Chapter 2487: Identity Swap
"If I weren't a clearance player, I wouldn't have just asked which Cat Whisker Fruit was the real delivery this time," Xu Huo said flatly. "I could have made my move before you arrived. Dragging this out for days surely isn't out of respect for the elderly."
The words were harsh, but true. If Xu Huo and his companion had been after the information the old lady possessed from the start, there had been countless opportunities to act along the way. There was no need to ride with them and even risk intercepting the local players who were interfering with them.
At that moment, the long-haired player's earpiece beeped. He paused for a moment, presumably receiving a message from his companion, before saying, "You are indeed formidable. A Mental Super Evolver wielding a Time Item. At your level, it would be difficult for anyone to impersonate you."
"So this is a truce?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
The long-haired player nodded, whispered a few words to calm the old lady, then said, "The bookstore owner's child has been rescued. Their other companions exchanged blows with the people guarding the house. Their opponent's goal seemed to be merely to create difficulties for us, not a fight to the death."
The ones who had intercepted them on the train were clearly not the same group that had set the ambush at the bookstore owner's home. After kidnapping the child, they had lain in wait, presumably for the old lady.
The long-haired player took out a badge and showed it to the old lady. "This item can prove my identity. You live in Mao Guo Town, so you should recognize it."
The old lady was now somewhat paranoid. She took it and examined it carefully, then silently returned it after a moment.
From her expression, it was clear she didn't fully trust the person before her. Badges could be forged, and even if it wasn't a forgery, couldn't the Wan Clan's badge fall into someone else's hands?
The old lady only trusted herself. Otherwise, she wouldn't have stubbornly carried a basket of Cat Whisker Fruits herself, traveling station by station to conceal her true destination.
The Wan Clan members didn't force the issue. The long-haired player added, "Since we've agreed to escort you, the Wan Clan will see this through. The bookstore owner's child has been taken to a safe place, and we've filed a missing person report with both the local and higher-level governments. Someone will come to investigate soon."
The old lady breathed a sigh of relief. "I hope that child is still alive."
The long-haired player then turned to Xu Huo. "I already knew about this trip before I came. You're now being targeted by other local players. The best plan is to split up."
"However, since you're here for clearance and must accompany Ms. Gui to the end of the journey..."
"My suggestion is that you disguise yourself as a member of the Wan Clan, and one of our people will disguise themselves as you. We'll split into two groups. This way, we can divide the enemy's attention and achieve our respective goals."
"If you accept this proposal, we need to leave now. The fight earlier has already attracted the attention of the local government. The longer we stay, the more variables there are. It's best to leave first."
Xu Huo had no objections. So he and the Painting Woman disguised themselves as the two who had originally accompanied the old lady, while those two disguised themselves as them and left with the other players who had rescued the child.
Of course, this came with risks. The people intercepting Xu Huo might have been selected from a dedicated line, similar to Ling Ling and her group. They must have been involved for a specific reason, and Mrs. Gui might be that reason. Splitting up could cause them to give up, or it could make them even more reckless.
As for the old lady, she also needed some disguise. Ordinary people couldn't easily disguise themselves as players, and a poor disguise would be easily spotted. So the Wan Clan members disguised her as a younger woman, still pretending to be in the Cat Whisker Fruit business.
Xu Huo only informed Bubble Bean about this, as Bubble Bean had known him for a longer time. If he set out with the two Wan Clan members, he would quickly see through their identities.
Bubble Bean came over from the next room. Seeing the changed lineup, his expression turned serious. "Is there something I don't know?"
"Too many details to explain," Xu Huo said. "Just know that we're in for a lot of trouble on this trip. Hurry up and disguise yourself as a local."
Bubble Bean acted quickly. Within two or three minutes, from his face to his clothes, he looked like a genuine local.
The disguised Wan Clan members stayed behind, while Xu Huo, the three others, and the newly arrived long-haired player and his five companions took the old lady and left first.
To test whether they would still be tracked after the personnel change, they decided to use an aircraft for travel. Before departing, the long-haired player used an item to check if they had any tracking marks on them, and then used a removal item to confirm again.
With everyone's faces changed and Ling Ling and her group staying behind at the hotel, it seemed no one was watching them anymore. They were safe until the next stop.
The safety of this leg of the journey put the old lady somewhat at ease, but she still refused to reveal her next destination, let alone who she was looking for. Her biggest concession was saying she would tell them when they were close.
Three hours later, they arrived safely at the next stop. The old lady, believing they had shaken off surveillance, insisted on leading the way herself.
"How about this," the long-haired player said. "Why don't you give a general area? I'll send someone ahead. If they find anything unusual, we can think of another plan."
The old lady was reluctant, so the long-haired player tried to persuade her again. "This is for your safety too. If the person you're looking for is also under surveillance, it will be very difficult to shake off the pursuit with another disguise after we show our faces a second time."
The same trick wouldn't work twice.
The old lady hesitated for a long time before finally naming a street block.
The long-haired player sent a man and a woman ahead, instructing them, "Don't do anything else. Just check if the number and level of players in the area are unusual."
The two quickly disappeared from sight. The rest continued on under the old lady's guidance.
"Can we speed this up?" Bubble Bean said. "At this rate, we'll be walking until the cows come home. Old lady, if you won't give us the exact address, can we at least use some items and go street by street?"
"What's the rush?" the old lady said steadily. "Aren't there people scouting ahead?"
Xu Huo glanced at her, then patted the Painting Woman on the shoulder, silently signaling her to stay nearby and not go any further.
The Painting Woman silently disappeared from the back of the group. Just as they were about to enter the area the old lady had indicated, the woman from the pair that had left earlier returned alone.
Her companion was about to move towards her, but the long-haired player suddenly called them to a halt. The next second, an invisible force pierced the female player's heart. The woman, who had appeared normal, seemed jolted awake by the pain. Her eyes filled with tears, and she shouted loudly, "Don't come over!"