Faced with Zuo Lin'an's question, Zhang Tinglei did not answer directly. Instead, he took a deep breath.
Then, he asked the question he cared about the most.
“So, has your specter recovered?”
Zuo Lin'an's expression showed a hint of confusion, but he didn't deny it.
“It has indeed recovered.”
“It is dangerous outside. Without a specter to protect me, even I would find it hard to move a single step. That is why I waited for a few days, so I would have the confidence to lead you out.”
“Otherwise, I could have taken you away right when you controlled Wu Zhao to kill those people.”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
Although Zuo Lin'an said this, he was secretly wondering how Zhang Tinglei would react.
He had indeed fulfilled his promise to take Zhang Tinglei out of this dangerous place.
However, the way he was doing it might not be what Zhang Tinglei had in mind.
But no matter what, Zuo Lin'an had indeed delivered on his word.
If Zhang Tinglei himself was unsatisfied and wanted to go back on his word, he couldn't blame anyone else.
After all, who told him not to make things clear in the first place?
Zhang Tinglei's lips twitched slightly, but in the end, he forced down the surging emotions in his heart.
“May I ask, before we leave, could you let me take a look at your specter?”
Zuo Lin'an put on a look of utter incomprehension.
“Why is that?”
“Do you know what a specter represents to a Specter Master?”
“It represents that Specter Master's greatest secret!”
Zuo Lin'an spoke with a solemn expression.
However, he was thinking of something else entirely in his mind.
Take a look at the specter?
Could it be...
Refusing to give up, Zhang Tinglei spoke again.
“I only wish to take a single look. I hope you can grant me this, young friend.”
Zuo Lin'an knew he didn't need to think about it any further. He could now completely conclude that one of Zhang Tinglei's three rules was related to sight.
As long as the target was seen by him, they would be judged as guilty.
In other words, the very first moment Zhang Tinglei saw him, his living body had already been judged guilty.
No wonder...
Zhang Tinglei had been able to pinpoint the location of every single player earlier.
Even the two female disciples from Mount Yinxian who had hidden the farthest had not escaped. It turned out to be because of such a rule. Since that was the case, his specter must absolutely not be revealed.
However, to prevent Zhang Tinglei from acting out of desperation, he still quietly detached his specter body.
Keeping its form concealed and pulling in all of its aura, it slowly materialized behind the old man.
In this state, as long as his specter body didn't stare directly at Zhang Tinglei, there was a high probability he wouldn't notice it.
If his opponent had been in peak condition, he might have detected it.
But now...
Zhang Tinglei was severely injured, relying on an obscure secret technique to maintain his rank, and his lifespan was overly depleted. With him in such a poor state, it was the perfect opportunity for Zuo Lin'an to make a stealthy move.
Zuo Lin'an observed him closely. Seeing that the old man was completely oblivious, he felt relieved.
Of course, he continued to speak words of refusal.
“Do you know?”
“There are many clever people in this world. They can deduce a specter's cause and manner of death prior to its passing simply from its appearance, using that to figure out its killing method and even its Death Rule.”
“Therefore, asking a Specter Master to show you their specter is equivalent to asking them to lay bare the very thing they rely on for survival, just so you can observe and dissect it.”
“Do you have any idea how incredibly rude that is?”
Of course Zhang Tinglei didn't understand this reasoning.
Even if he did, he wouldn't care. After all, he was currently only a single step away from clearing the dungeon!
Seeing how uncooperative Zuo Lin'an was, he gave it some thought and decided to force the issue.
In any case, as long as he forced the other party to reveal the specter, he could directly clear the dungeon.
As for whether this native lived or died, he didn't care in the slightest.
Wait!
Zhang Tinglei suddenly thought of a completely viable approach.
He seemed to recall that if a Specter Master was killed, the specter they had fused with would separate from their body and regain its freedom!
Yes! That was absolutely correct!
He didn't need to persuade the native in front of him at all. He only needed to strike him dead. The specter would appear shortly after, and he could then use his talent to repel it.
That way, he could immediately return to the real world, without having to worry about any unsolvable specters that might appear afterward!
Of course, before leaving, he could also easily kill Zhong Cheng, who was hiding in the distance.
Suddenly, everything clicked for Zhang Tinglei!
Zuo Lin'an was about to say something else when he suddenly noticed the expression on Zhang Tinglei's face shift dramatically.
Before he could even react, an exceptionally withered right hand covered in deep wrinkles suddenly shot forward, gripping his neck.
Oh?
Feeling the immense force tightening around his throat, he was caught slightly off guard, but his heart remained entirely untroubled.
Whether Zhang Tinglei wanted to threaten him or torture him made no difference.
He wouldn't feel any pain anyway. Even if his ashes were scattered to the wind, as long as his specter body remained, his living body would quickly respawn.
Of course, if his living body was killed and his specter body was also repelled at the same time, he would have to wait for the specter body to respawn before his living body could do the same.
So, under the current circumstances...
Was Zhang Tinglei trying to kill him?
Zuo Lin'an was no amateur, and he quickly understood Zhang Tinglei's objective.
If he truly were a Specter Master, the old man's plan would indeed be viable. It could even be called the fastest and most likely way to clear the dungeon.
But unfortunately, he wasn't a Specter Master.
At that moment, Zhang Tinglei gripped Zuo Lin'an's neck tightly and slowly lifted him off the ground.
He had originally thought this native would panic, struggle to survive, beg for mercy, or even agree to his previous demand.
Yet to his surprise, despite being treated this way, the native before him remained completely unfazed.
No matter how much force he applied with his hand, the young man didn't even knit his brows.
“You want to kill me?”
Zhang Tinglei's expression remained calm, but his eyes flickered slightly.
He felt like something was amiss. A faint, lurking sense of danger seemed to linger in his heart, and this instinct kept him from striking immediately.
After some consideration, Zhang Tinglei decided to give the person in front of him one last chance.
If Zuo Lin'an would willingly summon his specter, there would be no need for him to take unnecessary risks.
“Now, I will give you one last chance. Let me take a look at your specter.”
The corners of Zuo Lin'an's mouth curled up slightly.
“And what if I say no?”
Zhang Tinglei's eyes narrowed slightly, betraying a trace of formless murderous intent.
“You had better think this through. Even if you don't actively summon your specter, I still have other ways.”
“For example, by killing you.”
Zuo Lin'an chuckled softly.
“You're welcome to try.”
These words actually managed to give Zhang Tinglei pause for a brief moment.
But he quickly realized that the person before him was just a native.
And could a threat from a mere native... actually work against a player like him?
Once he killed him, he only needed to repel the specter to leave the dungeon. At that point, no matter what backup plans this native had, it would have absolutely nothing to do with him!
Rate on N.U.
