Chapter 61 – Ambush? I'm the Expert Here

“Who would have thought that the Demon-Subduing Adept who came to the tavern this time would be so foolish.”

After chopping off Mu Lin’s head, just as the Fu Ji Proprietor was sighing with emotion and preparing to take Mu Lin’s body to offer it at the pig-headed vendor’s stall, a “pfft” sound was heard. The decapitated Mu Lin, like a deflating balloon, rapidly withered away.

Soon, Mu Lin’s body turned into a paper figure.

The sudden change left the Fu Ji Proprietor stunned for a moment.

And just as he was in a daze, with a “bang,” the basement door was pushed open.

The two waiters who had led Mu Lin to Fu Ji Tavern rushed into the basement in a panic. Seeing the Fu Ji Proprietor, they hurried to his side as if seeing a savior and pleaded, “Proprietor, n-no, it’s bad! Th-those two Qi Refiners are attacking again from outside!”

“What?!”

Although he didn’t understand when Mu Lin and the other had turned into paper, the fact that they hadn’t fled but were instead attacking from outside suited the Fu Ji Proprietor’s intentions perfectly.

Thus, he snorted coldly and said, “You refuse the path to heaven and insist on barging through the gates of hell. Come on, let’s capture them right now—”

“Pfft!”

Something unexpected happened again to the Fu Ji Proprietor. As he approached the two waiters, a knife and a sword immediately swung toward him.

What made Mu Lin, who was orchestrating all this, raise an eyebrow was that despite his flawless execution, the Fu Ji Proprietor still reacted at the last possible moment, blocking one of the strikes.

Only one sword managed to pierce a hole in him.

The injury sent the Fu Ji Proprietor into a rage.

“Bastards, how dare you betray me!”

“Heh, betrayal? Wasn’t it you who betrayed us first, betraying humanity!”

These words made the Fu Ji Proprietor’s eyes widen in shock.

By now, he fully understood that the two waiters before him were not his subordinates at all—they had been replaced.

“Bastards, die!”

“It’s you who should die!”

After the ambush, the two Yellow Turban Warriors no longer hid their identities. Relying on their immense strength and invulnerability to blades and spears, they engaged in a fierce battle with the Fu Ji Proprietor.

Meanwhile, as the fight erupted in the basement, clashes also broke out inside the tavern.

However, unlike the powerful Fu Ji Proprietor, who had seen through Mu Lin’s scheme, those upstairs failed to notice anything amiss about the proprietor.

Yes, there was another Fu Ji Proprietor upstairs.

While the proprietor had been looking for an opportunity to ambush during the meal, Mu Lin hadn’t been idle either.

Aside from gathering information, he had used his Grandmaster Level Paper Folding skills during that time to craft paper figures resembling the waiters accompanying him and even the proprietor himself.

Then, relying on his Master Grade Painting ability and Master Grade Calligraphy, the paper figures Mu Lin folded not only matched the proprietor in build but also closely resembled his appearance.

As the commotion from the basement reached upstairs and several waiters sensed something was wrong, drawing their blades and preparing to head downstairs, the ‘Fu Ji Proprietor’ suddenly stepped out and snorted coldly, “What are you all doing? Planning a rebellion?”

“No, Proprietor, it’s downstairs…”

“That’s the Qi Refiners’ last resort, but it’s nothing more than a desperate struggle. Leave the basement to me.”

After speaking, the Fuji Proprietor called over a waiter.

“Come here, I have something to assign. If you handle this well, you can have the first taste of the Qi Refiners’ flesh.”

“Gulp…”

Upon hearing this, the mutated waiter immediately scurried over eagerly.

This rendered the series of arguments Mu Lin had prepared completely useless.

‘So easily fooled. While the mutation made them stronger, it also diminished their intelligence.’

After this reflection, Mu Lin, maintaining his composure, promptly entered a room.

Once the waiter stepped inside, with a “bang,” two burly men suddenly leaped out from the sides. One covered his mouth while the other stabbed him with a knife.

“Thud!”

“Mmm…”

Soon, the waiter was stabbed to death.

After the killing, the Fuji Proprietor did not leave immediately. Instead, he took out a sheet of white paper and swiftly began folding it.

“Swish…”

In just a few deft movements, a lifelike paper figure appeared in his palm. Then, Mu Lin (the substitute) took out a brush and began painting on the paper figure’s face.

“Swish, swish, swish…”

After a few strokes, a miniature paper figure soon appeared in the substitute’s (Fuji Proprietor’s) hand.

To make its aura and scent more convincing and avoid raising suspicion, Mu Lin even smeared the original waiter’s blood on it and inscribed its True Name—during the earlier banquet conversation, Mu Lin had memorized the names of everyone in Fu Ji Tavern.

“Huff…”

After blowing a breath onto it, the recently stabbed waiter ‘stood up’ once more.

Then, this waiter walked out with the exact same gait as before.

As he passed by another waiter, he pointed toward the room and spoke in a perfectly normal tone:

“The proprietor is calling you. Hurry up.”

“What for?”

“Why ask so many questions? Just go when you’re called.”

The one who entered was a waiter, and the one who came out was also a waiter. Not only did they look identical, but their scents were exactly the same, which prevented the summoned waiter from noticing anything amiss.

With a mix of confusion, unease, and anticipation, the waiter entered the ‘Fuji Proprietor’s’ room—confused about why the proprietor had called him, uneasy due to his fear of the Fuji Proprietor, and anticipating the chance to taste the Qi Refiners’ flesh.

“I wonder how many bites of the Qi Refiners’ flesh I’ll get to taste… I really want to try that woman’s flesh, so tender and delicate…”

“Mmm… Thud…”

Amid his hopes for the future, the unsuspecting waiter had his mouth covered by a Yellow Turban Warrior, while a blade swung at him from the side.

Soon, the newly arrived waiter was hacked to death.

In less than a minute, this dead waiter went out again and called in a new waiter.

“Mmm…”

“Thud…”

“Mmm…”

“Thud…”

Just like that, under complete surprise, several waiters of Fu Ji Tavern were all ambushed and killed by the unscrupulous Mu Lin.

Next came the accountant, the kitchen helpers, and even the head chef.

Relying on Grandmaster Level Paper Crafting, Master Grade Painting, and Master Grade True Name writing stained with blood, Mu Lin deceived everyone.

Hmm… when ambushing the head chef, there was an unexpected incident, but it didn’t notice anything unusual about the waiter.

However, as the leader second only to the Fu Ji Proprietor, its mutation was extremely severe. Even though the Yellow Turban Warrior, relying on his immense strength, plunged a knife into its chest and pierced its heart, it still didn’t die.

Not only did it not die, but the lively creature nearly escaped the Yellow Turban Warrior’s control.

Fortunately, by this time, Fu Ji Tavern was entirely under Mu Lin’s control.

Upon noticing signs of resistance from the head chef, all the waiters and accountants rushed over, restraining it with their combined efforts.

Then, overwhelmed by numbers, it was pinned down by seven or eight people and, in a humiliating defeat, was hacked to death by a flurry of blades.

“Phew… finally, they’re all dead.”

(End of Chapter)