Bubai, now clad in dark attire that screamed “I am suspicious”, leaped with effortless grace over the tall wall, landing soundlessly on the other side.

Like an alert deer, he stood still, his keen eyes scanning the surroundings...

Shortly after, he relaxed.

“Seems there is no problem.” Bubai playfully swayed the newly acquired token in his hand before hanging it back onto his waist.

With a confident stride, he moved away from the setting sun, heading due eastward into the heart of the compound.

During his walk, his divine sense swept out, scouting his route for any possible obstacles.

Not far ahead, Bubai immediately discovered a large pond, its surface shimmering in the noon light. He also spotted a couple of guards in the distance, standing watch in a roofed walkway meandering through the complex.

"Stay vigilant," one guard cautioned the others, "lest the dirty man sneaks in again after diverting the tiger away from the mountain."

“Yes, captain.” The other women raised their weapons in salute before splitting off to patrol the area.

“Hey, it seems it isn’t the first time that rascal used this trick. No wonder he looked for another person to test the water. Even a normal foundation establishment cultivator would be stumped at this point, but...”

Bubai suppressed a soft snicker, his lips curling into a smirk. Every movement of these guards were within the scope of his vision, but he wasn’t in theirs.

Calculating their routes, he traced the footsteps of the guards, expertly maneuvering around them without even entering their line of sight.

Lucky for him, there weren’t women like the statues guarding the secret passage.

But he can't rule out the possibility.

While his hawk-like eyes scanned around, Bubai couldn’t help muttering under his breath. “Best to keep behind obstacles and make this trip as quick as possible."

Bubai moved like a ghost through the compound, his speed abnormally swift despite sticking behind the decorative rocks and ornate buildings.

He eventually passed through a circular moon gate, finding himself in a tranquil garden – a rare sight in the desert.

His eyes wandered over the colorful flowers blooming in the artificial beds, each teeming with rich soil, "So extravagant.”

But his admiration was short-lived as another thought clouded his mind, “Um… I should still have some spare time...”

He quickly scanned the area, ensuring that the coast was clear before he made his move.

Approaching one of the flower beds, Bubai squatted down beside it and began scooping handfuls of dirt, each scoop seemingly disappearing into thin air with his touch.

Dirt was a rare commodity in the desert. So, he obviously needed to bring some back as a souvenir…

After a couple of scoops, he restrained his greed. “This isn’t BaiCraft. I don’t need so much dirt...”

However, glancing down at the uneven surface his digging left behind, he muttered to himself, "But I should make sure to even it out."

So, he quickly scooted around the flower bed, giving the rest of the soil “equal treatment”.

Satisfied that his heist was executed “flawlessly”, Bubai rose to his feet, brushing the dirt off his hands.

"Oh no, wasted some time. I should speed up."

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Whoosh.

It didn't take long for Bubai to find his destination - a walled-off residence standing alone in the large inner court with neatly paved ground.

A sign hung above the entrance at the southeastern corner: “Spring Flower Courtyard”.

“This should be the place, but…”

Bubai’s gaze fixated on the walls overgrown with reddish-green vines that seemed innocuous at first glance.

But no matter how he looked at it… they obviously screamed “I am suspicious”.

Bubai’s brows knitted together in concentration, his divine sense extending out, enveloping the vines like a cautious predator testing its prey.

His suspicions were confirmed when he sensed the faint pulse of blood coursing through the veins of the plant. This wasn’t just a plant, it was a predatory creature!

Blood-sucking vines – a carnivorous plant capable of draining a human dry within minutes. Even cultivators of the Foundation Establishment realm could fall victim to their deadly embrace if they were silly enough to let themselves be entangled.

Their weakness is fire and their heart - a bulb buried deep underground…

“Directly striking the core is obviously not possible... On the other hand, it would take a strong blaze to overcome its tenacious vitality. Otherwise, it would only serve to enrage it further…”

Well… he certainly didn’t have any powerful fire element technique in his arsenal.

