Chapter 679: Hidden Stronghold

Chapter 673: The Hidden Base

Dong Rui was about to reach out and pat it when Xi Yunhe stepped forward. "I'll go first," he said.

That guy was indeed wary of him. Dong Rui felt a slight chill but maintained a nonchalant expression.

Just then, a sudden tremendous roar erupted nearby!

The stable's storage room exploded.

It was only about two zhang from the group, and the powerful shockwave threw everyone off balance.

Thick white smoke rose, and shadows seemed to flicker within it.

Three guards immediately stepped forward. Xi Yunhe moved swiftly to shield Dong Rui and said in a low voice, "Fire arrows!"

No matter who it was, shoot them down first and ask questions later.

He was also unsure in his heart; if National Master Qingyang dared to frame Dong Rui, it meant she likely knew the latter's whereabouts.

Pursuers could arrive at any moment, so he couldn't be blamed for being overly suspicious.

Amidst the sudden turn of events, no one noticed the Snail Toad behind them lowering its large head and drawing close to Dong Rui.

Just then, a monster leaped out from the stable. Hidden by the white smoke, the guards initially mistook it for a monkey.

However, it was not.

It was actually a gigantic bat. Its face was not as hideous as other species, but rather somewhat resembled a monkey or even a small bear, and looked quite cute when its mouth was closed.

However, when it opened its mouth, it revealed a mouthful of interlocking fangs.

Except for its head, it had no fur on its body. Its skin was like a lizard's, covered in fine wrinkles.

Each joint of its wing bones had long, slender spikes.

What in the world was this thing?

Even with Xi Yunhe's extensive knowledge, he had never seen such a monster. It was full of an eerie and incongruous feeling.

Speaking of incongruity, a thought struck him: this thing truly resembled a demon puppet!

Damn it.

"Seize—" Xi Yunhe spun around abruptly, just in time to see the Snail Toad open its massive mouth and swallow Dong Rui whole!

It plunged downwards, like a fish diving, and instantly burrowed into the ground!

It gave Xi Yunhe and the others no chance to intercept it.

In the blink of an eye, Dong Rui and the Snail Toad vanished, and the stable's backyard reverted to an empty, muddy patch of ground.

"..." They couldn't pursue them. Xi Yunhe punched the wall.

At this moment, the guard who had gone inside to retrieve the box also jumped over the wall, looking uncertain and surprised. "My lord, now what do we..."

"Withdraw!"

An explosion in a busy market would surely attract a crowd. They couldn't stay here long.

Before leaving, Xi Yunhe looked back once more. He saw the demon puppet flap its wings and rise, flying to a nearby turret.

Even a creature like that knew how to hide itself. That scoundrel Dong Rui's reputation as a master of escape was truly well-deserved. He had been careless and fallen into his trap.

However, as long as Dong Rui didn't reappear and didn't implicate National Master Shuangye, his mission would be considered complete.

No sooner had Xi Yunhe and his men left than He Lingchuan put down his large bowl and stood up. "Check, please," he said.

The sound of the explosion startled the neighbors, and everyone came to the front of the stable to peek around.

He Lingchuan walked over, also craning his neck like the others. In reality, a tiny spider leaped down from the wall and landed in his lapel.

Retrieving the eyeball spider, He Lingchuan turned and left.

The authorities would soon send people over. For him, this place was also not suitable for a long stay.

Re-entering the noodle shop, He Lingchuan led out his rock goat from the back and walked back along the street.

"This is bad news!" The mirror in his arms chattered incessantly. "National Master Qingyang actually accused Dong Rui. So what about Nian Zanli?"

He Lingchuan didn't say a word.

The mirror continued, "If Nian Zanli really manages to borrow those tens of thousands of troops, your Yuan Kingdom will be in big trouble. Master, you will be a sinner of the Yuan Kingdom!"

He Lingchuan frowned deeply and slapped his chest:

"Shut up."

He originally had a series of plans, a crucial part of which was to frame Nian Zanli with divine blood, causing him to be imprisoned or subject to severe scrutiny by the Heavenly Palace, thus preventing him from using National Master Shuangye's token to borrow troops and attack Yuan.

But now National Master Qingyang had identified Dong Rui as the source of the divine blood.

Although Dong Rui indeed had divine blood on him, this instantly disrupted He Lingchuan's plan.

What to do?

Should he just sit back and watch Nian Zanli escape his trap? That would cause endless trouble.

A ruthless glint suddenly flashed in He Lingchuan's eyes. "Fine, if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing!"

The mirror didn't hear clearly. "What did you say?"

"Don't the Sky Gods intend to thoroughly investigate the source of the divine blood?" The bustling street was very noisy. He Lingchuan kept his voice low, so no one paid attention or cared what he said, except for the Soul-Seizing Mirror. "Then let's bind Nian Zanli and Dong Rui together!"

"Huh?" Bind? Bind together? Did it mean what it thought?

He Lingchuan, however, said nothing more, and spent the rest of the journey contemplating a new plan.

Achieving great things was not easy, and unforeseen complications often arose. He had to adapt to them on the fly.

Suddenly, his face felt cool.

He Lingchuan looked up and saw silver threads descending from the sky.

It was raining.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, and by the time He Lingchuan returned to the Pianxiang Villa, his clothes were completely soaked.

Fu Shanyue was out and wouldn't be returning to the villa today.

He Lingchuan casually walked towards the back mountain—after losing track of him multiple times, the Concentric Guards were no longer surprised by his sudden appearances.

He boarded the painted boat and rowed it himself to the center of the lake.

The lake in the back mountain of Qilin was very quiet, with several small islands scattered within it like pearls adorning the surface.

