The group reached a consensus at an inconceivable speed.

They were prepared to take a big risk, but no one noticed anything wrong with the process, whether it was too reckless or lacked consideration; on the contrary, they all felt it was only natural.

This was because they had been unknowingly targeted by Layman Guoxin, who silently incited the desires of their inner demons. In a certain sense, they were blinded, unable to rationally assess the situation and think the issue through thoroughly. Worry and fanaticism were amplified to the extreme in their impulsive side.

At this moment, they genuinely felt that this was the decision they had made after careful thought and the only way to break the deadlock.

For the longer they waited, the stronger the power accumulated by Mino would become...

Furthermore, after this special period passed, finding another opportunity like this when Mino is not too vigilant against Owari would be incredibly difficult...

Considering all this, they felt there was a compelling reason to act immediately and that they absolutely couldn't afford any delay—it had to be as soon, as fast, as urgent as possible! They had to catch Mino off guard and couldn't allow this neighbor to continue developing stably with the current daunting trend.

Otherwise, Owari Country would have no chance to rise, and Lord Nobunaga's grand ambition of unifying the land under military rule would essentially be doomed.

Those loyal to Owari and to Lord Nobunaga absolutely couldn't allow such a thing to happen!

This idea wasn't entirely wrong, as it was indeed the case. They genuinely felt the impact brought by Mino's rise and saw the threat caused by its rapidly changing innovations, like more advanced guns, more advanced production tools, and so on, all of which frightened them.

——Layman Guoxin merely incited the thoughts that already existed.

——He only fueled the evil thoughts, amplifying any possible impulsive ideas to the extreme, rather than fabricating unwarranted thoughts for them.

But even though their eyes were blinded in this regard, they hadn't completely lost their rationality. They didn't openly discuss the specifics of their agenda to create chaos outside but first left the commanding castle tower with heavy hearts and returned to the consulate.

This was a space set aside within the castle of Rice Leaf Mountain, intended as a residence for representatives conducting diplomatic work. The architecture was a novel building using new materials, such as cement, glass, and steel, with a height of five stories, along with designs including floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies, and iron railings.

While novel, it also had an exceedingly classic and grand feeling, possessing both trendy and retro aesthetics simultaneously in this era.

When they were arranged to stay here the night before, the delegation from Owari was already stunned, amazed by all the modern conveniences inside the house, such as hot water supply. At the time, they felt incredibly curious yet couldn't help but be delighted. They thought Mino was extravagant, showing off forcibly to make an impression, hence creating these novel things.

The so-called extreme luxury leads to reckless behavior.

The nation's inevitable downfall.

It was indeed destined by the heavens for them, Owari, to dominate, annex Mino, and completely control the region of Nagano Plain, establishing the foundation for their ambition of dominance! At that time, they were probably also heavily drinking, smugly dreaming.

But now—

They no longer had such thoughts; instead, the more they saw of this thriving metropolis, the more they felt shocked and even agitated.

This was a civic project of comprehensive reconstruction synced across the city. What was displayed on the street outside, the wide and even stone-paved road, the orderly drainage ditches on both sides, the row upon row of residential buildings stretching endlessly, and the open spaces whose purposes were yet undetermined.

It's said that the region has been equipped with copper water pipes, and this is only the first phase. There will be a second and third...

They even mentioned "electricity," "stations," and such, which are expected to be completed by next year.

The ability to get such information wasn't because their intelligence operations were so proficient but because these projects naturally attracted many merchants. As a renowned commercial city, Rice Leaf Mountain has always been a gathering place for countless merchants. These profit-seekers are more keenly aware than anyone else when there's profit to be made.

With enough profit, they would even sell the rope to hang themselves; naturally, they wouldn't miss out on the novelties emerging in Mino, quickly noticing the market opportunities they represented.

In this developmental margin, the populace was only just beginning to shift from their previous opposition stance to feel the convenience and benefits it brought. Merchants, however, saw further ahead and energetically pursued it, thinking up every possible way to gather intelligence, hear news, and see if there was a chance.

And from this, knowing a small part, one could see where the confidence came from—

That was because this beast of Nongzhou was undergoing a comprehensive and massive transformation, and once it completed its integration and transformation in all aspects, it would inevitably unleash a power that would shake the whole old era.

...

"Give this intelligence to our people, have them expedite it back, and inform Lord Nobunaga to act immediately..."

"If all goes well, our main family should rise in three days, sending troops straight to Mino..."

"Gentlemen, in these two days, we must try to gain intelligence on the city's defense distribution..."

...

