Chapter 35: 34 Dharma Artifact: Disappearance

34 Dharma Artifact: Disappearance

Tang Zhao asked in surprise, "Me?"

Peng Yiming said, "Exactly. It's like this. That old man is the Tower Master of Taohua Tower. The Town Guardian has always suspected he has ties to a mysterious Sword Guest. So we set a trap to lure him out and make him believe..."

A woman dressed as a maidservant beside them coughed.

Peng Yiming also realized he had said too much; there was no need to tell others about the specific operations. He said, "Anyway, he currently has a detection item on him. It's related to the Sword Guest. You go and find it."

Only then did Tang Zhao realize his talent was needed. He said, "Does the Land Inspection Division not have anyone else with talent? At least..."

At least who was it?

Tang Zhao felt a brief blankness appear in his mind, and his words stalled halfway.

Peng Yiming said, "We've tried several times, but we couldn't see it. Among all of us, you have the highest Spirit Talent. That's why we called you to try."

How was he supposed to find it? From so far away, should he use his eyes?

He looked at the old man carefully. Because the distance was too great and his eyesight was poor, even the man's facial features were clear one moment and blurry the next; he couldn't see anything else.

He wanted to tell the truth, but after all, this was his first time out in half a month, and returning empty-handed would be quite disappointing. So, he put on his Glasses in the least conspicuous way possible.

He wondered if it could display at this distance...

As soon as he put on the Glasses, four large characters flashed on the single lens:

"Mysterious Sword Technique!"

What?!

Tang Zhao was stunned, finding it hard to believe:

Did I get hit?

Who did it?

He couldn't help but touch his body; there was no bleeding or pain. Where had the sword struck?

Could he have misunderstood? Did this not mean a warning? Or was it not present tense, but future tense—that a "Sword Technique" would attack him in the future?

He had been frozen for too long, and later he began looking around. Peng Yiming said, "You won't see anything looking like that. He must have put it inside his clothes. Go in and get closer to take a look."

Tang Zhao said, "I go in? Disguised? Like you gentlemen?"

He had just seen several of them change into servant clothes. Was it really to dress as servants serving wine and food to make things easier?

But wouldn't he be a bit too small, looking rather conspicuous? And he hadn't received any training; wouldn't his behavior give him away?

Peng Yiming said, "Disguise is necessary, but just in case. We have a way to walk in openly, which is..."

At this point, he stopped.

A very eerie feeling arose in Tang Zhao's heart. The atmosphere tonight was very strange, including himself; it was as if his brain was jammed, twitching.

Following Peng Yiming's logic, he tentatively asked, "Invisibility?"

"Not invisibility."

Someone said from behind.

Like a blocked stream suddenly released, Tang Zhao suddenly felt the blankness in his mind filled. He turned around abruptly and said, "Teacher Si!"

Si Liyu stood behind him, his expression as cold and sharp as a sword edge, as always.

More and more thoughts connected. Tang Zhao fully reacted and said, "Teacher Si, where were you just now? I think I... forgot you!"

Forgetting Si Liyu was not just forgetting his name or his face, but forgetting that this person existed at all. He had even forgotten that a certain teacher had been teaching him sword moves, as if that memory had been dug out from the root.

At the time, forgetting had only felt a little discordant, but now that he remembered again, it felt extremely absurd.

How could memories be pulled out at will and easily put back in?

At the same time, the four characters "Mysterious Sword Technique" on the Glasses disappeared.

Was that a sword technique just now?

Similar to the "Art" of an Art Tool.

Peng Yiming and the others from the Land Inspection Division breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions becoming much more natural.

Peng Yiming said, "How is it? Any findings?"

Si Liyu said, "None. I did discover another suspicious person, though. You brought Tang Zhao here? Then give it to him." As he spoke, he opened a box he was holding.

Inside the box lay a transparent Sword. It was only three feet long, completely colorless from hilt to blade, looking like glass yet lacking the luster of glass. It was faint and flickering, requiring very careful observation to see clearly.

Tang Zhao was very surprised and reached out to take it.

Peng Yiming hurriedly said, "Wait..."

By the time he said the first word, Tang Zhao had already picked up the sword.

There was no second word.

Peng Yiming's expression was momentarily confused, then he turned to look at Si Liyu quite naturally and said, "Where is the suspicious person you mentioned?"

