Destination, Three Lives Mountain

Xu Bai never expected that he would get to know Ying Yue in this way.

He really wanted to say, "I'm so sorry to have met you in this way."

At this moment, Ying Yue's eyes shone brightly as she lunged at Xu Bai, but Xu Bai dodged, causing Ying Yue to miss her target.

In Xu Bai, Ying Yue's eyes seemed to have transformed into the shape of stars, and her face was filled with an extreme sense of excitement.

Excitement, what is the reason for this excitement? Xu Bai had seen this expression on the face of someone before, the little girl from Miao territory.

He had seen this expression before when he talked to Ying Yue about himself, but he never expected that Ying Yue would lose control at this moment.

Having just missed her target, Ying Yue immediately turned around and pounced again, babbling incoherently.

"It's alive, it really is alive! Quick, let me touch it and see if it has a heartbeat!"

"Don't hide! Hey, why are you hiding?"

"I told you to stop hiding! Stop now and let me see!"

Xu Bai shifted his footing again and dodged it.

To be honest, Ying Yue is very beautiful, even comparable to Ye Zi and the others, except that she is a little flat-chested.

But Xu Bai really wanted to ask, why would such a beautiful woman be able to do such a lewd thing?

Despicable, extremely despicable!

At this moment, Ying Yue was like a scoundrel who had seen a pretty girl; his indiscriminate hunger gave Xu Bai goosebumps.

"Stop, please stop for a moment, hey, I already said stop, don't do anything, stand still!"

Xu Bai used his hand to support Ying Yue's head and moved his body backward.

Ying Yue's head was blocked and she couldn't move forward, but her fair little hands reached up Xu Bai's arm.

"It's warm!"

"It's alive, and it can even move!"

Ying Yue uttered those lewd words again, and then, right before Xu Bai 'Ying Yue eyes, tears streamed down her cheeks.

Xu Bai: "..."

If we're talking about the woman in the world who understands Xu Bai best, it has to be Ye Zi, after all, the two have had in-depth conversations.

If you were to ask Ye Zi what Xu Bai's weakness is, Ye Zi would definitely reply that he responds better to gentle persuasion than force.

At this moment, Xu Bai saw that Ying Yue was actually crying and said speechlessly.

"No, even if you admire me a lot, you don't need to cry, do you?"

"Waaah..." Ying Yue sobbed softly, "These are tears of excitement."

She wiped her eyes with her little hand and then reached down Xu Bai's arm to touch them again.

"Smack!"

"Oops!"

Ying Yue cried out and was pinned to the ground by Xu Bai.

"Let me make this clear to you now. I still have some pride, so don't go too far. You can touch me, but don't touch me in the front," Xu Bai said seriously.

Ying Yue was pinned down by Xu Bai, unable to struggle against the immense force. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Okay, I've calmed down. Please let me go now."

Xu Bai let go of her hand, and as soon as he did, Ying Yue scrambled up and looked him up and down with a curious gaze.

"Could you... let me see your face?"

There was even a hint of pleading in his voice.

Ying Yue's eyes shone with hope, her hands clenched tightly and trembling slightly, as if she were waiting for a momentous occasion that she valued greatly.

Upon hearing this, Xu Bai felt inexplicably sorry for the woman in front of him.

Now that his identity had been exposed, he decided not to hide it anymore.

With a swipe of his hand across his face, the human skin mask was removed, revealing his true appearance.

Ying Yue's eyes widened, her dark pupils contracted slightly, and her mouth opened wide enough to fit two eggs.

"I... I... I..."

She didn't know what to say next, and after stammering for a long time, she couldn't utter a single word.

"It was worth it, it was worth it in this life."

"I thought I'd never see him in my life, but I actually did."

"I have no regrets."

The implication behind those words sent chills down Xu Bai's spine.

It felt like we were about to be separated forever.

"It's not that bad. We'll have a chance to meet every day from now on." Xu Bai quickly reassured Ying Yue as she calmed down.

Ying Yue nodded and gave a soft "hmm".

However, her eyes remained fixed on Xu Bai, never leaving him for a moment.

