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Chapter 349: Alarming the Snake
"Fake accident scammers" have a quirk: they like to mutter to themselves incessantly.

Especially when it's all alone.

What they were speaking was, of course, "ghost language." To the average person, it would be a long string of strange noises that would make the hairs on their body flutter involuntarily.

But they didn't know the meaning behind it.

But anyone who runs in the mountains can understand it.

This con artist had been rambling on and on, which is how Gao Guanzi heard him.

Xu Yuan then asked Gao Guanzi, "How does it communicate with the Ghost Beard Tree?"

Gao Guanzi shook his head: "I didn't hear it. Although this thing is a chatterbox, it is also very cunning. It only mutters everything related to Ghost Beard Wood in its heart and doesn't say it out loud."

Xu Yuan stroked his chin and snorted coldly: If you're unwilling to tell me voluntarily, then I'll lure you into revealing yourself.

Xu Yuan whispered his plan to the two mountain runners.

Then he left alone, circled around, covered in mud, and quietly crept into the woods where the con artist was.

Lord Xu chose a good spot—a spot he had chosen long ago—so that he could clearly see the con artist, while the other party couldn't see him.

Gao Guanzi and Bai Laoyan estimated that the time was about right, so they began their performance.

Gao Guanzi took out the spider web.

This was given to him secretly by Lord Xu just now.

Old Bai spread his feathered cloak wide, darting about like a night owl.

No matter how agile or swift he was, Gao Guanzi could catch Bai Laoyan with a mere wave of his hand and a spider web would fly out.

Like a helpless butterfly, no matter how it flies, it can't escape the butterfly net.

The two mountain runners were performing with great enthusiasm.

After two or three times, Old Man Bai secretly groaned.

He's no longer acting.

Instead, they were truly fleeing with all their might.

But Deng Linyue's spider web was his natural enemy; no matter how he ran, he would be caught in one go.

"What a fine work of craftsmanship!" Old Bai exclaimed breathlessly, unable to help but admire it in his heart.

Gao Guanzi also realized this.

Aside from his unusual ears, Gao Guanzi and Bai Laoyan were equally skilled in combat.

Even the old man with white eyes has a slight advantage in speed.

Old Bai can't escape, and neither can Gao Guanzi.

Deng Linyue didn't struggle much before dying at the hands of Lord Xu.

For the two of them, Deng Linyue's craftsmanship was irresistible...

Old Bai, panting heavily, finally waved his hand after more than ten attempts: "That's enough."

If this continues, my old back can't take it anymore.

Thinking back, the first time he met Lord Xu, he had to disguise himself as a merchant and sneak into my village to seek refuge...

The old man sighed deeply.

Gao Guanzi continued his act, raising the spider web high and laughing loudly, his voice booming like thunder: "Good stuff! With this craftsman's tool in hand, catching that Ghost Beard Wood is a sure thing!"

The lines were all pre-arranged, and Old Man Bai continued, "Exactly! As long as it dares to come, it won't escape our grasp!"

The two mountain runners cleverly chose an upwind position to deliver their lines.

The person trying to stage an accident downwind heard everything clearly.

Of course, the previous "fighting scenes" between the two were seen very clearly.

The two were certainly far inferior to "Xiao Loufang" in skill, but for them, it was already their best effort.

Then they all crawled into the newly built shack.

"Is your method feasible, sir?" Gao Guanzi asked.

Old Bai didn't answer; he himself was unsure.

……

In Xu Yuan's plan, this move of "stirring up the enemy in the grass" would have one of the following outcomes:

Ideally, the con artist would be shocked upon seeing this and rush to inform Ghost Xumu, while the con artist would follow behind and successfully find Ghost Xumu.

Once he sees it, Oni-shuki won't be able to escape.

"Wangming" keeps a close eye on the other party, and the combination of Pidan and Jindan is more effective than a spider web. The worst-case scenario is that the con artist and Guixumu have a means of communication similar to "folding paper".

The con artist doesn't need to meet with Gui Xumu to tell the other party everything.

Ghost Beard will never come to this place again.

What's the difference between this result and the current one?

Another point is that there is no way for the con artist to contact Gui Xumu, and the con artist does not know Gui Xumu's whereabouts.

It just stays here. When Ghost Beard comes, it will first meet with the con artist, who will tell it that it is dangerous and to leave quickly.

Ghostwood immediately fled.

But as soon as Ghost Beard Wood appears, Xu Yuan can recognize it; it still can't escape.

So after the two mountain runners revealed their spider webs, Xu Yuan stared intently at the staged accident perpetrator.

If it makes any unusual movements, it may be sending a message to Guixumu.

But the scammer didn't make a sound for a long time!
That incessant muttering to myself also disappeared.

The guy was terrified.

After a while, it began to whisper uncontrollably.

The sound was fast and shrill, used to vent one's emotions.

On the trees closest to it, some twisted burls have grown.

It has already been infected, and it is about to change.

Xu Yuan couldn't understand its ghostly language, but he could sense the creature's panic.

The spider web can not only catch ghostwood, but it can also catch it every time.

The con artist rambled on for a while, then suddenly stopped.

It seems that a decision has been made.

After a while, it quietly pulled its roots out from under the ground.

It tightened its branches and leaves, trying not to make any noise.

It left the forest, and even carefully filled in the pit it had left behind.

Cover it with fallen leaves.

Xu Yuan, watching from the side, was also dumbfounded.

In this era, we've seen plenty of "sneaky" things, but a big tree acting so suspiciously is just too comical...

The con artist slipped away stealthily.

After traveling several miles, it disappeared into a ravine, completely escaping the sight of the two mountain runners. Suddenly, it relaxed completely and collapsed to the ground.

The incessant, ghostly chatter resumed.

It seems like he's complaining.

Then it relaxed a lot, crossed two mountain ridges, and went through a mountain stream.

Xu Yuan followed behind.

Suddenly, the con artist in front of them disappeared into a dense forest.

It buried its roots in the soil and disguised itself as one of them.

Xu Yuan stopped immediately, frowning inwardly: Had it discovered us?

But I've been very careful and haven't given myself away at all.

Xu Yuan hesitated whether to fight his way out and force the con artist to take him to find Ghost Beard Wood.

But after thinking about it, I decided to stay calm.

After waiting for a while, they suddenly heard a sound coming from outside the woods.

Xu Yuan listened intently and was surprised: It was the person who was talking to Qiu Ningtai!
"Qiu Ningtai has the scent of ghostwood on him." One of his subordinates was very certain: "Although it's very faint, it's probably because he's been in contact with it for too long, or it's been indirect contact."

"Hmph! This proves that Qiu Ningtai is also a hypocrite. He went into Ghost Witch Mountain because of Ghost Beard Wood."

"My lord, that Ghost Beard Tree should be hiding nearby. But for some reason, its scent is being interfered with, and I can't narrow down the search area further..."

The three of them had already reached the vicinity of the staged accident perpetrator.

The con artist, attempting to stage an accident, lashed out at the three of them with a tree branch...

(End of this chapter)