Rihanna, Fluffy and Phantasm, and of course Little Purple, all gathered at the entry to the inner regions. Unlike the Chen clan, a large and prominent gate was set in the middle of the large stone wall, and there were two guards standing before it half asleep.
'There is someone in front of us.'
Rihanna stopped short at this sudden statement from Phantasm, and quickly hid behind the tress in the forest. Peeking through the leaves, she glanced around, but could see nothing.
'Are you sure? I can't see anybody other than the guards.'
'That's because you are stupid. Do you think you are the only one intelligent enough to think of invisibility and aura hiding potions?'
Rihanna raised her eyebrows in surprise. Well....it's not like she hadn't thought about it....but she was still startled that Wen Haoli thought about it as well. Now how was she supposed to follow him?
'Phantasm can sense him. I think she has a special perception power. Remember she found and followed Fluffy in the Chen Clan inner regions as well. Let her go after Wen Haoli.'
'Okay.....Phantasm, you follow Wen Haoli. Don't start using your powers on him till he has found whatever he has come to find here. Find a good time before spreading your illusion on him. But make sure to stay hidden and keep in touch with me at all times. Once I have finished my side of this mission, I will meet up with you.'
'Okay...Ummm....is my Cutie Pie coming with me?'
Fluffy felt his tail hair would stand up like porcupine bristles....if they really existed!! And just as he had predicted, his heartless master promptly picked him by the scruff of his neck and tossed him to the ugly thing! He really wanted to protest, but all his words and whines were stuffed back in with one glare from Rihanna.....Just see if I don't run away one day?!!
The group of three split up, one following the invisible Wen Haoli, while Rihanna scuttled off to the other end of the inner regions. Though she had no map for the inner regions, it was far smaller than the Chen Clans inner regions. It didn't take her long to come across the alchemy and metal working buildings. She skipped past the guards with the help of Little Purple and went wandering around the two buildings. She went into all the empty rooms, clearly circling around the places with humans and beasts. She did not want to get caught during this silly mission and lose precious time. This was merely to create a distraction.
Rihanna had already removed the sack of energy balls. She also took out the large pile of left over rope that she had created in the Poison Swamp from creepers and twines. She cut down the rope into large and equal sections, attaching one rope to one ball. Hmmm....so what if she could not yet cultivate. These home-made dynamites were still enough to blast their minds out.
She scuttled around the building like a tiny mouse, planting these dynamites and lighting them on fire in every hidden nook and cranny. The fire was small and would take quite a while to reach the balls. Even if a few fizzled off, there were still enough energy balls to create a large mess in the buildings!! He-he-he-he.....Su clan....you are in for a surprise.
Keeping a sharp look out, Rihanna slipped back out of the building, and turned to race towards the direction Fluffy and Phantasm had taken.
'My side is done. How are things at your end?'
'He is already inside the Hidden Hall. Fluffy will be waiting for you outside, I am going inside after him. Be careful, there is an array here, which is stronger than the one outside.'
Rihanna took a deep breath, and looked up. The three moons were shining brightly - one white, one gray and one red. It was indeed a strange combination, and the energy gathering in the sky looked strange in the light of the three different moons, like a melding of evil viciousness and pure goodness, both joining together to create an ethereal yet uncanny atmosphere.
The Hidden Hall was so named because....it was hidden by an array, making it invisible. Fluffy was snorting outside under a thick shrub, feeling rather miserable and abandoned. Rihanna plucked him out of his hidey hole, and petted him a bit to soothe his dejected mood.
'I am really sorry Fluffy.....but I really need you and Phantasm to work together and help me? We are a team, aren't we. And she not really all that bad! She does call you by some weird names, and openly declares her liking for you.....but she has never touched you or harmed you in any way. I just think she was really lonely, confined within the Chen Clan since birth, probably never having any friends. And it is only her loneliness and curiosity that makes her follow you around and stick to you like candy. You are a smart fox.....surely you can figure out how to be her friend and maybe she will become less demanding for your attention?'
Fluffy snorted again, but rubbed his face against her hands feeling comfortable and pleased. Rihanna also felt pleased with her quality of talking non-sense. Now perhaps she could have some peace between these two equally arrogant kids!
