I am the villain in the book

Yan Luo has appeared!

Holy crap, Chu Xianping is amazing!

The wind whistled past his ears as Wei Changtian sprinted across the rooftops of some unknown houses, subconsciously turning his head to glance at Chu Xianping beside him.

Alongside them were Qin Zhengqiu and three night watchmen who had mastered the Moon Picking Sword technique to the level of proficiency.

The long sword, capable of unleashing a single, perfect Moon Picking Sword strike, was now safely stored in Wei Changtian's Starry Sky Saber sheath, waiting to be handed over to any one of the three upon encountering Yan Luo, so they could slay him in one fell swoop.

Ten miles, at most, could be covered in the time it takes to burn an incense stick!

As long as Du Chang could stall Yan Luo until then, this matter would be a success!

“Swish! Swish, swish, swish!”

“Crack!”

Roof tiles shattered under their weight, but before the broken pieces could fall, the six figures had already flashed several feet away.

At this moment, Wei Changtian only hoped he could be faster.

Conversely, Du Chang, who was currently sitting opposite Yan Luo, only hoped their conversation could be slower.

How Du Chang realized that "Guan Jingzhong" was Yan Luo in disguise was actually quite simple.

Although he didn't possess Chu Xianping's meticulous observation skills and was prone to recklessness and a thirst for quick results,

it had to be said that Du Chang did indeed possess a mind that was comparable to Chu Xianping's.

Ever since Wei Changtian entrusted him with the plan to lure Yan Luo out, Du Chang had immediately proposed a suggestion to easily identify "friend or foe."

That was the use of a code.

This was a code used only on a small scale, encompassing all those whose identities Yan Luo might borrow to gather information.

This included Guan Jingzhong.

So, under normal circumstances, "Guan Jingzhong" should have replied with a phrase after Du Chang said his first sentence—"Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger."

Then Du Chang would need to respond with "Chicken Stew with Mushrooms" to confirm each other's identities.

Such a code full of mischievous fun was, of course, Wei Changtian's idea.

However, that wasn't the point; the point was that Guan Jingzhong hadn't said "Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger" just now.

Naturally, Du Chang didn't believe that a spy chief who specialized in intelligence would forget such a thing, so he immediately ignited the Mother-Child Jade without hesitation.

What he had to do next was to stall Yan Luo until Wei Changtian and the others arrived.

“Lord Guan, please have some tea.”

Smiling, Du Chang poured a cup of tea for Guan Jingzhong before slowly saying, “Young Master Wei has his own arrangements; we just need to follow them.”

“Ah, although that’s what you say, I’m still worried.”

He gathered the teacup with his internal force, then shook his head and pretended to put it down with a "troubled" expression.

Bai Youheng's performance was truly masterful, and Du Chang also realized at this moment how meticulous his opponent's mind was, becoming even more cautious in his words and actions.

Guan Jingzhong's pupils constricted, and his expression faltered.

This reaction of his was genuine.

“Young Master Du, may I ask what Young Master Wei is planning to do?”

“This matter…”

Du Chang knew that Yan Luo had appeared for this reason, and he also understood that this was his best opportunity to stall him.

Therefore, he couldn't reveal the non-existent method, but he also couldn't say nothing at all.

Only in this way could he delay as much time as possible.

“Ahem, Lord Guan, I shouldn't say much about this, but it's okay to tell you.”

Under Guan Jingzhong's gaze, Du Chang whispered, “I only hope that you will never reveal this matter, otherwise, if it ruins Young Master's great plan, you and I will become eternal sinners.”

“Young Master Du, rest assured, I’m just curious and understand the importance of discretion.”

Guan Jingzhong leaned closer, his feigned breathing becoming rapid.

However, he didn't get the answer he wanted, but instead…

“Lord Guan, I can say…”

Du Chang suddenly waved his hand, creating a gust of wind that closed the window, then mysteriously whispered, “But can you do me a small favor?”

“Oh?”

Guan Jingzhong narrowed his eyes: “Young Master Du, please speak freely.”

“Good.”

Du Chang cupped his fist slightly: “Lord Guan, to be honest, I was originally from Dafeng, and I only work under Young Master Wei because I was forced to.”

“If possible, please say a few good words for me in front of the Emperor when you have the chance, preferably to have the Emperor ask Young Master Wei to keep me in Fengyuan.”

“That's it; I wonder if Lord Guan is willing to help?”

“…”

Originally from Dafeng, forced to work for Wei Changtian.

Wanting to exchange information about Yan Luo for a chance to get rid of Wei Changtian.

Du Chang's statement not only bought time but also conveniently "explained" why he was willing to sell such important "information."

For a moment, Bai Youheng, who didn't know Du Chang's true origins, indeed no longer suspected anything and quickly replied:

“Hahaha, I thought it was something.”

“It’s easy, Young Master Du, just rest assured!”

“In that case, then thank you, Lord Guan!”

A look of joy appeared on Du Chang's face, and he took another sip of tea before slowly returning to the "main topic."

“Lord Guan, about how to search for Yan Luo's trail… ahem, it’s actually not complicated, only because Young Master Wei has a treasure.”

“Treasure?”

Guan Jingzhong was stunned and immediately asked, “Why wasn’t such a treasure used before?”

“That’s because there are many restrictions on using this treasure.”

Du Chang continued to make things up: “This is also what we have been preparing for in the past few days, and now everything is ready, only one final step remains.”

Only one final step remains…

“I wonder what this final step is?”

Guan Jingzhong immediately asked, then added, “I may be able to help.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Lord Guan, but Young Master Wei has his own plans for this matter…”

Du Chang needed time to think of an answer without any loopholes, so he naturally had to use these "nonsense" words to delay a bit.

But it was this pause of less than two breaths that made Guan Jingzhong, or rather Bai Youheng, sense something was wrong.

“Hahaha, it's okay if Young Master Du doesn't want to say.”

Changing his attitude, Guan Jingzhong suddenly gave up exploring the truth and stood up directly: “It just so happens that I suddenly remembered something that needs to be dealt with.”

“Sorry.”

“…”

They were chatting so well, but Yan Luo suddenly wanted to leave.

Now that Wei Changtian and the others hadn't arrived yet, Du Chang was naturally anxious when he saw this, and his expression couldn't be controlled for a moment.

In a contest between experts, victory or defeat lies in the slightest difference.

This momentary flaw was naturally seen by Bai Youheng, who was deliberately probing.

“Young Master Du, farewell.”

After saying a word, he turned around and walked towards the door.

At this time, Bai Youheng couldn't be 100% sure that Du Chang already knew his identity, so he still left a way out and didn't completely run away.

But for Du Chang, he understood that Yan Luo was already 100% aware that something was wrong.

“Lord Guan, please stop!”

Du Chang shouted loudly, and when he saw that the other party didn't stop, he didn't hesitate and immediately activated Plan B, which was specifically designated for this situation.

“Bang!”

A bright red signal flare shot out of the wooden window, and then burst in the air.

Although it was daytime, this dazzling red light was still obvious.

Immediately afterward, the entire Fengyuan City fell into complete chaos.