Chapter 122: The Blue Demon’s Enchantment

Disguise?
Playing the art of disguise in front of him?
And successfully deceiving his Heavenly Wisdom Eyes?
Who on earth possesses such supernatural skills?
I must see who this sacred entity really is!

Lin Xiaosu activated his Heavenly Wisdom Eyes, tracing back through time and space. He saw "Ding Ruoshui"—it was definitely no ghost...
This Ding Ruoshui had gone to the restroom.
He followed.
Ding Ruoshui entered the women’s restroom, and after a moment of hesitation, Lin Xiaosu followed inside.
There were others present, but they were tucked away in stalls, presumably unable to see him.
He followed that "Ding Ruoshui" into a stall. Under the gaze of his temporal vision, a breathtaking and eerie display of transformation unfolded.

Ding Ruoshui’s face began to change in a bizarre fashion.
Her clothes were also shifting strangely—a clever use of Dragon Armor, manipulating light refraction to create an optical illusion.
But the face was something truly beyond words. This facial transformation was not a mere mask; it was a fundamental adjustment from the inside out. Her skin and flesh seemed to reshape at will. In a matter of moments, she had become someone else—someone stunningly beautiful.
It was the person he had caught a glimpse of from afar at the Longevity Group.
Blue Demon!
One of the Eighteen Heavenly Kings of the Hidden Dragon!
She had actually disguised herself as Ding Ruoshui to stand before him, delivering a few bland, meaningless words.
What was the meaning of this?
Did the Hidden Dragon Heavenly Kings have designs against him?
If it had been a simple prank, Lin Xiaosu wouldn't have minded, but given her identity, the incident immediately shifted into high alert.
One had to realize that the stance of the Hidden Dragon’s upper echelons toward him was difficult to define as friend or foe. At the very least, the rejection of his application to join the Hidden Dragon sent a clear signal that there were those among their leadership who were unfriendly toward him.
Very well. Courtesy demands reciprocity!
I shall take this opportunity to test you as well.

Lin Xiaosu extended his hand and began to take off his T-shirt. He didn't have Dragon Armor and couldn't use high-tech methods to disguise his clothing, but he possessed a skill far more incredible than any technology: he had a spatial dimension!
There were clothes inside the space.
In a moment, he had changed into an entirely different outfit—nothing like what he had been wearing before, down to the shoes.
The next moment, his face began to change as well...
He transformed into someone he had just seen.

***

On the third floor, in a private room overlooking the East Lake, a beautiful woman sat by the window, sipping tea.
Sipping tea in the sunset, watching the streets change their scenery in the dying light—this, for her, seemed to be a form of enjoyment.
She was Blue Demon, one of the Eighteen Heavenly Kings of the Hidden Dragon.
Most of the time, she was abroad on missions, and when not on assignment, she stayed at the Hidden Dragon headquarters. It was rare for her to watch the sunset in an urban setting with such a leisurely attitude.
She cherished every moment of stolen leisure.
Beside the noisy streets, feeling the pulse of human life, she seemed to touch upon a childhood from a long, long time ago...

The door opened gently.
Almost soundlessly.
Blue Demon shifted her gaze.
For an instant, her eyes looked incredibly strange—bright, demonic, as if only a painter’s brush could capture them.
But soon, they returned to normal.
Because the person who had entered was Blood Trace.

Blood Trace flicked his hand, closing the door behind him. "You just saw Lin Xiaosu?"
"Yes," Blue Demon replied.
"What did you gain?"
Blue Demon said, "He and Ding Ruoshui aren't really a couple; it’s a cover for his detective work. He took a 400,000-yuan commission from her."
Blood Trace frowned slightly. "That’s it?"
"That’s it."
"You went to all that trouble just to get such a meaningless piece of information? Is it worth it?" Blood Trace sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.
"To say it’s meaningless isn't quite right. It has some value," Blue Demon said with a soft smile.
"Oh? What value?"
"It means nothing to you, but to 'Long Night,' it carries some weight," Blue Demon said. "That little poison girl is about to undergo her tribulation, yet she specially sent me a message asking me to look after him. If this kid were playing the field and flirting everywhere, the girl’s intentions would be quite ironic."
Blood Trace shook his head slightly. "I don't understand you women. With everything happening, you still think about these things."
Blue Demon laughed too. "I know what you mean. What you care about most is whether he has any connection to 'Kuncang.' I’ve suddenly realized that, actually, that is the meaningless part."
"Why?" Blood Trace asked.
Blue Demon said, "Because when we define a person, we shouldn't look at their background, but at their existence. Whether they are more beneficial or harmful to the Great Xia. Since he started, everything he has done has been a great service to the nation! That is enough! Even if his miraculous abilities come from Kuncang, even if he truly is a 'World Walker' of Kuncang, we should be thankful that this generation of 'World Walkers' includes such a promising sprout."
Blood Trace pondered for a long time. "True! I’m leaving."
He stood up to go, but as he reached the door, Blue Demon’s voice drifted over: "Where are you heading next?"
"The initial plan," Blood Trace said.
Blue Demon said, "I know the White-Clad Heavenly King is a thorn in your side, but do not forget your current identity. You are not a lone wolf of the martial world; taking him down is not a mission for you alone. If you find him, send me a signal!"
"Understood!" Blood Trace pushed the door open and stepped out, disappearing into the hallway.
Blue Demon exhaled softly and stood up...

