Chapter 61: Mountains and Rivers Brush (Part One)

San Zhi’s face revealed a sly smile, as if he knew nothing about what was happening outside.

Fu Wuxuan glanced at his smug expression. “Has Strategy God Heavens broken in?”

The expression on San Zhi’s face suddenly froze in shock, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He immediately bristled. “Did you read my mind?!”

Fu Wuxuan couldn’t be bothered to explain that the other’s reaction had been far too obvious. He only asked, “The ones who made Zhongse so frantic must number quite a few… Or were the arrivals led by Shen Le?”

Shen Le, the leader of Strategy God Heavens.

In the early days of the apocalypse, Strategy God Heavens had been nothing more than a small cult with just a handful of members—utterly unremarkable. Any slightly more advanced Oracle could have wiped the organization out single-handedly.

It was precisely because it was so unremarkable that the authorities had overlooked it while cracking down on cults.

Strategy God Heavens truly came to the world’s attention after the S-Rank Oracle Shen Le joined.

An S-Rank Oracle was a top powerhouse of the era, fawned over wherever they went.

Because Shen Le had joined Strategy God Heavens, a large group of A-Rank Oracles followed suit. But for various reasons, Shen Le had weeded most of them out. The A-Rank Oracles who remained formed the core backbone of Strategy God Heavens today, and San Zhi was one of them.

Fu Wuxuan smiled, but the mirth didn’t reach his eyes. “For your sake alone, Shen Le directly assaults the Degeneration Abstinence Institute. He truly values you.”

That was what he said, but then his tone suddenly shifted. “Though I seem to recall that Shen Le isn’t one to place much stock in personal talent?”

After all, in the presence of an S-Rank Oracle, an A-Rank was utterly beneath notice.

Anyone below S-Rank was an ant, A-Rank included.

His tone was light and airy, as if he hadn’t just said something utterly chilling. “He’s not one for sentiment either. For him to go to such lengths attacking the Degeneration Abstinence Institute, he must have ulterior motives.”

San Zhi’s expression remained unchanged, but cold sweat broke out on his back.

Fu Wuxuan might be a plucked phoenix now, but that sharp mind of his is still as keen as ever—terrifyingly so, he thought.

San Zhi kept a smile on his face and didn’t respond.

The two engaged in a subtle game of wits, both appearing utterly nonchalant on the surface. Yun Xueqing and Fu Mi were lost in their own thoughts.

Jiang Yiyue, the only normal person among them, couldn’t help but worry. “If Strategy God Heavens has broken in, we must find a way to send a message and call for official aid!”

As soon as she spoke, she remembered the other enemy in the cell and shot San Zhi a wary glance.

Looking at San Zhi’s face sparked a sudden idea in her mind. “No matter what Strategy God Heavens is here for, someone from their organization will surely come to rescue this Weird. If we take him hostage, they won’t be able to touch us for a while. We can buy time to call for official help!”

San Zhi burst out laughing. “Sister, are you saying you want to hold me hostage?”

Being called “sister” by a Weird who had lived who-knew-how-many years irked Jiang Yiyue. She pulled a straight face. “There’s just one of you, but four of us. If we take turns using our Oracles, you definitely won’t hold out!”

Moreover, among them was Dong Jun, who had once been an S-Rank Oracle—more than enough to reassure her.

Of course, she didn’t say that part aloud.

She had expected him to show fear or panic, but he merely said airily, “You’re far too confident.”

Jiang Yiyue frowned, not understanding what San Zhi meant, but he clearly had no intention of elaborating. Instead, he closed his eyes to rest and gather his strength.

Fierce battle clearly raged outside. Beams of multicolored light shot into the dimly lit cell at every moment. The prison shook from the fighting, but they had no way to see the full picture.

Yet aside from Jiang Yiyue, no one present showed any anxiety.

After all, locked in prison as they were, there was nothing they could do.

Jiang Yiyue slapped her thigh and paced back and forth in the cell. “I wonder what’s happening outside…”

No sooner had she spoken than a black dart shot in, grazing her left cheek and leaving a bloody red mark on her fair skin.

More than fretting over whether it would scar—a luxury in the apocalypse—she cared who had launched it and whether it posed a threat to her life.

She stayed vigilant. What arrived wasn’t Zhongse, but a figure cloaked entirely in black robes.

The robes shrouded his face in shadow, making it impossible to see clearly. They concealed his figure so thoroughly that even his build was indeterminable.

The black-robed man’s arrival drew a serious expression even from the usually laid-back Fu Wuxuan. “Strategy God Heavens’ Gravekeeper?”

Ya Yin ignored him. He directly shattered the Oracle protecting the cell, pried open the lock, and strode in imperiously. To San Zhi, he said, “Let’s go.”

