Kapitel 17: 78-83

Chapter 78: Conspiracy

"I… I… I…"

Faceless couldn't stop stammering as he stared at Ye Qing. The way he was looking at the young man, it was like he was staring at a fellow Stranger instead of a human. Just a few days ago, he was still able to put up a fight against the young man. Although he had lost in the end, he was ultimately able to escape with his life. If his skin was a bit thicker, he would even call it a narrow defeat.

But now? Ye Qing hadn't just trounced him in one move, he also took out Ghastly with one hand and without moving from his spot. The gap between their strength was so huge it was like a fight between a child and an adult; a son and his dad. They were trounced so hard he was almost surprised he was still breathing.

It's only been a few days since I last saw him. How did he get so strong in so short a time? Is his growth really that ridiculous, or was he hiding his strength the first time we fought?

It did not matter what the answer was. Both possibilities terrified him to the core.

"Mercy, warrior, mercy! I shouldn't have tried to kill you! I will do anything! All I ask is that you spare my life!"

Ye Qing had been patiently waiting for Faceless to make a move. Just when he thought that the Stranger would fight to the bitter end—his face had been contorting non-stop since a while ago—Faceless surprised him by dropping to his knees, pummeling the floor with his head and begging for his life.

"..."

Ye Qing rubbed his nose a little. When Faceless had talked down on Ghastly like he was a gang boss a while ago, he thought for sure that the Stranger had a diamond spine that would rather break than bend. However, the guy had caved before he even began and killed the vibe with sheer cowardliness.

Where's your backbone as a Stranger? Where's your dignity?

… Was what he would've said if not for the fact that Faceless' cowardice saved him a ton of time and energy, so he just kept his mouth shut and walked into the living room. A few seconds later, he dragged over a chair, sat down, and just stared at the squirming Stranger for a bit. A long, long time later, he finally said,

"Let's set aside the time you tried to kill me for the moment—I'm still alive after all—and talk about something else. If you tell me what I want to know truthfully, I may yet choose to stay my hand. If not, then I have no choice but to send you on your way. Are we agreed?"

"Of course, warrior!" Faceless immediately put on an obsequious smile on his face. "Ask away, warrior! I swear on every god, demon, celestial, buddha and whatever the hell is up and down there that I shall tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!"

How eloquent, Ye Qing thought amusedly to himself before going straight to the point, "Tell me what you and your group are plotting."

This was the reason he did not kill Faceless. It was because he wanted to know what he and his fellow Strangers were plotting. Originally, his plan was to investigate them slowly and carefully so as not to trigger any alarms, but from what he heard earlier their plan was already on the verge of success. In that case, he had no choice but to find out the answer using the simplest and most direct method instead: forceful interrogation!

Was there a chance this would alert the other Strangers that something was wrong? Of course there was. But it was still better than the alternative of doing nothing and allowing Anyang to turn into hell.

Faceless pretended to be confused. "I'm sorry? What are you talking about? Do you mean me and Ghastly plotting together to kill you. It's all my fault, I know I deserve death for my actions, but I'm just a small fry who's so blind I failed to recognize your prodigious power. Surely a magnanimous hero like you wouldn't take too much offense…?"

"You really are quite the eloquent flatterer!" Ye Qing's smile widened. "As a reward, I promise to grant you a swift, less painful death!"

"Wait wait wait! What did I do wrong? I thought we were talking about my plot to kill you?" Faceless protested innocently. "I don't understand. Can you please enlighten me, warrior?"

"Sure thing. What were you saying earlier? Right. Dark Eye, Rotten Crown, all the flesh and soul you and Soul Eater can consume… need I say more?" Ye Qing said with a smile that didn't reach the eye.

Faceless was still pretending, however. "Oh, you're talking about that! I was just boasting with Ghastly, warrior! There is no plan. You know how it is, a superficial man like me can't help but want to feel superior to my peers. Surely a wise, sagacious warrior like you can understand my petty desires?"

"Hah! 'The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth' my ass! I haven't even truly started yet, and already you're trying to bullshit your way out!" Ye Qing shook his head disappointedly. "No wonder they say not to trust a man's words, though you're not even a man, are you? Do Strangers even have genders? Anyway, my patience is limited, Faceless. At this rate, you're going to be dead real soon!"

"Also, I know a lot more than you think. For example, I don't just know Dark Eye and Rotten Crown are in your group. I also know an Old Grass and an Evergreen Ivy. Not only that, I know your plan is to destroy Anyang, isn't it?"

"I'm a benevolent man, so I'm going to give you one more chance to tell me the truth. Remember, this is your one and only chance; your one and only life. Don't. Squander. It."

For the first time, Faceless' obsequious smile froze on his face. His eyes betrayed a hint of shock as well. However, they were quickly replaced by an expression of confusion and self-ridicule as he chuckled. "Hehe, I really have no idea what you're talking about, warrior. Old Grass? Evergreen Ivy? I don't know those people. Destroy Anyang? Forgive me for saying this but I can't even kill you! How can I possibly be capable of such a thing?"

"Is that so? Do you really know nothing at all?" Ye Qing said unhurriedly and smilingly. "Okay then! I'll see you on the other side!"

His left hand abruptly burst into flames, and he slowly extended his palm toward Faceless. Primordial terror gripped Faceless as the blood drained away from his face, every hair on his body stood on end. He's going to kill me! But why? Doesn't he know what will happen if he kills me?

In fact, Faceless knew that their plan was exposed from the moment Ye Qing mentioned Old Grass and Evergreen Ivy's names. Although he didn't know how it was exposed or who was the one who exposed it, the revelation actually made him sigh in relief. The fact that Ye Qing wanted him to divulge the details of the plan meant that he didn't actually know about them. This meant that Ye Qing wouldn't dare to kill him until he had revealed everything. That was why he dared to bullshit Ye Qing to his face.

However, Ye Qing had chosen the unthinkable. He was going to kill him right now. That was not how the script was written!

A second before Ye Qing's palm would land on his head, Faceless finally lost his composure and growled, "Are you actually going to kill me?! Don't you want to know about our plan?"

"Huh? But I thought you said you didn't know anything?" Ye Qing said with a sarcastic, ridiculing smirk.

Faceless hid a sigh of relief when Ye Qing stopped moving his hand. Then, he let out a chuckle and said, "Heh. You really are wise and sagacious. My act didn't faze you at all. That's right! We're plotting something big that will destroy the entire Anyang and kill all the humans in it! When the time comes, the entire county will turn into a living hell, and it so happens that I know exactly when, where, and how the plan will unfold! So? Are you still going to kill me knowing that I hold all the information you need?"

Faceless' tone grew increasingly arrogant until he was practically daring Ye Qing to kill him. He did it because he was certain that the young man wouldn't do so, but…

"Sure. Why not?" Ye Qing tilted his head and stared at Faceless puzzledly like he was looking at his neighbor's stunted son. He truly looked like he couldn't comprehend why Faceless would arrive at such a stupid conclusion.

"..." This guy seriously isn't following the script!

Faceless was speechless for a moment before he blurted, "Aren't you afraid that Anyang would fall into ruins and turn into a living hell?"

"To tell you the truth? Not at all." Ye Qing leaned back a little and kicked off the ground. He then started swaying back and forth as if he was sitting on a recliner, not a chair. "First, I know for a fact that you have some sort of plan to destroy Anyang. I can just inform the Pacification Bureau about this, sit back, and relax. We both know how capable they are. Do you really think your plan will go smoothly when the Pacification Bureau is actively hampering your efforts?"

"On the off chance the Pacification Bureau fails to stop you, I can just get out of Anyang and hide in the woods for a bit. Sure, Anyang will fall, and the people will be massacred to the last, but… what does that have to do with me? This is a harsh world. I'm satisfied with just keeping myself safe. If the others couldn't protect themselves, it's their fault for being weak, no?"

Faceless: "..." Motherfucker, I can't refute him because he's absolutely right! I can't even appeal to his guilty conscience because our group is the one plotting the downfall of Anyang!

Before Faceless could react, Ye Qing continued, "also, I don't necessarily have to pry the information I need from your mouth. There are other sources who may prove just as valuable as you, if not more."

"Impossible! You're lying!" Faceless blurted out before he could stop himself.

Ye Qing shot him a casual smile and said, "I'm not though. Let's see. I remember that Old Grass is a tall, thin man with a friendly demeanor. He also has a head of grass. I'm sure we'll have a fantastic conversation with each other. Last I remember, he lives at Yang's Tofu Shop in Westward Alley on the west side of the city. Am I right?"

"Impossible! How did you know where Old Grass lives?" Faceless blurted in shock again when he remembered something: No! Did he follow me when I ran away?

Was I the one who leaked our plan?

He started recalling what he and Old Grass had discussed during their last meeting, and the more he remembered, the uglier his expression became. There was a tinge of regret and fear as well.

