Chapter 678: Lobbying Dong Rui

**Chapter 672: Persuading Dong Rui**

"Staying here is for your own good!" He Lingchuan's mind raced. "How did Xi Yunhe arrange your journey?"

"I'll ride the Snailsnail and leave the city with them," Dong Rui said, baffled. "Are there any other arrangements?"

"Are you sure they'll let you go?" He Lingchuan said coldly. "Isn't killing you to silence you the safest option?"

Dong Rui was startled.

"You'll ride the Snailsnail out of Spirit Void City, and they'll kill you and dump your body later," He Lingchuan chuckled. "They won't even need to transport the body out of the city; you'll have already left on your own. Perfect."

"You..." Dong Rui wanted to say he was exaggerating, but his own mind was in turmoil.

"Do you think Xi Yunhe isn't that kind of person? Or Grand Master Frost Leaf?" He Lingchuan continued to whisper, like a devil. "Let me tell you, since Grand Master Qingyang accused you, she must have realized you're in league with Grand Master Frost Leaf. Before the Heavenly God, that's an extremely serious accusation. So, to protect herself, Grand Master Frost Leaf absolutely cannot afford to stumble because of you!"

Otherwise, how could Grand Master Qingyang have thought of someone like Dong Rui?

At such a critical moment, she would never say useless words or do useless things. Grand Master Qingyang's desperate counterattack would definitely be highly targeted.

A chill ran through Dong Rui's heart.

This wasn't the first time he had cooperated with Grand Master Frost Leaf.

He had some idea of what kind of person the Grand Master was, and what sort of character Xi Yunhe, her subordinate, possessed.

He had always had a keen sense for danger, but this time, he was scared and disoriented by Grand Master Qingyang's accusation; now, with He Lingchuan's hint, he immediately understood.

"What now?" Dong Rui asked urgently in a low voice. "Can you help me escape?"

"If you try to escape now, you'll face pursuit from two Grand Masters, plus the Heavenly Palace guards—all on your own two feet," He Lingchuan analyzed calmly for him. "Don't forget your hideous face; who wouldn't remember that?"

The key to escaping a city is to blend into the populace, making it impossible to trace you.

With a face like Dong Rui's, tsk-tsk, impossible!

"Then what do you suggest?!" Dong Rui was almost gnashing his teeth. "Aren't you usually full of tricks? Help me think of something, quick!"

He meant resourceful. He Lingchuan thought for a moment: "Who does the Snailsnail obey? You, or Xi Yunhe?"

"Of course, it's..." Dong Rui hadn't finished speaking when a guard walked in, looking suspicious:

"Is everything alright? There seemed to be some movement here?"

This fellow was newly assigned, unlike the old guards who were used to Dong Rui's scolding and would try to avoid him. Dong Rui sneered, "I fart, I burp, do you want a tour?"

The guard choked, then said angrily, "Speak properly!"

Dong Rui said grimly, "Do you know who I am?" Anyone who dared speak to him like that before would have long been fed to his demonic puppets. Well, except for He Lingchuan.

Just as the guard was about to speak, a companion rushed over from outside, pulling him away. "Don't cause trouble now!" he said, then turned to Dong Rui, "Sorry, he's new."

The two left. Dong Rui closed the door, took out some materials from his package and spread them on the table, then casually set up a barrier. Only then did he continue speaking to the eyeball spider:

"Alright, continue."

He Lingchuan, helpless, repeated, "Who does the Snailsnail obey?"

"Oh, of course, it obeys me!" Dong Rui's voice was full of pride. "I am their creator!"

"If you and Xi Yunhe give it commands at the same time, it will obey you?"

"Yes."

"Without hesitation?" He Lingchuan confirmed again. "This is about your life; don't be overconfident."

"Absolutely without hesitation!" Dong Rui scoffed. "I have my ways."

"Then it's simple." Since Dong Rui was so confident, He Lingchuan could only trust his control over the demonic puppets. "When Xi Yunhe arrives with the Snailsnail, you ride it and escape, or shake off Xi Yunhe and his subordinates along the way. Whichever method you choose, you can't let them stick close behind you!"

"Hmm, that's not hard to do." Dong Rui's eyes darted around. "What then?"

"Later, I'll arrange some diversions for you, so Xi Yunhe and Spirit Void City won't be able to figure out your whereabouts, nor will they have time to bother with you," He Lingchuan said urgently. "But after you take the Snailsnail, you must come to me. I have an excellent place for you... and the Snailsnail."

Dong Rui mumbled, "Why shouldn't I just leave for good?"

"Because being wanted by Spirit Void City is not a pleasant experience, you've already had a taste of that, haven't you?" He Lingchuan whispered. "Let's discuss properly how to get rid of this bounty."

Dong Rui paused. "You have a way?"

"As long as Spirit Void City considers you unimportant, that's enough," He Lingchuan said. "After last night, Spirit Void City has a heap of its own troubles. If they don't value you, they won't bother with you at all."

"How do we do that?"

"I'm still thinking," He Lingchuan snapped. "You don't think I can just solve such a monumental problem with a whim, do you? But if you run now, Spirit Void City will chase you to the ends of the earth. Divine blood is a major concern for the Heavenly God; it's far more serious than the reason you were wanted last time. They won't rest until they achieve their goal."

Dong Rui was also tired of living a life in hiding.

