novellaaa Chapter 102 Restrictions and Suspicion
Chapter 102 Restrictions and Suspicion
Chapter 102 Restrictions and Suspicion
The black mist, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, carried a nauseatingly sweet and foul odor, and instantly approached Gu Shenyan's face.
fast.
too fast.
This was not an accident at all; it was a premeditated and decisive blow.
If it were an ordinary Qi Refining disciple, they probably wouldn't even be able to scream before their soul and body were destroyed.
But Gu Shenyan is no ordinary person.
In his eyes, the originally dark blue data stream was now burning red.
[WARNING! Extremely dangerous source approaching!]
[Distance: 1 foot 3 inches.]
[Evasion Plan: Complete physical evasion is not possible.]
[Recommended solution: Forcefully activate the unfinished "Yin-Yang Evil-Dispelling Thunder Talisman" to counteract the Yin evil with thunderous energy.]
In fact, Gu Shenyan's body had already reacted the moment Li Yuan's finger twitched.
This is an instinct he honed through countless system simulations.
His left foot took a barely perceptible half-step back.
His right hand, which had been tucked into his sleeve, suddenly clenched.
The talisman paper with the strange lightning patterns instantly burst into flames in his palm.
"Sizzle"
A piercing crackling sound of electricity exploded in the deathly silent underground chamber.
It wasn't the kind of thunderous, explosive event.
Instead, it was a highly condensed blue-purple arc of electricity, like a spider web that suddenly opened, lying about a foot in front of Gu Shenyan.
The black gas crashed headfirst into the electric grid.
It was like pouring cold water into a hot oil pan.
"Hiss hiss hiss!"
The black energy twisted wildly, emitting a series of mournful ghostly howls.
Under the illumination of the blue-purple lightning, the previously invisible black mist revealed its true form.
That's not some kind of malevolent energy.
They were clearly thousands of needles, as thin as cow hair, coated with deadly poison!
If it hits a person, it can instantly turn them into a sieve, and the poison will attack their heart, inevitably leading to death.
But before the lightning containing a trace of water-based guiding power, these shadowy iron needles melted away like ice and snow, quickly turning into a wisp of green smoke and disappearing without a trace.
The ripples spread, ruffling the stray hairs on Gu Shenyan's forehead.
He stood there, motionless.
Only the charred marks on the cuffs proved the danger of that moment.
The air seemed to freeze.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events.
Han Sushuang had only drawn her sword halfway when her pretty face turned deathly pale.
Jia Shouren was so frightened that he sat down on the deck, clutching the Qingxin Jade tightly in his hand.
Gu Shenyan slowly raised his head.
His gaze pierced through the dissipating smoke and landed coldly on Li Yuan, who was not far away.
His gaze was calm.
It was even more unsettling than the lightning from before.
Li Yuan's face was somewhat pale.
He never expected that this kid, who seemed to be only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, would react so quickly and use such strange methods.
What kind of talisman is that?
Thunder Talisman?
Why is there such terrifying annihilation power without thunder?
"oops!"
Li Yuan suddenly exclaimed, his face showing a look of shock.
"Junior Brother Gu, are you alright?"
He strode forward, his face filled with annoyance and concern.
"It's all my fault. When I was inspecting that pottery jar, I didn't notice there was another hidden layer underneath."
"These Southeast Asian sorceries are truly impossible to guard against. I almost accidentally injured my junior brother. I'm so sorry!"
The acting was terrible.
But in this context, it is a perfect step.
As long as he insists it was an "accident," who can do anything about this "distinguished guest" from the Xuanzheng Division?
Gu Shenyan looked at his hypocritical face and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
I was just about to speak.
A cold voice pierced through like a sharp blade.
"Accident?"
Cao Wenjing had somehow ended up standing between the two of them.
The longsword on his back was still dripping blood.
His murderous aura had not yet dissipated, and he was now like a ferocious tiger ready to devour its prey, staring intently at Li Yuan.
