Chapter 706
Spying
“He spends most of his time doing things unrelated to cultivation.”
Barkol recalled.
“Back in Shenjiangpu, he was either playing mahjong, sunbathing, drinking tea, or tinkering with some strange and unusual gadgets.”
General Ma once wanted to take him on as an apprentice and teach him forging skills, but he refused.
I demonstrated the Dragon Soul Forging Technique, hoping to guide him into the field, but he remained unmoved.
Even when you personally offered to take him on as a disciple, he…
As Barkol finished speaking, he cautiously glanced at Yun Zhongzi's expression.
Yun Zhongzi snorted coldly, but did not retaliate, gesturing for him to continue.
“Now that his identity has been exposed and he has become ‘Zhang Tianshi,’ his behavior doesn’t seem to have changed.”
Barkol continued.
"I heard that he now spends all day playing mahjong in the backyard with Chen Fenfang, Master Liu, Master Yan, and Ma Dashuai."
He seemed to be enjoying himself, not at all like someone practicing cultivation.
Chen Fenfang and the others felt that this showed Zhang Tianshi was approachable and that it was a great honor for him to share joy with them, low-level divine rune masters..."
"absurd!"
Yun Zhongzi couldn't help but rebuke.
"A level three divine rune master, instead of seizing the time to consolidate his cultivation and comprehend the deeper mysteries of divine runes to face the powerful enemies in the tournament, is indulging in such frivolous and unproductive pursuits all day long? That's absolutely impossible!"
He absolutely refused to believe that Zhang Lingfeng had become a Level 3 Divine Inscription Master by playing mahjong.
This must be a disguise, a deliberate attempt to create mystery!
"Perhaps... he is cultivating in another way?"
Barkol guessed, but even he himself felt that the idea was far-fetched.
"The path of divine runes emphasizes the comprehension of the soul. Perhaps playing mahjong can help him relax and enter a special state of enlightenment? Or perhaps his cultivation method is unique, requiring him to break through in a state of extreme leisure?"
Yun Zhongzi remained silent, his eyes flickering.
He admitted that the methods of cultivating the Divine Runes are varied and strange, and some people do need to stimulate their souls and comprehend the Divine Runes through special means.
But he had never heard of anyone as thoroughly and depraved as Zhang Lingfeng.
"Or perhaps he is an unparalleled genius, a rare talent in history, for whom cultivation is as simple as drinking water and eating, which is why he has so much time to squander."
Yun Zhongzi said in a deep voice.
"Either he deliberately shows it to others to cover up his true cultivation secrets, or... he is practicing some kind of strange cultivation method that we cannot understand, which requires worldly involvement or even depravity to temper one's mind."
He prefers the latter.
Zhang Lingfeng's achievements at such a young age must have a shocking secret behind them.
This act of playing mahjong may very well be part of this secret, or a smokescreen used to mislead outsiders.
"Keep an eye on it."
Yun Zhongzi gave instructions to Barkol.
"Before the conference, we must find out as much as possible about his background. Also, we must intensify our efforts to gather intelligence on Canaan in Jingzhou and Assange in Shenzhou. This conference cannot afford to fail."
Barkol nodded in agreement, but he was even more curious about Zhang Lingfeng.
This young man seems to be shrouded in a fog that can never be dispelled.
Meanwhile, in the backyard of the New Divine Craftsman's Workshop, another game of cards came to an end.
Zhang Lingfeng looked at the small increase in his "lying flat" value on the panel and felt pleased.
He glanced at the probing gazes cast from the pavilion not far away, from people arranged by Yun Zhongzi or Barkol, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.
"Guess, investigate."
Zhang Lingfeng chuckled inwardly.
"You'll never guess that my biggest secret is simply lying flat."
Playing mahjong, sunbathing, drinking tea... these may seem like a waste of time to you, but for me, they are the fastest way to cultivate myself.
He reshuffled the deck and smiled at Chen Fenfang and the others, who were slightly tired but still excited, "One more round?"
The sky above Baidi City was shrouded in leaden-gray clouds. Inside the "Tian Shu Hall," the core headquarters of the Jingzhou Guild, Guild Master Liu's withered fingers traced the list of participants from the Danzhou Guild projected onto a jade slip.
