Chapter 488 - 289: Arrangements (2)

Chapter 488: Chapter 289: Arrangements (2)

"Heh... With the return of Spiritual Qi, Extraordinary Beings like you and I naturally have far grander ambitions than ordinary people. You’ll get what you want when the time comes."

The Sea-Overturning Jiao said with a smile.

His words, however, came as a surprise to Su Xing. Before this, he hadn’t realized Master Lei Wu was also an Extraordinary Being. Su Xing had always assumed he was just an ordinary person like the other residents of Lei Family Village.

’So, there’s more to him than meets the eye.’

"As long as you understand, Master Jiao. Our little village isn’t like other places. We don’t have any great sects or factions to protect us. Once we do this, we’ll be completely tied to you."

"I am willing to persuade the entire village, and even control all the surrounding villages, to fully pledge their allegiance to you. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to advance further. Untalented Extraordinary Beings like us absolutely need that thing to keep moving forward."

"As you know, I’m getting old. Without that thing, I’m afraid I only have a few years of life left. I hope you won’t go back on your word."

Having said this, just as he was about to turn and leave, Master Lei Wu suddenly added:

"Oh, and one more thing. You’d best keep your men in line, Master Jiao. If you can’t control them and they make my life difficult... well, let’s not even talk about what I might do. But I can guarantee you won’t be getting what you want from me."

"Heh... easy now, easy now. Why get angry, Master Wu? Even though you’ve been in seclusion for so long, I’ve still heard of your prestigious reputation as a grandmaster."

"Rest assured, Master Wu. I, the Sea-Overturning Jiao, hereby give you my word. If any of my subordinates step out of line again, you can kill them yourself, and I won’t say a thing. Is that acceptable?"

"With those words, I can finally rest easy. I’ll be taking my leave now."

With that, Master Lei Wu finally turned to leave. Seeing him about to depart, the Sea-Overturning Jiao immediately called out:

"Take care, Master Wu."

His attitude was far more courteous than the one he’d shown toward that Lei Sui earlier. Standing there and watching it all unfold, Su Xing gained a completely new understanding of the current situation in Lei Family Village.

’Lei Family Village and the Sea Fish Organization undoubtedly have some kind of cooperative relationship. That Master Lei Wu must be a Seventh-Order Extraordinary Being, but he lacks the talent and has been unable to break through to the Eighth-Order. His lifespan is nearly exhausted, which is why he needs something to help him make that breakthrough and extend his life.’

’And yet, it seems Master Lei Wu has something that the Sea-Overturning Jiao wants.’

’Also, I don’t see anyone from Jile Valley here. It’s probably just as Leng Wuque said—they’ve all gone to Sea Fish Island and the sea routes in between. Now, with these criminals continuously moving into Lei Family Village and Sea Fish Island, once this encirclement is complete...’

’I should head back to the Peach Blossom Forest first and tell Leng Wuque about all this.’ With that thought, Su Xing didn’t linger. He vanished from Lei Family Village in an instant. There were quite a few people around, but not a single one noticed that Su Xing had ever been there, let alone that he had already left.

Soon, Su Xing returned to the Peach Blossom Forest, a place where peach blossoms grew everywhere. Li Ye was standing beside Leng Wuque, and the two seemed to be discussing something.

And so, Su Xing told the two of them everything he had seen and heard. Leng Wuque listened, lost in thought for a long while. Then, he let out a sharp cough, seeming to collect himself before speaking:

"Based on your report, although Lei Family Village has sided with Jile Valley, it seems they have a separate conflict with the Sea Fish Organization."

"Mhm. The Sea-Overturning Jiao... he may speak amicably, but he’s a cold, ruthless, and treacherous man. You can tell just from the way he secretly plotted against his own sworn brothers."

Su Xing continued, "Master Lei Wu of Lei Family Village seems to have something the Sea-Overturning Jiao wants. I believe, given Jiao’s temperament, he would have made a move on Lei Family Village long ago if Lin Loulan weren’t keeping him in check."

"Additionally, Master Lei Wu seems to want something from them as well, which is why he’s cooperating."

"This is indeed a vital piece of intelligence. Perhaps we can use this to sow discord between them and make them turn on each other. If we can do that, we can break their pincer movement on Lei Family Village and Sea Fish Island."

"If only we knew what both sides wanted. But time is just too tight. It’s impossible to gather any more intelligence for now."

Su Xing said, shaking his head.

"No matter. You’ve already gathered extremely important intelligence on this trip, Minister Su."

Leng Wuque said.

"But if we want to sow discord, we’ll need someone to fan the flames. Lei Family Village is already completely controlled by the Sea Fish Organization. It will be very difficult for us to change anything."

Li Ye suddenly interjected.

"Don’t forget, our primary objective is still eliminating Lin Loulan. We can’t lose sight of what’s most important."

"Besides, our reinforcements are already on their way. We need to prepare for the great battle to come."

Leng Wuque said grimly.

"Alright."

Su Xing nodded. "So, what should we do next?"

"It comes down to the old saying: ’Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.’ Extraordinary Beings may have all sorts of wondrous powers, but intelligence is still the most important thing on the battlefield. We may only have a few hundred people, but that’s not an insignificant number. A man as clever as Lin Loulan is bound to notice us."

"When he does, he will definitely try to gauge the true strength of our reinforcements. The spies he’ll send will be the most troublesome part. We must find a way to eliminate these scouts."

"How are we supposed to find them?"

Su Xing asked, confused.

’The world is a big place. If the enemy decides to hide and gather information secretly, it’ll be impossible to catch them. I can’t just kill every Extraordinary Being I come across, can I? Besides, Lin Loulan might not even send Extraordinary Beings to do the job.’

"High-Order Extraordinary Beings are crucial assets to any power. Even Lin Loulan wouldn’t waste powerful experts on simple reconnaissance. If any Third or Fourth-Order Extraordinary Beings appear in the vicinity, they would be highly suspicious."

"Also..."

As he spoke, Leng Wuque took a compass-like object from his pocket. Its needle, however, was spinning wildly in every direction as if it were broken. He handed the compass to Li Ye and said:

"Brother Li, this task is yours. This device can detect the position of anyone carrying a specific energy signature. I’ve already calibrated it with Lin Loulan’s energy."

"Anyone sent by Lin Loulan will have been in contact with him, so you can use this to pinpoint their locations. Once you’ve dealt with the scouts, remember to come to Sea Fish Island and rendezvous with us."

"Alright."

Li Ye said with a nod.

Su Xing had been busy running around while he just sat here. Li Ye was no mere decoration; he had long grown tired of the inaction. Now that a job had finally come his way, he immediately nodded in agreement.

"Don’t worry, I’ll kill every last one of those scouts."

But when Li Ye said this, Leng Wuque shook his head. "No. Brother Li, I need you to make sure you ’accidentally’ let a few of them get away."

"...?"

Li Ye was stunned for a moment, but he didn’t press the issue. He just nodded and said, "If that’s the plan, I have no objections."

The two exchanged a few more words before Li Ye departed, leaving only Su Xing and Leng Wuque standing there.

’To be honest, Su Xing had originally thought Leng Wuque would assign this task to him, since that was usually how things were arranged. But now, he was the one left with nothing to do.’

Su Xing didn’t mind, though. He wasn’t a glutton for punishment; an easier time was always welcome. But then Leng Wuque asked:

"Aren’t you curious why I didn’t ask you to do it?"