Online: I Can See Health Bars Chapter 1272 - 564: Dissipation (Part 2)

Fang Yu pondered briefly, realizing it held much truth.

Charging out recklessly could lead to his capture by the Rebel Army, giving their genuine members a chance to flee.

As the monk accepted the item and departed escorted by fellow monks, Fang Yu wondered if the man possessed techniques to inspect the letter's contents without direct contact.

Fang Yu wasn't paranoid; this realm featured martial arts that were truly odd and peculiar, such as his partial skills [Moistening Eyes] and [Big Kung’s Belly], boasting effects both weird and unexpected.

Thus, a technique allowing remote scanning of a letter's contents within proximity without touching it remained entirely plausible.

Yet, a visitor approaching the Merit Box soon shattered Fang Yu’s wild speculations.

For this fellow employed a method that was utterly straightforward and crude.

Jiuyang Temple's Merit Box stood securely locked.

Typically, solely high-ranking individuals with the proper key could access it.

That held true only in standard situations.

Numerous ways existed to bypass the lock sans a key.

Take the individual now positioned before the Merit Box—he deployed his thief-grade lockpicking skill to covertly unfasten it.

In merely one second, or perhaps even less.

He accomplished the unlock during a fleeting hesitation.

Fang Yu and Ding Hui both spotted the maneuver clearly.

Their intense scrutiny of the Merit Box magnified every motion, enabling instant analysis.

"They actually dispatched this sort of person with this sort of tactic to retrieve the letter..."

Fang Yu found himself at a loss for words.

Observing the man's sneaky pilfering—employing adept pretense and minor sleight-of-hand illusions to mask his subtle moves as he swiftly extracted the letter from the Merit Box—Fang Yu confirmed beyond doubt that this was a Rebel Army operative.

The Rebel Army truly lowers its standards, even recruiting lockpicking specialists...

Ding Hui had depicted the Rebel Army as elite, leading Fang Yu to envision it as a mighty entity akin to Thunder City's Ten Major Families.

Such a powerhouse would surely employ sophisticated techniques for retrieving missives.

But that assumption stemmed purely from Fang Yu’s imagination.

Dispatching an organizational thief expert to crack the Merit Box, snatch the contents, and depart—the entire operation proved so basic and direct, it stunned him.

"Thieves usually possess solid abilities..."

Ding Hui attempted to defend the Rebel Army, eager to salvage its tarnished prestige.

Fang Yu stayed silent, murmuring instead, "That’s him, isn’t it? I’ll nab him and interrogate."

From the corner of his eye, he noted Qin Er’s continued confusion, evidently unfamiliar with the man.

Utterly pointless.

Fang Yu harbored no further hopes for her, intending to dismiss her post-capture.

"Hold off on moving; let’s tail him and discover his destination."

Ding Hui murmured softly.

That went without saying.

Once the man exited, the trio readied themselves to pursue.

Yet prior to departing Jiuyang Temple, Fang Yu glanced back at the Buddha statue anew.

This occasion brought no recurrence of that eerie sensation.

"Diao Deyi."

Ding Hui’s prompt echoed straight in Fang Yu’s thoughts.

He spun about and quitted the temple.

Unbeknownst to Fang Yu, however.

Mere moments after his exit, the inert Buddha statue’s eyes twitched ever so slightly.

That subtle shift infused the statue with vitality, akin to a godly awakening, though worshippers remained oblivious, merely sensing enhanced sanctity and prostrating deeper.

The now-animated statue preserved its prior poise and gestures unchanged, yet it detected something—an intangible ripple emanating undetected.

"The... Demon... Lord’s aura? So faint... very faint... nearly vanished..."

Such ripples appeared to attune with distant entities.

Concurrently, akin murmurs arose from certain hushed Buddha statues.

"Demon Lord..."

"Dissipating... dissipating..."

"Demon... Lord..."

"Buddha Finger..."

This occurrence, imperceptible to mortals, operated on exclusive wavelengths, much like a spirit’s Spirit Path, evading all notice!

...

"What?"

Fang Yu gazed at Ding Hui, puzzled.

Ding Hui promptly knitted her brows.

"Were you... lost in thought just now?"

Fang Yu rubbed his head.

Moments ago, had there been a faint buzz in my ears? Or perhaps an illusionary sound? Something like murmurs drifted by, yet remained indistinct.

Fang Yu shook his head and remarked, "It’s nothing. That guy, hasn’t he come out of the brothel yet?"

True to Fang Yu's image of the lowly rabble, the thief who snatched the letter had dashed straight into the brothel for some indulgence, with no trace of him appearing even now.

"Yeah, and the tracks from the mosquito handler reveal he lingered in this brothel for a good stretch. Right now, he's apparently dozing in the room just ahead."

Fang Yu narrowed his eyes.

Was this their hideout, or maybe what they termed a contact spot?

"Come on, let's wander into the brothel and exchange words with the mosquito controller."

Fang Yu extended his hand toward Ding Hui, who paused in surprise before covering her mouth with a chuckle, then delicately rested her palm in his.

"Husband, you know I hate seeing my man head to brothels. Catch me in a bad mood, and I might snap your leg."

Fang Yu rolled his eyes, gripped her hand firmly, and marched toward the brothel.

Trailing behind, Qin Er followed quietly, resembling a devoted maid.

"Oh my! Sir, this gentleman's a fresh face—come on in for some delight~"

The procuress at the entrance brimmed with zeal, though her sidelong glance at Ding Hui and the others carried a hint of hostility.

Brothels catered solely to men.

Female visitors were uncommon, usually arriving to stir up chaos.

"No greetings needed; we're just browsing around."

Words alone wouldn't suffice, so Fang Yu lightly flung a tael of silver toward the procuress.

The gleam of silver lit up the procuress's eyes, stretching her smile wide across her face.

A tael wasn't a fortune, yet far from trivial—quite lavish as a gratuity, considering the obscure girls here barely scraped by for an evening's work.

"How could we not, sir? I'll fetch a girl for you at once! Chun Er! Chun Er! Got time? Hurry and entertain this gentleman!"

The procuress bellowed loudly, only to spot the gentleman already ascending with his two female companions.

In the hall below, scantily clad dancers twirled amid raucous applause, yet this gentleman ignored the star performer entirely.

This spelled trouble!

Were they here to make a scene?

The procuress yelled a bit more but failed to halt them; her gaze darted as she sought out the Gui Gong.

By then, Fang Yu and his group had climbed to the second floor, halting before a particular door.

Bam!

Fang Yu blasted the door open with a single kick.

"Who are you!"

"Ahhhh!"

The occupants inside had apparently just wrapped up; the woman swiftly shrieked, snatched her garments, and bolted past Fang Yu and the rest.

The man sprawled on the bed appeared dazed, fumbling into his clothes while eyeing Fang Yu and the two women warily.

"Where is it?" Fang Yu demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"The item you lifted from the merit box."

Swish—

The man's eyes bulged wide in an instant.

Without a second's delay, he spun toward the window to leap out and flee!

This was merely the second story, and his Qinggong made the drop perfectly feasible.

Yet...

As his foot touched the sill, a iron grip suddenly seized his neck.

After a futile struggle, realizing escape was impossible, the man went still.

"Sir, spare me!!"

Hmm?

Did he take me for a Foolish Underworld member?

Fang Yu narrowed his eyes.

"Where is it?"

"It’s, it’s under the pillow by the bed."

Fang Yu signaled Ding Hui with a glance, and she promptly went to fetch it.

Lifting the pillow, there it was—the letter.

"Impressive skills. What's the pay like in the Rebel Army?"