Chapter Twenty-Nine: No One Knows Underhanded Tricks Better Than Him

At this moment, Su Jian still wore the altered appearance granted by the Morph Pill. He longed to return to his original form, but the pill’s effects could not be dispelled in advance. Unless he unlocked the Detoxification Pill right now, he could not yet ignore the dangers of pill toxins or eliminate the lingering effects of unrefined medicine.

Silently, Su Jian followed behind Ouyang Ke, his presence masked by a Concealment Talisman. Since he had nothing else to do, he thought it best to observe what progress Ouyang Ke would make.

Su Jian frowned slightly. “Why isn’t he heading towards the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, but instead toward the City Lord’s Mansion…”

He felt a measure of comfort, knowing the other party always put the mission first—truly a model player. Yet Ouyang Ke’s actions were, in truth, rather abnormal. He should have used the means Su Jian provided to first rob the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, gaining the cultivation resources therein. Even if he resorted to merely consuming pills, he could still raise his strength. Then, completing the mission Su Jian issued would be much more assured.

…

Ouyang Ke arrived outside the City Lord’s Mansion still in the guise of a beggar, now clad in a torn garment reeking so foully that even stray dogs gave him a wide berth.

He wanted precisely this effect. Even if Zhang Cheng betrayed him, the City Lord of Lingzhou would never connect the mastermind to someone in his current state. Moreover, the Moonshade House would never let him go, either.

The next moment, Ouyang Ke carefully activated a Concealment Talisman—his only chance. He would need his second talisman for the heist at Myriad Treasures Pavilion. No mistakes could be allowed.

Fortunately, the method of using a Concealment Talisman was simple: infuse it with spiritual power and it would automatically dissolve into the body, masking one’s presence.

Ouyang Ke disdainfully discarded the filthy rag he had stolen from an old beggar along the way, then leapt forward without hesitation.

He slipped quietly into the rear garden of the City Lord’s Mansion.

Now, only a hundred paces separated him from the lake mentioned in the mission.

Though the surface appeared calm, Ouyang Ke did not dare relax. Zhang Cheng was a cautionary tale; by nature, ambushes are never laid in plain sight. No one understood underhanded tricks better than he did.

Ouyang Ke remained motionless in the shadows, while Su Jian kept an even greater distance behind him.

Time passed, and before long, the night withdrew completely.

—

Su Jian waited so long that he grew restless, but he had begun to guess Ouyang Ke’s real intentions. The man intended to act contrary to expectations. Ordinarily, villains would strike under cover of darkness, but Ouyang Ke chose to move in broad daylight, when vigilance tended to wane.

Calculating the time, Su Jian realized that in just over an hour, the Concealment Talisman’s effect would end.

Ouyang Ke, meanwhile, quickly collected himself. He had already marked the hiding places of several mansion guards. He’d spent the entire night observing every rustle of wind and grass. The Concealment Talisman could mask his aura, but it could not render him invisible. The guards were not blind; once discovered, he would be walking into a trap.

Ouyang Ke’s expression grew grim. “Damn it… do people in this world never tire?”

He surmised the guards must rotate shifts, usually at dawn and dusk. Then, during the changeover, he could catch them all off guard, or at least slip into the lake. But so far, there was no sign of a shift change, and his patience was wearing thin.

He no longer hesitated.

Ouyang Ke crept up behind the nearest guard and struck ruthlessly. The man let out only the briefest, muffled grunt before dying. Ouyang Ke repeated this with each sentry he had marked—none escaped meeting their end.

Sniffing the blood on his hand, Ouyang Ke smiled with satisfaction, the previous gloom swept away.

He glanced around—everything seemed normal—but he remained cautious. He lifted one corpse and hurled it toward the lake.

At the same instant, Ouyang Ke darted away, concealing himself in another direction as quickly as possible.

With a heavy thud, the corpse landed near the water’s edge.

Moments later, certain nothing was amiss, Ouyang Ke finally relaxed. He leapt to the lakeside, lifted the corpse, and slipped into the water.

He had barely entered the lake when Su Jian’s gaze followed, but Ouyang Ke’s form was already lost to the eye.

The water was at least dozens of yards deep, and visibility was poor. Holding his breath, Ouyang Ke descended. He practiced the Toad Arts, allowing him to hold his breath far longer than most. Without this, uncovering the secrets below would be nearly impossible.

—

Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have time to reach the hidden spot before drowning.

Ouyang Ke thought to himself, “Ordinary rivers are nothing compared to the depth of this little lake. There’s something unusual here.”

Soon, he detected a faint glow from the lakebed.

Ouyang Ke’s face lit up with delight. All he needed was to sneak quietly up to the bottom, take a look at Gao Zhengde’s scheme, and a part of the mission would be completed.

It was going even more smoothly than he’d imagined.

Before long, Ouyang Ke could make out the situation beneath the water—a roofless palace, built of green stone, appeared before his eyes. Whenever the lake water passed through the palace, it would automatically part, creating a scene of strange wonder.

For a moment, Ouyang Ke was stunned.

Quickly regaining his composure, he saw within the palace a young man in white, with long hair and a face passably handsome compared to his own, bound by iron chains, his eyes glowing red with a savage expression.

“Get out! A mere Qi Refining weakling like you dares meddle here?” a sinister, chilling voice rang out.

Ouyang Ke’s pupils contracted sharply; his face changed dramatically as, without a backward glance, he exerted every ounce of strength to swim upward.

He sensed a ripple surge below his feet. It did him no harm—in fact, it seemed to propel him upward.

[Player Ouyang Ke has braved death numerous times and made certain progress in this mission.]

[Would you like to view the player’s progress from their final perspective?]

Su Jian immediately chose to view it, and before his eyes appeared the final scene Ouyang Ke had witnessed.

If his memory served, the chained youth in the palace was none other than Gao Zhengde’s son, whom he had once briefly encountered.

It was a pity that the strange creature hiding in the lake never revealed itself until the end.

Still, no matter what, Ouyang Ke had not disappointed him; despite some setbacks, he had finally uncovered the secrets of the lakebed.

Meanwhile, Ouyang Ke had already escaped the water. His only thought was to flee!

Even after leaving the City Lord’s Mansion in safety, his heart pounded wildly, and recalling the events beneath the lake still left him shaken.

Had he not reacted promptly, he would surely have lost his life!

Thinking back, the wave that propelled his escape was clearly the aftermath of an attack launched by the chained man.