Chapter 446: Young Lu Ke

Rainy Day.

The sky was overcast, and rain poured down relentlessly outside the camp tents. The area enclosed by the barricades was vast, but there were only a few tents, and inside them, it was eerily empty. It was clearly meant to be an important military base-like setup, yet there wasn't a single guard in sight. It seemed as if no guards were needed at all.

Footsteps pounded in the distance as a figure in red clothing dashed through the rain. It was a young man. "Has Lu Ke arrived?"

Inside the main tent, one of the two figures present, Lan Ling, sat at a wooden table. She was a woman in red robes, her head bowed as she carefully studied the massive array disk on the table. "Yes," Xin replied, turning his gaze away from the window. He looked at the array disk as well. This thing took up most of the table's surface and stood half a person's height, with a thirty-six-layer nested structure. Xin felt dizzy just glancing at it. He couldn't fathom how these spirit array masters managed to study it without going bald.

"Any progress?" Xin asked, rubbing his bald head. "About the same," Lan Ling said, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead and furrowing her brows as she looked up. She had a exquisitely made-up face, with a delicate nose and arched eyebrows, her skin as fair as snow. The only drawback was that, even with rouge around her eyes, the dark circles underneath weren't fully concealed. "It really does come at a cost..." Xin thought to himself, feeling a bit consoled.

Lan Ling took a sip of water to moisten her throat before asking, "Has Shou Ye and the others returned yet?" "They should be back soon," Xin replied. "We've got over a dozen prefectures around Bai Ku to cover, with hundreds of cities in total. Spreading the message across them all in just a few days takes a lot of effort." "By the way..." Xin paused mid-sentence. As Lan Ling's gaze turned to him, he continued, "We're offering the Linglong Stone and the stowaways as bait... it's so obvious. Will anyone really take the hook? Are they all that foolish?" "The other-dimensional space is under our control—nothing, not even a mosquito, can get in."

Lan Ling chuckled at that, standing up and straightening her posture. Her red robe outlined her figure perfectly—though it was quite ordinary, neither particularly curvaceous nor slim. Xin remained expressionless, like an ancient monk, waiting patiently until she finished adjusting herself before she responded. "Isn't obvious bait a good thing? If the plan were flawless, the strategists from those major clans and forces might figure out a thing or two. But because it's so blatant, everyone can see the temptation. People dig deeper when there are flaws, right? But what if the direction they're digging is wrong?"

She smoothed her red robe and added, "Everyone's time and energy are limited. By the time they realize their mistake, it'll be too late to turn back. And if they don't notice anything at all, once they think they've analyzed it thoroughly, that's when they'll fall into the trap. Don't you think?" Lan Ling stepped to the window and reached out, her fair hand touching the drizzling raindrops outside. "I get it," Xin said, his eyes wandering in confusion. "It's a strategy." "Mm."

Lan Ling stared at the distant running figure and asked, "How many layers can you see?" "Ha, now that's impressive," Xin said with a smug smile. "With your explanation, I can see the third layer. The first is the bait, the second is our setup, and the third..." He chuckled lowly, "I know you brainy types always have another layer—even if someone figures it out, the final result they get is still wrong." Raising an eyebrow as if seeking approval, Xin added, "Am I right?" "Spot on," Lan Ling nodded with a smile. From the start, she had no intention of fully explaining it to this simple-minded, brawny guy. Deceiving him—or rather, brushing him off—was enough. She could explain it all, but he'd just end up more confused. Seeing this layer was honestly pretty good. After all, not regressing was the best kind of progress.

"For now, let's set aside those major clans and forces. How many ghost beast hosts have we tracked down in the past few days?" Lan Ling asked. Xin straightened up, pulling a pile of jade slips from his ring and placing them on the windowsill with a clatter. "Quite a few—seventeen suspects, and we're still watching them." He picked up one of the jade slips at random. "Want to see the details?" Lan Ling shook her head. "What about your intuition?"

In Hong Yi, everyone had specific roles. She handled the overall planning, while the combat stuff was left to others. Xin was a special case. He could identify potential ghost beast hosts using Hong Yi's standard methods, but only those in the know understood that his true strength was his intuition—like a natural nemesis. This guy could spot a ghost beast host just by gut feeling, even without verification. It was an absurd, cheat-like ability that shouldn't exist in a rigorous organization like Hong Yi. Yet, countless battles had proven how terrifying his intuition was. His accuracy with visual identification alone was up to sixty percent. "Sixty percent..." Lan Ling always found that frightening. Ghost beast hosts were such dreadful entities. Even with Hong Yi's methods, they only hit near sixty percent during the first searches in other-dimensional spaces. In the human world, where these hosts had learned to hide, the accuracy dropped to just seven or eight percent—barely over single digits, let alone sixty.

