Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Chapter 482: Chapter 412: Mantis

「Late at night.」

The plum rains that had drizzled on for nearly two months finally came to a complete stop.

The night sky was washed clean. A bright moon hung high above, casting a cold, silver glow.

The long street was empty and desolate, with hardly a soul in sight.

’Who could it be?’

Chen Li stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping over the dark alley behind him.

He quietly spread the Divine Sense of his Second Primordial Spirit, but detected no hidden auras within his range.

’Only a Grandmaster Guiyuan could lock onto me so precisely from such a distance.’

’The Celestial Sword Sect?’

Chen Li immediately dismissed the idea.

Right now, the main force of the Celestial Sword Sect should still be in the depths of Thunder Shock Marsh, mopping up the Netherworld Ships. They were too spread thin to be here.

That left only the two women in white dresses from the earlier transaction.

At this thought, a cold smirk touched the corners of Chen Li’s lips.

’As expected. Wealth truly tempts the heart.’

’Have they been overcome by greed, hoping to pull a heist with no investment?’

’Fine by me. I was just wondering how to blow this situation wide open.’

He immediately began to calculate his next move.

"Sir, what’s wrong?"

Bai San and Gossip saw Chen Li suddenly stop and warily scanned their surroundings. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, they couldn’t help but ask in a low, curious voice.

"It’s nothing."

Chen Li snapped back to reality and gave a faint smile.

With Bai San and Gossip’s Cultivation, they naturally couldn’t perceive the Primordial Spirit lock that clung to him like a festering sore.

He looked at Bai San and asked, "Can you spend the night in this Hongyan Pavilion?"

"You want to give it a try, sir?"

Bai San’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled. "You’ve asked the right person, sir. Hongyan Pavilion... how should I put it? They offer a lot of variety, but because they dabble in everything, they’re not masters of anything. It’s mostly for show. When it comes to the real art of pleasing a man, they can’t compare to the specialists. In my opinion, we should go to Xingyun Garden. The girls there, their skills with instruments..."

Before he could finish, Chen Li’s icy gaze swept over him, and he immediately shut his mouth. He then awkwardly changed his tune, "Going to Hongyan Pavilion for a change of pace is an excellent idea, too. Don’t you worry, sir. I, Old Bai, will make the arrangements. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied tonight..."

Chen Li ignored his leering smile and winks, instead giving his orders. "You two stay in Hongyan Pavilion tonight. Don’t come out. Remember, no matter what commotion or incident occurs, stay in the crowd. Don’t get separated."

Bai San and Gossip froze. The lecherous thoughts and grins on their faces vanished, replaced by shock and solemnity.

Gossip’s mind worked faster. He lowered his voice and asked, "Sir, is it... those two?"

Chen Li nodded. "Most likely. But I can’t rule out others."

Gossip’s brow furrowed. "That Old Zhou... is he reliable or not? What kind of people is he introducing us to? Sir, should we go drag him over here and ask him?"

Chen Li gave a faint smile, but there was no mirth in his eyes. "No need. I was just worried I wouldn’t get an opportunity. Just go where the crowds are thickest and adapt as the situation demands. Protect yourselves."

Bai San also understood the gravity of the situation. He dropped his playful demeanor and said seriously, "Don’t worry, sir. We know what to do."

Gossip added, "Then you be careful, sir."

"Go on," Chen Li said with a wave.

Bai San immediately threw an arm around Gossip’s shoulder and said with a grin, "Old Bao, let’s go! I’ll show you a thing or two tonight. Heh, even if you’re sixty or seventy, I can still make you feel young again."

Gossip snapped angrily, "You’re full of shit! I... every day..."

"Shit! You’ve just been holding it in for too long, that’s your problem! It’s a sickness, and it needs to be treated!" Bai San retorted, not to be outdone.

Bickering and laughing, they walked arm-in-arm back toward the brightly lit Hongyan Pavilion.

After they went inside, Chen Li stood quietly in the shadows of a street corner.

’The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it?’

Chen Li sneered. His figure blurred, and he sped off toward the Jiangkou County Magistrate’s Office.

Under the moonlight, his figure was as fast as a phantom. With a few leaps and bounds, he crossed several streets and alleys, arriving outside the walls of the County Magistrate’s Office.

With a single leap, he silently vaulted over the wall and landed inside the compound.

The moment he landed, a thought flickered in Chen Li’s mind. His Lifebound Primordial Spirit instantly emerged from the depths of his Divine Hall and took control of his physical body.

At the same time, the aura around him rapidly contracted, eventually becoming obscure and undetectable.

His Divine Sense quickly swept over the interior of the County Magistrate’s Office.

It was late at night. Only the duty room and a few corridors in the Government Office cast dim, yellow halos of light.

Aside from a dozen or so government constables on duty, and the County Magistrate and his servants living in the rear courtyard, the rest of the place was empty and silent.

Chen Li’s figure flickered again as he swiftly snuck toward the rear courtyard where the County Magistrate resided.

The instant his figure vanished, two white silhouettes also appeared in the alley outside the wall of the County Magistrate’s Office.

The two wore conical hats with veils and had white cloths covering their faces.

It was none other than the two women who had just traded with Chen Li at Hongyan Pavilion.

"He’s gone?"

The full-figured woman in white suddenly frowned.

She had been remotely locked onto him with her Primordial Spirit, but now it was as if a stone had sunk into the sea—she couldn’t sense the slightest trace of him.

A flicker of surprise rose in her heart.

Tapping her toes lightly, her figure drifted up and landed on a higher rooftop, from where she looked down, her gaze scanning the surrounding area.

"The Government Office?"

Just then, the tall, slender woman in white also followed her up, landing beside her. She transmitted her voice softly, "Is he... from the Government Office?"

The full-figured woman sneered. "If he had skills like that, he wouldn’t be some minor official in a small county like this. He must have deliberately concealed his aura and hidden inside the County Magistrate’s Office, hoping to use the government’s territory to blend in and slip away. What a simple-minded plan!"

Her gaze swept around and finally settled on the only building in the rear courtyard that was still lit: a two-story building.

"Let’s go."

Without further hesitation, she sent the voice transmission and shot toward the small building.