29: Chapter 29 The Oriole

At the same time, Qin Changsheng had a plan in mind.

Hu Nan's Incarnation only had a cultivation of the Fourth Level of Qi Refining. Facing Yao Beasts and competing for spiritual materials in the Secret Realm was already difficult; trying to find the spirit cleansing grass on his own was as hard as climbing to heaven.

Even if he were lucky enough to find it, he would have to pay a certain price.

"Since Lin Hao wants to be the mantis, then I shall be The Oriole." Qin Changsheng already had a meticulous plan in mind.

Lin Hao was powerful and had the help of his subordinates; robbing other Disciples would surely be as easy as taking something from his own pocket. At that time, he would certainly collect a large amount of resources, including the spirit cleansing grass, all stored within his Storage Pouch.

Given Lin Hao's temperament and character, he wouldn't do the actual robbing himself.

At that time, the Storage Pouch would definitely be in the hands of Wu Feng or Zhao Hu.

Qin Changsheng was waiting for the moment Lin Hao let his guard down to suddenly strike and directly take the Storage Pouch from Wu Feng's waist.

Once successful, he would immediately rush towards the interior of the Secret Realm.

Finally, he would use the characteristics of the Incarnation to escape after death.

This maneuver was much safer than Hu Nan searching for the Spiritual Plant himself.

Not only would he not have to face the Restrictions and Yao Beasts in the Secret Realm, but he could also reap the spoils of others' work.

Even if he failed, it would only cost one Spirit Stone to reconstruct Hu Nan's Incarnation if it fell, so the loss would be negligible;

Once successful, he could easily obtain the spirit cleansing grass and various other Spiritual Plants collected by other Disciples, which could be described as a highly profitable venture.

With his mind made up, Qin Changsheng stood up, preparing to go to the market to buy some things.

First, he had to buy a mask and a set of black clothes.

The identity of the Incarnation Hu Nan was very special, and Qin Changsheng didn't want to discard this Incarnation.

He would also buy some Talismanic Incantations to increase his movement and create chaos.

This way, the probability of him seizing Lin Hao's Storage Pouch would be significantly increased.

...

Outer Sect Market.

Although it was morning, it was bustling with people, with various stalls lined up along the street and the sound of hawking.

Qin Changsheng first circled to the Clothing Stall on the west side of the market; the stall owner was a middle-aged Cultivator with a face full of smiles.

Seeing Qin Changsheng stop, he immediately greeted him warmly: "Does Fellow Daoist want some clothes? My shop has all kinds of Tight-fitting outfits, casual wear, and dark-colored clothing suitable for hiding one's tracks. Would you like to take a look?"

Qin Changsheng's gaze swept over the stall, and he spoke indifferently: "Give me a set of the darkest tight-fitting clothes, lightweight and close-fitting, and an opaque Profound Iron Mask."

He deliberately lowered his voice, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable certainty.

The stall owner quickly brought the clothes and mask, wrapped them into a small cloth bundle, and smiled while rubbing his hands: "Fellow Daoist has a good eye; these are the best in my shop. That will be three Spirit Sands in total!"

Qin Changsheng didn't waste words; he pulled out the Spirit Sands from his robe and handed them over, took the bundle and put it into his Storage Pouch, then turned and left without staying a moment longer to avoid further entanglement with the stall owner.

He knew that the market was a mixed bag of people and that too many words would lead to mistakes, so finishing his shopping as soon as possible was the right course of action.

Afterward, he changed into the clothes and the Profound Iron Mask, and then bought several more sets of black clothes and masks.

Half an hour later, Qin Changsheng arrived at the Talismanic Incantation stall in the middle of the market.

The stall owner was a white-haired old man with various Talismans laid out in front of him. The red and blue Talisman Papers emitted a faint Spiritual Qi and were neatly categorized.

Qin Changsheng stepped forward quickly, still lowering his voice: "I want five Swift Wind Talismans and three Explosive Flame Talismans."

The Swift Wind Talisman could increase movement Speed for a short time, which complemented the sudden attacks and retreats of the Smoke Shadow Evasive Footwork;

The Explosive Flame Talisman could serve as a backup; if pursued, it could be detonated to block the way.