When his fingertips stopped on the three characters "Zhang Lingfeng", the veins on his fingers bulged like earthworms.
"Yun Zhongzi of the Baruch family is nothing to fear. The family has been in decline for millions of years, and its divine rune inheritance has long been thoroughly analyzed by various forces. But this Zhang Lingfeng..."
He clenched his fist suddenly, and the jade slip shattered.
"He was a level 5 blacksmith a while ago, but now he's a level 3 divine rune master!"
"Even someone as hopeless as Murong Li could be transformed into a Divine Inscription Master. With such methods, which ancient ruins did the Danzhou Guild unearth from?!"
On the opposite side, on the crystal chair, Assange, the representative of the Divine Continent Guild, slowly raised his eyes.
This level-three peak divine rune master, who was less than five hundred years old, had blood-red divine runes swirling around his fingertips like living snakes: "The guild's resource pool will only produce three bushels of 'Chaos Origin Crystals' this year."
If Danzhou wins the championship, it will directly receive 40% of the prize money according to the rules.
He flicked his finger and unleashed a streak of blood-red light, which condensed into a map of the guild's resource allocation in the air. "At that time, neither of our guilds will even get the scraps!"
The hall was deathly silent, like a grave.
A black-robed spy emerged from the shadows, hissing as he reported, "Breaking news: Huang Youming has submitted an application to the headquarters to upgrade the Baidi City branch to a core branch. If approved, Danzhou's annual quota for Divine Rune Secret Manuals will double!"
President Liu's eyes flashed with a fierce light: "We absolutely cannot let Danzhou ride roughshod over us! We have all of Yun Zhongzi's trump cards, except for this Ling Feng..."
He grabbed a piece of black ancient jade engraved with the character "窥" (peep) from the table. "Activate the 'Painted Skin' project. Use this Peeping Jade to peel off his skin!"
Three days later, torrential rain poured down.
Under the bamboo shed in the backyard of the master craftsman's shop, the clatter of mahjong tiles mingled with the patter of rain.
Zhang Lingfeng lazily pushed over a set of "uniform" stones, while opposite him, General Ma frowned as he pulled out a divine stone.
Suddenly, the wooden door creaked open, and Chen Fenfang, soaking wet, stumbled and fell to her knees on the bluestone slab.
"Three."
Zhang Lingfeng casually tossed the cards aside.
Chen Fenfang forced a smile as she drew a card, and divine patterns were injected into the Divine Jade from the bottom of her sleeve.
In an instant, the ancient jade trembled violently, and the image transmitted back to headquarters was a sky full of spinning and exploding mahjong tiles! Barkol, who was secretly observing from the attic, gasped: "The aftershocks of his divine soul that he leaked while playing cards could actually distort the tracking runes of the Divine Jade?!"
The card game lasted for seven days and nights.
Inside the secret chamber of the Jingzhou Guild, Guild Master Liu stared at the perpetually blurry image of the card table in the water mirror, with piles of discarded divine crystals at his feet.
"Today we've consumed 1,200 divine crystals!"
The deacon reported, trembling.
"Latest footage... Zhang Lingfeng teaches Chen Fenfang the 'Fishing the Moon from the Bottom of the Sea' winning hand technique." Assange sneered and crushed his teacup: "The hidden agent we planted is a master of the Soul Charm Technique, and he's been memorizing mahjong tips every day!"
At this moment, Zhang Lingfeng's mind was flashing with light on the card table.
[Enjoy entertainment with Level 1 Divine Inscription Master Chen Fenfang and gain 300 points of "lying down" value]
He deliberately spoke loudly, "To win, you need to let your mind wander, like thinking about... that pile of divine materials in the treasure vault of the Divine Craftsman's Pavilion?"
Chen Fenfang was jolted awake and activated the Divine Jade at full power.
Zhang Lingfeng suddenly played "East Wind," and the ripples on the card's surface resembled an invisible giant hand grasping the ancient jade.
Chen Fenfang was in excruciating pain, and cold sweat instantly soaked her back.
"Master Chen, why have you always seemed so distracted when we play mahjong these past few days?"
Zhang Lingfeng inquired.
"I……"
Chen Fenfang was somewhat confused.
After several days, Zhang Lingfeng had confirmed that Chen Fenfang's soul had been implanted in her.
Chen Fenfang has a jade pendant on her body that allows her to see inside.
