CHAPTER 2104: CHAPTER 2102: SACRIFICING LIVES FOR THE SAKE OF THE SECRET

In the distance, Feng Cheng’s body swayed with the tremors of the ground. He muttered ’not good’ under his breath and then flashed, rushing towards Bai Ruozhu and the others at incredible speed. If anyone saw him at that moment, they would surely be shocked, with their mouth agape—who could move this fast? It was practically defying the heavens!

Bai Ruozhu was troubled about how to persuade these Jiuli Clan members when Feng Cheng’s voice suddenly reached her ears: "You cannot go there. If you do, there will be no turning back. I won’t hold back against these people, including you!"

Feng Cheng’s voice carried an icy tone, even brimming with a dense killing intent, which made Bai Ruozhu shudder unexpectedly. She realized that Feng Cheng truly harbored murderous thoughts.

It was clear how significant that place was. It didn’t take much thought to understand that inside lay a secret Feng Cheng deemed crucial, possibly even connecting to a very dangerous area.

Bai Ruozhu surveyed her surroundings and indeed saw Feng Cheng standing in the distant forest. However, she noticed that the people around her didn’t see Feng Cheng at all, as if he didn’t exist.

Worried, she mouthed towards Feng Cheng: How do we get out?

Soon, Feng Cheng’s voice echoed in her ears again. It had to be the secret sound transmission technique, but such a long-distance sound transmission was truly astonishing to Bai Ruozhu. Just how strong was Feng Cheng’s inner strength?

"Head west from here for five miles, and when you see a mountain, go north for ten miles. Then you’ll see a Stone Lion. Insert two of your fingers into the lion’s eyes, and you’ll open the exit to the secret realm."

His voice rang out again: "It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you earlier. This place changes significantly every so often. Even if I told you beforehand, it would be useless—the terrain and direction would change by the time you set off. Stop them quickly, or don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

Bai Ruozhu watched his silhouette flicker and disappear into the forest, knowing he might have gone to guard the palace that had appeared out of thin air.

She hurriedly told everyone, "Do not act rashly; I now know how to get out."

Someone looked at her suspiciously, "Why don’t you want us to go there? How do you know how to get out?"

Bai Ruozhu quickly glanced at the Third Elder; luckily, she had discussed this with him beforehand, so at least he could vouch for her now.

She explained, "I have sharp hearing from birth and heard someone speaking to me. He said he is the guardian spirit here and advised us not to act rashly. Because so many of us came in this time, he couldn’t bear to see Jiuli Clan people getting hurt and would guide us out."

She then conveyed the method Feng Cheng told her about heading west then north to everyone, omitting the final step of using fingers to insert into the Stone Lion’s eyes.

She wasn’t sure if there were any spies among them, so it was best for her to keep the crucial step to herself.

For a moment, everyone fell silent, but some still showed skepticism. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Bai Ruozhu, but they didn’t trust the so-called guardian spirit she mentioned.

"What if he’s a fraud trying to lure us into a trap?" someone asked.

"Yeah, just because you heard his voice, how do you know he’s the guardian spirit?" another questioned.

The Third Elder quickly intervened, "Ruozhu wasn’t sure initially but privately discussed it with me, and only after confirming did she tell everyone to avoid disappointment."

Bai Ruozhu nodded, "Because he spoke to me the same way a few days ago. I didn’t mention it before, fearing you wouldn’t believe it, so I kept quiet. But he had told me about changes, water sources, and food availability here too, so I believe he won’t deceive us. If he wanted to harm us, he’d simply say nothing and watch us fall into traps."

"Why aren’t we allowed to go to the palace then?" someone stubbornly asked.

Bai Ruozhu retorted, "What’s more important now—exploring or leaving quickly to rescue our people?"

These words proved more effective than previous explanations, quieting many. Ultimately, everyone decided to try Bai Ruozhu’s method. If they couldn’t get out, they would search for the mysterious palace instead; after all, the palace was large and visible from afar.

Bai Ruozhu led the group westward for five miles. As they were about to turn north, she glanced back and found that Fen Jizhi was missing from the group!

She urgently asked Father Feng, "Uncle Feng, where is Fen Jizhi?"

Surprised, Father Feng looked around and couldn’t spot his son either. His face turned pale, "That boy has always been curious, attracted to danger with hopes of fortune. Could he have gone on an adventure?"

Bai Ruozhu thought of Fen Jizhi’s knowledge of many secrets; he probably already guessed something wrong here. On top of that, young people are eager to get to the bottom of things, so he might have sneaked away—especially since his family was all in the secret realm, so he didn’t feel much burden.

Worried sick, Bai Ruozhu thought if Fen Jizhi went over there, he was likely to be killed by Feng Cheng. Fen Jizhi had just saved her second brother’s life and hadn’t even recovered fully—how could he be so unruly? Couldn’t he just rest for a while?

With this in mind, she told everyone, "Stay here; I’ll go find Fen Jizhi."

Bai Zepei, worried, called out to her, "Little sister, let me go with you."

Bai Ruozhu shook her head, "Second brother, stay and guard everyone here. If something happens, you all can set up an array. I’m faster on my own, don’t worry, I can protect myself."

Bai Zepei nodded, "Be careful, come back soon."

Father Feng said remorsefully, "Sorry for causing trouble."

Bai Ruozhu swiftly left using lightness skill, retracing her steps. Silently, she prayed for Feng Cheng to scare Fen Jizhi away like in the trial center before, instead of killing him outright.

She followed the path and indeed found Fen Jizhi near the main hall.

His injuries made movement difficult; if not for that, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t have caught him because of his usual speed.

She grabbed his shoulder, accidentally squeezing the bandaged area, causing Fen Jizhi to suck in a breath, "Aunt, be gentle!"

Angrily, Bai Ruozhu said, "I’d rather slap you dead! Why are you messing around again? Do you want to kill yourself or get everyone else killed?"

Fen Jizhi gave a bitter smile, "That secret has been blocking my heart for too long, I can’t let it go. This palace surely has something to do with it. If I don’t see it for myself, I won’t find peace."

"Is it worth risking your life for a secret?" Bai Ruozhu asked.

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Here comes the fifth update~

Fen Jizhi: What exactly is that secret?

Feng Cheng: You guess!

Fen Jizhi: (shouts) I can’t guess it!

Feng Cheng: Then trade it for a monthly ticket, I won’t say for less.

Fen Jizhi: Ladies, can you spare a few monthly tickets?