Chapter 405: The Hidden Gambit

Outside the banquet hall, Liang Lie sat silently at a makeshift feast alongside Tang Hai’s Confidant, reading the incoming message.

Before him, neatly arranged utensils remained untouched.

Seemingly lost in thought, the usually taciturn middle-aged man hesitated before replying in a flat tone:

“If Yinglong makes a move on you, I’m 70% sure I can get you out!”

“That is, provided his strength stays about the same as before.”

“If he’s even a bit stronger, my chances drop to about 30%.”

Seated nearby, Yenir casually picked up a Spiritual Energy Fruit, glancing at Liang Lie’s message in surprise.

“70%? 30%?”

Such high odds? Uncle Liang’s power far exceeded his expectations…

Escaping with someone is a completely different matter from escaping alone! Liang Lie claims he can run—and he believes it. But getting out with him? Yenir was certain he hadn’t even shown Liang Lie his Dimensional Slash ability, not to mention Fallen Heaven!

That meant Liang Lie must consider him nothing more than trash!

He always knew Liang Lie’s strength far surpassed that of ordinary high-level fighters, and his mysterious air only added to it. Ordinary high-level opponents could be knocked out with a single punch, yet Yenir was aware that Liang Lie’s past high-level adversaries were little more than pushovers—built on time and resources, especially in a peaceful Capital where true battles were rare. Besides, when Liang Lie struck, his targets were unprepared, making his actions seem overwhelmingly crushing.

But no matter how strong Liang Lie was, he was still just a high-level fighter, Yenir was sure.

For Liang Lie to be 70% sure he could pull him away from someone like Yinglong at Peak Third-Stage was truly impressive.

A one-stage power gap could easily mean a tenfold disparity in combat effectiveness!

It appeared this silent, seemingly ailing middle-aged man was hiding a lot beneath the surface…

A flicker of certainty crossed Yenir’s mind as he exhaled, his plans gaining renewed confidence.

He didn’t care how mysterious Liang Lie might be—as long as he was protecting him. The stronger Liang Lie was, the better. Ideally, he’d be strong enough to one-punch Yinglong, so there’d be no need for complex schemes.

Just as Yenir was about to grab another piece of what looked like blue-quality meat, a rare notification from Liang Lie lit up.

“If the woman next to you provokes Yinglong, we’re both finished,”

continued Liang Lie, “I won’t be able to hold him off in his enraged Peak Third-Stage state.”

Yenir’s chopsticks froze mid-air, his expression turning suddenly uneasy.

Ummm….

He understood exactly what Liang Lie was saying… though he hadn’t expected the usually indifferent Liang Lie to know everything.

If Blood Nightingale dared to betray Yinglong publicly, an enraged Peak Third-Stage Yinglong would likely crush them both into mere crumbs…

“Ahem, rest assured, Uncle Liang,” Yenir replied.

For some reason, Yenir casually glanced at Blood Nightingale sitting next to Yinglong. Noticing nothing amiss with the troublesome woman, he finally exhaled in relief.

Feeling slightly uneasy, he sent a quick message to Uncle Liang before discreetly observing Yinglong.

In such close, intense proximity, no one would suspect that he was rapidly memorizing details of Yinglong’s equipment and noting every “anomaly” on his body.

“What a rare opportunity,” he mused.

“Yinglong must have just finished fighting and hasn’t had time to change into his disguise. Judging by his demeanor, though, he doesn’t seem too concerned…”

“From the look of his equipment, I can probably deduce his elemental affinity. Once I send these images back to the Capital, the Military can help analyze and compare…”

“That should allow me to infer Yinglong’s precise attributes—maybe even guess some of the special effects on his gear.”

“And his physique could reveal his combat preferences, perhaps even the techniques he relies on, judging by his muscle strength…”

Muttering to himself, Yenir studied Yinglong with the precision of a human scanner.

After taking his seat, the Peak Third-Stage fighter ceased emitting energy, reverting to an almost unremarkable, reserved demeanor.

Yet under Yenir’s far superior mental acuity, he could still sense the powerful life force hidden within Yinglong.

It explained why he was being so cautious.

If Yenir had the strength of his past life or if his Sword God System were fully upgraded, he wouldn’t be bothered by his opponent. With his old power he could take down any Peak Third-Stage fighter alone, and amplified skills would obliterate an enemy in seconds.

But for now, he was stuck in an awkward phase, neither truly strong nor weak, his combat power caught in a frustrating in-between.

“Knowing your enemy gives you an edge…”

“Notice his left-hand muscles are bulkier, and there’s blood on the tip of the spear behind him…”

“So, he fights left-handed and favors stabbing techniques?”

“The end of his spear has a unique anti-slip mechanism for better control…”

“Which suggests he prefers dragging his spear to maximize his attack range.”

Eyes flashing, Yenir—who had been silently picking at his food—quickly simulated Yinglong’s combat style in his mind.

“High-speed maneuvers, closing in to whip the spear… breaking through defenses, then using the spear tip like a blade to widen wounds…”

“Undoubtedly, this is the combat style of an Agility Type Awakener…”

“By shattering defenses with precise strikes and noting the minimal blood on his weapon, it’s clear that unless his last prey was extremely weak, his explosive power is nothing short of terrifying.”

“Talent-wise, he seems to have an innate burst capability…”

“And skill-wise, he must possess at least two mobility techniques; otherwise, the blood wouldn’t splash in more than one direction…”

Rapidly compiling every detail, Yenir’s mind had already drafted a blueprint of Yinglong’s fighting tactics and simulated a mock battle.

Yinglong likely never expected that, while he didn’t have time to tend to his battle scars, someone could so accurately deduce his combat style just by observing him!

“This trip has definitely been worthwhile…”

“Once Blood Nightingale passes along the rest of Yinglong’s data, my next plan will be rock solid.”

A fighter’s style and preferences can reveal enough to reverse-engineer their personality and strategies.

Yenir was supremely confident in his deductions, believing his accuracy was at least 90%. Few knew that aside from a godlike talent from his past life, his greatest strength was his almost obsessive ability to analyze combat!

Give him enough time, and he was sure he could expose any enemy’s weakness!

This gift was refined through countless life-or-death battles in his youth.

Just as Yenir felt he grasped the bigger picture, Yinglong—separated from him only by Blood Nightingale—suddenly furrowed his brows.

Perhaps because Yenir had watched him too often, Yinglong’s peak Third-Stage intuition insisted that the youth beside him was constantly observing him—a strange, unsettling feeling.

Remember, many high-level figures, intimidated by his prowess, wouldn’t dare meet his gaze…

With a slight frown, Yinglong turned to Yenir and then, with puzzlement, asked Blood Nightingale:

“Miss Blood Nightingale, is this the ‘godbrother’ you know?”

“The kid is interesting. You’ve been watching me all along, haven’t you?”

His voice held no emotion, but as Yinglong’s words fell, every eye in the hall fixed on Yenir.

Those familiar with Yinglong among the high-levels immediately wore uneasy expressions—they knew he despised being watched and was extremely suspicious!

For a moment, Yenir’s face darkened as he sensed a trace of discontent in Yinglong’s gaze—a discontent born from his meticulous observation.

“This guy… is way too paranoid!?”