Chapter 79 – The Eternal Veil (I)

Chapter 79

The Eternal Veil (I)

Sneaking into the enemy territory, unveiling deep, dark secrets and points of failure, encountering a smokin’ hot femme fatale to–khm, okay, my fantasies got away from me there for a sec, but it really did feel a bit like a spy thriller.

Except, you know, it wasn’t espionage, it wasn’t thrilling, and it definitely wouldn’t be me sneaking in.

Elder Qin took the two kids and set up a temporary camp, leaving me with others… which wasn’t emboldening. The issue was that he left behind his other disciple–she was ‘technically’ the only person besides me above the Qi Condensation Realm, but I wouldn’t trust her with fighting the strongest person, not when there was perfectly fine Long Tao just standing there, looking bored.

Drafting up a ‘plan’ wasn’t an issue–there’d be no plan. Send in Long Tao to figure out everything, and then just pretend to come up with a clever solution because Elder Qin was decidedly not aware of just how creepily strong my disciples are.

But I can’t do that with the young woman here, as that’d expose… well, everything.

So, I had to be ‘clever’.

“Cao Qiu,” I said after a brief deliberation. “Would you mind telling me your strengths and weaknesses?” I couldn’t exactly ‘plot a clever ploy’ without knowing things. I mean, I knew them because of Creator’s Eyes and all, but I had to first hear them from her.

“I’m most confident in my speed,” she replied. “I have reached Intermediate Mastery of the Sword-Blitz. I’m fairly confident that even someone in the late stages of the Foundation Establishment won’t be able to catch me immediately.”

Right, just as her system window said, and the sun around which the entire ‘plan’ orbited.

“The goal is to get inside and figure out what’s happening; I’m fairly certain that whatever we’re seeing right now is either a projection or an illusion,” I continued. “So it is entirely possible that the rooftops are lined with the eyes that would spot us immediately if we tried to just sneak in. We need a distraction.”

“A distraction?”

“Hm,” I nodded. “You’ll take Xi Zhao with you and go to the town’s entrance using the main road. Loudly proclaim that you’re the Sect’s Disciple and that you’re here to investigate a disciple’s murder.”

“… who was murdered?!” she growled angrily.

“Uh, no, no one, as far as we know; the point is to draw their attention to you as much as possible. Demand that if the mayor doesn’t come out to meet you, you’ll crush the town’s entryway. However, no matter what you do, do not step foot into the town itself. If someone comes out to meet you, try and stall as much as possible, and throw out as many accusations as you can think of.”

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“Even if they’re not true?” she frowned.

“Especially those. Say that you’ve also heard the rumor they’re trafficking some forbidden material or engaging in practicing demonic arts. Anything to steer attention to yourself. In the meantime, my other two disciples will round the town toward the side facing the mountains and hopefully find a way in without being spotted.” Of course, it would only be Long Tao going in, while Dai Xiu would be the ‘watcher’. And Hua? He’s, technically, a servant. He’s staying with me to serve.

“If they don’t cooperate?”