Chapter 151: I, the little lord, really love this kind of scheming vibe

Guo Zhen is an accidentally obtained pawn; Liu Junyan had previously instructed to keep an eye on her, and she might be useful at a critical moment.

There will be danger, but I will definitely protect her life.

I need your help, Xiao Jiu. Liu Junyan grasped my hand, stared at me, and said.

This is the first time he has asked me to help him.

Before, he always said, "Xiao Jiu, don't be afraid, everything is with me."

This rare feeling of being needed inexplicably moved me somewhat.

I asked: "What do you need me to do? Just tell me, I'll do my utmost."

Li Qingying nodded straightaway, and Hui Moqiong also said: "Seventh Lord, go ahead with your plan; let's try to take them down in one fell swoop!"

No, we are outnumbered and outgunned; facing two extreme grand formations, it's hard to retreat unscathed. Liu Junyan said, "Right now, I don't aim to take them down in one move, but to 'strike the mountain to shock the tiger' and 'lure the snake out of its hole'."

We three all fell silent, waiting for Liu Junyan's deployment.

This afternoon many people came to the town, most of them drawn by the heavenly auspicious sign. Liu Junyan continued, "This phenomenon has existed for many years on Ox Tiger Mountain; laypeople come for the spectacle, while insiders likely long ago saw through the trick, arriving like clockwork each year—not for my Golden Scale, but for the leaking Dragon Qi."

So we don't need to act ourselves; we just need to figure out the formation's situation, then make a few tweaks so that outsiders see a hint of a flaw, and they will swarm in like hyenas swooping on prey.

Strike the mountain to shock the tiger—the tiger being the bogus ascetic monk hiding in the temple.

Lure the snake out of its hole—the snake being the ulterior‑motived outsiders gathered in this town.

"Hey," Hui Moqiong chuckled, "Seventh Lord, you're trying to kill with a borrowed knife, right? I love this sort of scheming—let's play them to death."

Liu Junyan said: "I just need them to fight; as for whether we can break the formation, or which one, I don't care—the more chaotic, the easier for us to act. Besides retrieving that Golden Scale, my ultimate goal is also the Dragon Qi suppressed under the Lock Dragon Formation."

This plan sounds simple, but executing it is fraught with danger; one must apply a clever lift, hoist heavily, set down gently, then withdraw swiftly.

Easier said than done.

Xiao Jiu, Liu Junyan first looked at me and said, "I need you to do three things for me."

First, help me make a paper effigy, preferably imitating Guo Zhen's physique to create a human‑sized paper figure.

Second, help me contact your senior sister, so she can assist in manipulating the paper figure.

Third, I need to use that pair of Buddha Eyes.

I readily agreed to the first two, but hesitated a bit on the last.

I had originally intended to give that pair of Buddha Eyes to my senior sister; they are exceedingly rare.

"Just borrowing the Buddha Eyes, I won't lose them," Liu Junyan, seeing my concern, said. "After this is over, I can conveniently pass them on to your senior sister."

I nodded and asked, "Then what do you need the Buddha Eyes for?"

Liu Junyan explained: "The fake ascetic monk in the temple is a Buddhist practitioner; he doesn't really want to marry Guo Zhen or consummate with her. He took interest in Guo Zhen because the Guo family has long offered Buddhist heads and made ceramic Buddha statues, showing the Guo family's affinity with Buddhism, their fate bearing some Buddhist nature—especially Guo Zhen. If we gave Guo Zhen a pair of Buddha Eyes, what do you think that fake monk would do?"

"His drool would probably stretch three li," Hui Moqiong joked.

Now I fully understand: you want to link Guo Zhen with the paper figure, embed the Buddha Eyes in it, and have my senior sister manipulate the paper figure to break the formation?

Liu Junyan praised: "Exactly."

Once the formation shows a gap, Ox Tiger Mountain and the whole town will descend into chaos. Hui Moqiong added, "Then it'll be my time to fish in troubled waters and show off my skills."

Liu Junyan nodded: "Your main task is to rescue Guo Zhen."

After our discussion, we each went our separate ways.

Li Qingying went back to fetch the Buddha Eyes, then went to the Guo household to watch Guo Zhen.

Hui Moqiong then directed his people, constantly monitoring the movements on Ox Tiger Mountain.

I first contacted my senior sister Yu Nian, explained the situation; she promised to rush to the town right away. The next morning I went out to browse the streets, preparing to buy paper‑craft supplies and start making the paper figure.

I went early, because a human‑sized paper figure is not easy to make, requiring many materials that might not all be found in a single funeral shop.

Just as I came out of the first funeral shop, far off I saw a familiar silhouette.

How could she also be here?!

I reflexively pulled back my foot stepping out of the funeral shop, then double‑checked.

Sure enough, it was Feng Li Ji.

She was still in her red‑black archery outfit, coming from the east, heading straight toward the prison, her goal clear.

Only after I could no longer see her back did I leave the funeral shop, my heart in turmoil.

Even Feng Li Ji has come; I'm not sure how many more acquaintances I'll run into in this town.

I quickly bought the supplies for the paper figure, grabbed breakfast, and returned to the cottage.

After breakfast, I made the paper figure while telling Liu Junyan about this.

Liu Junyan glanced at me and said nothing.

I then teased: "She must be after that Golden Scale, right? In other words, she's here for you?"

Liu Junyan calmly replied: "If she could actually get that Golden Scale on her own, it would save us a lot of trouble—after all, taking the Golden Scale from her would be easier, wouldn't it?"

Well, this person didn't take the bait.

Hui Moqiong, leaning back with legs crossed, laughed: "Ginger is still spicy when old, Xiao Jiu'er—you can't outwit him."

Liu Junyan gave him a sideways glance: "Even a bun couldn't stop your mouth!"

In the afternoon, when Li Qingying delivered the Buddha Eyes, Yu Nian also arrived.

Li Qingying was very careful, fearing the Buddha Eyes would spoil if removed from the fridge, so she placed them in a large thermal cup with an ice pack underneath.

I took Yu Nian's hand and placed it on the pair of Buddha Eyes: "Senior sister, once I find a healer who can help you cultivate Buddha Eyes, this pair will be yours."

Yu Nian's fingertips gingerly touched the Buddha Eyes, then immediately withdrew.

Her hollow eye sockets always faced forward; I could feel her whole body go tense.

After just that one touch, she refused to touch them again.

She shook her head: "No, Xiao Jiu, thank you for your kindness, but… I'm fine as I am."

I was utterly puzzled: wouldn't living without eyes be terribly inconvenient?

With such a good substitute, why not take it?

Senior sister felt her way to stand in the courtyard; her steps were a bit panicked, and she almost fell when stepping over the threshold.

When she stood in the courtyard facing Bull Tiger Mountain, I clearly saw her hand gripping the Thousand Soul Banner trembling.

She was struggling.

She wanted this pair of Buddha Eyes, yet she gave herself no chance at all—why?

Is she afraid of failing, that it would be all for nothing?

Or is it because of something else?

I inexplicably felt a bit guilty; originally I hadn't planned to bring it up with her until I was prepared.

I walked over, wanting to say something to comfort her.

But instead I heard her muttering: 'Exhausted Oddity! It really is Exhausted Oddity! Two of the four ancient ferocious beasts have already appeared—where are the other two…'