Chapter 1434: The Hall Master of Painting Portraits Teaches, Zhu's Tail in Constant Danger

"Understood, my lord!"

Xi cupped his fists and bowed, fully convinced.

He had indeed learned a great deal. The only thing he still couldn't fathom was, "Dao Dian Zhu, had you already traced back the scenes here before?"

"No." Dao Qiong Cang shook his head. "I, like you, am visiting this place for the first time."

So, it was the same scene we both saw, but I noticed nothing while he discovered so much?

Xi felt a deep sigh of admiration and set aside the matter of the sound-recording pearl for now, eager to learn from Dao Dian Zhu's way of thinking.

"My lord, I still have one more question."

"Speak."

"Since you didn't know the true situation in advance, how were you so certain that there was something wrong here?"

Dao Qiong Cang looked at the young man, whose eyes burned with intensity. He had no intention of saying more, but it reminded him of his own obsessive pursuit of Tian Ji Shu in his youth.

"Bold speculation, careful verification." It was as if he were responding to his younger self.

"Please elaborate."

Xi finally understood why so many high-level figures in Sheng Shan didn't like to use their brains.

— It was truly enticing!

Dao Qiong Cang pondered for a moment, then pulled out that three-finger-thick cover from his ring—it was a purple undergarment for women.

"This is one of the three items he left behind."

"Yes." Xi finally saw the true appearance of this thing, confirming that Dao Dian Zhu had kept one for himself.

Under the night sky, Dao Qiong Cang strolled slowly and said deliberately, "I gave you the other two. What conclusions did you draw?"

"The Nan Yu evil techniques carry the aura of Xie Shen. I suspect the one who acted was a Nan Yu evil cultivator."

"Just that?"

"This person dared to snatch someone right under your hand, Dao Dian Zhu, showing extreme audacity. But their actions were cautious and restrained, suggesting they haven't reached Sheng Ji—likely at most Tai Xu realm."

"And then?"

"Uh, and... A Tai Xu acting would be limited by the precision and range of their techniques. A distance of about a hundred li is probably their limit, so I suspect this person is hiding within a hundred li around Nan Cheng gate."

"Pure hindsight!"

"Uh, yes, that's something I deduced after the fact..." Xi felt a bit embarrassed and admitted honestly, "My lord, I didn't think of anything more."

Dao Qiong Cang sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice:

"What you got were just the normal conclusions anyone in your position, with your resources, could reach—but nothing beyond that."

"In other words, you aren't irreplaceable."

Xi felt as if a knife had stabbed him in the chest.

He heard the implication: Even a dog tied to the position of Yi Bu Shou Zuo could come to the same conclusions as him.

"May I ask, Dao Dian Zhu, what did I overlook?" Xi felt a bit unconvinced but didn't dare show it—Dao Qiong Cang had truly impressed him.

"You overlooked the essence!" Dao Qiong Cang squeezed the soft cover in his hand and handed it over. "What do you see?"

"Uh..."

Xi found it hard to speak.

Dao Qiong Cang glanced at him sidelong and chuckled:

"This item is made of superior materials, soft fabric, and fine craftsmanship—it's a luxury good even in Yu Jing City."

"Even if you're still young and couldn't draw that conclusion, just looking at its mark, you should know it's produced by 'Hao Gong,' meant for the entertainment of the wealthy."

He paused, then continued:

"A purple undergarment with a playful style—its shape is quite ample, hard to cover with one hand. I've done the calculations..."

"Generally, this is for women in major clans or sects, around thirty to forty years old, with strong desires."

"If it's a Lian Ling Shi, with even stronger desires, their age could be pushed a bit higher."

"Of course, it doesn't rule out those with exceptional talents, who might be young but already have such a figure, and still want to enhance it further, making it appear even larger."

Xi's face turned completely red, as if it might burst if pinched.

He was deeply shocked, unable to comprehend how Dao Dian Zhu could discuss such matters so seriously...

"Dao—Dao Dian Zhu, so... what does that mean?"

"So, you're embarrassed and didn't investigate this angle?" Dao Qiong Cang's expression was teasing. "Did I ever correct your misconceptions or tell you not to look into it?"

Xi's body stiffened.

So, when Dao Dian Zhu only gave him the battlefield recording pearl, without pointing out his misunderstanding about his preferences...

