Chapter 143: Just Creating Opportunities to Spend Time Together

The next morning.

The first rays of dawn glowed upon the window frames.

Li Rui emerged from the secret passage.

Yes, he had hidden in the passage all night.

The blood-colored mist lasted about fifteen minutes, then dissipated; out of caution, he waited until daylight was fully bright before stepping out.

"Who exactly was it?"

Li Rui frowned tightly.

Was it someone even Jiang Lin and Cao Wei dared not provoke?

Or was it targeting him specifically?

He fell into thought.

Then he sighed softly and pushed open the door.

"Old Li, you're finally out."

Yang Yong sighed in relief as Li Rui stepped out of the room.

Li Rui usually rose early to practice fist techniques.

Today, however, he had broken his routine.

After waking up, he and Wang Zhao found Li Rui hadn't left his room and grew deeply worried.

Li Rui said casually: "Old age makes sleep light. Last night, sparrows chirped all night—annoying as hell. So I slept in a bit."

Yang Yong and Wang Zhao exchanged glances:

"Sparrows?"

They clearly remembered last night being utterly silent—no sparrow sounds at all.

Yang Yong was speechless: "Old Li, are you dreaming? Last night there wasn't a single sound."

"Maybe I dreamed it."

Li Rui said lightly.

His brow twitched slightly.

Clearly, Yang Yong and Wang Zhao had sensed nothing of the danger last night.

"So… what exactly happened?"

Elsewhere.

In an ordinary, utterly unremarkable empty house in Qinghe New City.

Since its construction, the house had been bought by a merchant from afar, yet strangely remained vacant, unoccupied.

The neighbors had long grown accustomed to it.

In one room of the empty house.

"No wonder Jiangdong's Sword Immortal—he truly has some skill."

Qi Cheng removed his black robe, sneering.

Yes, this house was the doing of County Magistrate Zhuang Renhe.

He, a member of the Ghost Ming Sect, staying in the county office, risked exposure.

So Zhuang Renhe had bought this house under the guise of a foreign merchant.

Specifically for Qi Cheng's residence.

"I need to go again."

Last night, he infiltrated the Anning Guard Battalion, suppressing his aura to its limit—but barely escaped detection by Jiang Lin.

Had he not used his secret technique, he might have been trapped inside the Anning Guard.

"Dare to take something from the Ghost Ming Sect!"

Kill intent flared in Qi Cheng's eyes.

He had already narrowed down the range; he only needed to wait for the day Jiang Lin and Cao Wei left Anning Guard—then he would strike.

He could wait patiently. He had all the time in the world.

For over a year now.

He had secretly searched for the one who killed the Ghost Demon Zhang Hao.

That person was very likely also the true thief who took the Immortal Treasure.

To avenge his master and complete the Ghost Ming Sect's mission, Qi Cheng would never let this go.

"Bide your time."

Qi Cheng was no fool.

He would never dare openly storm the Anning Guard Battalion to kill.

"I don't believe Jiang Lin and Cao Wei never leave!"

"Elder?"

Han Qin was practicing in her courtyard when Li Rui came to her door.

As an eighth-rank martial artist,

he held no actual post in the Anning Guard—most young disciples of Huaqing Sect were like this; for them, serving in Anning Guard was merely for training. Only those with no hope of promotion sought official titles within the Anning Guard.

Though without rank, each had been assigned a separate house.

Li Rui: "Young Han, do you have time?"

Han Qin nodded without hesitation: "Yes, yes."

Not just time—he had nothing but wasted hours.

Martial artists couldn't train twenty-four hours a day—that would ruin them.

Three or four hours was usually enough.

But what about the rest of the time?

Previously, it was spent on missions to gather more resources. Now… it was boring.

Even if Li Rui hadn't come to him, he would have gone to find Li Rui.

He was simply too idle.

Li Rui: "Could you trouble Young Han to gather the others? We've received orders for a patrol outside the city."

"Got it!"

Han Qin's eyes lit up.

Only on missions could he earn military merit—and exchange it for resources within the Anning Guard.

He wasn't like those other rich second-generation kids—do nothing, and he'd starve.

Only half an hour passed.

Han Qin arrived with three men and two women before Li Rui.

Reunited.

Compared to their first meeting, they had clearly improved; though they didn't respect Li Rui, they no longer rejected him.

Li Rui smiled faintly: "All of you, we've received orders from the General to patrol Qinghe City. Let's go immediately."

He said no more.

Turned and walked toward the camp's exit.

Only Han Qin and Jiang Yan followed at first.

The other four Huaqing disciples exchanged glances, then silently trailed behind.

Li Rui walked at the front, a faint smile on his lips.

First step of taming:

Achieved.

As for the General's order—

Cao Wei had indeed ordered patrols of Qinghe and surrounding sects, but that was a month ago. Li Rui only mentioned it now—not out of diligence.

Merely an excuse to get close to Jiang Yan.

