Chapter 141: Disguise

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I breathed a sigh of relief, spat out a mouthful of blood, and leisurely lit a cigarette.

Thankfully, the Netherworld Concealment Talisman I had obtained on the Trial Road was as effective as I had hoped.

Then again, this fellow had simply been too confident. He had relaxed completely without even checking whether my corpse was really there.

At that moment, a dark shadow drifted out of the man’s corpse.

“Haha, he turned into a ghost. What luck!” I laughed delightedly. A dozen Netherworld Needles suddenly appeared between my hands and stabbed into the newly formed Yin Soul.

The Soul-Searching Technique!

Generally speaking, a newly formed Yin Soul retained the memories it had possessed in life. Using the Soul-Searching Technique at that stage yielded the greatest amount of information.

After a while, however, a Yin Soul would become muddled. Apart from the obsession that bound it, it would not even know who it was.

Before long, I withdrew the Netherworld Needles, and the newly formed Yin Soul scattered instantly.

My expression darkened like still water. I had obtained most of the man’s memories.

His name was Black Sand. He was an assassin from the world of exorcists, sent by Shang Wuwei—the Young Master Shang, known as the foremost heir of the capital—to kill me.

But killing me was not Black Sand’s only objective. He had also been sent to make contact with Miyamoto Koji.

In other words, Shang Wuwei was actually colluding with the Japanese.

I picked up Black Sand’s phone, looked through it briefly, and put it away before searching the corpse.

After stripping the body of everything valuable, I set it alight and burned it to ashes.

…

At a seaside park in Bailing City, Hu Xiaoyu appeared wearing a denim T-shirt and a baseball cap.

From behind the shadow of a large tree, I called out to her.

Hu Xiaoyu came over and asked suspiciously, “Qin Feng, what are you doing? Why did you sneakily ask me to meet you here?”

“There’s a reason. Someone tried to kill me yesterday…” I told her everything that had happened the night before.

“What kind of people have you provoked? You’re lucky you didn’t die…” Hu Xiaoyu said. Then she paused and looked at me. “You hid yourself so they would believe you were really dead?”

“Clever. As expected of my little Xiaoyu.” I gave her a thumbs-up with a grin.

“Speak properly. Since when did I become yours?” Hu Xiaoyu rolled her eyes at me, though the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

“I know of a technique in the White Lotus Sect that can alter my appearance at will. I’m going to take Black Sand’s place and make contact with Miyamoto Koji,” I said.

Hu Xiaoyu froze for a moment. “Changing your appearance isn’t a problem, but have you really thought this through? The Miyamoto family is not to be trifled with. If anything goes wrong, this could become an international dispute.”

“Stop talking nonsense,” I said.

Hu Xiaoyu angrily punched me in the chest. “Fine, go to your death, then. I was only trying to help, and you treat my kindness like donkey liver and lungs.”

Under Hu Xiaoyu’s hands, I successfully changed into Black Sand’s appearance.

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I gazed at my reflection in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. The White Lotus Sect’s technique truly was miraculous.

…

Hearing Tide Residence in Bailing City was the most elegant and luxurious seaside villa district in the entire city.

At that moment, dressed in a black robe and radiating a frigid aura, I appeared inside the compound. A petite woman dressed in traditional Japanese padded clothing led me toward the finest detached villa there.

The villa’s decorations were entirely different from those of the others, for it was furnished in a distinctly Japanese style.

Miyamoto Koji was waiting at the entrance. He smiled and came forward to greet me.

“Please come in, Mister Black Sand.” Miyamoto Koji bowed slightly and invited me inside.

In one of the villa’s tea rooms, Miyamoto Koji knelt before a low table, then gestured for me to kneel opposite him.

I frowned and said coldly, “I, Black Sand, am a man of Hua Nation. A man’s knees are worth gold. I kneel only to Heaven, Earth, and my parents. Forgive me, but I will not kneel while drinking tea.”

Miyamoto Koji’s expression stiffened. He quickly suppressed his displeasure and said, “You are right, Mister Black Sand. I failed to consider the matter properly. Let us change rooms.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. This Japanese devil had an extraordinarily deep reserve.

If a person could endure humiliation without showing it, one should never mock him. One should be twice as vigilant around such a person.

We moved to another room. A square table stood there, its surface bearing the marks of age.

Following the customs of Hua Nation, Miyamoto Koji brewed a pot of tea.

