I! Cleaner!-Chapter 973 - 892: Probing
"Did the undead buried inside come out?"
Seemingly sensing the same strange odor, the Lantern Holder pinched his nose and said:
"After the First Deceased fell off the Cliff of the End, the No Return Path, without guidance, is near a halt. All existing rules in the Realm of the Dead will gradually become chaotic. Naturally, the Sage's Cemetery cannot escape this fate, and a large number of the undead will slowly lose control.
And the souls of those so-called human sages, buried too deep and for too long in the hidden cemetery, become rigid and decayed in thought over time, thus emitting this sour and rotten smell."
Is that so?
Though the smell still seemed off, the Lantern Holder's explanation made sense. The Faceless Man pondered and decided not to probe further but gazed at the silent, gray-white cemetery in the distance, asking in a steady tone:
"How are the others preparing? Has the First Deceased's remains been handled properly?"
"Everything is ready."
The antique lantern shook slightly as the Lantern Holder responded:
"Apart from the female ranger recovering from Heart Lake's injury, everyone else has been given parts of the First Deceased's remains and has hidden around the Sage's Cemetery, just waiting for the Clearing Bureau's arrival."
"That's good."
Nodding slightly and showing satisfaction with the others' progress, the Faceless Man pondered before his brow furrowed with some apprehension and advised:
"Remember to take the ranger further away; keep her away from the Sage's Cemetery. It's enough to intercept any escaping members. Also..."
At this, the Faceless Man paused slightly, then said coldly:
"Keep an eye on her situation. If she shows any unusual behavior, stop her immediately. If you can't... take her out if necessary!"
"This..."
After hearing the Faceless Man's instructions, the Lantern Holder pondered for a moment, then asked with some confusion:
"Are you worried she hasn't shaken off the control yet?"
"Yes."
"But when the Food God tried to touch the First Deceased's remains, he voluntarily left her Heart Lake and was pushed by you off the Cliff of the End. There shouldn't be any soul remnants, right?"
"In theory, that's correct..."
Recalling Leon's enlightened gaze as he tumbled off the Cliff of the End, the Faceless Man couldn't help but rub the back of his hand... The Food God had grasped his hand forcefully when pushed.
And after clutching the back of his hand, the previously enraged Food God seemed to suddenly understand something, staring straight at him with an eerie, all-knowing gaze that now, thinking back, sent shivers down his spine...
"But since the ranger had been controlled by the Food God, we can't be sure he hasn't left any traps inside her. To be safe, we have to monitor her closely."
Pulling the sleeve down to cover the spot touched by the Food God, the Faceless Man glanced towards the ranger before speaking with a chilling expression:
"Even if the Clearing Bureau's strength has waned, we are no match for them in a direct fight. So the ambush plan must be foolproof. We can't afford any slip-ups!"
"Alright..."
After hearing the Faceless Man's words, the Lantern Holder sighed lightly, casting a look of pity towards the ranger, readying himself to send another "old friend" away if necessary.
Just then, the Faceless Man seemed to notice something, squinting towards the direction of the Sage's Cemetery.
Under the gaze that didn't truly exist, a middle-aged woman, bearing deep marks of age but having been beautiful in her youth, quickly emerged from the side gate of the Sage's Cemetery and began inspecting the "stub" of the No Return Path closely.
"That must be Pisces from the Clearing Bureau!"
Though the woman was well-disguised, she couldn't evade the Overlords of the Dead Realm's keen sense of souls. Watching her soul split into four parts, the Lantern Holder couldn't help but ask in amazement:
"Why did she come out of the Sage's Cemetery? Have the Clearing Bureau members arrived?"
"Unclear. Let's wait and see. Also..."
Observing the distinct souls of Pisces from afar, the corners of the Faceless Man's mouth curled slightly, and he elaborated:
"Later, tell the Artisan that once the Clearing Bureau completely steps into the ambush, Pisces from the Clearing Bureau will be his responsibility."
"The Artisan?"
"To be precise, the rules of the Oblivion Name Sea controlled by the Artisan."
The Faceless Man explained:
"Each of Pisces from the Clearing Bureau's four souls has a name, perfectly countered by the Artisan. A single shout could plunge her souls into chaos, even tearing them apart into four."
Ah, now I get it.
Nodding in understanding, the Lantern Holder noted the Faceless Man's instructions, continuing to observe Pisces with a frown:
"She seems to be inspecting the No Return Path... Could it be the Clearing Bureau has discovered First Deceased's condition?"
"Seems so."
Watching Pisces return hurriedly to the Sage's Cemetery after inspecting the path, the Faceless Man pondered for a moment before stepping out of the shadows.
"Let's go! We head over!"
What?
Startled by the Faceless Man's words, the Lantern Holder quickly reached out to tug him back.
"Are you crazy? What if there's an ambush by the Clearing Bureau?"
"An ambush would be best."
The Faceless Man chuckled confidently at this, explaining:
"If there's really a Clearing Bureau ambush, it's intended to capture us all at once. They won't target just one or two Overlords. So the more likely they are to ambush, the safer it is for us to go now!"
That seems... right?
Persuaded by the Faceless Man's reasoning, despite a niggling unease, the Lantern Holder hesitated for a moment before following quickly.
As the two Overlords approached a certain distance, entering the Sage's Cemetery's range, the silent thin mist around the cemetery thickened, instantly obscuring everything that was once clear.
Soon after, a man and a woman emerged from the mist, standing alertly in front of the Faceless Man and the Lantern Holder.
"What are you two doing here?"
Gazing at the two Overlords emanating danger, the Archer narrowed his eyes, his face stern as he coldly ordered them to leave:
"It's not the agreed-upon time yet! Please leave!"
"Lord Archer, no need to get agitated. We just saw Lord Pisces and came over for a look."
Raising his fingerprint-less hands slowly to show no harm intended, the Faceless Man scrutinized his surroundings, probing:
"Besides, if it isn't the agreed time yet, why have you already arrived at Sage's Cemetery?"
After looking at the cemetery blocked by dense mist, the Faceless Man, filled with heightened suspicion, thought for a moment before smiling and continuing:
"Lord Archer, I suddenly have a strange thought—could your proposed negotiation actually be an ambush targeting all Overlords of the Dead Realm?"
No! 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
Upon hearing the Faceless Man's inquiry, both directors felt a collective jolt of tension.
The wiser Archer realized it was just a test, and saying more would be wrong, so he merely snorted and held a grim silence. The less experienced Pisces couldn't help but glance at the distant gravestones.
Could it be that I guessed correctly?!
Noticing Pisces' glance, the tense Faceless Man raised a brow, following her gaze to sense a faintly hidden ripple of souls.
There really is an ambush!
Signaling the Lantern Holder behind him to retreat at the first sign of trouble, the Faceless Man's figure vanished, charging fiercely towards where Pisces had been looking.
"Wait!!"
"Stop!!!"
Ignoring the directors' startled cries and obstruction, alarm bells ringing in his mind, the Faceless Man flung away two stacked tombstones before kicking open the ebony coffin lid beneath!
"..."
"..."
"?!?!?!?!?!"
Seeing the couple inside holding each other in an ambiguous embrace, gazing up at him in bewilderment, the Faceless Man's facial bones twitched hard beneath his skin, forming an incredibly bizarre expression.
Wait... you humans have this big of a heart, really?!
