Deep in the night, Lin Shu was lying on his bed, staring absentmindedly at the floating panel before him.
At this moment, the panel was displaying the reward for this round of options.
[Disguise +1]
What kind of attribute is this?
Could it be a skill that allows one to disguise as someone else?
No, no, no! It can’t be that superficial!
If that’s all it does, Lin Shu wouldn’t even need the system to add points—he could do it himself.
Surely it isn’t some special attribute to conceal cultivation, right?
But that doesn’t make sense either. Lin Shu already knows how to do that; in fact, acting as a Protector of the Dao this time required him to have that skill.
Could it be…
Lin Shu’s train of thought had just begun when the door to his room sounded with a “knock knock knock.”
“Senior Brother! It’s me!” Lu Zhiyun’s gentle voice floated in from outside.
“Junior Sister? What brings you here so late?”
Lin Shu got up to open the door, and the moment he cracked it open, a shadow slipped inside.
“Junior Sister, you…” Lin Shu sucked in a breath, unable to speak for a long moment.
It was indeed Lu Zhiyun, but at this moment, she was clad head-to-toe in an inky-black night suit, her face hidden behind a dark veil, eyes darting alertly around the room.
After confirming that no one else was present, Lu Zhiyun finally spoke, “Senior Brother! When are we taking action?”
“Taking action? What action?” Lin Shu looked puzzled.
Lu Zhiyun, however, gave Lin Shu a “stop pretending, I know everything” expression and said,
“The assassination of Village Chief Shi tonight!”
“???”
Tsk! Can’t she just say it straight out?
Lu Zhiyun frowned slightly.
As a professional Evil Cultivator Analysis Machine, Lu Zhiyun had been watch(ing) Lin Shu, analyzing his every move.
Back when she first spoke with Village Chief Shi, she had already noticed Lin Shu’s strange behavior, almost as if he was deliberately lingering in Qingshan Town.
So, was there some secret in Qingshan Town?
The answer was simple! This was a test of both wisdom and strength!
If the late-stage Foundation Establishment Tiger Demon was Lin Shu’s first challenge for her, then, as expected, finding the hidden “Wraith” lurking in Qingshan Town was the second challenge!
A so-called “Wraith” was a person killed by a Tiger Demon who willingly allowed themselves to be refined into a puppet monster, controlled at the demon’s whim.
Those who became Wraiths would deliberately lure travelers, tricking them into the Tiger Demon’s jaws.
Think about it carefully—why would Lin Shu suddenly ask Village Chief Shi, “Have you ever seen a Wraith?” Was that just small talk?
Go back further: when they slew their first early-stage Foundation Establishment Tiger Demon, Lin Shu had also mentioned the Task Scroll’s phrase: “In the mountains, there are people who serve as pawns for the tigers…”
If you think deeper, the mission to “eliminate the Tiger Demon” in Qingshan Town was released by the chief, yet the mission only mentioned the demon’s cultivation level, not the number of Tiger Demons—wasn’t this a setup?
If this task hadn’t been chosen as a training exercise for the super-class Immortal Sect disciples, and an ordinary Dispersed Cultivator without a Protector of the Dao had taken it, it would have been a death sentence.
Could all these coincidences really just be by chance?
No!
This was a deliberate hint from an evil cultivator—a test set up just for her.
But he underestimated Lu Zhiyun. Having worked as a constable, her sense for suspicious words was far sharper than most disciples.
Lin Shu was already reminding her that Village Chief Shi was the Wraith!
All that remained was to eliminate him and complete the test!
For this sort of thing, Lu Zhiyun felt no pressure at all. The ones to be killed were all monsters endangering the common folk—she would act cleanly and decisively.
As for why it had to be an “assassination,” that was the result of Lu Zhiyun’s careful thought.
Since she was going to infiltrate Lin Shu’s side, she had to act in the style of evil cultivators.
Evil cultivators… wasn’t it all about donning nightclothes and carrying out assassinations?!
“Senior Brother, it’s late, Village Chief Shi should be asleep. Let’s hurry and get rid of him, alright?” Lu Zhiyun tugged at Lin Shu’s sleeve anxiously.
“Ah, no, no, no, why should we get rid of him?” Lin Shu was baffled.
What was up with Junior Sister today, always talking about killing and fighting?
“Aiya! Senior Brother! You gave such obvious hints! I… I’m not an idiot!”
Lu Zhiyun’s cheeks flushed. It was her first time wearing nightclothes—tight and comfortable, but also really accentuating her figure. She felt a bit embarrassed.
Especially since she was wearing a veil; coming to Lin Shu’s room like this felt like doing something shameful and improper.
She just wanted to finish the task quickly and go back to change.
“Junior Sister, what hint did I give you?” Lin Shu straightened Lu Zhiyun up and asked.
After struggling for a moment, Lu Zhiyun confessed, “When you questioned Village Chief Shi, weren’t you already telling me you’d found out he was the Wraith?”
Huh?
Was that what I meant?
Lin Shu scratched his head and explained, “No, I was just casually asking if there were any fish that slipped through the net.”
Lu Zhiyun’s eyes widened, “Then… then why did Senior Brother stay here? Isn’t it because the Wraith hasn’t been found yet?”
Hearing that, Lin Shu laughed, “This training is all on Da Qian’s dime, and it lasts for a month!”
“Counting both departure and mission completion, we haven’t even been out two weeks.”
“It’s rare to get out for some fun. Shouldn’t we enjoy ourselves? Anyway, the Da Qian Dynasty covers the bill, so eat well, drink well!”
As soon as he finished, Lu Zhiyun stood there, stunned.
J-just like that?
