Chapter 351: Stir the Grass to Startle the Snake

The "Fraud Ghost" had a habit of muttering to itself incessantly.

Especially when it was alone.

It spoke in "ghost speech," which to ordinary people sounded like a long string of strange noises, making their body hairs instinctively prickle.

But they understood none of its meaning.

Yet all Runshan men could understand it.

This Fraud Ghost had been muttering to itself at length, and that was how Gao Guanzi had overheard it.

Xu Yuan asked Gao Guanzi: "How does it communicate with the Ghost Willow?"

Gao Guanzi shook his head: "I didn't hear anything. This thing may be a chatterbox, but it's also extremely cunning—everything related to the Ghost Willow, it only mutters inwardly, never speaks aloud."

Xu Yuan rubbed his chin and let out a cold snort: If you won't speak up voluntarily, then I'll force you to reveal yourself.

Xu Yuan whispered his plan to the two Runshan men.

Then he left alone, circled around, put on the Mud Mask, and stealthily approached the grove where the Fraud Ghost lurked.

Xu my lord chose an ideal position—he had scouted it long ago—where he could clearly see the Fraud Ghost, while remaining unseen himself.

When Gao Guanzi and Bai Laoyan estimated the time was right, they began their performance.

Gao Guanzi pulled out the spiderweb.

It had been secretly given to him by Xu my lord just now.

Bai Laoyan spread his feathered cloak like an owl and darted back and forth with blazing speed.

No matter how agile or swift he was, one flick of Gao Guanzi’s hand sent the spiderweb flying—and caught Bai Laoyan every time.

Like a helpless butterfly, no matter how it flew, it could not escape the butterfly net.

The two Runshan men performed with great vigor.

After two or three rounds, Bai Laoyan inwardly groaned.

He was no longer pretending.

He was now truly fleeing with all his might.

But Deng Linyue’s spiderweb was his natural enemy—no matter how he ran, he was instantly smothered.

"Excellent artifact!" Bai Laoyan panted, unable to suppress a silent admiration.

Gao Guanzi had noticed this too.

Aside from those peculiar ears, Gao Guanzi and Bai Laoyan were evenly matched in combat skill.

In fact, Bai Laoyan had a slight edge in speed.

If Bai Laoyan couldn’t escape, neither could Gao Guanzi.

Deng Linyue offered no resistance—he died in Xu my lord’s hands.

Yet Deng Linyue’s artifact was irresistible to both of them…

Bai Laoyan, breathless from exhaustion, finally waved his hand: "Enough."

If I go on, my old back won’t hold up.

Thinking back, when I first met Xu my lord, he had to disguise himself as a merchant to sneak into my village for refuge…

Bai Laoyan sighed deeply.

Gao Guanzi continued the act, holding the spiderweb high and laughing boisterously, his voice booming like thunder: "Wonderful artifact! With this in hand, catching the Ghost Willow is nine out of ten!"

The lines had been rehearsed—Bai Laoyan followed: "Exactly! If it dares show up, it won’t escape our grasp!"

The two Runshan men skillfully chose an upwind position to deliver these lines.

The Fraud Ghost downwind heard every word clearly.

The earlier "martial performance" had been seen just as clearly.

Their skill, of course, paled next to "Xiao Lou Fang," but for them, it was their utmost effort.

Then they both slipped into the newly built shelter.

"Will this plan of the my lord work?" Gao Guanzi asked.

Bai Laoyan didn’t answer—he was unsure himself.

…

In Xu Yuan’s plan, this "Stir the Grass to Startle the Snake" tactic could yield only a few outcomes:

The ideal scenario: the Fraud Ghost, startled, rushes to inform the Ghost Willow—Xu Yuan follows the Fraud Ghost and successfully locates the Ghost Willow.

Once he sees it, the Ghost Willow won’t escape.

"Wang Ming" locks onto it, while the Pi Dan and Jin Dan move together—the effect surpasses the spiderweb.

The worst outcome: the Fraud Ghost and the Ghost Willow share a communication method like a "folded note."

The Fraud Ghost need not meet the Ghost Willow—it can relay everything directly.

The Ghost Willow will never return here again.

What difference does that make from now?

Another possibility: the Fraud Ghost and the Ghost Willow have no means of communication, and the Fraud Ghost doesn’t even know where the Ghost Willow is.

It merely waits here—when the Ghost Willow arrives, it first meets the Fraud Ghost, who warns it: Danger—run!

The Ghost Willow flees immediately.

But as long as the Ghost Willow appears, Xu Yuan will recognize it—it still won’t escape.

So after the two Runshan men revealed the spiderweb, Xu Yuan fixed his gaze unblinkingly on the Fraud Ghost.

If it showed any unusual movement, it might be transmitting a message to the Ghost Willow.

But the Fraud Ghost remained utterly still for a long time!

Its usual muttering had vanished.

This thing was terrified.

After a long while, it began whispering uncontrollably.

The voice was rapid and shrill, venting its panic.

On the nearest trees, twisted tree knots began to form.

Already infected—it was about to warp.

Xu Yuan couldn’t understand its ghost speech, but he felt its panic clearly.

The spiderweb could catch the Ghost Willow—and it would catch this thing just as easily.

After muttering for a while, the Fraud Ghost suddenly fell silent.

It seemed to have made a decision.

After a while longer, it quietly pulled its roots from the ground.

It tightened its branches and leaves, striving to make no sound.

It left the grove—and even carefully filled in the hole it had left behind.

It covered it with fallen leaves.

Xu Yuan, watching nearby, was stunned.

In this age, he’d seen plenty of sneaky things—but a giant tree acting sneaky? It was absurd…

The Fraud Ghost tiptoed away.

Several li away, it slipped into a mountain ravine, completely out of sight of the two Runshan men—then it relaxed, collapsing onto the ground.

The muttering ghost speech resumed, unceasingly.

It sounded like complaints.

After that, it grew much more relaxed, crossed two ridges, and slipped through a mountain stream.

Xu Yuan followed behind all the way.

Then suddenly, the Fraud Ghost vanished into a dense forest.

It plunged its roots into the soil, disguising itself as one among many trees.

Xu Yuan halted immediately, frowning inwardly: Had it spotted me?

But I’ve been extremely careful—no slip-ups at all…

Xu Yuan hesitated—should he charge out and force the Fraud Ghost to lead him to the Ghost Willow?

But after thinking it over, he decided to stay calm.

Moments later, he heard a sound coming from outside the forest.

Xu Yuan strained his ears—and his heart jolted: It was the man who had spoken with Qiu Ningtai!

"Qiu Ningtai carries the scent of the Ghost Willow," one of his subordinates declared with certainty: "It’s faint—perhaps prolonged contact, or indirect exposure."

"Hmph! That proves Qiu Ningtai is a hypocrite—he sneaked into Ghost Witch Mountain for the Ghost Willow too!"

"My lord, the Ghost Willow must be hiding nearby. But for some reason, its scent is disturbed—I can’t narrow the range further…"

The three men had reached the vicinity of the Fraud Ghost.

A branch of the Fraud Ghost lashed out horizontally at the three…

(End of Chapter)