Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Undercover, Slacking Off

When a cultivator of External Refining Copper Skin circulates their Power, their skin grows incredibly tough and changes color. Their resistance to blows increases dramatically, and ordinary weapons can barely harm them.

Although the first layer of External Refining Copper Skin—Bronze Skin—does not grant complete immunity to blades, an ordinary weapon would struggle to inflict a deep wound. At most, it might leave a small cut or a shallow scratch.

After breaking through to the External Refining Copper Skin Realm, one’s physical strength increases massively, far surpassing someone who has only reached Great Success in their Power. Their overall capabilities are on a completely different level.

Yang Chan had made many preparations, but he had never expected Zhao Ziqing to be an External Refining Copper Skin expert. For someone with that level of strength to lie low in the Medicine Hall as a mere Official Disciple, instead of seeking promotion to Elite Disciple, meant something was definitely wrong. He had to be hiding a huge secret; he might even be an agent from another power, secretly planted within the Cyan Yuan Sect.

This brought a term to Yang Chan’s mind: ’undercover agent.’

Only that kind of person would resort to such extreme measures after being exposed.

Otherwise, if he had merely been tampering with the medicinal herbs, he would have faced severe punishment, but his life would not have been in danger.

Zhao Ziqing’s current Reaction was far too extreme.

Yang Chan’s brow furrowed slightly as he considered whether he should reveal his strength. Although he hadn’t yet broken through to the Copper Skin Realm, he was only a single step away and could make the leap in an instant if he chose to.

He would have already broken through if not for the fact that the subsequent changes to his skin would attract unwanted attention.

As the thought crossed his mind, Yang Chan glanced at Steward Li’s impassive face. After a moment’s consideration, he made his choice.

A look of terror appeared on his face. As if finally reacting, he spun around and bolted toward the Pharmacy in the back.

“Yang Chan, surrender your life!”

Zhao Ziqing roared and lunged toward Yang Chan, intending to kill him and sate his hatred.

In his eyes, Yang Chan was the source of all this, and therefore the target of his revenge. Besides, among everyone present, Yang Chan was the weakest.

Killing one person meant he wouldn’t be at a loss. If he killed a few more, he’d even come out ahead. Such was the fate of an undercover agent from a rival sect.

Once discovered, they became disposable pawns with no escape route. Their only option was to go down fighting in the most extreme way possible.

If it weren’t for this business with Yang Chan, he could have held on for much longer, perhaps even left the Cyan Yuan Sect alive. But now, that was all impossible.

With the Law Enforcement Hall getting involved, he could no longer hide his many secrets. His identity and background would all be exposed, which might even endanger his real family.

His choice to take the most extreme path now was deliberate. By causing a huge commotion, he could alert the other spies within the Cyan Yuan Sect. It was a final warning, and it also signaled that he had not betrayed them, a plea to his handlers not to harm his family.

At this moment, Zhao Ziqing had no other choice. Or rather, from the moment he first entered the Cyan Yuan Sect, he never had any choice at all.

It wasn’t surprising that his cover was blown. He had passed on too much information, and that was bound to arouse suspicion eventually.

After a Cyan Yuan Sect Elder, along with several Direct and Elite Disciples, was ambushed by the Three Major Sects, the Sect had launched an internal investigation.

Zhao Ziqing knew the investigation hadn’t reached him yet, but he figured it was only a matter of time. Although he operated in secret, he had sensed the danger. That was why he’d wanted to secure a position as a Pharmacist’s Assistant; it would provide a better way to pass on information while also deflecting suspicion.

But he had only just started, and his plan had already backfired spectacularly, drawing all the trouble directly to himself.

Under the circumstances, Zhao Ziqing had no other options. He could only fight to the death and try to take a few people down with him; in his mind, that would count as completing his mission.

Yang Chan’s steps did not look fast, yet he managed to evade Zhao Ziqing’s lunges twice in a row, his movements surprisingly agile.

Just as Zhao Ziqing lunged at him for a third time, a figure appeared in front of Yang Chan. It was Steward Wang, who had been nowhere to be seen until this moment.

Steward Wang’s skin now glowed with an Ancient Bronze hue. Zhao Ziqing’s killing blow struck the Steward but failed to injure him in the slightest.

Instead, Steward Wang shot out a kick that sent Zhao Ziqing sprawling to the ground. He lay there for a long moment, unable to get up, his internal organs clearly injured.

Skin that took on an Ancient Bronze color was the final step of Skin Refining, a sign of achieving Great Success in the art. A cultivator at this stage could no longer be marked by ordinary blades; only specially forged weapons could hope to pierce the flesh of an expert of this Level. Their strength was truly formidable.

Only then did Yang Chan stop running, putting on a convincing act of someone still reeling from the shock. Deep down, however, he was not surprised at all.

’This is more or less what I expected,’ he thought. ’The people in charge here wouldn’t just let Zhao Ziqing kill someone, especially not an Official Disciple.’

The Medicine Hall’s Guard Disciples promptly broke Zhao Ziqing’s arms and legs before dragging him away. They clearly intended to interrogate him to extract more useful information.

Zhao Ziqing’s Reaction was enough to prove he was hiding something significant, and a thorough investigation was needed.

“The Medicine Hall is a restricted area! No more disturbances. Get back to work.”

Steward Sikong finally stepped forward and spoke.

Clearly, he was another one who had been watching from the sidelines, only showing himself after the drama had concluded.

It reminded Yang Chan of certain characters from movies and television shows.

Yang Chan, who was in the crowd, was just about to slip away when Steward Sikong told him to stay behind.

He only spoke a few sentences, but their content took Yang Chan by surprise.

Sikong Yan told Yang Chan that the incident with the switched herbs was now concluded. He added that if their investigation of Zhao Ziqing and the others uncovered anything significant, Yang Chan would be rewarded with things like cultivation packets and silver coins.

The gist of it was that Yang Chan had done well, and that he should continue to report any future discoveries directly to Sikong Yan.

It was clear he was trying to recruit Yang Chan as his personal informant to keep tabs on the inner workings of the Medicine Hall.

Yang Chan naturally agreed on the surface. As for whether he would ever actually have any information to report, well, that was another matter entirely.

He never would have acted if this plot hadn’t been aimed at him. He didn’t want someone constantly targeting him from the shadows, disrupting the low-profile life he was trying to maintain within the Sect.

He’d had no choice. They had forced his hand.

When Yang Chan chose to act, he preferred to be thorough—to solve the problem once and for all by eliminating it at its source. Getting to the root of the trouble was the only thing that mattered.

However, judging by Zhao Ziqing’s actions, this “source” was anything but simple; it might even be connected to a rival Sect. As for that, Yang Chan could only offer his apologies. If he ran into a similar situation again, he would do the exact same thing.

This incident also brought to mind the Servant Disciple Wang Sheng, who had been kicked off the mountain long ago. Given the current chaotic state of the outside world, he had likely vanished from the mortal realm by now.

After leaving Sikong Yan, Yang Chan returned to the Pharmacy and resumed his work, sorting a new batch of fresh medicinal herbs. Even though the herbs were different, Yang Chan’s aptitude was remarkable. He sorted them with such skill that he was still on track to finish his task ahead of schedule.

However, Yang Chan then recalled how finishing his task too early yesterday had led to that extra basket of Danggui—the very source of all this trouble. After a moment’s thought, he decided to slow his pace.

He wasn’t slacking off, of course. He was simply being extra thorough.

’Just that dedicated.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep