Chapter 504 - 251: Madam, You Wouldn’t Want...

Chapter 504: Chapter 251: Madam, You Wouldn’t Want...

At this moment.

As the Gu Insect in Lady Lan’s body suddenly went berserk, she lost control and fell to her knees. It was as if time itself had frozen solid.

Their gazes met mid-air. Though their expressions differed, both were reeling in shock.

Lady Lan looked up at Chen Sheng, who was just inches away, her eyes filled with utter disbelief.

The gnawing restlessness and sense of powerlessness from a moment ago still lingered in every fiber of her being, leaving her shaken and unable to compose herself.

This sudden, violent reaction from the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly within her was completely beyond her control and expectations.

To be kneeling so wretchedly before a man was a predicament she had never before faced in her life.

Yet, amidst her shock, a thought suddenly flashed through Lady Lan’s disordered mind.

’That Dragon Yang Gu King from the Poison Flame Cave...’

’Could it... have fallen into Chen Sheng’s hands?’

This wasn’t some wild guess—there were simply too many coincidences.

Earlier today in the Council Hall, the Gu King had been inexplicably restless. At the time, she had only assumed the recent backlash was intensifying and hadn’t looked into it further.

But just now, the moment she neared Chen Sheng, the recently quieted Jade Butterfly had erupted once more, and with a ferocity that far exceeded what came before!

This could hardly be explained away as a mere coincidence.

Having nurtured her Gu King for many years, Lady Lan had a profound understanding of the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly’s nature.

For such violent, resonant agitation to occur twice in such a short time, there was only one possibility.

The other Gu King—its counterpart, born of the same source and linked by Yin and Yang—had either undergone a major change... or been awakened and subdued.

And the only outsider to have entered the Poison Flame Cave recently was this very Inspector Chen before her.

’My own strange reaction right now... it must be because of him.’

Chen Sheng, for his part, was also stunned.

He knew the Phoenix Yin Gu King was inside Lady Lan, but he never expected the Dragon-Singing Celestial Cicada in his own body would resonate so strongly and violently when they drew near, let alone that it would provoke such an extreme reaction from her.

His original plan had been to proceed step by step, finding a way to make Lady Lan cooperate willingly or hand over the Gu King.

He never imagined the situation would escalate so quickly, devolving into an immediate showdown!

A heavy, viscous silence spread between them, lasting for a good ten breaths.

Just as Chen Sheng took a deep breath, preparing to break the suffocating silence, Lady Lan also parted her lips to speak.

"You..."

"You..."

They spoke in unison, their voices overlapping.

Their gazes collided once more.

Chen Sheng suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind, forcibly circulating his True Essence to quiet the restless Dragon-Singing Celestial Cicada in his arm.

He then raised his hand and waved. A gentle yet irresistible wave of energy swept backward. With a soft THUD, the door swung shut. The faint glow of a Restriction flashed for an instant, then vanished, completely sealing the room from the outside world.

Having done all this, Chen Sheng slowly sat down, his calm gaze falling upon Lady Lan, who was still half-kneeling on the floor. Her formal robes were slightly disarrayed, and her breathing was ragged.

In that moment, she exuded a rare vulnerability. The flush had yet to fade from her cheeks, and her eyes, as if veiled in mist, held a different kind of breathtaking allure.

"Lady Lan, what did you want to say?"

Chen Sheng spoke, his voice steady, revealing little emotion.

His bond with the Gu King was still tenuous, so the effect on him was far less profound than it was on Lady Lan. He could still remain mostly calm.

Lady Lan’s chest rose and fell as she struggled to suppress the enervating warmth pulsing from her Dantian, along with the roiling sense of shame and suspicion that accompanied it.

She knew that any physical contact now would be unwise, as it could trigger an even more violent reaction. She secretly circulated her internal energy, her slender fingers pressing against an acupoint below her navel as she channeled in True Essence. Tensing her waist, she managed to push herself to her feet, though not without some difficulty.

But her legs were still trembling, almost imperceptibly.

Lady Lan walked on slightly unsteady feet to the chair opposite Chen Sheng and slowly sat down, using the moment to even her breathing and recompose herself.

"Lord Chen,"

Lady Lan raised her eyes to Chen Sheng, her gaze complex. Instead of voicing her suspicion directly, she decided to probe him.

"Just now... what was that all about?"

"That’s the very question I was about to ask you, Sect Leader Lan."

Chen Sheng didn’t answer, deftly turning the question back on her. His gaze lingered for a moment on her still-flushed cheeks.

The light in Lady Lan’s eyes flickered as she seemed to weigh her options.

After a moment’s hesitation, she finally spoke.

"Lord Chen, in the Poison Flame Cave... did you perhaps encounter something... special?"

Seeing that she was getting straight to the point, Chen Sheng no longer beat around the bush and admitted it with a nod.

"I subdued a Gu Insect in the cave."

Although she had already guessed as much, hearing Chen Sheng admit it himself still made Lady Lan’s heart lurch.

It took her several long breaths to suppress the turmoil within her before she pressed on.

"May I... see it?"

Lady Lan found it hard to believe. She herself had nearly died just to subdue the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly.

’How could Chen Sheng have obtained the even more terrifying Dragon Yang Gu King so easily?’

"On your person, Lady Lan,"

Chen Sheng didn’t answer directly. Instead, he frowned slightly, his gaze sharp as he looked at her.

"You must also be harboring an extraordinary Gu Insect, correct?"

Lady Lan’s breath hitched slightly, and she fell into a brief silence.

’So he really does know!’

Her eyelids lowered, and her fingertips curled unconsciously. After a long moment of deliberation, she gave a nearly imperceptible nod.

"Yes."

"In that case," Chen Sheng said, leaning forward slightly, "why don’t we verify it together? That should clear up any lingering suspicion."

Lady Lan raised her head to meet Chen Sheng’s gaze. Seeing his calm and certain expression, she knew this was unavoidable and could only nod.

"Very well."

Having reached an agreement, they both extended their left arms at almost the exact same time.

Chen Sheng rolled up his sleeve, revealing the inside of his arm.

There, a pale gold, lifelike cicada-shaped mark was quietly materializing, shimmering with a faint, flowing light.