Chapter 334: line with translation of chapter title

340. Chapter 340: Scheming

Letting Hu Songqi off was not a sudden whim.

Some people have personalities that are both cowardly and stubborn, destined not to stay docile; they always stir up something.

Hu Songqi is exactly such a person; he will surely, after confirming Lin Ke is not in the provincial capital, be unwilling to be so exploited and secretly stir up trouble.

What Lin Ke wants is for Hu Songqi to stir up trouble, so he can find more clues about ancient witchcraft and evil witchcraft.

As for Hu Suqi's side, Lin Ke actually did not fully believe her one-sided account.

Although he felt somewhat sorry to his senior martial brother, Lin Ke still used some means on him, guiding him to go confess to Hu Suqi.

Whether Hu Suqi accepts or not, it is a form of restraint.

Whether it will work remains to be seen later; there's no rush to draw a conclusion.

In fact, the one who entered the Lotus Heart Pavilion was also a clone.

Lin Ke's true body has at this moment changed its appearance, even altering his own aura and the frequency of his spiritual power fluctuations.

Believe that even Li Shuwen of the Cave Void Realm, face to face, could not recognize Lin Ke.

On a passenger ship sailing downstream toward Tianshui Commandery.

Lin Ke bought a first-class cabin ticket and stayed alone in a suite with a master bedroom, guest room, servant's room, and two washrooms.

The suite had a window, through which the river view could be seen and daylight let in.

Sitting at the desk by the window, listening to the sound of the rushing river, Lin Ke flipped through the materials he had scavenged from Hu Songqi.

He had gains, but the quality was not comparable to the large volume he had obtained from Hu Suqi.

Lin Ke did not bother to investigate the reasons; after putting away the ancient books, bamboo slips, and secret manuals, he focused on studying the map of the Dead Person Valley secret realm.

After visiting Tianshui Commandery and seeing his single mother whom he hadn't seen in ten years, he would turn back, return to the provincial capital, and see how the situation stood then.

The Dead Person Valley covers a large area.

According to the scale on the map, Lin Ke roughly estimated that to explore it thoroughly after entering would take at least ten days to half a month.

"Let's discuss it at length."

Muttering to himself, Lin Ke put away the Dead Person Valley map and lifted his gaze to the river scenery outside the window for a while.

After slightly relaxing his mind, Lin Ke threw himself into perfecting the Construct system.

Inspiration came, and it could not be stopped.

Lin Ke had decided that after returning to the provincial capital, he would begin experiments implanting Constructs into human immortal martial artists.

As for the design work of individual Construct pieces and sets, it can start now, with later adjustments based on feedback.

The river flows east, with boats vying to glide.

Provincial capital.

Lin Ke had already left, and the influence he left behind was only beginning to ferment.

In the villa.

Hu Suqi looked at Shi Ganding, who knelt on one knee before her, one hand holding flowers, the other holding up a ring, her feelings complex.

She actually felt somewhat uncertain whether this was Shi Ganding's true heart or more influenced by sorcery.

Given Hu Suqi's expertise in ancient witchcraft, she could naturally see that Lin Ke had not deliberately concealed the traces of his sorcery.

But sorcery is not omnipotent, especially sorcery that alters cognition.

Shi Ganding is also no ordinary person, but an early-stage Return to One Realm immortal martial artist powerhouse.

To alter Shi Ganding's cognition, with Hu Suqi's mastery of ancient witchcraft, perhaps years of continuous application and accumulation would be needed to succeed.

Thus, Hu Suqi is actually not unsure; she simply dares not admit it.

As long as she does not acknowledge that Shi Ganding's confession comes from sincerity and rejects it, she need not interrogate her own heart.

She opened her mouth, the words of refusal rising to her throat, but in the sight of Shi Ganding's earnest gaze and his increasingly tumultuous heartbeat, she swallowed them back.

"Your eighth martial brother is so annoying!"

After a long silence, just as Shi Ganding thought this confession would meet rejection, Hu Suqi spoke softly, her voice full of resentment.

"Ah? Eighth martial brother? Annoying?"

Shi Ganding was greatly surprised and very doubtful.

"What kind of nonsense is this? I'm confessing to you, why is it suddenly dragging in my eighth martial brother?"

Hu Suqi did not keep Shi Ganding guessing long; she immediately revealed the answer: "Your eighth martial brother, Lin Shaoxia, outwardly believed my words, but in fact turned around and guided you to test me, to watch me—do you find that annoying?"

"Has the eighth martial brother approached you? When?"

Hearing this, Shi Ganding seized the point and quickly asked.

Moreover, when was it that the eighth martial brother guided me to test and tail me?