***

Leaving the teahouse, she saw Lin Xiaosu departing in Ding Ruoshui’s car.
She didn't take a taxi; she merged into the night.
Half an hour later, she appeared on a rooftop where a flying car was parked.
The door opened, and the person inside startled Blue Demon slightly: Blood Trace.
Blood Trace smiled faintly. "I knew you were reluctant to leave the city lights, so I decided to wait for you for the night and return tomorrow morning."
Blue Demon frowned slightly. "You plan on going back?"
"The mission is complete. Shouldn't I return to headquarters?"
"Aren't you going to chase the White-Clad Heavenly King?"
"When did I say I was going to chase him right now?" Blood Trace asked. "I don't even know which country he’s in; how would I chase him?"
Light flickered in Blue Demon’s eyes. "Where were you just now?"
"Waiting here for you, of course. Where else? I don't have your attachment to the mundane world; I'm almost sick of these city lights..."
Blue Demon sank into the seat, her head leaning back against the rest. Her expression was deeply, deeply wrong.
"What’s wrong?" Blood Trace asked.
Blue Demon exhaled softly. "Have you ever heard the old saying, 'A lifelong goose-hunter gets pecked by a goose'?"
"What do you mean? You got pecked?" Blood Trace was shocked.
"To say I was pecked... perhaps not quite, but I certainly didn't come out on top!" Blue Demon said.
"What happened? Tell me!"
Blue Demon said, "I went to see someone earlier."
"Lin Xiaosu?"
"Yes," Blue Demon said. "I disguised myself as Ding Ruoshui, and he didn't see through my disguise."
"That’s perfectly normal. Who in this world could see through your disguise?"
Blue Demon said, "But then, I met you."
The blood mark on Blood Trace’s forehead glowed, and his eyes widened. "That kid! He disguised himself as me and dared to strut around in front of you, a grandmaster?"
Blue Demon looked frustrated. "And I couldn't see through it either!"
Blood Trace exhaled. "Your shapeshifting fooled him, his disguise fooled you—you and that kid fought to a draw?"
"Yes, it really makes one doubt their life, doesn't it?"
"It certainly does..."

Blue Demon slowly cast her gaze out of the flying car, toward the fading city of Jiangcheng...
There was one thing she didn't say.
Because this was the part that truly made one doubt their life.
If it were only a matter of shapeshifting, she, a grandmaster, had indeed fought to a draw with Lin Xiaosu.
But if one looked at the results...
She seemed... apparently... generally to have lost!
Why?
She had disguised herself as Ding Ruoshui and only managed to extract one trivial piece of information from Lin Xiaosu: that he and Ding Ruoshui were fake lovers.
But Lin Xiaosu?
Disguising himself as Blood Trace, he had extracted top-secret information from her.
Kuncang, the White-Clad Heavenly King...
These were all top-tier state secrets!
You brat, aren't you going a bit too far?
I, Blue Demon, have roamed the world with my shapeshifting arts, and it’s routine for the world’s powerhouses to be played in the palm of my hand. How did I capsize in your waters?
Where does that leave my illustrious reputation?
Where does that leave my status as a Hidden Dragon Heavenly King?

***

Leaving aside whatever thoughts Blue Demon carried back to the base, and ignoring the direction in which the Longevity Group was heading—life, after all, is just like that: there are violent waves, but there should also be moments of moderate calm.
Lin Xiaosu sat in Ding Ruoshui’s car, returning to Fengcheng overnight.
In Ding Ruoshui’s words: "I’m sending you off quickly so my mom stops staring at our progress bar every day..."
With a stomp on the gas, she drove Lin Xiaosu off the highway, arriving at the entrance of the Fengcheng Detective Agency shortly after eight o'clock in the evening.
"Are you heading back to Jiangcheng tonight, or staying the night here?" Lin Xiaosu asked.
"Neither!" Ding Ruoshui shook her head.
"Neither? Is there a third option?" Lin Xiaosu asked. "You aren't actually planning to go to my place, are you?"
"You wish. Unfortunately, I won't satisfy your desire. I’m going to the Northwest."
"The Northwest?" A slight ripple stirred in Lin Xiaosu’s heart.
"The Northwest is great for traveling and sketching this time of year. Is there something wrong with that?" Ding Ruoshui asked.
"It’s suitable, alright... but you’re driving this car?"
"Yes. Don't let its looks fool you; it’s not just a sports car, it’s a sports car perfectly suited for high-altitude regions. Get out!"
Lin Xiaosu stepped out.
The engine roared as if about to start, then suddenly went quiet. Ding Ruoshui rolled down the window and gestured lightly.
Lin Xiaosu walked over.
"Let me ask you, will you miss me?" Ding Ruoshui asked.
"Under normal circumstances, an employee only misses the commission, not the employer."
Ding Ruoshui’s eyes rolled at him in the darkness. "Before the commission is in hand, one must avoid complications. Now that the money has been paid, it doesn't hurt to be a little bit wicked in front of your employer."
"Then... shall we go get a room?"
"Get lost! Your 'wickedness' went too far..."
"Then, taking a step back, a goodbye kiss?"
Ding Ruoshui pressed a hand to her forehead, exhaling softly after a long moment. "If you miss me, use that painting I left you. Send your longing across the miles!"
*Vroom!*
The sports car started and vanished!