Chapter Thirty-Two: Outsmarting the Crimson Parrot Blossom

"The team you were part of has been disbanded, and you have exited the group." The notification from the intelligent system left Zhang He momentarily stunned, and he sighed inwardly. It was likely that Da Niu and the other two had met a grim fate.

Though he hadn't anticipated such an outcome, he'd sensed trouble brewing for some time. Just half an hour earlier, Second Sister had snatched the blue bundle; Play-in-the-Water Dream unleashed a hidden weapon and instantly killed Second Sister. Concealed beneath the dark rock, Zhang He found the situation odd.

Jun Ruojian's technical posts had once meticulously analyzed the martial arts of various sects. For Tang Sect disciples who had undergone a fourth transformation or higher, there were two formidable skills: one was the "Soul-Chasing Devil Sand," precisely the poisonous sand Play-in-the-Water Dream used against Da Niu, though it couldn't compare to the sect leader's "Five Poison Divine Sand." The second skill, which Play-in-the-Water Dream used next, was the "Tang Sect Throwing Arrow," a secret weapon wielded by elders who had undergone a fifth transformation. Crafted from iron and bamboo, the arrow was tipped with iron, shafted with bamboo, feathered at the end, rounded and sharpened, resembling a bamboo chopstick but with a pointed tip, soaked in various potent toxins.

The true menace of the "Tang Sect Throwing Arrow" lay not in its attack power, which was modest, but in its speed. Its lethality came from the poison at its tip, so Second Sister died instantly upon being struck. The weapon's effective range exceeded fifty meters, and the distance then was thirty meters. Play-in-the-Water Dream could have launched a second volley—yet he didn't. Why? Was he willing to let the Blood Parrot Flower be snatched away?

At that moment, Zhang He looked up again and was startled to see the faint trace of a triumphant smile on Play-in-the-Water Dream's lips within the net. He realized there must be trickery involved.

When Play-in-the-Water Dream returned to the bridge, his expression became contemplative; as he walked toward Tang Fortress, he cast a subtle glance beneath the bridge. Zhang He tensed—he couldn't possibly have been exposed, but the arrow boat might have been.

Zhang He's judgment was correct. Play-in-the-Water Dream had indeed sensed something unusual beneath the bridge, but his priority was to deliver the genuine Blood Parrot Flower to the Tang Sect's pill room, then return to investigate. He never imagined that by the time he came back to check, Zhang He would have shed his night attire and turban, circled around, come ashore, and brazenly entered Tang Fortress.

A level-33, white-board enemy daring to stride alone into Tang Fortress—such a feat was unprecedented in the Tang Sect's history in "Dynasty."

Truth be told, it would be a lie to claim Zhang He wasn't nervous. At the ancestral statue in the central courtyard of Tang Fortress, rainbow streaks constantly descended from the sky. The Tang Sect players seemed flustered, flying back and then hurriedly rushing out, evidently chasing after Da Niu and his companions.

Dressed in Tang Sect disciple garb, Zhang He blended into the chaotic crowd, and no one paid him any mind. Yet Tang Fortress was vast, and though the pill room was well-known, its exact location escaped him; he was like an ant on a hot pan, knowing his disguise wouldn't last long—prolonged exposure would surely betray him.

He never underestimated his enemies' intelligence.

Just then, he saw Play-in-the-Water Dream leading a group of Tang Sect players hurriedly toward the main entrance from the northwest. Zhang He found his bearings, feigning to mingle with the crowd toward the gate. Once Play-in-the-Water Dream and his group exited, Zhang He doubled back deeper into the northwest.

The pill room's entrance bore the Tang Sect's architectural hallmark: a stone-carved sculpture of an Eight Trigram alchemy furnace atop the central altar. This was unmistakably the pill room.

As Zhang He pushed open the pill room door with a creak, a delicate voice scolded from behind, "Who are you? Stop right there."

Startled, Zhang He slowly turned to see two young women, Tang Sect disciples, with clear, refined features. Judging by the insignia on their arms, they were first transformation disciples from the Hundred Refinement Altar, specializing in poison and pill research.

"Who are you? Why have I never seen you before?" one of the women asked, suspicion in her gaze.

Zhang He was burning with anxiety, yet dared not reveal any abnormality. Inspiration struck, and he cupped his hands. "Senior sisters, I am a new Tang Sect disciple. Elder Play asked me to deliver a pill sample to the pill room."

"What kind of pill would require an ordinary disciple to deliver? Don't you know our Tang Sect's rules? Non-Hundred Refinement disciples are forbidden from entering the pill room," she replied.

"I'm sorry, I’m new and unfamiliar with the rules. Please forgive me," Zhang He explained calmly. "Just now, someone tried to snatch the Blood Parrot Flower on Pine Bridge. Elder Play personally led a pursuit. He told me to bring back this pill sample, saying that combining it with the Blood Parrot Flower could refine a new innate pill."