Seeing Shi Ganding's clueless expression, Hu Suqi had to admit that his confession was indeed sincere.

"Alas!"

She sighed and said, "Just last night, not long after you left."

Then she shifted the conversation, asking, "Have you considered what you would face if I accepted your pursuit? What would the Eight Extremes Martial Hall face?"

That question instantly shifted Shi Ganding's attention.

Hu Suqi's words indicated a loosening, showing willingness to accept his confession.

"What better news could there be?"

"None!"

However, what Hu Suqi said was also very worthy of attention.

After all, her status is that she is the second daughter of a provincial governor and a socialite with extensive connections in high society.

Shi Gandang, meanwhile, is a senior disciple of the Baji Martial Arts Hall, whose influence is growing ever stronger.

While the Eight Extremes Martial Hall is unknown to ordinary people, those whose status, position, power, and wealth have reached a certain level naturally understand that its founder was Li Shuwen, who once dominated the southern martial world for a generation.

With their statuses, being together is not just a matter between two people.

Regardless of the actual circumstances, to outsiders it appears as a strong-strong alliance between Military Governor Hu and the Eight Extremes Martial Hall/Li Shuwen.

Even if it doesn't cause an earthquake, it will at least create a huge commotion.

It could even cause many people and forces to panic.

After all, Military Governor Hu and the Eight Extremes Martial Hall/Li Shuwen could have many rivals.

Had Shi Gandidang considered these before coming?

Of course he had.

During those two or more hours of his hesitation, he was both making up his mind and weighing the pros and cons.

But he still came in the end, and still confessed.

This shows that Shi Gandidang has thought it through very clearly, understands what he is about to do, and what impact it will have if he succeeds.

"I know what the consequences will be, but I don't think we will be unable to bear this risk."

Shi Gandidang spoke with a firm tone, saying decisively, "I have made my decision; my master will certainly not oppose. If you are willing to accept, even if there is pressure from Military Governor Hu's side, we can overcome it together."

"Hah..."

Hu Suqi let out a light laugh, "Pressure? What pressure? Who could give me pressure?"

"So, you've agreed?"

Shi Gandidang may be slow in matters of the heart, but he is not truly dense; he can read between the lines.

"Just watch your performance."

Hu Suqi tossed off a remark, took the flower and small box from Shi Gandidang's hand, turned, and walked into the room.

As for the ring inside the small box, she of course put it on right away.

Seeing Shi Gandidang smile until his eyes narrowed into slits, the thirty-something-year-old looked like a child.

Lotus Heart Pavilion.

Hu Songqi cleaned up the mess, but had no intention of changing rooms.

She sat at the dressing table, her expression gloomy, her mood extremely unsettled. Not long ago, she had, according to Lin Ke's second condition, resigned from the position of Witch Master of the Witch Charm Organization.

Even if Lin Ke was not supervising nearby, Hu Songqi would not dare to be perfunctory or delay.

In a big forest, all kinds of birds exist.

As the founder, Hu Suqi could abandon the Witch Charm Organization, so the successor, Hu Songqi, certainly lacks no internal opponents.

"The Witch Charm Organization quickly elected a third Witch Master, and under the new Witch Master's prompting, carried out a very thorough severance with Hu Songqi."

Lotus Heart Pavilion had already been completely abandoned by the Witch Charm Organization.

Fortunately, Hu Songqi indeed holds the property rights to Lotus Heart Pavilion, so while she did not lose her status and power, she did lose her industry and wealth.

"Valley of the Dead!"

But Hu Songqi is truly unwilling to accept this.

Especially Lin Ke's offhand threat, in which he pinched her heart without her noticing, causing it to miss a beat.

This shows that if Lin Ke really wanted to kill her, she would already be as dead as the corpses that had been cleared away, beyond any hope of revival.

This made Hu Songqi fearful, and also gave her a different idea.

She could be replaced!

As long as she can safely enter the Valley of the Dead and find in it that secret manual copied from the source of the legendary evil witchcraft...

Hu Songqi took a deep breath, stopped wandering thoughts, swept all items from the dressing table, spread out white paper, and began to draw from memory a map of the Valley of the Dead.

Besides, there are many more sheets of white paper like this.

Paper, brush, and ink are all old items of some age.

After special processing, the drawn map of the Valley of the Dead can become an old map.

Hu Songqi's plan goes without saying.

Since it's impossible to realize the plan of refining a Void Cavern Realm martial artist into a puppet, she will instead muddy the waters and spread the map of the Valley of the Dead.

Thus, many people who see only profit and actively ignore danger will go on expeditions.

As long as the Valley of the Dead has enough appeal!

"Longevity! Immortality! Which elder in a high position could resist such temptation?"

