shocking details from these unassuming information.

Chu Yang had originally thought that he was pretty good in this aspect, but now, he was ashamed of his inferiority.

A professional was a professional after all… Minister Chu heaved a sigh of approval inwardly.

As expected of someone born to deal with schemes and conspiracies… No wonder he could scam me to death with his schemes in my past life…

When he thought of that, Minister Chu glared viciously at Mo Tianji.

Mo Tianji glanced at him all baffled and asked in puzzlement, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Chu Yang snorted. “Go on!”

Mo Tianji scratched his head in a rather perplexed manner before he continued. “There are a lot of things that Diwu Qingrou revealed here. Firstly, Diwu Qingrou possesses the mindset of ‘The Nine Tribulations are impossible to defeat and Heaven’s Way cannot be reversed’. Therefore, even though he did you a favor, he has also given up.”

“He gave up!” Mo Tianji went on. “Perhaps he thought that he could benefit more by doing so, but in my opinion, he has given up all his hard work in the past and also given up the chance to take a gamble by fighting to the death with you! This proves that Diwu Qingrou doesn’t have enough self-confidence deep down in his heart! Insufficient self-confidence is the same as inner demons. Diwu Qingrou has inner demons — This is the first point.”

“Back then, if I were in Diwu Qingrou’s position, I would first battle with you to my heart’s content. No matter who wins or loses, the outcome would only be known at the very last moment! No matter the outcome, even at the very end… I would also have the confidence to create the blood fate energy that Diwu Qingrou spoke of…”

“Other than that, in the event that I can kill you… When I return to the Upper Three Heavens, I would still have the confidence to start from the bottom bit by bit and build my strength bit by bit, slowly gathering power and authority… However, it is apparent that Diwu Qingrou doesn’t dare to at all, or perhaps he has never thought of doing so at all… Therefore, in these aspects, there are some problems with Diwu Qingrou’s personality.”

“Diwu Qingrou is more like a politician rather than the think tank of someone in the martial world! He lacks the decisiveness of someone in the martial world!”

“Anyone can see his great drive and boldness! But it is in precisely the same places that I’ve discovered that he doesn’t possess enough self-confidence and boldness!”

Mo Tianji made his conclusion.

Chu Yang was overwhelmed with admiration! His analysis was right on the mark and went straight to the heart of the matter!

“In addition, no matter who it is, having all his efforts go to waste after diligently managing something for dozens of years, even if he has other things to comfort him, it is hard to avoid becoming somewhat disappointed and dejected. Therefore, I conclude that even if Diwu Qingrou were a saint, when he left the Upper Three Heavens, he must have been extremely depressed.”

“There’s one more weakness — Diwu Qingrou’s heartlessness. Sending all his old subordinates whom he had managed for dozens of years with just one command; even though I, Mo Tianji, also profess to be a heartless person, I can’t bring myself to do something like that nonetheless. Therefore, Diwu Qingrou’s heartlessness is a double-edged sword! While it hurts the enemy, it also hurts himself.”

“Should we be able to drive him into a corner to a certain extent, such that he must make a choice between abandoning his pawns to seek survival and taking a gamble and fighting to the death, Diwu Qingrou will surely choose to abandon his pawns to seek survival, while you, Chu Yang, would choose to do or die, and fight to the death!”

“This is also Diwu Qingrou’s weakness. The outcome of a showdown to the death is hard to predict, but abandoning one’s pawns to seek survival is no different from admitting defeat.”

Mo Tianji said, “Therefore, Diwu Qingrou’s heart is not very strong!”

Chu Yang nodded slowly, though he was starting to feel some unease in his heart.

Everything Mo Tianji said made sense and Chu Yang definitely agreed with them. But… as he continued his analysis, Chu Yang instead discovered — Was Mo Tianji thinking a little too lightly of Diwu Qingrou?

“Putting together everything Diwu Qingrou has done, one can conclude that before the appearance of the Nine Tribulations Sword Master, he has only been doing everything halfheartedly in the Zhuge Clan in order to safeguard his clan, but… he has never thought that he would be making any changes for the sake of his clan or expanding their strength at that time…”

“This is Diwu Qingrou’s prudence. However, this prudence places shackles on his hands and feet. To be honest, with his intelligence, he is totally able to completely fuse into the Zhuge Clan and make use of his strength in the Zhuge Clan to soundlessly expand the Diwu Clan’s power. I believe that with his methods, he can totally achieve this. However, he didn’t.”