Chapter 4: The Riddle (4)
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When the news broke that a star map used by the upper echelons of the Heavenly Sword Sect had been spotted in the prison holding Evil Shiyuan, the Male Character was struck with disbelief, like he just heard the craziest fairy tale.
“Wait a minute, I don’t get it. The Heavenly Sword Sect locks the Monster King up in a cave, but then they put a complete star map behind his back? What, do they expect him to join the Heavenly Sword Sect and fight for humanity or something?”
The Male Character never truly considered himself a genuine member of the Heavenly Sword Sect; after all, it was his original body that made that decision, not him.
Luo Ying didn’t catch the sarcasm in his tone regarding the Heavenly Sword Sect and found herself deep in thought.
“Yeah, and thinking back, it really is a bit strange. Those holes created by whatever—it looks ancient. We’re talking decades of history here.”
The Male Character said seriously, “Maybe we should investigate the site further to understand the significance of that star map. But not right now; we should rest for a night and head there when we’re in better shape.”
Luo Ying agreed; the sensation of d*ath chi invading her body was far from pleasant, colder than ice, almost like countless ghostly hands wanted to pull her soul out of her body.
If given the choice, she wouldn’t want to go back in there. But after finally securing this lead, they couldn’t afford to abandon it.
She even suspected it might have some special connection to her master’s d*ath.
After all, Wang Qianshan suspected her of killing Ling Xiaozu because the fatal wound had traces of a shadow sword.
But how could a sword that had been beside her suddenly end up in someone else’s hands to k*ll her master?
Fortunately, before Wang Qianshan could interrogate her, he was thrown off course by a sudden river of lava and a Self-Exploding Beast.
Thank goodness for that, or White Peach, who had entered prison alongside her, wouldn’t know how many tortures she’d face.
In the eyes of the world, the Flowerless Palace was notorious for sacrificing countless lives, and as the only surviving Second Palace Master, White Peach would naturally bear the consequences for the Flowerless Palace’s crimes. It seemed like torturing her was perfectly acceptable in everyone’s eyes.
Pulling her thoughts back, Luo Ying decided to share their previous findings with Fatty and White Peach.
After all, the four of them had survived life and d*ath together, forming a deep bond that warranted no secrets between them. Plus, this was their only significant discovery since arriving at Phoenix Mountain.
They gathered around the campfire, munching on slightly burnt skewers, and discussed the matter.
After hearing them out, Fatty remarked, “You know, do you think the Monster King has anything to do with the Heavenly Sword Sect? Look at Frost North Snow—she’s the Cold Moon Witch, a fairy who’s lived for thousands of years. She’s willing to be the Monster King’s wife, which means the Monster King is at least on her level.”
He paused for effect. “What if—what if the martial arts of the Heavenly Sword Sect were actually created by the Monster King?”
Luo Ying shot him a glare, “Fatty, are you out of your mind? The Heavenly Sword Sect has been around for thousands of years; how could a mere Monster King compare?”
Fatty scratched his head and quickly shut up.
The Male Character interjected, “Master Sister, we’re just discussing possibilities here. If you don’t want to consider that angle, then we can’t continue this discussion.”
Luo Ying huffed, “But you can’t say that the Monster King is the ancestor of the Heavenly Sword Sect!”
The Male Character replied, “Hypothetically, this is all hypothetical. I know you’re trying to protect our sect, but the current situation calls for us to open our minds. Okay, Master Sister?”
Luo Ying mumbled, “Fine. So annoying… If only I had some wine.”
Fatty, “…”
White Peach, “…”
As long as those two weren’t blind, they could clearly see the chemistry brewing between them.
Usually, Master Sister was a dominant figure, but she caved under the Male Character’s casual remarks, leaving both Fatty and White Peach utterly shocked that Luo Ying would ever express such a weak stance.
Indeed, love can change a person; it doesn’t lie.
Fatty couldn’t help but shuffle a little closer to White Peach, but she promptly kicked him back to his spot.
The Male Character pretended not to notice Fatty’s embarrassment and returned to Fatty’s earlier guess.
“Based on what we observed in the East Sea Underground Palace…”
White Peach froze, and for some reason, as soon as she heard East Sea Underground Palace, a gruesome scene flashed through her mind.
Countless innocent humans died in brutal ways, their eyes wide in horror, all staring right at her.
“No, no, it wasn’t me, it wasn’t me…”
White Peach shook her head violently in pain, startling the other three.
“Fatty, hurry up!” the Male Character shouted.
Fatty rushed forward, catching a White Peach who looked about to faint. This time, she didn’t push him away; tears streamed down her face, reminiscent of the time she found out about the d*ath of the Great Palace Master back in the Flowerless Palace, collapsing in Fatty’s arms and crying her heart out.
The Male Character and Luo Ying discreetly stepped away from the campfire, leaving the moment for Fatty.
“My bad. I totally forgot about this,” the Male Character said, tapping his head.
Luo Ying shot him an eye roll. “Ha! Just a moment ago, you were moralizing, saying I didn’t give others a chance to speak. And now you’ve said something stupid! You should really reflect on yourself; don’t take my generosity for granted!”
The Male Character shrugged, “Uh… okay then, let’s just get back to discussing that star map.”
“Sure, you talk,” Luo Ying replied.
“Fatty actually makes a point. Think about it: Who is Frost North Snow? A super proud lady! She’s not only the spirit of Sighs Temple but has also descended as a divine messenger to teach the Three Races.
The roots of human cultivation might very well have sprouted from Frost North Snow herself.
What kind of extraordinary monster could convince her to willingly become the Monster King’s wife?
If we consider it from this angle, the Monster King’s surrendering at Phoenix Mountain might be because he encountered something there that forced him to bow down.
I have two possible explanations. First, the Monster King could be from the Divine Clan, rallying the Monster Race to escalate the Three Races War merely to fulfill the Divine Clan’s 400-year cycle to harvest the world’s strongest beings.
By leading the Monster race elites into the Small Thousand World and then leaving at a crucial moment, he could shake the Monster Race’s confidence, causing them to fight both the humans and demons to a standstill.
Secondly, he might have been threatened into surrendering. We don’t know the nature of that threat yet.
But I hypothesize that if we can unravel the mystery behind the star map, we might uncover the truth.”
Luo Ying sighed, “Too bad none of this helps us exit the Small Thousand World right away.”
Meanwhile, explosions echoed clearly from the Main Peak ten kilometers away.
Although they didn’t face the continuous attacks of Self-Exploding Beasts daily, how long could the Main Peak hold out? That question tugged at their minds.
Especially Luo Ying, who felt an ever-growing anxiety, knowing there were many familiar faces there; she didn’t want to hear news of their deaths.
The Male Character stated, “Tomorrow noon, we’ll make our move into the cave while the sun is strongest.”