As he spoke, Zhang He handed over a large, jet-black pill—a risky gamble indeed.

First, the story of the attempted robbery and pursuit was true; he’d witnessed it firsthand, thus lowering the women's suspicions.

Second, in sect mode, all members' names, titles, levels, and roles appeared in each other's view. Hearing the earlier "Why have I never seen you before?" Zhang He realized they hadn’t enabled sect mode yet—being in Tang Sect’s headquarters, none expected impersonators. Still, he couldn’t trust they’d never turn it on, so he handed over the pill to distract them.

The pill itself was a marvel: a recent concoction named "Just for Fun."

"Just for Fun: Restores 15 points of constitution per second, lasts 90 seconds."

The two disciples were indeed attracted by the pill. "Heh, the effect is good, but what a strange name. Our Tang Sect’s pills and skills all have distinct sect names. Why would an elder choose such a name?"

Zhang He improvised, explaining unhurriedly, "Elder Play instructed that this pill, combined with the Blood Parrot Flower, can yield eighteen new pills. They can add innate attributes, restoring 30 constitution points per second anywhere, anytime. Each of our top ten elders gets one; the rest go to protectors or hall masters. Imagine how much ordinary medicine and bundle weight this saves in battle—facing the enemy, it's like playing a trick on them."

Though he was spinning tales, the two disciples believed him, smiling brightly.

Zhang He's story wasn’t entirely baseless—he was an alchemist himself, well-versed in the art. High-grade pill ingredients, properly blended by a skilled alchemist, could indeed yield multiple attributes, with effects greater than the sum of their parts.

The Hundred Refinement disciples weren’t fools, but as first transformation disciples, their alchemy knowledge was limited. Not everyone could study Jun Ruojian’s works as painstakingly as Zhang He.

"Heh, little junior brother, what's your name?" the leading disciple returned the pill, smiling warmly.

Zhang He’s in-game appearance was intentionally made a bit unattractive, but his features remained distinct and proper, which seemed to please her. "I am Yan Shiyu, and this is Senior Sister Hua Xiangrong..."

Before Yan Shiyu finished, Hua Xiangrong suddenly cried out sternly, "Wait, you're not actually a Tang Sect member..."

She hadn’t finished when Zhang He flung a handful of copper coins. At such close range, Hua Xiangrong was utterly unprepared; her chest was struck by five coins.

Zhang He’s recent hard work had paid off: his master-level "Coin Dart" could throw five at once. Hua Xiangrong was gravely wounded, collapsing on the spot—each coin dealt "-48" damage, totaling 240 points, indicating her defense was around 60.

Yan Shiyu had not expected this. In shock, she froze; the Tang Sect was famous for hidden weapons, and the attacker’s skill was no less impressive—he’d felled her senior sister in an instant, using mere coins. Terrified, she let out a piercing cry unique to women, a call for help that would be heard within three miles: "Help! Thief! There’s a thief in the pill room! Everyone, come quickly!"

As she screamed, Zhang He had no time to think. He rushed headlong into the pill room—this was his last chance.

Zhang He, after countless bouts of bad luck, finally caught a break: upon bursting in, he spotted the Blood Parrot Flower.

At the center of the altar, a pill furnace blazed, surrounded by all manner of bottles, utensils, and materials. In the middle of the platform, a glass jar held the Blood Parrot Flower, blooming like a mutated red rose—its shape wild and fierce, exuding a mysterious, sinister allure.

If this wasn’t the Blood Parrot Flower, what else could it be?

It seemed Play-in-the-Water Dream hadn’t had time to prepare other materials, so it sat here, never expecting such audacious thieves would dare to steal it.

This was no longer a covert theft, but a blatant robbery.

Zhang He attempted to stuff the jar into his bundle, but it wouldn’t fit—the task timer for the Blood Parrot Flower hadn’t expired. Taking a deep breath, he swiftly wrapped the jar in cloth and tucked it inside his chest garment, then drew his sword and dashed out of the pill room.

He had calculated: within five minutes, Play-in-the-Water Dream would return. He must escape Tang Fortress within five minutes, or die.

Rushing out, he found Yan Shiyu had released a cloud of poison smoke, shrouding the pill room entrance in a faint blue haze, tinged purple in the night.

Zhang He held his breath, chewed two "Just for Fun" pills for immunity. The Tang Sect’s poison smoke was formidable—even from a first transformation disciple, his constitution dropped by ten points per second. Luckily, he had invested heavily in "Just for Fun" back in Return Horse Town; otherwise, he’d be the one being toyed with by a delicate girl.

In Yan Shiyu’s view, the intruder’s head was surrounded by strings of purple damage numbers. Yet instead of falling or retreating, he charged with sword raised.

She tried to dodge, but escape was impossible. Zhang He, prepared in advance, hurled another handful of coins without hesitation.

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