His expression appeared calm, but his heart was in turmoil as he pondered his own affairs.

"It must have been my father who did it."

"He knew I was doomed on this trip, so he fulfilled my wish before I died."

She didn't say these words aloud; they just passed through her mind without being shown on her face.

"Xu Bai ... no, since we're in enemy territory now, we shouldn't call him by his name." Ying Yue stopped abruptly after uttering Xu Bai's name, looking at the unconscious woman. "What should we do with this person?"

Xu Bai shook his head and said, "Let's lock you in your shadow first, and wait for you here."

Since the Lu You is coming at the end of this month, and there's not much time left until then, it's best to stay here and keep watch.

"Hmm." Ying Yue nodded and asked, "Should we just kill them then?"

"We need to use some tactics to try and kill him instantly, so he doesn't have a chance to escape." Xu Bai reached out and wiped his face again, transforming into the woman's appearance.

A sophisticated method of disguise, truly allowing for complete freedom of expression.

Ying Yue understood what Xu Bai wanted to do.

"Taking advantage of their inattention and launching a surprise attack, you truly live up to your reputation."

The phrase "As expected of you" sounded somewhat mocking to Xu Bai in his previous life.

But here, when Ying Yue uses these four words, she doesn't mean that at all; rather, it's a heartfelt compliment.

Xu Bai felt a chill run down his spine as he listened, though he didn't know how many times he'd gotten goosebumps that day; he was just incredibly embarrassed.

—I'm so embarrassed, I'm scratching my toes so hard I could dig out enough skin to build several villas.

Fortunately, Ying Yue didn't say much after that, clearly knowing that important matters were at hand. After putting the woman into her shadow, she stood quietly to the side.

However, he stood to the side without saying a word, but his eyes kept darting around, glancing at Xu Bai every now and then with a blank look in his eyes.

Such a small expression, being stared at with such eyes by a beautiful woman.

What could Xu Bai say? He couldn't say anything. He couldn't exactly beat someone up, could he?

While there was still time, he stopped speaking, took out the human skin, and examined it carefully.

Ying Yue sat in the chair, propping her chin up with her hand, resting her elbow on the table, her hands clenched into small fists, and when she closed them, she supported her chin.

The room was quiet, yet the scene was remarkably harmonious.

Time passed by, and several days went by in the blink of an eye.

The Lu You is in a very bad mood, extremely bad.

He is someone who rose from the bottom to achieve his current status; the hardships he endured along the way are self-evident.

In his climb up the ranks, he also resorted to many underhanded tactics, including murder, arson, and assassination. He did just that, otherwise he wouldn't have reached his current position.

For him, his current position is the pinnacle.

He is quite content, after all, his life is pretty good now.

Everything was fine and peaceful until this time when we went to verify it, which almost caused a huge mess.

The member from Fallen Phoenix City actually handed the information to the wrong person.

That's a huge piece of intelligence, extremely important, enough to get someone promoted.

If the Dark Building finds out, he, the person responsible for verification, will also be implicated.

Fortunately, having been in the underworld for so many years, I was quite quick-witted and immediately came up with a solution.

If I hadn't made the decision to say that the intelligence was fake, I'd probably be in trouble now.

Even in ordinary times, he would have times when he was in a bad mood. When he was in a bad mood, he would come to the end of this alley to find his old flame.

Only at this time can he relax a little and put all his worries behind him.

The brothels in this world are not like those in Xu Bai's previous life.

The most beautiful courtesan, in particular, was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was also very perceptive and understood human nature, and her sweet words were like honey.

Unlike Xu Bai in his previous life, he wouldn't just rush things.

The people in those brothels never rush you; they even manage to create the right atmosphere beforehand.

It cost a fortune to redeem myself.

Lu You felt that the money he spent was well worth it, since he had already earned it back.

He familiarly walked around that alleyway and came to its end. He raised his Lu You and knocked on the door.

After a moment, footsteps came from behind the door, and soon, the courtesan opened the door to the room.

Lu You was about to go up and get a little intimate, but unexpectedly, the courtesan raised her hand and stopped Lu You.

"What's going on?"

He frowned. Usually by this time, the other person would have already thrown themselves into his arms, but today was different.

