Chapter 26: Can't Finish the Task, Yet Still Want to Go Back?

At this moment, Su Jian also received another message from the system.

[Player Ouyang Ke has accepted the quest and is on his way to the City Lord’s Mansion.]

Su Jian was taken aback. Was this person really so reckless? Or perhaps he felt emboldened, believing this world to be similar to the one he came from... This didn’t quite align with his usual ruthless and calculating nature.

Su Jian refrained from using his remaining spiritual power; after all, with so little left, there wasn’t much he could unlock anyway. It was better to save it for emergencies.

He stayed within the City Lord’s Mansion all day, keeping an eye on the slightest disturbances around him. Yet, there was still no word of Ouyang Ke’s appearance.

Given Ouyang Ke’s strength—likely on par with a cultivator in the Qi Refining stage—he would find the City Lord’s Mansion no easy target, for not everyone within its walls was an ordinary mortal. Among Gao Zhengde’s guards, there were several at the Qi Refining stage. Most of these cultivators, though lacking in innate talent and with no hope of immortality, were content to enjoy worldly riches and comforts. As far as Su Jian knew, the benefits of serving as a city lord’s guard were considerable.

With Gao Zhengde’s ambitions, he would hardly be unprepared. Ouyang Ke’s chances of slipping in unnoticed were slim; charging in recklessly would more than likely mean walking into a trap.

[Ouyang Ke saw the wanted posters for Xi Wang around the city and now holds a grudge against you, the quest giver.]

A faint twitch appeared at the corner of Su Jian’s mouth. As expected of a villain. There was no hope of gratitude from the likes of him.

But one must look at things from another angle: without risk, there can be no reward. Had Su Jian not chosen him, Ouyang Ke wouldn’t have had a shot at the quest’s prize. As the saying goes, anything produced by the system is sure to be of the highest quality. Let him bask in his own good fortune.

As for his resentment... Su Jian rather relished the thought of the man fuming, powerless to lay a finger on him. In this player-summoning mode, much like with the previous companion mode, the other party couldn’t do him any real harm.

What’s more, Ouyang Ke didn’t even know who he was. As long as Su Jian didn’t expose himself, Ouyang Ke would be left grasping at straws. If he failed the quest, he could forget about ever returning home—a hopeless dream.

“Jian, where should we go next?” Zhao Qianxue had appeared by his side at some point, her face filled with worry.

She, too, realized Lingzhou was not a place to linger. Though the world was vast, there would surely be a haven for them somewhere.

Su Jian thought for a moment, then smiled calmly. “Yingdu. With the Bureau of Justice there, the Righteous Alliance won’t dare act too brazenly.”

Besides, Yingdu was the capital of Great Jin, the most prosperous city in the secular world. Since he’d chosen to have Zhao Qianxue manage his business affairs, if they were to thrive, it made sense to choose a place blessed by time, location, and people.

“I thought you would pick one of the immortal cities under the Righteous Alliance—no one would expect us to be bold enough to show up right under their noses.” As she spoke, Zhao Qianxue cast Su Jian a self-satisfied glance.

Catching her meaning—it was clear she wanted praise for her cleverness—Su Jian shot her a look. But matters weren’t nearly so simple.

He mercilessly dashed her hopes. “And then, all it would take is some eager informant to turn you in, and you’d be walking straight into a trap—escaping would be impossible.”

You can’t walk by the river every day without getting your feet wet. While he could use a Breath Concealing Talisman to hide his aura, he couldn’t change his appearance. The art of transformation was not something cultivators of his stage could touch, not even those at the Void Return stage.

The authorities could post wanted notices for Xi Wang, but the Righteous Alliance’s influence was far greater... Perhaps he ought to consider unlocking the Shape-Shifting Elixir, a must-have for survival when traveling.

He glanced at the system—unlocking it required twenty thousand spiritual points, not exactly cheap. For now, it wasn’t urgent.

From the start, Su Jian never naïvely believed that the story he gave Gao Zhengde would allow him to fake his death and escape unscathed. He needed to prepare for the worst and never harbor any wishful thinking. The Righteous Alliance was hardly a pack of fools.

Zhao Qianxue gave a soft snort, wanting to retort, but Su Jian’s reasoning was unassailable. She couldn’t help but agree, to her great annoyance. As a master’s wife, she felt her dignity slipping away.

As evening fell, Su Jian was about to head out for a night of music and entertainment—he had missed the more exciting performances by rising too early the past few days and felt rather regretful.

But before he could leave, Gao Zhengde appeared before him in a rush.

“Immortal Master!”

“Immortal Master, disaster has struck!”

Su Jian frowned slightly and gestured for him to continue.

Gao Zhengde hurriedly said, “Immortal Master, just now, someone tried to sneak into the lake. Luckily, I discovered it in time—otherwise, it would have been a catastrophe!”

Su Jian pressed, “An insider? Or is there a problem with the tunnels beneath your manor?”

He had been watching the City Lord’s Mansion closely and noticed no outsiders, so these were the only possibilities. Unless, of course, it was all a ruse staged by Gao Zhengde himself.

“Your insight is sharp, Immortal Master. It was indeed one of my own guards—he was aiming for the demon in the lake, and there must be someone manipulating things from behind the scenes. But...” Gao Zhengde trailed off, his expression turning grim.

Su Jian asked, “But what?”

Gao Zhengde finally replied, “Sigh... I interrogated him, but he refused to say a word, choosing death over betraying his true master. He’s barely alive now—there’s nothing more I can get out of him.”

[Player Ouyang Ke, during his quest, killed the wife and daughter of the constable Zhang Cheng and, taking the money he looted, headed for the Moonlit Pavilion.]

Su Jian fell silent for a moment, then asked Gao Zhengde, “What is the traitor’s name?”

Though Gao Zhengde wasn’t sure why he asked, he answered truthfully, “His name is Zhang Cheng. He’s been serving in my household for years—I never imagined he’d commit such a deed.”

“Immortal Master, we can’t delay the matter of the demon any longer. There are already those harboring evil intent—if we wait any longer, I fear...”

Now Su Jian understood—this was no scheme on Gao Zhengde’s part. Ouyang Ke was indeed quite capable. In just half a day, he had managed to win the loyalty of someone willing to die for him.

His methods were simply too ruthless, though. At the very least, he could have figured out the situation before involving the man’s family.

Su Jian had already guessed his plan: to use the lives of Zhang Cheng’s family to force him into action. Thus, the events had unfolded as they did.

Even if Zhang Cheng had confessed, he would have been doomed anyway. So he chose silence, hoping at least to protect his family.

Ouyang Ke was ruthless and cunning—perhaps the quest Su Jian had given him would really be completed.