Chapter 89: Scheming
Chapter 89: Scheming
When Zhang Tingyue and the others returned on the second day, it was no surprise that the patriarchs had agreed to it.
As long as Su Chen gave them Kaihuang’s Heaven, they were willing to let bygones be bygones.
However, Su Chen indicated to them that Kaihuang’s Heaven had been invented by Shi Kaihuang, not himself, so the cultivation technique was kept within the Origin Energy Tower. There were Origin Formations and Imaging Disks there so if he were to try and take it, he would be discovered by Shi Kaihuang. If that happened, Shi Kaihuang would probably exterminate him even before the six clans could, so he needed them to take it for themselves.
Although the six clans were not part of the Hidden Dragon Institute, Zhang Tingyue had heard of Shi Kaihuang’s name before. He was curious as to why Shi Kaihuang chose to guard it so secretly rather than distribute it publicly like he had always wanted to.
Su Chen replied by saying that everyone was actually a little selfish. Years and years of constant research had whittled away Shi Kaihuang’s originally lofty ambitions. After inventing Kaihuang’s Heaven, he followed in the footsteps of those before him and kept it for himself. He was unwilling to let it spread easily; otherwise, how come no one had learned Kaihuang’s Heaven even though it had already existed for quite some time?
Just as Cloud Leopard had said, selfish people looked at others in a selfish light.
To Zhang Tingyue and the others, this kind of behavior was more believable. After all, selflessness was something that went against the human nature, so they didn’t doubt Su Chen’s words at all.
To be fair, there was no reason for them to be suspicious anyways. They would know whether the cultivation technique was real or fake as soon as they took a look at it. They also planned on killing Su Chen regardless of whether it was fake or not, so it didn’t affect them very much.
The two parties very quickly came to an agreement on how to execute the plan.
In two days, Shi Kaihuang was going to leave for a brief period of time to take care of something.
At that time, Su Chen would deactivate the formation in the Origin Energy Tower so that Zhang Tingyue and the others could enter and take away Kaihuang’s Heaven. However, everything would be recorded by the Imaging Disks to serve as evidence for Shi Kaihuang.
Although this would be a little annoying for them, Zhang Tingyue agreed to it in the end.
However, because of safety reasons, the patriarchs of the six clans would not go themselves. They would only send an insignificant pawn to steal it; that way, no matter what happened afterwards, they would not be affected.
Of course, they could not have known that the goal of Su Chen’s plan was not fixated on implicating them in the first place.
It wasn’t that Zhang Tingyue and the others were stupid. Rather, their lack of information had put them at a disadvantage from the very beginning.
This was the case for many things. Many plans could be effectively executed despite their simplicity because of the discrepancy in information that each party involved possessed. Those who came after might speculate and try to put themselves in the shoes of others, but they would only confuse themselves if they didn’t understand this point.
On the second evening, Su Chen left the Hidden Dragon Institute again.
This was probably the first time since entering the Institute that he had been so active, leaving the Hidden Dragon Institute twice in just a few days.
However, his departure this time was to meet with Night Demon – Sang Zhen had already returned to the Three Mountains Region. The only person from the Immortal Temple remaining in this area that Su Chen had a good relationship with was probably Night Demon.
Su Chen met with Night Demon in the same run-down courtyard.
For some unknown reason, Su Chen thought of Yue Longsha when he saw Night Demon. She reminded him of the assassination attempt under the moonlight and the figure that faded into the moonlight afterwards.
“Hey, what are you looking at?” Night Demon asked curiously upon seeing Su Chen’s strange, far-off expression.
“Oh!” Su Chen snapped out of it and refocused. “Nothing much.”
“You called me here for ‘nothing much’?” The naive young maiden crossed her arms. “I thought that you came here to deliver some of the medicine.”
“I am here to deliver the medicine.”
Su Chen tossed her a container.
Upon opening it, she found two neatly arranged rows of vials.
“How come there are only eighty vials?” Night Demon asked.
“It takes some time to concoct the medicine. These should be enough to support you for now, right?”
“Yeah, they’ll be enough to support us for now,” Night Demon replied after thinking for a moment.
