Chapter 383: Fiancée

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It had been a very, very long time since anyone dared to intrude here, just as the woman who looked identical to Zhen'er had predicted years ago.

That's why they believed that anyone bold enough to come here proposing marriage for Zhen'er was either powerful enough to deal with them, or perhaps Zhen'er's destined partner.

If one didn't genuinely love Zhen'er, who would dare propose marriage here?

The current situation seemed chaotic. Master Jiu sensed not only that intruders had arrived, but that there were quite a few of them. Why?

He was momentarily perplexed and unsure how to proceed.

Shi Chun, having sought help, finally turned to Master Jiu and shamelessly asked Zhen'er, "Zhen'er, who is this?"

It was a rhetorical question. How could such a strangely dressed young man appear here? If not a terrifying entity himself, he must be someone associated with one.

Zhen'er replied, "He is Master Jiu."

"Oh dear…" Shi Chun exclaimed in surprise, feigning an apologetic demeanor.

Just as he was about to flatter Master Jiu, everyone's gaze shifted to the sky. Li Hongjiu had arrived, riding a Wind-Scaled mount in hot pursuit.

Li Hongjiu wasn't blind; he naturally spotted the crowd gathered below.

The lake island in this place? Li Hongjiu had heard legends about it from his elders. It seemed to be the core of the forbidden zone, its most terrifying part. It was rumored that many legendary top masters in the cultivation world had met their end here.

While a chill ran down his spine, a strange excitement bubbled within him, accompanied by a touch of nervousness. He noticed the strangely dressed young man in the crowd, before whom Shi Chun was bowing and scraping, clearly cowering behind him, using him as a human shield.

Shi Chun, who had previously fled in panic from him, now stood proudly, a smug, provocative look on his face.

Such a petty display, yet it revealed a lot.

The young man, however, clearly didn't pay him much heed. His gaze merely swept over Li Hongjiu before turning back to the direction from which Li Hongjiu had come.

Master Jiu truly didn't consider him significant. What was someone who still needed a Wind-Scaled mount for transportation?

Zhen'er had praised Shi Chun to the high heavens to him. According to Zhen'er, Master Jiu didn't believe this person in front of him could be Shi Chun's true opponent. Was the real opponent still behind him?

Before long, forces from various sects arrived with a rush. There weren't as many people as before, but for Master Jiu, it was an unprecedented sight.

From the earliest pioneers who had appeared out of thin air to settle the Divine Fire Domain, to their current confinement here, he had never truly witnessed a scene like this, facing thousands of people at once. This was truly an eye-opener.

His somewhat suspicious gaze swept over the hovering forces from the various sects. Each was hidden within their Wind-Scaled mounts, and he couldn't yet discern any true masters among them.

Zuo Zisheng and the others were also huddled behind Li Hongjiu. They too saw the young man on the island. Possessing at least some discerning vision, they noticed something was off about Shi Chun's group cowering behind the young man. Combined with the environment, they didn't dare to breathe too loudly.

Why had they run to a place their sect elders dared not approach?

At this point, some began to regret it, wondering why they had blindly followed Li Hongjiu.

Regret, however, is always fleeting and situational.

The group in the air and the group on the island were both silent. The only sound in the world was the whirring of the Wind-Scaled mounts.

A quiet standoff ensued.

And it continued like this for a long time.

Master Jiu truly didn't know what to do. He had already cast a spell to transmit a message to the people in the tower below, asking for advice.

The people inside the tower below were also conflicted. Initially, they had prioritized the bigger picture and intended not to help Shi Chun. Now, however, the pursuers seemed to have gone mad, brazenly trespassing and confronting them at their very doorstep.

Should they still prioritize the bigger picture?

"Ninth Brother, are you certain there are no masters among them?" the Eldest Master at the bottom of the tower asked solemnly.

Ninth Brother's voice buzzed from below the tower, "It's not about whether there are masters; it's that they are too weak. They're all mere mortals, easily seen through. Not a single one has forged an immortal body. How am I supposed to distinguish masters? Should I fight them one by one, or touch each one to find out?"

Another man's voice grumbled, "Still at the mortal realm, how dare they come here? And thousands of them charging in at once? Do those artifact-forging sects still understand the rules, or do they think we're dead?"

This remark seemed to spark something, and the Eldest Master immediately asked, "Are you certain they are all from the artifact-forging world?"

Master Jiu on the lake island finally spoke, turning his head to ask, "Are these all people from the artifact-forging world?"

This manner of questioning inadvertently corroborated Li Hongjiu's suspicions, instantly alarming him and the others.

Zhen'er nodded affirmatively, "Yes, they are all from there."

Master Jiu glanced sideways. "You know nothing. You're no help."

It was clear who he was asking. Shi Chun wasn't so slow-witted. He quickly interjected, "Master Jiu, yes, they're all from the artifact-forging world. They're the ones chasing me." Master Jiu's voice then echoed below the tower, "You all heard that, didn't you? They're all from the artifact-forging world."

Silence descended in the tower once more.

After waiting for so many years, such a situation was entirely unexpected, even inconceivable. They couldn't understand why this had happened; it truly baffled them.

