464: Chapter 464 Clues

Han Jingyang was unusually excited.

How could one describe that feeling?

It was the excitement and thrill of recovering something lost.

Early on, he had met all the conditions to obtain ownership of this bronze tripod and had even worked with Zhang Zhiyang to wipe out a nest of Japanese invaders.

Yet, in the end, he had missed out on the bronze tripod.

He had been so busy fighting that he had forgotten about it, but when he had no expectations left, news suddenly arrived that his bronze tripod had appeared in Dao City, which reignited a glimmer of hope.

When Zhang Zhiyang told him that a group of Japanese invaders was acting suspiciously, his hope grew even stronger; he was convinced the bronze tripod was in the hands of this group, so he immediately got up and set aside past grievances to cooperate with Zhang Zhiyang in pursuing them.

The process was filled with danger, and he had even used the "Four Symbols Seal," an extremely rare and powerful high-level skill, twice.

Once to save that group of children.

Once to save Liu Jing.

There was no such thing as a loss; he was happy to do it.

But regardless of his willingness, the cost was unavoidable—it was a textbook example of a sunk cost. If he didn't want to suffer too heavy a loss, the mission had to be carried out to the end to recoup some profit, even if it was just venting his anger by killing these Japanese invaders.

In any case, he couldn't return empty-handed.

However, just as they were about to catch up to the Japanese invaders, Zhang Zhiyang fumbled again, forcing him to increase his investment and use the "Great Circle Light Technique" twice in a row.

Yet, the gains from using the Great Circle Light Technique twice were mediocre; it didn't directly help him lock onto the Japanese invaders' specific hiding spot.

This left him very frustrated.

However, just as he was about to deactivate the skill, a turning point appeared: the bronze tripod he had been obsessing over revealed itself.

Although it was sealed in a box, the dimensions were unmistakable.

It was impossible for there to be another antique of the exact same size as his bronze tripod, right?

He couldn't give up!

He had come this far and had already expended all the necessary skills; why give up now when a little more effort could wipe out the enemy and secure the bounty?

He wouldn't hesitate to use a few more skills.

If that bronze tripod really was a good item and unlocked top-tier attributes, then all his previous efforts would have been worth it.

But how was he to locate the specific position of the Lu A Land Rover?

Zhang Zhiyang couldn't be relied upon.

Shen Yuhai's authority and level were inferior to Zhang Zhiyang's, so he was naturally even less reliable.

He still had to rely on items and skills.

Tracking skills?

That required clues, yet he...

Wait, clues?

Han Jingyang tried hard to recall the images he had observed when using the Great Circle Light Technique for the first time. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he hurriedly marked a point on the map and started navigation mode: "Hurry, go here. Whether we can catch these bastards depends on this attempt."

Liu Jing adjusted the direction without a word and drove according to the navigation.

Twenty minutes later.

The car stopped under a sign.

Han Jingyang got out and headed straight for the grassy ditch by the side of the road.

Liu Jing hurriedly got out too: "What are you looking for?"

"A box, a beverage box, fresh."

"What brand?"

"White background with blue accents. I didn't see the specific brand clearly, but there shouldn't be many people throwing boxes around here..."

Although he said that, as soon as he looked up, he saw seven or eight boxes, mostly milk cartons, along with other food boxes of similar shape.

The two of them worked together, picking up all the fresh-looking boxes nearby and bringing them to the roadside to compare them one by one, searching for the freshest one.

This was Han Jingyang's forte.

It was about looking at the patina.

A box thrown away the day before was different from one thrown away the day after; the state of the dust on them was different, the state of the residual milk or beverage was different, and even the smell was different.

After some extremely meticulous comparison, they finally found two of the freshest milk cartons, both with white backgrounds and blue accents, and the brand was the same.

Liu Jing was a bit frustrated: "What now? Take a guess between the two?"

Han Jingyang chuckled: "In the absence of physical objects, one would indeed have to rely on luck, but with the physical objects right here, why rely on luck?"

After saying this, he placed the two boxes side by side, took out a compass, held it in his hands, activated the "Divination" attribute, and simultaneously silently visualized the fleeting image he had seen earlier in the Great Circle Light Technique.

A few seconds later, the needle in the compass began to tremble and rotate, moving left and right, before finally pointing at the box on the left and stopping.

"It's this one!"

Han Jingyang put away the compass and took out the bamboo dragonfly he had used twice before.

Using the straw on the milk carton as a clue, he activated the skill.

The next second.

A phantom of the bamboo dragonfly flew out and headed west.

Meanwhile.

In Qingluo Village.

Inside a remote residential house.

More than a dozen people were gathered, and the atmosphere was quite heavy.

After a long while, an old man with a flat top wearing a kimono said in a deep voice: "Everyone, this mission has suffered heavy losses, and all fronts have collapsed. If it weren't for Kangping-kun's diversionary tactic working, we would still be trapped in Quancheng like rats. Fortunately, it is not without gains; we brought out the spoils of the last five months and even obtained the supreme treasure passed down by Yang Luchan. As long as we bring this batch of treasures back, not only will there be no punishment, but there will be merit. Everyone, please do not slack off!"

Everyone replied in unison: "Yes, Kato-kun."

The old man with the flat top continued: "Now, we have shaken off Han Jingyang and will have at least twenty-four hours to rest. After twenty-four hours, we will use a feint tactic, splitting into three routes, but all three routes will be decoys. I will personally escort the treasure straight to Ri City and exit the country from there. Those Huaxia people still digging three feet deep in Dao City would never imagine that we would leave from a neighboring city."

"Mr. Kato is resourceful."

"A small trick is nothing to speak of. However, Han Jingyang remains a stumbling block to the rise of our Great Japan; we must find a way to eradicate him. Everyone, do you have any good ideas? Even with the best wisdom, one must seek counsel from ten thousand; only by pooling ideas can we ensure foolproof success."

Upon hearing about eradicating Han Jingyang, everyone looked at each other.

They were stationed in Quancheng and were very clear about Han Jingyang's power and terror.

Asking them to think of a way to eradicate Han Jingyang...

If they had a way, would they have needed to escape Quancheng like avoiding a plague god?

Why did they have to escape?

Although official pressure was great, there was plenty of room to maneuver; they could always secure living space through various means.

But Han Jingyang was different. Once targeted by Han Jingyang, they would have no place to die.

Especially the Battle of Thousand Buddha Mountain a few days ago; Han Jingyang had wiped out their elite forces without even making a move himself. Afterward, he used some unknown means to break the feng shui of the Maitreya Victory Garden that they had been guarding. The maitreya buddha statue they had guarded for thirty years was hit by divine punishment, and the dragon vein that the maitreya buddha statue had suppressed for thirty years was instantly restored.

Thirty years of painstaking management were destroyed just like that at the hands of Han Jingyang.

Yet they didn't even know how Han Jingyang had done it.

This was the main reason they fled in panic.

They were truly terrified by Han Jingyang's elusive way of acting and his endless array of dharma instruments and spells.

They had never seen an opponent as powerful and unfathomable as Han Jingyang.

Yet now, their leader asked them to find a way to eradicate Han Jingyang...

It was simply ironic.

They would be better off leaving the country early than wasting time on this.

However, they had to pretend to offer advice, all of which were conventional methods: assassination, ambush, sowing discord, blackmail, bribery, and the like.

The old man with the flat top stared at everyone with a gloomy face: "Fortunately, we shook off Han Jingyang, otherwise, what would you use to deal with Han Jingyang? Waiting for death? A bunch of hopeless pigs!"

As soon as the words fell, someone ran in hurriedly: "It's bad, Han Jingyang has entered the village!"