Chapter 98 Borrowed Knife to Kill
Jiang Che, in ghost mist form, trailed behind the gray-robed man unnoticed.
Soon, he saw the man arrive at a remote corner of the Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern, where a white-robed figure wearing a bronze mask already waited. Etched in blood on the mask's forehead was the character "Four."
The moment they met, the white-robed man leaned forward. "What did Third say?"
Drifting silently within the cracks of the cavern wall, Jiang Che caught every word.
The gray-robed man bowed. "Third Commander said the original plan is too risky. It's been scrapped."
"What?!" The voice beneath the mask shot up in fury. His robe billowed without wind. "What trick is he playing?! The Great Zhou Dynasty has collapsed, Ye Guhan is wounded for no reason—this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! If we miss it, will we be suppressed by him forever?!"
"No… actually, Third Commander says he has a better scheme," the gray-robed man replied coldly.
"What scheme? If you don't explain properly today, I'll cut you down first!" The cruelty in the white-robed man's tone made Jiang Che certain this was no empty threat.
But… Ye Guhan? Wasn't that the general of the Ghost-Suppressing Army?
Judging from their words, it sounded like several commanders had betrayed him and planned to ambush the general.
Jiang Che frowned. He had just found a place to quietly hide and grow stronger in secret, and now he'd stumbled into such a massive disaster!
It seemed he could not remain in the Ghost-Suppressing Army. He needed a chance to escape. With his cultivation so weak, if he was caught up in their schemes, he wouldn't even know how he died.
While his mind raced, the two continued speaking.
"Fourth Commander, no need to rush." The gray-robed man's calm tone showed he wasn't just any ordinary officer.
He paused briefly, waiting until the white-robed man's anger peaked, then spoke faintly. "But what if a Saint's close kin were to die in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern?"
Fourth Commander froze.
The murderous aura around him instantly collapsed.
"A Saint? Close kin? Do you even know what you're saying?"
"Of course. To speak such words outside would already cost us our lives many times over. But here—" the gray-robed man continued, "the Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern is an ancient forbidden land. Heaven's secrets are hidden. If a Saint's kin died here, and we left evidence pointing to Ye Guhan…"
"…then we could vanish into the Ghost Domain, hide for decades. Once the storm passes, the seas are wide for fish to leap, the mountains high for birds to fly."
…
"Let me think, let me think."
Fourth Commander paced, muttering. "So, now… a Saint's kin has entered the cavern?"
"Correct. Third Commander is already following. With the Ghost-Suppressing Army's unique methods, inside the cavern, she won't notice him."
"A brilliant borrowed-knife killing!" Fourth Commander took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. "But a Saint's kin must have protectors. How will he succeed?"
"There are three of them. The protector is a peak Longevity cultivator—troublesome, indeed." The gray-robed man sneered. "As for the other one…"
He paused, voice filled with disdain. "Merely a mortal with no cultivation. Not worth concern."
Fourth Commander was silent for a moment, then grinned viciously. "As expected of Third—vicious enough! Since he's already sent word, I assume he has a plan."
"Exactly!" The gray-robed man nodded. "According to his observation, their goal is the Black Market. Before that lies a Lake of Ghost Qi—the most dangerous spot in the northern cavern. Perfect for an ambush. Third wants the commanders to move ahead and lie in wait. Then—"
"—then we strike with thunder, and kill in one blow!" Fourth Commander finished, his voice trembling with excitement.
The two whispered over details, then prepared to part ways.
But suddenly—
"Someone's here!"
Fourth Commander spun, flinging a streak of blood-colored ghost qi from his sleeve like an arrow straight at the shadowed wall!
Ssshh—
The blast pierced the stone, scattering a drifting mass of black mist.
The ghost mist twisted like a startled fish, then vanished without a trace.
"Ghost mist wraith?!" Having guarded the Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern for years, the white-robed man recognized it instantly. His brows knit. "But this is the northern section—how could such a thing appear here?"
The gray-robed man cast a glance and dismissed it. "Perhaps it leaked out from deeper inside. Lately the cavern's ghost qi has been unstable, so low-level creatures straying isn't unusual."
"Focus on business. Don't get distracted."
The white-robed man snorted coldly, scanning the shadows once more before finally leaving with him.
Their footsteps faded into the distance.
From a crack in the rock wall, a faint wisp of gray-white mist seeped out and slowly condensed back into Jiang Che's form.
His face was pale, cold sweat beading on his brow.
That was close…
That strike nearly forced him out of disguise! If not for his quick thinking, imitating the way a ghost mist wraith scattered when slain, he would have been exposed.
He looked down at his left arm. The spot grazed by ghost qi still throbbed with searing pain. Even in mist form, the wound was slow to heal.
This white-robed man's cultivation… terrifying.
Jiang Che drew a long breath, his gaze sharpening.
Still… it seems I overheard something remarkable.
Mere Longevity cultivators daring to plot against a Saint?
They truly think… they can manipulate a Saint?
There was a touch of dark amusement in his voice, tinged with pity.
In his past life, at the peak of the Celestial Realm, one step from Saint, he had glimpsed the true grandeur of that level.
To scheme against a Saint without even understanding what it meant…
He stared after the two figures, eyes growing colder.
The Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern might conceal fate, but Saints had no need for calculation. Arriving at the scene, a whim, an instinct—would be enough to sense the truth.
Wherever these men fled, death awaited them.
Yet for him… this was an opportunity.
If he followed and intervened at the right moment—offering a warning, helping them escape danger—he might secure a powerful backer.
Of course, only if his own safety was ensured.
If not, he would vanish into the Ghost Domain, hiding for centuries if need be.
After all—not every Saint was reasonable.
His body misted once more. Silent as a shadow, Jiang Che drifted deeper into the Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern, this time so cautious that his ghost mist blended seamlessly with the rocks, leaving not a ripple behind.
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