Chapter 257: She Cares About Me

Still the same teasing, yet she was even closer than last time.

The woman was tall, only about half a head shorter than Lu Xingzhou. With her chin tilted up and her beautiful face slightly raised, it felt as if she could kiss him at any moment.

Her lips were slightly full, red and vibrant without any rouge, looking incredibly sexy and alluring.

But Lu Xingzhou felt no romantic stirrings; the heart-pounding fear of imminent death resurfaced.

This time, a wrong answer truly meant death, and it didn't matter how attractive he found her.

At this moment, Lu Xingzhou's mind was clearer than ever. His thoughts raced, and he considered many possibilities. "I think... your judgment might be mistaken," he said.

Long Qinghuang had not expected this answer and was very surprised. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

"I agree it's very likely a trap intended for you, but it might not be *only* for you," Lu Xingzhou said. "Your Majesty also knows that one of the Five Ghost Emperors of the Underworld Palace has arrived."

"So what?"

"If the Ghost Emperor confirms the dragon bone is real, will he inform the Yama King? And if the Underworld Palace's intelligence network can know about such distant matters, what about the Heavenly Yao Holy Land, whose coverage is even stronger than the Underworld Palace's? Do they know?"

Long Qinghuang asked, "Are you suggesting this place will become a chaotic situation involving multiple parties? Why don't you think this scheme was set by the Heavenly Yao Holy Land?"

"Because the Heavenly Yao Holy Land and the Underworld Palace are opposing forces... At the end of the year before last, the Heavenly Yao Holy Land ambushed the Yama King, and she injured several of their people."

Long Qinghuang was thoughtful. "Continue," she said.

"Assuming the Heavenly Yao Holy Land set this trap, they shouldn't lure two adversaries, the Demon Emperor and the Yama King, here together. It would be too difficult to control, and the chances of it falling apart would be too high. If I were planning it, I would send people to cut off communication channels to other forces, draw in allies, and focus solely on Your Majesty. The success rate would be much higher. What's the point of spreading the news all over the world, attracting the Underworld Palace and various other chaotic forces?"

Long Qinghuang's expression grew serious. "What you say makes sense; it doesn't sound like something the Heavenly Yao Holy Land would orchestrate. But is it possible that it's designed this way to appear more authentic?"

"The gains wouldn't outweigh the losses; it wouldn't happen," Lu Xingzhou said. "It's hard for me to determine what they're trying to do right now, but Your Majesty, could you be a little more patient and investigate one more thing? Perhaps that would confirm it."

"Tell me," she prompted.

"Investigate whether any first-rank powers from the Tian Shuang Kingdom are appearing in the glaciers," Lu Xingzhou stated firmly. "If the Tian Shuang Kingdom, which is the closest, actually has no powerful figures present, then I'd be seventy to eighty percent sure that the Tian Shuang Kingdom is setting a trap to lure Your Majesty and the Heavenly Yao Holy Master into another battle, while simultaneously weakening the Great Qian and the Demon Realm's forces."

Long Qinghuang pursed her red lips, having to admit his analysis made sense.

Only this scenario could explain why attracting Great Qian forces like the Underworld Palace wouldn't matter, as long as the Tian Shuang Kingdom's forces didn't appear. They would either preserve their strength and not show up at all, or they would lie in wait, hoping to pick up the pieces after Great Qian and the Demon Emperor had exhausted each other in battle.

To verify this judgment, she only needed to confirm whether any Tian Shuang Kingdom forces were present.

But this wasn't easy to verify. While Long Qinghuang could use her divine sense to explore freely, cultivators weren't inanimate objects; if prepared, they had many ways to block remote divine sense probes.

"Actually, I have a very direct method. Would Your Majesty like to try it?" Lu Xingzhou cautiously said.

"Hmm?"

"Just return to the Demon Realm."

If you're willing to give up entirely, then no one can exploit you.

Long Qinghuang shook her head with a smile. "If it truly is an ancient dragon bone, I am determined to obtain it; I can't just pretend it doesn't exist."

Lu Xingzhou fell silent, his expression showing some regret.

Long Qinghuang said, "As for you, why would you propose such a thing? Aren't you afraid I'd really just take you back with me?"

Lu Xingzhou remained silent.

He knew Long Qinghuang wouldn't give up. This proposal was actually for the sake of the Heavenly Yao Holy Land and Madam Ye.

The Heavenly Yao Holy Land was, after all, Xiao Bai Mao's maternal home; it would naturally be best if they could avoid this situation. Madam Ye had likely also heard the news about the dragon bone and was currently investigating the core area. She was only a first-rank cultivator, and rashly getting involved in a super-rank battle like this could lead to disaster.

If the Demon Emperor, the core of this storm, were to leave, then naturally nothing would happen.

Compared to this win-win outcome, being taken to the Demon Realm to be scrubbed with steel wool was no big deal. Anyway, he couldn't break her defense.

Unfortunately, Long Qinghuang clearly wouldn't give up so easily. So he had to find a way to inform the Heavenly Yao Holy Land.

