Chapter 34: The First Step of the Plan

"Lin Dage!"

Su Haoming walked over with a face full of joy.

But after getting closer, he suddenly paused his steps, looking at Lin Yu with hesitation: "Strange... Lin Dage, how come I can't perceive your breathing or heartbeat at all?"

"Because a corpse naturally has no breathing or heartbeat."

Lin Yu explained with a smile: "This is a shell I restored using healing magic. In essence, it is just a fresh corpse. My consciousness does not reside in this body either, but is hidden within the Sacred Scripture, controlling it indirectly through spiritual power."

As he spoke, he paused, then added with a smile: "Of course, it is very simple to make the cardiopulmonary system function; I am just too lazy to waste the energy to do so!"

Before the words had even faded, the heart in this body indeed began to beat again.

Su Haoming was full of amazement, then hurriedly said: "Lin Dage, since you already have a body, shouldn't we catch up?"

"That goes without saying!"

Lin Yu snapped his fingers with a smile.

In an instant, the two were shrouded in a ghostly light, and then they vanished from the spot.

……

……

"The Jin Wuwei are ordered to raid the Changan Red Tea!"

"Anyone found privately storing or selling it will be dealt with as a grave crime!"

On the dim main street of the Ghost Market, there was chaos everywhere.

After Lu Lingfeng arrived here with his trusted aides and the Changan constables, seeing people trading Changan Red Tea in the shadows, he immediately dropped his disguise and began arresting all involved personnel along the street.

Under the backing of the name "Jin Wuwei," the Changan constables instantly became arrogant.

They, who usually avoided the Ghost Market like the plague, now dared to scatter into the Ghost Market in groups of two or three, gripping their Tang Daos, fiercely apprehending the Ghost Market merchants selling Changan Red Tea.

"Move aside, move aside!"

"The Jin Wuwei are handling a case, all bystanders move aside!"

"You! Yes, you! Stand there and don't move!"

"If you dare move a step, don't blame the Tang Dao in this master's hand for being blind!"

The arrogant shouting came from both sides of the main street, making Su Wuming's mouth twitch. He couldn't help but glance sideways, stealing a look at the reaction of the genuine Jin Wuwei beside him.

Fortunately, Lu Lingfeng had no intention of blaming these constables. He just walked down the street expressionlessly, his sharp gaze searching the chaotic crowd like an arrow, trying to find any fish that had slipped through the net while taking advantage of the chaos.

Just then, two Changan constables pushed through the crowd, dragging a tea peddler with a terrified face before the two.

The two stopped, and the constables immediately bowed and said excitedly: "County Lieutenant Su, General Lu, this fellow is a tea peddler we just caught. He says he is willing to reveal the delivery location of the Changan Red Tea!"

……Oh?

Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng exchanged a glance.

The latter coughed twice, putting on the airs of an official, and said indifferently: "Speak, where is it?"

The tea peddler's eyes darted between the two, and he said cautiously: "If I tell you, will you let this little one go?"

"Hmm?"

Lu Lingfeng immediately frowned, scaring the tea peddler into shrinking his neck.

Su Wuming hurriedly blocked Lu Lingfeng, warning him: "Your words are redundant. This is a dignified Jin Wuwei Middle General. As long as your information is accurate and you atone for your crimes, it will absolutely be no problem!"

The two played good cop, bad cop, easily subduing the tea peddler.

He hesitated for a moment, then whispered: "It's at the place where Yin Shilong used to live. There is a hidden door there that connects to the complex secret passages beneath the Ghost Market. We used to trade in those passages."

Just as expected!

Su Wuming thought to himself.

Lu Lingfeng frowned, staring at him, and said slowly: "Do you know the consequences of deceiving this General?"

The tea peddler was so scared he immediately knelt, smiling bitterly: "Official, how would this little one dare to deceive you?"

"Let me tell you the truth. In the past, I certainly wouldn't have dared to speak of such information. But now, Yin Shilong has suffered divine punishment. We have been discussing it privately and feel it might be related to this red tea, so we are all very afraid!"

"To tell you the truth, this little one is now desperate to distance myself from this tea, so how could I deceive you?"

Lu Lingfeng's brow relaxed, and he turned his head to whisper: "It doesn't sound like a lie."

Su Wuming snorted coldly and said indifferently: "If so, why were you still selling Changan Red Tea today?"

The tea peddler was stunned at the words, then began to stammer.

Su Wuming curled his lips and said with a light laugh: "Speaking human words to humans and ghost words to ghosts is the basic skill of a Ghost Market merchant. If you can't even do that, how could you stand your ground in a place like this!"

