I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping Chapter 2357 - 1495: The Woman on the Roof (2)

Furthermore...

"Do you believe it's solely external forces causing trouble? Throughout history, betrayal from within has been a recurring theme. If the temptation is great enough, the resources spent enticing a foreigner could easily turn several of our own people against us."

Despite the impropriety, Jiang Chen found himself suppressing a chuckle.

"Mind your words."

"I am merely stating observable facts."

Cao Jinse responded with composure, "Every nation faces the same reality; some individuals dedicate their lives to progress and shoulder burdens, while others scheme and strive to impede them."

Jiang Chen offered a silent smile, continuing his meal.

Princess Cao was never one for unthinking patriotism.

Her perspective was remarkably clear-sighted.

As the ancient adage suggests, understanding both oneself and the adversary guarantees victory.

More importantly, self-awareness precedes comprehending the enemy.

"Since eradicating such elements entirely is impossible, let's consider an alternative approach," Jiang Chen stated, swallowing a mouthful of food.

"An alternative approach?"

Cao Jinse turned her gaze towards him.

"It's highly probable that other nations are also deploying spies. Our civilization has honed strategic and military arts for millennia; we shouldn't be outmatched in this domain. If surveillance here is proving difficult, perhaps initiating investigations from external sources might yield much smoother results."

A subtle silence followed, after which Cao Jinse inquired with intrigue, "Can you assist with this?"

Jiang Chen's chopsticks continued their rhythmic movement, as if the request were trivial. "While I cannot offer substantial aid, I am capable of contributing my humble efforts."

————

His hunger sated, Jiang Chen departed Apang Palace alongside Princess Cao.

"You haven't been getting much rest lately, have you?"

She couldn't help but be impressed by his seemingly boundless energy.

"I'm paying a visit to our Bodhisattva Guanyin."

Night after night, the events of the previous night felt like mere moments ago. Jiang Chen let out a deep breath. "Shall we go together?"

The debt of a life saved demanded reciprocation.

Upon mentioning the endeavor to locate Lan Peizhi, Cao Jinse simply shook her head, stating, "What purpose would I serve by going?"

Jiang Chen expressed surprise. "Truly? You're still harboring resentment?"

"Heh."

Cao Jinse offered a smile devoid of warmth before turning away, gesturing dismissively without a backward glance.

Women.

Truly enigmatic beings.

At times, they embody steadfast support, akin to a trusted minister; at others, they exhibit the petulance of a child.

Watching Princess Cao enter her vehicle, Jiang Chen made his way towards the parking area.

Following the Green Wing Bat King's predicament, the White Eyebrow Eagle King and the Golden Lion King had also managed to escape imminent peril.

However, their freedom came at the cost of severe injuries. Fortunately, their physical resilience far surpassed that of ordinary individuals...

This comparison is ultimately futile.

Had they been common folk, they would have succumbed to their wounds long before reaching any surgical ward.

Injuries affecting bone and muscle typically require a hundred days for recovery. Conservatively estimating, these three would be hospitalized for several months and might find themselves unable to engage in strenuous activities for an extended period afterward.

But there was no cause for concern.

Their mission was accomplished, and upon their release, they could return to Korea to live lives of leisure and luxury.

Surviving and escaping their ordeal meant a substantial reward.

Boss Jiang never deviated from his word.

This time, he was fully committed.

After all, another fall might prove too much for his constitution to bear.

Parking his car, Jiang Chen opted to enter through the main entrance.

It was approximately half-past eight, not excessively late; the housekeeper of the residence had not yet retired for the night.

Naturally.

The last time Boss Jiang scaled the wall, he claimed no one answered his knocking—the actual truth remained known only to him.

Upon the door opening, no words were exchanged; Jiang Chen simply offered a slight smile.

The middle-aged woman, appearing unremarkable, did not escort him but instead gestured for Boss Jiang to proceed as he pleased once inside.

It made no difference.

Setting aside any pretense of unfamiliarity, someone who had visited multiple times recently could hardly get lost.

"Youth knows not sorrow's sting, delights in climbing towers high. Delights in climbing towers high, feigning grief to pen new verses. Now knowing sorrow's taste so full, hesitates to speak its name aloud. Hesitates to speak it, yet utters how cool and crisp an autumn day..."

The approach had shifted.

He had taken to reciting poetry.

And fittingly so, one might add.

Without one noticing, the sweltering summer had quietly slipped away, replaced by a gentle evening breeze.

Alas, the song was profound, yet the audience sparse; true confidants are a rare find.

Jiang Chen proceeded with his stride, singing aloud, yet receiving no reply.

A light glow emanated from within the room.

Indicating that someone should indeed be present.

Jiang Chen entered the main hall, the same place where he had previously been forced to drink foot bath water, yet he found no one present.

If no one were here, the woman on guard would have certainly alerted him. So, where had everyone disappeared to?