"Of course, even if Old Grass' spine turned out to be made of sterner stuff, I still have Dark Eye, Rotten Crown, and Evergreen Ivy to question! Surely one of them will give me what I want?" Ye Qing leaned forward a little to create even more pressure. "Don't doubt my ability. I followed you when you thought it was impossible, which led to me finding Old Grass. I also found Ghastly when he thought it was impossible. So long as your companions are still alive, I can and will find them no matter where they hide!"

"Now, let me ask you one more time… do you really think I won't kill you?"

Faceless' smile had vanished completely at this point. He didn't know about other Strangers, but he knew with every fiber of his being that his group only looked friendly on the surface. In reality, every single one of them was cold-blooded, heartless, and selfish. There was no chance those bastards would keep the plan a secret if it meant saving their own skin.

So yes, he believed Ye Qing. He truly believed that Ye Qing would kill him and pry the truth from those bastards' mouths if necessary!

"Ehehe, I was just joking with you and testing your mettle, warrior. I should've known better than to doubt your resolve, but now I know for sure that you are definitely a man who's destined for great things! I am most impressed!"

Faceless abruptly put on an obsequious smile and flattered Ye Qing to the high heavens. Once done, he said, "In fact, I've been wanting to tell you the plan from the start, so you definitely shouldn't seek out Old Grass and the others. Every single one of them is a sneaky, cunning, heartless, and cold-blooded sonuvabitch. As the only pure, kind, honest soul in their group, it honestly hurts me to be lumped together with them, really!"

"Anyway, just ask me a question, and I swear I will answer it to my fullest ability!" The Stranger ended with a loud chest thump.

"Pure, kind, honest soul?" Ye Qing squinted in an attempt to locate some hint of shame from Faceless' face. There was none. No wonder the ones at the top were usually shameless people. With a skin this thick, was there anywhere you couldn't go?

Ye Qing sighed. "Fiiiiiine. I suppose I can give you one more chance. Tell me, what is your plan?"

Faceless did not try to bullshit him this time. He said directly, "Three days later during the night, we plan to open the gates so that the Strangers hiding outside the county can get in. Then, we'll massacre all the humans and destroy Anyang from the inside out!"

Chapter 79: Why Should I Keep You Alive

"You're going to open the gates for your fellow Strangers lurking outside the county? Are you serious?"

Ye Qing shook his head. "The gates of Anyang are imbued with powerful restrictions courtesy of the Heaven's Eye, and I should not need to tell you how deadly it is. Forget opening the gates, you can't even get close without feeling like you're about to suffocate, so how… unless…"

Ye Qing abruptly slowed down when he was nearing the end of the sentence. It was because one possibility had occurred to him.

"I knew you would figure it out! It is as you imagined!" Faceless said with an obsequious smile. "It's true that we Strangers cannot open the gates, but you humans can!"

"I thought so," Ye Qing rubbed his chin and mumbled seemingly to himself, "To open the gate and lower the gate restrictions, you need a gate token. And a gate token is something only the gate captain possesses… Tang Yi'an is one of yours?"

"You're incredible, warrior! You've guessed it in one try!" Faceless buttered up Ye Qing again, though it wasn't all flattery. The fact that Ye Qing had managed to deduce so many things accurately and in such a short time was proof that his mind operated on a different level compared to most people.

Ye Qing asked another question while rubbing the spot between his eyebrows, "I'm curious. Why would Tang Yi'an make such a deal with you? Not only is he digging his own grave, he'll even implicate his own family when all is said and done. What's the point?"

"What else does a human want from this world besides fame and fortune?" Faceless let out a sinister chuckle. "Offer them one or the other, and they will willingly enter your trap regardless of the consequences!"

"You're saying you offered him fame or fortune to open the gates?" Ye Qing tapped his armrest slowly. "Tang Yi'an is Anyang's guard captain and the brother-in-law of a vice magistrate. He already has a highway to the top rung of the ladder—or what he perceived as the top at least, so I doubt you can lure him with promises of fame. So fortune it is."

"Yes, I can see how you did it. I've long heard that Tang Yi'an is a greedy man, and practically everyone knows that he abuses his position to pin make-believe crimes on traveling merchants to strip them of their wealth. All you need to do is to bribe him, and he should do as you wish."

In fact, the dumbass had tried to pull this on Yan Yufei when they first arrived in the county. While it had been quite entertaining to watch him crash and burn at the time, it no longer seemed so funny anymore.

"However, one must live to be able to spend their wealth, and there are few things more painful in this world than to die while money is left unspent!" Ye Qing said indifferently. "Tang Yi'an may be greedy, but I doubt he's stupid. He should understand something this simple at least, which means you never told him about your plan, did you?"

"You're beyond insightful, warrior! You never fail to hit the nail on the head in just a few sentences!" Faceless praised with a beaming smile on his face.

"Slow down. Flattery no matter how sweet is loathsome in excess," said Ye Qing while shooting a glance at Faceless. How did he not notice that this guy was a professional bootlicker before?

"More words of wisdom! Not an hour had passed since I was graced by your presence, and already I feel a decade wiser!" Faceless exclaimed in false wonder. That said, he did understand that anything could be loathsome in excess, not to mention that Ye Qing had already warned him to cool it, so he had no choice but to stop his bootlicking for the moment and return to the main subject.

"You are correct. Tang Yi'an doesn't know that we're planning to destroy Anyang. We lied to him saying that we're a bunch of spirit material merchants, and that we have a number of goods that need to be shipped into the county in three days at most, or they would lose their value. At first, Tang Yi'an refused to budge no matter how hard we begged him, but he caved immediately after we gave him a thousand silver!"

"A thousand silver? Damn! That's a lot of money!" Ye Qing sighed before launching into a counterpoint, "But even if you managed to slip in an army of Strangers through the gates undetected, Anyang is still protected by the Shenwu Defense Force and the Sentinels. Of course they wouldn't be able to react to your attack in time, but when they do show up, I highly doubt you'll be able to defeat them and destroy Anyang!"

Faceless smiled. "That would be true, but a village called… something Hill Village recently vanished into thin air, prompting the Pacification Bureau to dispatch most of their men to investigate this matter. They aren't expected to return any time soon either, so their headquarters is severely undermanned right now."

"Ahem. What about the Shenwu Defense Force?" Ye Qing coughed. He was pretty sure that that "something Hill Village" Faceless was talking about was August Hill Village, but he sure as hell wasn't going to admit it.

"The Shenwu Defense Force just left the county to hunt down some raiders, and they're not expected to return in three to five days!" Faceless noticed Ye Qing's odd expression as well, but he wisely chose not to say anything about it.

"Raiders?" Ye Qing frowned.

Faceless chuckled. "A few days ago, a group of Grave Raiders appeared outside Anyang and ambushed countless traveling caravans that were passing through Anyang. They also dug out every grave they could find in the area in search of loot. That is why the magistrate ordered You Da to take a thousand Shenwu Defense Force with him and eliminate the Strangers just yesterday. They must be enjoying that sweet, sweet mountain wind right now!"

The Grave Raiders weren't just humanoid-shaped Strangers, they were humans who had transformed into a Stranger. Despite possessing a human's memories and intelligence, they willingly allied themselves with Strangers and loved nothing more than to dig up grave sites and plunder the treasures within. They also consumed the corpses for sustenance.

It should not need to be said, but they were easily one of the most hated Strangers in the realm, so much so that Chu itself decreed that all Grave Raiders would be killed on sight!

"It can't be a coincidence. Your group must have contacted the Grave Raiders and told them to attack at this time, am I right?" Ye Qing asked.

"An astute deduction, warrior!" Faceless replied simply.

"With this, you hold the absolute advantage while Anyang holds none. I must admit that I'm impressed!" Ye Qing sighed. No wonder Faceless was so confident. With little to no men left to protect Anyang, the invading Strangers would be able to slaughter the people to their heart's content. Forget the Sentinels at August Hill Village, not even the Shenwu Defense Force would be able to make it back in time. The county would have long turned into a living hell by then.

Ye Qing fell silent for a moment before asking, "You've given me the general outline of your plan, but what about the specifics? What role does each of you play in this plan?"

Faceless answered honestly, "My mission was to bribe Tang Yi'an, Old Grass' mission was to collect information throughout the county just in case, and Rotten Crown and Dark Eye's mission was to contact the Strangers outside the county and make the necessary arrangements."

"Your roles are very clear cut, huh?" Ye Qing shot a thoughtful glance at Faceless before asking another question, "What else are you expected to do? Don't you have a mission to cause a commotion or sabotage a key location or something?"

Faceless shook his head. "And why would we do that? Evergreen Ivy told us that the plan has reached a critical stage, and that it would be unwise to complicate things unnecessarily. If the plan goes smoothly, then all is well. If not, we can lie low and wait for another chance."

"Evergreen Ivy? From the sounds of it, she's the leader of your little group, isn't she?"

When Faceless nodded, Ye Qing fired another question, "Besides Old Grass, do you know where Dark Eye, Rotten Crown and Evergreen Ivy are hiding?"

Faceless shook his head.

"Really?" Ye Qing's tone darkened.

