Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 115: Chapter 97: Mountain Ghost’s Patrol, Learning the Secret

The atmosphere was eerie.

The underground stone room was dark and claustrophobic.

It was hard not to let one’s imagination run wild with terrifying thoughts.

Especially in the dim yellow light of the flashlight, the Mountain Ghost’s blurry eyes seemed to be truly alive, shifting their gaze.

Amidst the strangeness, Wan Ze spoke.

Miss Ling seemed to be startled awake. She let go of him as if shocked, her ears turning bright red. She took half a step back, her face still etched with fear. But when she saw the Mountain Ghost’s eyes, she subconsciously reached for the corner of Wan Ze’s shirt again, only to stop halfway...

Because the ever-oblivious Wan Ze had dodged away.

He seemed completely unaware.

He pointed at the wall and asked, ”This painting, have you seen it before? Or rather... did your grandfather ever mention its origin to you before he passed away?”

”No... As far as I remember, this painting... wasn’t in the basement before. At least, I didn’t notice it the first time I came down to sort through my grandfather’s belongings... Or maybe it was blocked by something else back then?” Miss Ling sounded confused, as if there was a problem with her memory itself.

The tone of her last words was slightly off, and a subtle change occurred in her aura—something an ordinary person would never notice.

”Wan Ze... I’m so cold. Can you... hold me? Just hold me for a little longer?”

But...

Without any warning, Wan Ze took another step back. The moment her aura completely shifted, his eyes grew cold. ”Speak. Who are you, really?”

The Miss Ling before him didn’t answer right away.

Instead, she paused for a moment.

It was as if her little act had been exposed, and she found it rather dull.

She slowly turned around.

From under her wide-brimmed hat, she elegantly pinched her sunglasses between two fingers and slowly took them off.

Her mask was also gently pulled down.

What was revealed was still Miss Ling’s beautiful face.

However, the fear and helplessness that had filled her face moments ago were now gone, replaced by...

It was an expression Wan Ze had never seen on Miss Ling’s face before.

A playful, teasing look danced in her eyes, completely undisguised.

Beautiful, and bewitching!

”Not bad, kiddo. Very observant.” The woman spoke. Her voice was still Miss Ling’s, but the tone had changed.

It was as if the body was the same, but the soul had been possessed by someone else.

This languor, this nonchalance.

She was a completely different person from the usual gentle, slightly timid Miss Ling!

”Tsk, and here I was, hoping to enjoy a bit more tenderness with you. A shame you’re so dense, kiddo.”

She deliberately emphasized the word ”tenderness,” her eyes filled with provocation.

Wan Ze frowned.

’Miss Ling?’

’It was her, but it absolutely wasn’t!’

The Perception was strange.

Wan Ze stared intently at her, a look of understanding dawning on his face. He spoke in a low voice,

”So the Rain Bell’s illusions, and all those recurring nightmares... you were behind it all, weren’t you? Guiding her, exploiting her fear of the unknown, using psychological suggestion to create them?”

”Your goal was to trick her into bringing you back to this basement to see this painting. The secret hidden within it, or the painting itself, is what you’re really after. Right?”

”You’re even smarter than I imagined, and quick on the uptake. No wonder she was more inclined to seek your help in her heart...” The woman’s tone was calm. Her gaze shifted back to the Mountain Ghost Patrol Hunting Painting, her expression growing complex.

There was nostalgia in her eyes, but also a fervent passion.

This emotion made Wan Ze’s mind race with possibilities.

It was then that he heard the woman muttering to herself.

”This painting... I really do have to get my hands on it.”

A thought struck Wan Ze, and he tried to pry for more information. ”Have to get it? Why?”

The woman seemed lost in her own thoughts, muttering under her breath. She ignored Wan Ze’s curiosity, speaking more to herself as her expression soured. ”Unfortunately, the current ’me’ can’t fully decipher it... Damn it, where did he hide the key in this painting?”

”Key? What key?” Wan Ze pressed.

The woman didn’t answer directly. She stared at the painting for a moment before glancing at him, as if feeling generous. ”Ever heard of the six secrets of the human body?”

Wan Ze remained silent.

”Mud Ball, Jiang Palace, Yellow Court, Yongquan, Jade Capital, Bright Hall... Fine, looks like you know.” The woman shot him an annoyed look, thinking him a little punk, but continued for Miss Ling’s sake. ”Then you should also know that without the corresponding key, these secret caches will forever remain legends, impossible to truly open. And the path of a Qi Refiner begins with mastering the Cultivation Method for at least one of these secrets!”

Wan Ze was inwardly stunned, but his face showed nothing.

’A Qi Refiner?’

’That title carries a lot of weight!’

The woman pointed to the painting, her fingertip almost touching the bewitching eyes of the Mountain Ghost. ”This painting is a key. A key that might point to the Cultivation Method for the Mud Ball secret. Only with this key is it possible to find and open the path... the grand road to truly becoming a Qi Refiner!”

Wan Ze frowned.

’Another... crazy one?’

But he couldn’t help but look at the painting again.

This time, he vaguely sensed that the Mountain Ghost’s gaze was not random, but condensed with an indescribable spiritual charm, as if it were trying to convey something.

”The painting is a key? Are you sure?”

The woman shrugged. ”I don’t know. That’s just what someone told me.”

