Chapter 320: Very Sudden

Her demeanor, despite no threats being made and the questions not being difficult to answer, gradually began to displease the Shu Daoshan group. In the world of artifact refining, few disciples dared to put on airs in front of them, especially when alone.

Wu Jinliang, having been forewarned by Shi Chun, also personally noticed the solitary woman's unusual behavior.

Gu Lianni, who had been waiting quietly, couldn't help but express her displeasure. "What, is this question so difficult to answer?"

The solitary woman finally spoke, countering, "Must I answer?"

Her slow, deliberate tone conveyed a certain stumbling dullness. Her voice was soft, and her manner of speaking was difficult to describe; she wasn't quite a stutterer, but it was as if she was fumbling for each word, making listeners anticipate what she might say next.

Her speech sounded a little laborious, and listening was quite taxing.

Nevertheless, the underlying quality of her voice was pleasant, like stalactites dripping in the dark, a gentle 'ding-dong'.

Gu Lianni was somewhat speechless by the question. To say "certainly" or "must" would seem overbearing, yet since they were there, they definitely needed to know. She replied, "Is your sect hidden from public view?"

The solitary woman thought for a moment, then replied, "Everyone in our sect is dead." Then, as if remembering something, she calmly added, "Except for me."

The Shu Daoshan group exchanged surprised and doubtful glances, instinctively looking towards the depths of the dark forbidden area.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, however, exchanged glances.

Yuan Yao asked, "Did everyone in your sect die inside the forbidden area?"

The solitary woman still pondered for a moment before answering with a single word, "Yes."

Yuan Yao asked, "May I inquire your esteemed name, young lady?"

The solitary woman again tilted her head slightly in thought, then countered, "What do you mean?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Yuan Yao frowned slightly. "No other meaning. I'm just asking for your name."

This time, the solitary woman answered promptly, "Zhen'er."

Her straightforwardness made everyone's expressions turn strange. Could it be that this woman genuinely hadn't understood the question earlier? If she couldn't even grasp that, was there something wrong with her mind?

Logically, this shouldn't be the case; those selected by various sects to enter the Divine Fire Domain shouldn't be so dull.

Everyone's gaze then fell upon the pale legs exposed by the hem of her long robe. Now, observing her somewhat indecent attire, they suspected she might have suffered either physical injury or psychological trauma, which had affected her mind. This would explain her faltering speech.

Gu Lianni looked at the woman with a hint of sympathy.

Even Wu Jinliang couldn't help but entertain the same thought: if this woman was merely acting, her performance was incredibly masterful. He even began to wonder if Shi Chun had been mistaken.

Shi Chun, however, remained cautiously observant, growing even more vigilant precisely because the woman's portrayal was so convincing.

He occasionally glanced around, pondering a suitable escape strategy and how to extricate himself and his companions safely.

He had already concluded that the peculiar woman before them might be the terrifying entity from the forbidden area.

"Zhen'er?" Yuan Yao confirmed, "Is that Zhen as in 'true'?"

The solitary woman replied, "Yes."

Yuan Yao asked, "What is your surname?"

The solitary woman tilted her head slightly, looking at him with a confused expression.

"Alright, this woman's mind might truly be impaired," Yuan Yao thought, then turned and gave Pang Hou a significant look.

Pang Hou immediately retrieved the roster for the Divine Fire Covenant from his Qiankun bag and began flipping through it page by page, searching for anyone associated with the name 'Zhen'er'.

Gu Lianni then asked, "Zhen'er, given how dangerous it is here, why are you alone and not leaving?"

The woman calling herself 'Zhen'er' said, "I can't get out. Do you know someone named Situ Gu?"

"..." Everyone looked either dazed or utterly astonished. In the artifact refining world, anyone who didn't know the name 'Situ Gu' would surely be an amateur. He was the foremost figure in the entire artifact refining world; the Heaven Refinement Sect's rise to become the leading sect was largely due to his immense contributions. Who didn't know him?

He was a figure revered by everyone in the artifact refining world.

For anyone else, this question would have been rhetorical, but coming from this woman, it only further convinced everyone that something was wrong with her mind.

Gu Lianni tentatively asked, "Are you referring to Senior Situ of the Heaven Refinement Sect?"

A rare hint of joy appeared on Zhen'er's face. She nodded. "Yes, he said he was a disciple of the Heaven Refinement Sect. Has he arrived?"

Everyone could sense her joy, but it was a very subdued happiness, like a faint ripple on a still lake, nothing more.

Everyone's expressions varied. Yuan Yao couldn't help but scratch his forehead, then exchanged a glance with Gu Lianni, silently communicating that they had indeed encountered someone mentally impaired.

Pang Hou, who had glanced up for a moment, continued to pore over the names on the roster.

According to the rules of the Divine Fire Covenant, there was no way Senior Situ Gu could have entered, nor had he. All participating artifact refiners would know this. This woman was clearly speaking nonsense, leading most people to firmly believe that Zhen'er's mind was indeed troubled.

"Sigh," Gu Lianni said, letting out a breath. "Zhen'er, do you know Senior Situ Gu?"

Zhen'er replied, "Yes, I do. He told me the outside world is wonderful, and that he would find a way to take me out of here. I've been waiting for him. Has he arrived?"

The group, listening intently, found her lengthy response quite taxing.

Many people again showed strange expressions, feeling that the woman was delusional, imagining Senior Situ Gu appearing solely for her. It was no different from a young girl fantasizing about a prince coming to marry her.