"With heaven and earth as my witness, I swear that I haven't told a single lie since you won my heart with your boundless grace!" lamented Faceless with a hurt look. He even squeezed out a few drops of fake tears to make his act look more convincing. "Of the five of us, Evergreen Ivy is probably the only one who knows about our true identities and hideouts. In fact, we usually rely on her to contact us every time we hold a meeting. Also, we always meet each other using our true forms, so I truly do not know who they are and where they're living!"

But Ye Qing did not let up the pressure. "You say that, but what about Old Grass?"

Faceless shuddered a little at the flinty glint in his eyes and said, "Old Grass is an exception to the rule because we already knew each other before we infiltrated Anyang. You can even say that we are old acquaintances. But I seriously know nothing about the others!"

"When is your next meeting?"

"I don't know. Like I told you, we usually wait for Evergreen Ivy to notify us when and where the next meeting will take place," Faceless answered in a helpless voice.

"If you know nothing useful, then… why should I keep you alive?" Ye Qing said lightly.

Faceless visibly shuddered before dropping to his knees. He then shuffled closer to Ye Qing and begged in a weeping voice, "Warrior, you promised me you will let me live if I told you our plan! Surely a man of integrity such as yourself wouldn't go back on your promise!"

Ye Qing chuckled. "Is that so? I'm pretty sure I said I 'might' consider letting you live."

"That cannot be right! You must've misremembered!" Faceless then raised his right hand as if he was preparing to swear an oath and said, "I may not know where they live, but I do know their scents like the back of my hand! I swear I'll locate every last one of them if you would just give me some time!"

"Besides that, I'm a man of many uses. I can make tea, do the laundry, cook, run errands, and perform manual labor. I can even be a woman of many uses and tidy your bed, act as your escort, warm your bed and more…"

When Faceless said he was a man of many uses, his face started changing in rapid succession. When he said he could make tea, his face changed to that of a male servant. When he said he could do the laundry and cook, he actually transformed into a cook with a round head and a broad neck. When he said he could tidy his bed and act as his escort, he actually transformed into a young woman with an hourglass figure and a shy look on her face, and when he said he could warm his bed, he transformed into a cool beauty whose elegant appearance, warm eyes and sweet voice could've melted even the hardest soul.

Finally, Faceless ended his appeal with a melodious voice, "I can be whatever you wish, young master. All I ask is that you don't abandon me!"

"..."

His performance was sublime, but Ye Qing only felt goosebumps all over his body. After all, just because he took the face of a woman did not change the fact that he was a man through and through! I'm a perfectly straight male, thank you!

"I can let you live, but how can I be certain that you wouldn't betray me?" Ye Qing ignored Faceless' antics and asked in a cold voice.

In fact, Ye Qing did not want to kill Faceless. For one, taking out the Stranger might be to chuck a very large rock into a pond. Two, he was hoping to use Faceless as a mole and capture his whole group in one fell swoop.

While he could use the Annon Sutra and the Incense of Fortune to locate these Strangers—the Annon Sutra would give him a rough location, and the Incense of Fortune would lead him straight to their doorsteps—but the incense stick was almost used up completely. It would only last one more use at most, which was a couple of uses shy of tracking down all of the Strangers, not to mention that he would rather save it for emergencies.

So yes, Faceless' beseechment did appeal to him somewhat. There was just one simple problem: Strangers were naturally cunning and treacherous. How could he make sure that Faceless would not betray him the second he left his sight?

"How could you say that? I've long since repented and resolved to serve you as your loyal servant since you've bested me with your awe-inspiring charisma. I could never hurt you, warrior!" Faceless implored coquettishly. He still hadn't turned back to a male human.

Ye Qing merely curled his lips upward and asked, "You don't actually think I'm that stupid, do you? You know what? I changed my mind. It's far easier and safer to just kill you and be done with this farce!"

"Wait wait wait! I can sign a Heavenly Ghost Contract with you and become your eternal servant! This way, you'll know that my loyalty is true!" Faceless instantly broke character when he saw the growing bloodthirst in Ye Qing's eyes.

"Heavenly Ghost Contract?" Ye Qing actually sneered when he heard this. His smile was so chilling that Faceless realized instantly that he had made an error. "You do think that I'm a young and inexperienced warrior you can toy as you please! The Heavenly Ghost is the trickster Stranger who loves nothing more than to sow discord and mischief. Any contract that is signed with or through it will be flawed in a certain way no matter how carefully the parties had worded it. After the contract is complete, the Heavenly Ghost would actively encourage both sides to break the contract so that it could devour their souls."

"I-Is that so? You're such an erudite and multi-talented scholar, warrior! I have no idea about this, and I'm so sorry I nearly steered you wrong! I deserve to die for my mistake, I truly do!" Faceless feigned innocence and berated himself with all his might.

Ye Qing cared little for Faceless' petty tricks, however. He said with a smile, "That said, your suggestion isn't totally useless. There is a way to keep you on the straight and narrow. We can't sign a Heavenly Ghost Contract, but we can sign an Oath of Burden!"

Chapter 80: Oath of Burden

"Oath of Burden?" Faceless blanched a little when he heard this.

The Oathbearer was the name of an exceptionally powerful and rare Stranger with a tortoise-like body, but a head that was shaped like a dragon or a snake. It was also called the Oath Tortoise. It was as huge as a mountain and carried an innumerable amount of monuments on its back. Mild-mannered and adventurous, it loved nothing more than to explore the world and bearing witness to oaths.

The Oathbearer was a fair and impartial witness. Anyone who broke an oath they swore on its name would earn the Oathbearer's wrath and have their soul ripped out of their body and chained to the monument they swore their oath to. They would be tortured by Heavenly Astral winds and suffer for eternity. This was why the monuments were known as the Monuments of Oath!

If Faceless signed a contract with Ye Qing with the Oathbearer as the witness, he would never be able to renege on his promise. He would actually have to serve Ye Qing for all of eternity. When he offered to sign a Heavenly Ghost Contract with Ye Qing just now, it was because he thought that the young man was too young and ignorant to know about it. If Ye Qing actually signed a Heavenly Ghost Contract with him, he could exploit the flaw in the contract and break free eventually. However, not only did Ye Qing prove him wrong, he even knew about the Oath of Burden.

"What's wrong? Having second thoughts?" A wicked smile sprung onto Ye Qing's face.

"Hehehe, of course not! Why would I have second thoughts when I couldn't be happier with this arrangement?" Faceless said half-heartedly before hesitating. "However, the mantra to invoke the Oath of Burden is so ancient that even I know nothing about it. If you say a single word wrong, you might summon some other Stranger or unknown danger instead, so…"

So I would advise you against this course of action!

"That's for me to worry about, not you. You only need to tell me if you're willing to sign an Oath of Burden with me or not. Yes or no?" Ye Qing pressed unhurriedly.

"But of course!" Faceless declared with a beaming smile. It was as if he truly wanted to bind himself to eternal servitude.

"Good!" Ye Qing nodded and produced the Incense of Fortune from his Nature's Shell once more. First, he ignited the incense stick and planted it on the floor. After two solemn bows, he lifted his head and pressed one hand to his chest and another against his back. Then, he stood up tall and took a step forward in a surprisingly elegant and dignified fashion.

The strange ritual was an ancient ritual called the Gentleman's Etiquette. It was the first step to invoke the Oathbearer.

Once done, Ye Qing raised his head slightly and chanted, "Heed my call, the void sky above and the dark earth below! I am Ye Qing. In the name of the undying oath, I summon the Oathbearer, Spirit of the Void Sky and Witness of Oaths, to witness my oath!"

His voice was heavy, slow and solemn, and his intonations sounded like it came from a far gone era. Invisible ripples actually started appearing out of nowhere as if his utterance somehow resonated with the world itself.

Shock flitted across Faceless' features when Ye Qing actually succeeded. He actually knows the mantra to summon the Oathbearer? How is this possible?

The next moment, both Ye Qing and Faceless suddenly felt incredibly light as if they had been freed from their physical bodies. In fact, they were. Their minds shot right through the nine heavens before they finally arrived and saw the biggest tortoise they had ever seen in their life.

Starlights orbited around the giant tortoise's body, and astral wind blew across its back from time to time. Its humongous back was jam-packed with countless tall, ancient, and weathered monuments inscribed with various oaths. They were obviously the legendary Monuments of Oath.

Besides that, Ye Qing noticed that some monuments had souls bound to their bodies. They were all screaming and wailing in the endless astral wind. They must be the damned souls who broke their oaths and were doomed to be cut by the astral wind for eternity.

"This… is the Oathbearer?!" Faceless thought as he perceived the power rolling off the giant tortoise and trembled from the bottom of his heart. He didn't even have the courage to raise his head and look at his fellow Stranger.

"I don't know, but most likely!" Ye Qing responded. The young man also felt a little intimidated—who wouldn't after witnessing such a grand sight?—but he was able to maintain his composure far better than Faceless thanks to the "Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method".

"Hail, oathmakers. Why have you summoned me?" It was at this moment a grand voice entered their ears. Both men blinked, and an old man wearing a clean robe and carrying a walking staff suddenly appeared in front of them. His smile was kind, and his demeanor was friendly. However, his eyes swirled like there was an entire universe behind them. They could see a vast, empty space, orbiting suns and moons, dying galaxies and more.

"Well met, Oathbearer, Spirit of the Void Sky and Witness of Oaths!"

Ye Qing did not allow himself to be distracted by the magnificent sight happening within the old man's eyes, however. He did not doubt that the old man was an avatar or manifestation of the Oathbearer, and to treat him with anything less but the utmost respect was pure folly. "The two of us would like to sign a master-servant contract, and we would dare to ask you to act as our witness!"

"At your service!" the Oathbearer replied with a kind smile.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Ye Qing shot a glance at Faceless. The Stranger had been trying to minimize his presence in hopes that Ye Qing would somehow miss him to no avail.

"R-Right!" Faceless replied despondently. Short of committing suicide, the only thing he could do was to swear the oath, so he did. "In the name of the Oathbearer, I, Faceless, swear that I will serve Ye Qing as his eternal servant. His wish is my command, his word is my law, and my life belongs to him and him alone. Should I ever waver in my loyalty, may my mind cease to exist from this world!"

Ye Qing did not rush to accept Faceless' oath. After mulling over his words carefully and finding no loopholes, he raised his head and swore solemnly, "In the name of the Oathbearer, Ye Qing, solemnly accept Faceless' oath of servitude!"

"And so it shall be!" the Oathbearer declared with a smile and raised his hand a little. Ye Qing and Faceless immediately heard an indescribable sound that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Then, their oaths manifested into reality in the form of an ancient yet profound language before landing on a monument. And just like that, it was done.

As soon as the oath was complete, Ye Qing suddenly felt an indescribable, invisible connection to Faceless. If he wanted to, he could literally kill the Stranger with a single thought. Faceless felt the same thing as well, except that he was the one who might perish at any moment.

This was what a master-servant contract was. In this contract, the master bore no limitations or consequences whatsoever, but the servant must obey his master absolutely. Not only that, his death would not impact Ye Qing whatsoever, but Ye Qing's death would result in his death as well. From now on, he could only serve Ye Qing like a dog and obey his every whim. He would also protect him with all his power because his life literally depended on it.

This is going to suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, thought a certain unfortunate Stranger.

"Thank you for your help, the Oathbearer!" Ye Qing smiled and saluted the old man respectfully after the oath was complete.

"Haha, don't mention it. It is my honor to be able to help you!" the Oathbearer responded while swinging his arm a little. The monument floating in the air immediately flew toward the giant tortoise's back and landed in the middle of the forest of monuments.

"Most people know me as the Oathbearer, but you may call me Fu Tian [1], young one. If you need my services in the future, simply say my name, and I will respond."

"Thank you, the Oathbearer!" Ye Qing exclaimed in astonishment. He was surprised that the Oathbearer would share his true name with him.

"If there is nothing else, then allow me to send you back to your bodies. Please, have a nice day!"

When Fu Tian waved his hand, Ye Qing found himself falling through the sky at an unimaginable speed. When his mind returned to his body, and he opened his eyes in a hurry, he discovered that he was back at the house again. Beside him, Faceless had jolted "awake" as well. It was almost like they had never left in the first place.

The first thing Ye Qing did after returning to the earth—literally—was to extinguish the Incense of Fortune. During the short span they were gone, the poor thing had burned down to just the length of a thumb. He reckoned that it was only good for one more use, and perhaps not even that.

After Ye Qing had put away the Incense of Fortune, Faceless suddenly interrupted him with a surprising question, "Master, are… are you really human?" He turned around and saw the Stranger staring at him with a most thoughtful expression.

"Duh? If I'm not human, then who is?" Ye Qing looked confused. "What's troubling you?"

Faceless answered obediently, "From what I heard, most people who signed an Oath of Burden with the Oathbearer had never seen his true body, much less his avatar. The only thing they saw was the blank monument where their oaths would be inscribed."

"But the Oathbearer didn't just manifest his avatar to meet you, he even told you his true name. The Oathbearers are an ancient, honorable race who respects ancient customs above all else, and they never divulge their true name to anyone except those whom they acknowledge. Don't you find it strange that the Oathbearer is so courteous with you?"

"Not at all! I'm a good man, and a good man is popular no matter where he goes!" Ye Qing replied cheekily.

Faceless immediately gave him a thumbs-up and echoed in agreement, "You're right! It's why people say that one good turn deserves another. Once again, you've hit the nail on the head, master!"

Of course Faceless knew that he was lying through his teeth, but he wasn't stupid enough to press him about it. From the moment he signed a master-servant contract with Ye Qing, he was no longer Faceless, the Stranger. He was simply Faceless, Ye Qing's eternally loyal servant, and thanks to his myriad experiences, he knew exactly what a servant should think, say and do.

"I still have a couple of things I need to settle, so head to Endless Horizons and wait for my return!" Ye Qing ordered and stepped out of the house. The moonlight shining down from the dark yet clear sky felt incredibly soothing.

"As you command, master!" Faceless answered with a deep bow.

Ye Qing was about to take his leave when he suddenly added, "By the way, don't call me master from now on. Young master is fine. Also, change your face to someone your companions have never seen. You don't want your companions to see you walking into my bookstore, do you? And no, you're not allowed to take a woman's appearance!"

"You truly are a gentleman, young master!" Faceless joked while making a face that caused goosebumps to creep all over Ye Qing's skin once more. Then, the Stranger turned into an old man in his fifties and saluted him again. "See you in a moment, young master!"

"Mm!" Ye Qing responded, but his body grew increasingly transparent over time. As it turned out, he had long since vanished into the night.

Faceless waited respectfully until Ye Qing's afterimage was completely gone. Only then did he disappear into the night as well.

It didn't take long for Ye Qing to return to Longevity Alley. He wasn't worried that Faceless would try something while he was gone because they had signed a master-servant contract. He could literally kill the Stranger with a thought if he wanted, and for better or worse, Faceless wasn't the type to die for a cause!

"Wa… Warrior Ye. How did it go?" Hu Nu walked up to Ye Qing as soon as he saw him. Yun Yan had awoken as well, though she still looked a little pale and unhealthy.

"It's dead!" Ye Qing gave him a nod before inspecting Yun Yan's condition. "Are you okay, Miss Yun?"

The young woman slowly saluted him. "I'm fine. Thanks for your concern, warrior. By the way, that Stranger looks like a mythical Soul Eater, and its abilities are strange to put it mildly. Did you really kill it?"

"Your knowledge is most impressive, Miss Yun. You are correct. That Stranger is a Soul Eater!" Ye Qing said smilingly.

A bit of admiration trickled into Yun Yan's eyes. "That may be true, but I am nothing compared to you. To think you're strong enough to kill a Soul Eater! Most impressive, warrior!"

"I was just lucky!" Ye Qing replied humbly. "Anyway, now that the Stranger is gone, you should head home and get yourself treated as soon as possible."

"Thank you for your understanding, warrior," Yun Yan smiled politely but asked another question, "Warrior, you are incredibly strong and skilled considering your age. I am certain that you have a bright future ahead of you. If you don't mind, would you like to join the Pacification Bureau and help us eliminate Strangers and protect the people?"

Ye Qing was honestly surprised by the offer. As the only department in Chu that was responsible for both the security of the people and the elimination of Strangers, the Pacification Bureau answered to the emperor and the emperor only. This was to prevent petty politics from diminishing their effectiveness and efficiency. To this end, they were even granted the right to kill first and ask questions later, so one might say that they were the most eminent and powerful department in the realm!

Countless people fought to enter the Pacification Bureau for fame and fortune, but of course its selection process was extremely stringent. For starters, the candidate's background must be perfectly clean. Second, they must possess outstanding talent. But the way Yun Yan put it, he could probably skip this selection process and join the Pacification Bureau immediately if he so wished!

Seeing that Ye Qing was silent, Yun Yan continued, "Considering your talent and your achievement tonight, I promise that you will be granted the rank of Lieutenant at the very least."

"Lieutenant?" Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. He did not think that Yun Yan would make such a generous offer.

The Pacification Bureau was split into five ranks in total. From top to bottom, they were the Chief of Bureau, Peacemaker, Lieutenant, Guardian, and Sentinel. Chief of Bureau should be self-evident. Peacemaker was the rank for people bearing titles such as Windcatcher, Investigator, Patrolman and so on. Since Chu Nianjiu was a Windcatcher, this meant that he was a Peacemaker-rank official of the Pacification Bureau.

On a related note, just because two people shared the same title did not mean that their status was the same. For example, Chu Nianjiu was a Windcatcher of Luo Shui; an entire commandery. It should be obvious that a Windcatcher of Luo Shui was far more illustrious than, say, a Windcatcher of Anyang.

Although Lieutenant was technically the middle rank between the five ranks, it counted as the upper echelon of the Pacification Bureau. For someone like Ye Qing, it was absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Ye Qing couldn't deny that the offer was a tempting one, but in the end he shook his head and said, "Thank you very much for the most generous offer, but I'm just a young, inexperienced man who still has a long, long way to go before he can assume a post, much less one as important as Lieutenant. Also, the reason I visited Anyang is purely to explore the world and broaden my horizons. I may leave at any moment, which is why I have no choice but to let you down."

