CSMCDB - Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Five days later, Wen Yuncheng obtained the dragon blood as she had wished, paying fifty million Star Stones for it.
Thus, not counting the dragon blood and other gains, she had made a net profit of ten million Star Stones alone.
Wasn't this money coming in a little too fast? Wen Yuncheng shook her head to clear it. This sort of thing couldn't be done too often. The first time was an accident, but if there was a second time… the black market would definitely grow suspicious of her.
However, the black market was so certain this time that it was the work of "Fu"—hehe, just how bad was the Fu organization's reputation? The only black market willing to trade with them didn't even trust them? Heh, but neither of them were good people anyway. It was fine to let the dogs bite each other.
Wen Yuncheng thought cheerfully; her gains this time were immense. It was just a pity that both of her chess pieces were now useless. To do it again, she would have to set everything up from scratch. That would waste at least another month… After all, to identify the trading personnel, Wen Yuncheng would have to constantly monitor the video feed, which meant she couldn't take on bounties or do anything else to gain experience.
What a hassle… Wen Yuncheng pinned her hopes on the locations marked on the map, hoping that she could randomly pick a lucky "Fu" member who could contact the larger organization. That way, she might reap some unexpected rewards.
She could give the First Princess a heads-up about this… As for the black market, A Qi was done for, so she could cancel the monitor on him for now. As for the one in prison… if she were to call, it was best not to cancel it yet, unless he was killed by the Fu organization.
Sigh, back when she had no use for the monitors, Wen Yuncheng felt the skill was utterly useless, and it even had a limit of only three existing at the same time—Wen Yuncheng felt she wouldn't even use one. But now, hah, it was a lifesaver.
"Got the dragon blood?" the First Princess looked at Wen Yuncheng teasingly. "It's fine to do this sort of thing secretly once or twice, but if you do it too often and people find out, I won't be able to protect you."
"I won't, I won't. Besides, without your information, I wouldn't know who might be connected to Fu," Wen Yuncheng said with a dry laugh, shaking her head. "So… about the matter I mentioned?"
"The secret realm is up to you. As for that lair… Protector Chu Han will go with you. He'll seal off the area and leave no one alive."
"W-wait! Let's leave some alive. Maybe I can track down other 'Fu' gathering spots or trading locations?" Wen Yuncheng was stunned for a moment before quickly adding, "And, you're sending a Star Emperor?" What room would that leave for her to act? How much experience could she possibly get?
"…Then you lead your own people, and the Protector will follow in secret." The First Princess glanced at Wen Yuncheng. "You got quite a lot of good stuff, didn't you? You can communicate the specifics with the Protector yourself. I don't need to foot the bill for this, do I?"
"…Yes, Your Highness."
After leaving the Imperial Palace, Wen Yuncheng immediately went to visit Protector Chu Han. Protector Chu was very good-tempered, always exuding the air of a gentle and refined scholar. After hearing Wen Yuncheng's purpose, he agreed. As for the dragon blood Wen Yuncheng offered, Chu Han did not accept it.
"Since you're the one who obtained it, you should use it yourself." In the past, Chu Han might have patted this outstanding junior's head, but he remembered that Wen Yuncheng was a girl and ultimately refrained. He simply smiled and saw her out.
With that matter settled, Wen Yuncheng went to the auction house and gave the unneeded spirit herbs and miscellaneous trinkets to Yan Ling, waiting for the auction house to sell them for Star Stones. Then, she contacted the two Star King seniors who had protected her before and briefly explained the upcoming cooperation with the Empire. Once everything was arranged, Wen Yuncheng didn't delay, heading straight for the Flowing Cloud Sect. On her way, she also contacted Cheng Jiangliu, Zhao Qiuyu, and Yao Mu to ask if they were interested in raiding the stronghold.
Upon seeing Lin Jinyu, Wen Yuncheng eagerly handed over a storage ring. "Here, you can use this for body tempering. The effect is definitely better than the Fire Tempering Bath."
They had just met, and without even expressing the longing from their long separation, Lin Jinyu found her hands full of rings. She watched as Wen Yuncheng took out several more, chattering on, "This one has some pills. I don't really know much about them, so just use what you can. If there's anything useless, you can toss it to your teacher when you have time… Or maybe you can reward them to your sect's disciples?"
"Did you rob a black market?"
"…How could I?" Wen Yuncheng blinked. "I'm not that bold. I just robbed a middleman from the black market. He was colluding with Fu." Wen Yuncheng briefly explained the situation and then laid out a new map. She glanced at it and made a mark corresponding to the monitor's location. "There's a stronghold here. Let's go together. I've also called Cheng Jiangliu and the others, and two Star King seniors will be escorting us. Oh, and let's bring Xiao Shi'er. She's gotten too fat and needs to do some work."
Lin Jinyu thought of the white furball. Xiao Shi'er was indeed… in a state of being happily plump. It was time for her to lose some weight. "Do you need me to bring a Star Venerate?"
"No, Protector Chu Han will be protecting us in secret. He was originally supposed to handle it, but I think we need the combat experience."
Lin Jinyu nodded, gave a simple report to Sect Master Lin, and then left with Wen Yuncheng.
Normally, a "Fu" stronghold like this would be well-hidden and unlikely to move frequently. But after settling her affairs and gathering her companions, Wen Yuncheng began to worry that delays might cause complications, so she didn't wait long. On the third day, she met up with her friends in the Imperial Capital.
