Zhang San smelled a faint fragrance and realized something was off.
Many martial artists around him also caught the scent and immediately became alert.
Some even slowly drew their blades, until Xu gently coughed and pointed towards an open space not far away.
Ling, who had just covertly infiltrated Solitary Mountain Manor to scout out the layout, was showing Officer Bai the rough map and defensive markings she had drawn.
Only then did everyone realize that the scent was coming from Ling.
Zhang San had always been in the medical hall, constantly smelling the scent of medicine, so it was his first time noticing that Sister Ling also used rouge and powder.
Moreover, the scent, although refreshing like some kind of flower, was somewhat surprising to find on a person as mundane as Ling.
Ling instructed Officer Bai to continue looking at the map, and then she stepped back.
After all, coordinating an attack on the manor was Officer Bai's job; her responsibility was solely to stealthily infiltrate and gather intelligence.
Zhang San just thought of approaching Ling to ask which parts of the manor had less security so that he could possibly volunteer to go there and reduce the risk.
But at that moment, a martial artist from the Town Martial Office, who had just woken up, was intoxicated by the faint flowery scent emanating from Ling, his mind wandering.
"Ling, you smell so good! What kind of fragrance is that? It's making me lose my senses," he said.
Zhang San felt it was just greasy office banter, but as soon as the words left the man's mouth, everyone else's expressions changed.
Some were incredibly shocked, while others were signaling him to shut up immediately.
Zhang San vaguely felt that something was amiss.
However, Ling merely turned her head and gave the brash martial artist a slight smile.
"Lose your senses? If that affects your performance on this mission and you get hurt, wouldn't I then be responsible for taking care of you for a lifetime?" she said.
Zhang San thought this joke, coming from Ling's mouth, sounded rather normal.
At that moment, Senior Xu approached from not too far away, his face filled with tension.
But the man who had spoken did not notice the shift in his colleagues' expressions and laughed heartily.
"Then… would you be willing to take care of me for a lifetime?" he asked.
Although Zhang San felt Ling's joking tone wasn't more excessive than before when she bantered with him, he sensed something was off from the others' expressions and Senior Xu's hurried approach.
He turned and looked at the martial artist, whose face still bore a playful smile.
Big brother, why does your joke feel a bit dangerous?
"I do have a method," Ling said with a gentle smile, turning to face the martial artist who had teased her.
"Since I've intoxicated you to the point that it might affect your actions, how about this…" she proposed.
As she spoke, Ling took out a piece of paper and tore it, transforming it into a short blade made from folded paper.
"I'll cut off that thing down there, and after the operation, I'll sew it back on for you. How does that sound?" she offered.
The martial artist's face, which a moment before had a smile, suddenly froze, then gradually shifted to an awkward grin, and finally to a look of unease and panic.
"Ling… Sister Ling, you're not serious, are you?" he asked.
Ling glanced at the paper blade in her hand and countered with a smile, "Do I look like I'm joking?"
As she said this, Ling stood up and walked toward the man.
Seeing this, the previously showy martial artist instantly panicked.
Senior Xu rushed over and slapped the back of the man's head, "Apologize."
The man immediately admitted his mistake to Ling, just short of slapping himself.
Zhang San watched the scene, utterly bewildered.
Senior Xu patted the martial artist's shoulder and asked him to step away.
Noticing Zhang San's puzzled look, Ling asked with a smile, "Zhang San, are you scared?"
"Why should I be scared if it's not cutting mine? But why is Senior Xu sweating?" Zhang San replied.
Senior Xu, looking rather exasperated, glanced at the still-smiling Ling and then at Zhang San.
"Because Ling has seriously cut someone before!" Xu explained.
At Senior Xu's words, many of the martial artists from the Town Martial Office recalled the incident where someone suffered the consequences of being too flip with Ling.
A knife's slice—
It was gruesome.
Upon hearing this, Zhang San was startled, his face filled with astonishment as he looked at Ling.
"Sister Ling, did you sew it back on for him later?" he asked.
Senior Xu looked like he was about to have a stroke, "Is that the point!?"
Ling, with a resigned smile, said, "Senior Xu couldn't stand to watch, and used a Technique to regenerate it for him."
"Oh," Zhang San reacted.
Zhang San felt that it certainly seemed like something Xu could do. What a pity, there should have been great fun to be had.
"But am I, Sister Ling, someone who doesn't keep her word? After the operation, I will cut off the regrown part and sew the original one back on!"
Sure enough, true to her word. That's my Sister Ling!
