I have a composite mirror

Chapter 118 A Clever Trick in the Alley

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding a remote corner of the capital in a somber atmosphere.

Gu Shenyan stood in the shadows, his fingers gently stroking a talisman on his sleeve.

Originally, he shouldn't have meddled in this matter.

This is Tianqi, a city so powerful that even a single brick falling here could hit three powerful figures in the capital.

The less trouble, the better.

He slowly took half a step back, preparing to turn and leave.

however.

The girl's eyes, filled with a glimmer of hope amidst despair, pierced his vision like a thorn.

More importantly, there's that flickering red light on the system panel.

[High-level spiritual energy residue detected.]

[Attribute Determination: Ancient Water Element.]

[Band characteristics: 60% similarity to the core key of "Annotations on the Fragments of Ancient Battle Formations".]

Gu Shenyan stopped in his tracks.

There is no such thing as kindness without a reason in this world, but if there is profit to be made, then that's another matter.

"System, activate [Assisted Cultivation] mode."

"

[Command confirmed.]

[Aura suppressed to its limit, spiritual energy fluctuations shielded.]

Gu Shenyan grabbed a dark gray talisman with his backhand.

"Invisibility Talisman".

This is a lower-spec version that he improved by combining the concept of modern optical camouflage with the principle of "fog concealment".

Spiritual energy is infused.

His figure seemed to blend into the darkness of the corner, and even his breathing completely disappeared.

He was like a cheetah waiting for its chance to strike, quietly watching the depths of the alley.

"What? Haven't decided yet?"

The young man in brocade robes, known as Young Master Zhao, waved a folding fan, a playful expression on his face like a cat toying with a mouse.

He gave a wink to the guard beside him.

"If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences. Since Miss Su can't carry it, then this young master will help you carry it."

A vicious servant with a face full of scars stepped forward with a sneer.

The large, fan-like hand reached straight for the scroll in the girl's arms.

The girl retreated in terror, slipped, and fell backward.

"This scroll is a relic of our ancestors and will never be sold!"

Her voice trembled, yet she held tightly to what she was holding in her arms.

Young Master Zhao gave a cold laugh.

"Ancestors? Your Su family only produced one talisman master a few hundred years ago, and now you're just a poor family."

"I bet this thing is stolen goods from somewhere!"

"Take it from me!"

A fierce glint flashed in the servant's eyes, and his large hand suddenly accelerated.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the scroll.

"laugh."

A barely perceptible whooshing sound came from the air.

A pebble enveloped in high-pressure water energy struck the servant's wrist precisely at the "Quchi" acupoint, like a bullet fired from a gun.

"Ouch!"

The servant screamed in agony as his entire arm went numb instantly, retracting as if he had been electrocuted.

"Who?!"

Young Master Zhao turned around abruptly, snapped his folding fan shut, and looked on with suspicion.

That was the instant he turned his head.

Gu Shenyan made a move.

He did not appear, but instead flicked his finger again.

A pale yellow talisman floated down at everyone's feet.

"Tracing Symbol, activate."

hum!

The previously deathly still air in the alley suddenly began to fluctuate violently.

A chilling mist appeared out of nowhere.

Immediately following was a series of noisy hallucinations.

It sounded like ten thousand horses galloping, or like fierce ghosts howling.

Young Master Zhao felt a blur before his eyes, and the surrounding scenery instantly became distorted and bizarre.

"Playing tricks! Guards! Guards!"

He cried out in panic, the folding fan in his hand emitting a faint glow as he tried to dispel the fog.

However, in those brief two breaths of chaos...

A dark shadow swept past like a ghost.

Gu Shenyan appeared beside the girl.

Without a word, he grabbed the girl's shoulder with his left hand and slapped a "lightness charm" onto her vest with his right.

"Walk!"

This low shout rang in the girl's ears like a thunderclap.

Before the girl could react, she felt as light as a swallow.

Gu Shenyan grabbed her, turned, and leaped onto the low wall next to them.

Under the cover of the fog, the two men made a few leaps and bounds through the complex alleyways before disappearing into the night.

After Zhao Gongzi finally managed to dispel the fog.

The alley was deserted.

Only the wicked servant was still clutching his arm and groaning in pain.

"You bastard!"

Young Master Zhao slammed the folding fan to the ground, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.

"Investigate! Investigate for me!"

"In the capital, no one dares to steal food from me, Zhao Yuanzheng!"

Two incense sticks later.

In the south of the city, there is an abandoned earth god temple.