"I was in danger today. Someone climbed over the wall and tried to force me, but I found an opportunity and smashed a vase on the back of my head with it. I died in the room." The courtesan recounted the story with a tearful expression.

Lu You was wondering why this woman was behaving so strangely, but after hearing what she said next, he understood.

If someone were killed by a falling object, any woman would likely react differently.

"Take me to see it."

He was a seasoned veteran, and instead of making any grand pronouncements, he wanted to know who had died. If the deceased was of great importance, then the woman could not be allowed to live.

If the dead person was just an ordinary citizen, then tonight he would find an opportunity to investigate that person's background.

Once we find out who it is, we need to take care of the whole family to get rid of them and put an end to the trouble.

The courtesan raised her hand, pointing delicately to the room with a hint of fear in her eyes, and didn't dare to lead the way.

Lu You waved and walked towards the room. He quickly arrived at the room and pushed the door open.

Upon opening the door, he was immediately struck by the stench of blood, a smell he, as a seasoned veteran, knew all too well.

Following the scent of blood, I saw a corpse.

The body was naked and lying face down with its back to him, so his appearance was not clear.

At that moment, the courtesan also entered.

"While he was undressing, I smashed him to death."

"Okay, I understand. Let me see who he is." Lu You nodded and bent down to turn the body over.

The true appearance of the corpse was revealed.

Lu You was slightly taken aback; he actually knew this person.

To be precise, they were his colleagues.

How could he possibly be here?

"Wait a minute, something seems off!"

"How could a vase possibly kill a Transcendent Realm expert?"

Lu You stopped thinking about why his colleague was in his room, and didn't think about anything else; he only had one thought in his mind.

There's a problem!

Even ten thousand vases couldn't possibly kill Transcendent Realm expert! Just as he thought of this, his expression changed, and he felt a gust of wind behind the back of his head.

He tried to turn around to deal with it, but it was too late, as he was surrounded by dark shadows.

Meanwhile, within the shadows, gold and gray-white hues were constantly intertwined.

Chaos spread from there.

He felt a pain in the back of his head and below his neck.

He vaguely saw a white glint of light through the mirror beside him.

"Chaos... It's that man!"

"That man is here! He's come to the Great Yue Kingdom! How dare he?"

Chaos was that man's trademark. Now, Lu You has figured out what happened, but it's too late.

"Bang!"

The head rolled, blood splattered all over the ground. Looking at the corpse in front of him, Xu Bai changed back and calmly looked at the dark figure.

The surrounding shadows gradually disappeared, vanishing into nothingness, and Ying Yue emerged from the shadows.

"I've disposed of the body. Are you going to go find the top-tier information now?"

A black shadow appeared, gathering up all the corpses and bloodstains in front of it.

Xu Bai shook his head. "According to the information you gave me, he won't go today. Let's go tomorrow."

Ying Yue hummed in agreement, then her eyes lit up as if she had suddenly thought of something.

"Tell me about your situation."

With her long legs striding, Ying Yue found a seat and looked at Xu Bai with expectant eyes.

Xu Bai sat down opposite Ying Yue: "Actually, I'd like to know why you admire me so much?"

Ying Yue bit her lower lip, her eyes darting around. "Admiration is admiration, there's no reason, sometimes it's just a fleeting moment."

Xu Bai didn't ask any further questions. After thinking for a moment, he said, "What things do you want to know?"

Ying Yue drawled, "Hmm... I want to know everything. How about we start with the last time you Upper Capital, when you fought thousands of people all by yourself?"

After that, Xu Bai stayed in the house, and the two chatted casually, but it was mostly Xu Bai who talked about his things.

Ying Yue rested her chin on her hand, her eyes fixed on Xu Bai. As Xu Bai spoke, Ying Yue's eyes sparkled with different emotions.

The next day.

In a bustling street corner, there stands a huge building at the very end.

No one passes by the building; this is the headquarters of the Shadow Building.

Unlike other places, there was no need to do anything to cover things up. Headquarters is headquarters, and there's no need to do things like other branches.

