Everyone could say harsh words, but reality put Gongsun Bu in a difficult position. "Daoye, the Qi Kingdom is so big. Judging from the current situation of the search, the results should be the same no matter how many times we try. If we want to increase the intensity of the search, we'll need more people. The disciples of my sect don't have enough people here. Can we ask the Heavenly Jade School and the other three sects to send more people over?"
Niu Youdao, who was staring at the map, waved his hand and said, "There are too many people in those families. You can use them in other aspects, but I'm worried about this. I have other plans for this. For the time being, don't alert them. Try to keep it a secret."
Gongsun Bu and Black Peony glanced at each other. Weren't you going to stir up trouble in the Northern Region? Wouldn't it be better if they caused a huge commotion and prevented the Northern State from getting what they wanted?
Black Peony said, "Daoye, Brother Gongsun is right. We don't have enough people to dig up clues in a place as big as the Kingdom of Qi right now. They'll definitely want to keep this matter a secret. They won't let outsiders find out so easily."
"Digging for clues?" Niu Youdao turned to look at Black Peony. "We already have the biggest clue. We know what they are planning to do in secret. We know that they are going to do it by sea. This is the biggest clue! We've already seized the initiative. The enemy is out in the open while we're in the dark. There's no reason we can't find them. Can so many ships fly away? As long as their plan doesn't change, I don't believe that I can't find them. "
Gongsun Bu hesitated. "Could it be that they've already succeeded and the ship has already set off?"
Niu Youdao: "Impossible! We only found out about the Korean waterway when we were at the Boundless Pavilion. They are still investigating and confirming the waterway. Before confirming that the waterway is safe, it is impossible for them to transport so many warhorses out. Do they have so much money that they don't know where to spend it? As soon as we understood the situation, we immediately arranged for people to investigate the coastline of the Qi Kingdom. After hearing what you just said, I have even more reason to believe that the warhorses have not left the Qi Kingdom. "
He tapped on the map. "Now, let's sort out the clues based on the current situation. Don't say a bunch of useless things to confuse our vision. Once we've sorted out the clues, we'll naturally have a clear direction for our goal. According to what you said, it's impossible to build a ship, so we can only modify it. Then let's start with the ships. Let me ask you, where do you think they will most likely put the ships? "
As the leader of the team, it was necessary for him to sort out the thoughts of his subordinates in complicated situations. As a leader, he had to have this ability as well.
Gongsun Bu muttered to himself, "Just now, Sister Peony also said that it's impossible for so many ships to originate from one place. That would be too conspicuous. It's possible that they were secretly transferred from various countries."
Niu Youdao asked, "Could it be that it's already been modified when the various countries go to sea?"
Black Peony said, "The possibility isn't high."
Niu Youdao asked, "What do you mean?"
Black Peony said, "Daoye, you might not know this, but it's just as I said before. The average person wouldn't use such a large ship. Most people with such a large ship under their name are either wealthy or respectable. They definitely aren't ordinary people, especially ship owners who can do business across borders. They have a certain amount of power behind them. Without the consent of the ship owner, it's impossible to modify someone else's ship. And to modify a cargo ship into a ship that can transport warhorses, the fences inside would be too obvious. "
Gongsun Bu nodded. "That's right. With so many ships, it's impossible for them to originate from the same place. Otherwise, the ship owners from all over the country would notice this abnormality. Each ship owner has some sort of background. If they split up and do it, it would be too easy for information to leak. In this case, there's only one possibility. They hired these ships in advance and didn't let the ship owners know their true purpose. "
Niu Youdao narrowed his eyes as he pondered their words.
Black Peony's train of thought followed suit. "Then there's only one possibility. They had to transfer the ships away and then send them to a secret place to be modified. Once they reach their destination and are controlled, whether or not the ship is willing to accept the modification is not up to the crew. "
Slowly, Niu Youdao said, "If that's the case, then those ships didn't know what they were going to do beforehand."
Black Peony said, "That should be the case. It's also very easy to do. Ships are in the business of transporting goods. As long as the customer pays up front, they naturally have to follow the buyer's wishes and head to their destination. It's also unlikely that they would know of the situation beforehand. Otherwise, it would be very easy for information to leak. "
Niu Youdao stared at the map once more. "Where is the most likely location for the modification?"
The two of them turned their gazes to the map as well. Gongsun Bu said, "Modifying so many large ships would be too eye-catching. It's unlikely that the ships would be placed along the coast. If that's the case, then our previous investigation might have gone in the wrong direction. It's very likely that the other party placed the modification on an island that's not easily discovered. "
"An island?" Niu Youdao countered, "Could it not have been placed on some deserted coast?"
Gongsun Bu said, "The disciples of the sect have searched the entire coastline of the Kingdom of Qi, but they haven't found anything out of the ordinary."
Niu Youdao said, "Could it have been placed along the coastline of another country?"
"Not likely." Black Peony shook her head in denial.
Niu Youdao asked again, "Why do you say so?"
