Chapter 371: Wow, You Guys Are Amazing

Lin Xi held up the charred umbrella handle, and a layer of oiled paper automatically regenerated on its surface, restoring it to its original state in the blink of an eye.

"Rosewood," Lin Xi murmured. A hundred crimson roses bloomed on the umbrella's surface, like fiery blossoms in a ruin. They suddenly broke free from the umbrella's confines, and countless petals intertwined to form a red dragon, roaring as it surged towards the phantom in the sky!

Old Lu raised both hands, and a dense swarm of tiny ants gathered behind him, forming a pair of black wings out of thin air. With a gentle flap, he leapt into the air!

As for Feng Gui, who stood at the back, he simply snorted coldly, his body instantly transforming into hundreds of maple leaves and vanishing from his spot. These maple leaves rose with the wind, encircling Lin Xi's red dragon like a dark yellow hurricane swirling into the sky, moving to seal off the phantom's escape route!

Lin Xi was the primary attacker, Old Lu specialized in close combat, and Feng Gui was responsible for interception. Although it was their first time working together, the three acted with remarkable coordination, seemingly determined to keep Chen Ling there. After all, his methods were too bizarre, and missing this opportunity meant who knew how long it would take to catch him again.

This miraculous scene unfolded before the eyes of the other guests, who all gaped in astonishment!

"Indeed! They are the legendary envoys of the gods!"

"Both the Circle and the envoys of the gods have appeared, and three of them at once... What exactly is happening in our Willow Town?"

"They must be trying to catch that madman from the theater troupe who went on a killing spree, right? I heard he's very powerful."

"To witness the legendary envoys of the gods in action is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity..."

"That madman is doomed."

While others whispered amongst themselves, the four occupants of room 301 leisurely walked out, standing in a line in the hallway like curious spectators. However, their expressions became somewhat subtle after they saw the situation on the battlefield.

"Wow, you guys are amazing," the innkeeper, standing beside Lin Xi, couldn't help but exclaim. "Now, the person who blew up my room should have nowhere to run, right?"

Lin Xi, holding the oiled paper umbrella, was focused on controlling the red dragon to pursue the phantom in the thick smoke, showing no inclination to reply.

The innkeeper continued to speak incessantly: "Is it dangerous for me to stand here with you?"

"What if he tries to kill you? Wouldn't that involve me? You'll protect me, won't you?"

"Oh, and once you catch him, can you make him pay for the repairs to my room?"

"Stop bothering me!" Lin Xi couldn't help but turn and snap, "Can't you see I'm busy?!"

The innkeeper silently closed his mouth.

As the fierce winds gradually weakened, the phantom's movement speed also seemed to decrease, much less agile than before. The red dragon, woven from roses, roared out of the thick smoke, harnessing the gale to bite down on the phantom. At the same time, Lin Xi's eyes lit up.

"Got it!"

"Really?" The innkeeper was the first to applaud. "Amazing!"

Although the other onlookers couldn't clearly see what was happening, when they saw the shadow being caught by the red dragon, expressions of joy appeared on their faces, and they joined in applause.

Old Lu hovered beside the red dragon, flapping his black wings. Feng Gui, seeing that Lin Xi had captured the target, landed steadily on the roof of a nearby building.

As the thick smoke gradually dispersed, Old Lu saw what was in the red dragon's mouth and was slightly taken aback.

"Wait, what is this...?"

Old Lu pulled the item out of the red dragon's mouth. The next moment, his face turned extremely grim! A large red adult *dudou* (a traditional Chinese belly warmer) lay quietly in his palm. It even had a carp embroidered on it, blowing bubbles. However, the *dudou* seemed to have been smoked for a long time, appearing black and red in his hand, which looked strangely comical.

Lin Xi's smile instantly froze.

The clapping of the onlookers abruptly stopped. They stared blankly at the *dudou*, momentarily bewildered.

"Huh?" The innkeeper asked, confused. "Why is it a *dudou*?"

As soon as he spoke, the inn fell into a sudden silence.

Lin Xi's expression shifted repeatedly. As if remembering something, he roared in a low voice: "Damn it... That guy has a skill to replace items! Last time, he swapped my umbrella for a branch! He's toying with us!!"

Old Lu and Feng Gui's faces were so dark they looked like they could drip water. They had made such a grand display, only to end up catching a *dudou* in front of everyone. The thought that Chen Ling might be hiding nearby, watching their farce with amusement, instantly enraged them. A furious fire burned in their chests!

"He's asking for death..."

"He keeps playing tricks on us, does he really think we can't do anything about him??"

"He can't have gone far!! Search separately!"

"We'll dig three feet into the ground if we have to, but we'll find him!!"

Lin Xi and the other two were completely enraged. They had originally intended to follow the clues and find Chen Ling using the simplest method, but they had repeatedly fallen into his traps, making fools of themselves. This also indicated that Chen Ling had indeed been secretly monitoring them and was definitely not far from here! Fueled by anger, the three immediately chose the most straightforward and aggressive approach. They had walkie-talkies for communication, so if any one of them found a trace of Chen Ling, they could immediately call the other two for support!

Three figures consecutively charged out of the thick smoke, leaving the inn. Only the innkeeper remained, standing alone and unnoticed in the courtyard.

He shook his head, sighed deeply, and walked towards the staff lounge alone. Amidst the rolling smoke, his figure appeared particularly forlorn, like a middle-aged man who had lost everything, gradually disappearing from everyone's sight.

Click—

As he locked the staff lounge door, Chen Ling's lips curved into a slight smile. The inn was now completely free of surveillance; all the ants had been taken away by Old Lu. Under Chen Ling's misdirection, they had thoroughly cleared everyone inside the inn of suspicion, as everyone had been under the ants' surveillance before the explosion.

If Chen Ling wished, he could continue playing the role of the innkeeper until the Circle disappeared, and no one would suspect him again. However, he had no intention of hiding indefinitely. His feint just now had easily drawn out the three individuals' ultimate skills, giving Chen Ling a basic understanding of their respective strengths and abilities. Since the Painting of Transient Life wanted to catch him in a jar, Chen Ling intended to make them pay. It was time for the roles of predator and prey to be reversed.

With a tear at his chin, a face mask floated away into nothingness, and Chen Ling reverted to his original appearance. Dressed in a large red opera robe, he lightly leaped from the window onto the narrow road, walking unhurriedly into the distance.

Meanwhile, the ledger on the inn's counter was gently turned to the next page by a breeze. On that page, there was only a simple line of characters:

Afternoon, 1:45 PM, heavy fog begins.