Extra's Strategy: Cultivate Protagonists, Become Invincible-Chapter 140: Blackmail Material

They reached the sect just at daybreak, their boat stopping at a junction in the small tributary river near the sect’s borders. After that surprisingly safe journey, their nerves were on tenterhooks. The three of them ran like the wind from the dock.

"Guys, you two remember the script we’ve prepared, right? We can’t afford to make a mistake, so don’t break away from the script.

"And Boss, it’s better if you don’t say much. Let your underling handle these miscellaneous jobs for you," Han Xuhan hissed to the two of them as they reached the mountain peak where the administration of missions was handled.

Han Xuhan finally realized the real benefits of being a member of a sect. Cultivation resources and manuals that were usually glorified in typical xianxia stories were not the best things about a sect. It was the protection and the sense of united strength it offered that topped the rest of the benefits.

Where would he run to, screaming for help, if he did not have a badass sect to back him up?

Is this how those arrogant young masters feel when the protagonist chases them?

By the time they reached the top of the mountain peak, the sky became clear eastward, silhouettes of the endless plains and hilly terrain revealing themselves on the horizon, almost unrealistically beautiful.

Looking at the eye-catching scene, Han Xuhan sighed. Who could guess that beneath that beautiful exterior, terrifying powers were running rampant?

The task administrators were active both during the day and night. So they quickly found a senior disciple on duty, seated inside the building where tasks were assigned. He was either meditating serenely or dozing off on duty, it was hard to say.

After a few taps on the desk in front of him, he opened his eyes suddenly, looking a bit dazed.

"Hu-eh? Is my shift over? It still looks dark outside..."

"Senior brother, we are here to report about our task," Han Xuhan said politely, interrupting his scattered rambling.

"Task details? You’ve finished your tasks?"

"...Sort of, yes."

"And you couldn’t wait till sunrise to report it?" He asked with a sour expression.

"The task we were assigned to led to the discovery of a huge conspiracy, senior brother. It involves multiple powerhouses beyond the soul reformation realm, and I believe the authorities of the sect need to learn about the incident immediately. Otherwise, a calamity can happen anytime."

"...."

The room was silent for a long few moments as the senior disciple stared at the three of them in incomprehension. Then mumbling some unintelligible words, he stood up and gestured at the three of them to follow his lead.

Behind the building that dealt with the tasks and missions, there was a moderate-sized living quarter belonging to the Elder in charge of administration. The senior disciple entered the lushly decorated house while the trio waited outside anxiously.

A few moments later, the senior disciple came out with a rather puzzled expression.

"The Elder has ordered you to enter a few moments later so that he can compose himself. Give him the details as clearly as you can and don’t hide anything... Or there will be consequences."

But the three of them were running low on patience. Mu Ran pretty much forced his way in, and the senior disciple was still too sleepy to put up an effort to keep them outside.

The room that greeted their sight inside was not large, but it had all the equipment for comfort a cultivator could ask for.

Thick rugs, cushions, a dim hearthfire burning in a corner, a sturdy desk, a woman behind the curtains trying to sneak out through the window, beautiful paintings on the walls, a messy bed on which a familiar, and handsome man sat with a dumbfounded expression on his face, his hands clutching a quilt over the lower half of his body.

Oho, isn’t this Elder Rong? This was the guy who tortured Han Xuhan on his first day in Crimson Snow Sect, forcibly giving him a horrific ride on his flying sword!

The Elder must have been cultivating arduously!

Clearing his throat, Han Xuhan stepped forward, not giving him the time to recover from his shock.

"Elder Rong, good morning! I hope we haven’t intruded at an inappropriate time!"

"...No!" Elder Rong said staunchly. "As you can see, I was sleeping hard on my bed, ALONE. You have intruded upon nothing!"

"I see," Han Xuhan said, his eyes locked onto the mature silhouette slipping outside the window in a manner that boasted volumes of experience. Seeing the direction of his gaze, Elder Rong understood perfectly well what he meant with that response.

Would it be too inhumane if he exploited the Elder over this little secret relationship?

Would it be feasible?

Would it be profitable?

An awkward cough from Xuanyuan Zhou brought him back from a very dangerous line of thinking, and he quickly recounted their experiences to the Elder smoothly, hiding what needed to be hidden.

When the Elder heard the phrase ’purification process’, which Han Xuhan had heard Zhao Weiqing say, his eyes narrowed into slits, expression hardening. It was apparent that he had guessed what the process entailed.

Without batting an eyelid, Han Xuhan glossed over his own schemes and theories, crediting their escape to sheer luck and the power of friendship, making out Qian Yun to be a tragic hero who had struggled with the mind-controlling ghost Zhao Weiqing to the bitter end, letting them take the chance to run away.

One could say that he had no reason to downplay his own contributions. But right now, Han Xuhan still hadn’t let go of his suspicions that there might be a mole in the sect. Attracting attention right now was hardly a wise choice.

Besides, he felt pity for that puppetized guy. Declaring him to be an outright villain would leave a bad taste in his mouth. So he did his best to convince the elder that Qian Yun was mostly innocent.

Xuanyuan Zhou and Mu Ran silently stood behind him, nodding and echoing his words from time to time. They had practiced their scripts half a dozen times. It went quite smoothly.

The Elder’s face looked extremely grave after hearing about the fate of Pine Town and their guesses on the disappearance.

"I’ll immediately inform all the senior Elders and the Sect Master himself. Is there anything else I should know?"

His gaze bore into Han Xuhan’s skull, making him suspect that the elder might have guessed that he was hiding some information.

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