Consequently, Jiang Chen commenced a thorough search, leaving no stone unturned, not even the side rooms were overlooked.

Naturally,

He made sure to knock before entering any room.

Then, he spotted the familiar wooden sword, hanging on the wall, untouched by dust, but still, Guanyin was nowhere to be found.

He proceeded to the backyard, but it too was deserted.

Jiang Chen ultimately returned to the main hall within the courtyard.

His gaze swept across the surroundings.

The night was profoundly tranquil, like still water.

"Slap!"

Mosquitoes were still present.

Reaching into his pocket, Jiang Chen prepared to deploy some modern technology. However, before he could retrieve his phone, a voice suddenly echoed.

"Are you looking for me?"

The voice originated from above!

Could it be true? The legendary abilities of flight and vanishing into thin air?!

After a pact made centuries ago, some wield swords, others sprout wings, and some become invisible. Yet here he was, still struggling with his beginner's kung fu?

Jiang Chen abruptly looked upward, half-expecting to see someone seated upon a floating lotus platform, bathed in a radiant halo.

But thankfully,

The world remained as it should be.

The individual was merely sitting on the rooftop.

However, occupying the rooftop in the dead of night seemed rather out of the ordinary.

Jiang Chen took a few steps into the courtyard, then turned around, widening his field of vision to get a clearer view of the woman on the roof.

"Why didn't you make a sound earlier?"

He was certain she had observed his every move as he wandered about like a lost insect.

Fortunately, his character had held strong; he hadn't lingered too long in others' private spaces, nor had he even entered their rooms—just a quick peek to confirm occupancy. Otherwise, he might be facing a different outcome tonight.

A gentleman should be cautious when alone; a gentleman should be cautious when alone.

Important matters warrant repetition, perhaps thrice, but let's avoid unnecessary verbosity.

"This appears to be my residence."

Lan Peizhi let her hair cascade down once more, gently rustling in the evening breeze. Clad in pure white, she sat elevated, seemingly becoming one with the moonlight.

The scene was undeniably captivating.

Jiang Chen gazed upward, remaining silent. It wasn't that he had nothing to say; it was simply that he... didn't wish to shatter the current ambiance, wanting to savor the moment a little longer.

Lan Peizhi lowered her gaze.

The Bodhisattva's brow softens.

"Why are you perched on the rooftop?"

Jiang Chen inquired.

"I sit where I please."

No disturbance, no outward display of joy or anger.

Indeed.

This was her home.

A private sanctuary.

Not only permitted to sit on the roof, but even standing on it was well within her rights and personal freedom.

"Come down; it's rather inconvenient for me to converse with you like this."

"Speak, I can hear you."

Hmm.

She could indeed hear him, but the previous night's exertions, involving constant upward glances and strained vocalizations, had been quite tiring.

"Can't we communicate like ordinary people?"

Jiang Chen remarked with a wry smile, his eyes still fixed upward.

The woman on the roof appeared almost otherworldly, serene, purer than the moonlight itself.

"Isn't scaling walls something you excel at?"

Jiang Chen's smile became even more sardonic. He then averted his gaze, saying nothing, turned, and departed, seemingly in a huff.

The night reclaimed its encompassing silence.

Mere minutes later.

A shadowy figure furtively entered the courtyard, staggering slightly, and carrying a ladder.

Without a doubt.

He must have 'borrowed' it from a neighbor's aunt.

Lan Peizhi watched silently as he positioned the ladder, then turned her gaze back to the distant horizon.

Last time, he scaled the wall.

This time, he actually ascended to the roof.

And the next time?

Jiang Chen felt no apprehension that she might push him off, especially since it was implicitly her suggestion. Apart from the Blood Guanyin artifact itself, her word carried more weight than gold.

After all, gold isn't always genuine; it could be counterfeit.

"Did you cut corners on the construction of this roof?"

With the aid of his borrowed equipment, Jiang Chen successfully reached the rooftop. He moved with the trepidation of treading on thin ice, extremely cautious, fearful of fracturing the roof tiles.

If he were to slip and fall, he'd undoubtedly end up joining the ranks of the Three Dharma Kings.

"Crack!"

Consider that a fair warning.

The sound emanating from beneath his feet caused Jiang Chen to freeze, daring not to move further.

"How much do you weigh?"

"One hundred and fifty pounds."

"These tiles can only support fifty pounds."

Fifty pounds?

"That's preposterous. You weigh only fifty pounds?"

Jiang Chen was not convinced.

Regardless of how slender and delicate the Blood Guanyin appeared, she still possessed some physical substance, likely around ninety pounds, he estimated.

Fifty pounds?

Did she expect him to believe she weighed as little as Qin Shi Huang?

Lan Peizhi continued to gaze into the distance, a faint smile gracing her lips. "You know, I practice Qi Cultivation."