Master of Kaidan
Chapter 147

Chapter 147: Chapter 147

Bakerland’s spring was a bit colder than one might imagine, but for the Opera Phantom Suit, which had the element of "Comfort," external factors like temperature, humidity, or anything else were essentially negligible.

Feng Xue, as always, timed his entrance into a supermarket, waiting for a housewife who met his requirements to appear.

He didn’t always stake out the same supermarket, but changed locations every few days. After all, the trait of "having shopped at the same supermarket" was too obvious, and any investigator who wasn’t a police officer straight out of a Conan set would easily notice.

Time passed by the minute, and one by one, housewives walked past shelves stocked with various ingredients. Feng Xue also picked his targets.

After months of practice, Feng Xue’s ability to assess had greatly improved. With one glance, he could determine the fabric and craftsmanship of clothing, differentiate the quality of jewelry, and even easily judge the price range of someone’s perfume and cosmetics. He might not know the specific brands, but this didn’t prevent him from making a mental chart based on the actual effects and the economic status of the item’s owner.

"The handbag is brand new and meticulously crafted, in the most popular style currently, the shirt is unbranded, and the buttons are genuine jade, though only of ice-waxy quality, but the total price wouldn’t be low, no perfume on, makeup subtle, she’s a rather low-key wealthy woman..."

"Big, so white... pah! Clothes rather revealing, younger in age, perfume scent is strong, and the scent complex, probably just sprayed it on before rushing out, this woman isn’t here to buy groceries, she’s here to hook up with men, right?"

"The bracelet on her hand is Afghan Jade, the pearl necklace is freshwater cultured, the handbag is a high imitation... she has a bit of money, with a rather strong vanity..."

...

While analyzing each woman’s characteristics in his mind, Feng Xue’s actions didn’t stop; occasionally picking items from shelves made him look just like a regular customer, without the slightest hint of incongruity.

However, at that moment, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a figure—it was a blonde Caucasian woman with big waves, barely made up, dressed in a professional suit skirt, wearing a light perfume, emitting a musky scent mixed with a slight body odor, likely reaching the base notes.

She had a perfect figure that could be a selling point in an action movie, its natural sway with each step indicated by Feng Xue’s excellent knowledge of anatomy; he instantly judged that it was undoubtedly natural.

However, Feng Xue only glanced once and immediately shifted his gaze. It wasn’t because he had been affected by the Feminization Filter to the point of "not wanting to do anything"; rather, it was because this woman was a "hook."

The so-called hook, or fish hook, is a jargon from the underworld, typically used to describe plainclothes police officers, undercover agents, and the like.

The reason Feng Xue was so certain was not because of anything else but because in his view, this woman had rows of small words floating around her—

Name: Illusive Item·Charm That Tempts to Commit Crimes

Elements: "Tool," "Decoration," "Charm," "Desire," "Temptation"

Introduction: A classic ladies handbag that, once picked up, becomes the focal point of numerous male gazes. Unfortunately, the attention it attracts often belongs to unrestrained madmen.

Note: Since it was discovered among the belongings of a victim, the handbag seems to always find its way back to the detectives.

...

Feng Xue wasn’t sure if this world could produce natural fantastical items without the interference of Kaidan, sinister omens, or void, but even if that were possible, it would be an extremely rare occurrence. At least, during the months Feng Xue had spent in the Real World, this was the first fantastical item he had found that was entirely negative.

It was perfectly suited to draw the gaze of criminals, just happened to appear in a supermarket, just happened to be held by a young woman, combined with the "Curse" it inherently possessed. Feng Xue found it hard to believe it was merely a coincidence.

"Is this the fantastical item that trapped that fool?" Feng Xue glanced at the handbag from the corner of his eye, recalling the nameless person who had been arrested a month ago.

But you couldn’t blame the other person for their incompetence. After all, in Infinite City, even if you had an Identification tag, most of it originated from Infinite City. Once you left Infinite City, those tags would become invalid. Even the most experienced appraisers would have a hard time determining whether an item was a fantastical one without handling it firsthand, let alone seeing through its inherent powers.

The ability to make its holder an easier target for lawbreakers was indeed perfect for baiting, but for Feng Xue, who could directly see the fantastical item’s panel, such tricks were meaningless. In fact, if the person hadn’t carried the handbag, he might have been even more likely to take the bait.

Shaking his head slightly, Feng Xue turned his gaze towards other housewives. Although the power of the fantastical item inevitably made his eyes drift towards that woman, it wouldn’t attract her attention, especially since most men in the supermarket were already sneaking glances at her —

Although the item’s inherent ability was to attract "lawless madmen," it possessed elements of "Charm," "Desire," and "Temptation." Even without the item’s powers, it was still eye-catching enough.

With reason restraining the impulses induced by the fantastical item, Feng Xue maintained his persona while considering changing his clothes next time.

After all, the Opera Phantom Suit only had the ability to "blend into the environment." While he might appear as insignificant as a grain of sand amid live surveillance, if someone were to review the footage later, there was still a chance they might spot him.

However, after giving it a thought, he decided against it. Ultimately, the "appear and disappear at will" ability of the Opera Phantom Suit is something he couldn’t afford to give up now. Compared to being spotted later, not being able to use teleportation abilities to escape was far more terrifying.

"Speaking of which, I’ve been busy researching the coin and have been neglecting the Secret Manuals. Now that the coin is settled, I should flip through the Secret Manuals more and see if I can develop abilities like Qinggong or deal with large monsters. I wonder if traditional martial arts stories have such things?"

Feng Xue muttered to himself about his plans. His eyes were already locked on a housewife around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old. Other things aside, the main reason was the ingredients she had picked out today, some of which were suitable for beauty and rejuvenation. If combined with the "Taiyin Yiming Jue" Cultivation Technique, which he had developed in Infinite City, he might achieve a temporary age-reversing effect.

Memorizing the features of that housewife, Feng Xue glanced casually at the hook still fishing by the meat counter and then silently proceeded with his shopping basket towards the cashier.

From today forward, all the women in Bakerland would go mad for the Delicious Food Demon!