"……"

Lu Lingfeng's expression turned somewhat ugly, and he waved his hand: "Tie him up!"

After the Changan constables dragged away the begging tea peddler, Su Wuming whispered: "Although most of his words are fake, his attitude when mentioning Yin Shilong definitely cannot be faked."

"Since yesterday, the prestige of Yin Shilong and the forces behind him has plummeted. These tea peddlers no longer fear them as they did before. The location he mentioned is indeed worth investigating."

"Then let's go take a look!" Lu Lingfeng nodded and waved his hand, "Leave some men to watch the suspects, the rest follow this General!"

"Yes!"

The constables moved one after another; one group stayed behind to guard the suspects, while the other followed Lu Lingfeng forward.

Before long, the group arrived at Yin Shilong's former residence.

But unlike yesterday, the mansion was pitch black at this time, with not a single candle for illumination.

On the stone steps in front of the mansion, many homeless people from the Ghost Market were still lying there. Seeing Lu Lingfeng, Su Wuming, and the others approaching with swords, these people were instantly terrified, hurriedly scrambling up from the stone steps and fleeing into the surrounding alleys.

Lu Lingfeng did not order anyone to pursue. He scanned the surroundings and whispered: "Beware of an ambush."

"Yes!"

The three Jin Wuwei and the group of constables drew their Tang Daos from their waists and walked slowly into the mansion.

Just as the leading Jin Wuwei stepped over the threshold, a sharp whistling sound came from the rafters.

"Clang!"

Lu Lingfeng slashed the arrow in two, glared at the rafters, and shouted: "Who?!"

A black shadow flashed on the rafters and rushed out through a window on the right side of the mansion.

"Pursue!"

Lu Lingfeng shouted, rushing out of the mansion first and charging toward the alley on the right.

The group held torches and followed. When they reached the end of the alley, they discovered it was a dead end.

"Where is the person?"

Jin Wuwei Xiao Wu looked at the wall in front of him, somewhat bewildered.

Lu Lingfeng scanned the area and quickly locked onto a raised brick on the ground.

He strode forward, pried up the floor tile, and sure enough, a pitch-black hole was revealed.

"It's a secret passage!"

The three Jin Wuwei looked at each other and turned to Lu Lingfeng.

"Middle General, should we go in?"

"……"

Lu Lingfeng frowned, pondered for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said: "Enter!"

"Wait!"

Su Wuming's physical strength was too poor, and he arrived late. Seeing Lu Lingfeng and the others about to enter the secret passage, he hurriedly stopped them, ran to their side panting, and whispered: "Middle General, don't you think this is all going too smoothly?"

"Of course I know that!"

Lu Lingfeng glanced at him and said: "But if you want me to watch him escape with my own eyes, forgive this General, I cannot do it!"

As he spoke, he scanned the group behind him and said loudly: "For capturing the tea peddler, this General will request rewards for you all. As for this tunnel, those of you with families, do not take this risk!"

Before the words had faded, Lu Lingfeng snatched a torch from a Changan constable and jumped into the secret passage with the three Jin Wuwei.

Seeing this, Su Wuming and the constables beside him couldn't help but look at each other.

Constable Old Jia hesitated: "County Lieutenant..."

"Sigh!"

Su Wuming let out a long sigh and looked at them: "No matter what, we must not be led by the nose by the enemy. Listen to my orders: groups of four, scatter, and look for other entrances to the secret passage."

"Remember, gather after you find one, do not act recklessly!"

The group bowed: "Yes!"

Soon, Su Wuming led the constables and scattered.

After the footsteps of the group gradually faded, two blurry figures quietly emerged.

"Glad we followed!"

Su Haoming couldn't help but exclaim: "This early-stage Lu Lingfeng is indeed reckless enough!"

Lin Yu beside him glanced at him and smiled slightly: "Have you decided how to make an entrance?"

"……Hmm?"

Su Haoming was slightly stunned.

Lin Yu chuckled: "You and I have followed in secret; you don't still intend to reveal your identity, do you?"

"Don't forget, you have already stepped onto the path of the extraordinary. How do you intend to explain this body of magic power and divine abilities?"

"And as for me, your accomplice, if you reveal your identity, you'll probably have to waste some brain cells inventing a reasonable background. Why bother with that!"

Su Haoming admitted he was convinced, so he humbly asked: "Lin Dage, tell me what to do, and I will do it!"

Lin Yu smiled: "Didn't I say it already? There's no need to risk your own identity. If you want to make a big move, then put on a mask, invent a random background, and let others fill in the blanks!"

(End of chapter)