He gestured to A Gui and Ceng Lian’er to not move and then he slowly walked forward. He did not believe the other had detected A Gui and Ceng Lian’er. Truthfully, if he himself did not know they were there, he would have been unable to detect their presence even if they were beside him.

As expected, Zuo Mo’s gamble paid off. He really was the only one that was discovered.

Compared to the other two, he really was lacking!

Zuo Mo felt slightly embarrassed. He was very skilled in single combat and large scale battles, but it seemed that he didn’t have enough experience in sneaking around.

Since he was not able to sneak in, then he would have to change his approach and use himself to test the other’s forces.

In Zuo Mo’s eyes, Princess Xia was his enemy. He understood that he had to learn about his enemy.

“Who are you?” Zuo Mo’s voice became unusually hoarse through the mask.

“As expected, a coward! A mouse!” Shen Yu said dismissively. His appearance was handsome, as he stood on the roof; he appeared as a celestial looking down from on high.

In comparison, Zuo Mo who had changed the shape of his body looked wretched. He wore an extremely ugly mask on his face and his voice was grating.

“I admire Princess Xia and have come to make a night visit. Who are you? Why are you stopping me?” Zuo Mo was righteous. However, when combined with his lowly state, he seemed extremely perverted.

“A person like you dares to ask to see Princess Xia!” It would have been fine if it was any other princess but when Shen Yu heard it was Princess Xia, the one he was in love with, he instantly felt uncomfortable looking at this person. He couldn’t help but speak with disdain.

“I’m very ugly but I’m very gentle.” Zuo Mo said righteously. Then his voice became strange, “Who are you! Princess Xia decides who she sees, what is the meaning in you stopping me? Are you afraid that Princess will fall in love with me? Hey, Brother, we have to compete fairly ... ...”

Bursts of laughter came from the surroundings. Someone even said in an audible voice, “Brother Shen, he is right!”

The Shen Family had some strength, but which one of these young masters did not have a background? There were still some that could rival Shen Yu. However, it was just that no one was as strong as him, so he dominated all of them. Now that they had a chance to throw stones while he was unable to strike back, they would not pass on this chance.

“Hem hem, this virtuous brother, your true heart is known since you took such a great risk and climbed the compound walls this late at night! We need to give him a chance!”

Someone else praised loudly, “Yes, yes! He is ugly but very gentle! Very ugly! Very gentle!”

The crowd continued to jeer. Zuo Mo pretentiously bowed in all directions and said loudly, “Everyone, you are all gentlemen!”

Shen Yu’s face turned green.

Zuo Mo was speaking but inside, he was carefully inspecting the surroundings. He discovered several barely discernable presences that gave him a great feeling of danger.

As expected, the guards of the three princesses were outrageously powerful!

Zuo Mo knew that their plan tonight had failed. The guards of the three princesses were stronger than he imagined. What was most depressing was that the three princesses even slept in connecting residences. He clearly had disturbed several experts.

The others were hard on Shen Yu but he was not a stupid person. He knew that one could not win in a verbal contest against hundreds. His expression recovered its calm and a hint of murderousness flashed through his eyes. He said cooly, “The princess is of noble status, and nothing is allowed to happen to her. Since this brother is not willing to introduce yourself, then this one will test you!”

Before he finished speaking, he leapt at Zuo Mo!

“Do not make too much noise, the princess is sleeping.” A wizened voice lightly sounded in everyone’s ears.

Midair, Shen Yu’s presence suddenly decreased.

Behind the mask, Zuo Mo’s face changed slightly. This voice that abruptly appeared was not loud. It was actually very soft as though it was a whisper by his ear but caused Zuo Mo to feel cold inside.

However, at the beginning, he had felt several faint presences lock onto him. He knew that experts were present so he was shocked but not panicked.

As for Shen Yu who was currently charging, at him, in Zuo Mo’s eyes, he was strong in appearance but weak inside!

Such a stupid thing to become timid during a fight just because of some words. If this was a real fight, this person would already be dead!

Zuo Mo did not have anything to consider because those presences had been locked onto him from the beginning.

Tonight, the other side would not easily let him leave.

Fighting could not be avoided.

So when he saw Shen Yu decrease his power because of the voice, he smiled behind the mask!

But soon, Zuo Mo was unable to smile because he didn’t know what move to use!

Actually, both Sky Glass Wave and the Fire Fist of the First Heavenly Stem were suited to this situation and definitely would break the other’s face! But if he used those moves, it would be equivalent to telling all of Great Peace City that he did it.

If it was yao arts, he could use the Archaic Wasteland Sacrificial Art, but he remembered that he had used little yao arts when he fought Miao Jun. Zuo Mo was full of regret! There weren’t many mo that used yao arts in the first place.

Ling power ... ... should he use the [Li Water Sword Scripture]?