Lu Xingzhou's silence clearly led Long Qinghuang to a misunderstanding. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm not that easy to deal with. With your analysis, I have a much better grasp of the situation. It's still uncertain who will be the final victor."

Her previous question to him, "If humans want to kill me, what will you, Chen Yu, do?" had also been answered.

He was worried about her safety.

Lu Xingzhou put on an actor-level look of melancholy and whispered, "If Your Majesty insists on going... if a super-rank battle truly breaks out, my cultivation level is far too low to withstand it, and I would only distract Your Majesty by needing care. It would be better to leave me outside. Then, if you truly obtain the dragon bone, you can come back for me."

In truth, Long Qinghuang hadn't really thought about coming back for Lu Xingzhou; teasing the little beauty was enough. Was she actually going to figure out how to break his 'defense' with him? He couldn't break hers anyway.

But looking at the little man's melancholic expression, it seemed as if he was truly reluctant to part with her. This perfectly aligned with A'Tuan's statement that "he actually harbors feelings of admiration." Long Qinghuang actually began to consider the idea of returning for him later. She gently patted his handsome face with a smile. "Then you wait here; don't wander off," she said.

After speaking, she vanished.

Lu Xingzhou let out a long breath, realizing he was drenched in a cold sweat.

He had actually escaped her coercion just like that.

Although the atmosphere sometimes seemed romantic and ambiguous, and their conversations revolved around love and admiration, in reality, every moment was like dancing on a knife's edge. The Demon Emperor was, after all, the Demon Emperor. If for a second she thought he was a threat, she would turn on him instantly, and his good looks would be useless.

Her previous attempt to take him to the center of the glacier showed she didn't care about his life or death at all. Regardless of any trap, in such a high-stakes chaotic situation, a mere fourth-rank cultivator like Lu Xingzhou would be severely harmed, if not killed. Only now had kindness truly been exchanged for kindness; her willingness to leave him here indicated she was starting to consider his safety.

Although Lu Xingzhou's kindness was more directed towards the Heavenly Yao Holy Land and Madam Ye, it had indeed helped Long Qinghuang a great deal. Lu Xingzhou now wondered if he was considered a human traitor.

In any case, as long as she wasn't constantly with him and her energy was focused on investigating the presence of Tian Shuang Kingdom powerhouses, Lu Xingzhou would have many more options.

Lu Xingzhou quickly pulled out a flare from his ring and lit it. With a whoosh, a plume of black smoke shot straight into the sky.

Not long after, a figure flashed past.

Ji Wenchuan's familiar voice rang out, "Holy hell, it really is you! How dare you come to a place like this? Have you lost your mind? Huh... A'Nuo, come give uncle a hug. Why are you still so tiny after two years?"

A'Nuo backed away in disgust. "No way! You stink."

"Hey, you little brat, everyone stinks except your master, right?"

"Not exactly. Sisters smell good, but men stink."

Ji Wenchuan was speechless.

Lu Xingzhou strode forward and hugged Ji Wenchuan. He whispered, "This isn't the time for small talk. You haven't told the Yama King about what's happening here, have you?"

"No," Ji Wenchuan replied. "The situation here is strange, and I don't think it would be good for the Yama King to get involved. Even if a dragon bone like this is active, it's something the Yin Corpse Sect would be ecstatic about. It doesn't quite suit us, and we're not so determined to get it."

This was purely an intuitive avoidance of harm. Lu Xingzhou felt a little more relieved. "It's good that she didn't come. If she were to get involved, it would turn into a complete mess."

"Don't you want to see her?"

"No. Why would I want to see her? Are there no other women in the world?"

"You... never mind," Ji Wenchuan said. "Anyway, since you're here, I know I don't need to use my brain. Tell me, what's the situation?"

"I just want to confirm one thing... You've been investigating here for about a day, right? Have you encountered any powerhouses from the Tian Shuang Kingdom?"

"No. It's such a vast place; it's hard to run into anyone."

"No, the location where the dragon bone fragments were unearthed is clear. Anyone who goes there to investigate would have a very high chance of encountering others. In fact, there should have been multiple conflicts before you even arrived. So, have you seen any traces of battle or conflict over there?"

Ji Wenchuan paused. "There are excavation marks, but indeed no signs of battle. Now that you mention it, something does feel off."

"Something is amiss here. It's highly likely that the dragon bone doesn't exist at all, though I don't know how those fragments appeared," Lu Xingzhou said urgently. "I can't enter the center of the glacier, but you can. Help me sneak in and take a look. If you find anyone from the Heavenly Yao Holy Land, deliver a message for me."

"Hey, if the Heavenly Yao Holy Land has truly set an ambush inside, are you sending me to my death?"

"It's just delivering a message, and even warring armies don't kill envoys," Lu Xingzhou said. He quickly wrote a letter and tucked it into Ji Wenchuan's collar. "Besides, this is *my* letter. My mentor is probably with the Heavenly Yao Holy Land right now. Tell her that if she keeps pondering over the dragon bone, I'll publicly auction off her veil."

"...Are you sure you're threatening your mentor and not a mistress with this method?"

"Why so many questions? It's extremely urgent."