Nan Zhi gave Qin Yue three days to consider.
She was in no hurry to leave the secret realm. Aside from the abundant cultivation resources within, the teleportation formation on the altar alone would take at least a month to copy.
The formation was the work of an unknown powerhouse, exquisitely crafted and profoundly mysterious. With Nan Zhi's current cultivation, her divine sense could barely endure copying it for more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
"Miss, have some fruit."
Seeing Nan Zhi fly down from above, Hongluo held up a bowl of plump, bright red fruit and offered it with great enthusiasm.
"That big dummy came again to deliver Sun-Burning Stone and Metal Essence Mud. I exchanged them for pills according to the amount you specified, and he gave me a large cluster of fruit to eat. Taste one, Miss! Though they are a bit tart, they have been nourished by the spiritual energy of the secret realm, so they must be the spirit fruits mentioned in the storybooks!"
The "big dummy" Hongluo spoke of was Lyu Dongfang.
Over the past few days, Nan Zhi had been focusing on copying the formation diagrams, so she had left the task of exchanging pills to Hongluo.
Although the little hedgehog was a bit timid, she was very organized. Even though she couldn't understand the words of the exploration team, she could communicate through gestures.
In just a few days, the Sun-Burning Stone on the shallow riverbanks near the camp had been picked clean, and even a thick layer of the Metal Essence Mud on the surface had been "dug" away.
Seeing how vivid the fruit's color was, Nan Zhi guessed they wouldn't taste very good. However, she didn't want to rebuff the little hedgehog's kindness, so she picked one and popped it into her mouth.
"Good Hongluo, go play elsewhere for now. I still have work to do. Just remember not to eat too many, or your teeth will be too sore to eat dinner tonight."
"I will!"
Hongluo chirped her response. Knowing the secret realm was dangerous, she didn't wander off. Instead, she sat on the edge of the stone platform with her large bowl, using the red fruit to stain her lips for fun.
Turning away, Nan Zhi silently spat out the sour, bitter wild fruit. Beneath the altar, she saw Professor Liu accompanied by four young soldiers carrying sealed boxes. They seemed to have something to say to her.
It appeared they had reached a decision.
Nan Zhi didn't mind. With a casual wave of her hand—
A wooden vine sprouted from the ground, wrapping around Professor Liu and the four soldiers. It lifted them over a dozen feet into the air and set them down steadily atop the stone platform.
"Is this the power of magic? It truly is miraculous."
Professor Liu touched the vine lingeringly before gesturing for the men behind her to set down the sealed boxes.
"Ma Guniang, these... are the items we brought from the stone chamber. There are thirty-one in total. According to our agreement, you may choose twenty-two of them."
Nan Zhi scanned the items and found that the official team had protected them well.
Even while being chased by demon beasts and forced to blow up their return passage, they hadn't abandoned these things.
Hongluo curiously leaned in, pointing at her bright red lips and asking if they wanted some fruit.
"Thank you, little girl, but you should keep the fruit for yourself. Our team entered the secret realm to uphold the spirit of research and explore scientific mysteries. These items are more important than our lives."
Professor Liu declined Hongluo's offer with a bitter smile and took a step forward.
"Please rest assured; this is indeed everything we took from the secret chamber."
Nan Zhi didn't call out the word games the woman was playing.
She had only come for that jade slip. She wasn't interested in whatever else the official team might have found outside the stone chamber.
Inside the sealed boxes, every item was preserved in a specialized bag and appeared to have been cleaned.
Consequently, Nan Zhi easily recognized the functions of these objects.
"This Jade Pen, this Purple Bamboo Dragon-Carved Brush Pot, this Golden Silk Agate Bone-Piercing Mirror, and this Eight-Treasure Necklace Shirt. This Bronze Soul-Chasing Bell isn't bad either; I'll take it."
Nan Zhi's gaze swept casually over the boxes as she pointed out the items she wanted.
"And this Bamboo Script Board... this green jade slip... and this book, 《Prototypes of Formations》..."
With every item she pointed out, the expressions of Professor Liu and the four soldiers grew more solemn, as if she were carving pieces of flesh from them.
After much deliberation, Qin Yue had agreed to Nan Zhi's conditions and had openly shared the map of the secret realm they had risked their lives to map out.
The map drawn and measured by the geologists accompanying the exploration team didn't differ much from reality, which saved Nan Zhi a great deal of time.
In the end, only nine items remained in the four sealed boxes:
A cloak thin as a cicada's wing, almost translucent as if woven from insect wings; a segment of black, lifeless withered wood; a black dagger without a sheath; a square, palm-sized Tiger-Head Jade Seal; and four ancient books that required translation.
"I am in a good mood today, so I will give you a few pointers. The first item is a garment made of Resonating Cicada wings; wearing it can hide your form. The second is a root from a Moon Laurel. Though it looks lifeless, if you tend to it carefully with rootless water, it might just live. The third is a fine dharma treasure for killing called the Shadow-Severing Blade. It can wound people invisibly, even from a thousand miles away. For example..."
Nan Zhi picked up the dagger and made a light cutting motion toward Professor Liu's shadow. Professor Liu reflexively tried to dodge, but halfway through, she forced herself to stop!
In the next second, a wound deep enough to see bone appeared on her forearm. Crimson blood sprayed out instantly!
"Professor Liu!"
"Professor Liu! Are you all right?!"
The others hadn't expected Nan Zhi to strike so suddenly. They rushed to shield Professor Liu, who looked pale and waved them off weakly.
"I'm fine, cough... Ma Guniang was demonstrating for us. This is truly a marvelous item. What is the principle behind it? How can it wound someone through their shadow? Ma Guniang is indeed well-versed; you actually recognize all these things."
"Not at all. You are the truly clever one. I originally intended to cut your shoulder, but you managed to dodge it. Of course, I have sharp eyes and a clear mind; nothing foul or stinking can escape my notice in my presence. I heard that these things, including that stone chamber, were first discovered by you? You should be careful. Who knows if there's some dirty thing in that stone chamber waiting to possess someone for a soul-snatching sneak attack."
Nan Zhi slowly withdrew the dagger and placed it back, seemingly entirely indifferent to the blood pouring from Professor Liu's arm.
"You may go. Hongluo, see our guests out."
"...Ma Guniang is truly a joker; I only managed to dodge by chance."
Professor Liu's expression, which had remained calm until now, finally turned unsightly.
The other four were confused, not knowing why Ma Guniang had suddenly turned hostile. However, their wariness deepened, and they resolved to report back to Qin Yue immediately.
By chance?
I don't believe a word of it.
Nan Zhi smiled as she picked up the jade slip, playing with it in her hand as a playful glint flickered in her eyes.
Rate on N.U.
