The Chancellor's methods

"You're going to test me... That's quite true." Even just two members of the "Freedom Alliance" would be a formidable opponent.

After Lin Yu exposed the Chancellor's identity as a member of "Order," he stopped trying to hide it and instead spoke in return.

"But, as a member of 'Order,' is it really a good idea for you to cooperate with people from the 'Freedom Alliance'?"

Lin Yu looked at the Chancellor and said, "And what about you? You're cooperating with 'Copper Furnace'... Oh, no, you're even a high-ranking member of 'Copper Furnace'."

"Do you consider this following organizational Discipline?"

The Chancellor said in a low voice, "First of all, you've got it backwards. I'm not a traitor who betrayed my beliefs and defected from 'Order' to 'Copper Furnace.' I joined 'Copper Furnace' first and then 'Order.'"

"From the very beginning, my primary principle has been loyalty—I joined 'Order' with a mission."

Chancellor spoke, Lin Yu couldn't help but retort, "You're quite arrogant."

The Chancellor ignored Lin Yu's sarcasm and continued, "Secondly, Comrade 'Director'... don't think that just because 'Copper Furnace' is targeting you, it's an anti-justice, anti- Order organization. Although it's secretive, it's definitely not one that creates chaos—unlike the 'Freedom Alliance,' the organizational stance and policies of 'Copper Furnace' and 'Order' aren't actually that different."

Lin Yu sighed, "If 'Copper Furnace' is really as righteous as you say, why would it offer a bounty on an ordinary 'Player' like me, struggling to survive?"

The Chancellor immediately replied, "If your only concern is survival, the organization will absolutely not target you."

Lin Yu stared at the Chancellor: "Which organization are you referring to?"

The Chancellor did not respond, but continued, "The thing you've been planning and working towards is the one that will truly shake the Ten Realms and bring disaster to all the 'Player'... We absolutely cannot let you complete it."

Lin Yu looked at the Chancellor and said with a smile, "So what do you mean by directly offering a bounty on me? Aren't you going to try to dissuade me first?"

The Chancellor stared at Lin Yu and said, "Would dissuasion be effective against you? Would you give up what you want to achieve because of any obstacles?"

Lin Yu sighed, "That's true... but since you know how important this matter is to me, and you still want to block my way, then there's really no room for negotiation between us."

"However, I almost laugh when you say that 'Copper Furnace' and 'Order' have similar stances... Why would an organization with similar stances send out an undercover agent like you?"

Lin Yu said sarcastically again.

Li Nian chimed in, "That's right. No matter what, our 'Freedom Alliance' hasn't sent any spies into 'Order'."

The Chancellor glanced at Lin Yu: "Does the 'Freedom Alliance' have no undercover agents? I can't say for sure."

"You don't know anything! This is called nepotism!"

Li Nian said emphatically.

Lin Yu immediately retorted, "There's no nepotism involved. I've never revealed any internal organizational information to 'Zhu Ming'."

Li Nian put her hands on her hips. "Hey, we've all come to rescue you, is it so hard for you to admit you have a relationship with Sister Zhu Ming?"

"Look at the situation. There's a member of 'Order' standing here—even though he's an undercover agent for 'Copper Furnace,' can you please not talk about these disciplinary issues in front of him?" Lin Yu sighed, then said seriously, "Besides, I haven't broken any rules. I've always adhered to organizational principles."

The Chancellor asked curiously, "What's the use of you pledging your loyalty to me? Do you think I'd use that to impeach you within the organization? Wouldn't that be like me deliberately exposing myself to you?"

Lin Yu looked at the Chancellor: "What if?"

"No, I've already said I'd rather kill you in Shenzhen this time," the Chancellor said calmly. "You're too dangerous... not only because of your secret plan, but also because I've recently come to realize that you seem to have the potential to actually achieve it."

Lin Yu said, "So... before that, you still need to think about how to survive and escape."

The Chancellor nodded. "I will do my best... However, I have already answered so many of your questions, so please answer one of mine as well... How many people from the Freedom Alliance have come to deal with me this time?"

"All."

Li Nian answered quickly.

"I don't believe that," the Chancellor laughed. "It's too outrageous."

Lin Yu nodded. "There's really no need to hide it from you... Anyway, about half of them have arrived—two out of the three 'Tier 4' have shown up."

"These people are more than enough to deal with you... and will completely waste all your efforts to talk to me here and use 'information' to buy time."

As Lin Yu spoke, Old Wu's hearty voice came from below.

"That's right... 'Chancellor' of 'Copper Furnace,' a worthy opponent. Although I don't know what you're trying to do by exploiting the underground vulnerabilities, your efforts are in vain."