Shen power ... ... he wasn’t A Gui or Ceng Lian’er!

Zuo Mo found to his grief and fury that he did not have any moves to use.

As expected, he had not done enough sneaking around and was inexperienced!

Without another word, Zuo Mo turned and ran.

“You want to run!” Shen Yu smiled coldly. As the others had mocked him, he had been full of rage but he had suppressed it. Now that he found the other did not dare to fight, the rage shot back up.

He suddenly accelerated, his presence locking onto Zuo Mo.

Zuo Mo laughed and said loudly, “Princess Xia, I will not give up!”

Finishing, his body suddenly broke free from Shen Yu’s grip. Right after, the previously faint presence suddenly increased and the air around Zuo Mo became as strong as iron!

Zuo Mo was prepared and he suddenly used all the power in his body with threads of shen power mixed in. A gold light flashed through his eyes. Like a pickaxe, he smashed against the rock hard barrier of air in front of him.

Bam!

An explosion!

The air around Zuo Mo exploded and in the cloud of white mist, someone seemed to run through.

Shen Yu’s expression changed. His right hand struck at empty air. The mist dissipated. There wasn’t anything left.

———

Returning to the compound, Zuo Mo did not have a good expression. Especially when he saw the undisguised mirth in Ceng Lian’er’s eyes, he felt even worse.

However, Little Mo Ge was not one that would be defeated by a minor setback like this. Once to try and twice to be familiar, he reviewed what he had learned. His concealing technique was not good enough. Of the three, he was the only one that was discovered. This clearly indicated a problem. Otherwise, he lacked combat moves that could be used while disguised. Otherwise, that person’s face would have bloomed into a flower already.

He had also gained a lot today. He was now sure that all the princesses had strong experts with them. This was not unexpected, but it was troublesome for him.

Experts were always willing to serve prestigious families and not battalions.

In reality, there were not many experts in battalions that had reached general level. To reach general level, one had to have an exceptional obsession with cultivation to achieve such a high level. Those people usually did not like strict regulations, such as those battalions followed. Most of the general levels in battalions were battle generals. They were general level but they were not strong in single combat.

It was the same with xiuzhe and yao.

The other reason was that in battle, the death rate of general level was very high. In a conflict between battalions, any general level or yuanying xiuzhe would be targeted first.

However, it was very difficult to nurture a yuanying xiuzhe while battalions were comparatively cheap. Other than a life or death battle, no sect would take the risk and let its yuanying xiuzhe come out to fight.

As to those in marshal level and above, nothing needed to be said about them.

So, sometimes, it was much more of a headache to encounter experts like this than a powerful battalion.

Zuo Mo had a great headache now.

Those experts stopped any possibility of him sneaking in to investigate. In comparison, Pu Yao and Wei’s plan was much more plausible.

Receive the admiration of the princess, get close to the princess, have the princess try to recruit him, and then state his conditions.

His reputation in Great Peace City was known, and he wondered if Princess Xia would admire him.

Pu Yao’s method was good but it was too passive. All the initiative was in the hands of Princess Xia. This caused Zuo Mo to feel very discomforted.

Maybe he could use a more proactive method?

Zuo Mo’s eyes grew brighter!

———

“The person just now?” Princess Xia noticed the expression on the middle-aged maid’s face and couldn’t help asking.

“Very strong!” the middle-aged maid said, “He might have purposefully made himself look ugly. His strength is above average and there is nothing that I could discover.

“Above average?” Princess Xia had an interested expression. “How much above average?”

“We used our presences to lock onto him but he was still able to escape,” the middle-aged maid said coolly.

“Then that is really above average.” Princess Xia was thoughtful. She suddenly asked, “Is he here for the Great Peace Treasure Pavilion?”

“Hard to say,” the middle-aged maid said grave, “the matter is very fishy this time. The news spread so suddenly. Someone is working in the shadows.”

“Do other people know about the Great Peace Treasure Pavilion?” Princess Xia looked at the middle-aged maid.

“Impossible!” The middle-aged maid said with a cold smile, “I spent so many years to uncover this secret.”

“Does Shi Zi Ming have any descendants?” Princess Xia said gravely.

“None.” The middle-aged maid shook her head. “My mother served him for many years, and never saw him with any woman.”

“He was an old man with a pure heart!” Princess Xia laughed. “I hope that the people of Great Peace City won’t be as dull as Shi Zi Ming.”

“You are not interested in Xiao Mo Ge?” The middle-aged maid was slightly puzzled.

“The timing of when he appeared is too coincidental.” Princess Xia had a smile. “Don’t you feel that he seems to be waiting for us? Even though I do not know which one of us is his target, my intuition keeps telling me this.”

Translator Ramblings: Lighter chapter after last one. I don’t think Zuo Mo has the skill to sneak around and ambush people, remember that time in Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie?