Qin Siyu: Senior, don't worry about me... wait, you're really leaving me to it?

"So powerful... Senior, this Hidden Snake is at least Yaomo worth Ten Guan of cash, yet it's as fragile as paper in front of you."

As Qin Siyu spoke, she looked at Lin Yu with a reverent expression.

"So it seems... this Hidden Snake might not actually be after you, Senior," Qin Siyu paused, then continued, "But I really can't think of a reason why it would come for me. Perhaps... is it possible that this Hidden Snake isn't specifically after either me or you, Senior, but rather... is simply looking for Blood Food?"

Qin Siyu said after thinking for a moment.

Lin Yu was somewhat surprised. "The normal search for Blood Food?"

Qin Siyu nodded. "Yes, although this is inside Martial Town, even the largest and most prosperous Inn in Martial Town, but... because of the Hidden Snake's talent, the habits of this kind of Yaomo are indeed not like other Yaomo hiding in deep mountains and Old Lin, or in cold rivers and pools, but... lurking in the bustling city!"

"What they love to do most is to silently strangle and devour a person, then make others believe that the person left on their own."

"Although there are many Martial Artists in this Martial Town, precisely because Martial Artists are so many, they don't rely much on the strength of the Daoist Sect. In addition, most Martial Artists come and go in a hurry and their whereabouts are uncertain. So, although it seems unlikely at first glance, upon closer inspection... this place really does seem like a good place for the Hidden Snake to survive for a long time."

After hearing Qin Siyu's words, Lin Yu thought about it for a moment and also felt that Qin Siyu's words made sense.

"You make it sound like there's some truth to it..."

"However, I don't usually assume things are 'coincidences' or 'no need to worry'," Lin Yu said. "If you're certain that the Hidden Snake isn't targeting you, then... we'll have to prepare for the worst."

Qin Siyu asked, "For example?"

"For example, this 'Hidden Snake' was just the first one—in fact, there are already hundreds of Hidden Snake piled up here inside and outside the Inn, and there might even be one right in front of us."

Qin Siyu imagined the scene and shuddered. "That's terrifying, senior... if it were really like that... it's too chilling!"

However, Qin Siyu paused for a moment, then her expression hardened. "But that might actually be a good thing!"

This time, Lin Yu was a little surprised. "Good news?"

Qin Siyu nodded. "Yes, Senior, you dealt with this Hidden Snake so easily—even if there were hundreds more, you could definitely handle them!"

"These Hidden Snake are very valuable—the bounty alone starts at Ten Guan cash, not to mention their gallbladders, skins, and fangs are all top-quality treasures."

"If it also Poison Sac and Poison Gland, that's even more of a windfall... Although not all Hidden Snake have them, if there are hundreds, there will definitely be dozens—those are also very valuable!"

As Qin Siyu spoke, she even began to daydream.

"In that case... I might be able to just buy some elixirs and cure everyone in the Village."

At this point, Qin Siyu suddenly became somewhat melancholic. "But... what exactly did that Demon Lord mean by his last words to me? Will the Village Chief... be alright...?"

"If you're so worried, why don't you go back and check on things?"

Lin Yu asked.

Qin Siyu shook her head. "What's done is done. If the Village Chief is already in trouble, it'll be too late for me to go back now. The Village will naturally go to the nearby Daoist Sect for help... I might as well take this opportunity to go to Nine Cold Mountain."

"And if, by some miracle, the Village Chief is truly unharmed, I'll definitely return with good news."

Qin Siyu said, then smiled and said, "It's alright, senior... Although I was indeed a little worried, parting is the norm in the Two Mountains and Six Hells, and I was already prepared."

"Moreover, for those in our Village suffering from the effects of Fire Poison, especially the elderly... perhaps relief wouldn't be a bad thing."

Lin Yu listened to Qin Siyu's words and nodded. "Hmm... But I think the 'Diviner' is just bluffing. He's just provoking you—no, provoking you isn't accurate. He's probably using this opportunity to anger Daoist Master Xingyi."

Qin Siyu recalled for a moment, then blinked. "I hope so—anyway, let's deal with these hundreds of Hidden Snake first, senior—that's a lot of money!"

"It's not like there are really hundreds of Hidden Snake," Lin Yu waved his hand, "Besides, even if there were hundreds, I might not be able to defeat them."

Qin Siyu looked at Lin Yu: "Senior, you can definitely do it!"

Even if you can't do it alone, I'll still be there to support you!

Qin Siyu said seriously, "Besides, this is 'Martial Town' —if things get too chaotic, other Martial Artists will come to help."

"However, it's best not to attract other people, otherwise we'll have to divide the money."

Qin Siyu said, outlining her plan.

Lin Yu couldn't help but rub his forehead. "So, the claim of hundreds of Hidden Snake was just my guess, or even a bit of an exaggeration..."

"That's right. For experts, simply increasing the number of Yaomo is meaningless."