It allows one to peek into one's own secrets, such as cultivation techniques.
Of course, you have to cultivate yourself to show the other person.
Chen Fenfang is Ma Dashuai's sworn sister.
Previously, when the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion wanted to annex the Divine Craftsmen's Shop, it had also helped the shop. Now that he had become a Level 3 Divine Inscription Master, Chen Fenfang couldn't possibly make a mistake by bringing him a coveted jade to provoke him. He then released the power of a Level 3 Divine Inscription.
"master!"
General Ma exclaimed in surprise.
They thought Zhang Lingfeng was going to harm Chen Fenfang.
It was discovered that Zhang Lingfeng's divine runes had separated a wisp of his soul from Chen Fenfang's mind.
The soul wanted to escape.
But before they could get very far, they were imprisoned by Zhang Lingfeng's level-three divine runes.
Why are you controlling Master Chen and spying on my secrets?
Zhang Lingfeng found it strange.
Now that his fame has spread far and wide, who would dare to disrespect him?
Could it be Yun Zhongzi?
But this person has always been arrogant.
We will not resort to such despicable means.
So it must be someone else.
As for Shen Garden.
He subdued the entire Divine Craftsman Pavilion and brought it under his control, making Ma Dashuai the new master of the Divine Craftsman Workshop.
Shen Yuan, Shen Pengyun, and the others were all obedient at this moment and dared not deal with him at this critical juncture.
But he really couldn't think of anyone else.
He wanted to peek into the secrets of the soul.
Unfortunately, the fragment of his soul quickly dissipated.
……
"Master Yun Zhongzi! This is absolutely not a sign of depravity!"
Barkol shouted urgently in the VIP garden of the city lord's mansion.
"Every time he draws a card, his spiritual energy surges like ocean tides echoing the phases of the moon!"
Yun Zhongzi, standing before the water mirror, furiously slammed the table: "Bullshit! What divine inscription master advances to level three by touching seven lines?!"
On a stormy night, the Danzhou Guild's secret agents sneaked into the card game like ghosts.
When Chen Fenfang activated the Divine Jade again, Huang Youming remotely pointed out the forbidden pattern "Heart-Locking Cone".
With a crisp "crack," the sound of jade shattering came from Chen Fenfang's sleeve, and the image-transmitting water mirror exploded into a black screen!
“Jingzhou has overreached.”
Huang Youming sneered in the secret room, the forbidden patterns remaining on his fingertips like venomous snakes spitting their tongues. On the mahjong table, Zhang Lingfeng suddenly pushed over the mahjong tiles: "Heavenly Hand, Thirteen Orphans."
Chen Fenfang staggered backward, and Zhang Lingfeng's voice transmission rang in her ears: "Master Chen, go back and rest first!"
What's wrong with me?
Chen Fenfang looked bewildered.
"Just now……"
Ma Dashuai told Chen Fenfang everything that had happened in the past few days.
Chen Fenfang was shocked. As a divine inscription master, she was actually enslaved and confusedly played mahjong with Zhang Lingfeng, and even wanted to pry into Zhang Lingfeng's secrets.
Zhang Lingfeng is a level three divine rune master; this is disrespectful.
If Zhang Lingfeng were to kill her, it would be an unforgivable crime.
Fortunately, she had become sworn brothers with Commander Ma, and since she was being controlled by someone, Zhang Lingfeng didn't make things difficult for her.
"Master Zhang...I..."
Chen Fenfang wanted to explain.
Zhang Lingfeng smiled and told Ma Dashuai to take Chen Fenfang downstairs to rest.
After Chen Fangfang left, Zhang Lingfeng couldn't help but sigh, "They're actually from Jingzhou. Is it really necessary to go to such lengths for a Divine Inscription Master cultivation competition?"
After deciding to continue helping the Danzhou Guild, along with Yun Zhongzi, and winning the Divine Inscription Master Guild battle in Baidi City, Zhang Lingfeng began to contact Huang Youming frequently.
Both sides exchanged jade slips as communication tools.
That night, an urgent report came from the Shenzhou secret agents: Chen Fenfang's soul had been broken by the Danzhou Soul-Devouring Seal, and our methods had been discovered.
President Liu smashed the last teleportation crystal: "It's ruined! Thirty thousand divine stones were fed to the Mahjong Ghost!"