The headquarters staff are responsible for collecting and centralizing various data, as well as coordinating the planning of various branches. Most importantly, they are responsible for maintaining the stability of Kyoto.

Xu Bai, disguised as Lu You, arrived in front of the building.

His mind raced, trying to recall the proper demeanor for the Lu You described in the data, before he stepped inside.

As he walked through the gate, he saw a constant stream of people inside. These people were moving around in a hurry, some carrying piles of documents, and some carrying nothing, but everyone was in a rush.

Every day, a vast amount of information is gathered from all parts of the Great Yue Kingdom and converges here.

Therefore, the members at headquarters are very busy, repeating a lot of work every day.

When Xu Bai approached, no one noticed him or cared about him.

Thinking through the information in his mind, he turned around and walked towards a building.

This building, located on the left side of the main building, is also incredibly large. It contains all sorts of documents, from the lowest grade D documents to the highest grade A documents; everything imaginable is here.

Headquarters members have the right to access information here, and no one stopped him; Xu Bai walked in openly and honestly.

That's why Ying Yue knows how to find people. Their Lu You comes from the martial arts world and has little connection with this place. Although they have worked hard to build their business, they are ultimately no match for those with status and background.

So no one spoke to him along the way, reducing the risk of exposure.

Once inside the building, Xu Bai discovered that it was filled with a vast collection of books, each displayed on numerous bookshelves.

The bookshelves are neatly arranged, with a fixed number of books in each row and column.

People were going up and down the stairs every now and then.

The building has four floors, and the Grade A documents are on the top floor.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Bai headed straight for the stairs and went up to the second floor.

With each floor he went up, the amount of information decreased significantly. When he reached the fourth floor, the amount of information there was at most one-tenth of that on the first floor.

There are relatively few people on the fourth floor.

When Xu Bai came up, many people turned their eyes to him, but quickly looked away.

Don't be fooled by how easily Xu Bai walked up here. If he hadn't used his identity as Lu You, he probably would have been surrounded as soon as he entered.

It would be best if no one bothered him.

Each row of bookshelves was categorized. Xu Bai first found the category related to geography and began searching through the materials there.

Information about Three Lives Mountain naturally falls under the geography category.

Xu Bai searched very quickly, combining various skills, and since he was at the Transcendent Realm, he had unparalleled memory and reading speed in this regard.

He didn't say a word, silently searching through the items.

There is a whole row of Grade A information on geography, which doesn't seem like much. This is because many geography-related materials are not Grade A, so there are relatively few of them here.

With no one to disturb him, he flipped through the books even faster. When he reached the middle of one, he suddenly stopped, and his eyes lit up slightly.

Found it! Just as he suspected, the information was indeed in the top-tier news.

After reading through the entire story about the Three Lives Mountain, Xu Bai's expression became extremely strange.

"I think... I don't need to look for the Twin Swords anymore."

It reads that there is only one towering mountain in the entire Great Yue Kingdom.

That mountain peak was already under strict guard, and no one was allowed to pass through within a mile radius.

Many years ago, the Great Yue Kingdom handled it in the same way, and even opened a passage in the mountains to put the Twin Swords inside.

The Twin Swords are the swords that Ying Yue said she absolutely had to obtain.

As for why it was included, the reasons are clearly stated in the document.

The people of the Dark Building discovered that there was some unusual fortune beneath the Three Lives Mountain.

These energies cannot be destroyed, and they are related to the separation from the Dark Shadow Building back then.

We tried many methods, and finally used the Twin Swords.

One of the Twin Swords contains a great deal of luck, which can suppress it.

So, one of the Twin Swords was placed inside.

"As expected, the people in the Dark Building are not stupid either; they probably discovered the flaws as well."

"After all, it was a plan made decades ago, and it's bound to have changed by now."

"But is all of this part of Chief Mu's plan?"

Xu Bai pondered to himself.

In summary, the people of the Dark Building discovered the anomaly and placed the Twin Swords inside to suppress it.

There was one thing Xu Bai couldn't understand: the people from the Dark Building discovered it and took the Twin Swords back. Was this also part of Chief Mu's plan? Among the people Xu Bai knew, Chief Mu was truly a cunning old fox, and even now, there were still some things Xu Bai didn't understand.