Hu Songqi recalled a secret history recorded in official annals, and couldn't help but chuckle.

It is said that in the Valley of the Dead there is a peach tree that bears fruit once every thousand years.

If one can eat a single peach from that tree, one's lifespan can be extended by three hundred years.

Eating three peaches allows one to live a thousand years.

In history, there really was a person who lived a full four hundred years.

It is said that this person, a peak Void Cavern Realm martial artist who was only one opportunity away from the fifth realm, 'See God,' of the immortal martial dao legend, once managed to escape the Valley of the Dead unharmed by sheer luck.

Whether this peak Void Cavern Realm martial artist ate the peach and lived four hundred years, and whether that is related to the peach, is unknown.

No one can give a definitive answer.

However, the historical records clearly state the cause of death of this peak Void Cavern Realm martial artist.

He died besieged by six Void Cavern Realm martial artists whose lifespans were limited, not from natural exhaustion!

If not for this incident, could that person have lived a thousand years?

Hu Songqi wrote this secret on the back of the paper where the map had been drawn, and thoughtfully provided a bibliography.

Anyway, it's a fact; I'm not afraid of people checking.

"Ha ha ha..."

After finishing all this, Hu Songqi laughed a little maniacally.

She did this indeed to stir up the waters, increasing her chances of finding the evil witchcraft secret manual in Dead Person Valley.

She also had the intention of disrupting Lin Ke's layout.

"You didn't want to enter Dead Person Valley? Now let's see what you do!"

Two days later.

Lin Ke's ship arrived at the destination of this trip, the city of Heavenly Water Commandery.

Before disembarking, Lin Ke saw many people dressed as martial artists gathered on the dock, thick as a crowd, surging toward the ship.

"What's going on?"

Among the passengers also preparing to disembark, someone immediately spoke up to ask.

"Crazy! Everyone's crazy!"

Upon discovering the dock was blocked, making it hard for passengers to disembark smoothly, the anxious captain contacted the dock personnel to inquire about the situation.

After learning the situation, the captain immediately rushed onto the deck and shouted loudly.

"What crazy? Who's crazy?"

Immediately, a curious passenger loudly asked.

"Dead Person Valley! Dead Person Valley! Dead Person Valley! Cough cough cough..."

The captain shouted three times in a row, choking on his words, still unable to explain clearly.

The passengers eager for gossip were so anxious they almost wanted to strangle the captain.

Upon hearing the three words "Dead Person Valley," Lin Ke's thoughts shifted, and he thought of a possibility.

In the information Hu Songqi gave him, it was recorded that Dead Person Valley was noted as a particularly special place.

"Kind of interesting."

Muttering to himself, Lin Ke moved his mind, and without anyone on the deck noticing, he silently flashed onto the dock.

From the hand of a typical mechanically styled martial artist, he silently took a low-quality photocopy, Lin Ke walked and looked, confirming his guess.

Indeed, it was Hu Songqi, unwilling to stay suppressed, causing trouble.

Moreover, what she was doing was even beyond Lin Ke's expectations.

Unexpectedly, it wasn't targeting Hu Suqi, nor the Eight Extremes Martial Hall, nor the Witchcraft Organization, but was aimed at him.

Using Longevity Peaches to attract the attention of the whole world, stirring up the waters.

One must admit, the effect of this move is indeed quite good.

"Let's wait and see."

Waving his hand, he returned the photocopy to the bewildered mechanically styled martial artist's hand; Lin Ke smoothly walked out of the crowded dock and headed toward the Heavenly Water Commandery City.

Leaving behind a copied map that had mysteriously disappeared and then mysteriously reappeared, to the young martial artist who was frightened out of his wits.

"Mom!"

The young martial artist let out a strange cry, as if his hand had been burned, he flung the copied map away at lightning speed, struggling to push through the crowd toward outside the dock.

This world is really terrifying!

He hadn't even reached Dead Person Valley yet, and already encountered such a thing.

If he really entered Dead Person Valley, wouldn't he not even know how he'd die?

Lin Ke, who saved a life without much concern, had by now arrived at the pre-booked hotel at a seemingly normal but actually extremely fast speed.

This hotel is the tallest building in Heavenly Water Commandery City, on the 22nd floor.

Lin Ke's booked room could see far away the vast manor of the Jiang Clan in Heavenly Water Commandery.

Of course, the distance between them is great, over two thousand meters.

But with Lin Ke's vision enhanced by his secret technique, he could completely breach the Jiang Clan manor's defenses and glimpse some movements inside.

Standing by the window, gazing at the Jiang Clan manor, Lin Ke couldn't help but recall that innocent, naive single mother.

It's been ten years since we last met; how have you been lately?