Chapter 142 - Interlopers (Single Chapter) (Patreon)

A man who resembled the late Elder Blue Scale, the cultivator who controlled mud and had been the first elder killed by Lucian, sat alone in an empty tavern, drinking from a wine gourd.

“You were always a weakling, brother,” he muttered, unable to hide the sadness and pain in his eyes. Every time the liquid touched his lips, he recalled his deceased brother.

Amidst his lamentations, a woman rushed in. She was cloaked in black robes, keeping her features hidden. After she approached his table, she tossed a wooden box on it, sliding it to the drunkard.

“It's done,” she said, taking the chair beside him. “And I received confirmation. As soon as Third moved, the Shadow reeled her nest and baited the other powers. The big shots are meeting, and that bastard will be alone, just as the Scribers predicted.”

With a sneer that bared his teeth, the man smashed the wine gourd onto the table.

“So freaking predictable!”

Standing in a single motion, he was about to leave the tavern when the woman grabbed his wrist.

“We need to wait for the twin brothers,” she said, glaring at him, her eyes barely visible beneath her hood. “We need protectors, as that man excels in close combat. Besides, the Earth Wind Meridian Dust won't take effect so quickly. Control yourself!”

Gritting his teeth, he sat back down, picked up the wine gourd again, and took another swig, his eyes filled with killing intent.

Seeing his restless state, the woman sighed and patted his shoulder.

“Don't worry. We're prepared. You have a pseudo-Foundation Establishment artifact and won't be affected by the Dust. If anything, I should be the one worried about Qi deviation.”

Despite her attempt to lighten the mood, the man remained silent and continued drinking. When she noticed it, she groaned, sat back, and used her Qi to inscribe talismans before storing them inside her pockets.

After a few minutes waiting in silence, a breeze drifted through the entrance of the darkened tavern, causing the front door to creak slightly and prompting both cultivators to instinctively adjust their stances.

After looking toward the doorway and finding nothing, they relaxed once more.

Only to jump to their feet at the sight of a woman sitting atop the table.

With tattooed arms, short hair, a muscular build, and a cold gaze, she nodded at them and said, “I'm Venomous Shadow. You should have heard of me.”

The two exchanged glances before sitting back down, their expressions growing serious as they nodded and opened their mouth to speak.

Before either of them could introduce themselves, however, Mei Huo shook her head.

“Avoid sharing personal information. We know too little about his investigative techniques.”

Frowning, the man clicked his tongue while the woman silently nodded. They could only remain silent and wait for instructions.

“He took the first bait, which surprised us,” Mei Huo said, crossing her arms. “The Shadow and the Second have already negotiated with the Merchant's Guard. Be careful. He seems very confident that you won't be able to deal with your target.”

The man smirked, giving Mei Huo a mocking look. “Fellow Daoist, even the heavens told us how to kill that man. Who does Grandmaster—I mean, the Merchant's Guard think he is?”

“Someone who survived a Grand Elder from one of the Nine Sects,” Mei Huo replied, staring at him coldly. “Do not underestimate anyone. Use every advantage you have, or you will end up dead before proving your usefulness.”

After speaking, she frowned and handed him a jade slip.

Raising an eyebrow, the man accepted it but didn't open it, waiting for an explanation.

“We told all of you to stay hidden and keep yourselves covered,” Mei Huo said, shaking her head. “Don't say his name. Don't approach the Broken Maze before the signal. The rules exist for a reason. His techniques are truly bizarre. You should respect the rules from now on.”

Shuddering as she recalled Lucian's ability to manipulate mortals and how he had killed Elder Black Scale while the latter flooded the streets with Purple Qi, Mei Huo felt that even she and Madame Ching were still underestimating Lucian!

The robed woman nodded in agreement, knowing that the less understood a cultivator's techniques were, the more dangerous that cultivator became. Her male companion, however, dismissed most of the warning, fully trusting the predictions of the Falling Stars Palace.

Mei Huo noticed the confidence overflowing from him and spoke once more.

“There's a pill inside that jade slip to change your appearance. Take it before entering the district, or the mission will be canceled.”

Grunting in acknowledgment, the man tucked the jade slip away. Then, seeing they had no more questions, and knowing that speaking too much could itself become dangerous, Mei Huo nodded and stood.

“Very well. I wish you good fortune in your task.”

After a grunt, her body dissolved into a shadow, merging with the darkness around the room. Neither of the two cultivators noticed that she had blended into their own shadows instead of leaving the tavern, however.

Nonetheless, because they couldn't detect her through Qi perception or any investigative technique, they waited a minute before resuming their conversation.

“She is more dangerous than I was told,” the woman said with a sigh.

“Don't be fooled. She's a weak coward,” the man sneered, taking another drink of his wine. “Someone who focuses on investigative and movement techniques can never rise beyond this realm.”

“I disagree,” the robed woman hummed, shaking her head. “First of all, her compound stealth technique is a defensive one. She merged a defensive technique with a movement technique, creating—”

“It’s an inheritance,” he interrupted. “I doubt that brute of a woman created shit.”

Sighing, she continued, “Please, don't be a fool. It's her technique, no matter where it came from. Besides, mind your tongue. She could be listening...”

After she spoke, both of them narrowed their eyes and scrutinized their surroundings, searching for shifting shadows. They even swept the area using investigative techniques for minutes, but didn't find anything. No trace of Qi at all.

Which also meant they couldn't detect the lingering Qi of her technique, and confirmed the woman's suspicion that Mei Huo could indeed still be there.

Because of that, they remained silent and motionless, waiting for more people to arrive. After a few minutes had passed, two robed cultivators entered the tavern, catching their attention. Both wore strange masks that covered their faces and protected their noses.

Twice the size of a normal person, they were packed with muscle and shared similar builds and facial features.

Approaching the muscled men, the woman picked up the remaining mask from one of their hands and put it on.

“Time to move,” she said, pointing at the box being carried by the unmasked man, the one who had been with her from the beginning. “I'll take charge of this operation. Remember to follow the plan. After we enter, open my medium. And keep the masks.”

They all nodded, leaving the tavern, their eyes turning cold as they concealed their presence with Qi techniques. The drunkard was the only one who used no mask, and he was ready to take the pill that was given to him.

Meanwhile, hidden within their shadows, Mei Huo muttered to herself, “You'd better at least make that man reveal his Foundation Establishment-level strength, or this will all have been for nothing.”