”...”

「Just then.」

”TAP... TAP... TAP... SCRAPE...”

An extremely faint, unusual sound echoed from nearby.

The sound was dense and rapid—not one person, but several, deliberately trying to muffle their footsteps as they drew closer.

”Tsk, annoying flies. They’ve got sharp noses.” The woman pursed her lips, her tone impatient, but her eyes held no surprise. Instead, there was a calm acceptance, as if she had been expecting them.

Wan Ze frowned.

The next second, a dark shadow flickered at the corner of the stone steps.

The woman’s eyes turned icy in an instant. She moved the very moment the shadow appeared, so fast that even Wan Ze was taken aback.

With a single swipe of her hand under the hem of her gray trench coat, an exquisitely crafted pistol appeared in her hand.

She drew the gun, chambered a round, turned sideways, and lowered her center of gravity.

”BANG! BANG! BANG!”

The woman didn’t hesitate, decisively pulling the trigger.

A muffled groan immediately came from the shadowy corner, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground.

Without the slightest pause, the woman adjusted her wrist and fired two more shots—BANG! BANG!—up the stone steps.

Her marksmanship was fast, accurate, ruthless, and decisive.

After quickly dealing with the first wave of probing enemies, the woman didn’t even glance at the results, rushing swiftly toward the Mountain Ghost Patrol Hunting Painting.

She seemed extremely familiar with the painting. Her fingers quickly fumbled and pressed a few spots on the ends of the scroll and the wall, then she forcefully pushed the side of the frame.

With a soft CLICK, she detached the entire frame, painting and all, from the wall.

’So there was an intricate latch mechanism behind it!’

Wan Ze was amazed. It would be a waste if this woman didn’t become a legendary master thief.

In the blink of an eye, the woman had rapidly rolled up the scroll and stuffed it into a special waterproof pocket inside her trench coat.

Only after doing all this did she glance quickly at Wan Ze, her expression complex. She lowered her voice and asked with a frown, ”Just now... about the key, how much did you see? How much do you remember?”

Wan Ze met her gaze and also lowered his voice. ”I saw it, and I heard it. But it’s all a bit too fantastical. Why don’t you... tell me more about it?”

”Dream on.” The woman actually let out a soft chuckle, still in the mood to tease him. ”But... if you call me ’big sister’ and make me happy, maybe... maybe next time I’m in a good mood, I’ll tell you a little more?”

”Big sister.”

”...”

The woman didn’t seem to expect Wan Ze to be so shameless. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

「Just then.」 A clearer set of footsteps sounded from the top of the stairs. This time, they didn’t seem to be deliberately hiding their presence, and their pace was quickening.

The woman’s eyes sharpened. She had originally intended to shoot her way out.

But just as she adopted her stance, her body suddenly staggered without warning.

The woman steadied herself with one hand against the nearby stone wall, her face instantly turning pale.

”What’s wrong?” Wan Ze asked.

”Damn it... time’s up...” The woman’s expression was grim. Her voice was extremely low and her words came out in a rush, clearly full of reluctance. ”Listen, there’s no time to explain. That poor little thing who doesn’t know anything is about to come back! This painting, and everything I just said—don’t tell her for now. Knowing too much will only harm her. It will only make her more afraid!”

The footsteps from above were now right on top of them, almost at the last few steps outside the stone room’s entrance.

”My time... is almost up...” The ”Miss Ling” with the second personality forced herself to take a deep breath. The sharp, bewitching light in her eyes was fading fast, but she seemed to be using her last ounce of control to maintain a sliver of consciousness. She looked at Wan Ze, her tone almost one of entrustment.

”Protect her... Don’t let those people outside... take her... or this painting...”

Her voice grew weaker and her breathing became ragged.

”I’ll... owe you one...”

She stared at Wan Ze.

”Alright, but...” Wan Ze’s brow furrowed, and he asked just as quickly, ”Who are these people outside?”

The second personality ”Miss Ling” had a complicated expression. The original personality’s consciousness was returning, and a wave of pain was washing over her.

Her speech grew even faster, her voice starting to waver and overlap. ”Next time we meet... I’ll... tell... you!”

Before her words had even faded, the last spark of that unusual light in her eyes suddenly extinguished.

Her entire body swayed slightly, as if some sort of supporting frame had been pulled out from within her.

Immediately, the initial fear reappeared on her face.

She had completely forgotten about deftly shooting someone moments ago, forgotten her conversation with Wan Ze, and only instinctively felt the cold, foreign object in her hand.

Miss Ling’s eyes widened in terror. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and she instinctively shrank behind Wan Ze.

Only then did she belatedly realize.

At some point, she had found herself tightly gripping a silver pistol?!

’A gun?’

’Why do I have a gun in my hand?!’

’Oh my god!’

Confusion and terror washed over her, making her want to scream.

Before she could make sense of the terrifying chaos...

”BOOM!”

The shadows at the entrance to the stone steps suddenly exploded outward.

An unusually tall and burly figure, built like a savage bull and radiating a ferocious Momentum, smashed through the last of the obstacles and charged into the stone room.

In the dim light, one could only make out that he was holding some kind of menacing sharp weapon in a reverse grip.

”Stand behind me.”

Wan Ze’s calm voice rang out.

Then, he took a step past the bewildered Miss Ling.