Chapter 162: Commence the Operation
Outside the Han Family estate, a large tree planted for landscaping slowly swayed its leaves in the breeze, and Zhou Ming’s ghostly figure appeared from behind the tree.
After advancing to the Ruler level and stealing the Ironthread Snake bloodline, his ability to conceal his aura had improved very noticeably.
Faced with the defenses of the Han Family estate, he could more or less come and go freely.
Of course, another main reason was that there were Professional Beast Tamers stationed within the Qinghui Base, and it was rare for Professional Beast Tamers to engage in slaughter within the base.
It was precisely this overly comfortable environment that caused the defenses of the Han Family estate to become somewhat lax.
Removing the mask and the baseball cap that had been wrapping his long hair, Zhou Ming immediately walked toward the distance.
Perhaps due to the influence of his bloodline, Zhou Ming had cut his long hair short, yet after a single day it had recovered as before.
Faced with such a situation, he had no choice but to casually tie his hair behind his head with a purple ribbon, several strands of dark hair hanging down between his brows.
Under the night sky, the Qinghui Base was a blaze of lights and colors. Ordinary people who had been busy all day were enjoying their rare free time.
After all, ordinary people still made up the vast majority. The alien races and Ferocious Beasts were far removed from them, and the life before their eyes was what they truly had to endure.
Women passing by on the street, upon seeing Zhou Ming’s face filled with a mysterious and wicked aura, did not know how many times they secretly glanced at him.
If not for the faint sense of cold indifference about him, perhaps beautiful women would have already stepped forward to strike up a conversation.
He ignored the burning gazes around him and quickly followed the street to find a hotel.
Inside the guest room, Zhou Ming was flipping through the intelligence provided by Han Yanshuo.
Some of the paper recording the intelligence had already yellowed, clearly having been around for quite some years, while some sheets were clean and white, indicating they had been placed in the archives recently.
In the silent guest room, the sound of pages occasionally turning rang out, and Zhou Ming gained a concrete understanding of Qi Kaiyuan’s situation.
“Qingyuan Python Phantasmal Beast?”
After finishing reading the intelligence on Qi Kaiyuan, Zhou Ming softly murmured the name of Qi Kaiyuan’s Beast Taming partner. He had not expected the other party’s Phantasmal Beast to be one that had transformed from a snake-type Ferocious Beast.
According to the intelligence provided by Han Yanshuo, the Qingyuan Python was a wood-attribute Phantasmal Beast. Its frontal combat capability was not strong, but its vitality was exceptionally powerful.
Back then, when Qi Kaiyuan had secretly plotted against a Han Family Professional Beast Tamer, he had relied precisely on its aura of vitality as bait to lure several high-tier Ferocious Beasts.
After the incident, because there was no concrete evidence, and because the Han Family Professional Beast Tamer had died at the hands of Ferocious Beasts, the Qi Family did not suffer suppression from the Alliance authorities.
Although everyone knew what the truth was, without evidence, the matter could not be pinned on the Qi Family.
After all, struggles between various factions could never be completely eliminated, and the Alliance could only keep the situation under control to a certain extent.
“I didn’t expect that Qi Kaiyuan used the Qingyuan Python to successfully plot against the Han Family back then, and now he will die because of the Qingyuan Python. Truly, karma comes full circle.”
After learning that Qi Kaiyuan’s Phantasmal Beast was a snake-type Phantasmal Beast, Zhou Ming decided to take the risk and assassinate him.
If it were merely about establishing a force, he might have given up cooperating with the Han Family, but since it involved the Sapphire Fish, it was worth the risk.
With the suppression of snake-type creatures provided by the Dark-gold Serpent Pupils, even if he could not kill Qi Kaiyuan, Zhou Ming still had confidence in protecting himself.
In order to ensure the success rate of assassinating Qi Kaiyuan, Zhou Ming immediately began adjusting his condition.
He consumed a Sapphire Fish, then took out a piece of Source Crystal and began to meditate.
The Source Crystal was a golden, semi-transparent crystalline substance. Under the guidance of Spiritual Power, the special energy within it entered Zhou Ming’s Spiritual Sea, working together with the Sapphire Fish to enhance his Spiritual Power.