Did she really guess wrong?
Seeing her dissatisfied expression, Lin Shu consoled her, “Junior Sister, I know you have a heart for upholding justice, but sometimes haste makes waste.”
“You always look so preoccupied. It’s okay to relax a little.”
Not getting the answer she wanted, Lu Zhiyun was naturally disappointed.
She gave a small “oh,” and pushed the door open to leave, but just as she crossed the threshold, Lin Shu called out,
“Junior Sister, get a good night’s rest—starting tomorrow, a cup of Milk every day!”
Milk? What does that mean?
Lu Zhiyun looked down at her toes, suddenly understanding, her face turning bright red and her words stumbling.
“I-it’s not like it won’t grow anymore!”
Damn nightclothes!
After Lu Zhiyun left, Lin Shu muttered to himself, “Drinking Milk helps relieve anxiety! Junior Sister really doesn’t know anything!”
Closing his eyes, Lin Shu’s mind replayed all the details of the past few days.
Forget it!
This was Junior Sister and the others’ training, he shouldn’t interfere too much. He only needed to be the most reliable Protector of the Dao.
Sleep!
The next morning, true to his word, Lin Shu brought over a cup of hot Milk and placed it before Lu Zhiyun.
“Se—senior Brother!” Lu Zhiyun blushed furiously.
Did this evil cultivator have some special obsession with this? Should she drink it?
If she did, it probably wasn’t a problem; if she didn’t, what if the evil cultivator got angry after being rejected?
For the sake of her undercover mission, the brave Agent Lu downed the hot Milk in one go.
After returning the bowl to Lin Shu, Lu Zhiyun covered her mouth and mumbled something about going to practice her sword.
Lin Shu beamed like an indulgent aunt—this is what raising a disciple is all about!
Seeing Junior Sister gradually open up and regain her optimism, that was what a qualified Senior Brother should do.
At lunch, after finishing her “Breath of the Clouds” training and drenched in sweat, Lu Zhiyun returned to the small courtyard.
Seeing Lin Shu absent and the doors of Tong Yao and the others tightly closed, she assumed they were all still asleep.
She decided to eat something special, so from her storage pouch, she took out a refrigerated Boxed Meal.
“Fire, come forth!” Lu Zhiyun called.
She had chosen to cultivate the Sword Spirit Root first, so she wasn’t as familiar with the Fire Spirit Root. She couldn’t unleash massive fire spells like Wang Zhiya, but starting a fire was still within her abilities.
Diligence makes up for lack of talent—that’s what the evil cultivator had told her. Cultivation isn’t child’s play; you have to put in the hard work.
Soon, the aroma of food filled the courtyard.
“Uncle Lin is really amazing. I don’t know how he does it, but every dish looks, smells, and tastes great—the only problem is, the food is deadly poison…”
Ever since she started cultivating, Lu Zhiyun had made it a point to eat Lin Yingxue’s cooking every day. Even when going out on missions, she’d prepare a backup in advance.
Why? All thanks to one saying—learn from Senior Brother!
If Lin Shu, an evil cultivator, could eat a whole serving without relying on a Healer Pill, then Lu Zhiyun had no excuse to lack that willpower.
She couldn’t lose!
“Eh? Junior Sister Lu, you’re making food?”
The first to wake was Tong Yao, apparently roused by the aroma from Lu Zhiyun’s food.
Not long after, Wang Zhiya and Ye Qing’s doors opened as well.
“What’s that smell? So fragrant!”
“It seems to be coming from Junior Sister Lu’s Boxed Meal.”
In no time, everyone had gathered around Lu Zhiyun’s Boxed Meal.
“Junior Sister Lu is eating alone? Not fair!” Wang Zhiya complained.
“Uh, you all want some too?” Lu Zhiyun wasn’t sure how to warn them.
“Of course! Just looking at this meal makes me hungry!” Ye Qing said.
Lin Yingxue’s presentation was something else—dishes of all colors and cuisines arranged with a master’s touch. Just one glance and your appetite soared.
The poisonous mushrooms were no exception…
“Uh… but this was made by my Little Martial Uncle… Are you sure you want to eat it?” Lu Zhiyun reminded them again.
Little Martial Uncle?
The three realized—that must be the “meals that can knock out evil cultivators” that Senior Brother Lin had mentioned!
Ye Qing perked up, “Now I want to try it myself, see if these common ingredients really have that effect!”
The fearless Ye Qing was eager, but Tong Yao and Wang Zhiya were less keen.
You see, more than half of the Tiger Demons died from eating these meals.
Why wasn’t Ye Qing afraid?
Oh! He’d been knocked unconscious by a single slap, so he didn’t see it happen.
“Then you first, Brother Ye!” “Senior Brother Ye, give it a try!” Tong Yao and Wang Zhiya struggled to keep from laughing.
Ye Qing calmly picked up his chopsticks. He chose a piece of steaming, snow-white tofu—just looking at it, the texture seemed perfect, likely to melt in the mouth.
“Here I go… eh?”
Ye Qing watched as the piping hot tofu melted half his chopsticks into a puddle of molten iron, sucking in a cold breath.
“Oh, oh! I forgot—if you want to eat food made by Little Martial Uncle, you have to use her Special Chopsticks!”
Almost forgot, this wasn’t the Heavenly Gate Sect. For everyone to enjoy her food safely, Lin Yingxue had crafted a pair of Special Chopsticks for nearly every sect member.
Lu Zhiyun kindly took out a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Ye Qing.
Ye Qing looked closely—hey! Are these Earth Grade Artifact chopsticks?
Wait a second!
Whose family uses Earth Grade Artifacts as chopsticks just to eat?!