32: Chapter 32 Communication

The mountain path was rugged, and ancient trees reached for the sky.

Chen Shanzhi followed behind Tang Xiaowu, watching the beautiful figure ahead whose silver bells jingled with every step; his gaze was somewhat unscrupulous.

He had to admit, the clothing of the Wu Clan was truly something; it revealed what should be revealed and hid what should be hidden.

The silver bells jingled as she walked, and the flashes of snow-white skin were almost dizzying.

But while Chen Shanzhi's eyes were busy sizing up the beautiful scenery before him, his mind was pondering something else.

Was the person in front of him Tang Xiaowu herself, or was it the NPC Miao Aman conjured by this Secret Realm?

Looking at this back and this figure, she was indeed identical to Tang Xiaowu.

If it was her, then this girl's current acting skills were simply too good.

That cold demeanor in the Wu Clan's council chamber earlier was enough to win an Oscar.

If it was an NPC, then things would be troublesome.

"If I can't find Tang Xiaowu, who knows when this damn Secret Realm will end."

Chen Shanzhi deliberately slowed his pace by half a beat and muttered as if talking to himself, in a volume just loud enough for the person in front to hear:

"I don't really mind; if it takes a long time, I can just slowly research a way out of this Secret Realm.

But Xiaowu is different..."

The footsteps ahead remained steady, seemingly unaffected.

Chen Shanzhi continued to increase the pressure:

"If Xiaowu never leaves the Secret Realm, her brother Tang Liu will likely get anxious.

His own sister entered the Marquis Mansion with a lecher like me, known throughout the capital, and hasn't come out for days and nights."

"Given that kid's personality, he'll definitely think I've done something indescribable to his sister inside.

He'll probably sneak into my Zhenguo Marquis Mansion under the cover of night to check the situation."

"If that really happens, it's all over."

Chen Shanzhi sighed, his tone full of regret:

"Since I've entered the Secret Realm this time, the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion is definitely under martial law, and my aunt should be guarding it the whole time."

"If Tang Liu dares to come, I'm afraid he'll walk in on two feet and be carried out in a coffin."

As soon as he finished speaking, the figure ahead climbing the steps stiffened slightly.

The originally rhythmic sound of the silver bells also missed a beat.

Although she quickly adjusted and continued walking up as if nothing had happened,

How could this fleeting slip-up escape Chen Shanzhi's eyes, which had been observing her constantly?

"Phew, thank goodness."

A heavy stone finally fell from Chen Shanzhi's heart.

It seemed this girl was indeed Tang Xiaowu herself!

As long as it was her, things would be easier to handle.

However, judging by her previous attitude, it seemed the identity or mission she received in this Secret Realm

Was likely somewhat in opposition to his own.

But since she was still willing to be alone with him, it meant there was room for negotiation.

...

The two of them, one following the other, passed through a dense Gu Forest and arrived at a cliff with an expansive view.

The wind here was very strong, making the silver ornaments on Tang Xiaowu's body jingle.

"Commander Chen, please look."

Tang Xiaowu stopped her pace and extended a slender, pale finger, pointing toward the edge of the rolling mountain range ahead.

Chen Shanzhi stepped forward accordingly.

He stood naturally by Tang Xiaowu's side.

Their shoulders were almost touching, and the unique fragrance of a young girl drifted into his nose with the mountain wind.

At this distance, if it were the real Saintess of the Witch Clan, Miao Aman, she probably would have kicked him off the cliff long ago.

But Tang Xiaowu only frowned slightly, her body stiffening for an imperceptible moment.

However, she did not move away, nor did she speak out to scold him.

Chen Shanzhi took a deep breath of the unique fragrance coming from the girl.

Mixed with the scent of mountain vegetation, it was very pleasant.

Then he looked in the direction Tang Xiaowu was pointing.

He saw that at the edge of the Wu Clan's territory, masses of eerie green mist were like thick city walls, completely surrounding the Wu Clan's lands.

The mist churned and surged, occasionally shifting into the shapes of skulls and venomous snakes.

Even from this distance, one could feel a heart-palpitating chill.

"Is that... miasma?" Chen Shanzhi asked.

"It is more than just miasma."

Tang Xiaowu watched the churning green mist, her voice cold:

"This is the Ten Thousand Poison Barrier, refined by generations of our Wu Clan's Divine Shamans using countless Gu insects and poisonous herbs, combined with the Evil Qi of the earth's veins."

"This miasma is incredibly toxic. Not to mention ordinary people, even experts of the Life Fire Realm

Would only last fifteen minutes at most inside without our Wu Clan's special antidote before their internal Life Fire is corroded and extinguished."

"Corroding the Life Fire?"

Chen Shanzhi's pupils constricted slightly.

In this world, stepping into the Life Fire Realm meant the sublimation of one's level of existence.

By knocking open the Heavenly Gate and igniting the Life Fire within the Sea of Consciousness, ordinary mortal toxins entering the body would be instantly purified and incinerated by the Life Fire, unable to cause any harm.

