654: Chapter 654 My name is Shui Shui!

"Nani?"

The Bald Elder was the first to lose his composure, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "A beautiful girl? In this godforsaken place, where would a beautiful girl come from?"

The other elders also frowned, looking at each other in confusion.

High altitude, lack of oxygen, and a bone-chilling wind.

Let alone a beautiful girl, even a stray dog wouldn't want to stay in such a place.

Botadono Nyuyie's brow furrowed again, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. "Where is she?"

The Squad Leader replied hurriedly.

"Right at a spot less than a hundred meters from the defensive line!"

"And when she was discovered, she had fainted on the ground."

"My subordinates have checked; she's still breathing. It should be altitude sickness combined with physical exhaustion that caused her to pass out."

"Fainted?" A sharp glint flashed in Botadono Nyuyie's eyes. "Lead the way, let's go see."

"Hai!"

The Squad Leader turned around and led the group down the cliff.

The contingent of over two thousand people followed formidably behind.

Not long after.

They arrived at a rocky beach on the outskirts of the defensive line.

Rubble was everywhere, weeds grew rampant, and a few abandoned military tents flapped loudly in the wind.

At the edge of the rocky beach, beside a giant boulder, a woman was curled up in a corner.

She was already awake.

Her hands were hugging her knees, her whole body huddled into a ball like a frightened rabbit.

But that face...

Botadono Nyuyie's gaze fell on her face, his pupils contracting slightly.

She was too beautiful.

Skin like cream, eyebrows like distant mountains, and a pair of peach-blossom eyes that were watery, as if they could speak.

A high bridge of the nose, lips like painted grease, and a pointed chin; her entire face presented a curve so perfect it was surreal.

Especially those eyes, the corners slightly upturned, carrying a hint of natural charm, very much like a legendary fox spirit.

She was wearing a white cotton jacket, which could not hide her exquisite curves.

She looked extremely disheveled, yet the more one looked, the more beautiful she appeared, making it impossible to look away.

Botadono Nyuyie swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing the slight restlessness in his heart, and spoke coldly.

"Who are you?"

The woman looked up, her watery peach-blossom eyes fixed on him, filled with terror and helplessness.

"I... my name is Shui Shui."

Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of a sob. "I came to the Kunlun Mountains for tourism, but I got separated from my group and ended up lost here..."

"Tourism?"

The Bald Elder sized her up, his eyes full of suspicion. "In this kind of place? Tourism? Do you take us for three-year-olds?"

Shui Shui's tears suddenly fell, streaming down her fair cheeks.

"Really... I really just came for tourism!"

"Please, save me... I want to go home..."

She cried so piteously, her whole body trembling, looking extremely pathetic.

Seeing Shui Shui's tearful appearance, the people around her unexpectedly felt a sense of pity in their hearts.

The Bald Elder was the first to break, his Adam's apple bobbing as he whispered, "Sect Master... this girl looks quite pitiful. How about... we help her?"

Just as he finished speaking.

Another elder beside him also nodded.

"Yes, Sect Master, such a beautiful young girl alone in these desolate mountains—it would be a shame if she lost her life."

"I concur. Saving a life is always a way to accumulate merit."

"Sect Master, let's take her with us; it's no trouble anyway."

...

For a moment, seven or eight elders actually spoke up as if possessed, one after another, all speaking on Shui Shui's behalf.

They didn't know why, but seeing this girl Shui Shui, they couldn't help but feel pity for her, unable to control themselves...

Botadono Nyuyie's brow furrowed slightly.

These elders had followed him for decades; every one of them was decisive in killing and ruthless. Normally, let alone pitying a strange woman, they wouldn't even blink if someone died on the side of the road.

What was happening today?

Why were they all acting like Bodhisattvas, starting to want to help that woman?

He subconsciously glanced at Shui Shui again.

That face was as pale as paper, tear stains still fresh, her watery peach-blossom eyes filled with fear and helplessness, like a kitten abandoned in the wilderness.

