Mountain and sea lantern

Chapter 577 Losing a Move in Chess
Looking back on all our previous interactions, the only thing most likely to have left a mark on him was this ring.

Looking back at the scene where the woman in red suddenly took the initiative to give the token of their love, it does seem suspicious.

However, he had suspected it before and had carefully examined the ring. It was just a simple ring with no mysterious crafting inside. If it really did have a positioning function, how did it do that?
Furthermore, what does it mean that you've located yourself repeatedly but haven't taken any further action?
Could it be that there was no ill intent?

Could it be that the woman is just being horny and has a strong desire for control?

Or do you know his identity and want to find out his every move?
However, this was all in his imagination, all of it was his suspicion; he couldn't even be sure whether there was something wrong with the ring.

So, there's no use overthinking it. In the current situation, the most important thing is to determine if there's something wrong with the ring.

Without knowing this, we cannot know who our opponent is, and therefore we cannot determine their purpose.

He slowly slipped the ring he was holding onto his index finger back onto his finger.

With his right eye ability, he scanned the surroundings once more, unsure of the purpose of his opponent's arrangement. Without a word or hesitation, he pulled out the Boundless Banner and gestured to Wu Jinliang, saying, "Get out, let's go!"

As for contacting Lao Changtai in the underworld, it has to be put on hold for now. If something changes, and he happens to be in the underworld, something big is bound to happen.

Let's get through this hurdle first and ensure our safety. We can contact Lao Changtai later, no matter what.

He decisively abandoned the meeting that had already been arranged.

Wu Jinliang, who hadn't gotten an answer, immediately realized something was wrong. The two had grown up together, and the other party's decisive reaction made him stop asking questions. He quickly took out his three-in-one magic weapon and used the earth-burrowing technique to surge towards the ground.

As soon as the two emerged from the ground, they immediately rode their wind scales into the sky and flew away.

Shi Chun didn't forget to pack up and take the hyenas with him.

The reason why they dared to leave even when surrounded was the same as the reason they gave when they escaped from being surrounded before.

Furthermore, Shi Chun also wanted to see if he would let them leave again this time.

After they flew far away, he kept turning his head to observe, and the result was exactly the same as last time. There were no obstacles or pursuers, so he let them leave.

Meanwhile, Alan, who was secretly observing, also received a message from the eight people, saying that the target had left.

Without needing to report, she, being present at the scene, knew what was going on. She looked at the woman in red, waiting for her signal.

The woman in red muttered to herself, "Spring has arrived in half an hour, what's wrong, spring has arrived in half an hour, what's wrong..."

She was repeatedly pondering these two sentences, which were the two sentences Wu Jinliang had said to Shi Chun when she was exploring her field.

She was trying to figure out what those two sentences really meant.

However, the two isolated sentences were difficult to decipher their true meaning. Finally, his gaze fell on the hiding place where Shi Chun and the other person had been hiding. He flashed away and landed where Shi Chun and the other person had just emerged.

Alan quickly followed, and as soon as he landed, his body swayed and he sank down.

The woman in red also used her earth-遁术 (earth-遁术 is a type of magic that allows one to burrow underground) to investigate.

After sinking about a hundred feet, the two smelled a faint, exotic fragrance, which became stronger as they descended. This was only because Shi Chun had used magic to restrain the consumption of the incense smoke; otherwise, it would have been even more fragrant.

Based on what they had learned beforehand, the two exchanged a glance and both suspected the incense stick that had been used to kill someone.

Before long, the two stopped at the spot where Shi Chun and the other two had just been underground, and even the wolf carcass that had been buried underground was dug out.

After examining it himself, Alan exclaimed in surprise, "This hyena should have been dead for several days, yet it remains undefeated even in death. It may have been preserved in the storage space ever since it died."

The woman in red, who was looking around and investigating, muttered, "They even took a few alive."

Alan asked in surprise, "Are they testing the 'dead fragrance'?"

"Hmph." The woman in red sneered. If it was just a test of the Death-Slaying Incense, that would be fine. But if she wanted the Death-Slaying Incense, the Phoenix Clan's reserves would have to be handed over obediently, no matter how precious they were.

So she didn't care about those things; what she cared about was why her ring had briefly appeared in the underworld.

For someone like her, whoever controls the channels controls the discourse, or rather, controls the profits.

At the same time, I am also worried that the demonic path may have secretly taken control of the channels to enter and leave the underworld.

She was certain that Shi Chun was not a high-ranking member of the demonic path, and that Shi Chun's knowledge was certainly limited. This was one of the reasons why she did not act rashly against Shi Chun, for fear of alerting him and losing the clues.

However, she doesn't plan to reveal a single word about entering or leaving the underworld, not even to Alan...

Lao Changtai, who was guarding the mountaintop in the underworld, would occasionally take out his 'Ice Sheep' to breathe in the pure air. The eyes of those around him were filled with longing. Half an hour had already passed, but the leader had not yet appeared. Even if he had appeared in another location, he should have sent a message by now.

As he waited, he gradually realized that it was impossible for someone to break a promise without a reason; something must have happened...

In Yaoshan City, Xiao Sheng, who was outside the city, quietly entered the city and walked through the streets and alleys to observe the faces of passersby.

He received a message from Shi Chun, asking him to find a suitable candidate whose physical characteristics were roughly similar to Shi Chun's.

Because of this, he was destined to have a restless night. He didn't get anything suitable all night, until the next morning when he bumped into a passerby who caught his eye on the gradually bustling street. He then secretly followed the person to confirm their family situation. Only after he was confident in his assessment did he contact Shi Chun.