Li Yuan felt a chill run down his spine from that look, and forced a smile, saying, "Fellow Daoist Cao, this really is—"
"Shut up."
Cao Wenjing coldly uttered two words.
Li Yuan's smile froze on his face.
Zhou Yun, who was standing nearby, wanted to step forward to help, but was deterred by a look from Cao Wenjing.
Whether it was an accident or not, you know it in your heart, and I know it too.
Cao Wenjing's voice wasn't loud, but every word was piercing.
"The operation is not over yet, I will not kill my own people."
"But if you dare to take another step forward, or if any more accidents happen—"
Cao Wenjing's fingers gently traced the hilt of the sword.
"I'll make you one of the dead in this warehouse."
Li Yuan's face instantly turned extremely ugly, alternating between pale and flushed.
This is blatant humiliation.
It's also a blatant threat.
但他不敢动.
Because he could sense that Cao Wenjing was truly intent on killing him.
"Fellow Daoist Li, go and keep watch on the outer perimeter."
Cao Wenjing said calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"We don't need you here anymore."
Li Yuan gritted his teeth, glared at Gu Shenyan with resentment, snorted coldly, and stormed off.
Zhou Yun hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and didn't dare to follow. She simply retreated to the side.
Cao Wenjing turned around and looked at Gu Shenyan.
The murderous aura in his eyes vanished instantly.
"Are you hurt?"
Gu Shenyan shook his head, his expression unchanged.
"Thank you for protecting me, senior brother. It's nothing more than a superficial injury."
"it is good."
Cao Wenjing nodded, not asking any further questions about the talisman, but giving him a deep look.
"Continue the search."
"Turn this place upside down, I need to know what they're up to."
"Yes."
Gu Shenyan bowed and accepted the order.
After this incident, the atmosphere in the entire underground chamber became even more oppressive.
Everyone was walking on thin ice, afraid of triggering any more restrictions.
Gu Shenyan, however, continued his work as if nothing had happened.
He arrived at the altar of bones, which was half collapsed.
This is the core of the evil energy in the entire warehouse.
It was also the source of power for those two corpse puppets.
Gu Shenyan squatted down, pretending to clean up the broken bones.
In reality, the system's scanning beam was operating wildly in his field of vision.
[Scanning in progress]
[High-energy reaction residue detected.]
[Location: Hidden compartment at the base of the evil god statue.]
[Recommendation: Open with caution.]
Gu Shenyan's heart skipped a beat.
Without making a sound, he picked up a broken leg bone and seemingly casually pried open a stone slab on the base.
"Click".
An extremely faint mechanical sound.
A small, palm-sized compartment was revealed.
Inside lay something wrapped in black animal hide.
Using his body as cover, Gu Shenyan quickly reached out and took it out.
It was cool to the touch, with a slippery feel.
He slightly lifted a corner of the animal skin.
Inside was a bone fragment from an unknown creature.
The bone fragments were dark red, with densely packed characters engraved on them in blood.
There is also a fragmented array diagram.
Gu Shenyan felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows after just one glance.
[Warning! Mental pollution detected!]
[Item: Blood Pact (Secret Piece)]
[Level: High Risk]
[Message Interpretation: Requires a specific key or blood curse to break.]
[Preliminary system analysis: Suspected to be some kind of long-term cooperation agreement and communication network.]
[Recommendation: Receive it immediately and do not disclose it. Holding this item carries extremely high risk, but it could also be the key to turning the tide.]
Gu Shenyan's heart clenched suddenly.
This is no ordinary ledger.
This is deadly.
If the people of Xuanzheng Division saw this, even Cao Wenjing would probably not be able to protect himself.
They might even be silenced.
He did not hesitate at all.
Using the motion of moving a huge boulder aside, he flipped his wrist.
As if by magic, the bone fragment slid instantly into a hidden pocket in his sleeve.
The entire process was smooth and natural, without any fluctuations in spiritual energy.
Even Zhou Yun, who was watching from a short distance away, did not notice anything unusual.