Even if he did, starting a fire was out of the question. It was basically announcing to everyone that there is an intruder…

"It seems wall climbing is not an option." Bubai sighed, “I just knew this job couldn’t be so simple.”

Bubai let his divine sense seep through the walls.

He immediately noted the open-air interior courtyard, but devoid of any semblance of a garden except the vines that clung to each of the walls.

A large portion of the courtyard had tall stakes driven into the ground, commonly used for footwork training.

A paved stone path snaked through these bamboo stakes, leading to a small wooden bridge that crossed a small pond, guiding the way to the front hall of the main complex.

Passing through the screen wall shielding the entrance, he was greeted by the lavish hall, decorated with a few pots of bonsai, giving it a hint of vitality.

What truly caught his eyes was the wooden furniture with intricate engravings, depicting dragons and phoenixes soaring through the clouds.

“Oh, really doing the full set. If it wasn’t for the stakes outside, I would’ve thought this was some imperial palace instead of a demonic sect…”

Bubai’s divine sense continued to probe forward, passing through the back wall and into a boudoir.

Inside, the aesthetics were elegant yet much more simplistic, a stark contrast to the classy furnishing outside.

The soft lighting of the room guided him to the mirror of the ornate vanity table, positioned against the solid wall, opposite the foot of the arhat bed.

His senses subsequently fell upon the bed, where a pouch embroidered with a phoenix sat next to a small, low table. A neatly folded black uniform sat atop the kang table, and atop the clothing lay a familiar black mask, declaring its ties with the law enforcement hall.

His attention was finally drawn to the small three-legged table where a sheathed dagger rested, its green jade handle absorbing the ambient heat from the teapot sitting behind it.

“Huh?” A feeling of deja vu washed over Bubai. "Could it be her?"

It couldn’t be such a coincidence, right?

Bubai's divine sense retreated from the bedroom and cautiously crossed the corridor, seeking out his target like a shark smelling blood.

When he approached the steamy, obscure glass door, he convinced himself for what lay beyond. “I’m simply making sure my scouting is thorough, that’s all...”

With a deep breath, his divine senses pushed through the door, stepping into the misty steam that enveloped the bathhouse.

But this fog of war wasn’t going to stop him!

His divine sense bravely pressed forward, parting the fog to reveal the scene before him.

A vaguely steaming pool came into view, and within it stood a woman of unparalleled beauty.

Her side profile was a study in perfection, with sharp eyebrows framing her flawless features.

His focus soon left the jade beauty’s face, following her slender fingers as they sensually trailed down her long, soaked black hair – bundled together and flowing down one side of her slender neck, cascading down over her delicate collarbone to caress her wet skin.

Her fingers led his focus down to her curvy figure, where his eyes were drawn inexorably to the small jade green flame birthmark on her bosom, its strange allure captivating him like a whirlpool sucking him in...

But his reverie was abruptly shattered when the woman's head snapped in his direction, her jade green eyes sharpening with an intensity that would send a shiver down any men’s spine.

After a moment of tense silence, the woman's frown softened slightly, her eyes scanning the bathhouse with a vigilant gaze.

"Was it just my imagination?"

Outside the residence, Bubai patted his own heart as he grunted unhappily, “Huh. I didn’t expect her senses to be so sharp. Well, it seems I'll have to be more careful."

Bubai's sights once again settled upon the residence. When he recalled the glimpse he had just captured, he couldn't help but smack his lips. That quality was indeed top-notch.

His divine sense extended once more…

Hovering right outside the bathhouse, Bubai refrained from entering this time. He only waited outside with bated breath, the unparalleled beauty still lingering in his mind…

After a brief moment passed without any indication that the woman had finished her bath early due to his earlier intrusion, Bubai sighed in relief. “Seems I don’t have to abandon the mission.”

But his relief was short-lived. When his gaze drifted back to the vine-covered walls, his mind was stuck with another puzzle. "Now, how do I get in?"