He carried too many secrets that must not be exposed already. It would be folly to be involved with the Pacification Bureau directly.

"That is a terrible shame!" Yun Yan sighed in disappointment but quickly schooled her comely features into a soft, gentle smile. "Although it is a terrible shame I will not be able to work with you, it is still my honor to make your acquaintance today, warrior!"

"And I you, Miss Yun!" Ye Qing replied smilingly, "By the way, you need not address me as 'warrior' or 'Mister Ye'. I am not that vain, and both appellations feel incredibly distant. Just address me by my name or my moniker, Joyless!"

"Okay. Since I'm a few years older than you, I shall call you Joyless." Yun Yan turned a little red but said, "In that case, I want you to stop addressing as Miss Yun as well. Just call me big sis."

"B-Big sis?" This is only our second meeting, and she wants me to call her big sis already? This relationship is moving a little too fast, isn't it?

Ye Qing rubbed his nose and coughed. "Big… Big… Sister Yun! How does Sister Yun sound?"

In the end, his face-fu [2]wasn't up to snuff, and he just could not bring himself to use such an embarrassing appellation no matter what, so he offered a compromise.

"Okay!" Yun Yan agreed easily.

The duo would continue to chat with each other a while longer until they were out of Longevity Alley. Finally, Yun Yan said, "Joyless, I need to head back and report to the Chief of Bureau about this. I'll come find you at your bookstore when I'm free. Thank you again for saving our lives tonight!"

"You're welcome, Sister Yun!" Ye Qing saluted her. "Take care!"

"You too!"

They both went their separate ways after that.

1. meaning the Bearer/the one who bears the heavens ☜

2. face kung fu

Chapter 81: Ye Qing's Plan

Ye Qing went back to Endless Horizons after he bid Yun Yan goodbye. He had just arrived at the entrance when Faceless stepped out of a dark corner.

"Why didn't you wait for me inside?" Ye Qing asked confusedly.

The Stranger pointed a finger at the bookstore and replied sadly, "Your pet Strangers refused to let me in."

Ye Qing slapped his head in realization. He had forgotten about Kung Fu Frog and Wawa after everything that had happened tonight. Considering Kung Fu Frog's strength, he could definitely see how Faceless was unable to force his way through.

"Follow me!" Ye Qing ordered and entered the bookstore. The second he stepped through the door, Kung Fu Frog leaped down from the second floor and looked behind him warily. Wawa was also hiding inside a book and sneaking peeks at Faceless.

"Don't worry, Brother Frog! Allow me to make the introductions. His name is Faceless, and he's a friend from now on!" Ye Qing explained.

"Croak croak!" Kung Fu Frog swayed its head back and forth with a puzzled look. It was clearly still wary despite Ye Qing's assurance.

Wawa suddenly appeared on Ye Qing's shoulder and pulled his hair. She then whispered beside his ear, "Friend, friend, you need to be careful! This guy is the baddie who tried to kill a few days ago!"

"I didn't think you're the type to hold a grudge!" Ye Qing patted her little head smilingly and said, "Don't worry. That fight back then was just a misunderstanding. From now on, he'll never hurt me again."

Wawa was more perceptive than he thought. He thought that no one would be able to recognize Faceless after he had taken on a new appearance, but the Book Sprite still recognized him immediately.

Ye Qing then looked at Faceless and said, "These are my friends, Brother Frog and Wawa. I'll be counting on you to take good care of them while I'm absent!"

"As you command, young master!" Faceless responded before shooting Kung Fu Frog and Wawa a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you, Brother Frog, Wawa. I'll be in your care from now on."

Seeing that Kung Fu Frog and Wawa were still wary of him, Ye Qing suggested, "Brother Frog, you can ask Faceless to buy you any wine you want to drink. Wawa, you can also ask Faceless to get you any delicious food you want to eat!"

"Really?" Wawa immediately threw all caution into the wind and chirped excitedly, "I wanna eat sugar calabashes, marshmallows, chestnut cakes, osmanthus cakes and, and…"

"Don't worry, Wawa. I'll buy them all for you tomorrow!" Faceless declared with a bright smile. "On that note, I picked up some cooking skills in the past. I know how to make some pastries and delicacies such as squirrel cinnamon fish, sweet drunken prawn, emerald porridge, as-you-wish cake, plum blossom cookies and more. I'll make them all for you if you want!"

"I want! I want! I want them all!" The little girl was beside herself with joy.

Faceless then turned to Kung Fu Frog and produced a jar of wine from his Nature's Shell. "Brother Frog, this is a Sunset Wine that's been stored in a cellar for over a century. It is brewed using a hundred-year-old Sunset Flower and a thousand-year-old Ice Spring Water, and flavored with a hundred other things to give it an unthinkable amount of flavors. It is sweet, mellow and rich and I guarantee that your memory of this wine will last for a lifetime. Consider this my meeting gift for you, Brother Frog."

After handing over the jar of wine to Kung Fu Frog, he added, "Besides that, I know a little about wine brewing and delicious wine in general. If you don't mind, I will happily share my knowledge with you."

"Croak croak…" Kung Fu Frog's wariness visibly decreased after it accepted the offering, though the only reason it let down its guard at all was because it couldn't sense any malice from Faceless. If not, it would've attacked him no matter what he offered.

"Hehehe, as long as you are satisfied!" Faceless responded with a smile as if he could understand Kung Fu Frog's words!

Ye Qing smiled. He had to admit that Faceless was an expert in reading people and navigating through a social situation. In just a few sentences, he was able to get both Kung Fu Frog and Wawa to drop their guard.

"Go catch some rest, Faceless. We will be going out on a trip tomorrow morning," Ye Qing ordered before walking upstairs. Once he returned to his bedroom, he immediately closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. Now that he knew what Faceless' group was planning, it was time to make some plans and preparations.

When the first morning bell rang, Ye Qing immediately packed his stuff and left the bookstore. Faceless was already waiting for him at the entrance.

"Let's go!" Ye Qing beckoned him to follow and stepped onto the street.

Faceless asked while trailing a few steps behind Ye Qing like a humble servant, "Where are we headed to, young master?"

"The county hall!" Ye Qing replied honestly, "Your plan is too much for me to handle alone. I'm going to need to notify Lord Yan about this."

"Are you trying to convince Lord Yan to capture Tang Yi'an and clear out the Strangers lurking within the county?"

Ye Qing smiled enigmatically and said, "You'll find out the answer very soon."

A few steps later, Ye Qing recalled something and added, "By the way, remember the common bailiffs you killed at the Shing Wong temple? You best avoid bringing up the matter at all when we meet Lord Yan later. It'll be troublesome otherwise!"

"I will. Thank you for the reminder!" Faceless replied obediently.

Some time later, Ye Qing arrived at the county hall and requested a bailiff standing guard at the entrance to notify Yan Yufei of his arrival. The large majority of bailiffs in the administrative division recognized Ye Qing because he had accompanied Yan Yufei to the Shing Wong temple before. Even those who didn't know him knew that he was extremely close with Yan Yufei and Yan Feng. That was why he was granted entry very quickly and easily.

Yan Yufei looked the same as ever. He wore a long, scholarly robe and sported a kind, genial appearance as usual. However, he had also added a couple of wrinkles to the corner of his eyes and a few strands of white hair to his beard. The changes were minute, but it made him look a few years older than he was the last time Ye Qing saw him.

Clearly, a magistrate's job was anything but easy.

Yan Yufei was extremely happy to see Ye Qing. He said apologetically after they had exchanged their greetings, "I'm sorry, Joyless. I've been wanting to invite you over, but I kept forgetting about it every time I got busy. I hope you won't take offense."

Ye Qing replied with a polite smile, "Of course not! You work day and night because you care for the people of Anyang, and as a temporary resident of Anyang I'm only all too thankful for your diligence. There is no way I would ever blame you for this."

"Hahaha! You praise me too much, Joyless. I'm just carrying out my responsibility!" Yan Yufei said while gesturing for Ye Qing to take a seat.

While Ye Qing was taking a seat, Yan Feng poured them both a cup of tea and asked in a friendly tone, "What's been keeping you, Joyless? I've visited you a couple of times to invite you to a drink, but you were never available!"

After Ye Qing thanked Yan Feng for the tea, he replied, "Sorry, sorry, I've been absorbed in my cultivation for the past few days. If I knew you were going to treat me to a drink, I would not have gone into secluded training. Dammit!"

Yan Yufei laughed. "Hahaha! I know right? Yan Feng has the face of a generous man, but in reality he's even stingier than some housewives. If something costs half a copper, he won't think twice to split a copper coin into two. I can barely remember the last time he treated someone to lunch, much less a drink!"

"My lord! How can you say that? I treated you to a drink just three years ago!"

"Hahahaha…"

The trio exchanged pleasant conversation for a while longer before Ye Qing deemed that it was finally time to get serious. "To tell you the truth, I have come today to inform you about something terribly serious, my lord."

Yan Yufei's curiosity was immediately piqued. "I rarely see you looking so serious, Joyless. What is it?"

Ye Qing answered solemnly, "I found out that a group of Strangers are plotting to destroy Anyang three days later."

"Destroy Anyang? Why, that does sound pretty serious!" Yan Yufei said with a chuckle. The magistrate must have thought that Ye Qing was joking, but when he noticed Ye Qing looked as solemn as ever, he finally said disbelievingly, "You… weren't joking?"

Ye Qing shook his head. "I wouldn't joke about something like this."

Yan Yufei instinctively straightened his back and turned serious as well. "What happened? Please, tell me everything!"

"It's like this…" Ye Qing proceeded to tell him about his encounter with Faceless and the conspiracy he had accidentally uncovered. The only thing he refrained from mentioning was the fact that Faceless was the one who killed the bailiffs at the Shing Wong temple.

"Are you serious?" Yan Feng exclaimed in horror and fury when Ye Qing finally finished his story. "How dare these Strangers hatch such a heinous plot! How dare they!"

Yan Yufei kept his cool and asked, "You said you caught that Stranger who called himself Faceless. Did you bring him with you?"

"I did!" Ye Qing nodded. "Faceless, tell them everything you know in detail."

Faceless had been waiting for his turn to speak. He immediately bowed to Yan Yufei and greeted, "Faceless greets you, Lord Yan."

Yan Yufei looked a little taken aback. "This old man's Faceless?" The old man had accompanied Ye Qing into the hall, but he paid him no heed that he was the young man's servant or subordinate. He never imagined that he was a Stranger until he revealed himself. This should not be possible because official buildings such as this one were centers of the Will of the Dragon and the Will of the People; an official's homeground so to speak. Most Strangers would lose most of their power and be forced to reveal themselves if they even get close to such sites, but the old man before him looked perfectly fine.

Even now, Faceless had no presence whatsoever and felt no different from an ordinary human. It was no wonder that Yan Yufei was stunned. Yan Feng was already gripping his saber and getting ready to fight Faceless to the death if need be.

"Don't worry. He has signed a master-servant contract with me. He is now absolutely loyal to me, and I can kill him with a single thought if he ever changes his mind, so you have nothing to worry about, Brother Yan," Ye Qing assured before ordering Faceless again, "Faceless, tell them what you were planning to do to Anyang."

"As you command," Faceless nodded before telling Yan Yufei about his fellow Stranger's plan.

Yan Yufei was silent for a long time after Faceless was finished. When he looked up again, he was barely holding back his anger as he said, "These Strangers' gall knows no bounds. How dare they plot the destruction of Anyang!"

After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he looked at Ye Qing and said gratefully, "Thank goodness you managed to uncover this conspiracy, Joyless, or the consequences could only be described as unimaginable. On behalf of everyone in Anyang and Chu, I thank you for saving our lives!"

Ye Qing hurriedly said, "You flatter me, my lord. Anyone with even a smidgen of conscience would've done the same."

"What do we do now, my lord?" Yan Feng asked, "Should we detain Tang Yi'an, put the whole county under lockdown and hunt for the Strangers lurking within Anyang right away?"

Yan Yufei nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a good plan. Tang Yi'an is the guard captain, and yet his dereliction of duty has nearly paved the way to an unthinkable disaster. There is no chance I'm letting him off this time. As for the Strangers, I see no reason to keep them around whatsoever, especially since we are so short on time. I hereby order you to round up the men and scour the whole county for Strangers! You may kill anyone you find!"

"At once!" Yan Feng accepted his order solemnly.

However, Ye Qing blocked the bailiff's way and said, "Wait, Brother Yan!" He then turned back to Yan Yufei and said, "My lord, your plan isn't bad, but it only treats the symptoms and not the cure. If you will heed my advice, I have a different plan that will solve this crisis once and for all."

"Tell me!" Yan Yufei asked curiously.

Ye Qing took a sip of tea before starting, "Since we know exactly what these Strangers are planning, why don't we use it to our advantage beforehand? My plan is this: let's set up an ambush and wait for these Strangers to invade Anyang. This way, we may kill them all in one fell swoop!"

"That… sounds pretty risky," Yan Yufei replied uncertainly. To say that Ye Qing's plan was bold would be an understatement. If something went wrong, it could result in the end of Anyang.

"The path to the optimal outcome is often risky!" Ye Qing explained slowly, "Although your plan sounds safer, there is one big flaw with it. If one or more of the Strangers managed to escape detection, they may come up with a second, third or fourth plan to topple Anyang. Even if you manage to defeat them this time, there is no telling if you'll be able to defeat them again and again."

"That is why the best course of action here is to take the fight to them. If my plan succeeds, we'll be able to eliminate not just the Strangers inside Anyang, but also the ones that have been harassing the people in the outskirts. The people will be safer than ever before, and the realm won't soon forget your achievements. So please, do not be too quick to dismiss my plan."

Chapter 82: Weeding

"Give me some time to think!" Yan Yufei said thoughtfully.

"My plan might sound crazy, but in truth it isn't risky at all!" Ye Qing declared with great confidence. "The reason the Strangers dared to invade Anyang at all is because both the Pacification Bureau and the Shenwu Defense Force are severely undermanned right now. Therefore, all we need to do is to bring them back in secret and set up the ambush, and their plot would be thwarted for sure."

"That is a good plan!" Yan Feng echoed in agreement. "What do you think, my lord?"

Yan Yufei did not make a decision immediately. A moment of consideration later, he finally said, "It is worth trying. However, this isn't something I can decide on my own. I'll have to speak with Chief Ling about this!"

"Naturally!" Ye Qing echoed in agreement. It was impossible to circumvent the Pacification Bureau or Ling Jianqiu for this matter to have any chance at success anyway.

"Also, we need to find a way to bring back the Shenwu Defense Force to the county without our enemies noticing," Yan Yufei said thoughtfully.

"Oh, that one's pretty simple actually," Ye Qing said with a smile, "Of the five key Strangers plotting the destruction of Anyang, Old Grass is the one responsible for collecting information for the group. He is the eyes of the group so to speak. As long as we take him out, slipping the Shenwu Defense Force back to the county should not be an issue anymore."

"That works!" Yan Yufei nodded immediately.

Ye Qing clapped his hands and said, "We are in agreement then. I'll handle Old Grass myself, so I trust you to handle Chief Ling and the Shenwu Defense Force, my lord."

"Do you need help, Joyless? I can lend you a hand if you need me," Yan Feng asked concernedly, but Ye Qing was very confident.

"Don't worry. I managed to catch Faceless alive, didn't I? If he's any indicator, the rest of the group are going to be easy," he declared.

"..."

Faceless' pride felt a little wounded, but he responded in a flattering tone, "Old Grass is more or less on my level, so of course he is no match for the young master."

Ye Qing added, "Also, you guys aren't strong enough to help me. In fact, it's only going to increase the chance of exposure."

"..."

Now Yan Feng was the one who felt insulted. "Who are you calling me weak? What cultivation level are you at right now?"

"The Vessel Augmentation stage!" Ye Qing answered honestly.

"I'm sorry?" Yan Feng's smile immediately froze on his face. It was quickly replaced by shock and disbelief. Beside him, Yan Yufei looked just as stunned.

"Yep. I've been a Vessel Augmentor for some time. A middle-stage Vessel Augmentor to be exact!" Ye Qing replied indifferently after enjoying a sip of tea.

Yan Yufei: "..."

Yan Feng: "..."

For a time, the two men could only exchange glances with each other. Although they had seen Ye Qing fight and knew that he was an outstanding warrior, the possibility that he might be a Vessel Augmentor—a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor no less—had never crossed his mind. It was because there were only a handful of Vessel Augmentors in the entire Anyang. One could even say that they were the county's most powerful warriors since everyone else above that level had moved to greener pastures.

What truly stunned them, however, was the fact that Ye Qing wasn't even twenty years old yet. A Vessel Augmentor like him would be considered a genius even in a commandery or a prefecture. His future was bright and limitless.

"You never fail to surprise me, Joyless!" Yan Yufei sighed emotionally. Before, Yan Yufei thought of Ye Qing as a junior with outstanding talent and character. But now, he was treating him like a true equal. "Very well. I trust you to take care of Old Grass!"

"Worry not, my lord. I promise I will live up to your expectations." Ye Qing saluted the magistrate. "There isn't much time left, so I'm going to head back and make the preparations now. I will take out Old Grass tonight."

"Got it. Be careful!" Yan Yufei advised.

Ye Qin nodded before adding, "One more thing, my lord. If possible, I would like you to keep this between you, me, and Chief Ling only. After all, we do not know how many Strangers are lurking in Anyang, nor do we know how many people have succumbed to their temptation. The less people know about this, the higher the chance the plan will succeed."

Yan Yufei nodded seriously. "An ant colony may collapse a great dike. I understand."

Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath after he left the county hall. Then, he put on a smile and returned to his usual, relaxed self once more.

"Why did you do it, young master?" Faceless asked with a puzzled expression. He was referring to the fact that Ye Qing had chosen the riskiest plan to deal with the Strangers—one where he would stand at the center of the maelstrom—even though he could've just agreed to Yan Yufei's original plan and stayed out of the whole thing. Not only that, Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu were the ones who stood to benefit the most out of this arrangement, not him.

"Heh. You won't understand!" Ye Qing simply replied with a shake of his head. A man should be selfish, but they shouldn't always be selfish. If everything went well, Anyang would be safe, and its people would enjoy a few years of peace and security at least, so why wouldn't he go with the plan? Humans were humans because they possessed the capacity to go against their baser instincts and strive for goodness, right?

Of course, it wasn't like he was totally selfless. If the plan succeeded, he would be killing a ton of Strangers and earning a lot of dragon-serpent runes, which would be greatly beneficial for his growth. All things considered, what was not to like about this plan?

"Where are we going now, young master?" Faceless did not press the matter after Ye Qing had refused to answer.

"The bookstore. I'd like to enter the next stage before we meet your old friend!"

Ye Qing looked up. The sun had just risen from the horizon, and it looked both bright and hopeful.

...

When the moon had risen to the center of the sky, and the gongs were struck three times to signify the beginning of midnight, Ye Qing finally left his bedroom and went downstairs.

Faceless had been waiting for a while and walked up to his master immediately after he sensed his presence. He was about halfway there when suddenly, he paused in his tracks and exclaimed in astonishment, "You made a breakthrough, young master?"

He said this because he felt a little pressured by Ye Qing in a way he hadn't felt during the day. This could only mean that Ye Qing had entered the late-stage of the Vessel Augmentation stage.

"Yeah? Didn't I tell you I'm going to do that this morning?" Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly.

Practicing his martial arts, the "Boundless Lightning Palm" and the "Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve" and refining his new Strange Artifacts, the Blue Demon Hand and the Lightning Bolt weren't the only things Ye Qing had done during his previous training session. He had also spent two silver dragon-serpent runes to solidify his foundation and filled up his newly augmented blood vessels and bodily points with true qi. At that point, he was one step away from entering the late-stage of the Vessel Augmentation stage.

This was why he was able to achieve a breakthrough today. All he needed to do was to use up his remaining four dragon-serpent runes, augment his final four Standard Meridians and two Extraordinary Meridians to complete that final step.

Faceless looked taken aback. It was only now he remembered that Ye Qing had said that he was going to enter the next stage of his cultivation level. However, he hadn't taken it to heart at the time because he thought that his master was joking. Who would've thought that he would actually do it in a single day? Since when was breaking into the next stage so easy?

"Few people could improve their cultivation level so easily. You must be a chosen of the heavens, young master!" Faceless said. The Stranger was attempting to mask his shock with flattery, but Ye Qing paid him no heed.

"Enough with the bootlicking. It's time to meet Old Grass!" Ye Qing chided Faceless before calling out, "Please come with us, Brother Frog. I'm going to need your help this time."

He didn't really, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. With two Malice-class Strangers by his side, there should be no way Old Grass could escape his grasp.

At Yang's Tofu Shop, Old Grass had extinguished the lamps a long time ago. However, his eyes were wide open. He was currently sitting on a stool and staring blankly at the walls.

Everything was ready, and the plan would be set in motion in just a couple more days. However, strange restlessness had been bothering him for the past few days and especially tonight. For whatever reason, his mind just refused to rest, and his chest felt so tight it almost felt like he was suffocating. Why did he keep feeling like something bad was about to happen?

"Am I just old?" Old Grass sighed, his wrinkles creasing together and making him look even older than before. His hair kept changing back and forth between lush green and withered yellow, and the barren grass in the courtyard rustled to the wind as if sensing up his emotions.

Suddenly, Old Grass tensed up and stared at his door coldly. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Faceless!" Faceless called out from outside.

"Faceless?" Old Grass frowned but opened the door to let him in. He asked in a puzzled voice, "I wasn't expecting you at this time. Did something happen?"

"Nope! What, can't I visit you when I'm bored?" Faceless said with an uncaring smile.

Old Grass grew irritated. "Didn't you hear Evergreen Ivy? We shouldn't be seeing each other anymore until the plan is executed, or if you have something that can't wait!"

Faceless shrugged. "So what? It'll all be over in a couple of days anyway."

"Oh, you!" Old Grass shook his head helplessly. He was about to say something else when a series of unnatural rustling noises caught his attention. "You're not alone, Faceless?"

"Oh, you found out?"

Faceless let out an eerie chuckle before his facial features abruptly vanished into nothing. Then, his forehead split open to unleash a pitch black beam that struck Old Grass squarely in the head.

Bang!

Old Grass didn't manage to dodge the sudden attack as they were only a few steps away from each other. It easily shattered his head into pieces. However, instead of falling dead like a human would have, grass grew out of his stomach and shot toward Faceless like blades. They would absolutely skewer the Stranger if he didn't get out of the way.

"Wow!" Faceless let out a strange cry and sped away immediately. His instincts were screaming for him to dodge, and it was the right call. As soon as he left the entrance, the entire building was skewered by countless blades of yellow grass.

"Why did you try to kill me, Faceless?" A furious, questioning voice boomed from Old Grass' headless body. At the same time, a new head slowly grew out of his neck like a sprout.

"Hehe. Since when do I need a reason to kill you?" Faceless sneered. As soon as he finished, a small silhouette dashed out from beside him and launched a palm strike at Old Grass.

Old Grass swung his arms lightly and caused the surrounding grass to grow at a crazy rate. They then surged toward the silhouette from every direction. If the silhouette was caught, the grass would easily rip them apart from limb to limb.

"Croak!"

However, the small silhouette let out a mighty croak and thrust their palms forward. A tremendous amount of force crushed the walls of grass like nothing. It was none other than Kung Fu Frog.

Old Grass didn't panic, however. Green vitality flashed from his body, and the broken grass started growing wildly once more. This time, Kung Fu Frog had no choice but to move out of the way.

Meanwhile, Faceless was also dodging a sea of yellow grass. They didn't just come at him from different directions, it was like trying to dodge a million swords at the same time. He had to deal with thrusts, slashes, lashes, sweeps, and more, and it was near impossible to tell which attack was a feint and which wasn't. Scratch that, it was like he was facing a million expert swordsmen at the same time!

For a time, it was all Faceless could do to dodge the attacks. The amount of wounds on his body was growing rapidly. Old Grass was just standing there with an imperious sneer as he said, "Is this it? What on earth made you think you could kill me?"

As if on cue, the alarm bells in Old Grass' head suddenly went off. Before he could react, a bolt of lightning flashed before his eyes.

Boom!

The next moment, half of Old Grass' body exploded just like that. There was a faint smell of burning as lightning crawled all over his body.

Chapter 83: May Humanity

"There's a third assassin? How?"

Old Grass didn't fall even though half of his body was annihilated by Lightning Bolt. He simply flashed bright green again and regrew the missing half of his body. In fact, he looked more stunned than he was concerned with his own wounds.

Old Grass possessed an innate magic that allowed him to control the surrounding plants and feel what they feel to a certain degree. It was how he noticed Kung Fu Frog's presence earlier and realized that something was amiss. Just now, his magic was still informing him that there were only two presences around him, and they were Faceless and the frog Stranger. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, a third presence had appeared and dealt him a serious blow. It was both extremely disturbing and worrying. More importantly…

"A human?!"

When Old Grass saw Ye Qing standing on a wall and looking down, he could not help but explode in outrage, "You colluded with a human, Faceless!?"

"Hehe. Collude? Oh no no, I'm on his side. It's what I determined to be the best course of action after reviewing the circumstances."

Still dodging Old Grass' attacks, Faceless persuaded with a smile, "Old Grass, you and I are old acquaintances, so I'm going to give you some advice. Surrender now, and you may yet live to see another day with my help. Otherwise, tonight will be the last night you live."

But Old Grass was relentless. He uttered in a dark, raspy voice, "You dare to collude with a human, Faceless? You deserve death!"

The withered grass in the courtyard grew even wilder. It looked like a tidal wave of grass was attempting to squash Faceless like a bug.

Of course, Ye Qing wasn't exempted from Old Grass' hatred. He shouted, "Die, human!" and stomped the ground. Every blade of grass in the courtyard abruptly snapped in half before floating toward the sky. Then, they fell down toward Ye Qing like a rain of swords.

"Pretty impressive!" Ye Qing raised his eyebrows and smiled. As he slowly raised his left hand, the air around him started shaking ominously. It almost looked like he was lifting a mountain. When the rain of grass swords was about one meter away from him, he thrust his left hand forward and conjured a sea of bluish black flames. It was mixed with the tyrannical force of the lightning as well.

"Blue Demon Hand"

"Boundless Lightning Palm"

The "Blood Shadow Divine Art" was one of the finest Vessel Augmentation Arts out there, allowing him to unlock all twelve Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, and three hundred and sixty points and achieving perfect augmentation. As a result, his true qi was far greater than the average late-stage Vessel Augmentor. Combined with the Boundless Lightning Palm, it was like he was unleashing a tsunami of pure power!

Boom!

The rain of grass swords crashed against the tsunami of fire, and as expected the bluish black flames easily burned them all into ashes. Ye Qing did not wait for the ashes to fall to the ground and appeared in front of Old Grass in just the blink of an eye. Before the Stranger could react, he slapped his sleeve right across his chest.

"Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve"

There was so much force behind the attack that his chest caved in, and his entire person sank into the ground, leaving a comically-shaped hole behind. However, Old Grass transformed into a bundle of withered grass just a second later.

"It's a fake?"

Ye Qing frowned and mustered his energy. His spirit spread out in direction like a giant ripple, and his aura encompassed the entire area like a spider's web. He was trying to find Old Grass by perceiving every minute change in his surroundings.

"Got you!"

Ye Qing's eyes lit up, and he clenched his hand together. A Blood Shadow flickered toward a certain direction, and an empty spot in one corner of the ruined shop shivered unnaturally. Then, Old Grass abruptly popped into existence. As it turned out, the cunning Stranger had been hiding inside his ruined home this whole time.

As soon as Old Grass reappeared into view, countless Blood Shadows swooped down on him and lifted him into the air. His body flashed green again and again as he attempted to break free to no avail.

"Surrender. You cannot escape."

Ye Qing slowly approached the struggling Stranger and said, "I may allow you to live if you surrender now and tell me everything!"

"Surrender? Keep dreaming, human!" Old Grass growled. The green light immediately grew much brighter, and a terrible power began gushing out of his body.

"Watch out, young master! He's about to detonate his own mind!" Faceless hurriedly warned.

"Hmph! Like that could happen on my watch!" Ye Qing sneered and grabbed Old Grass' head with his left hand. He then squeezed until the Stranger's head exploded and burned his body into ash with the Netherflame.

"What a shame!"

After Old Grass was dead, Ye Qing shot the ruin that was once a tofu shop a glance and shook his head. He said, "Old Grass is dead. Let's go!" before dashing through the streets and disappearing into the night. Faceless and Kung Fu Frog followed closely behind him.

Silence and tranquility returned to the area after Ye Qing was gone. It was almost as if nothing had happened as a cool breeze blew across the courtyard of yellow grass.

About half an incense stick later, a patch of ground in the courtyard suddenly twitched once. Then, a clump of lush green grass burst into view. Unlike the ordinary grass around it, it looked like it was carved out of white jade and glowed an eerie green light. Then, a blurry, transparent silhouette appeared above the grass and whispered, "Since Faceless has betrayed us, there is a high chance our plot has been leaked to the enemy. I must inform Evergreen Ivy about this immediately."

The silhouette was none other than Old Grass. Somehow, he was still alive even though his body was dust and ash at this point. He slowly floated into the air until he was fully detached from the unusual grass. As if on cue, the grass withered and died as if it had lost all of its vitality in an instant.

Like a ghost, Old Grass rode the wind and floated from Westward Alley. He flew straight toward the county center almost as if he had a specific destination in mind.

Eventually, he arrived at the county center and flew toward a certain building. His silhouette looked even blurrier and transparent than before, but the old Stranger was wearing a smile on his face. Once he got inside and informed Evergreen Ivy about what happened, he would be able to pass away without any regrets.

Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Right before he was about to fly into the building, a bluish black hand blocked right in front of his face. Before he knew it, bluish black flames had surrounded his whole body.

"It's you!? But how—" Old Grass could hardly believe it when he realized who had intercepted him at the last moment. His expression morphed into madness and struggle, "No! Impossible! You cannot—"

"I'm sorry, old man, but this is where your life ends!" said a young man's voice. A second later, Old Grass' final wails dissipated into nothing, and not a trace of him was left behind. Pale moonlight shone down from the sky and illuminated half of the killer's face. He was, of course, Ye Qing.

After Ye Qing had killed Old Grass, he looked at the towering building not far away from him and muttered in a disbelieving voice, "The Pacification Bureau… to think that this is where she's hiding!"

That's right. The place Old Grass tried so hard to reach before Ye Qing had intercepted him was the Anyang Pacification Bureau headquarters itself. A million thoughts raced across his mind as he stared at the towering building with dark eyes.

"Tsk tsk! Who would've thought that Evergreen Ivy is a member of the Pacification Bureau?"

It was at this moment Faceless poked his head out from behind Ye Qing. Although his tone was mocking and sarcastic, the way he was eyeing the Pacification Bureau betrayed the fact that he was terrified of the place. He quickly looked away before asking curiously, "How did you know that Old Grass knew where Evergreen Ivy is hiding, young master?"

"I guessed," Ye Qing answered. "Old Grass is both your information gatherer and your eyes and ears in Anyang. Naturally, he must know a way to pass on a message or contact your leader, Evergreen Ivy. After all, what's the point of gathering all this information if he couldn't inform her about it in time?"

"I see! That's why you purposely left Old Grass alive when you could've annihilated him utterly! Your wisdom knows no bounds, young master!" Faceless exclaimed in amazement.

Ye Qing ignored Faceless. Faceless had long since told him that Old Grass had a powerful survival technique that allowed him to sever a small portion of his mind and host it on a plant. In case of emergencies, he could abandon his body and be reborn from said plant.

Thanks to his powerful spirit, he had discovered the plant Old Grass had attached his mind to pretty much as soon as he destroyed his body. He chose not to eliminate him because he wanted to know if Old Grass would lead him to Evergreen Ivy's hideout, which he did.

The answer turned out to be more shocking than he expected, however. He never imagined that Evergreen Ivy would be hiding in the Pacification Bureau headquarters of all things. She was most likely a member of the Pacification Bureau as well. How was this even possible?

"You left Old Grass' mind alive because you want him to lead you to Evergreen Ivy's hideout. In that case, why didn't you take it a step further and let him lead you straight to Evergreen Ivy herself? Isn't it a bit of a waste?" Faceless asked another question.

"That would've been one step too much!" Ye Qing shook his head. "As undermanned as they are, the Pacification Bureau is still tightly guarded and helmed by Chief Ling himself. Neither you nor I have been here before, so it's more likely that we're only going to trip some sort of alarm and expose ourselves. That would immediately alert Evergreen Ivy that something is amiss."

"Also, did you actually think Old Grass was going to meet Evergreen Ivy in person? I can't deny that it is a possibility, but he doesn't need to see Evergreen Ivy to warn her that the plan has gone awry. All he needs to do is to cause a bit of commotion after he enters the Pacification Bureau, and Evergreen Ivy would automatically know that something is wrong. That is why killing him here and now is the best course of action."

Ye Qing sighed quietly. "Knowing Evergreen Ivy is hiding in the Pacification Bureau is good enough. After that, it's just a matter of carrying out a secret investigation and eliminating the suspects one by one."

Ye Qing was extremely glad that he had warned Yan Yufei beforehand to tell no one but Ling Jianqiu about his plan. Otherwise, the Strangers might've found out about it and thrown everything into disarray. Just in case, he needed to head back and remind Yan Yufei one more time about the necessity for secrecy.

"Let's go!"

His mind made up, Ye Qing immediately went to the county hall to inform Yan Yufei about Old Grass' death and the possibility that Evergreen Ivy might be hiding in the Pacification Bureau headquarters itself. Naturally, the magistrate was both stunned and furious to hear this. Without hesitation, he took off to the Pacification Bureau to speak with Ling Jianqiu even though it was almost dawn at this point.

Although he already had a meeting with the Chief of Bureau this noon, the man hadn't yet given him a response. This meant that Ling Jianqiu probably hadn't done anything to alarm Evergreen Ivy just yet. Even so, he needed to inform the man about this as soon as possible and minimize the chances that something might go wrong.

Ye Qing did not linger in the county hall nor did he return to the bookstore after Yan Yufei was gone. Instead, he went to the Iron Shirt Gang's headquarters and summoned Tao Xian. He left the man with some instructions and took the materials he had requested the man to gather for him earlier.

After the duo had exited the Iron Shirt Gang's headquarters, Faceless feigned astonishment and exclaimed, "I had no idea that you're the gang boss of the Iron Shirt Gang, young master! Does that mean that you're the one who took out Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng?"

Ye Qing shot him a look. "Quit pretending you haven't figured it out a while ago."

He had used the Lightning Bolt and the Blue Demon Hand in front of Faceless multiple times at this point. Only an idiot or a pretend-idiot would fail to put two and two together, and clearly Faceless belonged to the latter category.

"Hehehe, you are right. But every wise man needs a fool to portray their wisdom, and I am all too happy to play that role for you, young master!" Faceless replied without a shred of shame or embarrassment whatsoever. "So, where are we going now, young master?"

Ye Qing looked up. The morning bell rang, and a beam of light pierced through the sky like a holy sword that would cut through any darkness. As the world brightened, he said quietly, "We're going to leave the county for a bit and make an incense stick."

May humanity always triumph over hardships and welcome a good ending. May the light forever shine on us all.

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