These Talismanic Incantations were common low-rank types and would not easily arouse suspicion.

The white-haired old man glanced at him, tapped his fingers lightly to take out the required Talismans one by one, stacked them, and handed them over: "Swift Wind Talismans are thirty Spirit Sands each, and Explosive Flame Talismans are fifty each. That's three hundred Spirit Sands in total."

Qin Changsheng paid the exact amount of Spirit Sands and was about to put the Talismans into his Storage Space and leave when the old man suddenly raised his hand, pulled out a greyish Talisman Paper from under the stall, and held it out to him. "Wait a moment, Fellow Daoist."

The old man's tone held a hint of mystery, and his voice was kept very low. "I have a special Talisman here that might suit your fancy, young friend."

Qin Changsheng's gaze fell on that Talisman Paper. The texture of the paper was coarse, and it was drawn with twisted cloud patterns, faintly surrounded by a trace of cold Spiritual Qi, completely different from ordinary Talismanic Incantations.

"This is a Dense Fog Talisman," the old man explained slowly, his fingers lightly stroking the Talisman Paper. "It's not an ordinary low-rank Talisman. Once used, it can instantly release a large area of thick black fog. The black fog will blot out the sky and the sun, not only blocking vision but also interfering with a Cultivator's Divine Sense probe, lasting for the duration of an incense stick."

"Whether it's for hiding your tracks or breaking through a pursuit, it's an excellent choice."

A sharp light flashed in Qin Changsheng's eyes, and his heart stirred.

Dense Fog Talisman! This was practically tailor-made for his plan to seize Lin Hao's Storage Pouch.

If Hu Nan's surprise attack succeeded, releasing the Dense Fog Talisman would obscure the vision of Lin Hao's team and interfere with their pursuit, allowing Hu Nan to escape smoothly. Even if an accident occurred during the attack, he could use the thick fog to create chaos and look for another Opportunity.

"How much for this Talisman?" Qin Changsheng suppressed the waves in his heart, his tone remaining flat so the old man wouldn't sense his urgency.

The old man smiled and held up one finger: "A flat price of one thousand Spirit Sands. Converted to Spirit Stones, that's ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones. This price isn't expensive; you should know that in Secret Realms and dangerous places, this Talisman can save your life."

One thousand Spirit Sands was not unbearable for the current Qin Changsheng.

After all, he had obtained over twenty-three thousand Spirit Sands from robbing Zhao Hu.

Moreover, with this Dense Fog Talisman, the success rate of his plan could increase several times over; this investment was worth it.

He looked up at the old man and nodded slowly: "I'll take it."

With that, he took out ten round Low-Grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch and handed them to the old man.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in the old man's eyes as he handed the Dense Fog Talisman to Qin Changsheng, advising: "This Talisman needs Spiritual Qi to be activated. Remember not to use it in an enclosed space to avoid accidentally harming yourself."

Qin Changsheng took the Dense Fog Talisman, carefully placed it into his Storage Space, gave the old man a slight nod, and without saying more, turned and merged into the crowd, walking towards the market exit.

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Now, Hu Nan had been hidden atop a large tree near the entrance for a full three days.

Because the view was wide, he could see all the movements near the entrance while also using the dense foliage for cover to avoid the gaze of everyone below.

Near the entrance below, Lin Hao still had that arrogant appearance, standing with his hands behind his back on a giant rock, his gaze coldly and haughtily sweeping over every Disciple returning from the depths of the Secret Realm.

Wu Feng, Zhao Hu, and several confidants were lined up on both sides, firmly sealing off the entrance. Any Disciple who approached would be forcibly stopped and stripped of all their gains.

Lin Hao's nature was inherently conceited and flamboyant. He also considered himself the Outer Sect's Great Master Senior Brother, with a cultivation far exceeding his peers, and his father was a Sect Elder, so he didn't care about these low-rank Disciples at all.

In his view, guarding the exit meant controlling all Opportunities. Even if these Disciples had hidden goods, they would never dare to resist, and there was no need to bother sending people to search the surrounding environment.

In his perception, no one dared to spy under his very nose.

This innate arrogance provided Hu Nan with the perfect space to lie in wait. For three days, not a single person noticed a figure hidden within the Ancient Cypress tree.