Chapter 354: Chapter 212: The Unchosen Shrine Maiden, Ancient Heavenly Warden_2
The witch was collected into the shell column and the panel was opened for review.
The witch’s attributes were very lousy, with no special skills. She was just a sack of skin with no other use.
After completing his tasks, Lin Xun switched to the Medium Ninja shell and began to invisibly search the entire loft.
There were many guests in the loft, and some private rooms even had guards at the door.
He found a few unguarded rooms, killed a few guests, but did not unearth any additional useful information.
However, after killing a courtesan, he managed to get some confidential information from her memory.
The loft of the courtesan building also had a basement, which ordinary people were not allowed to approach. Only the master of the building and a few headmen could enter.
If any courtesan neared it, they would inevitably be lashed and punished.
This piqued Lin Xun’s interest.
[You remain invisible, returning to the first-floor hall. The performing courtesan on the stage has been replaced, but the area is still bustling.]
[While no one is looking, you quietly sneak to the back of the stage...]
[There’s no one behind the stage in the dim light, with a small door hidden by a screen in an inconspicuous corner.]
[You understand that it’s the entrance to the basement, but as you walk around the screen and attempt to push open the door, an invisible barrier stops you.]
[The feeling is similar to when you were blocked by a barrier on Tisi Island.]
[You cannot pass through the barrier and enter!]
"What could they be hiding in the basement that requires such a protective barrier?"
Lin Xun squinted, feeling that he had stumbled upon something significant.
The Medium Ninja shell wasn’t skilled in breaking barriers. If he switched to the Earth Giant shell and used brute force, it might bring unnecessary trouble.
According to previous information, the most common ways to enter a barrier involved carrying a specific item or having a specific scent...
[You mount the top floor of the loft, and at the end of the hallway are the residences of the house master and a few headmen.]
[Lights were on in several rooms. You eavesdropped from outside the door and heard indescribable noises coming from the nearest room.]
[You hold your breath and quietly pull the sliding door open a crack, catching sight of an old headman and a beautiful courtesan in the middle of an intimate act.]
[They’re so involved in their act that they don’t notice any anomalies.]
[You silently sneak into the room and just as you’re about to kill both the headman and the courtesan, the sliding door is forcefully opened.]
[The sudden noise makes the headman shiver, and he soon foams at the mouth.]
[You, who were about to swing the ’Golden Roc Fierce Bird Claw’, halt your attack as another old headman enters the room, rage in his voice. He shouldn’t be the one responsible for guarding the basement today. He was just filling in for a moment, but the one who should be there was slacking off.]
[After speaking, he tosses an object on the bed, and turns to leave.]
[You notice that the object is a wooden charm with a red string. The charm bears symbols resembling tadpoles.]
[The headman on the bed grumbles as he picks up the charm, dismisses the courtesan, and begins to dress...]
[Now you and the headman are the only ones left in the room. Without further hesitation, you sneak up to him and plunge your hook claw into his back.]
[You haven’t fully mastered the ’Golden Roc Fierce Bird Claw’, so your attack inevitably stirs up a gust of wind.]
[The ’Fire Worshiping Town Headman’ suddenly flashes, kicks up his long robe to block your view.]
[Just as you’re about to tear the robe apart with the Fierce Bird Claw, a flash of a bright sword reaches out in a swift motion, severing the robe first, and then slashing at you with unyielding momentum!]
[You cross your claws to block the attack, but a strong force pushes you back several steps.]
[The headman, his face riddled with wrinkles, breaks into a ferocious grin. He mocks you, saying where did this ninja dog come from, daring to stir trouble in his town. No matter, he didn’t get to vent his desires earlier and will use your death to satisfy his malice!]
[The bright sword comes again, its tip trailing a streak of black flame.]
[You inhabit the shell of ’The Inquisitive Primordial Hermit’.]
[You block the sword with one hand, and with the other, you throw a chained blade. The sharp dagger plunges entirely into his chest - only the hilt can be seen.]
[Looking at you in disbelief, the headman mutters ’demon’ under his breath before slowly collapsing onto the floor, his face turning black as he dies.]
[You have defeated the ’Fire Worshiping Town Headman’ and your experience increased a bit.]