Seeing Master Jiu hesitate and delay in responding, Shi Chun's heart began to pound. He couldn't understand what this meant. He had already explained that these people were chasing him. Why wasn't Master Jiu taking action to dispatch them? What was he waiting for?

He somewhat understood why, despite the massive commotion he'd caused fighting Li Hongjiu earlier, no one here had intervened. He couldn't help but look at Zhen'er, wondering if she had clearly explained the situation to them, or perhaps miscommunicated something.

Meanwhile, Li Hongjiu in the air also felt that such a stalemate was unsustainable. He cast a spell to break the silence, proclaiming loudly, "May I ask, who are you, esteemed sir?"

This was also what the disciples from the various sects wanted to ask.

After a brief pause, Master Jiu slowly asked, "Since you are from the artifact-forging world, do you know where this place is?"

Naturally, he knew. Li Hongjiu chose his words carefully and replied, "The outside world calls this the Nameless Forbidden Zone."

Master Jiu: "Since you knew it was a forbidden zone, was your intrusion intentional or unintentional?"

Shi Chun grew anxious hearing this. Wasn't Master Jiu being too polite?

Li Hongjiu pointed to Wu Shanshan. "It was unavoidable; he captured one of our people."

Master Jiu turned his head to look at the unconscious Wu Shanshan, making You Mu, who was holding Wu Shanshan and protecting her with the 'Ice Sheep' technique, extremely uncomfortable.

Shi Chun immediately retorted, jumping in agitation, "When did Forgetfulness Valley and Derivation Treasure Sect become so close? Li Hongjiu, stop spouting nonsense! She has nothing to do with you. She was clearly chasing me and accidentally fell into our hands."

Li Hongjiu calmly stated, "To be frank, Wu Shanshan is my fiancée."

"Huh?" Shi Chun's eyes widened slightly, a look of astonishment on his face. He had seen shameless people, but never anyone who so completely disregarded their reputation.

But, surprisingly, those words were indeed both offensive and defensive.

Was it really excessive for someone to break in here for his fiancée?

If things truly didn't work out, he could even abandon his fiancée, which would surely save face for these old monsters, wouldn't it?

The problem was, who could prove Wu Shanshan wasn't Li Hongjiu's fiancée? Should they wake her up to testify?

Wu Jinliang felt the same, staring blankly at Li Hongjiu. This was unlike the renowned sect disciples they knew. Weren't such disciples supposed to care greatly about their reputation?

Not just them, but all the hovering disciples from the various sects also stared at Li Hongjiu. Many looked impressed, thinking he was truly remarkable, able to fight and also adapt flexibly.

They were unaware, but only the Derivation Treasure Sect disciples knew that this Martial Uncle was the type who was constantly punished with kneeling and clean-up duties in the sect. He was consistently unreliable, had long lost all his dignity, and no longer cared.

Actually, among the group, the Thousand Crags Sect contingent reacted the most. Li Hongjiu's single sentence had unnerved them.

He feared Li Hongjiu would use this reason to reclaim Wu Shanshan. Once Wu Shanshan was back in their hands, his involvement would be exposed, and he wouldn't be able to leave the Divine Fire Domain alive; he wouldn't pass through the exit.

Master Jiu, meanwhile, turned his head to look at Shi Chun, his brow slightly furrowed.

At this reaction, Shi Chun secretly gasped. What was happening? Was Master Jiu going to blame him for making a mistake?

He quickly interjected, "Master Jiu, don't listen to his nonsense! This fellow might look decent, but he never speaks a word of truth. He's trying to fool you like an idiot. Master Jiu, look, he dared to barge in here and cause trouble. Even if you hand the person over to him, he still won't give up."

Master Jiu, who wished to settle the matter peacefully, considered this and thought it made sense. He then turned to Li Hongjiu again.

Before he could speak, however, Li Hongjiu conceded first, saying, "Master Jiu, as long as he returns my fiancée to me, I will immediately take my people and leave."

He currently understood neither the situation of this 'Master Jiu' that Shi Chun spoke of, nor why Shi Chun was associated with him. He was already pondering Shi Chun's daring to roam freely in the forbidden zone. Regardless, it was always right to clarify one thing at a time, and getting Wu Shanshan back was the immediate priority.

Firstly, he could ascertain who had killed the disciples of the Derivation Treasure Sect.

Secondly, with Wu Shanshan's tracking spells, it would be easier to track Shi Chun, unless Shi Chun could hide here for the rest of his life.

Finally, if this Master Jiu was willing to return the person so easily, then the situation would become interesting, or rather, this place would be even more worth exploring.

However, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang instantly understood his thoughts. They were familiar with this tactic. Seeing that Master Jiu seemed genuinely on the verge of relenting, both of them grew anxious.

Fortunately, Shi Chun was no pushover. He immediately retorted loudly, "Li Hongjiu, are you implying that if Master Jiu doesn't hand Wu Shanshan over to you, you'll attack him?"

Upon hearing this, Gong Shixi, whose nerves were taut, secretly applauded.

Li Hongjiu, however, didn't fall for it. Completely ignoring Shi Chun, he loudly counter-questioned, "Master Jiu, my wife has been forcibly detained and subjected to humiliation. What do you believe I should do?"

(End of Chapter)