Chapter 20: Disguise Arts, Wei Wu's Legacy

Chapter 20: Disguise Arts, Wei Wu’s Legacy

“Benefactor, I specialize in Disguise Arts, so I could tell you had changed,” Zhu Yan replied.

Su Chen fell silent. He had thought his disguise was flawless, but Zhu Yan had still seen through it.

“Since you helped me find this money, I’ll give you a chance. If you want me to avenge you, what can you offer in return?” Su Chen said, glancing at Zhu Yan.

Hearing this, Zhu Yan’s face lit up with uncontrollable joy. He had been waiting for this moment since their conversation began.

But his excitement quickly faded. He pulled out the last few silver taels he had left and chuckled nervously. “Benefactor, I only have less than ten taels left. Could I offer something else instead?”

“Tell me what you have.”

Zhu Yan quickly produced two secret manuals. “These are treasures from my Zhu Clan—one is a Medical Secret Manual passed down through generations, and the other is a manual on Disguise Arts. If you agree, I’ll give both to you as payment.”

Disguise Arts?

Su Chen’s heart stirred. He had just been wondering how to obtain the Disguise Arts manual from Zhu Yan when the opportunity presented itself.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “How strong is Zhao Kuo?”

“He’s slightly stronger than Liu Tong. I once saw them fight—Liu Tong lost, but Zhao Kuo was injured too. That was nearly a year ago, though. I’ve observed Zhao Kuo since, but never seen him fight again.”

Zhu Yan scratched his head as he finished speaking.

Among the three men, he hated Lin Hai and Liu Tong more. Compared to Zhao Kuo, those two were easier to track and simpler to take revenge on.

“I’ll try,” Su Chen said finally. “If he truly is as strong as you claim, I’ll intervene. But if I realize I can’t defeat him, I’ll abandon the mission. And…”

“And what else?”

“You must pay half the fee upfront—give me the Disguise Arts manual first.”

With that, Su Chen fell silent, waiting for Zhu Yan’s response.

Zhu Yan stood frozen, his expression shifting between hesitation and resolve. Finally, he nodded. “Fine. I’ll do as you say.”

He handed the Disguise Arts manual to Su Chen and began explaining its techniques without holding back.

Su Chen listened quietly, memorizing every word.

The Disguise Arts Zhu Yan described were far more complex than he had imagined.

Half an hour later, Zhu Yan’s throat grew hoarse, and he finally finished. Along the way, he had also shared all the information he had gathered about Zhao Kuo—limited but valuable.

“Understood. I’ll remember everything,” Su Chen said, picking up the silver taels from the box and tucking them into his robe before turning to Zhu Yan.

“Benefactor, how can I find you?”

“Wait at the Lin Family Fortress. I’ll appear once it’s done.”

With that, Su Chen turned and left.

Zhu Yan watched his retreating figure, clenched his fist, and a flicker of hope crossed his face.

“I hope Benefactor really can kill that bastard Zhao Kuo for me!”

…

Three days later.

At the Fragrant Pavilion.

A broad-shouldered figure sat by the window.

A steel saber hung at his waist, and the long sleeve of his false arm sheath draped over the chair, highlighting his unique appearance.

The table held a few dishes and a pot of tea. He alternated between eating and sipping tea, his movements graceful despite his missing arm.

This was Su Chen.

After three days of learning from Zhu Yan, his mastery of Disguise Arts had deepened significantly.

If not for the fact that Disguise Arts didn’t fall under martial arts, Su Chen could have used his Progress Panel to grasp it faster.

Still, compared to before, his skills had improved dramatically.

Whereas traces of his original appearance had lingered before, now even a close inspection would fail to detect his transformation.

People would simply assume he had only one arm.

As he ate, Su Chen observed the street below, recalling the information Zhu Yan had provided.

Zhao Kuo visited the teahouse opposite the Virtuous Gathering Hall every morning around ten o’clock—almost without exception.

“There he is!”

Suddenly, Su Chen caught sight of a familiar figure. Accompanied by two members of the Jade White Gang, Zhao Kuo strode toward the teahouse.

The Jade White Gang was one of White Stone City’s premier factions. As a hall master, Zhao Kuo held significant power, so having two guards wasn’t unusual.

Besides, this area fell under his jurisdiction—there was no need for more guards.

Zhao Kuo entered the teahouse and, as usual, headed straight for the window seat.

The teahouse had reserved this spot for him. Every time he arrived, tea and snacks were already prepared.

Sitting by the window, Zhao Kuo sipped his fragrant tea while scanning the street below. His sharp eyes moved with predatory intent over the passersby.

Su Chen, seated diagonally across, shook his head.

Just as Zhu Yan had said, Zhao Kuo had a taste for beauty.

But his preference leaned toward married women!

His daily visits to the teahouse were all about hunting for such targets.

The young maidens were secondary prey.

His main targets were married women of passing beauty.

Once he found one, he’d have his men follow her and drag her home.

Su Chen had investigated the fates of those women. None had escaped Zhao Kuo’s grasp.

Families that dared to protest rarely lasted long.

As Su Chen observed, Zhao Kuo suddenly leapt to his feet, his narrow eyes fixed on a yellow-robed woman below.

He had found his target—and this time, he seemed especially pleased.

Instead of sending his men, he followed her himself.

Su Chen shook his head again. “I wonder what expression he’ll make if he realizes this woman is actually a man in disguise.”

The moment Zhao Kuo locked onto the yellow-robed woman, Su Chen sensed something off.

The Disguise Arts he had studied these past days proved useful—Su Chen spotted the woman’s deception at a glance.

“Is this person deliberately luring Zhao Kuo? Could they have a grudge against him?”

As Zhao Kuo descended to the street, following the yellow-robed woman, Su Chen rose, left the payment on the table, and trailed after them.

Meanwhile, Zhao Kuo followed the yellow-robed woman, unaware of the trap.

Unknowingly, he was led into a secluded alley.

When the woman suddenly stopped and turned to face him, Zhao Kuo finally sensed something amiss.

He glared at her. “Who are you?”

“The one here to kill you!”

The yellow-robed woman snarled, her arm flicking out to reveal a long sword.

With blade in hand, she lunged at Zhao Kuo.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end