A poison that could corrode the Life Fire was absolutely a weapon of mass destruction!

"Furthermore, there are killing formations laid within this Ten Thousand Poison Barrier."

Tang Xiaowu looked at the green barrier, a trace of inexplicable emotion in her tone:

"As long as our clan activates the great formation and controls the miasma, it is an impassable chasm."

At this point, she suddenly paused, as if asking Chen Shanzhi, yet also as if asking herself:

"Tell me... with such a natural defense guarding us, how could the army of the Demon People possibly get in?"

Chen Shanzhi keenly sensed that something was off about the tone of Tang Xiaowu's final rhetorical question.

It didn't sound like she was boasting, nor was she questioning Chen Shanzhi.

Instead, it was as if... she was asking herself.

That tone carried a deep sense of confusion and bewilderment.

Thinking back to the various anomalies when entering the Secret Realm, combined with Tang Xiaowu's current reaction,

A flash of inspiration struck Chen Shanzhi's mind, as if he had grasped a key clue.

He turned sideways, looking at Tang Xiaowu's exquisite profile, and suddenly spoke:

"Xiaowu, stop hiding it. I know it's you."

"Is your mission in the Secret Realm this time to prevent the Demon People from invading the Wu Clan?"

Hearing Chen Shanzhi's form of address, Tang Xiaowu's body trembled, knowing she had been seen through.

She no longer continued to maintain the persona of the aloof Saintess.

Tang Xiaowu turned around, and for the first time, Chen Shanzhi's figure was reflected in those bright eyes.

The previous coldness and disguise were gone, replaced by a touch of complexity.

"You really did guess it."

Tang Xiaowu took a deep breath and looked directly into Chen Shanzhi's eyes:

"Since we've reached this point, I won't hide anything anymore."

"Chen Shanzhi, you people came to the Wu Clan this time ostensibly under the banner of forming an alliance to fight the demons together."

"But in reality, you're here to steal the first three transformations of our Wu Clan's Nine-Turn Golden Body Art of the Witch God, aren't you?"

As these words came out, the air fell silent for a moment.

Tang Xiaowu stared fixedly at Chen Shanzhi, seemingly wanting to see how he would quibble.

However, Chen Shanzhi's reaction was completely beyond Tang Xiaowu's expectations.

There was no panic, no denial, and not even a hint of embarrassment.

Chen Shanzhi nodded openly, with a look of complete composure: "That's right."

He spread his hands in a matter-of-fact manner:

"My character indeed received a secret order from the Third Prince before setting out."

"It said that if there's a chance, I should conveniently bring back the first three transformations of that technique to improve the martial arts foundation of the Great Zhou army."

Seeing Chen Shanzhi admit it so straightforwardly left Tang Xiaowu momentarily speechless.

She had seen shameless people, but never someone so shamelessly honest.

How could this person talk about stealing as naturally as going to the market to buy groceries?

Chen Shanzhi wasn't stupid; Tang Xiaowu couldn't have known about his hidden mission for no reason.

The only explanation was that her mission was targeted at him.

"So..."

Chen Shanzhi took a step forward, closing in on Tang Xiaowu with a burning gaze:

"Xiaowu, your other mission is to stop me from taking this technique back?"

"Naturally!"

Tang Xiaowu did not retreat, nor did she deny it.

The coldness in her eyes grew stronger and stronger; it was a loathing and hatred that came from her very bones.

"You people from the Central Plains speak of benevolence and morality, but in truth, you are all treacherous and insidious villains!"

Tang Xiaowu gritted her teeth and said coldly:

"Using the guise of an alliance to trick us out of our trust."

"Not only do you covet our clan's Legacy technique, but you also secretly stole the formation diagrams and antidote formulas for our Wu Clan's Ten Thousand Poison Barrier and gave them to the Demon People!"

Boom!

With the fluctuations of Tang Xiaowu's emotions, a powerful Aura suddenly erupted from her body.

Chen Shanzhi's pupils constricted.

Life Fire Realm!

This girl's strength in the Secret Realm had actually been raised to the Life Fire Realm as well?

But then Chen Shanzhi's brow furrowed sharply.

Regarding stealing the technique, there was indeed such a secret order in his memory.

But colluding with the Demon People and leaking the formation diagrams?

That didn't match the memories in his head.

Chen Shanzhi shook his head in denial, his tone firm: "That never happened! My current identity is the Commander of the diplomatic mission, the highest person in charge of this operation."

"The only secret order I received was to obtain the technique; there was absolutely no mention of colluding with the Demon People!"

"Besides, our Great Zhou and the Demon People are mortal enemies. How could we possibly cooperate with them to deal with you?"

"Heh," Tang Xiaowu sneered. "But facts speak louder than words."

She turned around, looking at the boundless green miasma, her tone carrying a deep sense of sorrow:

"Because these things already happened, over a hundred years ago."