He always felt that it was all too coincidental, so coincidental that he felt something was wrong.

Thinking about it carefully, everything was out of order. His entry into the Ruins, his encounter with those things, and his encounter with the Three Lives Mountain all happened randomly.

But why is it now combined with Ying Yue's sword, turning randomness into order? This is simply too absurd.

"Could it be Chief Mu?"

"How could he possibly have foreseen every single detail, even... how could he have predicted what happened to me in the Ruins?"

"That's unlikely. No, I have to see him after this trip and have him tell me the reason."

For some reason, Xu Bai felt increasingly uneasy.

What was initially thought to be a simple trip has now become mysterious and unpredictable.

Chief Mu of the Star Plucking Tower of the Bureau of Surveillance was the one who caused the entire Dark Shadow Building to fall apart. Xu Bai really didn't want to have too much to do with such a terrifying figure.

But now it seems that he must meet with him when he gets back, as he has many unresolved issues.

"Anyway, I should look for other information," Xu Bai thought.

He then looked through the other materials. Fortunately, he was quick at it. Even though there was a lot of material, it took him nearly two hours to finish reading it all.

After he finished reading, he found no further news about the Twin Swords, so it seems that the sword is still in the Three Lives Mountain.

Having found no further useful information, Xu Bai put down his book and prepared to turn and leave.

He went down the stairs without any obstruction, and soon he was out of the Dark Building headquarters.

Back in the room at the very end of the alley, Xu Bai closed the door.

The shadow behind her swayed, and Ying Yue jumped out of it.

"Did you find it?"

Ying Yue hadn't come out since they were at the Dark Building headquarters, afraid of being seen by others. She only emerged from the shadows now and asked impatiently.

"Things are a bit strange, let me explain slowly." Xu Bai organized his thoughts and recounted what had happened.

He explained in particular the information Ying Yue had researched, as well as the news about Three Lives Mountain.

After he finished speaking, Xu Bai looked at Ying Yue.

"Could it be that my arrival was also something Chief Mu considered?"

He didn't say the rest, such as what he saw and heard in the Ruins.

Ying Yue shook her head. "I don't know. Father is very mysterious. If you really want to know, you can only go back and ask him yourself."

"Don't guess, don't think, just ask him directly. That's how we all do it."

Xu Bai: "..."

I thought I could get some information from Ying Yue, but it seems I won't get anything at all.

Xu Bai changed the subject. "Is the location of the fortune that Chief Mu hid at Three Lives Mountain?"

Ying Yue nodded, looking at him with an expression that seemed to say, "How did you know?"

Xu Bai: "..."

Good heavens, if he had known things would turn out this way, he wouldn't have had all this trouble.

From the very beginning when he arrived in the Great Yue Kingdom, even when he came into contact with Ying Yue, Ying Yue did not know that the place he was looking for was Three Lives Mountain. She only knew that he was looking for information and that he could obtain it from the top-tier information.

If Xu Bai had known earlier that the two of them had the same goal, he would have stated it directly at the time, and he wouldn't have had to go through so many intermediate steps now.

Although it was a bit of a hassle, we still managed to get the information, and the final result was the same.

"Do you want to come with me?" Ying Yue asked expectantly.

Xu Bai thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll go."

We've already come this far; if we give up halfway, wouldn't all our previous efforts be wasted?

Although Three Lives Mountain is under heavy guard, the secret manual is hidden underground. Perhaps the people of the Dark Building haven't discovered it yet?

We have to go and see it, no matter what.

We'll go check it out first, and if there's any danger, we'll think of other solutions.

"Let's hurry up and leave now," Xu Bai said.

Now that we've found out, staying here any longer isn't a good idea. In fact, the longer we stay, the greater the danger becomes. It's better to leave sooner rather than later.

The two didn't say much, and since they hadn't brought much with them, they turned around and left.

Even Xu Bai was surprised that the trip was so smooth, without encountering any obstacles.

Actually, that makes sense. If there's a disguise technique for those at the Transcendent Realm, and even that doesn't work, then there's nothing else that can be done.