There was also this implication?

And he wanted him to follow this lead?

What could even be found from this?!

With his own experience, Dao Qiong Cang told the young man before him that sometimes, being a bit improper could yield a lot of information:

"Major sects and clans must have protective arrays for their domains."

"This person stole this item—it could be a minor or major incident. At least, there's been no rumor in Yu Jing City about some flower-picking thief, but that indirectly shows something..."

"Something?" Xi's face was flushed, and he looked up in a daze.

"The protective arrays of sects and clans are like nothing to this person."

Xi suddenly felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, cooling his burning face quickly.

He snapped to attention.

Once again, he felt the meticulousness of Dao Dian Zhu's thinking and realized that his own subjective avoidance of such taboo topics was essentially irresponsible in intelligence work.

In intelligence, what's pure or impure, just or filthy?

"Please teach me, Dao Dian Zhu!"

Xi bowed sincerely, gaining immense insight.

Dao Qiong Cang tried to maintain his aloof image as Dian Zhu, while also fighting the urge to laugh at the young man's serious demeanor on such a topic and his own reluctance to be serious.

After hearing that, he nearly lost his composure, his mouth twitching twice before he held back any teasing.

Instead, he looked at the eager young man and suppressed his emotions:

"Either he has reached the level of a Sheng Ji Ling Zhen Shi, allowing him to invade other sects' arrays without a trace."

"Or, your theory about the inferior Nan Yu evil techniques is wrong—he's practicing the genuine Shu Zu inheritance."

"Only then could he, at a level below Sheng Ji, toy with the arrays of various sects and clans, and swap people right under my nose without me noticing!"

The last sentence hit Xi's muddled mind like a thunderous bell, deeply thought-provoking.

He stared blankly at that three-finger-thick cover...

Just from this thing!

From such an object!

Dao Dian Zhu had deduced so much?

"People are human—no matter how careful or cautious, they always leave traces..." Dao Qiong Cang stared straight at the young man, speaking earnestly:

"Maybe in his mind, he's done it flawlessly."

"But in reality, no one can erase traces as completely as a Tian Ji Kui."

Xi didn't know what to say anymore.

He thought that if he were that Nan Yu evil cultivator, he'd never touch such a cover again for the rest of his life.

And the insightful Dao Dian Zhu...

Xi suddenly examined the person before him carefully.

This was clearly just a person, made of flesh and blood!

But in that moment, in Xi's eyes, he seemed more like a flawless machine, more like a Tian Ji Kui!

"Dao Dian Zhu, is it possible that he's a Sheng Ji Ling Zhen Shi..." Xi ventured a counter guess.

"No!"

Dao Qiong Cang answered decisively. "If he were, the Pan Fu Array couldn't have trapped him. He wouldn't have waited so long, and he could have saved two more people."

So, the only answer left was...

That person had traces of Shu Zu inheritance?

Xi nodded, feeling everything made sense—it had to be like that.

However, when he lowered his eyes to the cover in his hand, he nearly clutched his head and went mad again.

This was too unreasonable!

Was this a normal conclusion from such a thing?

"Dao Dian Zhu..."

Xi took a deep breath to steady his emotions. "So, how did you find your way here? Those conclusions don't seem related to this place."

"No, they're very related. I told you, you overlooked the essence."

Dao Qiong Cang finished speaking, snatched back that three-finger-thick purple undergarment, squeezed it, and held it up:

"If it were you, would you steal something like this for no reason?"

"Absolutely not! Not even if I died!" Xi swore.

"Good, let's assume the current you wouldn't..." Dao Qiong Cang nodded. "So, what kind of person would?"

What do you mean, the current me wouldn't? I wouldn't in the future either!

Xi took a breath: "A Nan Yu person—that's normal for them."

Dao Qiong Cang's gaze turned colder:

"Don't be discriminatory!"

"What if I said this is a smokescreen, mainly to hide his true personality?"

Xi was stunned.

Suddenly, he felt lost.

That person was using such filthy things to cover his real character?

"You see, now you're confused, right?"

Dao Qiong Cang laughed: "It's not out of the question, but stealing undergarments, even men's underclothes... Don't doubt it, a normal person wouldn't even think of doing that."

Xi rolled his eyes inwardly—so scaring people was Dao Dian Zhu's true nature, huh?