'Hey....you fellows. I have already spun the web of illusions around this guy....but what am I supposed to make him do next? He is standing in the middle of the room....but if I don't make him do anything soon, then the illusion will start fading away.'
Once again with Little Purple's help, Rihanna and Fluffy entered the invisibility and protection array, then scrambled towards the second level hall. Rihanna crawled in slowly through the door, and settled down next to Phantasm.
'Can you make him believe that he is here for a mission and make him do it?'
'Hmmm.....you mean a memory changing illusion? I can....but it will not last too long.'
'How long can you keep it?'
'At the most a few hours. And that too I need to be near him at all times to be able to keep the force of my illusion working.'
'Okay. A few hours is more than enough. Fluffy take this bag of energy balls and place them at his feet. Phantasm...make him believe that he is currently in a lair of Devil Cultivators, and that he has been sent from his sect to destroy their lair. And that they have given him a sack of energy balls which he has to place all over this building, and also in the alchemy and medicine department. But instead of inserting spiritual energy, he should use the fire stone in the sack and put a small fire at the end of each creeper, so he can take the time to escape. Tell him that you have been specially sent by the clan to help and guide him. Oh....but don't let him see your real form.'
Phantasm was staring at Rihanna till she almost felt like she would turn cross-eyed.
'What?! What crazy ideas and plots do you keep cooking up in that abnormal head of yours?! Wait, wait....this is such a long task....first let me understand it myself...Aish....I just knew that all humans are weird!!'
Phantasm plopped down on the ground, looking half crazy trying to wrap her head around these lengthy instructions. Just when Wen Haoli started swaying, making Rihanna feel that he was about to come out of the illusion spell cast by Phantasm, the pink hog jumped up onto its four little hooves, the yellow spots on her pink skin glowing like small suns, and a ray of energy spread out, hitting Wen Haoli once more, and piercing through his forehead. He stopped swaying, his entire consciousness pulled to a point where the yellow light rotated in a spiraling circle, hypnotizing his entire senses and body.
A long while later, an invisible Wen Haoli crept out of the Hidden Hall, followed by an invisible trio of human and beast. Phantasm made way for Wen Haoli, following Rihanna's instructions in her head, and led them through the gate to the inner regions and to the alchemy building in the outer regions.
Due to the Triple Full Moon banquet, most of the members of the clan were tired out or drunk, and few people were still up and about the alchemy building.
'Phantasm.....guide him to the different parts of this building to place those explosives, but take your time. I need to get Su Matsao's sister out of this building. Take this wooden box with you. Place it in some place and guide him to finding it. Once I give the signal, then let him come out and escape towards that hole you have made near the wall.'
'Okay.'
Phantasm and Wen Haoli disappeared down the main hall of the alchemy building. The steward was still up inside the small side room, looking though some files. Rihanna silently moved towards the large pool at one side of the hall, then took out the large bath-tub from her space ring.
Just a short while ago she had scooped up all the water in the pool of the study and also the Dragon Moon Ether burning in the pot. Since Phantasm couldn't create such a large web of illusions to trap a lot of people, then she was going to use the next best thing.....the Ever Illusion Dust which was so readily available in the study!
She poured some of the water with the dust into the large pool of the hall, then placed the stand and vase with the burning ether in the middle of the hall. Placing the rest of the illusion-dust-water filled tub back in her storage, she snuck into a corner and waited for the illusion to start its effects. Little Purple let out a bit of its own power, shielding Rihanna against the illusion effects.
Very soon, the steward and the few members of the alchemy department still working up late into the night started feeling drowsy. Rihanna waited a bit more to make sure they were really asleep, then silently moved towards the steward and took out the key she had seen him take out the other day.
Finally.....she had the key. Now she needed to move fast and take the little girl out of the locked room. By now the siblings must have gathered around the hidden hole already. The explosives would be going off in a short while. They didn't have any more time to waste.
Taking a deep breath, Rihanna moved off to the locked rooms. Entering, she picked up the unconscious little girl on her back, and then made it out of the building.
'Stupid human....we are already out and are on our way towards the hole. Follow us quickly. You still haven't said what we need to do next!'