The incense here has long since died out, and it's drafty from all sides, but its advantage lies in its remoteness.

Gu Shenyan released his grip and removed the "concealment talisman" from his body.

He let out a long breath, calming his turbulent spiritual energy.

The series of movements just now, though seemingly simple, required an extremely high level of timing.

If you are even a fraction slower, or if you get bogged down by the other side, the consequences could be disastrous.

"Thank you so much, young master, for saving my life."

The girl leaned against the broken altar, her face as pale as paper, panting heavily.

She looked at the seemingly ordinary young man in front of her, still in shock.

The ghostly movements she witnessed earlier still left her with lingering fear.

Gu Shenyan turned around and, by the moonlight, examined the girl in front of him.

He was about fifteen or sixteen years old. Although he was poorly dressed, there was a stubbornness in his eyes.

"What's your name?"

Gu Shenyan asked calmly.

"My name is Su Wanqing."

"If it weren't for your intervention, young master, this scroll would probably be lost tonight."

Gu Shenyan did not reply; the light fell on the scroll in her arms.

"Why did that man surnamed Zhao try to steal this?"

Su Wanqing gave a bitter smile.

"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."

She hesitated for a moment, as if making a difficult decision.

Finally, she took a deep breath and presented the scroll with both hands.

"Young master, this item was left by my ancestor."

"Our ancestors once said that this scroll contains a fragment of an ancient rune, which is of great benefit to cultivators practicing water-based techniques."

"Unfortunately, the descendants of the Su family were unworthy, and none of them could fathom the mystery within."

"Now this has brought trouble upon us."

At this point, Su Wanqing raised her head and looked at Gu Shenyan with her bright eyes.

"Young master, you used water-based spiritual power when you made your move, and your aura was pure and upright, unlike that of a wicked person."

"I humbly request that you, sir, present this scroll to you."

Gu Shenyan raised an eyebrow.

"Give it to me?"

"This is a family heirloom."

Su Wanqing shook her head, a clarity in her eyes that seemed beyond her years.

"Treasures have spirits, but one must also be alive to guard them."

"The Zhao family is powerful; if we fail tonight, they will certainly not let it go."

"I am just a weak woman, I cannot protect this thing, and I will lose my life because of it."

"Rather than let that scoundrel benefit from it, it's better to give it to our benefactor as a way of repaying his life-saving grace."

"in addition----"

She paused, then gritted her teeth and said, "Wanqing has one more request."

Gu Shenyan looked at her and nodded inwardly.

She is a smart girl.

Knowing how to choose.

"you say."

"I only ask that if you ever achieve something in the future, you would look after my Su family, or perhaps give me some money so that I can move away from this troublesome place with my mother."

Gu Shenyan took the scroll.

It feels cold to the touch.

That familiar, ancient sense of vicissitude instantly spread from my fingertips throughout my body.

"System, scan."

[Scanning for target object————]

[Confirmed: Fragment of an ancient water-controlling rune.]

[Structural complexity: Extremely high.]

[Contains a faint "Taoist charm," which can serve as a crucial supplement to the "Annotations on the Ancient Battle Formation Fragments."]

It's definitely good stuff.

Gu Shenyan put away the scroll and took out a specially made talisman from his storage bag.

This is a light blue talisman paper with a wavy pattern drawn on it.

"I'll take this job."

He handed the talisman to Su Wanqing.

"This is a water ripple communication symbol."

"If danger arises, tear it apart, and I will know."

"As for the resettlement allowance—"

Gu Shenyan took out a bag of spirit stones from his pocket, which he had originally intended to use to buy materials.

"These spirit stones are enough for you to buy a large mansion in the mortal realm and live out the rest of your life."

"I will arrange for someone to take you out of the city later."

Su Wanqing held the heavy money bag, her eyes instantly reddening.

She knew she had made the right bet.

"Thank you so much, my benefactor! Thank you so much, my benefactor!"

She was about to kneel down and kowtow.

Gu Shenyan used a gentle force to support her.

"It's just a transaction; each party gets what they need."

"Remember, you didn't see me tonight. The scroll was lost during the escape."

Su Wanqing nodded emphatically.

"Wanqing understands."

Gu Shenyan did not linger.

He flickered and disappeared into the night once more.

Only the scroll remained in his arms, faintly radiating warmth.

That Zhao Yuanzheng.

If the information is correct, he is Zhao Feng's cousin.

It seems this feud has been formed.

but.

Gu Shenyan touched the scroll in his arms, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

This deal was worth it.

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