Old Xu sighed helplessly to one side.
"The one you sewed back on has necrotized. I'll have to cut it off and help him grow a new one again. Okay, okay, no more troublemaking already."
Ling hmphed and glanced at the martial artist who had been boasting earlier.
The martial artist, having heard the recent conversation, knew that Ling had indeed previously cut off the parts of other martial artists. Now, Ling's gaze felt chillingly cold.
"Old Xu, it's not that I'm stirring up trouble. It's just that they're too easily teased. Zhang San, if I were to cut you, what would you say?"
Zhang San was taken aback. What did this have to do with him? He wasn't infatuated.
But since he was asked, it would be impolite not to reply.
"Stop messing around, Sister Ling. Mine is very sturdy, you know. Swords and such would need at least one Jia's worth of effort to harm even a hair of it."
"You're talking about wearing it down with persistence, huh?"
Ling added, and then the two shared a smile.
At that moment, the other martial artists looked at Zhang San with awe and respect.
He had defused Ling's sharp offensive with mere words.
This Zhang San was both tall and firm!
Soon, Bai Yucheng gathered everyone to assign tasks in preparation for the surprise attack.
"Zhang San, your strength isn't outstanding among us, and you've recently lost your memory; coordinating might be overwhelming for you. Choose whatever position you want for yourself."
Zhang San had been worried that Bai Yucheng, his superior, might be the one wanting to harm him.
But after hearing these words, a mix of shame and warmth flooded his heart.
If they really wanted to harm him, they wouldn't let him choose his position.
Zhang San knew that if he went on the offensive, it would be like delivering himself to his death.
Even if trapped or surrounded, he might not be able to fight off an opponent with severe injuries.
But he couldn't admit he was just there to tag along!
Solitary Mountain Manor was surrounded by water on three sides. If the Demon Cult Followers encountered a surprise attack, they would definitely flee via the water route. Therefore, choosing the main entrance of the manor was the safest option.
"I choose to blockade the main entrance!"
Upon hearing Zhang San's choice, Wang Ziteng breathed a long sigh of relief.
He had feared that Zhang San would choose the back entrance, robbing him of the chance to shine.
An hour had passed, and everyone had finished preparing. Taking advantage of the darkness before dawn, they launched their surprise attack on Solitary Mountain Manor.
In an instant, within the manor, techniques roared, martial styles crisscrossed, and the sounds of clashing weapons and anguished screams were incessant.
Meanwhile, Zhang San walked into Solitary Mountain Manor, where half of the great door had been blasted away, found a low table and a cushion in the gatehouse, set them up near the doorway, and sat kneeling at the table to eat pastries and drink a greenish, slightly alcoholic beverage—he didn't know what it was, but it wasn't bad.
Especially since there was a faint floral scent in the courtyard, identical to the aroma on Sister Ling's body.
Zhang San had been somewhat curious as to why Sister Ling would carry a fragrance on her body when conducting reconnaissance.
Looking at it now, it was precisely this floral scent that had helped Ling infiltrate the manor more easily.
It wasn't that I, Zhang San, wanted peace and quiet. It was just that my comrades were all too good at shouldering heavy burdens.
The Demon Cult Followers of Solitary Mountain Manor had never imagined the Town Martial Office would suddenly attack.
And isn't such a nighttime sneak attack usually timed around 11 p.m.?
You guys in the Town Martial Office, why is your assault as late as the forces of justice, delayed by two or three hours?
Amid the melee, the Demon Sect's junior leader, Han Baiwen, knew they couldn't hold out and had to flee.
He took three of his accompanying martial artists, intending to slip away through the back of the manor.
But just as the four of them were making their way to the back courtyard door, Han Baiwen stopped, lost in thought.
"Boss, if we don't run now, it'll be too late!"
Han Baiwen snorted and then replied with a smile, "The Town Martial Office's surprise attack on us must have been meticulously planned. There's no way they'd leave our escape route unambushed. Heading out through the back door now might be walking right into a trap."
The others considered their boss's words and felt that he made a lot of sense.
"Boss, then where should we go?"
Han Baiwen slowly turned around, looking in the direction of the manor's main gate.
"There's a saying in military strategy: The best way to escape is the unexpected route! We won't take the back door; we'll take the front door. They definitely won't anticipate that!"
The three looked at Han Baiwen with admiration.
No wonder he was the boss—he even knew military strategy.
Taking the front door, they certainly wouldn't encounter a single person from the Town Martial Office!