Beneath an old tree on the back mountain, Wang Sen arrived as promised.
As soon as he saw Ning Ye, Wang Sen asked bluntly, "Did you do what happened at Green Wood Hall?"
Ning Ye didn't deny it. "What makes you so sure?"
"Ancestor Qingmu's Spirit Race Ancient Bed is in Xuanyu Pavilion," Wang Sen replied.
Ning Ye shrugged. "It's still there now, too."
The bed was too large. Though Ning Ye had obtained the Sumeru House, he ultimately hadn't had time to steal it.
Wang Sen shook his head. "The Spirit Race Ancient Bed wasn't your target. What were you really there for?"
"You don't need to know."
"Then why did you ask to see me? Don't say I didn't warn you: you pulled off something this major in broad daylight. The sect is on edge now, and everyone's nervous. Meeting at a time like this is far too risky."
Ning Ye got straight to the point. "I'm in trouble."
"What kind of trouble?"
"Luo Qiuzhen isn't dead."
What?
Wang Sen froze.
Wang Sen couldn't stand that troublesome fellow, Luo Qiuzhen, especially since he knew he was one of Luo Qiuzhen's suspects.
The poisoning case and the frame-up had forced Luo Qiuzhen to set aside his suspicions, but Wang Sen knew Luo Qiuzhen had continued watching him, searching for a chance to catch him out. It was only because Wang Sen now had a sect backing him that Luo Qiuzhen wouldn't move against him lightly.
Wang Sen understood why Ning Ye had killed Luo Qiuzhen, but he hadn't yet realized how much trouble Luo Qiuzhen's survival meant for Ning Ye.
Ning Ye knew, though, and got straight to the point. "I asked to see you to tell you that I've done too much and left too many clues behind. Sooner or later, Luo Qiuzhen will track them back to me. There's only one way to solve this."
"What way?" Wang Sen asked instinctively. But as he looked at that hazy black shadow, unease welled up in his heart again. "You..."
Sure enough, Ning Ye said, "You take the fall."
Beneath the old tree.
Wang Sen stared at Ning Ye in disbelief.
Ning Ye's words made him laugh with anger. "What did you say? You want me to take the fall for you? Who do you think you are?"
Ning Ye replied, "If I'm caught, you'll be exposed too."
Wang Sen was immediately at a loss for words.
Damn it!
So this was how awful it felt to have someone else hold the upper hand.
Ning Ye said, "I'm an enemy of the Black and White Divine Palace, sworn to destroy it. If I stay here, I can do far more than you can. Protecting me would be a great service to the Wood Puppet Sect. Even if the Wood Puppet Sect found out, they'd support you."
Wang Sen laughed in fury. "And what about me? I'm just supposed to die?"
"You won't die. Your identity will be exposed, but before that happens, you'll have left Nine Palaces Mountain and made your escape."
"The Black and White Divine Palace will hunt me down."
"I can conceal your Heavenly Secrets. But while you're fleeing, you must deliberately show yourself, to prove you weren't killed and framed."
He could conceal Heavenly Secrets?
Wang Sen was deeply shocked.
But he had no mind to test it. He shouted angrily, "I've worked so hard here for so long, and now you've ruined everything! And you still expect me to help you?"
"Don't forget, you have a future in the Black and White Divine Palace because I saved you. Besides, it's only your future there that's ruined, not your future in the Wood Puppet Sect." Ning Ye continued, "You'll still be the only one who can contact me. Through me, you can accomplish plenty. With this, for example, even if your identity is exposed, your service to the Wood Puppet Sect will outweigh your crimes."
As he spoke, Ning Ye tossed him something: a list of spies at the Hualun Realm level.
A spy list of that level was far more valuable than one for the Cang Xiang Realm.
As long as Wang Sen took it back, even if his identity was exposed, he could explain that he'd taken the risk to obtain the list. The Wood Puppet Sect would consider it worthwhile.
Looking at the list in his hands, Wang Sen suddenly thought that going back just like this might not be such a bad thing after all.
Returning with merit meant he no longer had to worry about the risks of being discovered.
But thinking of all the benefits of being in the Black and White Divine Palace while receiving resources from both sides, he couldn't help feeling reluctant. "Even if I'm willing to take the blame, the Black and White Divine Palace might not believe me."
"They'll believe you. The Wood Puppet Sect is just as skilled in mechanisms. You can reproduce many of my methods. Of course, to make them believe you, I've added some evidence."
"What?" Wang Sen was shocked.
"In another hour, Luo Qiuzhen will be attacked again. The attacker will be a Ground Rat Puppet, something the Wood Puppet Sect excels at. But since Luo Qiuzhen isn't stupid enough to let someone ambush him twice, it probably won't succeed. Oh, and the puppet left some things in your room too, like personal belongings of Li Baidao and Xuan Mulang."
"Fuck!" Wang Sen was so frantic he was about to lose his mind.
Ning Ye was forcing him to agree.
"You're running out of time. If you weren't stupid enough to leave something important in your room that you absolutely need to retrieve, you'd better leave now." Ning Ye said as he began to retreat. "If you want to keep working with me, help me properly. Don't sell me out. Admit that you did everything... For the Wood Puppet Sect, that's a service too, isn't it?"
Wang Sen was thoroughly beaten.
You sold me out, and now I still have to help you count the money.
What kind of world was this?
But when he thought about it, these burdens were merits to a Wood Puppet Sect spy. Ning Ye had calculated that he couldn't refuse to carry them.
Watching Ning Ye's shadow disappear, Wang Sen said coldly, "Kid, you win. Remember your promise. I'll come find you again!"
Knowing he'd be too late if he didn't run now, Wang Sen gritted his teeth and charged down the mountain.
Qiuzhen Hall.
Luo Qiuzhen was poring over documents by lamplight.
He examined them carefully, not letting a single detail escape him.
He paid particular attention to everyone who had appeared in these cases.
One name caught his eye.
Ning Ye?
Luo Qiuzhen was surprised to find that this kid named Ning Ye had appeared at Huaiyin Mountain, Ancient Spring Town, and Green Wood Hall.
Especially in Ancient Spring Town. Only Yue Xiuxiu and Ning Ye had been there when the mechanism killings took place.
Of course, Luo Qiuzhen couldn't conclude it was Ning Ye on that basis alone.
The killings in Ancient Spring Town had used the Earth-Element Mechanism Art, while the mechanism used to ambush him involved corpse poison, a classic Wood Puppet Sect method. Only the stones beneath Li Baidao's corpse had been arranged with the Earth-Element Mechanism Art.
Although both involved earth-element mechanisms, the mechanism at Li Baidao's location was clearly more sophisticated, and its techniques differed somewhat. That wasn't enough to determine that the same person was responsible.
Even so, Ning Ye remained highly suspicious.
Thinking it over, Luo Qiuzhen drew a red circle around Ning Ye's name, marking him as a primary suspect.
Then he continued reading, searching for new suspects.
Just then, the light in the room suddenly flickered.
Luo Qiuzhen's expression changed. He slapped the desk hard. A shield of light instantly enveloped him.
In the next moment, a black shadow burst out of the ground and shot toward Luo Qiuzhen.
Just as it was about to hit him, a palm appeared from nowhere, accompanied by an angry, muffled shout. "You vile beast!"
Boom!
The Ground Rat Puppet exploded, scattering into countless fragments.
The alarm blared!
The Black and White Divine Palace wouldn't sleep tonight!
Before you continue