Chapter 403: I, Lan Zao, am a Reasonable Person

Lan Zao froze upon hearing Shuang Tu's words, then furrowed his brow.

He had seen Teng Dong Lang's corpse in the black coffin with his own eyes. He knew full well that Teng Dong Lang's body was sealed within an ice coffin.

Now, upon hearing the mythical tale of Tranquil Hill's heroic duel, Lan Zao immediately connected the two events.

“I understand!”

“Why would the Bayonet Gang, fleeing for their lives, still carry Teng Dong Lang's corpse back?”

“Spring Boxer was designated as Teng Dong Lang's coffin bearer. This means they intend to carry his ice coffin to Tranquil Hill for burial. Is it to resurrect him there?”

Such suspicions inevitably arose in Lan Zao's mind.

For him, this was something he must do everything in his power to disrupt.

Because the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had been deeply involved in the battle that destroyed the Bayonet Gang, the enmity between the two sides ran deep as the sea. They were utterly mortal enemies.

"Oh, I see!"

“Why did the commander enter into this secret collaboration with the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord?”

"The commander has always deeply loved President Zi Di, but she is dead. If Tranquil Hill truly possesses the power to resurrect the dead, it might be Zi Di's most promising path back to life."

Resurrecting Zi Di would be exceedingly difficult.

No cleric would willingly resurrect an undead soul.

The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would most likely not pursue this route.

Two primary reasons accounted for this reluctance.

First, those who mastered resurrection magic were typically deeply devout individuals unlikely to betray their faith.

Second, the risk of identity exposure. Though the Deceptive Disguise spell was highly reliable, especially when combined with the Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell, the survivors lack confidence in deceiving the gods.

Resurrection was an unquestionably high level divine spell. Every use of divine magic risked drawing a deity's attention. The higher the spell's level, the greater this probability.

Zi Di understood the difficulty of resurrecting herself, and the other survivors were equally aware.

Lan Zao was no exception.

However, the truth was not so straightforward.

The mission to infiltrate Tranquil Hill and pinpoint its exact location was highly classified. The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord had not informed Zong Ge or Zi Di of this aspect.

The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps agreed to cooperate with the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord and sign a magic contract for one primary purpose: to leverage the city lord's manpower and resources to protect Lan Zao's life as much as possible.

Lan Zao believed he understood.

Though he harbored suspicions about Zi Di, he remained utterly loyal to the dragonman youngster.

The dragonman youngster deeply loved Zi Di and was willing to participate in this endeavor. Lan Zao, in turn, was willing to ease the dragonman youngster's burdens.

This misunderstanding prompted Lan Zao to agree without hesitation: “I understand.”

“Next, I'll remain by Bing Xiao's side and follow them into Tranquil Hill, correct?”

Lan Zao's decisive agreement surprised Shuang Tu.

The human ringleader who was next door, however, harbored doubts: “Does this fellow truly possess the capacity for rational thought?” Had it been him, he would have demanded more proof from Shuang Tu or secured greater assurances.

Shuang Tu's expression betrayed no hint of doubt. He regarded Lan Zao with an admiring gaze and praised, “Congratulations! You've made an absolutely wise choice!”

Before his words had fully faded, he mentally directed the green vines to gently lower Lan Zao back onto the hospital bed.

The vines swiftly retracted.

Shuang Tu approached Lan Zao's bedside and handed him a document.

“This contains your new identity. You must memorize every detail.”

Lan Zao gave him an awkward smile, “I can't read it.”

Shuang Tu nodded, accepting this fact quickly.

Not everyone could recognize written characters.

It was perfectly normal.

Lan Zao added, “I only know my own name and can write it, but I only know human words, not your snow elf writing.”

In this world, the vast majority of people were illiterate, unable even to write their own names. When names were needed, they typically pressed their fingerprints instead.

Shuang Tu then read the contents of the materials to Lan Zao: “I'll read this once. You must remember it well.”

"Your name is Hen Fa. You are not a member of the Bayonet Gang. You committed a crime in Blood Kin City and fled all the way to Snow Bird Harbor, seeking an opportunity to join the Bayonet Gang for protection."

"On the eve of your escape with the Bayonet Gang, transcendents from Blood Kin City tracked you down and attempted to capture you."

"You broke into Snow Bird Harbor's docks, hoping to escape amid the chaos. In the process, you unexpectedly saved Bing Xiao's life. Afterward, you intended to conceal your identity further, using the Divine Wind Pirates to leave Snow Bird Harbor and start a new life."

Hearing this, Lan Zao's brow furrowed even deeper.

