Star Trace Gate

Are you bragging again?!

Ren Ye looked at the storyteller with disdain and deliberately provoked him, "The soul contains countless secrets of a person. Even a child who has just attained enlightenment cannot accept having their soul observed, let alone a powerful and insane old monster?! Seriously, if you continue to deceive me, I will report you...!"

“This is really not a lie.”

The storyteller waved his hand slightly. "Although he may be mad, I possess a unique technique for soothing and immersing his spirit. I can tell him a story, and make him lose himself in it. With a little guidance, I can make him completely let down his guard and fully recall the events of that night. This is a unique talent that storytellers are blessed with. It's understandable that a little stray dog ​​like you can't understand it."

Ren ignored the other party's ridicule and only frowned and asked, "Are you really sure you can get Zhou Taozhi to tell you?! I'm telling you, we really can't kill anyone this time... We must go there quietly and return quietly. Otherwise, if there is another murder, and it happens at Wudao Temple, then I think even the four clan leaders will be out on the streets... patrolling at night."

"As long as we can get into Wudaoyuan, I'm confident I can get Zhou Taozhi to tell the truth," the storyteller replied confidently. "But getting in... is even harder than getting him to speak. There are too many preachers in Wudaoyuan, and there's also a large group of students staying overnight. If they react, we'll have no chance of escape."

"Besides, even though Zhou Taozhi is crazy, he hasn't forgotten his hobbies. I heard that the courtyard he lives in is also very strange and not quite normal...!"

Ren Ye heard this and immediately asked, "What's wrong with that?"

"Zhou Taozhi loved playing chess and invented many new ways to play it," the storyteller whispered. "So, he set up a chess game within the courtyard where he lived—called the 'Treasure Chess Game.' I don't know the exact gameplay and rules of this game... but I've heard that it contains a strange formation. If an outsider enters, Zhou Taozhi will sense it and wake up immediately. Therefore, if you want to enter the courtyard to meet and talk with him, you must first pass through the Treasure Chess Game. You can't force your way in, otherwise the masters of the Enlightenment Court will definitely notice...!"

"It's said that many students and teachers in the academy, in their free time, would go to Zhou Taozhi to try their hand at the Jubao chess game, betting magic weapons and star sources. But so far, it seems no one has managed to successfully win this game...!"

The storyteller sighed, "This madman is not easy to deal with."

Ren was also surprised when he heard this: "He's crazy and out of his mind, but he still has the logical thinking to play chess with others?! Is he pretending?"

"Whether he's faking it or not, I don't know. But he's only sober when he's playing chess, and he's just having fun."

"Oh."

Ren Ye wasn't too surprised or puzzled by this explanation, because madness is a very mysterious thing. Take, for example, the village guards that can be found everywhere on Blue Star. They can't take care of themselves in most things, but they all have amazing talents in certain areas. For example, they sing beautifully with perfect pitch, or they are very dexterous and create lifelike crafts...

He sat on the grass and pondered for a long time before looking up again and asking, "Have you thought of any way to break the deadlock?"

"Didn't you say it? You are the powerful and mysterious leader... I am just a soldier following orders. What qualifications do I have to think of a way to break the deadlock?" The storyteller said in a rather mean manner.

"Ah."

Ren was neither angry nor annoyed, but just rubbed his chin with his hand: "Are you sure that as long as I can find a way to let you in, you can make Zhou Taozhi speak?"

"That's right. As long as I can get through the game quietly without being disturbed, I'm sure I can make him immerse himself in a story and even replay the truth of that night." The storyteller said confidently.

That's what Ren wanted. He slowly stood up, held up two fingers, and said, "To quietly send you to meet Zhou Taozhi, there are only two key points. The first is how to enter the Wudao Academy without being noticed. I've thought about this, and it's actually quite simple... I heard that Tianzi No. 1 Academy holds classes twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and the specific students are not fixed. To put it bluntly, whoever has time to attend the classes can go, and they also provide meals in the evening. However, when entering the Wudao Academy to study, you must write down your identity in the registration book and show your waist badge to verify the student's rank. So why don't we just choose the time when the afternoon class ends, secretly change into the Wudao Academy's Taoist uniforms, and then blend in with the students who are leaving get out of class and go to the dining room to eat... This way, we can avoid the step of identity verification and don't leave any clues."

"And then?" asked the storyteller.

"Second, when it gets dark, you will disguise yourself as a student from the Enlightenment Academy and boldly rush to Zhou Taozhi's courtyard. Under the pretext of challenging him to a game of Jubao chess, you will challenge him." Ren also looked at him. "Have Li Xiaopang assist you. Prepare more 'staking' for the game, such as magic weapons, star sources... This way, the margin of error will be higher. If you lose once, you can still have a chance to play. After trying this a few times, and once Li Xiaopang has mastered the rules, you can challenge him yourself... until you defeat him, cross the chessboard, and then use your secret technique to observe his spirit. Once everything is done, it is best if you can put Zhou Taozhi to a brief sleep, and then quickly leave with Li Xiaopang...!"

"Is it over?!" the storyteller asked in astonishment.

"Yes, it's over." Ren nodded heavily.

"What about you? If you don't tell me, are you going to personally deliver it to Zhou Taozhi?"

"Yes, haven't I used my wisdom to send you to Zhou Taozhi?" Ren Ye spread his hands and said, "Just do as I say. As long as nothing unexpected happens, you will definitely succeed!"