[You have gained ’Unyielding Spirit Shard’*1.]
[You have acquired the ’Boundary Wood Charm’ (Key).]
[You look at the dead body in front of you.]
[The shell of the ’Fire Worshipers’ Wharf’...]
Lin Xun knew that the commotion had not gone unnoticed and was bound to draw attention.
Without time to thoroughly review the text, he swiftly chose to possess.
[You possess the body of the ’Fire Worshiper’s Wharf’!]
[The sliding door is yanked open, and the temporary dockmaster returns to see the room in a state of disarray, with only you standing with a sword.]
[He was about to inquire when you spoke up first. Your fury from being interrupted was not completely extinguished, and you couldn’t help but quell it with a swing of your sword, which made you feel considerably better.]
[The dockmaster glances at you with dark eyes and reminds you coldly that you should head down to the basement immediately. If your absence is discovered later, both you and his temporary replacement will be punished.]
[You nod in agreement, and after he leaves, you take out a set of new clothes from the cabinet to change into...]
Lin Xun opened the interface to find that this dockmaster had higher attributes than the warrior he previously possessed.
He also mastered the ability to use ’Qi’.
Considering the warriors in the city are responsible for maintaining security and have considerable strength, it was hard to imagine that the dockmaster would be more powerful.
From this, it was clear that what was hidden under the brothel was not simple at all.
[After getting dressed, you take the ’Boundary Wood Charm’ and leave the room...]
[...]
[The viewing platform is still dimly lit, and you once again walk around the folding screen and open the small door.]
[You carry the ’Boundary Wood Charm,’ which allows you to pass through the barrier without hindrance!]
[You only feel like you’re walking through a water curtain, and there’s no other unusual feeling.]
[You follow the staircase behind the small door down...]
[The space opened up under the attic is incredibly vast, and it’s far more extensive than a single building. It seems the building’s basement is connected to the basements of all the brothels on the street, forming one enormous basement.]
[The basement is brightly lit, and a massive statue stands in the middle.]
[It’s a stone statue of black flames, like the statue you saw before, except this one is magnified countless times.]
[The statue has more strange aspects; if you look up at the ceiling of the basement, you can see black smoke seeping from the floor above.]
[The statue, like a magnet, absorbs all the black smoke, intensifying its black color.]
[Looking at the statue and the black smoke, you can’t help but feel a wave of malice.]
[While it’s not as dominating as the Inferno you directly saw earlier, forcing you to submit to its malice, it lingers in your heart and doesn’t dissipate for a long time.]
[You know that the malice contained in the statue far exceeds the Inferno. Its malice is concealed and not exposed, which is why you are not driven insane.]
[Suddenly, you notice a flicker of black light at the tip of the statue’s flames.]
[Quickly approaching for a closer look, you see a part of the stone on the statue’s top has crystallized into a fist-sized black crystal, reflecting the black light.]
[The black smoke absorbed by the statue all rushes to the black crystal at the top, rendering it even more dark and shiny.]
[An apostle without faith is like a rudderless leaf in the wind. What’s your next move?]
[1. Switch to the shell of the Earth Giant and use its club to destroy the statue, wiping out all Malice from the world.]
[2. Pay homage to the statue’s idol with reverence, pleading for the deity to bestow faith upon you and make a vow.]
[3. Take the malice crystal condensed from the statue, quietly slip away, and keep it a secret.]
"Huh, why does this scenario seem familiar... Could it be..."
Lin Xun remembered something and decisively chose the third option.
[You hold the sheath in one hand, and the hilt in the other, visibly calming down your spirit...]
[Suddenly, you give out a loud yell, leap into the air, and a flash of sword light accompanies your Iaido strike!]
[The black crystal falls from the top of the statue.]
[You stand with your sword sheathed, slowly exhaling...]
[You have obtained ’Heavenly Evil’s Malice’ (Epic Level Item)]
[Heavenly Evil’s Malice (Epic Level Item): Countless malices have been absorbed by the statue, causing the ’Ancient Heavenly Warden’ sculpture to crystallize a trace of strange, twisted divinity, forming a black crystal. After using it, you will gain 1 divinity point.]
"Ancient Heavenly Warden... So this is the deity of this Chapter?"