He gazed at the mist in his mind.

"As expected!"

The mist had shifted from red to nearly pure white.

Good news: the expert who infiltrated Anning Guard last night was no match for Jiang Lin.

Bad news: it was almost certainly targeting Li Rui.

Li Rui pondered.

"Could it be Mingguang Sect?"

Of late, the only group he'd angered—and capable of breaking into Anning Guard—was Mingguang Sect.

=9+book_bar

But Mingguang Sect wasn't insane—why would they raid a military camp?

"Forget it."

Li Rui glanced casually at Jiang Yan, walking beside the group.

"Create more opportunities to be together."

Seeking protection directly from Jiang Lin was impossible—so he'd take the indirect route: staying near Jiang Yan was just as safe.

Li Rui had his hands behind his back.

He led them all from the eastern city gate to the western, then from the southern to the northern.

They paused here for a rest, sipped tea there.

For these few, such work was hardly tiring—but what a waste of time!

Qin Hua, the male disciple of Huaqing Sect, was the first to lose patience:

"Master Li, what are you playing at? Are you mocking us?"

The other three nodded vigorously.

We've been wandering the city all day—what does this have to do with monitoring the Jianghu?

Han Qin slightly furrowed her brow.

He hadn't expected his junior brothers and sisters to have such short tempers—they couldn't even wait.

He was about to counsel them, but hesitated.

In truth, he didn't understand Li Rui's purpose in doing this.

Li Rui smiled faintly as he walked: "You can't even endure this?"

Qin Hua snorted: "We're here to bring peace to the Jianghu, not to entertain an old man."

"Bring peace to the Jianghu?"

Li Rui stopped, turned to face Qin Hua and the others:

"Then let me ask you—what did you see today?"

Qin Hua was stunned for a moment, then replied: "We just walked around the city—what else could we see?"

Li Rui shook his head.

He looked as if these youths were beyond teaching:

"Jiang Elder was right to send you to me."

"Sit down. Let this old man explain it to you."

Li Rui sat himself on a large stone by the roadside.

Though puzzled, Qin Hua and the others gathered around—though there were plenty of other stones, they all chose to stand.

Li Rui didn't urge them to sit.

He continued: "Today, I led you past the outposts of three sects, seven gates, and eleven families in Qinghe County. As Night Scouts tasked with gathering intelligence, you didn't notice even this basic information?"

"Do you expect intelligence to deliver itself to your door?"

"Or do you truly think we're here for a stroll?"

Those who've been spies know gathering intelligence is nothing as dramatic as novels claim—it's all hidden in ordinary things.

Sneaking alone into enemy strongholds, unlocking treasure vaults—

All fairy tales for children.

Hearing this, Qin Hua and the others flushed red, yet had no reply.

They'd only been walking, never observing or paying attention to these clues.

Han Qin and Jiang Yan's eyes lit up.

Li Rui went on: "The guards at Mingguang Sect's gate doubled from ten to twenty—someone important is coming, or something major is afoot. More attention needed."

"The Zhao family had over thirty people entering and leaving within an hour—mostly servants. Likely hosting a guest."

"Jiuyi Gate hung red lanterns—Deputy Gate Master Xie took another concubine. Probably surnamed Gao."

"."

Li Rui spoke fluently.

He left the Huaqing disciples stunned.

Especially Qin Hua—he'd followed Li Rui all day, feeling only irritation, never imagining that this ordinary walk had revealed so many subtle details, all memorized.

Remarkable!

Qin Hua's arrogance visibly diminished.

"But—but what use are these trivial, dusty old details?"

Li Rui remained unperturbed:

"The head of Jiuyi Gate was once a major underworld boss. Their operations in Qinghe have always been dirty. We could cultivate the Gao family, then use them to gather intelligence."

"A pillow talk—most effective."

Han Qin drew a sharp breath.

Though Li Rui spoke casually, this required not only meticulous thought, but deep knowledge of every sect's inner workings.

To reach Li Rui's level, one must have labored intensely behind the scenes.

Try it yourself—recite eight hundred names in one breath.

Few could manage it.

Yet Li Rui remembered the conditions of every sect within the Anning Guard's jurisdiction—not superficially, but thoroughly.

"Your humble disciple has learned!"

Han Qin bowed deeply to Li Rui.

Li Rui helped her up, smiling at the others: "Just old experience. Listen if you wish; if not, it's fine."

Ever since he'd shown this skill,

Qin Hua and the others grew quiet and obedient.

Moreover, Jiang Yan secretly studied him far more often.

"Too bad the mission is already complete."

Li Rui noticed all of it.

He could do this because he often read miscellaneous books, had sharp insight, and an excellent memory—so he knew many odd facts others overlooked.

Like a STEM student in his past life who loved discussing quantum mechanics with humanities majors.

With an information gap,

isn't that just a dimension-level strike?

(End of Chapter)