Chapter 17 Landslide

Hearing what Jiang Cheng said, coupled with what he was seeing, Fatty’s confused eyes gradually cleared. "Doctor, you knew Wu had awakened long ago? This was all a show you and Wu put on together? But... when did you two discuss this? How come I didn't know anything?"

Of course, Fatty's biggest questions were about Wu and Master Shui. When exactly had they reached an agreement? And why go to such great lengths to stage this drama? It seemed to be preparing for the final kill of Shao Tong, but Fatty still felt it was a bit much.

Before Jiang Cheng could speak, Shao Tong looked at Fatty and smiled faintly, "You're not entirely right. He did know that Wu had awakened, but you're overestimating him if you think the two of them discussed and cooperated."

"Wu was using his own way to transmit information to him. Zhang Qizheng's corpse was the key. The corpse could have easily pushed open the courtyard door, but it didn't. Instead, it went to the trouble of chopping it with a wooden stick. That was a hint, a hint only the two of them could understand."

"In a past mission, Wu took a fatal blow for him. That attack came from behind, from a... giant axe."

Feeling Shao Tong's indifferent tone, Fatty couldn't help but feel a little frightened. He was now certain that the other party had come prepared. After all, even he didn't know these secrets.

Catching a glimpse of Fatty's nervous face, Shao Tong pointed at his head and smiled nonchalantly, "Don't be nervous, I told you, I extracted some of his memories."

After saying this, Shao Tong turned to look at Master Shui and clicked his tongue. "Old man, among these people, your acting is the worst. If you want to fight, just fight, why so talkative! And what was that about needing an axe?" The smile on Shao Tong's face became more and more unrestrained. "Why would you mention an axe for no reason? Were you afraid I wouldn't understand?"

Shao Tong shook his head helplessly. "And you two fought too fake. Although you're injured, your skill is definitely not limited to that. What's more, Wu didn't even release that guy, obviously saving him as a trump card to deal with me, right?" Shao Tong looked at Wu with a smile.

Wu's face darkened. He naturally knew that the "guy" Shao Tong was referring to was the monster from the Xiatan Sect.

Fatty also had the same question. He didn't understand what the point of this full-of-holes play was. It seemed to be nothing more than a waste of Wu and Master Shui's stamina, resulting in nothing more than an unsuccessful assassination attempt.

"Hehe, of course, it was necessary." Shao Tong stood with his hands behind his back, actually seeing through what Fatty was thinking. "This play was for me to watch, but not to kill me. It was to distract me. As long as my attention was diverted, it would be a success. After all, Master Shui, you need time to repair the barrier. You want to completely seal me in this Shengci Temple."

Shao Tong pointed to the turbid sky, then to the muddy ground, and sighed, "Sealed here, no way to heaven, no door to earth."

Master Shui, his thoughts exposed, was not annoyed. After all, the plan had already succeeded. He alone was really no match for the guy in front of him, but with Wu's help, it was different. They wouldn't talk about any one-on-one morality. Everyone would go together. Today, they were determined to avenge the villagers of Wugong Village. Spring God Lake was his home, and he had to take it back.

"Enough talk, let's see what you're really made of!" Master Shui stroked his beard and took a step forward. The crutch in his hand splashed with a green, ghostly light. Fatty and the others were excited by such heroic sentiments. The next second, Master Shui raised his crutch and shouted with full vigor, "Little brother, you take the lead! This old man will block this thief's retreat!"

"Wait!" Shao Tong suddenly called out to stop. "Our grudges aren't worth rushing over this moment. Don't you want to know why I clearly saw through your plans long ago, but didn't interrupt them?"

This touched Master Shui's heart. He clenched his crutch and shouted angrily, "If you have something to say, then say it! If you have a fart, then let it out!"

Shao Tong smiled and stretched out his arms, palms down. In an instant, his whole aura changed. The ground of the Shengci Temple, no, wrong! The entire island began to tremble violently. The scene was even more terrifying than the appearance of the mud giant. The ground rose, as if some great terror was about to break out of the earth.

"Because I also need time to prepare!"

Shao Tong's eyes were gradually dyed with ink, until they were completely filled with blackness. Finally, accompanied by a sound of heaven and earth collapsing, the earth shattered, and a pavilion emerged from the ground.

The pavilion was jet-black and magnificent, decorated with extreme luxury. Its size far exceeded everyone's imagination. The moment it appeared, it directly collapsed the entire Shengci Temple, like a giant mouth, devouring everyone.

The feeling of weightlessness didn't last long. The falling crowd finally landed on the ground. After stabilizing their bodies, everything around them was pitch black, and very quiet, extremely quiet, so quiet that people felt uneasy.

Judging by their senses, this should be a large and wide place. Jiang Cheng and the others stood back-to-back, forming a circle, constantly scanning the surroundings.

There were no newcomers here. Although they were panicked, they were not flustered.

As for Wu and Master Shui, they had disappeared.

Fatty twitched his nose. He smelled a fragrance, a strong aroma of wine, as well as the smell of dishes, and the fragrance of rouge and powder.

Especially the fragrance of rouge and powder, just smelling a trace of it made people intoxicated, and couldn't help but imagine a enchanting beauty figure half-hidden behind the curtain, dancing with the wind, matched with the exquisite sound of silk and bamboo wind instruments, the beauty was unforgettable.

Before he could think about it, in the darkness, a lantern suddenly lit up a few meters in front of him. The lantern was placed on a sandalwood frame, woven with thin bamboo bones, and was extremely exquisite. The outside was covered with a thin and tough lantern paper, and a red candle as thick as a baby's arm was placed inside. The candlelight flickered and shone through the translucent lantern paper, casting a shimmering light on the ground.

But the knowledgeable Jiang Cheng immediately noticed something was wrong. This lantern paper covering the outside seemed a little strange. The material looked a little too delicate, and the light transmittance…

"Luo Nü Zhan…" (Human-skin lantern)

Tang Qisheng, staring at the lantern, took a breath of cold air. He obviously recognized the origin of the lantern.

Fatty didn't understand, but he also felt it was extremely strange, and couldn't help but ask, "What *Luo Nü*? You need to explain yourself!"

However, Fatty's ignorance didn't mean that others didn't understand. After hearing the words *Luo Nü Zhan*, Jiang Cheng confirmed his guess. While leading everyone to retreat, away from the range of the lantern, he whispered a reminder: "Everyone be careful, these human-skin lanterns never appear alone."