Dao Qiong Cang shook the purple undergarment in his hand, speaking unhurriedly:

"Let's build a profile of this person."

"This is a guy with a twisted sense of fun. He has a stealing habit, is very cautious, and yet incredibly bold... After all, he dared to steal from right under my hand, so he must be someone who's lived on the edge for years."

Using Tian Ji Shu, Dao Qiong Cang sketched a vague human face in the air, based on physiognomy, and described it slowly.

The face was gloomy.

Single eyelids, high cheekbones, thin lips, narrow eyes like a snake's—uncomfortable to look at.

Dao Qiong Cang paused, then made the teeth uneven and jagged, which made the aura even more fitting.

"Do you think he matches the word 'steady'?" he suddenly asked.

"Absolutely not." Xi replied immediately, already admiring the lifelike portrait.

"Not steady, but definitely someone who knows how to wait for opportunities—because he waited an entire afternoon for one strike."

Dao Qiong Cang finished his summary, and the lower body of the figure appeared, dressed in black, hunched like a thief.

At the same time, it gained life, with small movements—like a street rat looking around warily.

Xi was shocked.

This was clearly a living person, brought to life!

"Not enough."

Dao Qiong Cang pondered, then flicked his finger. The Tian Ji figure started making small gestures, occasionally rubbing its fingers as if easing the anxiety of waiting.

"He probably isn't a dead soldier, not specially trained..."

"He waited a full afternoon, but he's not a steady person, and he has that stealing habit..."

As these murmurs reached his ears, Xi's pupils dilated bit by bit!

Because he saw the Tian Ji figure, while waiting, suddenly rub its fingers and produce a snowflake.

A mistake.

The snowflake turned into a purple undergarment.

Maybe waiting was too boring.

When the figure turned back and glared to scare off a sudden wild beast, the object in its fingers changed again, becoming a leaf.

"A leaf!"

In that moment, Xi felt something explode in his mind.

Those leaves that kept changing must be that Nan Yu evil cultivator's habit.

And reflected on Lin Shan...

It was exactly what Dao Dian Zhu had pointed out earlier—the break that should have been rough but was actually smooth!

"If it was due to the technique, the entire leaf being 'swapped' would make the break naturally smooth, like a cut..."

Xi's mouth hung open as he watched Dao Dian Zhu continue to perfect the details of the Tian Ji figure, feeling like he was gazing at an unattainable peak.

Before his eyes flashed the scene of the Liu Dao Shen Yi Fist striking Sheng Shan.

His mind raced through the various stunning legends of the Ba Jian Xian.

He suddenly understood why some people became the Shi Zun Seats, while others could only be Yi Bu Shou Zuo.

"Still not enough."

Dao Qiong Cang pressed his finger to his forehead, deep in thought, muttering to himself:

"Someone this cautious wouldn't expose his whole face—he'd be afraid of contingencies, especially of me..."

As soon as he spoke, Tian Ji starlight flashed.

The figure's entire face was covered by a large black hood.

Under the hood, a black faceless mask appeared, its rugged style clashing with the person's cold aura.

Dao Qiong Cang waved his sleeve.

The mask turned into black cloth, through which you could vaguely see the facial outline grimacing, the actual appearance extremely ugly.

"Very good, that's about it."

"If I were him, I'd do the same—uglify myself first, cover with black cloth, create a vague illusion and imagined reality..."

He clapped his hands, turning with a look of accomplishment. "Of course, the real appearance might be like that, or it might not."

Xi: "..."

He didn't know how to express his shock anymore.

Though the Tian Ji figure's features were blurred due to deliberate concealment, it gave the feeling of a sharp-nosed, shifty-eyed, cautious Nan Yu dead follower.

Combined with Dao Dian Zhu's description of the person's abilities and personality, and Xi's own knowledge as Yi Bu Shou Zuo of the Wu Yu Tai Xu intelligence...

This person looked familiar?

"You recognize him?" Dao Qiong Cang was surprised.

Xi shook his head, then nodded.

He didn't answer, just quickly searched his ring and pulled out three wanted posters.

Xi showed the first wanted poster:

"Wu Lao Gui, a dead follower, Nan Yu Tai Xu, inheritor of the ancient Jin Men techniques, which include the 'Tou Tian Huan Ri' stealing art—similar to the swapping ability you described, Dao Dian Zhu."