Someone else offered further explanation for Lin Yu.

Qin Siyu nodded. "I see... Hmm, who's speaking?"

After subconsciously responding to the other person, Qin Siyu realized that something was wrong.

How could there be a third person's voice in this room?!

Moreover, Qin Siyu couldn't even figure out... where that sound came from!

As a top-notch thief and expert in Hidden Weapons, she has an exceptional ability to locate sounds in the dark.

But...

Recalling the voice from just now, Qin Siyu could only determine that it sounded young and somewhat ethereal, but she couldn't glean any other useful information.

She couldn't pinpoint the direction of the sound.

If I had to put it into words... it sounded like it was coming from inside my own body.

Not only that...

By the time Qin Siyu realized what was happening, Lin Yu beside her had also vanished.

Qin Siyu's expression changed drastically.

"Senior?!"

"Damn it—what was that?! It actually kidnapped my senior in one go?!"

Qin Siyu tensed up, pulled out a handful of Silver Needles from her bosom, and held them in her hand, her expression unusually solemn.

And that ghostly, rootless voice rang out again.

"I didn't kidnap him. He hid the moment he became aware of my presence..."

"His concealment skills are even more impressive than the 'Hidden Snake' —no wonder that snake didn't stump him earlier."

The sound rang out, still ethereal and melodious.

And after that sound...

Qin Siyu suddenly heard Lin Yu's voice also ring out—from all directions in the room.

"Thank you for the compliment, but your 'stealth' skills are quite good as well."

Lin Yu's voice echoed softly in the room, then he asked, "Are you human, or a demon? Enemy... or friend?"

The other person's voice rang out again. "I think, perhaps if we have the chance, we could become good friends," the Director.

This sentence didn't answer whether he was human or demon, and it sounded like he wanted to make friends.

However, interpreting the subtext reveals otherwise.

Lin Yu could clearly tell that the other party calling him "Director" was most likely an indication of his status as a "Player".

Meanwhile, the other party said, "There's a chance we can become friends," so it seems this time...

They are the enemy.

Lin Yu was not surprised by this result.

Did the Diviner send you?

He didn't really 'assign' me, but... he did promise me some benefits, some benefits that I couldn't refuse.

The voice echoed again, faintly.

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Yu spoke up, "That 'Hidden Snake' was one of your tricks... to test me?"

"Nature."

The other party knew that Lin Yu was testing them, but still responded.

"He's confident he's stronger than me, and even 'Diviner' need to offer bribes to get him to come, so he must be at least a relatively strong 'Tier 3'... With deep roots in the Prison Mountain Realm and the ability to command the Yaomo 'Hidden Snake,' who is he?"

"Can we rule out 'Tier 4'? We should be able to. I've seen all the 'Tier 4' individuals except for 'Conception.' Even those I don't know much about, like 'Liu' and 'Lacan,' aren't this style... And according to intelligence, 'Conception's' personality and style don't match what this person has shown so far."

"Among the top 25 'Tier 3' is 'Flower Branch' whom I haven't seen before, but according to 'Order's' information, although 'Flower Branch' is a loner and focuses on her own [Instance], she is quite close to the 'Night Watcher' and has a good relationship with 'Robin' and 'Sunflower,' so it's unlikely that she would cooperate with the 'Diviner'..."

While deducing the person's identity in his mind, Lin Yu Bu Wang to urge Old Zheng.

"Still haven't located him, Old Zheng... This guy's been talking to me for ages!"

As Lin Yu spoke, Old Zheng chimed in, "Boss, this guy can control the 'Hidden Snake'... He very likely possesses the same stealth techniques as these Yaomo. I really can't find his location."

While Old Zheng's Mental Power search yielded no results...

The voice rang out again.

"You're pinpointing my location, aren't you, Director? Don't waste your energy. Even a 'Feng Shui Master' would have to put in some effort to find me."

Upon hearing the other person's words, Lin Yu replied, "But... you can't find me either, right?"

That ethereal voice rang out again. "Clever, but I don't need to find you—after all, I'm in your room now."

"And you... have a companion who can be my Hostage."

Even if you hide, can you really not care whether she lives or dies?

As the ethereal voice spoke, Qin Siyu was startled for a moment, then quickly shouted, "Senior, don't worry about me!"

Lin Yu also replied, "If you really lay a hand on her... the moment you do, I'll have a chance to find you."

"Of course, if you're confident you can kill this guy silently and without me noticing any flaws, then go ahead and do it."

"You're welcome to try. I don't care whether she lives or dies."

Lin Yu's cold words stunned Qin Siyu.

"Hey, senior... you really don't care?"

The ethereal voice paused for a moment, seemingly trying to determine whether Lin Yu was lying.

Finally, the voice sounded again, sounding somewhat confused.

"Aren't you... a member of 'Order'?"

"Could I have remembered it wrong?"