Infiltrate First

Little Fatty moved through the city at an unhurried pace, yet he was slippery beyond belief. After turning only a few streets, he vanished without a trace. Steward Qiu had personally led two Foundation Establishment Experts to follow him, yet upon arriving, they found only a piece of Little Fatty's clothing.

Steward Qiu's expression darkened. After staring at Little Fatty's clothes for a while, he suddenly laughed.

"Not bad. He truly has some real skill. A mere Qi Nourishing brat actually managed to shake us off. It seems there is some truth to what he said. Capable, shameless, and willing to sell out his own Senior Brother—this little fellow's future is boundless."

The middle-aged man beside Steward Qiu, carrying a compass, had a face as dark as water. He put away the compass without a word, then nodded as well.

"Indeed. This Little Fatty is cautious enough to evade my tracking. His Senior Brother must not be some simple character either. No wonder he could make Dole Ghost King's most beloved daughter fall for him. It is only natural for Little Fatty to act cautiously. Now, it depends on him. But Steward Qiu, are you truly bringing this Little Fatty along?"

"Bring him, then. No matter how slippery he is, he is only at Qi Nourishing. In that person's Seated Transcendence Land, even we are nothing more than ants should we make the slightest misstep. I only hate that the news can no longer be concealed. We have no choice but to take a desperate gamble and venture in boldly. If we could wait another month, until the senior experts within the commerce house arrived, even Dole Ghost King would be unable to stop us!" At the thought of it, Steward Qiu gritted his teeth in hatred...

If not for that little thief that day, they would not have been forced to drive ducks onto a perch.

"Do not be angered. What kind of figure was Purple Firmament Dao Lord? He shook the world five thousand years ago. Had he not suddenly vanished later, even the great figures behind the commerce association today would not be qualified to look up at him. No matter how many experts were sent, they would be no more than ants before a Dao Lord. This may not necessarily be a bad thing..." The middle-aged man remained calm, remarkably open-minded.

Meanwhile, Little Fatty had shaken off the two men and returned to the small courtyard. There was no response when he knocked, so he slipped inside. Only then did he see a note left on the table.

"Junior Brother Zhang, I found an important clue and went to track that person. Meet outside the Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb tomorrow."

Little Fatty held the note, his expression shifting. After a long while, he stamped his foot, gritted his teeth, and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb, Qin Yang was surrounded by several dozen Ghost Soldiers. Before long, a ghost soldier approached, Ghost Qi spilling from its body, its Ghost Body condensed almost like solid flesh, Baleful Intent on its face and fangs protruding from its mouth.

"Do you know who Imperial Concubine De is looking for?" This ghost soldier was truly fierce and savage. Killing Intent rolled densely off its body; merely drawing near made Qin Yang feel as though even breathing scorched his lungs.

But that was only an illusion. The Killing Intent and Yin Qi were too dense. Inhaling them had injured his lungs...

The gap was far too great. This fierce ghost was at least equivalent to Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

"That's right. It's my Junior Brother, Zhang Zhengyi. I know he came to the Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb before, and after returning, he secretly sold more than a hundred Ghost Soldiers!" Qin Yang endured the burning in his breath and answered calmly.

"Where is he?" Upon hearing this, the Tusked Ghost Soldier's already dense Killing Intent surged explosively. Its aura became black wolf-smoke that shot into the sky, directly blasting Qin Yang flying...

"Is this how Dole Ghost King normally teaches you to handle matters?" Caught off guard and sent flying, Qin Yang could not help getting angry.

With a flick of his hand, a foot-long scroll appeared in it. Specks of spiritual light drifted across the scroll, spiritual energy surging forth. The thick Yin Qi around them was swept up by an invisible force and transformed into howling gales, while an exceedingly dangerous aura suddenly emerged...

At once, the Tusked Ghost Soldier halted. It glanced at the scroll in Qin Yang's hand, and its expression gradually returned to normal.

"You came to deliver information, so we will naturally follow the rules. What do you want?"

"Simple. I only want to know why the people from Ten Thousand Eternity Commerce and Boundless Dao Academy suddenly became interested in the Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb."

"Hm?" The Tusked Ghost Soldier's pitch-black eyes fixed on Qin Yang. Only after a long while did it slowly speak. "As long as you give us the answer we want, we will give you the answer you want."

"My Junior Brother Zhang Zhengyi is currently in Green Forest City, together with people from Ten Thousand Eternity Commerce. If nothing unexpected happens, they will come here tomorrow. He has a Magical Artifact that conceals his figure and appearance. When the time comes, you only need to find a Little Fatty who looks particularly harmless and friendly—that will be my Junior Brother Zhang Zhengyi. Since he was fortunate enough to earn Imperial Concubine De's favor, as his Senior Brother, I naturally cannot let him become a Heartless Man. Perhaps we may even become relatives by marriage in the future..." Qin Yang spouted utter nonsense, yet spoke with righteous solemnity...

Little did he know that Little Fatty was likewise using the relationship between Senior Brother and Junior Brother to make his story more convincing...

Upon hearing this, the Tusked Ghost Soldier more or less believed him. So many details could not possibly be known by anyone but the person involved. Looking at Qin Yang again, the Tusked Ghost Soldier could not help but feel contempt rise in its heart.

Another fellow chasing power and wealth. To cling to Ghost King's thigh, he was even willing to sell out his own Junior Brother...

"The reason those cultivators wish to enter the Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb is merely to reach its depths. The transaction is complete. Go rest first. Whether what you said is true will have to be verified tomorrow."

The Tusked Ghost Soldier was unwilling to say more. It already believed Qin Yang ninety percent, and did not doubt his motives either. After all, Dole Ghost King was the overlord of the Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb. Though he had never expanded outward and merely cultivated here in peace, his strength was there for all to see. Countless people wished to attach themselves to him...

The best way, naturally, was to marry Ghost King's treasured daughter. If one could not do it oneself, having one's Junior Brother marry her was much the same...

Several Ghost Soldiers led Qin Yang away. They followed a small path onward, and the farther they went, the more ghostly creatures they encountered. Amid the barren mountains and wild ridges, desolate graves stood everywhere. At a glance, the two mountaintops ahead contained at least a thousand earthen graves of ghostly beings, packed densely together.

"Brothers, where are you taking me?" Qin Yang asked without revealing anything.

"Naturally, to the Ghost King Mansion." The Ghost Soldier beside him gave him the answer directly, his eyes full of mockery as he looked at him.

Qin Yang narrowed his eyes and said nothing. He merely followed obediently, yet inwardly, he nearly laughed aloud.

The Ghost King Mansion was inside the Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb. If he had come alone, the chance of infiltrating it would have been terrifyingly low.

Now, seeing the desolate graves scattered over the mountain ridges, then passing three successive checkpoints ahead, he became even more certain of it.

After walking for nearly an hour, they finally saw a vast cluster of pitch-black buildings suddenly emerge in the center where the surrounding mountains enclosed one another. Every building was the same color, grim and solemn. Above the structures, Ghost Qi and Yin Qi gathered into clouds that blotted out the sky and sun, their imposing presence terrifying beyond measure.

Qin Yang gazed into the distance, looking beyond the building complex. There, two mountains pressed together, forming a One Line Sky. Between them, rushing currents flowed endlessly, the river becoming a white line as it fell from the heavens.

Qin Yang recognized this place. This was the entrance marked on the map.