Gu Lianni, feeling a little distressed, turned her head to the side and offered a slight, wry smile.

Wu Jinliang, however, sensed a different kind of oddity and again turned his head to look at Shi Chun.

Shi Chun's eyes were flickering. Though outwardly calm, his heart was surging with a storm of realization.

Seeing Gu Lianni turn back and prepare to ask more questions, Shi Chun, his eyes darting, grew a little anxious. He worried that the Shu Daoshan group might elicit information that confirmed his own suspicions. If his guess proved correct, he wanted to be the one to control the narrative.

Having fought countless life-or-death battles in the land of exile, he understood deeply that possessing first-hand information unknown to others was the key to victory.

With such an opportunity before him, he couldn't possibly miss it. He immediately intervened, speaking urgently: "Everyone, perhaps you could step aside and allow me to speak with her alone."

Everyone simultaneously turned to look at him, puzzled.

Wu Jinliang's gaze also showed concern; if this woman truly posed a threat, would Shi Chun be in danger alone?

Gu Lianni asked, puzzled, "Brother Chun..."

Before she could finish, Shi Chun raised a hand to interrupt, pointing to his own head. "I picked up some skills in this area from someone in the land of exile; I know a bit about healing methods. Your presence nearby might affect her thoughts. I might be able to ascertain her condition, so please step aside."

Zhen'er, who had been quietly observing, tilted her head slightly again, looking at him with a hint of confusion.

Wu Jinliang grinned, his wide mouth stretching to his ears, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth. He thought to himself, "When did you learn this skill? Why don't I know about it?"

Just moments before, he had worried about Shi Chun's safety, but seeing Shi Chun openly spouting nonsense, his concern immediately vanished. They had all come up from the same humble beginnings; they understood each other's ways.

Of course, he chuckled aloud and urged everyone, "I'm familiar with Brother Chun's skill here. Having people nearby truly does interfere, so everyone, please step aside, step aside, step aside!" He waved his hand and called out.

He was the first to swiftly move away.

After exchanging glances, Gu Lianni and the others reluctantly moved away as well, watching from a distance on their wind-scales, occasionally surveying their surroundings.

The disciples from the surrounding entangled sects also observed the scene from a suitable distance, unsure what was happening.

With no one else nearby, Shi Chun took two steps forward, positioning himself close to Zhen'er. He still harbored some caution, as he was unaware of her temperament or true strength. If she truly was a terrifying entity, offending her could prove very dangerous.

However, seeing her allow the others to leave, his lingering apprehension significantly lessened.

Zhen'er stared at him, observing him. Once his wandering gaze returned to her, she repeated her question: "Has Situ Gu arrived?"

Shi Chun hesitated to give a definitive answer, instead trying, "What is your relationship with Situ Gu?"

"Relationship..." Zhen'er pondered the word for a moment, then finally shook her head. "I don't know."

"..." Shi Chun was momentarily speechless. He wondered if she was truly simple-minded or feigning it, or perhaps just had poor comprehension. He probed again, "Is it a romantic relationship?"

"No," Zhen'er denied. Just as Shi Chun was about to ask another question, she slowly added after a moment of thought, "If I had transformed into a human then, I probably would have tried a romantic relationship with him. I heard that kind of relationship is very beautiful."

After speaking, she fell into a strange state of contemplation.

The moment she spoke, Shi Chun's eyes lit up. He realized his conjecture was correct and understood that this woman was not mentally impaired or foolish, but genuinely unclear about certain things. He immediately sought further confirmation: "What year did you meet Situ Gu?"

"What year..." Zhen'er looked up at the night sky, her expression bewildered. She finally shook her head, stating with a tone of thoughtful reminiscence, "I don't know, it was a very long time ago. He said he was a disciple of the Heaven Refinement Sect, and that he was looking for divine fire."

Shi Chun's heart jolted. "Indeed," he thought to himself. He followed her gaze to the night sky, then looked at her beautiful face and realized that this woman likely understood the concept of 'years,' but in this land of eternal night, she had lost track of time.

He probed again, "Did you help Situ Gu find the divine fire?"

Zhen'er nodded slightly. "I can't leave here. He said that once he gained enough strength, he would break the restrictions and take me out. He needed divine fire to enhance his power, so I helped him find it. He promised he would return, and I've been waiting for him for a very long time, but he hasn't appeared. I've been hoping someone would come so I could ask, but I haven't seen anyone else. Did he lie to me? Is he not coming back?"

"Well..." Shi Chun hesitated. He sensed this woman wasn't foolish, but he didn't know how to respond. He wasn't even sure of the precise circumstances himself. In any case, he couldn't speak carelessly, lest his words spread and earn him the wrath of Situ Gu.

Zhen'er asked, "If he and I were in a romantic relationship, would he then wholeheartedly help me?"

Constantly being asked such difficult questions, Shi Chun couldn't help but scratch his head, deliberating how to handle this peculiar being.

Zhen'er then asked, "Will you help me leave?"

He absolutely had to make a commitment. Even if he couldn't actually achieve it, given the circumstances of the place, he had to promise verbally. Shi Chun immediately patted his chest and guaranteed, "That goes without saying."

Zhen'er then moved closer to him, so close that their bodies were almost touching.

"What's she doing?" Shi Chun thought, cautiously taking a step back, but he couldn't evade her. Zhen'er stood on her tiptoes, and as Shi Chun stared, wide-eyed with a mix of wanting to retreat and bewildered astonishment, her lips pressed against his. Her hands clasped around his neck, and she began to kiss him directly, quite suddenly.