Chapter 372: Teasing

"Weaving Fate... so this is Weaving Fate?"

Master Brother, who had witnessed the entire process from the corridor, couldn't help but speak. "To be able to toy with fate like this without even having developed a domain... how terrifying will Junior Brother's power be once he reaches a higher level?"

"The ability to weave fate is truly unheard of," Third Brother mused.

"However, I feel that while this ability is powerful, its activation requirements are quite strict," Mo Jiao said, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Fourth Brother is right," the handsome young man said, resting his head on his hand as he watched Chen Ling walk away. "First, the skill must be activated in a fixed and familiar location. If you're unfamiliar with the environment and don't know what can be manipulated, you can't fully utilize its power. Moreover, if someone leaves the pre-set range, the skill becomes ineffective. Secondly, he needs to write a script in advance before each activation. This means the skill can only be used for initiating combat or positional warfare, and its practical use in real combat is minimal."

As the handsome young man finished speaking, the other three turned to look at him, their expressions somewhat peculiar.

"What?" he asked.

"Master, I feel like you understand this skill even better than Junior Brother," one of them said.

"Hmph," the handsome young man scoffed, flicking his sleeve. "How can your generation of juniors compare to your master's insight and experience? Forget a mere third-tier skill; even with your own skills, has there ever been a time when I couldn't immediately discern their strengths and weaknesses?"

"That's true... Master's discernment has always been excellent," Third Brother nodded slightly. "Next, we'll see how Junior Brother deals with those three. Once they leave the inn, Weaving Fate will have very limited use. With only two skills against three third-tier enemies, Junior Brother might be at a disadvantage..."

"I have a feeling," Master Brother suddenly interjected, "that Junior Brother's surprises for us won't stop here."

The handsome young man beside him raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips, but remained silent.

"What thick fog," Lin Xi muttered as he walked along the bluestone path, his brow furrowing unconsciously at the sight of the misty, willow-lined town ahead.

He clearly remembered it being sunny when they were at the teahouse; it had only been a short while, yet such dense fog had appeared. This was undoubtedly bad news for them as they prepared to search for Chen Ling.

Lin Xi gently rotated the oiled paper umbrella in his hand. The rose pattern on its surface automatically vanished, replaced by several sparrows perched on branches. With a flick of his finger, these sparrows flew from the umbrella and began circling around him, searching.

At the same time, a crackling sound came from the walkie-talkie at his waist:

"Static..."

"This is Unit 030, Old Lu. Confirm communication status."

Hearing this, Lin Xi unclipped his walkie-talkie and pressed the button. "This is Unit 031, Lin Xi. Communications are normal."

Feng Gui's voice followed, "Unit 029, Feng Gui. Communications are normal."

"Have you found anything unusual?"

"Not yet. He doesn't seem to have run in my direction."

"No anomalies here either."

"Damn it... I haven't found anything unusual either. Where is he hiding?"

"Don't rush. We have enough time. Search outwards bit by bit; don't leave any blind spots... Every ten minutes, use the walkie-talkie to confirm each other's status and stay in constant contact."

"Understood."

The voices from the walkie-talkie ceased. Lin Xi took a deep breath and continued searching along the road, with several sparrows circling above him, observing every detail of the surroundings.

Meanwhile.

A figure in crimson leapt from the dense fog, gracefully landing on the roof of Li Qingshan's house.

Li Qingshan was not home at the moment; he had likely gone out again to collect firewood. Only the old woman was asleep in the house, and the courtyard was quiet. Not even the chickens or dogs noticed Chen Ling's arrival.

Chen Ling's gaze swept downwards. He casually picked up a few tiles from the roof, and with the activation of his Scarlet Conjuration, they instantly transformed into the old woman's radio by her bedside.

Sitting on the roof, Chen Ling looked at the radio in his hand, his eyes slightly narrowed...

A faint aurora shimmered deep within his eyes.

"Static..."

The radio automatically turned on, emitting a faint crackle. In Chen Ling's flickering eyes, the channels continuously jumped!

"Welcome to Today's Verdict..."

"...Good afternoon, listeners, and welcome to Afternoon Rest Time. I am today's host..."

"...Currently, the tragic incident at the Huadu Theater Troupe has drawn widespread attention in the main city. Regarding the exposed bribery case involving judges, the Huadu Consortium in the main city has stated that they will investigate thoroughly to provide an explanation to the countless dreamers in Willow Town... Furthermore, the head of the Huadu Consortium announced the resumption of preliminary auditions for Willow Town, ensuring a fair and just competitive environment under public supervision..."

"This is Unit 030, Old Lu. No anomalies at present."

As the last sentence came through the radio, Chen Ling's eyes subtly brightened, and he stopped interfering with the communication signal.

In this era, the "Principles of Communication Devices and Electromagnetic Induction" that Chen Ling had learned from Lord Aurora was still applicable. By finding a mobile terminal, he could hack into the three individuals' communication channel by controlling the signal. Currently, the only device Chen Ling could find was Li Qingshan's radio.

"Unit 029, Feng Gui. No anomalies."

"I've found a suspicious individual on my side and am questioning them, but it's most likely not the target."

"If you confirm their identity, notify us immediately."

"Understood."

As this conversation ended, the radio fell silent.

Misty vapor drifted in the air. Chen Ling, draped in his crimson opera robe, sat alone on the rooftop and chuckled softly.

"Notify? My apologies... your frequency is now mine."

He gently tapped the radio with his palm, and the crackling static resumed.

After a brief pause, the static vanished without a trace, as if nothing had happened.

Chen Ling pressed a button and cleared his throat. When he spoke again, it was in Old Lu's voice:

"This is Unit 030, Old Lu! I think I've found the target! Requesting backup!!"

The next moment, Lin Xi's urgent voice came from the radio: "Where are you?"

"By Furong Bridge!! Hurry!!"

"I'm on my way!"

Lin Xi's voice cut off abruptly.

Chen Ling's eyebrow lifted slightly. He pressed another button, and after a crackling sound, he connected to a different signal frequency.

He cleared his throat. This time, it was Feng Gui's voice:

"This is Unit 029, Feng Gui!! I think I've found the target! Requesting backup!"

Old Lu immediately responded:

"What? Tell me your location quickly! I'm coming right now!!"

The crimson opera robe danced lightly in the fog, and the smile on Chen Ling's lips grew wider.