He sat up, fixing his gaze on Shuang Tu. "Couldn't you just assign me the identity of a Bayonet Gang member? Isn't this outsider identity too troublesome? If Bing Xiao discovers my background, he'll struggle to trust me. How can I remain by his side in the future?"

Shuang Tu shook his head, “This identity was carefully selected for you after thorough consideration.”

“It's the optimal choice for your situation.”

Considering Lan Zao was a complete novice, Shuang Tu patiently explained: We certainly have the capability to design a Bayonet Gang identity for you, but you wouldn't be able to pull it off."

“The Bayonet Gang members know each other well. Even if none of Bing Xiao's current crew recognize you, they'll investigate.”

"Snow Bird Harbor still has many former Bayonet Gang members. All of them have surrendered, and the city lord would never kill them."

"So, if Bing Xiao decides to verify your background, it'll be easy, just send someone to Snow Bird Harbor. That way, they'll quickly uncover your flaws."

"You've already gained Bing Xiao's initial trust. According to our intel, he intends to cultivate you and entrust you with important responsibilities. The main reason is the awakening of your bloodline."

"I must congratulate you on this, you've awakened the Fish Bladder bloodline. This is a silver level bloodline, allowing you to leapfrog bronze level and iron level directly to silver."

At this, Lan Zao gasped, his entire focus instantly drawn to the revelation.

"Fish Bladder bloodline? Silver level?!"

“So does this mean the magic potion I took earlier took effect?”

“Did I misjudge Zi Di, or was I just incredibly lucky?”

The news of bloodline awakening was too overwhelming, leaving Lan Zao momentarily dazed.

Seeing his blank expression, Shuang Tu paused his speech: “Hey, did you hear what I just said?”

“Huh? What?” Lan Zao's mouth opened slightly, his train of thought interrupted.

Shuang Tu had no choice but to repeat herself: “I've already explained your current situation clearly.”

“Bloodline awakening has granted you great potential. Combined with your previous rescue of Bing Xiao, you've earned his initial trust.”

"Most crucially, we're backing you and providing reinforcements. In the coming days, your strength will rise steadily, and your standing within the Bayonet Gang will climb step by step."

"With each rung you ascend, the scrutiny you face intensifies. Bing Xiao will undoubtedly step up his investigation into you. As the former leader of the Bayonet Gang, he possesses extensive leadership experience and will never overlook this critical detail."

"Therefore, your identity must be flawless. Though the identity of Hen Fa is slightly troublesome, it is actually the most convenient, worry-free, and effortless option."

"There is indeed a fugitive in Blood Kin City named Hen Fa. However, he was secretly apprehended by us and is now dead."

"He was an orphan from a young age. Growing up, he became a bodyguard, a solitary figure with a straightforward identity and minimal social connections."

“Hen Fa's background file is the simplest and most concise of all options. You must commit it to memory, this is your first step in infiltration.”

“Understood.” Lan Zao took the documents, then frowned and asked, "How long will my infiltration last? I want to return to the mercenary corps."

“Such impatience is unwise,” Shuang Tu frowned, “But I can tell you this: the infiltration won't last long.”

"Teng Dong Lang's soul won't hold out much longer. Bing Xiao must deliver him to Tranquil Hill swiftly."

Lan Zao was puzzled. "Teng Dong Lang died days ago at my commander's hands. Has his soul still not departed?"

Typically, a deceased soul was guided away by the deity they worshipped in life.

If they lacked faith or their devotion was shallow, the soul would be cast into the abyssal hell for another cycle of reincarnation

Since Lan Zao already knew about the Tranquil Hill's mission details, Shuang Tu saw no point in withholding further information and continued his explanation: “In fact, this is precisely one of the leads we uncovered regarding Tranquil Hill.”

"Before his death, Teng Dong Lang had made preparations and modified his body. Even if he perishes in battle, his soul will remain temporarily bound within his physical form, it won't dissipate nor be guided away."

“This state cannot last forever.”

“Based on our estimates, his time is nearly up. That's why he must be brought to Tranquil Hill.”

“So that's it. I understand now.” Lan Zao realized.

Shuang Tu continued his guidance: "Your illiteracy is actually an advantage, since Hen Fa also cannot read. But I advise you to learn the elven language diligently while serving Bing Xiao. For often, intelligence transmission relies on written words as tools."

“You must engrave every detail in this document deeply into your mind.”

Should Bing Xiao ever suspect you, these details might help clear your name temporarily, or even save your life."

Shuang Tu spoke with solemn earnestness.

When his own survival was at stake, Lan Zao's expression turned grave and determined. He nodded firmly, “I understand!”