Afterwards, he went to the man's house and met him. He said that he was from a certain business in the capital and came to Yaoshan City to do business. He wanted to find an agent to run errands, etc. In short, he took a liking to the man and asked him if he was willing to join the business.

With payment promised, everything was negotiable, so the man followed Xiao Sheng away.

As they passed through the crowd on the street, Shi Chun, who brushed past Xiao Sheng, handed him a ring.

Xiao Sheng then led his men to an inn that Shi Chun had chosen in advance and requested two guest rooms.

After checking in, Xiao Sheng took out the ring and had the man put it on. "This is a token for transactions with merchants. When they see you wearing this ring, they'll naturally understand that you're an agent of our company. Remember, inspect the goods first when negotiating. The price I'm giving you is the lowest price; it can't be lower than that. Once you've agreed on the price, just come find me in the next room. The reason I'm not personally involved in the negotiations is mainly to assess your capabilities first. The merchants could arrive at any time, so please be patient and stay in your room. Otherwise, they might not be able to find you when they arrive. You should wait for them, not make them wait for you. I'll have the inn send you food and drinks."

The man had no complaints and, after putting on the ring, promised to do his job well.

Xiao Sheng then went out, made some noise in the next room, and then came back to knock on the door and repeatedly told the man that he was going out to have some fun and that he should stay in the room and not go out.

As he closed the door and left, he couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. He thought back to when he was in his sect's Gathering Spirit Valley. Even if it wasn't a prestigious sect, it was at least a reputable one. Most of the work he did there was upright and honorable. But now, it seemed like he was doing all sorts of sneaky and shady work.

The strange thing is, the more I do it, the better I get, and I can lie without batting an eye.

After leaving the inn, he sent a message to Shi Chun, saying that everything was taken care of.

Little did he know that Shi Chun was already staying at an inn he was passing by.

Shi Chun didn't mean anything by it; he just wanted to choose a suitable monitoring environment to confirm whether the ring was really problematic.

He has now set up the trap. If the same encirclement and surveillance situation occurs again, those who are monitoring him will inevitably have to enter the environment he has set up, and naturally they will not be able to escape his observation.

Unlike the open spaces of the wilderness, the urban environment is complex, with many buildings providing obstruction. As a result, the surveillance personnel cannot go far away and will inevitably be forced to move to the vicinity of the designated location.

Wu Jinliang did not enter the city, as his disguise was too conspicuous, so Shi Chun told him to stay quietly in the wild.

About an hour later, Alan, wearing a veil, entered the city; she had come first to scout the way.

Her eight subordinates were also on their way. Because the woman in red had increased the urgency of the matter and determined that the target was likely to stay here for a long time, she immediately sent her ahead.

Yaoshan City is quite large, and the woman in red could only sense its general location from a distance. She couldn't see the terrain on-site, and she couldn't describe the exact location verbally.

In broad daylight, with so many people in the city, it wouldn't be appropriate to suddenly burst out of nowhere.

So after finding a general location, Alan went into an inn and asked for a room.

After checking in and closing the door, she chose a relatively open spot in the room and then telepathically informed them that everything was ready.

The woman in red behind the counter at Chaoyue Pavilion in Dazhi City immediately stood up. This odd-job worker directly ordered Dong Liangying to fill in for her while she went back to her room.

As soon as the door closed, she vanished through the void and instantly appeared in Alan's room in Yaoshan City.

This is also why Alan was sent ahead to scout ahead, to avoid any unforeseen incidents caused by him appearing in the wrong place out of nowhere.

She glanced around at her surroundings, first sensing the approximate location of the ring. Finding it wasn't too far, she immediately activated her senses.

A short while later, she suddenly opened her eyes and paced back and forth in the room with a cold expression.

After observing her expression, Alan asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

The woman in red stopped and gave her a cold, sidelong glance. "That's not Shi Chun. That ring is in someone else's hands."

With her perception abilities, a fake person couldn't fool her at all. She could easily tell whether it was the real person by sensing the fluctuations in heartbeat, pulse, and cultivation level.

"Huh?" Alan was surprised. "How could this be? Did something happen and you fall into someone else's hands?"

The woman in red sneered repeatedly, "It's impossible for his things to fall into other people's hands so easily. He's cunning as an ox..."

As he spoke, he walked to a window, opened it, and pointed to a taller inn diagonally ahead. "He himself is up there, and the ring is in an inn two streets away, in someone else's possession. It seems the location was carefully chosen, so he could observe from a high vantage point."

Alan was startled. "He noticed something was wrong with the ring?"

The woman in red looked out the window and said, "Clearly, that guy is confirming it."

Alan asked, puzzled, "How did he find out?"

"I'm also puzzled. Everything was fine before. It seems the problem likely occurred last night. Either I shouldn't have dug so deep, or they had other people around who discovered our ambushes and observations," the woman in red muttered to herself.

Alan: "Since he's still investigating, it means it's not confirmed yet. I told those eight guys not to come over."

The woman in red said, "This kind of useless thing, once it arouses suspicion, will be the same as exposing him, given his cunning. Once we can no longer follow his trail, it will naturally confirm that there is something wrong with the ring. You don't expect him to become suspicious and continue wearing this ring around, do you?"

He reached out and slowly closed the window. "Let those eight people continue with the original plan. Let him find out, let him confirm, let him think we don't know we've been exposed. Losing one move doesn't necessarily mean losing the game."

(End of this chapter)