Spirit Sobering Medicine was not a common item. It was quite expensive, and even the Immortal Temple wouldn’t just freely distribute it.
“As long as there’s enough of them. Right, will you immediately deliver the medicine to headquarters?”
“Yes, they are in urgent need of it,” Night Demon replied.
“It’s probably a pretty long trip to send it all the way there, huh?”
“Of course, it’s nearly a thousand kilometers away……” While Night Demon was speaking, she suddenly shut her mouth and stared at Su Chen warily. “Are you trying to figure out where our headquarters are located?”
Su Chen laughed. “Why would I want to know where your headquarters are? I was just asking carelessly. Right, since you need so many Spirit Sobering Medicines, I’ll make another batch for you tomorrow. How does another 80 vials sound?”
“Great! If that’s the case though, why didn’t you send them to me together tomorrow? Now I have to make two trips,” Night Demon pouted.
“It was just something I thought of on the spot,” Su Chen laughed. “Right, there’s something else that I need your help with.”
“What is it?”
“I want to ask you to take a trip to the Origin Opening Pavilion and buy the medicinal ingredients on this list for me.” Su Chen handed Night Demon a list of items. “Remember, these medicinal ingredients are related to some of my secrets. Only you can do it. Don’t hand it off to someone else.”
“No problem. When do I need to leave?” Night Demon asked as she took the list.
“Tomorrow.”
“The Origin Opening Pavilion is in Northriver City. If that’s the case, I might not be able to come by to pick up the medicines.”
“Then let Ma Renze come to get them. That way he’ll be less concerned. However, I don’t want him to know where you and I usually meet, so tomorrow I will put some Thousand Kilometer Incense on myself. Tell him to come find me by following that scent.”
Thousand Kilometer Incense was a kind of incense that carried a unique fragrance and spread very far. However, humans could not smell it; only a certain kind of Incense-Sniffing Mouse could pick up on it. Because of this, an Incense-Sniffing Mouse was often used to chase after a target who had been tagged by Thousand Kilometer Incense.
Secret organizations would often change locations every so often to preserve the security of their contact. The Immortal Temple invented the use of Thousand Kilometer Incense to decide impromptu meeting locations, and they had taught the technique to Su Chen. Thus, it wasn’t strange for Su Chen to choose this method.
For some reason, however, Night Demon felt like something was off, but she couldn’t put a finger on it.
After Su Chen talked with Night Demon for a bit longer, he said, “It’s decided. Remember to leave tomorrow. I need this medicine quite urgently.”
As he said that, he left.
“Hmph, running me around like I’m an errand girl?” Night Demon complained unhappily.
However, when she thought about how Su Chen only trusted her, she suddenly felt quite proud of herself.
Because of her, Su Chen was willing to help them make an additional eighty vials of medicine. Upon reporting back, she would have done a meritorious service.
She was willing to make an extra stop for Su Chen based on just this point alone.
However, a thought flashed through her head, and Night Demon suddenly realized what was off about what Su Chen had said.
Concocting the Spirit Sobering Medicine was a complicated process. Su Chen had spent quite a bit of time and energy concocting the eighty vials that he had just handed over, and some of them were also from his successes when he was learning to concoct it.
Since that was the case, how would he procure another eighty in just one day?
But a moment later, Night Demon’s adorable, airheaded personality once again made an appearance. She said to herself, “He must have left an extra surplus for himself. Thankfully, I am simply too charming, so he couldn’t help but turn them over to me.”
After thinking about that, she went off to take care of her own duties, immensely pleased with herself.
Night Demon didn’t know that in that very instant, she had seen through the only hole in Su Chen’s plan. However, the answer she came up with led her to brush right past the truth of the matter.
Meanwhile, Su Chen returned to the Hidden Dragon Institute after leaving Night Demon.
After asking around, Su Chen finally came to the front of a certain room.
He knocked on the door. When the door opened, Yue Longsha’s beautiful complexion appeared.
Upon seeing Su Chen, she said, somewhat dazed, “It’s you?”
Su Chen got straight to the point. “I’ll help you kill Ma Renze to get revenge. What do you think?”