Jiang Yiyue moved to block him, but Fu Wuxuan held her back, his tone grave. “We can’t stop him.”

If his guess was right, this black-robed man was Strategy God Heavens’ Gravekeeper, Ya Yin—the strongest under Shen Le in terms of Spirit Energy, his most reliable blade. Below S-Rank Oracles, he was practically invincible.

Word was that the Gravekeeper rarely left his lair. For Shen Le to send him out this time, it seemed they truly placed great importance on this…

His gaze didn’t fall on San Zhi, but on the person beside him.

San Zhi twisted his wrist and chuckled. “Then I’ll take my leave first… Oh, right.”

He turned to Ya Yin. “I want to take someone with me.”

Ya Yin showed no reaction, as if he hadn’t heard. But San Zhi was used to the man’s ways and continued on his own. “I want to take this person.”

Everyone tensed defensively. Then he pointed at Yun Xueqing, who stood in the middle.

Jiang Yiyue instinctively glanced at Yun Xueqing, puzzled, but the man himself showed no reaction, as if oblivious to the crisis about to engulf him.

Ya Yin ignored San Zhi’s request. “Let’s go.”

San Zhi gritted his teeth in frustration. “I have to take this person with me!”

Ya Yin remained unmoved and simply repeated, “Let’s go.”

San Zhi was both angry and helpless. Though he and Ya Yin were both A-Rank, a vast gulf separated their strengths.

Ya Yin followed his own principles. Aside from the leader and that person, he listened to no one.

But apart from the leader, only that person could convince him to take Yun Xueqing.

San Zhi instinctively turned his head to look at…

“Take him with us. Bringing this person back to the organization will help with our next mission.”

The speaker was Fu Mi, with his baby-faced innocence and harmless demeanor.

He hadn’t spoken a word in this prison until that moment.

At his words, the previously icy Ya Yin responded, “Understood.”

San Zhi complained to Fu Mi, “This blockhead only listens to you and the leader.”

Yun Xueqing and Fu Wuxuan’s expressions varied. Jiang Yiyue stared at Fu Mi in shock. “You’re with Strategy God Heavens?!”

So he and San Zhi were in cahoots!

No wonder San Zhi’s expression had been so odd when she’d said it was four against one.

Fu Mi smiled. “Let’s move quickly. Any later, and the authorities will send reinforcements.”

San Zhi’s face changed. Knowing Fu Mi wasn’t exaggerating, he hurriedly urged, “Hurry, hurry!”

Ya Yin grabbed Yun Xueqing’s shoulder. Seeing no resistance, he shifted to the wrist—and felt something there. He said gravely, “Conjoined Heart Lock?”

The Conjoined Heart Lock was a common restraint developed by the authorities.

Even though it was now invisible, Ya Yin intuitively saw that the other end connected to Fu Wuxuan.

San Zhi grew irritated. “Conjoined Heart Lock? Damn it, we won’t get far with that thing on.”

As he grumbled, Spirit Energy gathered in Ya Yin’s hand. He slashed down at Yun Xueqing’s wrist.

Though unseen, everyone heard the snap of the chain breaking.

The Conjoined Heart Lock was destroyed.

The realization hit Yun Xueqing and Fu Wuxuan’s minds simultaneously.

But before they could dwell on it, Ya Yin grabbed Yun Xueqing and bolted outward. They cleared the path ahead, with San Zhi and Fu Mi following unhurriedly behind.

Of the five in the cell, three had escaped, leaving Jiang Yiyue and Fu Wuxuan to stare helplessly, a rather desolate sight.

Jiang Yiyue sighed. “Who would’ve thought Fu Mi was a spy. I truly misjudged him.”

She turned to Fu Wuxuan. “Did you know who he was?”

In her mind, Fu Wuxuan was on par with an encyclopedia.

There seemed to be nothing or no one in this world he didn’t know.

But at that moment, Fu Wuxuan simply shook his head. “I have a guess… but I’m not certain.”

Jiang Yiyue blinked. “Who do you think he is?”

But Fu Wuxuan didn’t answer right away, sinking into his own thoughts.

Jiang Yiyue felt awkward and changed the subject in a stiff tone. “So… what now?”

Fu Wuxuan looked up, his face showing the sorrow of a man whose wife had run off, though his words were flippant. “Obviously, stay and file the report. Unless you want to break out?”

Jiang Yiyue found some sense in that and nodded. She prepared to wait for the authorities to apply for release—only to see Fu Wuxuan saunter right out the prison door.

Jiang Yiyue: “?”

What happened to filing the report?

Fu Wuxuan turned back with a smile. “I’m an escapee.”

If not now, when?

With that, he chased after the direction San Zhi and the others had gone.

As he mulled this over, Fu Mi suddenly asked, “I took him because he can find the Mountains and Rivers Brush. But why did you* want to take him?”