Chapter 306 - 191: Deceiving the Heavens to Cross the Sea

Chapter 306: Chapter 191: Deceiving the Heavens to Cross the Sea

"Shi Ziran, how much do you know about the Pure Land Sect?"

Suddenly, Su Mu turned to Shi Ziran and asked in a deep voice.

"The Pure Land Sect?"

Shi Ziran was taken aback. He didn’t understand why Su Mu had suddenly brought up the Pure Land Sect when they were just talking about the Demon Court.

But Shi Ziran still replied, "I wouldn’t say I know them like the back of my hand, but many in their sect are traitors from back then. I’ve dealt with all of them."

"How much does the Demon Court know about the Pure Land Sect?"

Su Mu pressed on.

"Or, let me put it another way. The Demon Court can’t possibly know every single person in the Pure Land Sect, right?"

A thoughtful expression appeared on Shi Ziran’s face. He said slowly, "My lord, you mean... we disguise ourselves as members of the Pure Land Sect to slip through?"

"Exactly."

Su Mu nodded.

If the Demon Court’s Demon Soldiers have already surrounded Hujue Pass, it would be nearly impossible for them to break through the blockade and enter.

With just the few of them, if they were to fall into a heavy encirclement of Demon Soldiers, the only outcome would be fighting to the death from exhaustion.

"The Demon Court definitely doesn’t know everyone in the Pure Land Sect. If we impersonate them..."

Shi Ziran pondered for a moment. "I can only say... there’s a chance it could work."

"Have you ever shown your face to the Demon Court?"

Su Mu asked, looking at Shi Ziran.

Shi Ziran frowned. He had previously infiltrated the ranks of the Pure Land Sect and later attempted to assassinate their Young Master, Sha Tongtian. He wasn’t sure if any demons from the Demon Court would be able to recognize him.

"We’ll disguise ourselves as people from the Pure Land Sect, and you... you’ll be the assassin who tried to kill one of their higher-ups.

We are under orders to capture you, which is why we’ve remained in the desolate wilds."

Su Mu said slowly, a contemplative look on his face, "This way, we can explain why we’re still in the desolate wilds when everyone else has already left."

"I think... it’s feasible."

Shi Ziran thought it over carefully for a long moment before looking at Su Mu and speaking.

There was a hint of surprise in his eyes.

’He hadn’t expected Su Mu to possess such a cunning mind.’

’But on second thought, for Su Mu to rise from a mere commoner to the rank of a Fifth-Grade Taiping Captain, he must have relied on more than just brute force.’

’If he were just a brute with martial strength, he never would have been able to manage East City back then.’

’When he was the East City Bureau Captain, he had already shown his ability to masterfully manipulate situations.’

’It was only natural that he could come up with such a scheme.’

"Tell us the basic rules of the Pure Land Sect."

Su Mu said in a low voice.

...

A squad of thirty to forty Demon Soldiers was on the march.

They ranged from second- to third-rank. Most were naked, with only the few in the lead wearing strips of cloth that could barely be called clothing.

They wore no armor.

The defensive properties of ordinary armor couldn’t compare to their own hides and skin anyway.

They did have weapons, but they were a motley collection.

Many of the demons were even armed with nothing more than a wooden club.

Apparently, the Demon Court didn’t have enough weapons to equip a large army.

They had not yet mastered the art of weapon forging themselves. All their weapons were obtained through trade with human traitors, so the quantity was certainly limited.

But even without weapons, the demons’ claws and fangs were deadly weapons in their own right.

"Move, move it! If we’re late, the National Preceptor and the Grand General won’t spare us."

The leader of this squad of Demon Soldiers shouted loudly. It spoke in the human tongue, but its tone was strange and its words were slurred.

The Demon Soldiers yelped and howled in response. A few managed to force out some human words, but the rest just wailed.

Although the Demon Court was aggressively promoting the use of human speech, besides the high-ranking officials and those in special roles like Demon Investigators, most demons still couldn’t speak it.

Among second- and third-rank demons, those who could learn a few human phrases were, in the words of the National Preceptor, "talented individuals."

A smug look appeared on the Demon Soldier Captain’s face. ’Did I become captain based on strength alone? No! It’s because I can speak more human words! I’m a talented individual—no, a talented demon. In terms of actual strength, these other guys next to me are no weaker than I am. But now I’m the captain, and they can only be vice-captains. The National Preceptor is right. What the Demon Court lacks most right now is talented demons!’

The Demon Soldier Captain thought to itself that with the Demon Court launching a massive attack on the humans’ Hujue Pass, it had to perform well.

’The Lord National Master himself said that a good performance would lead to a promotion. And then, who knows, maybe I’ll even get a chance to see the Saint Venerable.’

"AWOOOO OOOO."

Just then, it suddenly heard a burst of gibberish-like cries.

"What are you howling about? How many times have I told you? Speak human! Speak human!"

The Demon Soldier Captain said angrily, "Humans? Where are there humans? How could there be humans in the desolate wilds?"

The wailing demon, looking aggrieved, raised a claw and pointed forward. Human language was so hard.

The Demon Soldier Captain looked in the direction its claw was pointing.

Whoa, it really was a few humans!

’And look at that, a chance to prove myself has arrived!’

"Lads, get ’em for me!"

the Demon Soldier Captain exclaimed excitedly.

"Don’t attack, don’t attack! We’re on your side!"

Just as the thirty or forty Demon Soldiers were excitedly charging forward, the humans on the other side suddenly shouted out.

"Wait."

The Demon Soldier Captain waved its hand, halting its charging subordinates.

It eyed the humans suspiciously, not worried they would run.

’This is the desolate wilds. Where could they possibly run to?’

’Did that person just say "on your side"?’

The Demon Soldier Captain thought for a moment before it understood what the phrase meant.

’My human language skills still aren’t good enough.’

"You... what are you doing here?"

the Demon Soldier Captain demanded loudly.

"We are from the Pure Land Sect. Allies."