Chapter 377: The Old Bastard Isn

During Gao Guanzi’s healing, Xu Yuan closed his eyes and guided Pipelong back from the underground river beneath the lake.

Xu Yuan knew Qidou Village was dangerous.

The only place in Ghost Witch Mountain that didn’t bow to Ruan Tianye.

How afraid of death is Master Xu—so Pipelong wasn’t even lowered into the water by Xu Yuan himself.

He summoned the Ghost Infant leader and forced him to search the surroundings for underground rivers.

They finally found one—a waterway leading underground to Qidou Village’s small lake.

Xu Yuan sent Pipelong through this underground river.

Gao Guanzi delayed a bit precisely because Master Xu’s Pipelong hadn’t yet taken position.

Last time they spent the night in the Divine Mother’s Shrine, Gao Guanzi and Bai Lao had discussed this lake in Qidou Village, thinking it formed from rainwater.

But rainwater alone couldn’t sustain a lake for decades.

Since no surface river flowed into the lake, only an underground river remained.

And it couldn’t be large, or the lake’s surface wouldn’t appear so still.

The Ghost Infant leader was afraid too—even underground, he dared not approach Qidou Village.

Isn’t that all because Master Xu forced him?

If the Ghost Infant leader couldn’t find a waterway underground, Xu Yuan would force the Corpse Sparrow to carry Pipelong over from above.

The underground river was narrow; Xu Yuan slowly guided Pipelong back.

Gao Guanzi woke up.

“A journey past the Gates of Hell,” Gao Guanzi murmured to himself.

Then he shook his head and opened his ears wide.

His face twisted in pain.

Because a blow to his forehead damaged certain special organs inside his skull, his uncanny hearing had been impaired.

But Gao Guanzi was wise enough not to beg for sympathy from Master Xu again.

After all, Master Xu had already paid him “blood money.”

Now he was alive, and only his hearing was damaged—this was already a great gain.

Xu Yuan saw he wasn’t seriously hurt and said, “Let’s go. Back to the treehouse.”

…

About half an hour after Rongrong was snatched away by that mysterious presence, the Crown Princess far away at the Zhancheng Canal dock suddenly felt a sharp pain in her eyes and burst into tears.

Her heart jolted; she immediately shut her eyes.

Scenes flashed before her.

All were things Rongrong had seen in life.

But influenced by that mysterious presence, some parts were missing, others fragmented.

Yet the entire “chain of evidence” could now be pieced together.

The Crown Princess approved of Rongrong’s mission.

By nature cold and detached, she was satisfied—so she decided not to delay or withhold the compensation for Rongrong’s family this time; she would issue it immediately upon returning.

“Ruan Tianye’s permits—hah, useless after all,” the Crown Princess sneered inwardly, yet felt a twinge of relief:

Fortunately, Xiao Si had just set out and hadn’t yet met up with Rongrong.

Otherwise, he’d have been lost too.

The Crown Princess paused, then ordered, “Go fetch Uncle Seventeen.”

The maid Ruirui bowed and left.

Soon after, a plump old man was brought in.

Facing Uncle Seventeen, the Crown Princess couldn’t just issue a command and expect obedience.

She detailed every clue Rongrong had uncovered.

Finally she said, “I intend to go to Ghost Witch Mountain myself and capture this thief who dares to practice the Dragon Transformation Art.”

Xu Yuan’s entire setup—the fabricated thief—was in fact a bait for the Crown Princess!

Fu Chongjiu wanted to devour Fu Shuanghui.

The Crown Princess had been stuck at her current level for years—how could she not crave “devouring that person”?

These past years, the Crown Princess had suffered immensely—this suffering wasn’t merely physical pain or the torment of a cultivation bottleneck.

For a woman of breathtaking beauty, being unable to show her true face was a cruel torment.

Even Song Lu complained constantly during “no heavy makeup” periods.

How much worse for the Crown Princess, forced to wear this monstrous visage every day?

Upon hearing her words, Uncle Seventeen immediately understood her true intent.

He asked, “If that man hides in the lake, what plan does Your Highness have to force him out?”

The Crown Princess frowned.

She understood—Uncle Seventeen’s words carried two layers of meaning.

The first, naturally, was the surface meaning.

Without a proper plan, even going to Ghost Witch Mountain would leave her powerless.

The second… was a reminder: how could such a dangerous lake support cultivation?

This might be a trick.

The Crown Princess praised, “Uncle Seventeen, steady and thorough in thought.”

Then she smiled suddenly: “To force that man out of the lake is easy. Didn’t you forget Gao Wanli is a new artisan? Have her come along and craft self-moving devices to dive in and drive him out.”

Uncle Seventeen nodded.

“As for how he can cultivate in the lake…” the Crown Princess shook her head, “I can’t guess. If this is a trick, Uncle Seventeen, help me think—who might be behind these schemes?”

Uncle Seventeen carefully reviewed the entire sequence of events since the Crown Princess arrived in Zhancheng.

“Why not send someone secretly to the Purification Office? See if Xu Yuan has even been there during this time?”

The Crown Princess’s gaze darkened.

If this was truly a trap, Xu Yuan in Zhancheng was the prime suspect.

But as Uncle Seventeen suspected,

Xu Yuan would surely need to personally go to Ghost Witch Mountain to direct this scheme.

But… the Seven Sects have many methods to completely alter a person’s appearance.

“Send someone to test him?”

Uncle Seventeen nodded: “Exactly. He can easily hire someone to impersonate him, but finding another fifth-rank alchemist to impersonate him? Nearly impossible.”

The Crown Princess nodded: “Good. I’ll arrange it.”

Uncle Seventeen bowed: “If Your Highness decides to go to Ghost Witch Mountain, I will gladly accompany you.”

Then Uncle Seventeen rose to take his leave; the Crown Princess stood and paced the room in thought.

Now there was a problem: insufficient personnel.

Xiao Wu was dead; Xiao Si was sent to Ghost Witch Mountain.

Aside from Uncle Seventeen, everyone around her was sixth-rank.

No one could test whether the Xu Yuan in the Purification Office was truly fifth-rank.

The Crown Princess calculated: she still had four sixth-ranks.

And if they were to test him… Xiao Wu had only recently assassinated Xu Yuan in public.

To do it again so soon would surely make the Purification Office explode in outrage.

It would be hard to clean up later.

Another way to confirm was to find someone who knew Xu Yuan well.

Have them secretly observe his every move.

Many methods can alter appearance, but personal habits are hard to mimic.

Even if one tries hard, small slips always appear.

To use this method, she’d need to bribe someone in the Purification Office who knew Xu Yuan well.

The Crown Princess thought and thought, then gritted her teeth and abandoned the second plan.

Though feasible, it was unreliable.

And it would take too long.

The man in Ghost Witch Mountain determined whether she could ascend to fourth-rank.

This matter was too vital to her.

Even if she angered the Purification Office beyond repair, she would not let this chance slip away!

Send all four sixth-ranks!

If he’s not fifth-rank, he’ll die for sure.

Though not perfectly secure, it was nearly certain.

The Crown Princess called Ruirui, gave orders, and said, “Go arrange it quickly.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

(End of Chapter)