Chapter 124: The Secret Agent of Mount Hua

“Bang!”

“Seer number five, I’m the Knight. So both eleven and eight are civilians? This round’s going to be tough. Maybe I should flip a card tomorrow and gamble on luck? Nah, with my luck, I never win even a simple two-way choice, let alone this.”

Chen Fan paced back and forth in his bedroom. With the Witch’s protection active, tonight would likely be peaceful, meaning at least two rounds of verification results would come through. For the werewolves to win, given the current situation, they’d have to turn to slaughtering civilians.

“Hey, stop thinking about the game at this hour. Think about your Left Alliance Leader instead—how are you going to deal with that guy?”

“Hm? Elder, where are you?” Chen Fan scanned the room but found no sign of the Elder. Suddenly, he looked up and spotted a shadow on the beam. Upon closer inspection, it was that old poisoner from the Western Regions.

“Why are you up on the beam?”

“Step aside, I’m coming down now.” The Elder shouted and gracefully dropped down, his internal power dense, his footwork astonishing, his demeanor calm and composed—making Chen Fan feel inadequate.

“Ouch, I pulled my back.”

With a crack, the Elder knelt right in front of Chen Fan, a textbook hard landing.

“Such a grand entrance—I’m afraid I’m not worthy,” Chen Fan joked.

“Quick… help me up. I’ve got a soft tissue injury in my knee, and this old back of mine... probably a herniated disc,” the Elder pleaded.

Chen Fan circled him, choosing a spot to press, “You could’ve just slid down holding the main beam, but no, you had to show off. Your intelligence rivals that of Li Tan Hua. Now you’re like this—will you even be useful later?”

The Elder straightened his back and began a horse stance, “I’m circulating my internal energy. I’ll be fine soon. Let me finish a few Tai Chi forms first.”

Chen Fan scoffed at his leisurely pace, “By the time you finish your Tai Chi, it’ll be dawn. I’ll just go alone.”

“Don’t rush. I’ve already gathered my energy. Once I finish this move, we can set off. Today, I also learned the ultimate secret move of the Western Regions. I’m here to give you a hand.” The Elder stepped lightly on his right foot, bent his left knee slightly, rose on tiptoe, and moved his hands sinuously like a serpent, muttering incantations.

He struck a pose resembling the classic Turtle Style Qi Gong stance. The strap of the scented pouch at his waist slipped off quietly. With a loud shout, he declared, “Hah! Watch me—Tea Egg Shockwave!”

A sharp, pungent smell instantly filled the air. A cold breeze wafted through, and the moment Chen Fan’s olfactory nerves caught it, it felt as if death itself had come.

“Damn, are you roasting durians? And what the hell did these tea eggs soak in? The smell’s awful…”

The Elder grinned proudly, “Heh, these tea eggs are no ordinary snack. The tea is premium Pu’er from Dali; the eggs come from the freshest hens in the Central Plains. I hollowed out a durian, stuffed it inside the tea eggs, then buried them in the Western desert for forty-nine days. Finally, I soaked them in my secret seasoning for eighty-one days to craft this ultimate secret weapon.”

“But hasn’t it only been a day? Do you have some kind of accelerator?” Chen Fan’s face was full of doubt.

The Elder swallowed and sealed the pouch again, “Alright, truth is, I bought them at the town market this morning after coming down the mountain. To achieve the effect of attacking enemies from afar, I did some... simple processing while using the restroom.”

“Holy crap, you pervert. The tea eggs didn’t even offend you, and you turn them into this dark recipe. Don’t tell me you suddenly get the urge to go while cooking,” Chen Fan thought to himself, clutching his abdomen as a wave of discomfort surged.

“Not that extreme, but adding a bit of seasoning is possible. Like this,” the Elder gestured as if blowing his nose, making Chen Fan utterly disgusted.

“Stay away from me. You slime bug, when you meet the Left Alliance Leader, just pounce on him with that secret tea egg smear. Guaranteed to work wonders.” Chen Fan flicked his sleeve to keep the smell at bay.

“Tch, be careful or I’ll stuff one down your pants. Might even work as a mine,” the Elder threatened.

“Your mine? Then I’d be blown up.”

“Well, you’re already a eunuch. What good is keeping that as decoration?” the Elder sneered.

“I don’t want to mess with you. Just get the job done,” Chen Fan pleaded, knowing the Elder was a man of action, unlike himself, who only babbled nonsense.

The surroundings were familiar, but this time, they perched on the eaves.

Chen Fan panted heavily, far from the image of a supreme expert. “Why not enter through the front door? Why sneak up on the roof like this? You don’t know how exhausting this is. That pillar I just hugged was so thick, even squeezing it with my legs was unstable. Somehow, I still managed to climb up.”

The Elder looked at Chen Fan’s disheveled state with disdain. “You’re supposed to be the ‘Proud Number One Villain.’ Don’t you know lightness skill? I’m just a cook, but I can skim over water. With your abilities, flying down the mountain should be no problem.”

“So I do know lightness skill? I thought I only knew the Sunflower Manual.” Chen Fan tried lifting his heels to channel energy but overdid it and nearly tumbled off the eaves.

“You’re lying. I almost thought I was shoulder to shoulder with the moon,” Chen Fan lay sprawled on the roof tiles like a salted fish.

“You’re so loud, you’ll get caught. You idiot,” the Elder whispered harshly.

“Who’s there?” came a friendly voice from inside.

The Elder quickly pushed aside the roof tiles but found the bedroom empty.

A shadow flickered past, and when the Elder looked up, the Left Alliance Leader stood before them.

“So it’s the Western Regions’ notorious troublemaker from the Central Plains, and you—the Eastern Leader of the Sun and Moon Cult. Why aren’t you admiring the moon on your own roof and instead come to rest at my place?”

The Left Alliance Leader stood with his hands behind his back, his expression devoid of hostility. If this were a novel, they’d have drawn swords and fought to the death, as he and the Eastern Leader were mortal enemies. Yet now, they seemed to be chatting familiarly.

Chen Fan, still sprawled on the roof, knew he couldn’t stay like this. For appearances, he sprang to his feet and bowed politely. “May I ask, Left Alliance Leader, have you had any recent gains?”

“Oh? And why do you ask? Please, speak freely.” The Left Alliance Leader was courteous, making it hard to associate him with the ruthless villain in novels.

Chen Fan wasn’t sure how to describe the sensation of being possessed by a card. He nudged the Elder, who shook his head in confusion. Chen Fan had to improvise, pantomiming.

Using hands and feet expressively, Chen Fan said, “It’s like a meteor streaking across the sky, but its path isn’t a natural straight descent—it bends and swirls. Do you understand? Then, suddenly, that light struck your body. Has anything like that happened?”

Left Alliance Leader shook his head slightly and raised a palm, “What you describe hasn’t occurred. But there are matters you might find interesting.”

“Oh? What matters?”