He Lingchuan added, "Aside from that, if there isn't a specialized organization providing this Snailsnail with large amounts of self-heal herb, then its unique characteristics will be easily traceable."

Xi Yunhe could travel freely on this Snailsnail and commit crimes at will because he had the powerful material and human support of Grand Master Frost Leaf behind him.

Dong Rui alone couldn't manage it.

Given He Lingchuan's understanding of Dong Rui's fastidious nature, these reasons were probably not enough to convince him, so he continued to speak while deep in thought.

To his surprise, Dong Rui nodded with little hesitation: "Alright, I'll stay."

Huh? That was surprisingly decisive, why?

Next, the two swapped back their eyeball spiders right under the guards' noses. He Lingchuan left his little device nearby and quietly slipped out of the stable inn, heading to a noodle shop thirty *zhang* away to order a bowl of soup noodles.

The weather had turned cool. Sitting in a sheltered eatery, slurping down a steaming bowl of braised pork trotters with rice noodles, and watching passersby shiver and tuck their heads into their shoulders, a sense of contentment immediately arose.

This was just a random eatery he found, but to his surprise, the broth was incredibly rich and fragrant, and the pork trotters were stewed perfectly—the skin and meat were tender, yet the tendons still had a good chew.

The rice noodles here were as fine as hair, surprisingly similar to the kind He Lingchuan had eaten in Baishajue, and came with a side dish of crispy salted raw rice.

Of course, a bowl of such good soup and noodles in Spirit Void City cost at least three times more than in Baishajue.

One bowl was certainly not enough for him. After finishing the noodles, there was still a good amount of broth left in the bowl, so he learned from other regulars and added a few golden-thread pancakes, dipping them into the beef broth.

The pancakes were so flaky they crumbled, and soaking them in the broth gave them a whole different flavor.

Good, this shop is really good. He wondered if Dong Rui had ever tried it.

While he was enjoying his meal, there was movement from the eyeball spider:

The low bush where it perched was directly opposite the stable inn's backyard open space. In He Lingchuan's vision, the empty muddy ground suddenly sank slightly, and then a massive figure emerged!

A snail's antennae, a tadpole's body, a toad's limbs...

And, of course, that iconic, house-like giant shell.

The Snailsnail had arrived.

It had been a long time, and He Lingchuan actually felt a touch of familiarity towards it.

After the Snailsnail stretched out, a person leaped out from under its shell—it was Xi Yunhe!

He easily jumped over the wall and asked the approaching guard, "Any situation?"

"Everything is normal." Dong Rui was still there, so the guard didn't mention the slight unpleasantness from earlier. Besides, it wasn't strange for such a peculiar person to talk to himself; he clearly looked like someone with no friends.

Xi Yunhe pushed the door open and saw the table covered with items, with Dong Rui still busy working:

"Mr. Dong is still fiddling with these things?"

"I'm just idle anyway." Dong Rui glanced at him and began tidying the items on the table. "Where is Grand Master Frost Leaf?"

"The Grand Master is out on business; I'm fully in charge here," he reminded Dong Rui. "It's time to go; the Snailsnail is outside."

Grand Master Frost Leaf is out? He Lingchuan's heart stirred upon hearing these words.

The two Grand Masters had been fighting for over a century, and now, at this critical moment to bring down Grand Master Qingyang, how could Grand Master Frost Leaf bear to be absent?

Dong Rui glanced at Xi Yunhe, then suddenly extended his hand to him. "Where's my payment? The Snailsnail is cured, and my work in Spirit Void City is done."

Grand Master Frost Leaf had said that this fellow's payment could not be withheld, otherwise he would cause trouble for you in other ways. Xi Yunhe smiled and pulled out a small box from his bosom, handing it over. "Mr. Dong is a straightforward person; we'll need your help again next time."

"We'll see," Dong Rui said with his usual perfunctory, almost annoying tone, opening the box to inspect the contents and even reaching in to feel them, confirming they were correct. "I need to lie low for a while; don't look for me during this time."

Xi Yunhe smiled, showing no ill will whatsoever: "Of course."

That smile was too much like He Lingchuan's, like a shark baring its teeth. Dong Rui instinctively shivered.

Before, he hadn't noticed anything, but after the brat He Lingchuan pointed it out, Xi Yunhe looked ill-intentioned to him no matter how he viewed him, as if he was preparing to dump his body.

Right, previously, no matter how rude he was, Xi Yunhe always responded with a smile. He had originally thought the guy had a good temper, but now, on second thought, that wasn't it.

Who would bother to argue with someone who was about to die?

"Let's go!" Dong Rui strode out.

Xi Yunhe naturally followed closely behind. According to the original plan, the four of them were to escort Dong Rui, ensuring he rode the Snailsnail out of Spirit Void City.

However, just as he reached the wall, Dong Rui suddenly turned and said, "Oh, I almost forgot, help me get the box from beside the bed. Be careful, the bottles inside can easily explode if they hit each other!"

Xi Yunhe nodded backward, and a guard immediately rushed into the room.

Dong Rui jumped over the wall and saw his beloved puppet.

"Oh, it's been a few days, and your antennae have finally grown back!" That guy He Lingchuan had set off explosives haphazardly last time, causing one of the Snailsnail's eyes to fall out; it had finally grown back completely.

He must have been out of his mind to agree to continue cooperating with that jinx!

Seeing him, the Snailsnail also seemed pleased, wiggling its antennae and meekly lowering its large head towards him.

(End of Chapter)