"As for my intuition..." Xin hesitated, then set aside the other jade slips, leaving only four. "Four ghost beasts?" Lan Ling's pupils contracted. That number was more than she'd expected—not too few, but way too many. After all, their operations usually targeted just one. Xin nodded. "Yes, this time, things might get serious. That thing in Bai Ku got away last time despite our assault, so you can imagine how powerful it is. Xu Yue Hui Gong absolutely won't let a strong one like that slip away. I can even bet they'll send someone to make contact. And with Bai Ku opening again as its home space, that sealed entity is bound to return. Maybe before the opening, those two sides will sense each other and start communicating."

Lan Ling fell silent for a moment. She'd anticipated this, so it wasn't a surprise, but that didn't make it any less troublesome. If these ghost beast hosts formed an alliance before Bai Ku opened, Hong Yi's mission would get even harder. However... Lan Ling's lips curved into a smile. Their goal this time wasn't just simple ghost beast hunting. "Ba Gong?" she said abruptly. Xin showed shock in his eyes. "As expected of you, Lan Ling. You're so sharp! I hadn't even said..." "The key point," Lan Ling said, tapping the windowsill. "Oh, right." Xin quickly grew serious. "Most of these guys have appeared in Ba Gong before, but there's no sign of contact yet. I've been keeping an eye on them. Don't worry—if there's any sudden interaction, then..."

Lan Ling cut him off. "Then don't act rashly." "Huh?" Xin was baffled. "Why?" "Strategy." Lan Ling's simple reply made Xin understand. "Got it. So, we stick to the original plan and let them all into Bai Ku, no matter what?" "Yes." Lan Ling paused for a long time before adding, "Including the trainees from those major clans and forces, as well as the stowaways." Xin frowned. He'd always thought the last two were unnecessary. But... "Strategy?" "Strategy." "Fine..." He reluctantly picked up one of the jade slips, waved his hand, and a light screen appeared in the air. It showed a woman in a white skirt, her face unclear, but she was holding a small bronze furnace in her right hand, which was very noticeable. "A Zhi Xu object." Lan Ling's gaze quickly fixed on the bronze furnace. "Right," Xin said. "Theoretically, she shouldn't be so obvious, but..."