Yao Mu had come this time as well. He had successfully reached the 1st Layer of the Star Spirit realm and consolidated his cultivation, and was now working hard to break through to the 2nd Layer. The moment he appeared, Cheng Jiangliu couldn't help but tease him, "Some people, tsk tsk, didn't want the merit points last time and insisted on breaking through to the 1st Layer of Star Spirit. And what's the result? They entered the 1st Layer of Star Spirit at the same time as the junior sisters."
That did it. Yao Mu's fists instantly clenched. He threw an arm around Cheng Jiangliu's neck and pounded his back hard a couple of times. "What do you know? What do you know? Are you a Star King yet? No, you're not!"
After some roughhousing, Cheng Jiangliu turned sideways and introduced his own brother to Yao Mu, and Zhao Qiuyu introduced her sister as well. Their lineup was the same as last time. With the foundation of cooperation they had built before, everyone could trust each other, which would save a lot of time getting into sync during battle.
Yao Mu and the others had also met the two Star King seniors from the auction house. After everyone had greeted each other and become acquainted, they boarded a Gugu Bird and headed for the town closest to the stronghold.
The group was aware that Protector Chu Han was following them in secret. But it wasn't something to be discussed openly. Yao Mu was actually very excited and had frequently bowed towards the empty air when they first arrived in the Imperial Capital. After all, in the hearts of many within the Empire, the three Protectors were idol-like figures. To the public, the Protectors were the pillars of the Empire.
They settled in the town. Having set out during the day, it was now afternoon. Wen Yuncheng checked the marker; it hadn't moved at all. She took another look on her image display monitor in her room. Good, he hadn't kicked the bucket yet; someone was still torturing the unlucky trader. This meant that the Fu members had not withdrawn, nor had they noticed anything unusual.
"Everyone can rest for a while. We'll move tonight."
As the poem goes, a moonless night for murder, a windy day for arson. Although it describes bandits, the literal meaning fit the scene perfectly.
The group concealed their presence and quietly approached the location. The two Star King seniors took out crystal stones to serve as the formation's eyes, setting up a large-scale trapping formation. Wen Yuncheng looked at the valley and the small dot that was very close to her, guessing that the stronghold was either inside the mountain or underground. She raised her hand and released all her C-03 Air Wings. There weren't many; she had accumulated a total of twenty-three, and now she deployed them all.
As for the Star Cannons, Wen Yuncheng didn't rush to set them up. After all, the Fu members hadn't shown themselves yet, and it would be troublesome to move them if needed.
Once ready, Wen Yuncheng glanced quietly at the sky, hoping Protector Chu was also prepared. Little Ice Mountain squeezed Wen Yuncheng's fingers. The two exchanged a look, and Wen Yuncheng gave a hand signal. "Everyone, spread out. I'll create a commotion first. When they come out… kill anyone you can."
If "Fu" discovered they were being attacked by just a group of young people, with the highest-level combatant being only a Star King-level demonic beast… they probably wouldn't be scared into an immediate retreat but would decide to fight.
Once the battle began, the two hidden Star King seniors could make their move. Of course, if they managed to lure out a big fish at the Star Venerate or Star Emperor level, then Protector Chu Han would need to step in.
Wen Yuncheng felt that her plan this time was ridiculously safe. She could even draw out the "Fu" organization step by step, first lowering their guard. If they revealed their trump cards, Wen Yuncheng's group would reveal theirs. If Fu called for high-level reinforcements—what a coincidence, they had also called for a Protector as backup. Wen Yuncheng couldn't help but smile at the thought, feeling she was being cautious enough.
[Yeah, other Long Aotians risk their lives day in and day out, fighting to the death. And you? You're raiding someone's lair and you still need a Star Emperor for backup.]
Seeing that everyone had dispersed and Lin Jinyu had also gripped her longsword, ready for action, Wen Yuncheng raised her hand and controlled ten C-03 Air Wings to begin a frantic bombardment of the mountain!
Energy? She wasn't afraid of wasting energy! It was just a matter of a few potions, a cost she could afford!
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-
Waves of Star Power exploded, blasting the trees on the mountain until their roots were torn from the ground. Such a huge commotion almost instantly alerted the organization hidden underground.
In the next moment, several figures shot up with a whoosh. Well now, there were actually four Star Kings? This stronghold really had something…
"I thought the Empire was attacking, but it turns out to be just a few reckless youngsters." One of the Star Kings still looked a little pale, as if he had just been frightened. He had rushed up the fastest and had almost broken through the trapping formation to escape. Fortunately, he had paused for a moment to sense his surroundings. Otherwise, it would have been too embarrassing.
Upon sensing trouble, the first reaction of these high-level members was to flee. They didn't care about the lives of the other members, nor did they care what would happen if the stronghold was destroyed. After all, nothing was more important than their own lives.
"…We should leave quickly. We've been exposed. The Empire will probably receive news soon," one of the Fu Star Kings said with hesitation.
"What are you afraid of? Even if they get the news, is a Protector going to come? Don't tell me you're not tempted. Look at those things in the sky." Another Star King took out a scroll portrait, glanced at it twice, and then pointed at Wen Yuncheng. "This one is worth a thousand contribution points, and twenty million Star Stones!"
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