A manhole cover, which had been submerged in floodwater during the torrential rain and was bubbling like a fountain, was pushed open beneath the three men. Old Wu, wearing a miner's hat and a plastic raincoat, climbed out of the well, carrying a device with exposed wires that looked like a handheld satellite dish with a remote control panel.

The device emitted a constant hissing sound in the rain, releasing a strange energy field that absorbed all surrounding energy fluctuations, transforming them into a distorted magnetic field.

The Chancellor glanced at it, his expression changing slightly. "This [Item]... can even interfere with Divine Power at the level of Deity?!"

Then, the Chancellor looked at Old Wu's ordinary face and realized, "Damn it... you're 'Mad Craftsman Old Wu'!"

Old Wu laughed, "Don't call me that awful name anymore. 'Inventor' sounds much better. I love inventing, Chancellor."

Behind Old Wu, Chen Le, wearing a straw hat, also climbed up.

"What did I tell you, Old Wu? It's 'Divine Power'... The energy he absorbed from underground was to enable him to achieve 'Divine Descent'!"

"He's that Chosen of God, the 'Emperor'—I won! Quick, give me fifty bucks!"

Old Wu looked at Chen Le, who was carrying Fishing Rod, and readily pulled out a brand-new 100-yuan bill from his pocket.

"A bet's a bet. You can take it and go to KFC with A Nian."

Li Nian cheered, "Oh my, I get one too!"

The Chancellor's expression turned solemn as he looked at the three people who had appeared there.

"Tier 4... quasi- Tier 4, the Freedom Alliance certainly takes me seriously."

Upon hearing the Chancellor's words, Li Nian immediately turned around.

"Stop trying to make yourself look good. You're just an unearthed artifact—a Funerary Artifact object like the Tang Dynasty tri-colored pottery—we don't care about you at all. We're just here to join the fun and help 'Director' things," Li Nian said matter-of-factly. "Who do you think you are that warrants Brother Le and Old Wu personally dealing with you? Maybe you have some powerful identity, some kind of 'Order' mole... but in my opinion, you're pretty boring."

"Boring people aren't worth our attention, okay?"

Li Nian said casually.

The Chancellor sighed, "That's true... After all, if you really valued me, you wouldn't have discovered my 'first layer' of preparations on your own."

"Director... I admit I didn't expect you to have the 'Freedom Alliance' ambushed me here and pull a fast one on me, but... you also underestimated me a bit."

"I've been talking to you for so long, and it wasn't just about preparing 'Divine Descent' as an escape method."

As soon as he finished speaking, a trace of ink appeared in the water that had gathered at the Chancellor's feet due to the torrential rain.

Soon, the ink stains spread across the entire pool of water, transforming the "real water flow" into the kind of Shui Shui depicting flowing water.

The water flowed around the Chancellor, while a "scroll" slowly unfolded behind him.

An antique-style landscape painting actually appeared behind the Chancellor.

The Chancellor himself transformed into a black-and-white figure in a traditional Chinese ink painting, standing before the layered mountains and Gao Shan, in a landscape that clearly did not belong to the Shenzhen.

"Director... your escape methods are indeed impressive, but mine are no worse!"

The Chancellor smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and turned to walk into the ink-wash landscape.

Seeing this, Li Nian pulled down her sunglasses.

"Damn, is he an 'official' or a 'Painter'? No... whether he's an 'official' or a 'Painter,' it doesn't quite match the abilities he's demonstrated... he's practically a 'copycat.'"

Could he be some kind of "official Painter"?

"Li Nian exclaimed in surprise."

Old Wu stared at the Chancellor's figure and said, "No, whether it's the remaining ability of the Hand Order on the 'Director' or his ability to enter the painting... they should all be 'borrowed' by him."

Li Nian realized, "Oh! This does look a bit like 'Zhu Ming' sister... But, Old Wu, is it really okay to just let him go like this? Aren't you going to get some powerful vacuum cleaner or something to suck him out of the painting?"

Old Wu shook his head. "A powerful vacuum cleaner can't do that... That thing can only break through 'seals' or some kind of 'physical barrier' to achieve the effect of 'retrieving objects from a distance'..."

Lin Yu couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "There really are 'powerful vacuum cleaners'?"

"Of course, that's one of my proudest inventions," Old Wu said, then paused. "Anyway, A Nian, you don't need to worry about the Chancellor escaping... After all, even if he does run away, Chen Le can catch him and bring him back."

Chen Le said, "That's right, the [Super Fishing Rod] has now regained some of its power!"

Old Wu added, "Besides, we probably don't need Chen Le to help."

As Old Wu finished speaking, a rustling sound suddenly came from the mountains and forests within the unfolded freehand landscape painting.

Hahahaha!

A deep laugh echoed through the mountains and forests, causing a slight "change" in the flowing lines of the painting!