Inside the Jingzhou airship, Canaan was wiping the "Fallen God Shuttle" engraved with skulls.
"Since he loves mahjong, I will set up a life-or-death mahjong formation on the field, using bones as tiles and souls as dice!"
Blood-red incantations appeared on Assange's palm.
"Leave Yun Zhongzi to me, as for that Zhang Lingfeng..." He flipped his palm and crushed the "curse" character, "...let him lie in a coffin forever!"
In the backyard of the Divine Craftsman's Shop, Zhang Lingfeng was counting the newly added 19 "lying flat" points.
It's been raining a lot lately.
The heavy rain kept falling.
The rain pounded against the blue tiles of the Shenjiangpu shop, and Liang Xiaoxia, wrapped in a plain cloak, appeared at the back gate.
Her hair was disheveled, rain streamed down her pale cheeks, and she knelt in the mud, choking back tears, saying, "I beg Zhang Tianshi to take me as his disciple! The Martial God Pavilion slaughtered my entire Liang family, even my infant brother..."
She trembled as she picked up half of the blood-stained family token. The improved "God-Seeing Jade" in her sleeve was quietly getting hot; this time, the Jingzhou Guild had embedded a quartz coating to isolate detection.
Zhang Lingfeng was arranging the jade mahjong tiles, not even lifting his eyelids: "What the hell is the Martial God Pavilion? Why are they so fond of wiping out entire families?"
"master!"
General Ma looked on warily.
"Let her in!"
Zhang Lingfeng said.
These days, many people come to him seeking apprenticeship, but few kneel at his door like Liang Xiaoxia.
Given that Chen Fenfang's incident had just occurred, Zhang Lingfeng had the opportunity to learn more about it.
"Yes!"
At this time, Commander Ma listened to Zhang Lingfeng's every word.
"Master Zhang invites you in."
General Ma personally came to the door.
A flicker of joy crossed Liang Xiaoxia's eyes as she entered the inner courtyard of the Divine Craftsman's Shop, only to see Zhang Lingfeng push the dice jar over the mahjong table: "Heavy rain is bad for your health, perfect timing, we're one player short."
The card game began in an eerie atmosphere.
When Liang Xiaoxia played "East Wind," her fingertips trembled slightly, and the divine patterns on the Jade Pendant seeped into the cracks of the card table.
A prompt suddenly appeared on Zhang Lingfeng's mental panel.
[Level 1 Divine Inscription Master Liang Xiaoxia detected participating in entertainment activities; 350 "lying down" points can be provided daily.]
The value is 50 points higher than Chen Fenfang's!
"Bang!" Zhang Lingfeng suddenly pushed over two red dragons, and the ripples on the cards shook as if an invisible hand was grasping the Divine Jade.
Liang Xiaoxia felt a sharp pain in her soul, but forced a smile and said, "Master, your 'Fishing for the Moon at the Bottom of the Sea' technique is truly exquisite. I wonder if it originates from some kind of divine rune secret technique?"
"To win, one must be free from distractions."
Zhang Lingfeng slowly drew the cards, deliberately making his spiritual fluctuations simulate the ebb and flow of the tides.
"It's like committing murder for revenge; being too persistent only makes it easier to expose your weaknesses."
The Divine Jade at Liang Xiaoxia's fingertip instantly transmitted a distorted image back to headquarters, and the mahjong tiles turned into dripping blood swords!
For three consecutive days of card games, Liang Xiaoxia was still unable to extract the cultivation method from him.
On the fourth day, the rain intensified. Suddenly, she overturned the mahjong tiles, knelt down, and cried out, "My enemy will be moving away from Baidi City in three days! I beg the Celestial Master to give me the Soul-Stabilizing Divine Pattern so that I can personally slay my enemy!"
The Jade of Divine Insight in the Sleeve is operating at full power at this moment; this is the emotional trigger point designed by the Jingzhou Guild.
The "Eight Characters" tile held between Zhang Lingfeng's fingers suddenly emitted a divine aura.
He stared at Liang Xiaoxia's tear-filled face and sighed softly, "Revenge requires strength, not a joke."
Thirteen divine chains suddenly rose from the card table, pulverizing the modified Divine Jade into dust! (End of Chapter)