After leaving the capital of the Great Yue Kingdom, the two headed straight for their destination.

The journey was also very smooth, without any unexpected incidents.

But Xu Bai knew in his heart that the capital of the Great Yue Kingdom would soon be bustling with activity.

With his departure, the Lu You he was impersonating would no longer appear in the Dark Building.

Over time, it will attract attention, and the Dark Building will definitely be investigated, but that will take a long time.

Because there were no clues, even the body was disposed of.

If you start from a point where you have no clue what to do, it will take quite a while.

So what they're doing now is exploiting a time gap, getting everything done before they discover anything.

"The Three Lives Mountain is not far ahead." Ying Yue peeked out from Xu Bai's shadow.

This action looks extremely terrifying because it involves peeking out from the shadows. If a normal person saw it, they would probably be scared out of their wits.

Of course, those who are abnormal or even have unusual personalities may experience ecstasy.

"Go back and hide." Xu Bai continued walking forward, saying as he went.

Ying Yue said dejectedly, "Am I really that unpopular with you?"

Xu Bai: "..."

The two were traveling together, but Ying Yue kept asking questions, which annoyed Xu Bai. However, he couldn't bring himself to lose his temper because he couldn't bring himself to hit someone who was smiling.

Finally, unable to resist any longer, he used the excuse that the two of them were too conspicuous to have Ying Yue hide in the shadows.

Although it was supposed to be hidden in the shadows, it would occasionally peek out, even more so than before.

Ying Yue Xu Bai did not answer, Yingyue sank into the shadows again in frustration and stopped speaking.

Xu Bai continued on his way, and stopped when he was about two miles away from Three Lives Mountain.

According to the top-tier report, the area within a mile radius had been cleared by the Dark Building's men, and the area was heavily guarded.

If Xu Bai were to enter so openly, he would surely be discovered within a few steps, since he had no Concealment Method.

Even if Ying Yue is hidden in the shadows, there is still a possibility of it being discovered.

We can't just charge in, can we? Who knows how many experts are here?

After much thought, Xu Bai finally came up with a solution.

As usual, the method of disguise.

First, capture and kill a spy from the Dark Building, then disguise yourself as a spy; this will make everything much smoother.

The only obstacle we're currently facing is how to capture a spy from the Dark Building.

Now, he couldn't use his divine sense to scan, because he couldn't guarantee that there weren't experts in the field of divine sense inside. Therefore, Xu Bai didn't know where the people from the Dark Building were hiding.

Even though the view ahead was vast and wide, and even though Xu Bai could see the towering mountain peak reaching into the clouds from his gaze.

The problem is that these spies are not openly guarding the area, but rather they are operating in the shadows.

Since we can't use our spiritual senses to scan them, and we can't find any trace of them, we're stuck here.

"What should I do?" Xu Bai stood there, pondering.

The mountain peaks ahead, like a huge treasure, were drawing him in, but now, there was an extremely dangerous pass in the middle, making it impossible for him to make any progress.

At this moment, a beautiful head emerged from the shadows again, tilting its head and sizing up Xu Bai's back.

"That..."

Ying Yue had barely begun speaking when Xu Bai interrupted her, after she had uttered only two words.

"Don't talk. Can't you see I'm thinking of a solution?" Xu Bai didn't turn his head, still deep in thought about the previous question.

"No, I mean..." Ying Yue opened her mouth again.

"I already told you to shut up first, we'll talk later," Xu Bai interrupted again.

Ying Yue snorted and turned her head away, "I said I have a way, but you don't have to listen."

Even if it's her idol, she'll still get angry if you treat her like this.

Ying Yue then shrank her head into the shadows and made a sound with her mouth, "Gurgle."

Xu Bai was startled and quickly turned his head, but he only saw a smooth shadow and not Ying Yue.

"What method? Tell me quickly!"

No one responded to him; all was quiet.

Xu Bai said helplessly, "Are you angry?"

From within the shadows came Ying Yue's voice.

"He was angry, and very angry."

Finally, remembering that Xu Bai was ultimately someone he admired, he added another sentence.

"They'll only get better if you coax them."