“I will dispense with the formalities and get straight to the point. Young Master Shang sent me to assist you, but he never said what the task was. Tell me now.” I drained my cup in one gulp and spoke coldly.

“Haha, Mister Black Sand, I like straightforward people. The matter is actually very simple. I have heard that your Dharma Aspect, the Demonic Crow, can precisely stir the power of Yin Souls. That is exactly the ability I require.” Miyamoto Koji smiled.

“What are we waiting for? My time is valuable,” I said coldly.

“Do not be impatient. Wait another two or three days, Mister Black Sand,” Miyamoto Koji replied.

“Fine. Do not exceed three days. Contact me once you are ready.” I rose at once and left the villa.

Miyamoto Koji watched my figure recede from the window.

“Third Young Master, this Hua Nationer is far too insolent. Should we…” a middle-aged man beside him said angrily.

Smack!

Miyamoto Koji slapped the middle-aged man across the face and said calmly, “Capable people are always proud. I can tolerate a capable person’s arrogance just as I can tolerate a useless flatterer like you.”

“Yes…” The middle-aged man did not dare even breathe loudly.

“Coming to Hua Nation, I have been entrusted by Father to accomplish this major undertaking under tremendous pressure. I absolutely cannot fail. Moreover, Father’s support alone will not be enough for me to take control of the Miyamoto family. I need talented people.” Miyamoto Koji’s voice turned stern.

He was determined to win Black Sand over.

Not long after I left Hearing Tide Residence, I received a call from Hu Xiaoyu. The Sea Maiden had been found. A passing freighter had discovered and rescued her, and Hu Xiaoyu had now placed her in a concealed location.

I immediately set out and reached the place Hu Xiaoyu had mentioned.

When I arrived in Bailing City’s old district, I swept my gaze around and immediately spotted more than a dozen lookouts.

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This must be the White Lotus Sect’s headquarters in Bailing City.

Soon, someone came to take me to an old residential building.

“Where is she?” I entered the house, saw Hu Xiaoyu, and asked.

Hu Xiaoyu pointed toward a closed room and lowered her voice. “She’s inside. She seems to have suffered a severe shock and is extremely agitated. Whenever anyone approaches, she loses control.”

I nodded. “I’ll go in and take a look first.”

I restored my original appearance, opened the door, and entered. The Sea Maiden was trembling in the corner, hugging her knees with her head buried between them.

Hearing the noise, she suddenly raised her head. When she saw me, she froze for a moment before screaming.

“Sea Maiden, don’t be afraid. It’s me. I’m Qin Feng—the policeman,” I said gently as I stepped forward and grasped her thin shoulders.

“You’re not him. Go away. Don’t touch me!” The Sea Maiden struggled.

“It’s me. If you don’t believe me, touch me yourself.” My voice was firm.

The Sea Maiden stopped struggling. Her eyes met mine, and she slowly reached out to stroke my face.

Then, with a loud wail, she burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.

I patted her gently and comforted her softly.

Hu Xiaoyu pushed open the door and glanced inside. Then she closed it again and snorted. “You’re gentle with everyone. You look like a warm-hearted man, but you’re really just a heartless womanizer.”

After a long while, I opened the door and came out.

“She’s asleep.”

“Did she say anything?” Hu Xiaoyu asked.

I nodded, my expression grim.

“The situation is probably more serious than I imagined. The Sea Maiden said that after she jumped into the sea, an underwater current swept her into a passage beneath the ocean. It was filled with mountains of corpses. And inside, she saw her father and her older brother.”

“How could that happen?” Hu Xiaoyu asked in shock.

“That’s not all. She said there was a huge azure talisman formation above it,” I replied.

Hu Xiaoyu was horrified. “The Netherworld?”

“From her description, this matter may be even bigger than what happened the last time you summoned Netherworld creatures. In my opinion, Japan cannot be uninvolved,” I said gravely.

“What do we do now?” Hu Xiaoyu asked.

“When the Sea Maiden wakes up, have her take us to that underwater passage,” I said.

“Aren’t you going to report this to the authorities?” Hu Xiaoyu asked.

I hesitated before answering, “We should investigate first. That place may lie in international waters. At present, the Netherworld Rift in Nansu is unstable, and the Ninth Bureau has committed all its manpower there. The situation here is still unclear. If resources are divided between the two places, we may end up accomplishing nothing on either front.”

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