The Heart of the King

These weren't the eyes of any animal.

Why did Nan Yue still feel a sense of familiarity from the entity, even though it was clearly a monster that shouldn't be human?

Wait...

The thing in front of her was maintaining a rather peculiar posture.

Its right hand rested lightly over its heart, in a gesture that resembled a salute.

For some reason, the reason for that familiarity suddenly clicked in Nan Yue's mind.

The realization was so shocking that even she found it hard to believe.

Nan Yue opened her mouth in surprise, but before she could speak, the thing in front of her let out a pop, like a punctured balloon, and collapsed to the floor.

Nan Yue stepped forward and crouched down to rummage through the white cloth on the ground.

There was nothing.

Only the white cloth remained; there was no person, not even human skin.

But just now...

Nan Yue couldn't have seen it wrong.

How could it be him?

Nan Yue and the others met up before heading back. Everyone looked like they were drenched like drowned rats, and they had very little to show for their efforts.

Chi Yu had also encountered strange villagers who, like the one Nan Yue met, turned into a puff of air right before her eyes.

Gu Xiang Kai, relying on his Steel Thorns, had risked another trip into the rainforest. The water had already reached his waist. If it rained for another day and night, the water would likely rise to the hillock and reach the same level as the deep pool.

"The paths in the rainforest are completely gone now. We can't leave unless the water recedes."

At this point, it wasn't even a question of whether they could risk rushing out of the rainforest. Gu Xiang Kai had only stayed in the water for a short while before his symptoms suddenly intensified.

If it weren't for his incredible endurance and willpower, his state might have been similar to Yin Qian's by now.

The white mist drifted in and out of Gu Xiang Kai's body, providing only a negligible effect.

Jiang Siyan pursed his lips; this was something even he had no way to heal.

In essence, this was neither an injury nor a disease.

As Nan Yue had said, it was a kind of internal transformation.

Nan Yue watched the blisters on Gu Xiang Kai's body grow larger and more numerous, her expression darkening.

"I went to the back mountain."

Taking advantage of his abilities, Jiang Siyan had risked a trip to the back mountain.

"Whatever is in that deep pool, this is definitely its doing."

Jiang Siyan had seen the originally calm and profound deep pool rolling like boiling water.

The thing inside the deep pool was starting to get excited.

Nan Yue was silent for a moment. "I think I know what those strange villagers and white figures are."

Although the first floor of the stilt houses provided shelter from the wind and rain, it wasn't as dry as being indoors. Though the others were curious, they saw that Nan Yue seemed to want to confirm something first.

Nan Yue and the others returned to the stilt house where they were staying. They dried their clothes and wiped the water from their bodies, but even the blisters on Nan Yue's body had begun to grow to the size of quail eggs.

"Xi Ning."

Nan Yue knocked on the door and only pushed it open after hearing Zhu Xi Ning's answer.

Inside, clothes and accessories were scattered across the floor. Zhu Xi Ning was crouching to inspect them one by one, while Headman Qi, wrapped in his straw raincoat, had a face flushed dark red, looking like he was fuming with embarrassment.

"I told you it wasn't on me! You actually made me strip naked!"

Zhu Xi Ning glanced back at Headman Qi. "But you definitely have a kingly aura on you. It's just very, very faint. It wasn't as bright as the bronze bridle or the Bagua mirror before, so I didn't notice it."

"Now that you've taken off your clothes, I'm certain the King's Coin is on you..."

Zhu Xi Ning trailed off because she had checked everything, and there was no kingly aura on any of the items.

The kingly aura still seemed to reside within Headman Qi himself.

But that faint kingly aura was easily missed. Now that everyone was suffering from the effects of the transformation, their mental states were somewhat unstable.

Some horsemen with fragile mental stability could only keep their eyes tightly shut; otherwise, they would go mad upon seeing the blisters on themselves or their companions.

Thus, Zhu Xi Ning wasn't even sure if her judgment was correct.

"I told you it was unreliable! How could I not know the origin of the things on my own body?"

Headman Qi glared at Zhu Xi Ning. "Give me back my damn drawers!"

The two women turned their backs and waited for Headman Qi to rustle into his pants before turning around. Headman Qi had a robust build, with muscles bulging beneath his bronze skin.

Zhu Xi Ning paused. "Headman, why is there a scar on your chest?"

Headman Qi was very annoyed with Zhu Xi Ning now. "What scar? This is my birthmark!"

"It's a lucky omen, you know!"

Zhu Xi Ning was somewhat speechless; that didn't look like a birthmark at all.

Nan Yue had remained silent until now, but she stepped forward.

Her expression was grave, startling Headman Qi, who stared at her with his wide, bulging eyes.

"A-Nan, what are you doing?!"

"Headman, if... if there was a way to save everyone, would you be willing?"

Headman Qi had a look on his face that said 'what a stupid question.' "Of course! Do you even have to ask!"

Nan Yue paused. "What if... you lose your life?"

Headman Qi froze. He had initially thought Nan Yue was joking, but then he remembered that Nan Yue never joked. She was cold but extremely reliable.

She must have really discovered something to ask him this.

Headman Qi's expression was complicated, but his hesitation lasted only an instant.

Soon, he roared at Nan Yue with full vigor, "Of course! Do you even have to ask!"

Nan Yue looked at Headman Qi, appearing somewhat hesitant.

"What if... we might not be able to save everyone?"

Headman Qi raised an eyebrow. "If I save two, it's a win. Can I not even save two?"

Nan Yue: "...Two is possible."

Headman Qi gave her an annoyed glare. "Then that's that."

Zhu Xi Ning listened from the side. She could tell from Nan Yue's expression that Nan Yue likely meant they could only save the few of them who were outsiders.

That was why Nan Yue was so reluctant.

Seeing Nan Yue's expression, Headman Qi burst into laughter instead.

"A-Nan, why are you being so indecisive today? You've got no guts at all."

"When have the boys of my Qi Family Gang ever been afraid of death?"

"We fell into a trap this time, but as long as someone stays alive, my Qi Family Gang isn't dead. The spirit of my Qi Family Gang lives on."

Nan Yue tilted her head slightly and blinked her moist eyes. Headman Qi had already guessed it.

"So A-Nan, just say what you need to do."

Nan Yue calmed her emotions and looked at Headman Qi.

"I know where the King's Coin is."

"Where?"

"Inside your heart."

...

"What! What are you going to do! I don't agree!"

Manager Wu's voice was even shriller than usual. Though he had been dying from the blisters earlier, he was now as spirited as a fighting cock.

"Old Wu."

Compared to Manager Wu, Headman Qi acted as if it had nothing to do with him, sitting cross-legged on the ground and puffing on his dry tobacco.

"You're a man of the Qi Family Gang too. Don't embarrass yourself."

In his agitation, the egg-sized blisters on Manager Wu's face wobbled.

His own condition was poor, and he knew very well that he wasn't getting out.

Many of the brothers outside knew it too; they weren't getting out.