The sword was very light, but it was indeed a physical object. It felt very comfortable in his hand. Tang Zhao had thought such a transparent sword would feel very cold to the touch, but it actually felt like the temperature of wood, yet as smooth as a pebble.

The moment he touched the Sword, there was already a display on the lens.

"Dharma Artifact: First Layer"

"Dharma Artifact? This isn't an Art Tool anymore?"

"And what is First Layer?"

The Glasses displayed things that hadn't been there before, making it even harder to understand. In Tang Zhao's understanding, Art Tools sounded inferior to Dharma Artifacts. And this strange, transparent sword, neither stone nor iron, also had more appeal than his Wooden Sword Art Artifact.

He focused his attention on "First Layer" again.

Sure enough, First Layer expanded with annotations:

"First Layer Sword Technique: Disappearance. Attached Sword Arts: Drifting Away, Sole Awakening, Forced Concealment, Lightness (Talisman)"

Seeing the two characters for Disappearance, Tang Zhao shivered and turned his head abruptly.

The atmosphere in the room was peaceful; not a single person was looking at him. Peng Yiming and Si Liyu were huddled in front of that crack, just as they had been with Tang Zhao a moment ago.

"You mean him..." Peng Yiming said thoughtfully, "He is indeed a bit suspicious. Carrying Reporting Fireworks is one thing, but he even brought Thunderbolt Bombs. He must be intending to cause Chaos. In a while, have Thousand-Household Mai bring them over for inspection. The main thing is to look at that Tower Master. Did you really not discover any suspicious points?"

Si Liyu pondered and said: "Suspicious points?... He is very weak."

Glancing at Peng Yiming, he explained briefly: "As the Tower Master of Taohua Tower, he is too weak."

Peng Yiming frowned and said: "He hasn't practiced any Mysterious Technique; even if he was a Knight-Errant expert back in the day, he has reached the age of being old and frail now. It seems we still need to find someone else..."

Tang Zhao came before them and said: "Two lords, I say..."

No one paid him any mind, even though his voice was not soft.

Peng Yiming said: "I remember there is a child in the Grape Courtyard, what was his name again..."

Si Liyu pondered and said: "Wei Zhangle?"

Peng Yiming said: "Right, call him over and try. Are you familiar with him?"

Si Liyu shook his head.

Tang Zhao placed his hand in front of the two, without attracting any attention at all.

Fine, unseen, unheard, and furthermore... unremembered.

Is this what "Disappearance" is?

It is truly magical. It does not refer to his figure disappearing, but rather that he as a person has disappeared from the world.

He is now certain that a Dharma Artifact is higher-grade than an Art Tool, but he did not feel any amplification of power; could it be that a Dharma Artifact does not have this function?

Although this state of being ignored by others is quite interesting, seeing that Si Liyu was already about to go find Wei Zhangle, he hurriedly tossed the sword in his hand, throwing it back into the box that Wei Zhangle was still holding.

"Tang Zhao?!"

Everyone suddenly noticed Tang Zhao, and then realized what had happened.

This scene of appearing after a Disappearance has occurred more than once, and everyone has already gotten used to it; no one was surprised. Peng Yiming seamlessly continued: "It seems you have already mastered it without a teacher and know the use of this sword. As long as you hold it, the effect is always there; you don't need to be deliberately sneaky. Just enter the room openly, get close to his side, and use your Inspiration to find the things on his body."

Tang Zhao nodded. Having this Dharma Artifact is indeed convenient; he doesn't even need to be careful about his footsteps, but: "If I hit someone, will he notice?"

Peng Yiming said: "It is said he won't, at least not from a light touch. But there is a limit, and where that limit lies has not been tested yet—this was newly bestowed by the Town Guardian, and we only just received it; we haven't had time to understand it deeply before rushing here to carry out the mission. So it is better to be conservative. Try your best not to move him; if you really must, you can touch his sleeve."

Si Liyu said: "If even you cannot do it, no one here can conduct secret reconnaissance. We will have to change to intercepting him halfway and stripping his clothes clean to search him, in which case we won't need this sword."

Peng Yiming laughed: "Try your best not to take that step; the Town Guardian will scold us for being useless."

Si Liyu said: "But he won't scold you, no need to care. Just do your best."