Chapter 69: Yin Teng's Plan

"So what exactly do you want to do?"

Langtou's eyes burned hot as he looked at the Black-robed Man and asked.

"Fine, it doesn't hurt to tell you!"

The Black-robed Man flashed a smug smile,

"My plan is to use a River God bone as the array's focal point and gold as the array's material; that way, extreme excess will reverse, turning extreme Yin into extreme Yang."

"Then we'll harness the Yin energy of the Jinghai Bowuguan, and the spirit-gathering array can be set up."

"When the time comes, the great array will siphon the life force of the city's populace and convert it into heavenly and earthly Qi."

Langtou, after hearing the Black-robed Man's explanation, finally understood the whole scheme.

A flash of shock crossed his eyes; he hadn't expected the Black-robed Man to be so insane.

But he quickly regained his composure.

After all, he is also a ruthless killer who doesn't blink at murder.

"So what should we do now?"

Langtou asked.

"Wait until the great array is completed!"

The Black-robed Man's tone was fiery, his eyes flickering with madness,

"When the great array is finished, the boss will naturally appear to draw this heavenly and earthly Qi!"

His already hoarse voice now sounded like a broken bellows, harsh and grating.

"When the time comes, as long as the boss can break through the Golden Core, as long as the boss can break through the Golden Core..."

He kept repeating the line, as if it were his only hope for survival.

"Then the boss can, within the Black Shadow, officially step into the upper echelons!"

A fanatical light glimmered in the Black-robed Man's eyes, reflecting both a thirst for power and a yearning for the future.

"For us underlings, as the water rises, the boat lifts—naturally there are many benefits."

He paused briefly, as if savoring that promising prospect.

"And I..."

The Black-robed Man's voice suddenly deepened, carrying a barely perceptible tremor.

"... can truly achieve the continuation of life."

The sentence seemed to exhaust all his strength, leaving him looking somewhat weak.

He slowly removed his hood, revealing a terrifying face.

That face had long ceased to be human.

Countless rounds of chemotherapy had stripped his hair, and his scalp was riddled with pitted scars, like rotted wood eaten by insects.

His eye sockets were sunken, cheekbones protruding, skin shriveled and clinging tightly to the bones, resembling a skull.

The sight sent chills down one's spine, as if glimpsing a demon from hell.

Wenshen Dahan Langtou stood nearby, his brows knit as he watched the Black-robed Man's in-between human-and-ghost appearance.

He thought the Black-robed Man had already gone mad.

For a vague, illusory hope, he had tormented himself into this state.

"I don't care about any of that."

Langtou spoke coldly, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"I only need my share of credit to be remembered."

Having said that, he turned and walked away, seeming unwilling to speak another word to the Black-robed Man.

To him, neither the Golden Core nor the Black Shadow High Official mattered compared to tangible profit.

As long as it could secure enough benefit for him, he didn't care what the Black-robed Man intended.

As for the Black-robed Man's life or death, it was even more irrelevant to him.

Unconsciously, the sky grew dim.

A sedan weaved through traffic like a ghost, silent.

Inside the car, Chen Ying gripped the steering wheel, fine beads of sweat beading on her forehead.

She had already circled the city several times,

"Mr. Jiang, should we keep circling? Have the Black Shadow already started moving at this moment?"

Chen Ying finally couldn't hold back, her voice tinged with anxiety.

She was on the brink of going mad from this endless looping.

In the back seat, Jiangnan closed his eyes to rest, as if indifferent to everything around him.

Hearing Chen Ying's question, he slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his mouth.

"The time is about right."

He said softly, his voice carrying a hint of mystery.

"Return to the Public Security Bureau."

Chen Ying froze, then slammed the brakes.

The tires screeched against the ground, emitting a harsh shriek.

"Return to the Public Security Bureau?"

She gasped, her face full of disbelief.

"We've been circling here so many times just to go back to the Public Security Bureau?"

Jiangnan gave no answer, just quietly watching the view outside.

The night‑shrouded Jinghai City, in his eyes, seemed to become a huge chessboard.

And he was the mastermind player.

Chen Ying saw Jiangnan remain silent, and grew more puzzled.

She, full of doubt, turned her head toward Jiangnan.

"Weren't we supposed to go to Jinghai No. 3 Middle School?"

Jiangnan's gaze was deep, fixed on the flowing light and shadow outside.

"The Black Shadow organization has many choices."

A faint smile curled at his mouth.

"I deliberately chose Jinghai No. 3 Middle School, letting them think I'm not proficient with formations."

"That way, they will inevitably pick Jinghai Bowuguan."

After hearing this, Chen Ying was still completely confused.

She knit her brows, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting.

"Then why not set up defenses at both Jinghai No. 3 Middle School and the Museum?"

Jiangnan let out a light laugh, his eyes turning to Chen Ying.

"When the encircling army is absent, the enemy's darkness is clear to me."

His voice was low and deep,

"To capture them all at once, you must let them think they have an opening."

Chen Ying stared at Jiangnan, a strange admiration welling up inside her.

The man before her seemed an unfathomable mountain, impossible to see through.

His wisdom, his scheming, far exceeded her imagination.

In that moment, she suddenly felt Jiangnan exuded a unique charm.

That charm made her heart race, her cheeks faintly warm.

She recalled she had never been in a relationship, and a ripple of feeling rose in her heart.

If she were to find a boyfriend, she thought, perhaps she should look for someone like Jiangnan.

He was steady, insightful, as if everything were under his control.

Being with him would surely feel safe.

Thinking of this, Chen Ying's face flushed even more.

She furtively glanced at the rearview mirror, hoping to see Jiangnan's reaction.

But she found Jiangnan still staring out the window, seemingly unaware of her oddity.

A faint sense of loss flickered through Chen Ying's heart.

She sighed softly, turning her gaze back forward.

……

Half an hour later, the sedan drove into the Public Security Bureau courtyard and stopped steadily.

Chen Ying unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to look at Jiangnan.

"Mr. Jiang, we've arrived."

Jiangnan nodded, pushed the door open and stepped out.

Chen Ying followed closely, step for step. The two walked side by side, hurriedly heading toward the office building.

The air was thick with tension, as if a storm were about to break.

Director Yang stood in the hall's center, his brows knit, seeming to face a thorny problem.

Seeing Jiangnan and Chen Ying enter, Director Yang hurriedly came to greet them.

"You've returned."

Director Yang spoke, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue.

"Yang Ju, what happened?"

Chen Ying asked, noting that Director Yang's complexion was a little off.

Director Yang sighed, his gaze sweeping the surroundings, lowering his voice.

"The Special Operations Unit has sent people."

"The Special Operations Unit?"

Chen Ying was stunned; it was her first time hearing that name.