"Remember her aura, watch for disguises, and any sudden changes in her signature moves—don't get fooled." Lan Ling said firmly. Xin looked enlightened. "Oh, yeah, that's possible. No problem, I get it." He patted his chest in assurance. "Your subordinates get it," Lan Ling added with a gentle smile. Xin's face darkened. True, his job was to charge into battle once a ghost beast host was confirmed. The identification and judgment were handled by others. "Come on, give me some credit..." "Next one," Lan Ling said, not lingering. Instead of moving on, Xin pointed at the light screen. "I suspect she's the one we fought before." Lan Ling's tapping on the windowsill froze. It was as if she could see again the long battle that followed, with Hong Yi members collapsing everywhere, turned into helpless weaklings by the sealing power. That seal had been terrifyingly strong. Without the rules of the small world, they might not have escaped alive. Even so, the number of Hong Yi casualties had been staggering. "Are you sure?" Lan Ling's voice even trembled a bit. "Not sure," Xin shook his head. "She's been too obvious every time—always using sealing power. I keep wondering if it's her." Lan Ling lowered her eyelids, deep in thought. "Keep a close eye on her." "My subordinates get it," Xin nodded. He set down that jade slip and picked up the remaining three. "Besides that one, these three look really suspicious—probably not simple." With a wave, three light screens appeared, each showing a man. "Nothing special..." Lan Ling murmured. At first glance, she couldn't spot anything unusual. "Yeah, they're really nothing special," Xin said, glancing her up and down. "I can handle watching these three. You might need to pay extra attention to the suspected sealing one." "And..." He hesitated, his hand hovering over the fifth jade slip. "A fifth one?" Lan Ling's heart tightened. This was turning into too many. "Not sure," Xin said hesitantly. "I can't see anything about her—it's purely my intuition. But if she is a ghost beast, she's definitely one specially trained by Xu Yue Hui Gong. She's hidden way too well..." "Stop dragging it out." Lan Ling interrupted, waving her hand to bring up the light screen herself. If it wasn't for intuition, she wouldn't even bother looking. At first sight, Lan Ling's eyes widened. The screen showed a woman in gray robes with an extremely voluptuous figure. That loose gray robe, if worn by Lan Ling, could probably hide another person up front. But on this woman, it was stretched tight, creating visible lines. "This..." Lan Ling stared for a while before declaring, "She has to be a ghost beast!" Xin: "..." He knew this woman's appearance might upset Lan Ling, but surely not this much? "That's going too far—Hong Yi can't act on impulse." "A woman's intuition!" "Yours isn't reliable." "But mine is!" Xin: "..." He quietly dismissed the light screen. "I'll keep an eye on her." "Watch her closely!" Lan Ling said reluctantly. "Xin ye, Lan Ling jie!" A whoosh came from the windowsill as the red-clad figure sprinting through the rain burst through the window with a shout. Rainwater sprayed everywhere, soaking the ground and even splashing onto the thirty-six-layer nested spirit array. Lan Ling wrinkled her nose. "Can't you be more careful?" "Heh heh." The young man, Lu Ke, smiled apologetically, but it only lasted a moment before he retorted, "I don't have spirit energy like you two, so I can't fly and keep the rain off." "Can't you use a sword to fly?" Xin smacked him on the head. "Ouch." Lu Ke winced and shrank back. "Flying with a sword? Isn't that cold? I'm not doing it!" The two: "..." What a ridiculous excuse. But he really didn't have spirit energy, so there was no rebuttal. "Your existence is an insult to Wu Yue Jian Xian's face," Xin said, rolling his eyes. "Well, my master still likes me. He said he might come to see me when Bai Ku opens." "Come?" Lan Ling and Xin were both startled. "Your master's coming?" "Uh..." Lu Ke was taken aback by their reaction. "I'm not totally sure—he just said it was possible." "Why?" Xin slapped his forehead. "It's just Bai Ku—why would Wu Yue Jian Xian bother?" "Maybe because of the 'Four Swords'?" Lu Ke guessed. "After all, he fought the Eight Zuns back in the day, and if he could get the Four Swords, it'd be a great addition." Lan Ling and Xin exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. This was probably the only junior in the Eastern Domain bold enough to call the Eighth Sword Immortal by name. Such disrespect—even they wouldn't dare. But then, he had the right. "It's probably not just about the Four Swords," Lan Ling said, pacing back and forth. "If your master is coming, the Bai Yi he leads will definitely make a move. But what could it be? Something that needs Wu Yue Jian Xian himself?" Xin suddenly had a flash of insight. "Sheng Nu?" Lan Ling stopped in her tracks and slowly turned back, surprise in her eyes. "When did your head start working?" She clapped her hands. "Exactly, Sheng Nu has been causing big trouble at Tian Sang Ling Gong lately. From what the dean submitted to Sheng Shen Dian Tang, it seems Dao Zhan has even appeared. That old nurturing policy might really have backfired. But just Dao Zhan alone shouldn't warrant this!" Lu Ke felt uneasy and crouched down. "I only said it was possible—it's not certain. Don't jump to conclusions." He was afraid they'd roast him if