"If nothing unexpected happens, success is guaranteed?! How can that be called sensible?" The storyteller was speechless. "What if someone else comes to watch while we're challenging each other to a chess game? What if we actually beat Zhou Taozhi, and that old man gets excited and starts making a scene?!"

"If that's the case, then it will test your ability to adapt to changing circumstances." Ren Ye said innocently, "You've all grown up now. You can't rely on me for everything!"

"...!"

The good-tempered storyteller politely replied, "You're such a beast! We went to see Zhou Taozhi to help you uncover the truth! Are you testing our ability to adapt to changing circumstances...?!"

"Let me be frank. This time, you still don't intend to act with me, but only command from the sidelines?!"

He asked bluntly.

"Let me correct you. I'm not the one directing the game. I'm just responsible for the support."

"Where is the support?"

"I'll be supporting you from the well." Ren Ye replied cautiously, "You can see the outline of Tianzi No. 1 Courtyard from here."

"I'm going to beat you bastard to death!" The usually good-tempered storyteller rolled up his sleeves and was about to take action.

"Go, go, go!"

Ren Ye quickly raised his hand, frowning and saying, "You're quite old now, stop messing around. How about this? I won't say I was assisting from the well, and you won't accuse me of directing things from behind the scenes. Just follow the plan I just devised. You take Fatty Li and sneak into the Wudao Academy and wait for an opportunity to challenge Jubao Chess. I will also go into the Wudao Academy, but I will only be responsible for helping you two in secret. For example, if anyone wants to watch while you're challenging each other, I will find a way to divert them away. Is that okay?!"

After hearing this, the storyteller's expression softened slightly. "It's good that there's support outside the courtyard. Let's do as you say. However, there are a few details I'd like to add...!"

"You said."

"First, after the afternoon classes, we can stay in the dining room for a while. We don't need to rush to Zhou Taozhi's compound. Instead, we can secretly observe the students leaving and select a few ordinary-looking, introverted individuals who seem unsociable. We can then use disguise talismans to impersonate them. This way, there's a high probability that no acquaintances will come to watch the fun, and if we run into the teachers at the academy, we won't arouse their suspicion because of our unfamiliar appearance. Second, Fatty Li is from a prominent family. He certainly knows more about the Tianzi No. 1 Enlightenment Academy than you do. So... we should also listen to his advice and familiarize ourselves with the environment and basic conditions beforehand...!"

The storyteller looked careless, even unruly, but his brain was surprisingly useful. He only thought for a moment before he made Ren Ye's plan more complete.

Ren Ye was surprised after hearing this: "You are very professional."

"Oh, when I was committing crimes crazily, you were still in your mother's womb drinking mutton soup." The storyteller was very arrogant.

"There's something we need to discuss in advance. I don't want to meet Fatty Li, so after you discuss the plan with him, I will come again tomorrow afternoon and then follow you into the Wudao Academy. We must not let him know that the powerful and mysterious leader is involved in this matter throughout." Ren also reminded.

"I understand." The storyteller looked at Ren Ye and said simply, "If I help you dig out the truth from Zhou Taozhi, you will help me enter the False God's Tomb later."

"No problem, I'll definitely go in too." Ren nodded seriously: "That's it, it's getting late, I'll be leaving first."

"Wait a moment!"

The storyteller suddenly exclaimed, "The plan is set, but there's still one very important issue...that hasn't been resolved!"

"what?"

"If we pretend to be a Taoist seeker from the academy, we need to buy the same Taoist uniforms, disguise talismans, and prepare the money for the bet with Zhou Taozhi. These are all expenses..." The storyteller reminded, "Who will take care of this?"

"Of course it's you! I'm just a stray dog ​​living in a barnyard, how can I afford all this?" Ren replied confidently, "You figure out how to get these things, and the cost will be deducted from my eight million."

"Did a dog eat your brain?! I'm a fugitive, ancestor! If I go to the street to buy these things, what's the difference between that and turning myself in?" the storyteller retorted.

"...That makes sense." Ren Ye fell into deep thought, and then a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Coincidentally, after hesitating for a moment, the storyteller also revealed a very sinister and mysterious smile.

The two of them looked at each other, then pointed at each other and said, "You can enjoy this secret of his for the rest of your life..."

……

A quarter of an hour later, Ren also left the small dilapidated temple and secretly sensed the figure of a little fat man sneaking to the side of the dry well.

Not long after, the storyteller sat down beside the dry well and said to Fatty Li in a concise manner, "I won't hide it from you. I plan to continue committing crimes in the next two days...!"

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Fatty Li turned pale with fear, his legs trembling wildly. "Didn't we agree to go into the Illusionary God's Tomb together? Why?! Why did you have to commit a crime? The jailbreak was already a big deal, and yesterday there was a three-thief fight against a blind man, which alarmed the entire Illusionary Village! No... I don't understand why you had to choose this time to commit suicide?"

The storyteller also revealed a helpless expression: "This is not my intention, but the intention of that mysterious and powerful leader...!"

"Don't mention that bastard to me anymore! What does he have to do with me? I've never even seen him. Why should I listen to him?" Fat Li has been really angry lately. He dreams of being arrested by patrol officers almost every night, especially after the three thieves fought the blind man yesterday. He feels more and more that he has been involved in a bottomless conspiracy.