Zhi Guan took a deep breath and waited for another patrol to pass before leaving his hideout. He looked around the place more closely, trying to first find a place where he could hide the second disciple. If he found that spot, the rest of the plan was more likely to work out. At the very least, he’d win himself some time even if the disciple was finally found.

The surroundings of the demonic side’s headquarters were mountainous. There were boulders lying around every path and stony hills poking out like skeletons. Actually, it was the perfect place to hide from view.

The problem was that it didn’t offer much in terms of protection when a close search was conducted. After all, you could only duck out of view but didn’t have more sophisticated spots that could shield you from view everywhere.

Zhi Guan pursed his lips. So far, his search hadn’t yielded much. By now, his hope that this would change soon also wasn’t high. In that case … he could only improvise.

He went to find a spot that was as hidden as possible. There was a big boulder on the right side and a crack in the ground deep enough for a person to lie in. Zhi Guan reached out and rubbed the surface of the stone. It was firm, not really what he needed but then, this could be dealt with.

He looked up, his gaze darting over the landscape around him. There was nobody in sight for now so he should have a moment.

He opened his spatial bag again, rummaging through it until he found a small tube. If he wasn’t wrong … His eyes narrowed and he tried to remember more clearly. Over the years, his second junior martial brother had given him quite a few things. There were also those that he had confiscated after finding Yan Hong Min hiding to play a prank on their third or fourth junior martial brother.

So by now, he had a sizable collection of items in his spatial bag that could be used for all kinds of … mischief. Well, if he used them, it wasn’t for mischief but for an actual practical purpose. In this case, he also had an idea.

He returned to the spot where he had originally been hiding and waited silently. Another group on patrol came by, the black robes of the three people billowing with each step. Their gazes brushed over their surroundings and Zhi Guan felt their spiritual sense wash over him. Well, unfortunately for them, he was prepared for that kind of check. As long as their level didn’t surpass his, they wouldn’t be able to find him at all.

He waited for them to pass by and pulled out his sword, his gaze fixed in the other direction. Time slowly passed by. The sky above was dark with only a few stars glittering and sending down some light. Most likely, half the night had already passed.

Zhi Guan narrowed his eyes but still didn’t move. This kind of rescue mission still relied on being careful. Not to mention that he wanted to make it back. He might not care much for Yang Wu Huang but he still remembered his third junior martial brother’s tears. He wouldn’t let him be afraid of losing yet another person close to him.

Soon, the next patrol appeared. Just as expected, there were only two people in the group this time. Zhi Guan watched them closely, his eyes narrowing further while his muscles tensed.

As soon as they passed by the spot he was hiding, he rushed out. He hit one of them in the neck, making him collapse on the spot before he grabbed the other one and stifled his yelp for help. Then, he hit him unconscious too.

Zhi Guan gave a satisfied hum when his work was done. That had worked just as well as expected. He looked around to make sure that there indeed was nobody else to be seen and then dragged the two of them behind the boulder.

He didn’t waste any time and stripped the taller disciple down to his underwear. Changing his own white robe for the black one, he nodded to himself. Then, he pulled out his spatial bag again, taking a small vial from inside that contained a pinkish powder.

According to Yan Hong Min, this substance was called ‘sweet dreams’ and the color was modeled after the blushing cheeks of this or that senior martial sister. So, in other words, something he had only seen in his own sweet dreams. As for the benefit of this powder? Well, it could make a person have precisely such sweet dreams for several hours at least, maybe even for a whole day at a time. How long it lasted mostly depended on the amount you used and their level.

Zhi Guan didn’t hesitate and poured half of it onto the face of one disciple and the other half on that of the other disciple. Then, he put the empty vial away and dragged both disciples toward the hiding spot he had chosen.

Landing next to it, he pushed the disciple whom he had borrowed the robe from into the crack in the ground. He wouldn’t fit at first so Zhi Guan stepped on his waist and tried to push him down further. Finally, the disciple was completely wedged in the crack.

Zhi Guan nodded to himself and then pulled out the tube he had looked for before. Furrowing his brows, he tightly pulled at both sides. Immediately, a wagonload of sand poured down, covering the disciple in the ground, as well as Zhi Guan’s feet up to his ankles.

Zhi Guan sighed, freed his feet, and then pulled out the disciple he was still carrying. Finally, he crouched down and brushed some of the sand away until half the disciple’s face could be seen. Anyway, he wasn’t trying to kill him. If he wanted to, he’d use his sword like an honorable person, not suffocate him with sand. That just didn’t seem right.