Chapter 2: The Incident at Flowerless Palace (4)
Speaking of which, Fatty had indeed met the Great Palace Master before.
The last time, White Peach was rushing to save Luo Ying and the others stranded on the island when they were stopped by the Great Palace Master.
At that moment, no one could have predicted that the powerful, fierce Great Palace Master would suddenly pass away just days later.
“You mean the Great Palace Master’s d*ath was suspicious?” Fatty asked, raising an eyebrow.
White Peach nodded, her spirits mostly back to normal now, sporting a proud expression and a confident stance. Her short hair glimmered like gold in the setting sun, making it seem as if the previous moments where she had cried uncontrollably in his arms were just figments of Fatty’s imagination.
“Even though the Great Palace Master’s seat was intentionally placed far from us, I still felt like something was rapidly consuming her life,” White Peach recalled, frowning slightly.
“After the ceremony, a few disciples escorted her into a room, and not long later, we received word of the Great Palace Master’s d*ath.”
Fatty was sharp enough to catch on to the details in her words. “So, we have no idea what happened to the Great Palace Master before she died?”
White Peach nodded again. “Exactly. And her body was immediately prepared for burial. No one except her direct disciples had the chance to see her for the last time.”
“That definitely raises some eyebrows.”
“I initially thought that Ren Dan would immediately oppose my succession as sect leader. She had been running the Flowerless Palace under the Great Palace Master’s direction for two years and had cultivated a lot of allies. She has the power to do so.”
“But it seems she tacitly accepted my succession and happily passed the authority to me.”
“Though it feels a bit hard to believe, it really did happen.”
Fatty mused, “That goes against common sense. She shouldn’t have been so agreeable.”
White Peach suggested, “Unless they’re brewing some kind of conspiracy, and we just haven’t noticed it yet.”
The room fell into an awkward silence, as they both pondered this puzzling issue.
Although White Peach and he had temporarily escaped danger, it felt like a massive spiderweb loomed above them, waiting for the right moment to descend and trap them for good—no escape!
Fatty never imagined things would spiral this far out of control.
He’d entered “The Way of Inquiry” just looking for a thrill-a-minute slasher game, but here he was, experiencing a second life completely unlike the first.
At this moment, he felt like he was walking a tightrope over a bottomless abyss—one misstep could leave him shattered to pieces.
He could run away if he wanted.
After all, White Peach was safe and sound. He could bid her farewell right now and leave the Flowerless Palace without anyone stopping him. But the thought of her facing the whirlpool of conspiracy alone left him unable to even voice his desire to leave.
He was a straight-up gentleman—how could he just abandon a woman in a time of crisis?
Sure, he had dragged the Cold Moon Witch into the fray before, using her as a meat shield to save his skin, but reflecting on that now filled him with guilt. Who did he think he was to insult the most popular female NPC in the game with his words?
He just hoped that little bit of boasting wouldn’t reach the witch’s ears. Just imagining the overwhelming pressure she had displayed during the battle in Thousand Bird City sent chills down his spine.
She would turn him into mush…
Fortunately, the ones interrogating him were just NPCs. As long as he could help White Peach get a handle on the Flowerless Palace, everything would return to normal.
Moreover, after spending some time with her, he felt something unusual towards White Peach. Although she currently viewed him as just a goofy fat guy, he believed that if he played a significant role in unraveling the enemy’s schemes, she’d surely see him in a new light.
“Has the Great Palace Master’s body been buried yet?” Fatty asked.
White Peach shook her head. “There are specific customs with burial dates. If I remember correctly, it should be the day after tomorrow.”
Fatty hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, “I think we should take a look at the Great Palace Master’s body.”
White Peach stared at him in shock, her expression clearly indicating he had lost his mind. “Why?”
Fatty replied seriously, “If the Great Palace Master really died under suspicious circumstances, there might be some clues on her body. Once she’s buried, we may never get another chance.”
White Peach fixed a hard stare on him, as if trying to pierce through his intentions.
“If you weren’t Luo Ying’s disciple, I swear I would personally throw you out of the Flowerless Palace and make sure you disappear from my sight forever. The Great Palace Master is already in her coffin. Opening it now would be akin to desecrating the dead, which is disrespectful enough as it is—especially since she was the previous sect leader and someone all of us in the Flowerless Palace respected.”
Fatty countered, “I understand what you’re saying. But what if Ren Dan and the others did something to the Great Palace Master? If we could find evidence, we could take her down before it’s too late!”
White Peach fell into deep thought.
There was a point to what the big guy said, but the act of opening a coffin violated societal norms. If anyone found out, even though she was the new sect leader, there was no way people would fully support her.
Yet, as the big guy had said, once the Great Palace Master’s coffin was buried, finding evidence would be as hard as climbing the wall of a mountain.
For a moment, White Peach found herself in a dilemma, unable to reach a decision.
Seeing she hadn’t outright rejected his proposal, Fatty sensed an opportunity.
He added fuel to the fire. “We could go at night, sneaky as ninjas! As long as we’re not discovered, it’ll work!”
White Peach thought for a moment.
There were guards in the underground palace, but it wasn’t impossible to divert them. Investigating in the middle of the night, regardless of the outcome, would be better than just sitting around waiting for the enemy to strike.
She was inherently action-driven; once she made up her mind, she wouldn’t dwell on the pros and cons.
“Alright, I’m in.”
White Peach took the initiative to pour herself a drink, then clinked glasses with Fatty, downing it in one go as a show of determination.
“Tomorrow at noon, I’ll find a way to swap out the underground guards with our own. Just the two of us will go in.”
“Don’t worry! From now on, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just wait right here for you.”
White Peach laughed and turned to leave with a strut that could put any man to shame.
Watching her walk away with confidence and a swagger that was practically masculine, Fatty couldn’t help but gulp.
If they really ended up together, would she completely dominate him?
Ha! He was already jumping to conclusions before the ink had even dried on this deal. Better save his energy and prepare for tomorrow night’s adventure first.
Oh, and he should contact the male character before going any further.
……
Inside Cold Wind Cave.
Lin Nan sternly instructed two young boys, “I’m going into seclusion for a while. During my absence, I don’t want to see anyone. Got it?”
Ever since she had previously given them a good talking-to, the two boys had become a lot more obedient.
“Sure thing, sis! Leave it to us!”
Seeing that the two were indeed standing guard at the door without any trouble, especially with Evil Shiyuan’s powerful presence, she had nothing to worry about.
It had been quite a while since she last visited Heavenly Sword Sect.
That’s right, she was going back to the male character.
She needed an answer.
……
P.S.: Breakfast is served!