In the next second.

Botadono Nyuyie's heart softened inexplicably, and a thought popped into his head...

Hmm.

This girl really is quite pitiful!

Taking her along wouldn't be a big deal, right?

"Sect Master?"

Seeing him remain silent, the Bald Elder tentatively called out again.

Botadono Nyuyie snapped back to his senses, forcibly suppressed that strange feeling in his heart, and said coldly, "Bring her along."

He paused and added, "However, keep a close eye on her. A woman of unknown origin cannot be taken lightly."

"Hai!"

The Bald Elder acknowledged, turned and waved his hand, and two Black-clothed samurai stepped forward to help Shui Shui up from the ground.

Shui Shui was trembling all over, her small face pale, her lips quivering so much she couldn't speak.

She kept her head down, allowing the two samurai to support her, looking extremely weak.

But beneath those lowered eyelids, a flash of indiscernible cunning flickered in her peach-blossom eyes.

Botadono Nyuyie did not notice this detail.

He turned around and gave a grand wave of his hand.

"All forces, march!"

"Cross the defensive line, find Ye Chen, kill him, and reclaim the key!"

"Hai!" Over two thousand people shouted in unison, their voices shaking the clouds.

But.

Right at that moment.

A soft, sweet voice suddenly came from the rear of the group.

"That... are you... are you looking for this kind of key?"

The voice was very small, with a hint of timidness.

But to Botadono Nyuyie's ears, it was like a clap of thunder, and his whole body suddenly stiffened.

The sound of the group's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

The gazes of over two thousand people all turned toward the direction of the voice.

They saw.

Shui Shui was being supported by the two Black-clothed samurai, looking extremely weak.

But at this moment, she was looking up, her watery peach-blossom eyes fixed on Botadono Nyuyie.

And her right hand slowly reached out from the pocket of her cotton jacket.

In her fair palm, a bronze key lay quietly.

The key wasn't large, and its entire body was greenish-bronze, covered with ancient and complex patterns.

But when this bronze key was exposed to everyone's sight...

Botadono Nyuyie's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible giant hand.

So much so.

That his breathing became hurried.

The key to the Kunlun Ruins' bronze gate!

The object all the forces of the Kunlun Ruins had dreamed of and exerted all their effort to find for countless years!!!

Now, it had actually appeared in the hands of a weak woman encountered by chance in the desolate mountains?

And... she had taken it out voluntarily?

"baka!"

The Bald Elder was the first to snap back, his eyes bulging like copper bells. "This... this is a real bronze key! The aura on it cannot be faked!!!"

The elders behind him also reacted one after another, their eyes wide and round.

"Exactly! I have seen the rubbings in ancient books; it's this pattern! It's this key!"

"There are nine bronze keys in total, said to be scattered all over the world. No one has found one for hundreds of years. How could this girl have one in her hand?"

"What do you care how she got it? The important thing is, the key is right before our eyes!"

"Amaterasu bless us! Our Emperors Gate has searched bitterly for decades to no avail, and today, we've found it without any effort at all!"

...

The discussion exploded.

Every face was written with shock and wild joy.

Over two thousand pairs of eyes stared intently at the bronze key in Shui Shui's palm, the light of greed in their eyes almost overflowing.

Botadono Nyuyie took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calmer.

"Miss Shui Shui, where... where did you get this key in your hand?"

Shui Shui blinked, looking innocent and naive.

"This? I... I don't know either, my grandfather left it to me."

"He said it was a treasure and told me to keep it safe, but he didn't say what kind of treasure it was."

She paused and tilted her head, her peach-blossom eyes full of confusion. "So... the key you're looking for is this kind?"

Botadono Nyuyie swallowed hard, suppressing the wild joy in his heart, and nodded.

"Yes, this is it."

"Miss Shui Shui, this key is very important to us. Can you... can you give it to us?"

"Don't worry, we won't take it for free. We can give you a lot of money, a lot of money."