An entire night quietly passed as Zhou Ming meditated.
Early the next morning, Zhou Ming checked out and left the Qinghui Base, preparing to head to Red Maple Ridge, located fifty kilometers west of the Qinghui Base.
There was the Qi Family’s largest medicinal garden, dedicated to cultivating various precious medicinal herbs. Back then, this medicinal garden had belonged to the Han Family.
Because Qi Shouyuan’s Beast Taming partner had mastered wood-attribute energy particles, he would come here every year to help the medicinal herbs grow rapidly.
That was why Han Yanshuo knew that Qi Shouyuan was not at the Qinghui Base.
Early spring arrived, and the scorching sun shone upon the land as the accumulated snow began to melt.
The roads outside the wilderness thus became muddy and difficult to traverse, but for Silver Scale, this did not affect its traveling speed at all.
As noon approached, the Red Maple Ridge stretching for several miles appeared in Zhou Ming’s field of vision.
The mountains were covered in red maple trees, still blanketed by white snow. Only a small number of red maple leaves were visible, adorning the final snowy scenery.
After arriving at Red Maple Ridge, Zhou Ming did not act immediately.
As the largest medicinal garden in the Qi Family’s hands, the alert level here was exceptionally strict, and it was even equipped with firepower capable of threatening high-tier Ferocious Beasts.
If Qi Kaiyuan were not present, Zhou Ming still had some confidence in forcing his way in, but with Qi Kaiyuan added to the equation, it would be tantamount to seeking death.
Planning to wait until nightfall, Zhou Ming recalled Silver Scale into his Beast Taming Space and took out the map of Red Maple Ridge from the intelligence.
This map not only depicted the detailed geography of Red Maple Ridge, but also recorded a secret passage leading into the medicinal garden.
This had been an escape route secretly prepared by the Han Family back then, to avoid encountering beast tides in the medicinal garden.
Before losing the medicinal garden, the Han Family had hidden this secret passage so that they might one day have the opportunity to reclaim it.
It could be said that in order to rise again, the Han Family had secretly laid down countless measures.
However, just as Zhou Ming was examining the map in his hands, a giant python more than ten meters long appeared at the foot of Red Maple Ridge.
Its entire body was covered in scales that looked as if they had been carved from green jade, giving off a feeling of boundless vitality.
The giant python before him was precisely Qi Kaiyuan’s Qingyuan Python Phantasmal Beast.
At this moment, Qi Kaiyuan stood atop the giant python. His wrinkled face was gloomy as water, and he was rushing toward the Qinghui Base at the fastest speed.
“Qi Kaiyuan.”
Under a large tree in a distant mountain hollow, Zhou Ming, who was flipping through the map, sensed the aura emitted by the Qingyuan Python and immediately raised his head to look toward Red Maple Ridge.
Seeing the massive green python and the figure standing atop it, Zhou Ming felt that perhaps he did not need to go through the trouble of infiltrating the medicinal garden at Red Maple Ridge.
“Could it be that the Qi Family has already confirmed that Qi Shouwu is dead?”
The aura emitted by the Qingyuan Python was extremely violent, clearly influenced by its master’s emotions.
Thinking of the Qi Family convoy he had encountered when entering the Qinghui Base yesterday, Zhou Ming immediately deduced the reason Qi Kaiyuan was rushing back to the Qinghui Base in such a hurry.
“I didn’t expect that Qi Shouwu’s impulsive action would end up letting me stir up the feud between the Qi and Han Families.”
Zhou Ming sighed, then put away the map in his hand.
Within the Beast Taming Space, the Ironthread Snake swarm directly fused into Zhou Ming’s body, and his Serpentfolk form immediately appeared.
Because Zhou Ming could restrain his aura, the distant Qi Kaiyuan did not detect anything at all.
In the next instant, Zhou Ming plunged straight into the snow, his body moving through it like a python.
When he reached the inevitable path Qi Kaiyuan would pass through, he used a snake’s hibernation-like feigned death ability to hide himself as a lifeless dead snake, preparing to deliver a fatal strike the moment the other party passed by.