Chapter 76 Plan
Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Xia Feng said little as pale flames flickered across his body.
The Vermilion Bird Armor could alter its appearance at will, encasing his form. Soon, as he crouched in an awkward pose, his figure shifted into that of a girl with light green, slightly curly hair.
Clearing her throat, the girl let out a crisp voice: "Ahem, um… I—I am a mushroom~~"
Everyone: "..."
Freya stared in surprise. "What is this? The Forest Scepter's ability?"
After the earlier introduction, everyone now knew Xia Feng was a shameless copycat.
Xia Feng nodded. "Close enough. After my optimizations, the Forest Scepter's wood can freely shift forms and cover me completely."
"This is what you call 'optimization'?" A thought crossed their minds—what would happen if their spirit weapons were optimized by Xia Feng? Would they grow stronger?
"Copying plus optimizing… What kind of broken spirit weapon ability is this?"
Old Guan shot him an envious glance, muttering under his breath, "He'll probably score at least an A-rank. Damn it, comparing yourself to him is just depressing!"
"So what's the point of disguising as Li Hongdou?" someone asked.
Xia Feng smirked. "Doesn't the prince want to capture a mushroom? Then I'll turn into one and let him catch me. That way, we can infiltrate the barrier."
Li Sheng's eyes brightened. "Hey, that might actually work. The Infinite Barrier's core is easy to locate. Once you're inside, find a chance to plant a magnetic bomb and blow up the array's focal point. The barrier collapses, and without his 'tortoise shell,' we'll have a real shot at killing him!"
The group nodded, considering the plan.
The Xuanwu Bureau Chief's gaze sharpened, piercing through the illusion to see the man hunched awkwardly beneath the little girl's oversized down jacket.
His eye twitched slightly before he chuckled and shook his head. "No. A fourth-tier spiritual master would see through you with a single glance of spiritual pressure. And your body is far bulkier than Li Hongdou's. The moment you move, the illusion will warp. Anyone with half a brain would notice something's off."
"..." Realizing his deception wouldn't hold, Xia Feng sighed and stood, letting the Vermilion Bird Armor's illusion dissipate.
Truthfully, the ability he really wanted to rely on wasn't the armor's disguise—it was his spirit weapon's power to copy appearances.
[Mirror-Copy: Copper] — Perfectly replicate the target's clothing, hair, accessories, makeup, appearance, voice, and even their spirit weapon. No time limit.
The condition for copying a spirit weapon was to be struck by it or to touch it. For other targets, physical contact alone sufficed. He'd tested it before but never in actual combat. Would it fool a fourth-tier spiritual master? Could it evade detection-type spirit weapons?
Just then—
A soft yet firm voice cut through the air. "Let me go."
It was Li Hongdou's voice. Everyone turned to Xia Feng with blank stares.
Xia Feng blinked. "Not me this time."
The tent flap lifted, and in walked a petite girl. She scanned the group before declaring solemnly, "Instead of sending a fake, let me go—for real."
Xia Feng's eyes widened. "No!"
"Absolutely not! I just saved you. Sending you back now would be throwing you to the wolves!" He shook his head vehemently.
"But I'm the only one who can enter, right?"
"And as long as I refuse, even if I call Yue Hongli 'Mother' a thousand times, Liszt won't be able to complete the birth ceremony."
Xia Feng opened his mouth to argue, but the little mushroom's expression hardened.
She met his gaze unflinchingly. "Let me go. I want to settle my score with Liszt—myself."
Xia Feng was stunned. This was the first time he had seen Mushroom so resolute about anything.
"Actually… there's something I've kept hidden all this time," Mushroom began, biting her lip as she stepped toward the table. Her eyes swept across the group. "But today, I want to say it."
"Most people think my mother hanged herself. But the truth is, ten years ago, she discovered Liszt was colluding with the Burning Heaven Cult. After failing to reason with him multiple times, he strangled her to death with a rope."
Her whisper grew steadier, clearer.
"My mother knew too much—had too much proof. Liszt feared she'd expose him or leave behind evidence, so he killed her. Then he slaughtered her entire family."
She paused, her face eerily calm.
"Liszt thought I knew nothing. But the day he murdered my mother, I didn't drink the black tea he gave me. I didn't fall asleep. When her wide, lifeless eyes locked onto mine… I was terrified."
Mushroom spoke at length, her tone flat, as if recounting someone else's tragedy.
Silent curses filled the room. Worthless bastard. Monster.
Xia Feng said nothing. Now he understood why Mushroom was so withdrawn, so fragile. The trauma of witnessing her mother's murder and living under Liszt's roof had shattered something in her—something that might never heal.
Bureau Chief Xuanwu stroked his chin. The "Burning Heaven Cult" Mushroom mentioned had to be the Burning Heaven Temple. So Liszt had ties to them before allying with the Divine Evil Society.
His gaze softened as he studied the small, steel-spined girl before him. She reminded him of his granddaughter.
"According to Wei Shutong's prior reports," he said gently, "the prince aims to force Princess Yue Hongli to acknowledge him as her master. But her body isn't human—it's a divine longsword tied to the laws of causality. Any power involving causality is… unpredictable. It spawns variables."
He leaned forward. "Child, if you insist on going, remember this above all: Do not let Liszt complete the ritual to claim that sword."
"I'll remember!" Mushroom balled her fists, nodding fiercely.
"Hey—!" Xia Feng interjected.
"Feng," she said quietly, "trust me. Just once."
He exhaled through his nose. "I mean I'm going too." In a flash, his form shifted again—black robes, a featureless white mask.
"I'll pose as one of the prince's men," he declared. "I'll take you back to Pingshan Hospital myself."
Bailong scoffed, rising to his full height. "A first-tier spiritualist playing hero? The girl's right—it's too risky alone. My spirit weapon can mimic everything except her appearance, even an evil aura. I'll escort her in disguise. Safest option."
Xia Feng's eyes narrowed. "No. I don't trust you to protect her."
"You—don't trust me?" Bailong barked a laugh. "I'm third-tier. You're a rookie. And you're 'not assured'?"
Xia Feng smirked but stayed silent. After his promotion to second-tier and gaining the Vermilion Bird Armor, his combat prowess had skyrocketed. Fighting a third-tier spiritualist?
Well. The outcome wasn't so obvious anymore.
(End of Chapter)