"Senior brother, this area is cleaned up."
Gu Shenyan stood up, dusted off his hands, and spoke calmly.
"Only some fragments of damaged magical artifacts were found."
Cao Wenjing walked over, glanced at the empty hidden compartment, and didn't suspect anything.
"it is good."
"Fall back."
Half an hour later.
A secluded safe house near the tenement.
The windows were covered by a thick black cloth, leaving only a dim oil lamp.
Everyone's faces were etched with exhaustion.
But more than anything, it was the excitement of surviving a disaster.
"That was a brilliant job!"
As Jia Shouren tallied the "spoils of war" he had looted from the ship, his face beamed with pride.
"These few account books alone are enough to make those trading companies suffer greatly!"
"And these prohibited substances, cinnabar and corpse oil, are all irrefutable evidence!"
Gu Shenyan sat in the shadows in a corner, holding a cup of hot tea, without saying a word.
He was observing.
Observe the expressions on everyone's faces.
Cao Wenjing sat in the main seat, holding the most important secret ledger in his hand, his brows furrowed.
Li Yuan and Zhou Yun did not come here; Cao Wenjing sent them away under the pretext of "escorting the wounded."
"What happened tonight, everyone keep to themselves."
Cao Wenjing suddenly spoke, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"Especially about that accident."
Everyone felt a chill and nodded in agreement.
"Senior brother, Li Yuan will definitely turn the tables on us after he goes back."
Han Sushuang said with some concern.
Cao Wenjing gave a cold laugh.
"Let him be."
"As long as we have this ledger, the Xuanzheng Division won't dare to touch us."
"They even have to beg us."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Gu Shenyan.
"Be careful what you say, you've done a great job tonight."
"After I return, I will report to my master truthfully."
"Those spoils of war, aside from the evidence that had to be handed over, the rest—"
Cao Wenjing paused for a moment, then said meaningfully, "You can handle it yourselves; consider it a tip for your trouble."
Jia Shouren's eyes lit up, and he quickly thanked him.
Gu Shenyan simply smiled faintly.
"Thank you, senior brother."
He knew that Cao Wenjing was trying to silence him.
It's also a gesture of goodwill.
It was already past midnight when we got back to the courtyard.
Gu Shenyan dragged his tired body and pushed open his bedroom door.
As soon as he entered the house, he sensed that something was wrong.
The window wasn't closed properly.
A wisp of wind leaked in.
On the windowsill, a note lay quietly.
Gu Shenyan's muscles tensed instantly, and his divine sense instantly covered the entire room.
nobody.
The person who came has already left.
He walked over and picked up the note.
The note was blank.
Gu Shenyan had an idea. He walked to the basin and dipped the paper into the water.
Several lines of light ink characters slowly emerged.
Today's "unexpected" event was no coincidence.
There are also undercurrents within the Xuanzheng Division; some may be plotting to use someone else to do their dirty work, while others may be testing the waters.
Be careful what you say.
[Note: Any "personal goods" you obtain in the warehouse must be handled with care, leaving no trace.]
You can go to the "Qingfu Pawnshop" in the south of the city and mention "Sanhuai Wuliu" for appraisal.
The signature area was blank.
But Gu Shenyan knew who it was.
Chen An.
That mysterious hidden stakeout.
As Gu Shenyan looked at the words on the note, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
Chen An knew.
He knows everything.
Not only did he know about Li Yuan's plot, but he also knew that he had secretly kept that bone fragment!
"smuggled goods"----
Gu Shenyan subconsciously touched the bone fragment in his sleeve.
It turns out that my every move is being watched by others.
This feeling is very unpleasant.
But he also breathed a sigh of relief.
Since Chen An has given guidance, it means that he has no ill intentions for the time being.
Qingfu Pawnshop —
Three locust trees and five willows —
Gu Shenyan gently rubbed his fingers together.
The note in his hand turned to ashes, fell into the water, and disappeared.
This situation seems to be deeper and more complicated than he imagined.