After a brief meeting filled with anxiety and determination to stake everything, the group quickly determined their next arrangements. They each knew very well what they were supposed to do and had the resolve and awareness to die for their lord!

And from their perspective, they firmly believed they were doing the right thing.

Indeed, this wasn't deceiving the Lord's family...

But they had no choice, believing that only by doing so could they save Owari!

...

...

The sun dipped westward.

The afterglow of the setting sun slanted across the earth.

The entire Rice Leaf Mountain city was enveloped in a thick atmosphere of joy, as if the echoes of the recent grand day had not fully dissipated, or perhaps because the harvest season had arrived, everyone was beaming with happiness.

Many farmers were overjoyed, almost in disbelief, walking lightly as if stepping on cotton, their faces glowing with radiance. The large-scale introduction of advanced farming machinery had accelerated the efficiency of the autumn harvest by countless times, allowing them a breather, no longer needing to work themselves to death.

The painful and exhausting labor of past years, where their skin cracked from sun exposure, and their backs felt like they were breaking, couldn't afford to stop... Today, such a task was completed with ease and pleasure, a speed that was simply unimaginable.

Moreover, what made them feel most ecstatic and incredulous was that this year's tax collection was much lighter than in previous years, even after paying the taxes, they still had quite a portion left... In the past, even though it was the grain they painstakingly grew, rice, this good thing never was theirs to dispose of.

The farmers who submitted large amounts of grain could only eat some hard-to-swallow millet and barnyard grass.

During times of war, when rice was scarce, they could only go out to find some wild vegetables, cook some vegetable soup to fill their stomachs, and the day would pass just like that.

Today, naturally, they were brimming with joy as if it were the New Year.

And this joyous atmosphere, unsurprisingly, pervaded the city.

At this moment, a person from Owari walked out of the consulate, trying to act naturally, moving around the city, along the renovated new district, stepping on the flat, straight roads as if they were scouting various points like before. This person pretended to be very interested and arrived at the still bustling marketplace.

They looked here and there, very seriously selecting and buying some things, then seemed to naturally walk to a place where they accidentally bumped into someone.

The interaction was brief, and after exchanging a few words, not too heavy or too light, they parted ways.

The person they had collided with quickly disappeared into the crowd, vanishing from sight in no time.

In reality, that person swiftly left the marketplace and also exited the area of the new district, returning to the intricate old district. In the narrow alleys, twisting and turning, who knows how many circles they made, finally stopping to catch their breath.

Glancing around to confirm no one was following, they swiftly slipped into a house.

Closing the door, they pulled out the secret letter from their bosom and checked it, but didn't look at the contents. They furrowed their brows in deep thought. The intelligence that needed urgent dispatch at this time likely involved something very important. With the officials of the envoy urgently reaching out, they had a vague premonition of an impending storm...

Taking a deep breath, they carefully took out a cylindrical container, rolled up the secret letter and placed it inside, then cautiously secured it close to their body.

——Crack.

Just as they completed the last action, they vaguely heard an unprovoked slight sound coming, the door they had just closed quietly pushed open a crack, a very light, very small movement, but as an experienced ninja, they still detected it immediately.

When!

How could it be!

The scout's expression changed slightly in an instant, almost without looking, they directly threw a pitch-black sphere, and without thinking, turned to pounce towards the nearby window!

With a muffled thud, smoke filled the room, obscuring vision. At the same time, the scout had already agilely smashed through the window, leaping outside, simultaneously with a forceful swing of their other hand, sending several streaks of light shooting out, precisely tearing apart a large net that came their way!

Those were several well-sharpened shuriken, which, after slicing through the net, deeply embedded into the ground!

The scout's heart pounding wildly, they silently exclaimed how close it had been. They landed gracefully, rolled to dissipate the impact, and sprang up like a nimble cat into a desperate sprint, opening their mouth to shout and cause a commotion, hoping to successfully escape.

They had been exposed! But this piece of intelligence must not fall into the hands of Mino's people!

Whatever happens, they must escape, as long as they're not caught, there will be no evidence!

However, despite their decisiveness and wisdom, the arresting Dark Department was also experienced, with numerous Curse Talismans sealing strategic points of the narrow alley, forming an isolating barrier. Just as they opened their mouth, several Yin Yang Techniques quickly pursued from behind.

——Slow Talisman!

——Sealing Talisman!

In an instant, the scout felt their entire body becoming incredibly heavy, their speed drastically slowing.

Moreover, it felt as if their energy was rapidly drained, and the loud shout that was about to escape their mouth quickly turned weak, sounding like a leaky bellows groaning…