Although it was late autumn, the island's trees remained dense—in the past, the trees on these islands were specifically planted evergreen species, some could even change color or bloom in autumn and winter, like exotic trees.

Those on the shore could only see a lush green ring around the lake island, completely unaware of the details within.

Furthermore, the island had two colossal banyan trees, their canopies like umbrellas, shading half the island.

He Lingchuan landed on the island and walked through the dense outer forest.

The island was not large, only about three hundred square meters, but beneath the giant banyan trees were two refined lodges, with intact structures, doors, and windows.

Originally, this island was a private retreat for the previous owner, but later, along with the entire Pianxiang Villa, it lay abandoned for ten years. After the villa was bestowed upon Fu Shanyue, the servants diligently cleaned all the buildings and gardens, but somehow missed these lake islands—

Firstly, there were no boats, and secondly, servants tended to be lazy in remote, unfrequented places.

In any case, this was now an exceptionally secluded spot, where even birds were rare due to the abundance of snakes. As He Lingchuan brushed through the grass, he actually encountered four snakes, the largest as thick as a wrist, the smallest thinner than a chopstick.

Clearly, the lake island, undisturbed for ten years, had become a paradise for snakes.

He Lingchuan walked to the open space in front of the lodges. This area was perennially shaded by the giant banyan trees, with thick layers of decaying soil and leaves on the ground, which became even more humid after the rain, perfect for reptiles to inhabit.

The sudden downpour stopped abruptly, and the air was filled with the scent of earth and fresh grass.

He Lingchuan took several round beads from his pocket, crushed them, and smeared them onto the ground.

These were Snail Toad eggs.

To be on the safe side, he climbed onto the giant banyan tree, keeping some distance from the ground.

How did Zhongsun Mou die? He hadn't trusted the Snail Toad enough, and He Lingchuan couldn't repeat that mistake.

The surrounding area was filled with the chirping of insects and birds, a picture of tranquility.

He also took off his wet clothes and put on a clean set.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the ground beneath the giant banyan tree suddenly sagged slightly.

Then, the Snail Toad's giant shell slowly rose from the ground and came to a steady rest beneath the tree.

Dong Rui jumped out of the snail shell, looking left and right. Seeing He Lingchuan jump down from the treetop, he spat onto the ground:

"You hid so far away, were you afraid I'd ambush you?"

"I trust you one hundred and twenty percent," He Lingchuan lied without batting an eye. "But I've blown up the Snail Toad before, I'm afraid it holds a grudge."

In other words, he still didn't trust his control over the Snail Toad, huh? Dong Rui rolled his eyes and looked around disdainfully:

"And this is the place you found for me?"

"In the highly developed Lingxu City, is there still such a wild jungle? This isn't some mountain villa, is it?"

"And those two houses in front, they look quite grand, but are actually covered in dust and leaves. He even saw two earthworms crawling out of a window."

"We're in Fu Shanyue's Pianxiang Villa. This is an island, surrounded by water, so idlers can't get on, and the moist soil is good for the Snail Toad," He Lingchuan chuckled. "You're a fugitive, you need a hiding place; do you expect nightlife and luxury?"

He saw Dong Rui as a complete homebody, who could stay indoors for days researching demon puppets. This island should be a perfect match for him.

Dong Rui scratched his head and conceded.

With the Snail Toad at hand, it didn't matter where he lived, whether inside or outside Lingxu City.

He patted the Snail Toad. The behemoth's body actually shrank rapidly until it was only the size of a hand drum.

He Lingchuan's eyes widened in astonishment.

No wonder the Snail Toad wasn't easily discovered in the suburbs; it turned out this creature could grow and shrink.

However, upon reflection, it seemed all of Dong Rui's demon puppets could change their size. It was said this was a divine ability of the Sky Gods, and perhaps demon puppets created with divine blood possessed some of those same abilities.

No wonder he dared to stay in Lingxu City. As long as the Snail Toad wasn't too conspicuous, the probability of Dong Rui being discovered would be reduced by at least half.

Dong Rui carried the Snail Toad to the base of the large tree. The humidity here was very high, which mollusks liked. "Later, dig a pit here and fill it with water; the Snail Toad also likes water."

"Alright."

"I also need to set up a concealment array," Dong Rui said, looking up at the sky. "Birds often fly overhead here."

This was a demon kingdom; who knew which corner might have tiny eyes silently watching him? Caution was never a mistake.

He Lingchuan helped him set up the array.

This array was harmless to humans and animals; it was merely a deceptive illusion, a 'ghost wall.' Whether approached from the ground or viewed from above, this place would still appear as its original overgrown state. As long as one didn't use primordial energy for X-ray vision, others wouldn't be able to find Dong Rui; and walking around the island, one would never reach the side of the lodges.

It was surprising how versatile this fellow Dong Rui was. "A wanted criminal on Beijia's underworld bounty list is indeed different. By the way, it seems Zhu Erniang ranks higher than you."

Dong Rui scoffed, "What's that matter? Just wait until Lingxu City issues a wanted order this time, then see?"

After saying it, he felt something was off. What was there to compare?

The array was simple and was set up in a few quick movements. He Lingchuan took a greasy paper package from his storage ring and handed it to him.

Dong Rui opened it and saw several beautiful golden thread cakes, still warm.

"Yilan Noodle & Cake Shop?"

"It's the noodle shop outside the stable, anyway." He Lingchuan then handed him another storage pouch containing several buckets of clean water. "Don't go to the water's edge; it's easy to be exposed. If absolutely necessary, use the Snail Toad to enter and exit underground. If you need anything from me—"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a bat descended from mid-air and landed with a soft thud on Dong Rui's shoulder.