his master didn't show. "Or maybe it's not just about Sheng Nu's recent mess," Xin said, not gloating over the praise but continuing, "This is Bai Ku, after all—that's where Wu Xiu · Chi Jiao Hand was cultivated. If I remember right, Wu Yue Jian Xian's only failure was destroying a Sheng Nu base in the Central Domain. Their second-in-command got away. And wasn't Shou Ye under Wu Yue Jian Xian back then?" Lu Ke was stunned. Shou Ye, his senior, had been under his own master? "Interesting, interesting..." Lan Ling was engrossed, but then she reacted. "You're acting weird today—how'd you get so smart?" "Heh heh, I'm not stupid; you two are just too smart." Xin grinned. "You're acting off." Lan Ling narrowed her eyes and suddenly said, "Three seven two six four five one!" "Uh." Xin's smile froze. Seriously? He thought, I'm really not stupid! "Four four eight six six nine six," he replied helplessly. "Pfft!" Lu Ke burst out laughing on the side. Getting suspected of being a ghost beast host just for being smart? Xin ye was still too dumb, huh? His laugh hadn't faded when Xin glared at him fiercely and slapped his shoulder, making him grit his teeth in pain. "Three three two two one one one!" Lu Ke: "..." "What did I do wrong that I have to go through this?" "You just got back from outside." Xin stared angrily. "One one two two three three nine." Lu Ke felt deflated. Reciting the "Life Mantra" always made him feel ashamed, even though Sheng Shen Dian Tang's current lord, Dao Qiong Cang, had sealed it with the strongest Tian Ji technique, making it uncrackable even by a Semi-Sage. But the content... "Why couldn't Uncle Dao make this 'Life Mantra' something more majestic? Why numbers?" "As long as it works, right?" Xin snorted, seeing Lu Ke wasn't possessed, and added, "What do you want?" Lan Ling opened her mouth slightly. "You didn't run all the way here just to complain, did you?" As soon as she asked, Lu Ke's previously cheerful face turned serious. The tent fell silent, with only the rain pattering outside growing louder. Lan Ling's eyes sharpened. Had this kid discovered something? "Why are you letting those innocent people into Bai Ku?" Lu Ke finally spoke. As expected. Lan Ling understood immediately. Lu Ke wasn't like Xin—this guy's insight was exceptional, or Wu Yue Jian Xian wouldn't have taken him as a disciple. But... "Your level isn't high enough; you don't have the right to know." "Jie, I saw it!" Lu Ke said righteously. "What's under that Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array? "You don't have the right to know." "Da Long Ming Blood Altar—that's a Tian Ji, a Tian Ji!" Lu Ke sneered. "Did you really think I wouldn't know? I saw it at Uncle Dao's place when I was a kid. But how can you use it in Bai Ku? It's not meant for people!" Lan Ling's eyes darkened. So he'd recognized it from childhood. "You don't have the right to know." Her response remained cold. "I..." Lu Ke was at a loss for words. Xin was confused by their conversation. "What's this Da Long Ming Blood Altar, this Tian Ji?" As he spoke, Lan Ling stopped him. "Xin, see him out." "I'm not leaving!" Lu Ke raged. "Those people are innocent—they can't die. The blood on Hong Yi should only come from ghost beasts!" Xin's motion to escort him halted. He wasn't dumb. Lu Ke's concern was what he'd asked about earlier, and Lan Ling's answer had been "strategy." So, was the strategy this? "Extreme measures?" Xin slumped his shoulders slightly, feeling drained. Was it time for extreme measures again? Well, yeah—it was. That sealed ghost beast, that Gray Fog figure—they couldn't take them down with just Hong Yi's forces or sheer numbers. In the background, Lu Ke kept shouting, but Lan Ling stayed silent. Xin glanced back at the window. The sky was still dark, the rain unending. Even the air felt slightly cold. Sometimes, he wondered if Hong Yi was truly just. The thought had first hit him after his first extreme operation. But seeing the ordinary people slaughtered by ghost beasts, his pity only pushed him to do more. "In the end, it's all about not being strong enough," he thought. "If I could one-shot ghost beasts, if I could... would we need extreme measures?" In his mind, he recalled the aftermath of that operation—the captain's severed head, still spurting blood, with words he'd never forget: "Justice always comes at a price." Yes. Xin clenched his fist and straightened his shoulders. Without some sacrifices, how could there be real peace? "Xin ye!" Lu Ke's shout snapped him out of it. "Say something! You taught me—the blood on Hong Yi should only come from ghost beasts!" "Xin." Lan Ling said just one word. Xin looked at the flushed, impassioned young man and saw his younger self. Once, he had such firm beliefs too. But after that extreme operation, everything shattered. Then... his faith grew even stronger. "Lu Ke, it's time for you to leave." Xin grabbed the young man and headed for the tent's entrance. Lu Ke froze. He could see that Xin ye understood now. But why wasn't he stopping it? "Xin ye!" Xin threw Lu Ke onto the ground, where the rain immediately soaked him again. "You're wrong!" "You're wrong..." Lu Ke's anger turned from roars to weak murmurs, his head shaking incessantly. Xin closed his eyes, letting the rain wash over him, as if it could cleanse all sins. "Go," he finally waved, offering a rare explanation: "You're still young. You don't understand."