"But it's said he perished in the 'Feng Shui Mi Cang'—many people there sensed Xie Shen's aura, suspected to be from an ancient Xie Shen... oh, Shu Zu inheritance."

Dao Qiong Cang nodded, noncommittal.

Xi grabbed the second wanted poster and showed it:

"Yin Ming Lao Gui, a dead follower, researcher of the ancient Jin Men techniques from the Shi San Men lineage thirteen years ago. He also studied the 'San Shi Liu Ji' of Jin Men stealing arts."

"But after the Shi Jin Men disaster, he vanished. Maybe he's dead, or his cultivation was completely ruined—he hasn't appeared since."

Dao Qiong Cang nodded slightly and glanced at the last wanted poster in Xi's hand.

This guy still had some merits, at least in his professional work, he was quite competent.

Xi immediately flipped the wanted poster over and displayed it:

"Hua Hong Da Dao, a villain from Nan Yu, once stole from the Dong Yun Jie Wang City headquarters of Sheng Shen Dian Tang branch treasury. After being pursued, he fled to Zhong Yu."

"In Zhong Yu, he hid in Si Fu Tu Zhi Cheng for a while but didn't dare enter the Cross Street Corner, afraid he couldn't get out."

"Later, he reappeared in Nan Yu... Hmm, he also entered the 'Feng Shui Mi Cang' and mastered Jin Men stealing arts. Some say he's Wu Lao Gui's disciple, but it's unclear."

Dao Qiong Cang's eyes narrowed slightly.

Went to Dong Yu, got chased, and instead ran to Zhong Yu for shelter?

That was normal.

But it was also a strange direction for escape!

Because Zhong Yu was Sheng Shen Dian Tang's stronghold—Nan Yu dead followers, when desperate, usually chose Ban Yue Wan, not Si Fu Tu Zhi Cheng.

Dao Qiong Cang said flatly: "The key is, among these three, who has a connection to the Sheng Nu?"

Xi was startled, then put away the first two wanted posters, leaving only the last one for Hua Hong Da Dao.

"I don't know about a connection to Sheng Nu, but he has one with Xu Xiao Shou... This person has been to Tian Kong Zhi Cheng."

He stated it as fact, then recalled:

"After the Tian Kong Zhi Cheng incident, Sheng Shen Dian Tang conducted a major tally and investigation of all surviving Tai Xu who went to the island."

"Among them, a Dong Yu Tai Xu named Chen Ran mentioned he had seen Xu Xiao Shou in his group of six for the trial."

"That group included Nan Yu's Feng Xiao Se from the Feng family, Nan Yu Tai Xu Li Fu Gui, and from Dong Yu's Xuan Wu Zong, the Yu Xu Shuang Fa—Ruan Ping and Ruan An."

"Um, the Ruan brothers were actually top assassins from San Zhu Xiang's gold medal hunters, going after Xu Xiao Shou's head, but they were killed."

"As for the last one, it was the Nan Yu evil cultivator, Zhu Yi Ke."

Xi paused, set down the wanted poster, and mentioned another matter:

"The Tian Ji Kui Xiao Qi's post-Tian Kong Zhi Cheng trace investigation indicated that in one of the nine great forbidden zones, Zui Yi Dian battlefield, Jin Men stealing art forces appeared."

"There, it was the direct battlefield of Xu Xiao Shou and the Tian Ji Shen Shi. Other powerful Ban Sheng like the disguised Yu Ling Di's Shui Gui, Tian Ren Wu Sui, Jiang Bu Yi, Huang Quan, Mei Yi Ren, and Yan Lao also showed up. Ordinary Tai Xu couldn't get involved in that game."

"Since Jin Men stealing art forces were there too, and it wasn't one of ours, it must have some relation to Xu Xiao Shou."

Xi hesitated a bit, then placed the wanted poster portrait next to Dao Dian Zhu's Tian Ji figure for comparison, and then behind it.

The two almost perfectly overlapped.

At that, Xi fell silent.

Through the Tian Ji figure, he pointed to Hua Hong Da Dao and boldly speculated, waiting for confirmation:

"Dao Dian Zhu, Hua Hong Da Dao is Zhu Yi Ke."

"He's connected to Xu Xiao Shou and used Tou Tian Huan Ri to swap away Xiang Yi after getting the order?"