In Sen Luo's view, Zhang Wei's ability to follow him might have been based on the ghost tide, but to keep pace all the way into the Dragon Locking Well was definitely not a matter of judgment. The Dragon Locking Well was a maze, and how could Zhang Wei keep up without an inside contact?
For a time, Sen Luo scanned the high-ranking officials of the Sen Luo Division present, trying to figure out who the informant was. His gaze first fell on Old Willow Grandpa.
Then, he looked at the Soul Summoning Banner in his hand and then at Old Willow Grandpa: "I didn't expect you to resist the brainwashing of the Soul Summoning Banner."
"Hmm? What do you mean? Do you think I'm a mole?" Old Willow Grandpa frowned, displaying a look of suspicion.
In response, Sen Luo stared deeply at Old Willow Grandpa, finally sweeping his gaze over him. "I do suspect you, but if it's not you... I can't think of anyone else who could be the mole."
Despite suspecting Old Willow Grandpa, Sen Luo quickly dismissed the thought, solely because of the Soul Summoning Banner in his hand.
[Ding! Sen Luo... it shouldn't be Old Willow Grandpa. He was brainwashed by the Soul Summoning Banner. With his abilities, he couldn't possibly resist it. Unless the Tailor, Fatty, and Glasses didn't use the Soul Summoning Banner at the time, but how is that possible? Unless the Tailor and the other two are moles, but how is that possible?]
[Host gains System Points +2000]
Thinking this, Sen Luo scanned the Tailor, Fatty, and Glasses, shaking his head inwardly.
As for Glasses, his loyalty was evident. Besides himself, Glasses had contributed the most to the Sen Luo Division, even going so far as to find and cultivate talent for them.
The Tailor also had a low probability of being the mole, as she still needed to save her mother.
As for Fatty, he *could* be the mole. However, Sen Luo had sent the Tailor and Glasses with him. If Fatty were the mole and hadn't brainwashed Old Willow Grandpa, the Tailor and Glasses couldn't possibly have missed it.
Either Old Willow Grandpa wasn't the mole, or if he was, then at least two of the Tailor, Glasses, and Fatty must also be moles for Old Willow Grandpa to have had a chance to resist brainwashing. This seemed impossible.
Thinking about this, Sen Luo's brows twitched. Two moles among the Tailor, Glasses, and Fatty? Plus Old Willow Grandpa, that would mean three moles among the high-ranking officials of the Sen Luo Division? Was that possible? No, it wasn't.
So, if Old Willow Grandpa wasn't the mole, and the Tailor and the other two weren't either, then who could it be? Sen Luo looked towards the Insects and the others.
Unfortunately, he didn't have time to think too much. This wasn't the time for contemplation. Zhang Wei was also here, and it was possible he had informed the Wei Dao Division about the Dragon Locking Well. If the Wei Dao Division also came, obtaining the treasures within the Dragon Locking Well would become even more difficult.
Instantly, Sen Luo stopped thinking about who the mole might be. He scanned everyone and chose the person least likely to be a mole. This was because, rather than choosing who the mole was, it was better to choose the one who was definitely not a mole to follow Zhang Wei first, thus being the least afraid of Zhang Wei's trickery.
"Gardener, you and Zhang Wei go across the Black Water Pool first." Sen Luo's gaze fell on the Gardener.
[Ding! Sen Luo... can only choose Gardener. Perhaps the Tailor, or even Yin Yang, could be moles, but Gardener is the least likely. She only cares about one classmate.]
[Host gains System Points +2000]
"Alright." The Gardener nodded slightly and walked towards Zhang Wei.
At this moment, neither Sen Luo nor Glasses noticed, nor could they have noticed, that as the Gardener reached the front and turned her back to Sen Luo and the others, she winked at Zhang Wei.
Inwardly, Zhang Wei smiled. It seemed Sen Luo believed the Gardener couldn't possibly be a mole. What a pity, Sen Luo, the Gardener is not just a mole, she's also my godmother.
Following this, with Zhang Wei's assistance, he sent the Gardener to the other side, and then one by one, he sent the people from the Sen Luo Division across. He had no intention of abandoning the Sen Luo Division members. Firstly, most of them were his own people. Secondly, he still needed Sen Luo's senses to help him locate the items in the Dragon Locking Well.
Before long, as each person was sent across, only the Insects, the Paper Man, Old Willow Grandpa, and the Embroidered Shoes remained to be transported.
"Next, send me across," Sen Luo said to Zhang Wei, who was walking back.
Zhang Wei's expression remained calm, not surprised by Sen Luo's decision. The latter would not stay behind; he would naturally send his most trusted high-ranking officials across first to secure his advantage.
"Okay." Zhang Wei did not refuse. On the contrary, he was somewhat eager to interact with Sen Luo.
Without hesitation, Zhang Wei looked at the system panel before him, his gaze falling on the [Items] tab, a one-time skill called 'Sniff Out Strength'. This was a one-time ability he had obtained when he was in the "Stolen Country" (偷国), allowing him to perceive past memories of people and things by sniffing them. Now, escorting Sen Luo across the Black Water Pool was his best opportunity to get close to Sen Luo.
Without hesitation, as Zhang Wei was bringing Sen Luo across the Black Water Pool...
[Ding! Using one-time ability - Sniff Out Strength]
A surge of information flooded into his mind, like a tide. The surface of the water held a visual memory, a memory of Sen Luo. The memory displayed in Zhang Wei's mind was very ancient. The buildings within were not modern, but all ancient brick and tile structures, resembling the streets of Chang'an City from historical dramas.
People were coming and going on the street. Amidst this bustling crowd, a person clad in a tattered overcoat walked along the street. His peculiar appearance attracted the attention of many passersby. Judging by his build, the person should be a man, wearing a burlap overcoat, possibly stolen, stained with dust. His attire was so ragged that calling him a beggar wouldn't be an exaggeration. However, his face was adorned with an ancient, antique-looking bronze mask.
He walked unsteadily, seemingly lost and confused as to why he was there, clutching his head in a dazed state, causing many passersby to whisper. This was especially true when he stumbled and collided with an oncoming horse-drawn carriage.
Whoa!!
Facing the colliding masked man, the horse neighed and reared up. In a reflex action, the horse kicked out with its front legs towards him.
With a thud, the masked man's chest was kicked several meters away, crashing into a nearby vendor's stall. The chaos startled the onlookers, who cried out in alarm.
"Someone's dead."
"My God, did that person want to die?"
"He's going to die, someone's dead!"
The passersby looked at the masked man. Even the carriage driver rushed out to check on the masked man's condition, certain that the masked man was in dire straits, either dead or severely injured from being kicked so far.
To everyone's surprise, the masked man stood up. He seemed unharmed, clutching his head and standing up in a dazed state, no different from before.
Seeing this, the onlookers were all astonished, looking at the masked man as if they had seen a ghost. However, before they could marvel at the masked man's physical resilience, as he stood up, the bronze mask on his face, due to the violent impact, fell off with a clang.
At that moment, everyone saw the masked man's face hidden beneath the mask, and their faces instantly contorted with unprecedented terror.
"A ghost!"
"Ah!! There's a ghost!!"
"His head, his head..."
...
(PS: Friends visited yesterday, so the update was late. There will be 4 updates tomorrow to make up for it.)