Black Peony said, "First of all, with so many ships, it's unlikely that they'd form a large fleet to travel together. It'd be too eye-catching, and it'd be hard not to be suspicious. Secondly, there are too many unexpected situations at sea. If the fleet were to split up, it'd be very difficult to ensure that every ship would arrive at their destination on time. If the ships were too far away, the unpunctuality at sea would sometimes be delayed by more than just a little bit. If the Heavens were temperamental when it came to unexpected situations at sea, it wouldn't be something that a cultivator could control or influence.
"Once the other party gathered the horses, they'd have to ensure that the ships could be loaded on time. Otherwise, if a large number of horses were left on the coast for too long, it'd be easy for them to slip up and be discovered. For such a meticulous matter, connecting and loading is one of the most important factors. How could they not consider the risk of time?
"Thus, it's unlikely that they'd placed the horses in a faraway country. They'd have to ensure that once they're ready, they'd be able to load the ships and transport them away at any time. They'd have to control the time at sea, and there'd definitely be a requirement in terms of distance. They probably wouldn't place the horses in another country, but in the Kingdom of Qi. That's why I agree with Brother Gongsun's judgment. It's definitely on an island in the Kingdom of Qi's waters. "
After Niu Youdao had helped them sort out their thoughts and clarify their direction, the confusing matter had clearly become much simpler. The two of them's targeted deductions had also become reasonable and well-grounded. They seemed to be getting closer to the target everyone was looking for.
There was no other way. Niu Youdao wasn't too clear about the situation in this area, so he couldn't make an accurate judgment on his own. He could only guide and mobilize the abilities of the people around him to solve the problem together.
"Alright, the target's location has been narrowed down. I believe in your judgment. It's on an island in the Kingdom of Qi's waters!" Niu Youdao nodded in agreement. However, his finger tapped heavily on the Kingdom of Qi's waters. "We don't have enough manpower. Even if we did, the Kingdom of Qi's waters are too big. It'd be difficult to send more people in. On this basis, narrow down the scope of your investigation!"
Black Peony's words were still the same. "Due to the timing of the connecting and loading, the location of the island shouldn't be too far from the Kingdom of Qi's coastline."
Gongsun Bu muttered, "If it's on an island, it's definitely a place that won't be easily discovered."
Black Peony hesitated. "It's not too far, and it's not too easy to be discovered. It's definitely a route that ships don't often take."
Niu Youdao asked, "If these factors are met, what would the situation be like?"
Black Peony was a little unsure. "It's not too far, and it's not too easy to be discovered. The situation in the sea must be complicated and dangerous, forcing ships to take a detour. I can't be sure if there are any other circumstances. "
Niu Youdao then looked at the frowning Gongsun Bu, who was deep in thought. "Do you have anything else to add?"
Gongsun Bu hesitated. "When it comes to the seas, Sister Peony is more familiar with them than I am. I feel that it should be the situation she described."
Niu Youdao asked, "Can you narrow down the scope of your investigation a little more?"
He knew very well that he didn't have much information on Shao Pingbo's side. He didn't know who was handling Shao Pingbo's warhorses at all.
He suspected that it had something to do with Waning Moon Pavilion, but even if it did, he didn't know much about Waning Moon Pavilion's situation.
He was unfamiliar with the people and land of the Qi Kingdom, and he couldn't do anything else for the time being. The only thing he knew was shipping. Without knowing the movements of people, he could only keep a close eye on the direction of the ships.
Black Peony and Gongsun Bu looked at each other. After pondering for a while, they slowly shook their heads.
"Alright, let's investigate according to this line of thought!" Niu Youdao slapped his palm on the Qi Kingdom's seas and issued a plan.
"First, have your disciples ask those who frequently go out to sea to see which sea areas fit the situation I just described. At the same time, ask if there are any other reasons that make it unsuitable for people to discover.
"First, find these possible sea areas. Then, send people to these sea areas to patrol or stand guard. I don't care if you keep an eye on the sea routes or do something else. Do whatever is convenient. If you find a ship that fits the criteria heading towards a place it shouldn't go, immediately follow it and investigate. Be careful not to alert the enemy!
"In terms of manpower, it's temporarily inconvenient to mobilize people from other areas. Immediately order the spies of Mount Five Liang from the various countries to rush over secretly to carry out this mission. I want to see the results as soon as possible so that I can formulate the next step of the plan! Remember, the operation must be kept secret. In this aspect, you have to be strict with your subordinates! "
"Alright!" Gongsun Bu nodded. "I'll do it right away."
Black Peony sent him off. When they opened the door and parted, the two of them looked at each other and smiled. Previously, they had no idea what to do, but now they felt like they had everything under control.
As for whether or not they could succeed, no one could guarantee it. The two of them nodded at each other and closed the door.
Black Peony returned inside and saw that Niu Youdao was still staring at the map. She couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Daoye, when you were at the Boundless Pavilion, didn't you say that the warhorses were in the Qi Kingdom and that it wasn't Han's turn to stop them? Wouldn't it save us a lot of trouble if we just let the Qi Kingdom's imperial court investigate? "
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